The New Hero Generation

Chapter 3-You Are Next

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"Wait in Recovery Girl's office. I have some business to attend to quickly, and then we can talk," Toshinori instructed Izuku, his tone offhand but reassuring.

Izuku nodded eagerly and scurried off, leaving All Might alone in the hallway. As soon as the boy was out of sight, he let his shoulders fall and his neutral face turn to a glower. He ascended the steps to his office, each footfall heavier than usual.

Sir Nighteye was already waiting inside, pacing the floor, his usually professional demeanor seemed slightly erratic. His eyes darted toward All Might the moment he entered. "That took longer than expected," he noted, his gaze sharp with curiosity. "What happened?"

All Might took a breath, collecting his thoughts. "I had to talk down Shishido," he said, not entirely sure how to phrase the situation. "The girl who attacked Midoriya is part of his hero agency."

Nighteye stopped pacing, his eyes narrowing as he processed that information. With a heavy sigh, he sank into the nearest couch. "I didn't expect Shishido to get tangled up in something like this. I thought he'd rather distance himself from the situation than protect someone who assaulted a civilian."

"That was my initial thought too," All Might replied, taking a seat across from him. "But Shishido's focus is on appearances—he's determined to paint himself as one of the good ones. He wants to appear spotless, this allows him to push the narrative that heteromorphic quirks shouldn't be blamed when someone acts out. He's trying to protect the group by emphasizing that these incidents are individual mistakes, not genetic flaws. If he can be perfect, so can any other mutant."

Nighteye rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That's a more palatable to the average person than Gang Orca's approach. Orca tries to highlight the prejudice mutants face, but his aggressive stance often backfires. Still, Shishido risking his reputation to cover this up is dangerous for him. If it ever gets out that he's shielding an assailant, it could destroy everything he's worked for."

All Might nodded gravely.

Nighteye paused. "So, what did Shishido want?"

All Might let out a small sigh. "He wanted Midoriya's friend fined for illegal quirk use and was pushing to have the boy arrested for villainy."

Nighteye's eyebrow rose. "Did he use his quirk?"

"He did, but only as a display of intimidation. No one was hurt," All Might explained. "Still, it's technically illegal quirk use."

"Which gives Shishido leverage," Nighteye concluded.

"Yes," All Might agreed, leaning back in his chair. "But I managed to convince him to have her drop the charges."

"And how did you manage that?" Nighteye asked.

All Might let out a small embarrassed cough. "I made it clear that if the charges weren't dropped, this would go public. The court of public opinion would be brutal, especially so because she's a mutant, and Shishido knows it."

Nighteye crossed his arms, considering this. "And the girl?"

"She walks away without charges too," All Might admitted, his voice tinged with reluctance. "I would've preferred if she faced consequences for her actions, but protecting Midoriya in this situation required both sides to agree that this never happened."

For a moment, silence filled the room as the weight of the decision hung between them. Nighteye tapped his fingers on the armrest of the couch before speaking again. "And Midoriya? How is he handling this?"