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Chapter 92: Ashes and Strategies
🕑 Added 2025-07-23 19:22:54 +0000 UTCThe morning light filters through the hospital curtains, pale, as if it were afraid to touch the floor. Izuku is awake, his torso bandaged, the pain a constant throb in his chest. Yu, limping, hands him a glass of water; her face is devoid of its usual brightness. Ochako twists the hem of her shirt, sitting on the edge of the bed. Toru fiddles with a pen that seems to be floating in mid-air. Momo checks a makeshift communicator, her brow furrowed. In a chair in the corner, Gran Torino watches like an old but alert hawk.
"You're still pale, Deku-kun," Ochako murmurs, her voice trembling. "When I saw that sword… I thought we were losing you."
Izuku manages a smile, weak yet warm.
"It takes more than a fanatic with a messiah complex to take me down. I've got the best team watching my back."
Yu scoffs, slumping into a chair.
"Don't get sentimental, Izuku. You almost died because of some heroic foolishness. Now comes the fun part: explaining to the police why a bunch of first-year interns were playing professional heroes."
Toru spins the pen faster.
"Are we going to be in trouble?"
Gran Torino lets out a grunt, his raspy voice cutting through the air.
"'Trouble' is an understatement. You captured Japan's most wanted criminal. You humiliated the local agencies and Endeavor. Without licenses. The politicians are going to have a field day."
Izuku grips the glass, the plastic creaking.
"It was worth it. Stain is off the streets. People are safe."
Momo looks up, adjusting the communicator.
"For now. But the Nomus are still loose. Gran Torino, what do we know about them?"
The old hero leans forward, his eyes narrowed.
"Endeavor and I took one down last night. It absorbed and released attacks, but it wasn't as tough as the one at the USJ. I smashed it into the road. Other heroes incinerated another one, and Endeavor chased the last one, which fled with a hostage. He caught it with a flaming spear. End of story."
Ochako frowns.
"So that's it? The Nomus are gone?"
Gran Torino lets out a dry laugh.
"I wish, kid. The reports say there are more. Smarter ones. Someone is controlling them."
Yu slaps the arm of her chair.
"The League. It's always them. And now we have to deal with the political fallout."
Before Izuku can answer, the door opens with a creak. Kenji Tsuragamae, the Hosu chief of police, walks in. His immaculate uniform contrasts with the tension on his face, and his voice is cold, bureaucratic.
"Midoriya, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Hagakure. Takeyama. What you did last night was heroic, but illegal. Using Quirks without authorization in combat violates Article 36 of the Hero Act. It could cost you your licenses. For you, Takeyama, your agency."
Ochako stands up, outraged.
"Illegal?! We were being attacked! We saved lives!"
Momo places a hand on her shoulder, her voice calm but tense.
"He's right, Ochako-san. Legally, we weren't authorized. Stain was hunting us, but we chose to fight."
Tsuragamae holds up a hand.
"I'm not here to arrest you. The Public Safety Commission has approved an official narrative. The 'Hero Burger' event was an undercover operation by Mt. Lady to lure out Stain. She neutralized him. You evacuated civilians and handled minor damages. Your injuries are 'collateral damage.' This is to protect U.A. and your futures."
Yu lets out a bitter laugh.
"Fantastic. My kids almost die, and I get the credit for a fight I couldn't even wage. Do you have any idea how much paperwork I'll have to fill out?"
Izuku looks at Tsuragamae, his voice weak but firm.
"We understand, sir. It's to protect Ochako and the others. We accept."
Toru's voice trembles as she murmurs:
"So we lie? We say we didn't do anything?"
Tsuragamae nods.
"It is the official truth. No one can know what really happened. For everyone's sake."
Ochako clenches her fists.
"It's not fair. We risked everything, and now…"
Momo cuts her off, her tone calculating.
"It's an opportunity. If the world thinks it was Mt. Lady, no one will see us coming next time."
Tsuragamae nods, turning toward the door.
"See that you comply. Or we will all pay the price."
He leaves, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.
