Chapter 12

"Is it really necessary that I go Mom?" Izuku questioned as he looked at his mother. "I'm just, I'm not feeling all that well and I wanted to rest for tomorrow." He lied. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. His entire body was sore from his training regime, plus he also had school the next day. He really did want to rest, but more importantly, he wanted to stay away.

"Izuku, I know it's difficult and he might have troubled you in the past, but it's not about him. It's about Mitsuki." Inko reiterated. "Katsuki was released yesterday, and she invited us over for dinner. She was really devasted when she got news her son was injured, and it would be rude if we declined." Inko told him.

"Yes, but I mean, it would be alright if you went alone." Izuku tried to reason. He didn't need to go there. The young hero didn't know how he'd feel if he saw Bakugo's injuries. Maybe it was wrong for him to want to avoid it, it was still technically his fault, right? He was the one who freed the Herrscher and gave her the fuel needed to injure him. Maybe he should make amends, and go and apologize to Kanchaan.

"Apologize for what? I just paid him 10 years' worth of pain that he inflicted on you in 10 seconds." The Herrscher scoffed. "You don't have any reason to apologize, it's not like I even killed him."

"Izuku, you two have known each other for years now. I'm sure he'll like some company." Inko tried to tell him. "Even if he won't admit it."

"I highly doubt that." Izuku thought nonetheless, he looked at his mom in her pleading eyes. He sighed. "Alright, I'll go." He answered his mom. "Just let me take a shower really quick." He told her as he left to go freshen up.

He hurried into the shower, throwing off his clothes and turning on the water. Izuku sighed as he let the water wash over him. He could feel the familiar presence next to him. He turned his gaze and saw the Herrscher's back, facing him.

"What are you thinking Herrscher?" Izuku questioned as he stared at the girl. She rarely appears unless its to taunt or tease him.

"I'm wondering how much fun I can have tonight when you let me out." She answered simply.

"What makes you think I will?" Izuku questioned.

"You're memories. You may admire this boy, but you also fear, resent, and hate him." The Herrscher noted. "When you meet him, you will most likely be a victim of his rage. Injured animals are often more violent when they feel threatened, and I did maim him quite a bit. I'm just wondering how long it will take for you to snap when Bakugo tries to blow you up again." She chuckled.

"I'd never indulge you like that. I would never hurt Bakugo." Izuku denied.

"Would never, or could never?" The Herrscher asked. "You see, I've seen your memories Izuku, I know that you've tried to fight him before, back when you were just a powerless little boy who wanted to be a hero." The Herrscher noted. "Back then you didn't have the power to defend yourself, you lost, and you never tried again." She whispered. "Now you have power, my power, and if you let me do as I please, I'll make sure to put Bakugo in his place."

"What you plan to do, and what I want, are too different things," Izuku answered. "You'll hurt him or worse. I don't want that."

"Are you sure?" The Herrscher told him. "Not even deep down."

Izuku didn't answer her. She chuckled; silence usually meant guilt. That's all she needed to know.

"Even if you deny it, there is always that part of us, our lowest instinctual desires. The parts of ourselves we ignore, that we reject because they don't match with what we think want." The Herrscher whispered. "It's natural for anyone, for anything, to feel anger, rage, and hatred for things that hurt them."

The Herrscher vanished not long after, leaving only her words to marinate in his mind. Deep down maybe he did want to fight Bakugo but it wasn't for what the Herrscher claimed. It just wasn't, right? It just wasn't.

Right?

The trip to the Bakugo's had been quiet. Izuku hadn't spoken and Inko hadn't pressed him further for any conversations, seeing that he had been reluctant to come. That said, she did notice how anxious Izuku had been.

She had seen him gripping his pants as he constantly glanced into the rare view mirror. Always looking back for someone who Inko could not see. Her eyes followed his and he kept staring at the back seat but never once said a word even as his expressions changed. It was concerning.

"You should stop worrying." The Herrscher whispered as she leaned next to Izuku's ear. "Your mom is getting concerned." The Herrscher reminded as her head tilted towards Inko.

Izuku's gaze shifted from the Herrscher to his mom. He hadn't realized how much of his discomfort she had noticed. Maybe he needed to learn to hide it better. He could hear a mocking giggle from the unseen third party. Couldn't this night just end soon?

"Are you sure this is a reasonable theory?" True man questioned All Might. "I mean while there is no doubt that those two boys may come from the same school it's still a shot in the dark." He commented.

"I know it looks far-fetched, but my intuition tells me there has to be some connection." All Might tried to reason. "She goes out of her way to destroy this school in particular. Why?" All Might wonders. "Maybe there were bad memories there?"

"She also destroyed one of the DMV's, should we assume she hates that as well."

"Don't be ridiculous." All Might snapped. "Everyone hates the DMV, but that's beside the point."

"We don't have much to go on, but we know these two boys are connected and that her only appearances tie into them."

"Her attacks also coincide with villain attacks; the result is that most villains involved in those attacks are dead or almost dead." True Man noted. "What is the chance she's a vigilante?"

