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Asleep In The Keep-Chapter 29

DPxMHA crossover Fic

Chapter 29: Pt 2: What They’re Planning

Summary: UA has a much needed meeting about Phantom

TW: smoking and addiction

Word Count: 6399

Equal parts dread and relief washed over Shouta at having been kicked off the case. Now he was no longer excepted to hunt the boy like an animal, but at the same time it meant he no longer had access to information that could hurt him. He had no idea what the Commission was capable of and Phantom would be the victim.

Shouta stood on the steps of the Commission, lost. He had failed him for the second time that day. Shouta licked his gums, his body craving nicotine. Instead he pulled out a slice of cinnamon gum and began grinding it in between his teeth rather than chewing it. He could really use some coffee right about now…

He couldn’t go back to the coffee shop. Not only was it closed but Phantom’s words rang in his ear. ‘I just need some time.’ Shouta felt strange for thinking this, but the boy looked so pathetic and small in that moment. He didn’t know anyone could look so much like a child while covered in somebody else’s blood.

Shouta had only seen some of the fight. He was wandering the area in case Phantom decided to go back. There was a weird air in the alley that could not so easily be forgotten. It felt a lot like Phantom. Endeavor beat him to it. Shouta was only a block away when he got the distress signal and was the first on the scene. At first, he could do nothing but stare at the creature on top of Endeavor before he realized it was Phantom. He had never seen him like this and didn’t even know it was possible. Phantom’s voice whispered in his ear, ‘You don’t know me.’

He was right. Shouta didn’t know him, and maybe he never will, but he wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to. It was an easy decision stepping in, even knowing he’ll probably be hurt. Even if Phantom doesn’t forgive him, the kid needs to know that someone was willing to try and not everyone will hurt him. It was worth the black eyes.

Shouta breathed deeply in, his ribs protesting slightly. He kept it in until he felt his lungs burn and his heart start racing. He exhaled slowly, drawing it out till there was nothing left in him. It felt nice.

He sent a quick text to principal Nezu explaining he was kicked. Nezu sent another one back immediately asking him to return to the school for a meeting, as if Shouta hadn’t been to enough of those recently.

Shouta felt a presence behind him and turned around to see Sir Nighteye. The man wasn’t looking at him, pretending to be lost in the night sky. Shouta looked up too, spotting a northern star that was as bright as when Phantom was the center of a storm. ‘How did he feel about the stars,’ he wondered.

“Evening, Sir Nighteye,” Shouta finally acknowledged.

“Evening,” he greeted in turn.

The man was long in all senses of the word. He towered over Shouta by 5in and his arms looked like a broken manakin’s being held together by the sleeve. Phantom had a similar frame, although not as tall. Perhaps he hasn’t stopped growing yet and would still gain those few inches.

He couldn’t stop thinking of Phantom. He hadn’t seemed that injured from the fight, but he could have internal injuries. Honestly, Shouta didn’t know how he was able to stand let alone actually win against Endeavor. He wasn’t known for going easy on whatever stood in his way, even if they were children. Shouta had hoped that by giving Phantom the folder he could see how big of a threat he was and only use the information for when he can’t run. Oh how wrong he was.

Shouta should’ve expected it. You tell kids not to fight someone and then they go hunt that person down. Shouta should do the opposite, maybe then his kids would listen to him.

Sir Nighteye pulled out a cigarette and lighter from his inner suit pocket. The lighter was yellow with All Might’s smiling face on it. Shouta didn’t know that the hero even allowed anything that promoted unsafe habits to use his face in Japan, but knowing Sir Nighteye, he probably got it from the states. Sir Nighteye lit the cigarette without fanfare and deeply inhaled, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. He exhaled and the smoke blew in Shouta’s face, his lungs feeling the slight burn.

Shouta’s thumb and index finger twitched. Sir Nighteye looked down at him and offered him a cigarette, which Shouta took. Habit took over and he placed it in between his teeth. Sir Nighteye held up the lighter and Shouta leaned into it until it lit up the stick. He inhaled deeply, the taste combining with the gum making it even more pungent. It was like burning a foul incense.

“I thought you quit smoking?” it was said as casually as the weather.

“I did,” Shouta took another drag. It had been a while and Shouta resisted the urge to cough. “Hizashi doesn’t like it. He said it’s like kissing a fireplace.”

Sir Nighteye laughed but it was empty and had a bitter tinge in it. He had no one who did the same for him. His sidekicks of course protested, but there was only so much they could do. He had no one to come home to or support him to stop.