Yu gets up and limps toward the door.
"I'm going to get some air. This place reeks of politics."
In the hallway, the hospital buzzes with activity: nurses rushing, monitors beeping, families crying. Yu stops when she sees Endeavor. His imposing figure blocks her path, the flames on his shoulders sputtering. Ochako and Momo, who had stepped out for coffee, stop at a corner to listen.
"Takeyama," Endeavor growls, his voice like a wildfire. "Enjoying your unearned glory. The whole country is talking about your 'brave' capture. What a farce."
Yu crosses her arms, unfazed.
"What do you want, Enji? To cry because some first-year kids did your job while you were busy burning down buildings?"
Endeavor takes a step forward, the heat from his flames licking the air.
"Stain was mine! He was operating in my jurisdiction! It was my right to capture him and prove my superiority! Your stupid hamburger campaign stole my chance!"
Yu smiles, pure venom.
"You're wrong. I didn't steal anything from you. While you were chasing headlines, my kids were fighting for their lives. If you spent less time obsessing over being Number One and more on teamwork, you wouldn't be here whining like a child who had his toy taken away. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to make sure my interns don't need lifelong therapy."
Endeavor grits his teeth, the flames crackling.
"You haven't seen the last of me, Takeyama."
Yu walks away, her limp more pronounced.
"Keep dreaming, Enji."
Ochako, hidden, whispers to Momo:
"It's disgusting. All of it. The fame, the credit… Endeavor only thinks about himself."
Momo nods, her gaze hard.
"And that's why he'll never be like All Might."
Back in the room, Yu enters, her face tense.
"I just had a lovely chat with the Number Two. He's furious that I got the credit for Stain."
Toru gasps.
"What? That's ridiculous!"
Ochako, entering with Momo, punches the wall.
"It's so stupid! We risked everything, and now Endeavor wants to take the glory."
Izuku, lying back, looks up. His voice is quiet, drawing everyone's attention.
"That's why he'll never be like All Might. Listen. They didn't take anything from us. They gave us a gift."
Toru blinks, the pen stopping its movement.
"A gift? We almost died!"
Izuku smiles, a spark in his eyes.
"They gave us a shield. A secret. No one knows what we can do together. No one knows our synergy. To the world, we're Mt. Lady's interns. The rocket kids. They'll underestimate us. And that is our most powerful weapon."
Momo nods, her eyes gleaming.
"A tactical advantage. While everyone is watching Endeavor for the Nomus and Mt. Lady for Stain, we'll be growing in the shadows."
Yu crosses her arms, a tired smile on her face.
"Damn, kid. You're sharper than you look."
Ochako, still furious, takes a deep breath.
"So… this is a good thing?"
Izuku nods.
"That's right. We have the truth. And we'll use it to become so strong that next time, no lie will be able to hide who we are."
Gran Torino lets out a dry laugh.
"Toshinori was right. You have his eyes, kid. No wonder he's so frustrated."
A resolute silence fills the room. Momo's communicator crackles, an urgent voice breaking through.
"The city is on the brink of collapse. The riots are growing. Some idiots see Stain as a martyr."
Yu curses under her breath.
"Great. Now we have fans of a psychopath."
Izuku frowns, his mind racing.
"It's not just chaos. The League wanted this. Stain was a seed, one that would create a new revolution."
Gran Torino stands up, his cape waving.
"I'll call Toshinori. I'll tell him what happened here."
The night before…
Night envelops Hosu. The city lights flicker, as if aware of their own fragility. On a rooftop, Tomura Shigaraki watches through a pair of binoculars; the plastic creaks under his fingers and, with a snap, disintegrates into dust.
Kurogiri, at his side, tilts his head.
"Unsatisfied, Tomura?"
Shigaraki turns with a twisted smile on his face, his eyes gleaming with madness.
"Not at all. This was the prologue. Stain planted a seed, and we watered it with chaos. Now people are doubting. The heroes look weak. The game has changed."
He looks toward the horizon, at the trembling lights.
"Everything depends on tomorrow."
