The rectangular black metal table that dominated the center of the D.C.S.S. meeting room was surrounded by holographic screens displaying maps of Hosu, structural damage charts, and classified reports. The air conditioner hummed softly, unable to dissipate the tension accumulating in the room.
At the head of the table, Hiroshi Kagemura observed in silence.
To his right was Madam President, director of the Hero Public Safety Commission, with her impeccable posture and expression too controlled to be comfortable. Across the table, the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department kept a stack of physical reports in front of him, his fingers gripping the edges of the papers.
Madam President was the first to speak.
"The Hosu incident has been officially classified as a coordinated attack by the League of Villains," she said, her firm voice echoing in the room. "Multiple Nomus were deployed as strategic targets across the city to maximize panic, destruction, and overwhelm the few local heroes on duty."
She made a hand gesture, changing the projections.
Images of ruined streets, collapsed buildings, and craters in the asphalt appeared in the center of the table.
"Most of the Nomus were neutralized by Endeavor and his team," she continued. "And they were able to capture a female Nomu, provisional codename 'Woman,' thanks to the intervention of the foreign hero Violet."
A low murmur traveled around the table.
"The city has suffered severe damage," she concluded. "Reconstruction will take months. Entire sectors of Hosu will remain off-limits indefinitely."
The Police Chief cleared his throat before taking the floor.
"Now," he continued, his expression darkening, "we need to address the elephant in the room: Ryo Tanaka."
Silence fell immediately upon hearing the boy's name.
"The boy directly intervened in the confrontation," said the Police Chief. "Without a provisional license. Without authorization. Without proper monitoring from his mentor. It is undeniable that he contributed to the defeat of one of the most dangerous Nomus in the attack."
He paused briefly, eyeing those present.
"But his actions were utterly irresponsible."
Some murmurs began to rise, but he didn't stop.
"The fight between them caused large-scale destruction. Buildings collapsed. Infrastructure was destroyed. Lives were endangered not just by the villains… but by his mere decision to help."
The man folded his hands on the table.
"And furthermore," he added, his voice lowering. "We are talking about the boy who, had he ended up killed in that incident… would have resulted in the loss of millions of lives across the entire country."
The murmur transformed into an uneasy buzz around the room.
"I know," he continued, "that Ryo Tanaka may have acted with good intentions. I don't question that. But the law is clear. Unauthorized use of a Quirk, even during a crisis, constitutes a serious legal violation. If we make an exception this time… we open a loophole we won't be able to close later."
Madam President nodded slowly.
"I agree," she said. "And there is another point that cannot be ignored."
She tapped the papers below, the report stamped with the Endeavor Agency's seal.
"According to Hero Endeavor's reports, the primary target of the League of Villains was Ryo Tanaka himself."
The reaction from those present was immediate.
"What…?"
"Are you sure about this?"
"So the attack…"
"The USJ incident," Madam President continued, ignoring the comments, "and now Hosu. The pattern is clear. The League of Villains has its sights set on Ryo Tanaka."
Silence returned, heavier than before.
"In light of this," she concluded, "keeping the boy at U.A. represents an unacceptable risk at this time. For the students who are future heroes, and for the institution itself. The most appropriate punishment, and honestly the safest one, would be his immediate removal from U.A. and his placement back under direct government supervision or his return to the N.C.R.C.D.Q."
Some faces showed shock. Others, resignation.
Kagemura remained silent for long seconds, his fingers intertwined before his face.
Finally, he slowly turned to the other side of the table.
"Given the opinions presented… and the current circumstances," he said in a grave voice, "does the principal of U.A. have anything to say?"
All eyes turned to Nezu.
Across the table, the small principal faced the politicians with his dark, profound eyes. There was no smile on his face.
He took a deep breath.
And then, placing his paws on the table, he braced himself for what he was about to say and risk.
----------------------------------------
"Mommy…?"
"I'm here, sweetheart."
"It's all dark… I don't like it…"
"I'm scared…"
"Shhh… come here. Mommy's right here with you."
"But… what if the dark gets me…?"
"I can't see anything…"
"It won't. As long as I'm here, nothing will hurt you."
"You promise…?"
"I promise. Mommy never lies to you."
"It's scary in here…"
"I don't want to be alone…"
"You're not alone. Look at me… that's it… breathe slowly."
"Mommy… stay with me…"
"Don't go away…"
"I will. I always will."
"You can hold on tight if you want."
"Like this… it's warm…"
"See? That's because you're safe now."
"Mommy… can I go to sleep…?"
"Yes, you can."
"Mommy's right here… really close."
"Really…?"
"Really."
"Close your little eyes."