“You should consider the same. Those things will kill you.”

“Not before a villain will,” He took another drag and looked up at the sky, his eyes lost in memory.

“Did you see it?” Shouta put the cigarette down and looked at Sir Nighteye.

He didn’t say anything but the answer was clear. A somber silence went between them. They both understood the danger of being a hero. That was why Shouta started teaching in the first place. He had to prepare the next generation for when that happened, because it will. Shouta knew at some point either his kids would be burying him or he would have to bury one of them. Not many heroes made it to retirement, and those who did were the type Stain was hunting. Smoking was a way to take the edge off, but it also saved you a spot in the grave.

“You’re going to UA after this, right?” Sir Nighteye asked.

Shouta side-eyed him. It was possible he had used his quirk on him without his notice.

“I am.” He answered flatly.

“I expected as much,” Sir Nighteye watched for his reaction, “I bet you have a lot of school work to do,” he exhaled smoke in his face.

Shouta nodded. He was speaking in code. It wasn’t safe to talk about Phantom in public, especially on the steps of the commission no less.

“Allow me to join you,” He walked ahead of Shouta and pulled a pair of keys out of his pocket. He hit the button and a yellow car beeped not too far away, “I was headed there already.”

Shouta rolled his eyes but didn’t protest. He smashed his cigarette into the concrete railing that led to the Commission and discarded the rest into a nearby garbage bin. Sir Nighteye did the same, then opened the passenger door for Shouta. They both got in and the silence continued.

Shouta had only had brief interactions with the fellow hero, but never alone. They had always been a part of some type of task force, not entirely dissimilar to the one with Phantom. They were civil and even worked well together, but only in a professional capacity. On the inside, Shouta had doubts about Sir Nighteyes motives. He had information that no one else was able to access. It was indispensable while working towards the same goal, but Shouta dreaded what would happen if they were on opposite sides.

Now they were alone together, probably thinking the same thing about the other.

Sir Nighteye turned on the radio and Shouta heard his husband's voice ringing out, announcing the next song. It was Saturday, so it was very likely that was his actual voice and not a recording. Being a hero and a teacher didn’t leave a lot of time for radio, so Hizashi would do pre-recordings a few times a week and leave the rest to his sidekicks. Shouta was honestly very proud of him. Shouta had struggled with juggling teaching, hero work and sleep. He didn’t know how Hizashi had time for all that plus his show. That’s what passion got you.

Hizashi made a stupid joke, and while Shouta smiled, he was surprised to see the other hero’s mouth twitch.

“Careful, he’s taken,” Shouta teased, but it sounded more like a threat.

“I’m well aware,” Sir Nighteye affirmed, “I just enjoy his comedy, is all. I think it’s important to laugh or find joy when you can.”

“If you like comedy so much, you should find company with Ms. Joke. You could distract her from flirting with me. She thinks it’s funny considering my status,” Shouta rolled his eyes.

The hero let out a small ‘hmm,’ sound, “I’ve only had the pleasure of meeting her a few times, but she was entertaining. Perhaps I’ll take you up on that. If anything she’d be a good ally.”

Shouta wasn’t sure if he was joking or not, but either way it wasn’t his business. The rest of the car ride was in silence, the only voice being Hizashi’s every so often. That just left Shouta’s mind to wander. He was skeptical of Sir Nighteye’s intentions at UA. While he was All Might’s sidekick, the two hadn’t spoken to the other in years. It seemed unlikely the hero was solely hoping to reconnect.

He was probably after information regarding Phantom. Shouta would do the same in his shoes. To Sir Nighteye, or anyone else for that matter, Phantom was only a threat. None of them saw him as the child he actually was. Shouta may not know the kid as deeply as he would like, but he knew a scared child when he saw one. Now he can only hope people will see the same.

They arrived to UA not long after. The school was quiet, which was to be expected since most of the kids were off at internships until Monday, and the teachers that lingered in the halls were busy preparing for the midterms. Shouta had neglected his own class’ midterms, being too busy chasing Phantom. That along with the recent League attacks, principal Nezu had taken over planning for the practical.

The feeling of being watched stabbed into Shouta every step of the way. Sir Nighteye had not stopped following him since entering the school. Shouta watched him out of the corner of his eye before he decided to confront him.

“What business do you have at UA?”

“The same as you, I imagine,” Sir Nighteye responded.

