Assassins Can Be Heroes Too || Todoroki Shoto

|70| Why He Can't Lose

Rie was in disbelief, watching as Midoriya picked up his buzzing phone.

"Hello?"

"Midoriya, you guys okay?" Todoroki's concerned voice floated through, the girl's heart pounding, "we ran behind All For One and bumped into some Pros who were helping everyone evacuate."

"Oh, thank goodness," breathed the freckled male, "we're over by the station, more than likely out of the range out of that shock-wave attack, or whatever that was."

"I take it Bakugo and Riri are safe?"

"Yup!" he popped the 'p'.

"Listen up, bastards, it's not like I got saved or anything," snarled the former, "you lot just happened to be the best option I had!"

"Good choice!" complimented Kirishima, his spiked hair flattened down.

"And... we just didn't wanna get in All Might's..." the former hostages shared a glance, "way..."

Their eyes lingered on the screen as All Might and All For One fought, All Might sent flying up as he was saved by Gran Torino, who tried to calm him down and that his tactics were nothing like before.

"We're at this nightmarish scene! Half of Kamino Ward has been destroyed in the blink of an eye, All Might is currently exchanging blows with the purported Villain behind all of this destruction!" the announced called, "it's hard to believe that a single Villain could obliterate several city blocks and go toe-to-toe with the Symbol of Peace himself!"

The teenagers could only stare in shock as they eavesdropped on the crowd's conversations.

"Man, the Villains are getting out of hand lately, huh?"

"Nah, the Heroes are just slacking."

"That's just how it is sometimes, but geez, they could at least try harder..."

"I'm sure All Might can pull it off in the end!"

The teenagers watched in horror as One For All sent a blast in his direction, announcing that he would take everything he had come to protect. There was silence as the camera vision was clouded with dust.

"First, your image, which you've maintained despite your wound," the Number One Villain began slowly, his arm still outstretched, "then, your pride. The world will see you for the pathetic man you are, they will see who their Symbol of Peace and Justice really is."

The dust cleared, a shocked silence falling over the crowd.

"Huh?" Rie didn't know who spoke first, "why's he all skin and bones?"

Replacing the familiar, buff, large figure of All Might was a skinny man with sharp, angular features with limbs, his neck tall and his blonde, bushy eyebrows were nowhere to be seen.

"U-um... are you guys seeing this, viewers?!" the reporter stuttered shakily, "All Might... he's all shrivelled up..."

Rie was quite certain she heard Midoriya utter 'his secret' under his breath, beads of sweat rolling down his neck as he clenched his fist, staring up at the screen. She frowned, choosing to ignore it.

"Those hollow cheeks and sunken eyes... looks like the Top Hero's looking a tad bit worse for wear, I'd say," he hummed, "aww, don't be ashamed, All Might, that's your true form, isn't it?"

He received no response other than a dark glower.

"I see..." he faltered slightly.

"Destroy my body and it'll wither away for sure... you can expose me to the world," he breathed heavily, his blonde hair covering his shrivelled face, "but my spirit is what makes me the Symbol of Peace, you haven't stolen away one bit of that!"

"Wonderful, you haven't changed a bit!" he beamed under his mask, "but, I wonder... I have two pieces of information for you..."

Ba-dump.

The Hero faltered slightly, though he held his strong stance.

Ba-dump.

"The first thing is," he paused for dramatic effect, "Tomura Shigaraki is Nana Shimura's grandson."

Ba-dump.

His eyes widened in horror.

"And the second thing," he added, "Raging Sword is dead."

Ba-dump.

Rie could feel the eyes of her classmates on her, Iida and Kirishima's eyes wide as they pieced together what could have possibly happened during the two days they had been held hostage by the Villains.

"Shut up."

"We didn't-" the boys blinked.

"I don't want your pity," she pleaded, her voice quiet; the boys willingly obliged. Bakugo stole a side-glance in her direction, sighing as he crossed his arms, his piercing red eyes drifting upwards to the screen.

"That... can't be true..." he murmured to himself, trying to convince himself more than the triumphant Villain in front of him, "that... no... they can't be related... and... Raging Sword..." his voice trailed off as his mind wandered to Rie, cursing internally.

"Nope, they're both true, and you know that, because it's just the kind of thing that Poison Dart and I would do," he hummed, "hmm? What's the matter, All Might? Where's that winning smile of yours?"

"When you save someone, Toshinori, they're usually in a really scary situation," she informed suddenly with her back facing her student, the male's eyes widening, "a true Hero saves not only their lives but also their spirits... at least, that's what I believe."

He gazed in awe as she turned back, a finger on each side of her mouth and gently pushing her cheeks upwards.

"So no matter how scary things get, give 'em' a smile, as if to say 'I'm a-ok'," she grinned, "after all, the people in the world who can smile are always the strongest."

"How... dare you..." he murmured, gritting his teeth, "how dare you..."

He gritted his teeth, clenching his fist tightly, sinking to his knees.

Rie... I can't imagine the pain you're going through right now. I'm so sorry, I know this won't change anything and that it's too late... perhaps that's why you hated Heroes when you were younger, and vowed to get revenge: because we were too late and too ignorant.

"Ooh, what fun... looks like I managed to steal that one part away~"

"You can... beat him..." whispered the woman behind him, the blonde's hair covering his eyes, "All Might... please... save us!"

"Win..." whispered Bakugo.

"You know... that Hassake girl has always hated Heroes with a burning passion. It's why she hesitated when Edgeshot suggested she come to U.A.," he suddenly began, "you Heroes were always far too late to save her, too ignorant about her home life..."

Ah... so I was right... the Hero observed.

"All Might... you can win!"

Rie shot her friends conflicted glances, rubbing her arm self-consciously as they yelled their throats hoarse, cheering their teacher on in desperation.

"But... of course, young lady..." the male stated as if he was in a daze, "indeed, there are plenty of things that Heroes need to protect, All For One! And yes, we were late to see her suffering and her pain... but Poison Dart - no, Stachel! - will make an excellent Hero! We will watch over her through her progress and transition from Villain to Hero, and lead her down the right path if she strays!"

He stared up at the Villain in front of him.

"That is why... I can't afford to lose!"