Hesitantly, I stood in front of Izuku's room with Best Jeanist and Hawks beside me. Although I want to see him, I feel guilty, since I led these two here.
Hawks knocked on the door, which was opened by All Might. Peering behind him, I noticed that the patient in the bed wore two leg casts, which were elevated by cranes. If his legs are that bad, I can't even fathom how bad his arms are. My poor Izuku.
"It's nice to meet you, All Might." Wait, Hawks has never met him before?
"You're Hawks, right?" The former number one hero confirmed.
"Let's skip the intros so I can get straight to the important stuff. Is Midoriya going to recover?"
"Yes. He'll pull through this. He should be conscious soon. But he's not the only reason you're here."
Walking past the adults, I made my way to my boyfriend's bedside. I was right to assume his arms were in casts. That idiot. This may be cruel of me, but sometimes I wish he had never gotten a quirk. I hate seeing him in pain. As I held his cheek in my hand, I listened to the heroes' conversation.
Furious tapping came from Hawks, as he used his phone to speak. "This is about Midoriya and One For All. A hero from the raid heard something about it on the radio, then mentioned it to reporters. More and more people are asking questions, and Endeavor told us, as the battle progressed, Shigaraki was targeting Midoriya, a mere UA student. I'm trying to get the full picture. Because from now on, we're not just fighting villains. We're also battling a public sentiment.
All Might gave me a furious look, causing me to mouth the words 'I'm sorry.' The doorway was now open, as Iida, Ochaco, and Kyoka peered into the room.
"We should talk somewhere private. I'll tell you everything."
I could have gone with them, but what's the point if I already know everything? Instead, I opted to sit on the side of Izuku's bed, hoping that he'd wake up soon.
Maybe if I had ignored Toga, I could've subdued Gigantomachia before he arrived to save Shigaraki. No, I can't beat myself down because of that. What kind of hero would I be if I had ignored an old woman needing help?
-The Next Day-
How the hell did I get myself in this situation? I stood at a podium next to Hawks, while Endeavor and Best Jeanist stood on the other side of us. The four of us were dressed in formal suits, as we faced the reporters. I still wore my Lady Hecate wig, since my identity surprisingly wasn't leaked. The only people who did know were those who were conscious at the end of the main fight. I guess the best way to win the public back over is to confess to our crimes.
"Dabi is indeed my oldest son, Toya Todoroki," Endeavor confirmed. "I can't deny what he spoke is the truth. I stand before you to apologize for my misdeeds." He bowed.
The faces of news reporters twisted in horror at this revelation, hoping that it was fake.
"You're saying that he didn't lie, but he did," a reporter refuted.
"He's right," another spoke up. "Best Jeanist is alive, which refutes Dabi's claims that Hawks murdered him."
"Yeah! Get your stories straight!"
Hawks held his hands out, signaling for the roaring crowd to settle down. "Best Jeanist was made to look like he was dead and that's how I infiltrated their ranks. But the rest of the awful things Dabi mentioned are correct for the most part. My father's identity. How I killed a desperate villain who was running away. That's all true. I apologize for hiding the truth about my origin." He bowed. "I know now that it was a mistake. Regarding Jin Bubaigawara, the League member known as Twice. I thought I had no other choice but to keep him out of the fight. If he had activated his quirk, the damage would've been unimaginably worse than it already was. I did want to bring him in for his crimes. But in the end, his concern for his fellow League members forced the issue. I had to act. I feel awful for how things went down. I just hope you'll all believe me."
"Dabi was correct in saying that I'm not a fully registered hero. I do in fact only have a probationary license, in which I earned last year," I admitted. "The Commission trained me as a child to shoot villains, but I do not kill, like he said. My quirk allows me to form my bullets in such a way that I incapacitate them. Quite similar to a few of Edgeshot's moves." It would be stupid of me to fully explain my quirk, when villains everywhere could be watching. Can you see me, Kaina? "I apologize for deceiving you all to think I'm a hero, but that will not stop me from doing the job I was trained to do." I am not, and never will be. Telling the press what they want to hear is how you get them to believe you... if we haven't crossed the point of no return yet.
"I've got a question." A reporter woman in the back raised her hand. "In the chaos caused by Gigantomachia, my own mother was seriously injured. Do you really think apologizing and saying you feel bad fixed anything? Do you have any idea how many people lost their homes? Their livelihoods this week?" What is she, an idiot? We're not to blame, it's these stupid villains! "I don't think you understand how much you screwed up. It was the villains who did this, sure, but the only reason they were able to wreak havoc on such a scale is because of your mistakes!"
If Twice had lived, he could've massacred the heroes and citizens very quickly. If the heroes and I hadn't executed the Nomu, they could've terrorized the next town over. If the work study students hadn't been at the battle, Shigaraki would have slaughtered a fully populated town. If no heroes stepped up, the world would have crumbled in the Paranormal Liberation Army's hands. How can one think our involvement made this worse?
As much as I wanted to drill those words into their skulls, I couldn't. Endeavor opted to take the peaceful route instead. "If we stood up here crying and carrying on, would that make your mother better?"
"Huh?! No, of course it wouldn't! But you could do something besides talk! Take care of the villains on the streets! Be a... a hero."
"You make a good point," Endeavor frowned. "As number one, that's how I will atone for my sins."
"But right now, there are fewer heroes in the field." I know I should be paying attention to Best Jeanist's speech, but how long is his neck?! How is the collar that tall?! "We are no longer equipped to protect so many citizens. With that in mind, we have patterned a temporary solution. After consulting with government officials, we'd like to announce that, starting today, UA High and other schools with hero courses will be designated as emergency shelters. There should be plenty of space in these facilities for anyone who is scared or seeking protection. Families of enrolled students are already moving into these buildings."
"You want us to leave our homes with no idea when we can go back?!" Would this guy rather be killed by a deranged criminal from Tartarus?
Endeavor slammed his hands on the table. "We are looking out for your future. Direct your blame and anger at me but let us help you. Plenty of pros are still risking their lives for you." Flames erupted from his face, forming his signature mask. "Again, I'll say, watch me."
Reporters then moved on to the subject of One For All, asking the number one hero if he knew anything about it. He answered that he didn't know, so All Might and Izuku didn't get involved.
The last thing the public needs to know is that our saving grace is a sixteen-year-old, who just happens to be All Might's protege.
YOU ARE READING
A Deadly Secret (Izuku Midoriya x Reader)
Fanfiction(Y/n) Tsutsumi, the little sister of Lady Nagant, aka. Kaina Tsutsumi. She had always idolized her sister, ever since she had lost her parents, but when she's taken away, (Y/n) will have to embark on her own journey. Now having pro hero, Sir Nightey...
