Chapter 106

I blinked.

Slowly.

Then I leaned against the wall opposite my bed and crossed my arms over my chest.

- And by All Might's successor, you mean...?

- That he'll probably retire when we finish high school, and that he wants a hero to take over as a symbol of peace. Who will be me.

The determination I saw in his eyes was all the more admirable given that his body was now nothing more than a heap of broken parts held together in some precarious balance.

But that means he doesn't know about the One for All.

If All Might had decided on such a course of action, then Nezu had to know about it.

I wonder what that rat is up to.

- That's funny, coming from a guy who got his ass kicked like never before less than a week ago.

Katsuki didn't even flinch.

- It's because I've been beaten that I have to become stronger.

The fear of being at the mercy of others was a language I understood well.

- Let's say I agree. What's in it for me?

Katsuki shrugged and suppressed the grimace of pain the gesture caused him.

- Nothing, except for the fact that the next peace symbol will cover your future little mistakes.

I studied Katsuki from head to toe.

- You talk as if you're sure there will be more.

- You talk as if there has never been any.

A small smile formed on my lips.

- Let's be clear, Shoto. I'll only cover for you when it comes to villains and criminals. If you go after heroes or civilians, our agreement is over.

- You're just talking about hypothetical benefits. For all I know, someone else will win All Might's approval.

The image of an immortal Deku in possession of the One for All came to mind.

A real pain in the ass to kill.

- So, what do you want?

- I want information. Whatever you're told and whatever you pass on, I want to know. If you have access to a communications network or files forbidden to the general public, I want access to them too.

I had let events unfold as planned, thinking that the cannon's route would not be changed and that All for One would try to kidnap Bakugo.

What I didn't anticipate was that my actions would have such far-reaching effects on villains so far removed from my daily life.

- From All Might's shoe size to his favorite food, I want to know everything.

Bakugo smiled.

- I'm serious.

That Uraraka bitch thought she was safe now that Kaminari was dead.

She must have thought that no one knew about her, that no one could do anything to her.

I wanted to let her bathe in her sense of security and drown her in it when she least expected it.

I just have to find out where All for One is. And then...

I could have tracked him down myself, but I didn't have time for anything but my latest project.

And at the rate I was going, it would take me months of work, day and night, to finish it.

- Yeah, yeah, Bakugo huffed and rolled his eyes.

He hobbled towards me, his crutches clattering unevenly on the ground.

- Do we have a deal?

Katsuki held out his hand.

- I'll add a condition, I said. If you get in my way or withhold even the smallest bit of information... then I'll treat you like everyone else.

As a target.

Katsuki smiled, his lips curling over his sharp teeth.

- And if you stray from the straight path, I'll be the one to put an end to you

It was my turn to smile.

I shook his hand frankly.

- Deal

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

I looked at Bakugo.

- Did you invite someone?

He shook his head.

Chakra buzzing, I scanned the energy of the new arrivals and...

Surprised, I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows.

- Stay there, I said to Bakugo as I headed for the door.

I opened it on the fly, my eyes automatically falling on the taciturn-looking giant who had the same energy and smell as my father.

Black hair, dark circles under his eyes, a pistol strapped to his belt.

- Hello, Shoto. I hope we're not disturbing you?

Keeping a neutral expression, my eyes fell on the white-haired man who accompanied him.

- Call me Todoroki.

- Of course, Shoto.

He stuck his badge under my nose, forcing me to squint to see it clearly.

- Heroic Commission, Squad of Anomalies in All Kind

He tucked his badge into the inside pocket of his jacket like one tucks away a smoking gun after emptying all the bullets.

His eyes were already no longer on me, scouring my room over my shoulder as if it were a crime scene.

- I'm Naoya Nishimura, and this is my colleague, who is still learning the ropes. You don't mind if we come in, do you?

And in the same breath, he slipped inside.

My eyes met those of the giant - the bodyguard, it seemed - and we stared at each other in silence.

- Wow, it's really spacious in here! There's even a TV! Great for staying over with friends, huh?

Irritated, I looked away from the giant and towards Nishimura.

- Don't touch anything

He lifted his hand to the TV screen and stroked it in awe.

