16 Chapter 16 - The Aftermath

The attack on the USJ left everyone shaken. The phones rang off the hook from reporters, parents and concerned citizens, demanding to speak to Nezu or anyone who could tell them why the kids in their charge were in such danger. Reports about the incident and the League of Villains were on every news channel, magazine, and web forum available. Over 72 villains were arrested after the attack, but they were all low-level thugs or petty criminals, and they all said they were approached by Shigaraki and Kurogiri and told they would be paid handsomely to help them kill All Might and a few school kids. None of them had ever heard of their benefactors before nor knew anything about their whereabouts.

In the conference room back at UA High, Principal Nezu, All Might, Vlad King, Snipe, and Midnight were all listening to the report presented by Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, who was assigned to the case. "We've been doing everything we can to find something on this so-called League of Villains," he said. "We've made some progress, but can't find anything on this 'Shigaraki' so far. We've searched our records for men in their 20s and 30s registered with some sort of disintegration quirk, but so far we've come up empty. Same for the warp villain, Kurogiri. Our conclusion is that they are not citizens or they are using aliases. Hard to find, either way."

"So what you're really saying is that we don't know anything," huffed Vlad King.

"We've got to track them down," said Snipe. "I shot their ringleader, but once he heals up he'll try pullin' somethin' like this again. What a pain."

"He did seem like the type," said All Might, more to himself.

"Is something on your mind, All Might?" Said Nezu.

"The attack on the USJ was too bold," said All Might. "No sane adult would ever attempt it. The ringleader kept monologuing about why he was there. He bragged about Nomu's many quirks, but never said a word about his own powers. When things didn't go his way, he was visibly upset, like he was going to throw a tantrum." All Might leaned back and sighed. "I guess bragging about Nomu's quirks was a quick way to draw me into a fight," he admitted.

"That might be true," said Nezu. "But strategically it was foolish to reveal his quirks up front instead of keeping them a secret."

"Shigaraki made wild, immature claims," All Might continued. "But he did so with a straight face, for the most part. And he talked about Nomu like it was some kind of a pet. It seemed like he had never been told 'no' before and like he thought things would go his way no matter what. He has the personality of a spoiled little brat, a man-child."

"A child with incredible power, though," said Vlad King.

"What worries me," continued Detective Tsukauchi. "Is that this 'man-child' got them all to follow his crazy plan. They viewed him as a real leader."

"There is nothing more dangerous than a villain with a cause," said a gruff voice. The teachers turned to see the dark form of Batman standing in the doorway.

"Hiya, Batsy!" Said Midnight, immediately batting her eyelashes. "Come to see little-ol'-me?"

"What are you doing here?" Said All Might.

"Batman has been brought in as a...consultant, of sorts," Said Tsukauchi. "He will be helping us in the investigation of the League of Villains."

"You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid so, All Might," replied Tsukauchi. "Batman's forensic and deductive reasoning are unmatched. He has closed more criminal cases than any other hero agency and has on more than one occasion been cited as the World's Greatest Detective. Not to mention his ward, Izuku Midoriya, was one of the students involved in the USJ attack, so this case involves him as well."

"I guess that makes sense," said Vlad King.

"Criminals are starting to feel more pressure now that the world is brimming with heroes," said Batman. "It's not hard to see why they backed such a simple-minded attack. But you are not seeing the big picture."

"And what is that, Bruce?" Said All Might.

"This was an attempt on your life," said Batman. "That was Shigaraki's sole desire in this attack. He didn't want to leave the USJ until you arrived. He brought as many hired thugs as he could to help take you down. He wanted to kill the students as a way to break your spirit. He is obsessed with you, and wanted to kill you at all costs. That level of hatred for you is more than just criminal nature. This is psychosis." He was counting on his fingers as he went along, and paused. "And then there's the Nomu. This creature was specifically designed with you in mind. Not only did it have your strength and speed, but it had multiple quirks as well."

"We know that," said All Might. "What's your point?"

"It's too much of a coincidence for a creature such as this to have strength and speed to rival yours," said Batman. "But to also have quirks that specifically counter your abilities, not to mention multiple quirks at that. Is this sounding familiar?"