“I’m positive you don’t have homework to grade,” Shouta responded coyly.

“I have as much as you,” Sir Nighteye gave him a look. It was clear he knew why Shouta was really here.

Shouta decided to ignore him, letting what happens, happen. He trusted principal Nezu enough to decide what to do with the hero. They finally made it to principal Nezu’s office, Shouta eyeing the hero once more before opening the door.

Principal Nezu wasn’t the only one inside. Around the large table, sat other teachers. It was only a handful, consisting of Recovery girl, Snipe, Ectoplasm, All Might and Nemuri. The former two weren’t in their hero costumes and looked the most stressed out of all of them. Nemuri, who was usually picture perfect, had her hair in a messy bun and bags under her eyes, probably having been pulled from grading papers. All Might looked like a wet dog, so the same as normal. Shouta thinks it’s impossible for All Might not to look stressed.

The hero beside him inhaled deeply at spotting his former mentor in such a state and a similar reaction went through All Might. The older hero stood up and approached them. He looked awkward and stiff, like a child whose mother sent him to order their food for the first time. Sir Nighteye looked similar, but had broken into a cold sweat at the heroes approaching. When he finally caught up, the two just stared at each other, their mouths open with words they were too afraid to say. It was a little awkward so Shouta moved away, not wanting to invade their privacy.

“Principal Nezu, what is the meaning of this?” Shouta had the impression meetings discussing Phantom would be secret.

“Ah, Mr. Aizawa,” principal Nezu greeted, “and it seems you brought a guest?” Principal Nezu looked over at Sir Nighteye before his gaze drifted back to Shouta. Shouta didn’t get the chance to respond before principal Nezu cut him off, “No matter. The more the merrier!” He laughed.

Everyone at the table looked uncomfortable. It was bad enough to be discussing such a delicate topic, but to have an outsider's eyes on them made it more violating.

“Now we’re only waiting for one more person…”

Shouta looked around the room wondering who could be missing. The door opened behind him and he saw the flushed face of his husband. He had clearly run from the studio and he still had a pair of headphones on. Shouta smiled at seeing him before he realized how he had looked himself.

Hizashi’s eyes widened at seeing Shouta, more specifically the brace around his nose and black eyes. He had told him that he had a small altercation but not that he was hurt or by who. He was going to, but he was under observation by the Commission. Shouta tried to look away, to hide his face, but Hizashi rushed over to him and held him. He gently placed his hands on Shouta’s face, careful not to touch any of the bandages. Shouta looked up at him, an uneasy almost shameful feeling welling up inside him. He didn’t regret stepping in, but seeing his husband’s scared face made him want to go back.

“You can’t keep doing this Sho…” Hizashi whispered breathlessly, placing his forehead to his.

Shouta took his hands and led them further away from the heroes. The other heroes were purposely ignoring them except Nemuri, who watched with a smile that rivaled a cat’s.

“I’m fine, Hizashi.” Shouta tried to soothe. He had put his husband through so much the last few weeks with both the USJ attack and now this. Before, it was rare for Shouta to get hurt, his enemies not even being able to see him coming. “It’s nothing Recovery Girl can’t fix.”

“That’s not the point,” Hizashi looked down at their hands, “How long are you gonna keep doing this? This isn’t just about Phantom, but you. You can’t keep burning both ends. That’s how you make mistakes and a random villain can get the jump on you like this.” He sighed and raised Shouta’s hand to hold his face. He had such big puppy dog eyes, it was hard not to feel bad.

“You’ve been hunting this Phantom kid nonstop for the last two weeks. You haven’t been this obsessed over in a case in a while. I don’t want to see you like that again.”

“I haven’t been hunting him down,” Shouta defended, “I just need to help him before the Commission gets him.” There was a difference.

Hizashi looked sad again, and kissed Shouta’s hand. Shouta had put him through so much. It had been days since they’ve even talked to each other for more than a few minutes. He was just so focused on Phantom that he had neglected everything else in his life.

“We should talk about this later,” Shouta pulled away and Hizashi looked more hurt. “I’m taking a break from finding Phantom, so you don’t have to worry so much anymore.”

Hizashi gave him a small smile but it was clearly forced. Deep down he knew it wasn’t for him, but because something else must have happened. He leaned closer to Shouta and gently kissed him. When Hizashi loved something, he loved something passionately and deeply, people were no different. They became a part of him as much as he did them. Sometimes, Shouta didn’t think he deserved it.