"Okay… Good night…"
"Good night, my love."
"You can rest now."
.
..
...
"...!"
Ryo woke with a slight startle, his chest rising with a breath that was too short.
The first thing he saw was a white ceiling, too smooth to be anything other than a hospital. He blinked a few times, his eyes burning slightly as his mind struggled to piece itself back together. A sigh escaped his lips when he finally managed to focus.
"Again…" he thought. "These dreams hurt more than the beating I took from that guy…"
He sat up carefully, leaning his torso forward and running a hand through his messy hair. His body felt lighter and relaxed, free from the pain and stress he'd felt before. It left him confused.
"How long was I out…?" he murmured to himself.
"Takeda?!"
The surprised voice came from his left.
"Thank goodness, you're awake," added another, firmer voice.
Ryo looked up and blinked, confused, until he realized where he was. A relatively spacious hospital room. Open curtains. The faint smell of antiseptic in the air. And, in beds near his own, Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki.
"…What?"
Midoriya was half-sitting up in bed, his eyes wide with relief. Iida adjusted his glasses with a restrained smile, while Todoroki watched him quietly.
"How long was I out?" Ryo asked, looking from one to the other. "Three days? Four? Five?"
"Just one day," Todoroki replied calmly.
Ryo's eyes widened.
"Really?" he blinked. "Huh… new recovery record, I guess."
He stretched a little, his back cracking, and only then seemed to notice the state of the three in front of him more clearly. Visible bandages, arms in slings, marks from the fight they'd had the night before.
"Okay… now for the right question," he said. "What happened to you guys?"
The mood shifted for a few seconds.
Midoriya averted his gaze, scratching his cheek, visibly awkward.
"We… kind of ran into the Hero Killer."
Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"Huh?"
"That was… my fault," Iida added, lowering his gaze.
"Iida, don't start that again," Midoriya said quickly, turning to him. "We already talked about this. We went to help because we wanted to. You don't have to blame yourself for our own decisions."
Iida was silent for a moment… then took a deep breath and smiled, nodding.
"You're right. Sorry."
Midoriya smiled back before looking at Ryo again.
"As you can see… we ended up fighting the Hero Killer. Luckily, we managed to win and get out alive."
"Wow…" Ryo let out, genuinely surprised. "So I wasn't the only one having a horrible night."
Midoriya and Iida laughed somewhat awkwardly.
"Did you go through something similar?" Todoroki asked directly. "You ended up here too."
"I did," Ryo replied. "I fought a villain too."
"How was it?" Iida asked, interested.
Ryo brought a hand to his chin, thoughtful.
"It was pretty tense. And really tiring."
Iida nodded.
"I imagine it must have been—"
"He kinda threw half a building at me when we ran into each other."
Silence.
"…Half a building?" Midoriya repeated.
"Yes."
"A building?" Iida insisted.
"Yes."
"Like, a whole building?" Midoriya pushed, incredulous.
"Half." Ryo sighed. "But yes."
"…Are you being serious?" Iida asked.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Ryo replied, starting to get a little annoyed.
Todoroki furrowed his brow slightly.
"I understand… but you look way too fine for someone who took a building to the head."
Ryo looked down, staring at his own hands, his arms, rolling his shoulders a bit. Then he looked back at the three of them with a neutral expression.
"Maybe I'm just built different from you guys."
All three let out a defeated sigh simultaneously.
"Yeah… we kind of expected that from you..."
Later that day, after finally finishing the endless battery of tests the doctors insisted on, Ryo walked through the hospital corridors until he stopped in front of a specific room.
He took a deep breath before knocking lightly on the door and entering.
"Ryo?"
Anan's face immediately lit up upon seeing him.
"It's so good…" she said with a genuine smile. "I'm really glad you've finally woken up."
"I'm surprised myself," he replied, approaching the bed and sitting on the stool beside it. "Thought I'd be out for a lot longer."
Anan let out a light laugh.
"I was expecting you to wake up only after a few days."
Ryo nodded, but his gaze was soon drawn to the visible bandages on her body. His smile faded a little.
"Your shoulder… and your leg," he asked, his voice softer. "Are they okay?"
"They are," she answered, sounding too cheerful for someone who was injured. "The doctors said Recovery Girl will come take care of it tomorrow. I'll be as good as new in no time."
"I see…" Ryo smiled, relieved.
Anan noticed his smile and returned a softer one. For a few seconds, the room fell silent. Then she lowered her head a little.
"Ryo…" she called. "A few things happened while you were sleeping."
He furrowed his brow slightly.
"What happened?"
Anan took a deep breath before answering, choosing her words carefully.