All Might swallowed hard. "So?"

"I don't believe that this 'man-child' is the one who orchestrated this event," Batman continued. "He's much to immature and impulsive. The warp villain even seemed to serve as his handler more than as his subordinate. The Nomu is a product of genetic engineering that hasn't been seen since the appearance of Doomsday. More coincidence, and I don't believe in coincidence."

"You're suggesting that there's a force behind Shigaraki?" Said Snipe.

"I'm not suggesting it," said Batman. "I know it for a fact. Everything is pointing back to All Might, so it has to be someone with a connection to him. Someone with an ax to grind. It's only going to be a matter of time before this mastermind reveals himself, whether by choice or by force. We need to be prepared."

All the teachers glanced at each other anxiously. "How do we prepare against something like that -" Midnight began. Batman was gone.

"He does that," All Might said, rolling his eyes.

"Do you think we can trust him?" Said Vlad King.

All Might sighed. "I don't. But, I don't think we have any choice. And I have to admit, everything he said makes sense. If anyone can get to the bottom of what's going on with the League of Villains, it's Batman."

Izuku sat at his desk, his classmates chatting around him. The school was closed yesterday, the day after the attack on the USJ. They wanted the students to have a little break after facing villainy and almost certain death. Izuku found it impossible to relax, spending his entire day off training at the warehouse.

Izuku was angry. He had worked so hard to become ready for UA, pushed himself past his breaking points, but it still wasn't enough. He had only barely survived the villain attack. If Batman, All Might and the other teachers hadn't shown up when they did, the Nomu and the villains would have killed them all. He wasn't strong enough to stop them. Despite all his training, he still wasn't strong enough. He tried is best to ignore what he was feeling, to push through them as he trained harder than ever, but All Might's words just continued to ring in his head: Can you be a hero? Not without a quirk.

"Midoriya!"

Izuku jumped, shaken from his thoughts. Kirishima was trying to get his attention. "Sorry," he apologized. "Did I startle you?"

"No, you're fine," said Izuku. "What were you saying?"

"We were just talking about how Batman showed up in a tank!" Said Kirishima excitedly. "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!"

"Yeah!" Said Sato. "And seeing All Might fight that bird guy, that dude was super strong and he still destroyed him!"

"Yes," said Tokoyami. "The Batman's arsenal, and All Might's strength, they are both a thing of wonder."

"Attention!" Said Iida, speed walking to the front of the room. "Homeroom class is about to begin! Everyone please stop talking and take your seats!"

"But we're all sitting already!"

"I wonder who's going to be our teacher today," Mina said.

"I don't know," said Asui. "Mr. Aizawa is still in the hospital recovering from his injuries."

As if on queue, the door to the classroom opened to reveal a heavily bandaged but otherwise standing Aizawa. He was covered from head to toe in medical wrappings, with both arms encased in casts and suspended by slings. They even wrapped his face in bandages, obscuring it completely. "Morning, class," he said sardonically.

"Mr. Aizawa!" Said the class in collective surprise.

"Whoa, what a pro!" Said Kiminari.

"Mr. Aizawa!" Said Iida, raising his hand. "I am glad that you're ok!"

"You call that 'okay'?" Said Uraraka.

"My wellbeing is irrelevant," said Aizawa as he limped to the front of the class. "What's more important is that your fight isn't over yet."

"Not more bad guys!" Said Mineta, ducking under his desk.

Two little slits opened between his bandages to reveal Aizawa's bloodshot eyes. "The UA Sports Festival is coming up."

There was a long, silent pause at Aizawa's words, broken by Kirishima standing up and shouting "Yes!!" at the top of his lungs.

"Hang on," Said Jiro. "Is it really a good idea to have the sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside?"

"They could attack once we're all in the same place," Ojiro agreed.

"Apparently the administration thinks that this is a good way to show the threat has been handled and that our school is safer than ever," said Aizawa. "Plus, their beefing up security compared to past years. Several pro heros will be operating as security detail, and we have received a gracious donation of the latest in security, disaster response and facial recognition technology, courtesy of Wayne Enterprises." He shot Izuku a quick glance. That meant that Batman himself would be ready to spring into action should anyone try to set foot inside the sports festival who shouldn't.