Hizashi pulled away from Shouta slowly, his eyes still sad, “Have you been smoking, again?”

A look of disappointment graced his face but it was clear concern was the dominant emotion. Shouta looked away again as an admission of guilt. Hizashi breathed in deeply.

“It’s okay,” he moved Shouta’s face to his again, “we’ll talk later. I’ll have you for the rest of the weekend.” He winked flirtatiously, but it was a mask to hide what he truly felt. They still had a meeting to get through.

They walked back to the table with the rest of the heroes and sat next to each other, holding hands under the table. Sir Nighteye and All Might were also sitting close and seemed to be whispering something, or more of Sir Nighteye was whispering while All Might quietly listened. He was probably getting lectured about his health.

“And with that, we can proceed,” principal Nezu announced.

The heroes all sat up straighter and looked to Nezu. Despite having a chair that made him the same height as the others, he stood on the table like a centerpiece.

“As some of you may know, Mr. Aizawa has been tasked with investigating Phantom since the Stain incident.”

All the heroes looked at him. Hizashi and All Might were already aware, so their faces betrayed nothing. Sir Nighteye on the other hand looked enraged.

“This whole time!” He stood up. He looked surprised at his own outburst for a second before sitting back down. “Excuse me,” he fixed his glasses, “That should’ve been expected. It is a public secret of the rivalry between UA and the Commission.”

“Of course,” principal Nezu took over the meeting again, “We don’t believe that the Commission would be well suited for someone as special as Phantom. Besides that, we can’t let a child that clearly wants to be a hero go un-mentored, now can we?”

“You cannot be serious…” Sir Nighteye sighed, “and I thought the Commission was delusional.”

“Not at all. We believe he would be a valuable addition to UA. Mr. Aizawa,” He looked towards the hero again, “Would you mind sharing what you’ve found?”

Shouta stood up and swallowed a lump in his throat, “Yes. As principal Nezu said, I have been investigating Phantom since his first sighting. Thanks in large part to the students being at internships, I have been able to dedicate all my time to this task. As I’m sure principal Nezu made you all aware, Phantom is not a vigilante group but rather one person with multiple quirks. The reason behind this remains unconfirmed,” Shouta looked over at principal Nezu before continuing, “The process has been slow since Phantom has been able to move much more quickly, thanks to one of his quirks, to get any solid leads other than witness statements. However, I’ve noticed he has stayed around the same area since he came to Musutafu.”

“The Hero Commission was able to confirm as much,” Sir Nighteye interrupted.

“If you allow Mr. Aizawa to speak, I’m sure he would have gotten to that.” Principal Nezu chastised with a smile. Sir Nighteye frowned but didn’t say anything.

“Yes, I was getting to that. A few nights ago, Phantom had an… altercation with the heroes Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods, and Death Arms. The latter is in critical condition with both his arms broken and burned by Phantom.” Gasps were spread throughout the room. They all had heard rumors through the Hero network, but hearing it made it more real.

“I arrived on scene after Phantom had already left, but was able to collect a few samples and even got a report from an informant. It detailed his quirk and general appearance.”

“Did you get any results from the samples?” Sir Nighteye asked.

“I believe I can answer this one,” principal Nezu said in a sing-song tone. He pulled a remote out of his pocket and a holo-projection lit up in the middle of a table. “Rattus norvegicus, better known as a common brown rat.”

“A rat?” Hizashi spoke for the first time this meeting.

“Yes, a rat.” Principal Nezu confirmed. No one commented on the elephant in the room.

“So did he kill this rat?” Sir Nighteye asked.

“Why would Phantom kill a rat?” Nemuri asked next.

“It was already dead when Phantom melted it.” Principal Nezu clarified.

“Wait, he melted it?!” Nemuri shouted, surprised. Even Shouta was surprised by that.

“I think I need to establish a few things,” Shouta spoke up, “The sample I pulled was from a crater in the ground separate from the fight. In the report it said that he was looking at something on the ground before the heroes attacked him.”

“Ah, you figured that whatever it was had to be important to Phantom in some way.” Sir Nighteye connected.

“Indeed. Turns out it was just a rat.” Shouta shrugged.

“Not so fast,” principal Nezu interrupted again, “If it was indeed just a rat, why would Phantom melt it? There would be no reason to. I believe that the rat had some kind of emotional effect on Phantom, and that was why.”

