The medical helicopters were in sight as Tōya jumped off of the edge of the building, surprising the rabbit hero Mirko. She was ready to catch him as she followed him down with a leap, but the boy instead unleashed small concentrated flames from the soles of his feet and palms to slow his descent.
The distant sirens were also getting closer, which soothed the young man's nerves, as he landed with a soft thud.
"Might want to relax on the quirk use, don't want any of the pissy ones giving you grief." The rabbit hero told Tōya when she pointed down to the police cars closing in, after she stood up from her controlled roll.
He looked at her, as she said it, a tone of annoyance coloring her voice.
"Speaking from experience?" He questioned with dim eyes, Mirko answered with a closed-eyed shrug after she put her hands in her jacket's pockets.
He looked at Nomura, the teenager had still not woken up, which was both a blessing and an issue, he wanted to personally interrogate him. But Tōya didn't think that he would ever get that chance now that he'd be taken into police custody. A shame, because Tōya wanted to get a hand on any bit of information that he had on All For One.
Tōya doubted that the centuries-old man would leave him be, now that he had caused several hiccups to his plans. He hadn't planned on it, but that's how things worked out. Todoroki shook his head to clear his thoughts as the closest red and white helicopter made its descent near them. A few heroes jumped out of the black police helicopters further out. He didn't recognize any of them.
Wow, they certainly pulled out all the stops…
He mockingly thought, Hound Dog's hair stood on end, still keeping himself ready for any surprises. Gaze moving from one area to the next as he scanned their perimeter. It unsettled Tōya enough into shifting his own head, wary of his environment.
Mirko stuck close to Tōya, perhaps he looked like he would fall over any minute, or it was hero protocol, he wasn't sure.
Finally, what Tōya believed to be one of the bigwigs came out of the squad cars that had not been used to cordon off the street. The lion headed man in suit addressed Hound Dog. As he and Mirko leaned against the wall, Hound Dog spoke to the man in a hushed tone.
Todoroki noticed the EMTs who had begun to check on the children, stretchers were pulled out to get them off of the ruined asphalt. Nomura was the first to be taken away after the Dog Hero pointed to him. But not before an unnamed hero had used their emitter quirk on him. Another pro hero jumped out of the passenger seat of the police van.
Tōya's heart fell into his stomach as he recognized the sand hero, the mustache the man sported perked up as he caught his eyes.
—Snatch! Why was he coming here?!
Involuntarily the sixteen-year-old took a step back, but he hit the back of the wall in… shame? regret? He didn't know what he was feeling. But he uncrossed his arms after noticing the way his posture looked. Mirko perked up as she took a quick glance between him and the combat vest wearing hero who briskly made his way over to them.
Her smile widened, waving over to the older man.
"Boss!" The teenage hero yelled out as she lifted her fist up to the sand hero, her face noticeably rebellious. The serious turquoise eyes of the masked man switched between the two teenagers, making Tōya feel naked at the sudden unwanted attention.
"Getting into trouble?" The right side of his blue mask lifted up as his eyebrow rose in question, his crossed arms accentuating his impressive physique, as he left her hanging.
"You know it." She smoothly responded near instantly with a short gremlin-like response. It took a moment but it seemed to be enough to break his rigid exterior. His hard ass demeanor crumbling. The blond man bumped her fist with some reproach, but otherwise congratulating the young hero for her cool head on this hectic night.
Turning his gaze away from her, he addressed the young Todoroki
"Sand Hero: Snatch, Mirko's old jailer, she's a handful, but when Sausuhīrō High reached out to me to cool this one's head. I took it as a challenge to show that a heroine needs discipline in the face of inner thrill seeking." He said as he pointed his thumb over to the hyperactive hero, his arms still interlocked.
He held the bridge of his nose in his hand as he muttered. "...Didn't work for the most part."
"Mind introducing me to this young lad?" Snatch shook his head at Mirko's lack of manners, as he looked at Todoroki in curiosity.
"This kid's Tōya, apparently he fought a bunch of bums out back near Nadare Zaka with Nighteye if you didn't hear from the radio." She said as she filled in the blanks from the dispatcher's synopses of the ongoing situation with Sir Nighteye. The sand hero looked on in interest as she continued her animated explanation, which led to how she and Hound Dog ran into Tōya.