"There was a meeting. With the commission. Nezu was present."
The atmosphere shifted.
"They were… discussing the consequences of what happened in Hosu," she continued. "Mainly concerning you."
Ryo felt his stomach tighten.
She explained simply that, according to the law, the excessive use of Quirks, the destruction of property, and the risk posed to civilians were points too serious to be ignored. Part of the commission argued that he should be punished severely. The most extreme proposal was his expulsion from U.A., under the argument that he represented too great a risk to remain at the school.
Ryo clenched his fists.
For a moment, he wanted to say that was absurd. He had saved people. He had prevented something worse. But the more he thought, the more he remembered the destroyed buildings, his own out-of-control state, the thin line between defense and recklessness.
Anan noticed his expression and gently touched his arm.
"Don't worry," she said. "I told you they were planning this, remember?"
Ryo looked up at her.
"Nezu managed to convince them otherwise."
She didn't go into details there, just made it clear that the final decision hadn't been against him.
The rest became clear when Ryo was officially informed later by Nezu in a phone call.
Nezu had managed to argue that since Ryo began training under direct supervision, he had shown evident progress in controlling his Quirk. Not only that, but he had acted reactively, not offensively. The confrontation with Robot wasn't started by him; Ryo was the direct target of an attack that put his life at risk.
The deciding point came with Endeavor's report.
The number two hero had officially recorded that without Ryo's intervention, he wouldn't have been able to contain that Nomu alone in time. The losses would have been significantly greater, both in lives and destruction. Ryo wasn't the cause of the disaster but an essential piece in preventing something even worse.
"The boy may have been the target, but that didn't mean he should just let himself be caught, did it?"
The law itself was clear. Victims of kidnapping or direct attacks have the right to use their Quirks to defend themselves.
Faced with this, the commission backed down.
The final verdict wasn't a punishment, but an agreement. Ryo would remain at U.A., his internship would be maintained, and no formal sanctions would be applied. In return, all of his contributions to the Hosu incident would remain anonymous, the school committed to drastically reinforcing its defenses against possible future attacks by the League of Villains and would guarantee the maximum safety of Ryo Tanaka during his days as a student until graduation.
----------------------------------------
Garaki's underground medical wing was silent, lit only by cold fluorescent lights recessed into the ceiling. The constant sound of heart monitors filled the space, creating a mechanical, unsettling rhythm. On two metal gurneys lay Shigaraki Tomura and Kurogiri, both unconscious, covered in tubes, wires, and restraint braces.
Garaki walked slowly among the equipment, holding an electronic clipboard as he analyzed results projected on bluish holograms. His gaze was attentive, almost curious, as if examining rare specimens rather than patients on the brink of death.
"So?" asked All For One, his voice echoing softly through the room from the monitor mounted on the wall. "What is their condition?"
Garaki adjusted his glasses before answering.
"Kurogiri sustained relatively light damage," he said matter-of-factly. "There was temporary instability in his quirk structure, but nothing irreversible. However…" he made a brief pause "recent scans indicate the development of cancer. Fortunately, it is in a treatable stage."
All For One remained silent for a moment.
"And Tomura?"
Garaki shifted his gaze to the neighboring gurney.
Shigaraki was in a far worse state. His left arm simply wasn't there anymore, replaced by a thick bandage covering what remained. Half of his body bore deep burns, the skin darkened and uneven. Medical readouts indicated multiple fractures, internal lacerations, and severe systemic damage.
"He lost his left arm," Garaki continued. "Extensive burns caused by an explosion, multiple fractures, internal hemorrhaging… and, unfortunately, he has contracted another type of cancer besides the terminal one he already had."
"Another?" All For One's voice showed genuine surprise. "Wh—"
"Testicular cancer."
The silence that followed was heavy.
For a few seconds, All For One said nothing. Then, a slow sigh echoed through the audio system.
"This is not how I intended to begin this…" he said finally. "But we have no choice. We will have to begin the implants for Tomura."
Garaki's eyes widened behind his lenses. Immediately afterwards, a broad, almost childlike grin spread across his face.
"Master…" he murmured, clearly excited. "Are you certain?"
"Look at him," replied All For One, coldly. "In this state, Tomura cannot continue with the plan. He will not survive the next confrontation."
Garaki tilted his head slightly, observing Shigaraki's motionless body, like an artist assessing an unfinished canvas.
All For One fell silent once more. Then, a different tone entered his voice—something close to anticipation.
"Perhaps…" he said, "we can finally make use of those implants Buddy has been telling me so much about lately."
Garaki's grin widened even further.
"Hehehe…" he chuckled low. "It would be an honor to work with new... materials."