“What kind of emotional effect could a dead rat have?” Shouta questioned.

“Maybe he saw himself in the rat?” Hizashi commented. No one said anything.

“Regardless,” principal Nezu continued, “we were also able to collect a sample from the rat that was similar to Ectoplasm’s plasm, as it were. I was hoping you would be able to give us some insight into this, along with some of Phantom’s other quirks.”

Principal Nezu switched slides again to one with a complete list of Phantom’s suspected quirks. Most of them were from the Stain and hero report along with Shouta’s own investigation. There were about 8 total and only had a few lines detailing their uses or perceived limits: ice/cold manipulation, flight, limited invisibility & intangibility, and limited electricity. There was an entire paragraph about Phantom’s body itself and how they believe it to be made of ectoplasm, similar to Ectoplasm’s clones or a villain All Might had fought last year. It hid the fact he was able to manipulate his appearance. The list wasn’t perfect and there was always the chance some was missing. The slides neglected any information about All For One, as some of the people in the room weren’t aware of his existence. The list still was definitely concerning. Most of the Nomu’s they’d encountered till now only had 4 before they started to break down and turn unstable.

Hizashi whistled and the other heroes had more visual reactions at reading the list. Nemuri had almost spit out her tea and other heroes' eyes looked like they would pop out of her head.

“Hmm,” Ectoplasm thought for a minute, “I can understand why you decided to show me this. While most on the list are feats my clones are not able to do, they do share qualities. Like ice and electricity for example. Ectoplasm naturally has a low temperature, and on a good day, I’ve measured mine to be around 0C°. It is also a fairly good conductor as well. These traits are nowhere near powerful enough to be labeled as separate quirks, but I can see how his body might have adapted to handle those two quirks.”

So All For One didn’t choose these quirks randomly, but rather because he knew about the properties of ectoplasm already. Shouta believed that Ectoplasm’s quirk was unique, or at least very rare. How could All For One know that much about it in the first place? There were also the warehouses and underground bunkers to consider. The Nomu’s were floating in a green liquid that now under new context seems to have been ectoplasm. Principal Nezu hadn’t given him the results of the tests and for some reason seemed to be hiding it. There were so many questions that buzzed in Shouta’s mind. First being how much did principal Nezu truly know about Phantom and All For One, and second, how did All For One get so much ectoplasm?

“Anything to comment, Mr. Aizawa?” Principal Nezu asked from across the table.

“No,” Shouta shot down, “Only thinking.”

“As for melting a rat,” Ectoplasm paused to think, “Ectoplasm is a very acidic material. When I first started out, I had to go through a multitude of costumes until I found one that didn’t break down after a few uses. The one I currently use is made up of my cells, the same as Mirio Togata’s costume. It’s not hard to imagine it being able to break down a rat or other organic material.”

“Ah! Thank you for the insight, Ectoplasm,” principal Nezu praised, “Now let's hear more from Mr. Aizawa.”

“Right,” Shouta thought for a moment to remember where he left off, “After the hero altercation, I was called into the Commission to join a task force against Phantom along with Sir Nighteye,” he nodded at the hero, “their representative informed us that we would be tracking Phantom using a device that they developed. Apparently, they were able to track down a type of radiation specific to him. The method isn’t perfect since the same radiation spikes around large clusters of mutant holders or in places where quirks are used a lot. They even listed UA as an example.”

“That just means we can hide him here better,” principal Nezu countered.

“That’s what I thought of when I heard it, too.” Shouta agreed. “My only worry is the effect of the radiation. It can cause increased appetite, emotional dysregulation and a short burst of quirk power.”

“So puberty, basically?” Hizashi joked.

“I’m sure it will be no issue since they said UA had similar readings as Phantom. If it does turn out to be a problem, we can look into containing it somehow.” Principal Nezu reasoned.

“My god,” Sir Nighteye whispered sharply, “You really are delusional! This isn’t a class pet that you put newspaper down for. This is an unpredictable, possibly unstable overpowered teenager that has a history of attacking heroes. Just look at what he did to Eraserhead!” He gestured at the hero across from him.

The room went silent once more. Hizashi squeezed his hand but looked at him in hurt betrayal.

“Sho,” he said softly, “what does he mean by that?”

Shouta breathed in deeply to prepare himself, “A few hours ago, Phantom attacked Endeavor.” He let the words sink into the air.