Out of any other hero it had to be the one he killed, was this some kind of sick joke?
"Are you feeling well young man? If you'd like, I can get someone to look at you." The sand hero turned his body to the kids as they were being checked on, Mirko tilted her head, following his gaze.
"Priority may be on those who are comatose, but most of your body is covered in bandages… Unless that's your quirk?" The Snatch spoke as he looked at him with concern, Tōya's head shook in the negative as he tried to keep his face from scrunching up in rising nausea.
"Nah, I'm good old man." The burn victim tinted his tone enough to mimic Mirko's just so the sand hero could get off of his back. Tilting his head to proudly show off his bruise with ease as if to mock him.
"Hah! Another one, tell me, are you also an aspiring hero?" He questioned.
Shrugging his shoulder's, Tōya instead answered with, "Just a guy defending himself and his… f-friends." He cringed at the statement that left his lips, it sounded juvenile.
"Well as long as the rule of law is followed," Snatch remarked offhandedly as he saw Nomura being strapped to a stretcher so that he could be air lifted out on the red and white EMT helicopter. "Although, protecting your friends is an admirable thing and falls under the acceptable case of preventing greater harm for the general public."
The Sand hero put his hand on his killer's shoulder, making Tōya internally wince at the contact.
"You did well, you should be proud of yourself, lad."
Snatch's sincere eyes unsettled Tōya, the sand hero opened his mouth to finish saying his peace but not before being interrupted by a police officer.
" —Officer Otsuka, I'd like to take your statement, Mirko." The young officer spoke to the rabbit hero as he briefly glimpsed at Tōya with a questioning gaze. The teenage hero put her hands behind her head as she kicked off of the wall to speak to the officer. Her face gave Tōya the impression that this part of the process would be an ordeal for her, nonetheless she waved without looking at him.
An emergency medical technician quickly came up to Todoroki to check up on him just as the other two left.
"This appears to be my cue to leave, be safe young man." Snatch spoke in earnest before walking away, finally giving Todoroki a moment to breathe.
"Good day, does anything hurt?" The unnamed man questioned. He looked average but the baby blue uniform, white hard hat, and white face mask made him easy to pick out in a crowd of police.
"Not particularly no, just to let you know. I have a condition where I have a high pain tolerance." Tōya answered, with an easier shrug of his shoulders, now that his victim was gone. "So there may be some underlying internal issues I can't feel."
Back then, Tōya had to be careful with his injuries after a brawl, or else he'd turn them into chronic issues. He hated it but it was a necessary evil to keep his condition up for peak performance. Ready for the day that he would go all out and take his sweet revenge on Endeavor.
The crooked quacks that were willing to work with him and not leave him without his organs were few and far between.
If they tried anything, well…they learned not to.
The guy had a pretty interesting quirk. His irises were completely black as he activated his meta ability. The baby blue clad man's pupils emitted a soft stream of green light that appeared to scan his body in a short beam. It was a pretty impressive looking ability, Tōya noted as his skin became slightly translucent.
The paramedic was muttering to himself as he spoke, "Multiple contusions to the arms, stressing severe second degree burns already present. You don't appear to be suffering from a concussion, but that's not a certainty until we take you back to Central Hospital." The man lifted a closed fist to his chin as his other hand held a flashlight up to Tōya's eyeballs for the obvious tell of uneven dilation of the pupils. "Interesting, your bone structure is devoid of any breaks or hairline fractures compared to the state of your skin." He commented as the man's eyes looped back to his forearms with a second scan, showing the bones underneath.
"Like I said we can take you to central hospital in a bit as we load up the rest of your… classmates?" Tōya nodded, just to keep the conversation moving. "Do you feel like you're in a condition to sit for a bit without any discomfort?" The paramedic questioned as he handed him an ice pack for his eye swelling. Tōya turned to see the rest of the kids receiving aid, even in their comatose state, most if not all of them were hauled up onto the emergency vehicles on gurneys.
"Yeah, yeah I'm good, your quirk's pretty cool. They'll need it more than me." Todoroki easily shrugged off the man, with a steady coolness just in case he protested.
The paramedic pulled out a thermal blanket from his duffle bag and offered it to Tōya.
