—Stop, halt right there!— yelled a police officer as he ran after a thief.
Sweat beaded on his forehead and his stomach hurt, his legs burned, and his breathing became more and more labored. He wasn't in the best condition to take part in this.
Luckily, and to his bewilderment, a sudden cluster of dark particles passed over their heads, quickly coming together and forming a solid bar that shot out toward the thief's legs.
The subject groaned from the blow, stumbling and burying his face in the ground as the bar dissolved again and the particles floated once more, being carried away by the wind.
The officer decided he had imagined it and arrested the man anyway.
—If you increase your range, you could watch over a large area on your own— commented the Professional Hero accompanying Tetsumaru this time.
—If I did, people would think I'm some kind of all-seeing creature and they'd complain about the lack of privacy— the shinobi replied.
Kamui Woods nodded in agreement, glancing at the rooftops they were gently flying over as a controlled sandstorm spread a few hundred meters in a straight line, sweeping the surroundings in slow, wide circles.
For his part, Tetsumaru was doing his best to extend the range of his makeshift radar, spreading the sand to gain more distance while still retaining the necessary control for swift action.
In normal circumstances, about two hundred meters is the limit before his constructions lose cohesion. Now that he needed to track instead of build, he could extend it to almost 400.
The particles moved far enough away not to turn into a damn walking wall while maintaining the magnetic connection, resembling more of a very extensive cloud of insects.
—How is your stamina holding up?— the Hero asked, noticing the sweat on Tetsumaru's forehead.
—I can do one more sweep before resting.
—Good. After this, we'll go for ice cream or something. What do you say?— Kamui Woods suggested. The shinobi looked at him out of the corner of his eye with a strange gleam and decided not to answer that.
The search continued for a while longer. Tetsumaru changed his position, and the Satetsu cloud swept nearly half a kilometer without finding a trace of the Villains, which was starting to slightly frustrate the shinobi.
Without him being aware of it, All For One had been right: His and Mei's presence caused ripples in the storyline that were slowly affecting events, whether they got involved or not.
Namely, there was no miraculous, random clue that the police used to estimate the location of the villains, nor a tracker that Yaoyorozu Momo planted on some guy or Nomu.
They were blind. With no concrete places to search, no leads to follow. They were only relying on three things right now:
The traditional search by the police, the Satetsu, and Tetsumaru's vague memory of a bar.
It's not that Tetsumaru remembered the detail of the clue or Momo's tracker and that he therefore decided to improvise this time. He did it because there was nothing left to preserve.
As soon as he saw Ojiro's body, he knew the plot had gone to hell, and even if that tragedy hadn't occurred, there was no longer any plot that he and Mei remembered. As such, they had no other guide.
And this time he was right in his actions. It was evident when Principal Nezu so easily agreed to his idea to use the captured Villains as trackers. Neither UA nor the police had any idea where to look.
It was wrong, immoral, and illegal, but Nezu didn't care and approved the idea. One that only the rat and the shinobi were aware of.
Now it was up to him to visit every district and city where the police had any suspicion and walk around with a gigantic cloud of Satetsu acting as a metal detector, looking for the slightest trace of iron sand on the ground.
The idea was simple and effective:
It was granted for Tetsumaru to accompany Detective Tsukauchi to the facilities where Himiko Toga and Shūichi Iguchi were being held overnight, at which point he would plant some iron sand on their clothes.
That was, obviously, the excuse Nezu used. The truth is that he not only planted sand on their clothes but also inside their bodies through their facial orifices.
Specks of iron dust and tiny grains of sand so minuscule they were practically invisible were introduced through both villains' noses, and in Spinner's case, who slept with his mouth open, through his throat.
It is that sand that Tetsumaru was now looking for, using Magnet Release and his incredibly high perception.
—Alright, it's time to go for that ice cream. You've done incredibly well, Tetsumaru-kun— Kamui Woods spoke again, signaling the end of the session in this area for now.