“PRINCIPAL NEZU, IS THIS TRUE?!” All Might briefly transformed then reverted back in an instant, blood coming out of his mouth. He looked like he would fall over. Sir Nighteye helped steady him and they both sat back down.

“I was vaguely aware of the situation but was not able to get a full report on it yet.” He confirmed.

A somber mood settled into the room. Something uneasy wafted in from those words at the implications. The other heroes realized what they were up against. Shouta wanted to stand up and defend Phantom. They had no idea what actually happened or what Phantom was like, but he was in a difficult position.

“I was able to break up the fight between him and Phantom, but in doing so got caught in the crossfire,” Shouta explained. He tried to sound as matter of fact as he could.

“I was there, too,” Snipe stood up. He took off his hat as if he were paying respects at a funeral. “I got there after he had already struck Eraserhead. The boy didn’t make any other moves, but I did have to fire a few warning shots.”

“You scared him off is what you did!” Shouta couldn’t help himself. He had failed that boy over and over again, he couldn’t fail him again.

“Sho,” Hizashi tried to soothe him but Shouta didn’t listen.

“None of you saw him. He was clearly disoriented and wasn’t acting like himself,”

“And you know him so well?” Sir Nighteye asked, suspicion laced his voice like poison.

Shouta bit his lip, thinking what to say, “Before I was recruited into the task force I had…

brief run-ins with him and had gotten to know his character.”

“You what?!” Sir Nighteye exploded. He slammed both his hands on the table shaking everyone’s drinks, “Why didn’t you tell the Commission? We could’ve avoided this whole ordeal in the first place and be done with him!”

“And let the Commission do god knows what to an innocent kid?” Shouta returned the same energy. Hizashi grabbed his arm to get him to sit back down but Shouta didn’t back down.

“He is not innocent!” Sir Nighteye rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Need I remind you how many heroes he attacked? You are a part of that number now, I cannot understand why you’re trying to protect him!”

“He was just scared!” Shouta bit back, “We have been hunting him since Hosu. He doesn’t know who we are or what our intentions are. He was defending himself!”

“And that gives him the right to just beat up whoever he wants? What if he does the same to another hero who can’t handle it! Or god forbid a civilian!”

“Phantom wouldn’t do that! In all his vigilante reports, he never used excessive force against the Villains! Just enough to knock them out.”

“Just like Endeavor?!”

“Endeavors was probably hitting just as hard. You wouldn’t be saying the same thing about him if Phantom was the one on the ground.”

“You’re right, I wouldn’t,” he had a frantic look on his face, “Because Endeavor is a hero and Phantom is a villain. Endeavor has the right to do whatever it takes to take him down. Simple as that.” Sir Nighteye said it with finality.

“He doesn’t,” Shouta seethed, “Phantom is just a scared confused kid with too much power. He needs someone to help him, someone to show him that not everyone will hurt him! Not some hero on a power trip with no restraint!” Shouta barked out.

“And that’s what we are trying to do at UA,” principal Nezu interrupted, seeing no end to the argument. Both heroes slowly sat back down, but were glaring daggers at each other.

“Principal Nezu,” Sir Nighteye spoke up again, “I cannot in good conscience help you with whatever you are planning, but if you do manage to succeed,” he sighed, “Give me a call. I will lend you use of my quirk and see the ramifications of such a decision.” He looked tired.

“Consider it done,” principal Nezu laughed. “Anyone have any questions?”

All Might raised his hand and stood up, “What if we are able to capture Phantom?”

“Then we will treat him like any other student,” Principal Nezu answered.

“Yes, but what about,” All Might’s voice went quiet, “The League?”

He was referring to All For One, but nobody could know that. How would the villain react if he found out that UA had his supposed son? What lengths would he go through to make sure he gets him back?

“I am planning on implementing a dorm system at the school to make sure our staff and students are safe from all outside threats. It will be designed specifically to keep them out and ensure the safety of our students.”

“Will that be enough?” Nemuri asked.

“It will have to.”

“I have just one more question,” All Might stood up, “Why are we doing this? Why go through all this trouble for a kid who might be the end of us?

“Because that is the best outcome for Phantom, and for us. Would you rather the Commission hold him? The League? We have no idea what their plans are for that boy, but it’s obvious neither should be trusted. Here, we can at least provide him support and guide him to a better tomorrow. It’s clear the boy needs help and some sort of counseling. He is just another victim in this like any of our other students. Principal Nezu smiled, “you said it yourself, All Might, ‘because saving someone is the always the right thing to do.’”