The bodyguard had taken the opportunity to slip in and was already approaching the coffee table next to my bed, studying the vase filled with flowers with great interest.

- Easy, Shoto. No need to be aggressive. We're all friends here, right?

I frowned.

- I'm very calm.

Nishimura snapped his fingers.

- You there! Get out of here, this is a private matter!

Katsuki - who had sat down on the bed to preserve his legs - raised an eyebrow and was about to reply curtly when the bodyguard invaded his personal space and started sniffing him, putting his nose on his hospital gown.

- Hey, what the hell are you doing? Get the fuck off !

Katsuki jumped up, raised one of his crutches awkwardly to fend off the giant, and started to walk back towards the door, and Nishimura was already in the bathroom, turning on the light.

- A bath and a shower! It's really luxurious in here!

Katsuki called from the other side.

- I swear, if you take another step, I'm gonna-

And suddenly all the light bulbs exploded.

Katsuki, Nishimura and the giant ducked to take cover from the spray of glass that fell on them.

Sharingan spinning lazily in my eyes, lightning crackling in my palm, I was the only source of light in the room, which had been plunged into semi-darkness by a sun that had not yet fully risen.

I pointed at Nishimura.

- You. Get out of here.

The bodyguard grunted and I felt him move behind me.

The lightning crackling on my body was the only warning I deigned to give him.

Nishimura gestured for him to stop.

He came out of the bathroom smiling, his hands in the air, as if I was a big joke and wouldn't carry out my threats.

- There's no need to get upset. We're friends, right? I just wanted to talk.

The door slammed shut and everyone gave him a surprised look.

- If you want to talk, just stand there with your hands up. Same goes for King Kong.

- No problem. No problem at all.

Nishimura smiled and stepped back until his back was to the door. He beckoned the giant to follow him, who finally gave in, but didn't raise his hands, preferring to stare at me.

Although he was as tall as my father, I was only half a head shorter than him - so he wasn't that intimidating.

I looked at Katsuki and whatever he wanted to say died on his lips.

He exhaled through his nose out of frustration, then sat back down on the bed with his two crutches under his arm.

I had an eyewitness and an earwitness, and the fairy-fingered Nishimura menace kept a safe distance from me or anything else in my room.

Good. Very good, even.

- Speak.

People didn't like the sight of my Sharingan, which they found disturbing and unsettling - according to the comments left online - and that was exactly why I had activated it.

The obvious effort Nishimura made to look me straight in the eye and smile told me he didn't like it either.

- We could sit down. Talk quietly.

In response, my lightning began to arc around my body, my hair floating slightly above my face.

The bodyguard tensed.

Nishimura's smile faltered.

- It's illegal to threaten an official like that.

- It's illegal to break into a private medical facility and demand to speak to a patient who is also a minor and whose legal guardian hasn't been notified in advance.

- Endeavor is well aware of this, said Nishimura.

I replied sarcastically:

- Are all law enforcement officials liars like you, Maoya?

My father would never make friends with the Heroic Commission after what happened with Touya.

Nishimura tried a different approach.

- We've come to talk to you about your Quirks.

- I have nothing to say to you.

Nishimura shook his finger.

- On the contrary, you have a lot to tell us. You see, lying about the nature of one's Quirk is a violation of the Meta-Human Civil Code that can result in a fine of 50 000 000 yens...

He looked me straight in the eye to maintain the tension.

- And up to three years in prison

I smiled, tilting my head to the side and squinting my eyes so he could see me mocking him.

- Go ahead, send me to prison.

I lifted my joined wrists and my lightning instantly disappeared.

- Put the handcuffs on me, don't be shy

Nishimura shook his hand as if he was doing me a favor.

- It doesn't have to come to that. All we need is your cooperation and we'll be on our way.

I sniffed wistfully.

- And if I don't?

Nishimura's smile froze and his lips tightened.

- Then we'll have a problem.

My eyes shifted to Nishimura's left, where two large reserves of energy were striding in.

My eyes returned to their usual color and I walked back to the bed, sat down next to Katsuki and crossed my arms over my chest.

With one hand, I pointed to the door.

- Here's the solution that just arrived.

Confused, Nishimura moved away. His bodyguard looked at him and followed him.

The next second, the door opened on Endeavor and All Might.