"This is a huge opportunity for all students at UA," Aizawa continued. "It's not something we can cancel because of a few villains. Our sports festival is one of the most widely watched in the entire world. In the past, everyone obsessed over the Olympic games. But then quirks started appearing. Now the Olympics have been drastically reduced in terms of scale and viewership. For anyone who cares about competition, this is the only tournament that matters."

"That's right," agreed Yaoyarozu. "Hero agencies everywhere will be watching. This is where you get scouted!"

"Sure, unless you're dead," muttered Mineta glumly.

"Joining a famous hero agency can garner you greater experience and popularity," said Aizawa. "That's why the festival matters. If you want to go pro one day, than this event could open that path for you. One chance a year, three chances in a lifetime. No aspiring hero can afford to miss this festival. That means you better not slack off on your training," he added sternly. "Class is dismissed."

The bell rang for lunch, and the students of Class 1-A were beside themselves with excitement about the upcoming Sports Festival. "The villain stuff sucked, sure," said Kirishima. "But I'm pumped for these games!"

"We put on a good show and we're basically on the road to being pros," said Sero.

"We get so few chances," said Fumikame. "We have to make the most of this."

"Deku! Iida!" Said Uraraka intensely. "Let's do our best in the sports festival!"

Iida was agreeing vehemently, but Izuku was silent. He had been working in his journal all day, not even paying attention to the lectures in class. Hearing about the Sports Festival had only fueled his already fervent obsession with improving himself. This was a chance to show the world what he could do, even without a quirk. He had to make the most of this. He had to stand out. But he wasn't sure how. He had his utility belt, his tools, his training, but it wasn't enough. He needed something stronger. He needed to be stronger.

"Deku?" Said Uraraka. "Are you O. K.?"

"Yeah," Said Iida. "You look like you're distracted."

"Huh?" Said Izuku. "Oh, I'm fine. Well, maybe a little distracted."

"Are you worried about the Festival?" Said Iida.

"No. Well, yes, I dunno," said Izuku. "It's hard to explain. I've been thinking a lot about the villain attack, and the Festival as well. I wasn't strong enough to really help during the villain attack. I'm trying to think of something that could help me get stronger. You all have amazing quirks that help you stand out, but I don't have anything."

"Not true!" Said Iida. "You have your training at the hands of Batman, and your various tools will surely give you an advantage!"

"Yeah, Deku!" Said Uraraka. "I saw you take on those villains with Todoroki and Kirishima, you were amazing!"

"I guess," Said Izuku, unconvinced.

"Whenever I need confidence," Said Uraraka. "I always think back to the reason why I decided to become a hero. My parents have always struggled financially, and I want to help them so they can live the rest of their lives in comfort. You know, I don't think you've ever talked about why you want to become a hero. Maybe it could help you."

"That's not a bad idea," said Iida. "What are your reasons you wanted to become a hero, Midoriya?"

Izuku hesitated. "I haven't. . . told many people about this," he said slowly, turning away. "There was someone I admired once. I guess you could say he was my friend, we had known each other for a long time. He was everything I wanted to be: smart, strong, confident and with a powerful quirk."

"I remember," said Uraraka. "The friend you were talking about on the bus ride to the USJ, right?"

"Yeah," said Izuku. "Well, something. . . happened to him. Something I wasn't able to stop. Something no one was able to stop." Izuku trailed off, but Uraraka and Iida understood.

"I'm sorry, Deku," said Uraraka.

"It's fine," said Izuku. "But there are times I wish he was here. He would have loved it here. And whenever I'm upset, or don't know what to do, I always think to myself: what would he do? How would -" Izuku froze.

"Midoriya?" Said Iida.

"Are you O. K.?" Asked Uraraka worriedly.

"That's it," Izuku said, smiling. "That's it!"

Izuku turned on his heel and ran down the hallway, leaving Uraraka and Iida standing there confused. He would apologize to them later. Right now he had to get to the Support Lab. He was so excited. He had found the answer to his problem, and it was all thanks to Kacchan.