All Might sat back down, defeated by his own words.

“If that’s all?” Principal Nezu looked around the room but no other hero moved to ask anything. “Now that you know the stakes, we can discuss how to proceed. If Endeavor taught us anything it’s that we have to be more careful in how we approach Phantom. If you see him, act friendly but not overwhelmingly so. He cannot see you or UA as a threat, so no more ‘warning shots,’ hmm?” he looked to Snipe, “Phantom is not someone who you can force into doing something he doesn’t want to. Right now, Mr. Aizawa has the best chance at recruiting Phantom, so it’s best to keep your distance and support him if you can.”

With that, the meeting was over, but it didn’t feel like they accomplished anything. Sir Nighteye was the first to exit the room, not even looking back at All Might. Nemuri went along with the other teachers when it was clear nothing more was to be said. They all still had preparations to make.

Recovery Girl walked over to Shouta and Hizashi, who still clung to him like a lifeline. Shouta really didn’t deserve him. He owed him a long talk and explanations. Right now though, he would just take pleasure in his company.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” Recovery Girl asked. She had a look of concern on her that said it went beyond his physical injuries.

“I’m alright,” Shouta said, “just tired and sore.”

“Your injuries probably aren’t helping, huh?” she cocked her head, “Well I can help with the soreness but I’m afraid I’ll only make you more tired.”

“Thank you, Recovery Girl,” Shouta bowed and leaned down so she could kiss his forehead.

A rush of air filled his lungs and Shouta was able to breathe clearly again through his nose. Not only that, but some of the muscle and leg pain from the last few days went away. She was truly the gem of the school.

She smiled, happy to be able to help him if only a little, “You better get some rest now,” she warned.

“Trust me,” Hizashi stared him down, “He will. He has a few weeks to make up for.”

Recovery Girl laughed at the threat and waddled away. Shouta and Hizashi both stood up, ready to make the short journey back home and just rest together. Shouta needed to buy Hizashi CDs and whatever takeout he wanted for the next month for putting up with him.

His mind idly went back to Phantom. Shouta still worried about him but he would make due on his promise to give the boy time. Phantom had his number and address after all. He will come to him when he’s ready and not because he’s forced to. This would be alright.

~🥇~

Only principal Nezu and Toshinori were left in the room. So much has happened in the last hour that Toshinori was still trying to screw his head back on. Not only had he been reunited with his former sidekick (an event he’d thought he’d never live to see), but he had learned so much about Phantom than he had ever hoped before.

Guilt weld up inside him when he thought of the young boy. He was another one of All For One’s victims but at the same time it was hard to look past the family resemblance. Toshinori had to remember that the first user was All For One’s own brother and was just as much a victim as the boy. Still, it was hard to separate the two of them. Phantom attacking Endeavor just complicated matters.

Before, he could almost imagine the boy as a little kid in the corner of a cell, scared of every outside noise and face. But now? Now Toshinori knew that wasn’t the case. Everytime he thinks of Phantom he sees the cell’s bars pulled and blasted apart like a violent criminal escaping. Adding in his unstable nature, he was a bomb about to explode.

Toshinori was worried for Aizawa as well. While they weren’t overly friendly, they were still colleagues (he even tried to get closer to the hero but with little success). The hero had gotten too attached over someone who could so easily hurt him. Phantom had already hurt him, but he was still so intent on saving him. It went beyond what a normal teacher would do for a child, let alone a child who wasn’t even his student. Aizawa wasn’t a normal teacher though. When he saw a kid, he accepted that kid as his responsibility and would do anything it took to save them, even at the cost of his life. It was such an obvious cry for help and projection of his own failures.

Toshinori had heard Aizawa lost a friend when he was barely older than young Midoriya. That’s why Aizawa had to try so hard for his students, even at the cost of everything.

“What are you really planning with Phantom?” Toshinori asked principal Nezu. He was almost scared to say it.

He couldn’t help but question the principal’s motives. He kept too many secrets hidden, even with people who were concerned or who needed to know. Perhaps it came from the paranoia and fear that he’ll end up on the dissection table again.

Nezu had his back to him and was organizing papers on his desk. He turned around and still held onto that smile that had only ever dropped a few times, but his eyes were completely blank and had a manic edge to them. Toshinori had seen that look many times and it never failed to unnerve him.

“What am I planning?” Principal Nezu said in a sing-song voice, “I’m going to have him take down the Commission, of course!”