He took it without protest as he used it to cushion his sitting position on the sidewalk. As if a light bulb went off above his head, the older man also quickly dug into his bag again. Revealing a stuffed heteromorph teddy bear. He was ready to offer it to Tōya, but the incredulous look that the teenager was giving him made the paramedic think twice.
The young Todoroki closed his eyes as he exhaled.
His shoulder dropped as he lifted his hand up to receive the toy. When he got back home he'd give it to Fuyumi or Shoto, one of them might like it. And if neither of them did? Then he was sure one of the kids would, hell they could even share it for all he cared.
Just as the tip of his finger made contact with the stuffed toy, the sound of loud claps reached his ears. Tōya slowly turned his gaze to it, his hand falling as he held onto the leg of the toy. He could hear it clearly among the cacophony of his surroundings. Even as the paramedic rushed away, joining the rest of the first responders, oblivious to Tōya's shift in attitude.
The world looked devoid of color save for the red and blue lights of the parked ambulances. There was a figure standing off alone at the end of the street, illuminated by the two toned lights of the police cars behind him. He wore the standard issue police uniform with a matching cap. But there was a wrongness to his existence that Todoroki could recognize anywhere.
It was just as bad as that dingy cave. Nomura was close, but the unadulterated miasma that the stranger exuded, sucked the life out of his surroundings.
Tōya's good eye widened in surprise, he pushed off from the wall of the building he was leaning on, leaving the toy on the blanket on the ground along with the ice pack. Slowly he got up as two police men rushed past him, he was too focused on the crime lord to care.
All For One…? Here already?
His chill mood took an immediate nosedive, as he scrutinized the figure. The shadowed smile All For One sported was exactly how he remembered it.
…This was it wasn't it? I shouldn't have stayed.
His good eye twitched, was running a good idea?
…No, who was he kidding, it wouldn't work, he'd find him and kill his whole family. Even more so now after the series of events. It was a thought that kept hitting the back of his mind. He'd been seeing shadows because he wondered when he'd show up. Hell, All For One already knew where he lived, Tōya was certain of that.
Tōya spat out the rising nausea from his mouth as he walked with slow steps up to the silhouetted man. He was tired and Tōya didn't want to run like a dog. It was better not to involve his family if he could help it. If the old bastard took him out, it'd be here and now while they thought he was still dead.
Well it was a good run…
Six feet separated them as they faced each other, the crime lord was taller than he remembered. A nondescript chilly wave ruffled Todoroki's bandages. "You the liar on the other side of the screen?" Tōya rhetorically asked first, more like accused, his voice rougher than he had intended.
His patience had run thin over the course of however many hours since he had woken up.
"My boy, I told no lies." The false police officer offered, the deep baritone of his voice coming out with ease. His raised cupped hands fell to his sides as he looked at Todoroki. His imposing figure cut a menacing view.
"Maybe you didn't, but you wanted something from me, and still do… unless you came to put me down," Tōya grunted out as he braced his stance. All For One'd kill or lobotomize him, and he wasn't going to let that happen without a fight.
Bullshit… You're a greedy man, I don't believe you for a second.
All For One's right hand slowly rose up and the back of Todoroki's hair stood on end as he nimbly sidestepped out of the way. Not trusting himself to dodge whatever quirk the monster would emit, He couldn't be sure.
"No, I did not come for you, I saved you on a whim. Believing that what would come out on the other side would be worth the effort."
All For One's shoulders rose in a halfhearted attempt of a shrug.
"But alas, it appears that Endeavor had the right of it. You are a failure. Perhaps I should have taken your younger brother?" The crime lord genuinely questioned, Tōya's shoulders rose in anger, shaking with rage. "Such a quaint method of creating the perfect organism… so crude."
He laughed in mockery with a shake of his head. There was a foul stillness between them, Tōya in apprehension, and the old man in patience.
All For One looked up at the evacuating helicopter that held Nomura, "... My dear Number Six, such a shame." he breathed out in disappointment, fully taking in the air around him without a care in the world. "You've impressed me, Tōya Todoroki. At the very least none shall say that the envious domestic abuser couldn't produce such a proficient fighter." He added as an afterthought.
—How?!
Tōya's body iced over as All For One tapped the side of his head in amusement, wide smile turning sly.
"The offer still stands, child, I'll have to punish you for your insolence, but I'll chalk it up as an honest mistake." The crime lord put his hands in his pockets. "What do you have to say?"