"A vigilante wouldn't go after an innocent kid?" All Might be noted. "Vigilantes are just heroes without licenses. They may not abide by the laws, and most of them aren't looking to hurt innocents. Hurt villains maybe but not innocent civilians."

"That depends on who's defining innocent and guilty." True Man noted.

"That's fair." All Might sighed as he slouched in his chair. "This is driving me crazy."

"Yeah, Nezu told me so." True man chuckled. "But it's understandable to be paranoid." He added. "AFO is a man who's spent probably over 200 years, terrifying the world from the shadows. In that amount of time, there is no telling the connections and the power he could have amassed in secret."

"It's not impossible for him to be playing a long game with us."

"No, it isn't." All Might agreed. For the Symbol of Peace, All For One is his greatest nemesis, the ultimate evil, the be-all-end-all big bad boss. Yet the same couldn't be said for the villain. To AFO, All Might was nothing more than another bearer of One For All, the eighth user in a long line of heroes fighting him for the past 200 years. All Might may have been the most challenging one, but every other user would have been so at one point. For all he knew All For One could have already foreseen the growing cap, and accounted for it.

"Look if it makes you feel better, we can go and talk to the Bakugos, maybe that will put your mind at ease." True Man told the hero.

"I'm not sure it will." All Might admitted. If those boys were not involved with the Herrscher then they were at a dead end. If they did, then perhaps they had led but it was not one All Might would like to hear. The idea that the villain could be targeting those kids, it made him sick.

"Regardless, we should head out now." True Man suggested. "Katsuki Bakugo was recently released from the hospital yesterday. He should be resting home with his mother right now." True Man noted.

"Let's go." All Might stood up, buffing into his hero form.

"Wait a minute, Toshi, I think it might be a little concerning if All Might shows up." True Man told him. All Might looked down at himself. "Besides isn't it a waste of the few minutes you have to just stay buffed up?"

"No." All Might said before deflating back into the skeletal Yagi. "I could maintain the form for longer times provided I didn't do any fighting, but I see your point." He admitted. "It would attract too much attention."

"Alright then. Well, in that case, looks like you're my new assistant." True Man told him.

"I'm not going to need to walk with a notebook and write everything you discuss, right?" All Might questioned.

True Man didn't say anything.

"Good night, Mistuki." Inko greeted with Izuku following suit. "Sorry, we're a little late."

"Nah, you aren't late you're actually rather early." Mitsuki comments. "Nice to you again Izuku."

"Nice to see you as well Miss Bakugo," Izuku responds as she lets them in.

"If you're wondering about Katsuki, he's in his room, though I should warn you, he's still a little…moody, after…you know."

"I'll keep that in mind," Izuku answered. He had no intention of seeing Bakugo just yet instead finding himself sitting on the couch in the living room. It felt so wrong to be here. He shouldn't be here.

"Oh, trying to stay away." The Herrscher commented. "That's not very nice." She told him. "Heroes are supposed to be courageous. They need to face their fears, not chicken out." She taunted.

"I'm not chickening out. Didn't you hear? Kachaan's not in the mood. It would be rude to interrupt him." Izuku argued.

"Oh, really well we can't have that." The Herrscher told him. Izuku felt something overtaking his legs and his arms. Izuku's eyes widened in worry.

He tried to fight back, asserting his grip on the couch, and trying to keep himself in place. "What are you doing?" He pleaded in his mind. He could feel the Herrscher exerting her influence, his grip loosened, and he was forced to stand up.

"Helping you face your fears." The Herrscher responded as she forced Izuku to start walking or whatever you could call that movement. His legs were moving but his body was trying to resist as he fought with himself.

"No. I don't want to go." Izuku told her. "I don't want to go." Izuku turned his head to see his mom and Mitsuki, talking in the kitchen. He wanted to try calling for help but his hand immediately covered his mouth. He was lucky he was able to grab the corner of the wall with his next arm, but it still wasn't doing much to stop the Herrscher.

"Come on, if Kachaan is so nice, then you should have no problem confronting him," She teased. Izuku's grip remained on the wall. "Well, I guess, we'll have to do this the hard way." She sighed.

"Hard way?" Izuku muttered. Before he even realized it, a portal opened beneath his feet. "Oh…" Izuku fell into the void. He didn't fall for long as the portal reopened not more than a few feet away, right in front of Bakugo's door. Izuku was flung out, crashing right into the door with a loud thud. "Ow." Izuku winced.

How did she do that? Izuku thought she needed to transform to use her powers.

"Not really." The Herrscher responded. "I'm the Ruler of the Void, my dominion is manipulating space and to an extent even time." The Herrscher boastd. "Transforming your body is merely out of convenience for me since I much prefer my form over yours as it is stronger and more resilient. It is not a necessity for me to do so. If I so wanted, I could create portals and lances even now."

"Especially now." The Herrscher punctuated.

"WHO'S THERE?" Bakugo growled as he opened the door. Izuku squeaked as Bakugo's eyes fell on him. "DEKU!" He growled in a low voice.