Chapter 57

"W..What? M-Midoriya.. I.."

"I can tell, Aoyama."

Burdened by everything that had happened, the boy couldn't stop himself and tears rolled down his face.

"Aoyama! Tell us this isn't true!!"

"If.. If Midoriya-san hadn't detected you out.. what else were you planning to do?!"

My classmates were in disbelief. Aoyama had been through everything with us. He lived with us, ate with us, laughed and cried with us.

"It was so painful... All this time.. It took every ounce of my willpower to prevent me from exposing myself.. I was crushed by immense guilt.. I did everything to appear brave.. When All for One was captured at Kamino, I thought I could finally be like everyone else..! I.. I just wanted to protect.. my mother and father!! I didn't want to let them die.. Midoriya-kun.. The USJ incident, the training camp.. I helped them, Midoriya-kun.. I'm a scumbag villain."

His parents were soon made to appear engulffed in green spheres. So that Aoyama did not use his quirk out of desperation, injuring someone and worsening his situation, I encapsulated him too.

As his parents looked at the crying Aoyama and the somber looks on everyone else's faces, they understood that they had been exposed. Absolute fear surfaced on their faces as they began to lose their minds over what All for One would do to them.

Lady Nagant, who was still in the room inside the sphere of her own looked worried and shocked at what was happening.

Then, the Aoyamas began explaining everything to us. How, their son was quirkless and how he was ridiculed for being different. How they got into All for One's clutches.

"Once you have something to do with AFO, there's no escaping him. We know nothing.. we were simply asked to carry out orders for him. If we failed.. We would be killed. If we lied.. we would be killed."

"How do you know that?" Tsukauchi asked.

"He showed us examples. People who defied were disposed off like garbage. If you ran to tell the police, you will be killed the moment you stepped out of their building. There was no escaping him. Wherever you would go, he would know. And death would follow. We were just following orders! Yuga had no idea! All he knew was not to let anyone find out! We're the ones at fault here!"

I looked at the crying boy and asked, "Aoyama, was it AFO who made you want to join U.A.? Was it him that made you bond with us, become our friend, fight the villains alongside us, standing shoulder to shoulder for the safety of the civilians, to protect them from danger?"

"... No."

"You did it because you wanted to be a hero, right?! When I look at you, I don't see a scumbag villain! You were tied down by circumstances, by your love for your parents and you fought for them, to protect their lives, like a hero! Aoyama Yuga, you are not a villain! You can still become a hero!!"

There was a moment of silence that followed my declaration to Aoyama.

"Wait, Midoriya-kun. Sansa, cover up Aoyama's mouth for now."

Tsukauchi looked at me and said, "No matter the circumstances, the fact that he was helping AFO commit crimes remains unchanged. What's more, from what we've seen, there's no immediate danger. But, who's to say he isn't somehow rigged like 'Lady Nagant'? It isn't wise to allow him to talk any further until we conduct a full examination at the hospital."

As they were about to take the Aoyamas away, Aizawa said, "Wait, Tsukauchi-san. I take full responsibility for not seeing this happen under our noses. I feel the same as my students do. Aoyama, I have no intention to expel you from U.A.."

He then asked me, "Midoriya, how soon will you be able to locate All for One?"

I nodded and said, "I think I'm close. I began the search from the Northern most islands under the control of our country. It's been slow because of the villains targetting the people, but, I'm sure I'll find him in a few days. Japan has thousands of uninhibited islands. I'm seaching each of them."

"Good, till then, everyone, prepare your tech and gear. We will get AFO, once and for all."

Angry, yet determined, we walked off to our dorm. Some sat together in the couch, talking or sitting quietly while drinking some juice as they prepared their minds for the battle. Some checked their equipment while others went to the support department.

I climed the stairs and went to the roof. As I looked afar to the abandoned and destroyed buildings, my mind drifted to everything we'd been through.

"Katsuki."

The said boy clicked his tongue as he walk to me and said, "You know that's creepy, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then, why do you do it?!"

"It's fun."

Katsuki sighed in frustration and resignation.

"So, why are you up here?"

I shrugged and replied, "Just letting my mind wander off to the past. You know, I could sense them."

Katsuki looked at me in question as I continued saying, "I could sense the cries for help.. of the original users of all those quirks stolen by All for One, back during the Kamino ward incident. That monster, he's been alive for centuries. Imagine all the quirks he has stolen.. So many are still living in torment.. hundreds of years of torment, crying for help. I could hear their cries, but, I could do nothing."

I then looked at Katsuki with moist eyes and asked, "Do you think, Tetsuo is one of them?"

His eyes widened for a moment before he said, "It's possible.. or it's not. There's no use dwelling on that and letting yourself spiral down. If AFO did steal his quirk, we'll free it. We'll free everyone and put an end to that monster. Focus on finding him. That's the priority. You've been strong headed for so long. Don't become weak now of all times or else I'll fucking kick your sorry ass, you hear me?!"

I scoffed and said, "You can only do that in your dreams."

"You wanna go right now, shitty nerd?!"

"Stop barking near my ear, you Pomeranian!"

"I'll blow you away!"

"Well, come an get me if you can!"

'I.. no. We.. will make you pay, AFO. We're coming for you.'

(BNHA)

A/N: We've caught up with the manga!! No, I will not stop here. Don't worry. We're going all the way to the end. Everything from here in the story will be non-canon.

PS. You know shit's about to go down when you see angry Mineta, Koji and Tsuyu at the last page of the latest chapter in the manga.