" —Yeah, I doubt you can do any better than Endeavor." Tōya cut in without a second thought, nearly interrupting the number one villain. The older man shook his head, feigning concern like a bystander watching the youth in front of him as if he couldn't be reasoned with from falling off a bridge.
Those red eyes peeking out from under the police cap hardened in reproach, "Move, boy. I will be taking back my little stars. Run back to your family and grovel at your subpar hero's foot." All For One tilted his body to give Tōya the chance to walk away. The bastard thought that he wouldn't last another month, but he was wrong.
…Dead wrong.
There's the out…
I— I… wasted so much effort over this? So that it could end like this? He's going to kill them all, turn those kids into a slurry of death and destruction. Mindless monsters in a purple vat, and I can't do anything to stop him.
Tōya was hyperventilating now, he couldn't breathe.
Because I'm a failure… because I'm not good enough.
His pupils dilated, Todoroki's fingers roughly dug their way into his scalp as he shakily gazed up at the unconcerned villain. Who started walking past him as if he was nothing, a bug, not even a hindrance. He couldn't believe it, his face made an expression he couldn't put into words.
This was it? …Just like that? I…
His wet blue eyes glowed behind his cascading white bangs, fingers falling between his eyes.
I'm nothing to him…
—Tōya's body blew up, emitting a wave of flames that fanned out. Shakily he jittered, stumbling over his own two feet. Attracting the attention of everyone in the area. It completely shut up the noise of the people around him. What was left was from the involuntary quirk usage was the ghostly blue fire that bathed his shoulders. A pin drop could be heard over the silence, Tōya's head hung limply. All For One had sprung up a force field at the blindsiding use of his meta-ability. His outstretched hand aimed at Tōya, brow raised.
"Can't do that old man." Tōya whispered, more to himself than as a response to All For One, Tōya's small face looked ready to break, he steeled himself. A rancid smile split his lower face, he was sure that if he dropped the smile then he'd start crying instead.
"This man's a villain! He's disguised as a police officer! His name is All For One!" Todoroki yelled with a shrill cry at the top of his lungs, his head angled up. Arms raised ready to block a direct hit to his torso. The last part surprised even the disguised man as he truly looked at the burned boy for the first time.
A few police officers came up behind both Tōya and All For One in question, Todoroki was ready to escape if they decided to cuff him for unauthorized usage of his quirk in public. He wasn't going to give All For One a chance to do what he wanted while he was restrained. He braced himself to run off to Nighteye, he wasn't sure if All Might was still at his agency but he doubted it. The general public might not have known who All For One was but Sir Nighteye and All Might would. It didn't matter if the old man could turn this around.
Once it got out to the Hero Network, All Might would be here to stop him.
…Tōya just had to hope that the one time he put his faith in a hero, it wouldn't bite him in the ass.
The centuries old man looked displeased beneath the face he was wearing. He slapped the two police officers behind him without a second thought, sending them crashing into the police cars further out. Metal shrieked as it bent inward from their crashing forms.
"What's the rush, you got somewhere to be?" Tōya sneered, foot lightly touching down on the floor, ready to leap away.
Mirko snuck up behind Todoroki in curiosity from the earlier commotion. But her expression hardened after seeing the bloody craters left behind on the hood of the cars. Hound Dog was up on the roof of the building behind All For One, as if he had finally pinpointed the cause for his rising apprehension. Even Snatch jumped out of the police van before he left to escort the ambulances.
Now the heroes and authorities that would have dismissed Tōya's earlier screaming had gathered around at the serious turn of events.
—One second.
One second was all it took for All For One to unleash a cataclysmic wave of destruction, the purple wave engulfing Tōya and those around him as it expanded out from his standing form.
With an angry yell, Tōya's hands were cocked back and rushing forward as he let out an intense volley akin to a flame thrower, fully letting loose. But it wasn't enough. His ears rang as his senses were blurred by the newfound sense of pain, the wave of kinetic force hit him with gargantuan intensity, fully disorienting him. He felt light as the attack sent him flying, he couldn't tell where the sky started and the ground ended. He used the propulsion from his flames to kill the momentum of his involuntary spins.
His mind went blank as he crashed through a window and into someone's apartment.