—Just Tetsumaru— the shinobi reminded him with a sigh, gathering the sand and allowing his head to rest.
While he was grateful for the extremely useful sand, he really would like to enjoy vaster chakra reserves. That and a cloning Jutsu.
**********************************
—Why weren't you with the students, All Might? Aren't you supposed to be a UA Sensei? Weren't you going to transmit your knowledge to the next generation so that these tragedies wouldn't happen?
What can you say now that tragedy has struck? What will you say to the families of the children hospitalized? To the families of those who will never return?— a journalist bitingly asked the Symbol of Peace.
With every word, with every reminder of his failure, All Might's spirit was shaken. The fact that he was forcing his transformation to last as long as possible didn't help.
Murmurs echoed in his ears, critical and disgusted looks pierced his heart.
Next to him, the members of the Wild Wild PussyCats were having an even worse time, already being the main target of people's criticism for their negligence as Heroes, even though they didn't specialize in pure combat.
Such details didn't matter to anyone, much less to those directly affected.
Having no lead to follow and given the magnitude of this disaster compared to the original work, both the Symbol of Peace and the group of Heroes involved were dragged into the media mud that Aizawa, Kan, and Nezu would originally have participated in.
It was no longer a simple matter of general distrust. UA was in real trouble, even legal trouble. And they weren't the only ones.
Yagi learned that even Endeavor's Agency was caught up in the controversy, given the Number 2 Hero's relationship with Todoroki Shoto.
—So? Does the Symbol of Peace have nothing to offer the Japanese People?— the journalist inquired aggressively, pulling Yagi from his thoughts.
—Nothing to offer, you say?— All Might asked back, his voice deep and laden with emotion. A chilling air emanated from the man, his enormous frame rising slowly from the chair.
—You are right about one thing: I should have protected them, but I wasn't there. Do you understand why that was?
At his words, the journalist took a step back, visibly swallowing and suddenly remembering that he was fiercely attacking a giant, muscular, super-powerful man.
—I have given my service to the people. For years, I have given my all to humanity. I gave my strength, I gave my time, I would give my life for any of you, at any moment. And yet, I cannot give everything to everyone, because I am not a God— he continued, his tone increasing in intensity as his speech progressed.
—Do you want to know my answer to this tragedy? I say I'm sorry! What do I have to say to the affected families!? I regret it, I truly regret it, because they entrusted their children to me and I failed in my duty!
It hurts me too, it affects me too. It hasn't let me sleep and it won't for a long time. My responsibility, my duty, my reason for being, and what makes me bear the title of Symbol of Peace! And I failed.
Tsunotori Ponī, Mashirao Ojiro, I failed them and their families. I have no words, neither of comfort nor apology, because none will bring them back!
Iida Ten'ya, Kamakiri Togaru. Their fight continues, one whose career might end before it takes off and another who fights to improve his health and get back on the path to greatness!
Tsuchikawa Ryūko, my colleague, gave her best and took the place that could have been occupied by another student. Sero Hanta, my boy, a brave Hero who leaped into action to defend a Professional and put himself in a complicated situation!— Yagi continued.
Every word from All Might was broadcast on all channels, on all networks. People stopped their hate for a moment to listen to him; the criticisms were paralyzed, the fingers stopped pointing.
The man poured out his dissatisfaction, his passion, his sadness. He only emphasized what everyone already knew, but it was more than enough to swell the hearts of those who heard him say it, because it was him who said it.
—What I offer is Justice!— the Hero exclaimed, earning a round of cheers. His clenched fist was raised, increasing the excitement of the audience. —I offer justice for the fallen, justice for the injured, justice for the scared, for the insecure!
—I will make sure no one ever has to fear again... Because I am here— he muttered with intensity, directing a challenging look at the cameras.
Not for the public, nor for his critics or detractors. That look, those words spoken coldly, were for the one scheming in the shadows.
All For One listened to All Might's words and a faint smile formed on his lips. Things continued to move according to his will.