A reporter near the front raised her hand. "Principal Nezu, can you confirm that Akutami Yuta, listed as deceased following the Yamanote Line tragedy, was present at tonight's incident?"
"I can confirm that UA High School is aware of the reports and is currently in the process of verifying all relevant information," Nezu said, with a warm smile. "I understand the urgency. I ask for a little more patience."
"Is he alive?"
"As I said, we are verifying—"
"Principal Nezu, the NPA has confirmed All For One's death. Can UA comment on the role its students played in—"
"Within the hour," Nezu said pleasantly. "I promise you it will be worth the wait."
He did not move from his position at the gate, seemingly waiting for something. An action these seasoned reporters caught on to.
Tanaka Reiko felt the sweat cooling on her neck despite the morning chill. She, like the rest of the press corps, was staring at the small white figure of Principal Nezu. "Principal Nezu, one more question. Could you perhaps be —"
Her words paused as the principal suddenly seemed to perk up.
"Look!" someone from a rival network shouted before she could figure out why, pointing down the main thoroughfare.
The sea of reporters shifted instantly. Two figures were walking up the center of the asphalt.
As they drew closer, the murmurs turned into a frantic roar.
The one on the left was tall and wore a capture scarf that had seen considerably better days.
The one on the right was shorter, younger, and would have been entirely unremarkable save for the oversized black hoodie pulled down just enough to reveal strands of messy red hair.
"Is that ...."
"That's Eraserhead ..."
"... and the kid, that's the kid from the ...." In an instant, the pack moved, abandoning Nezu.
More than thirty journalists with cameras and microphones rushed towards the approaching duo like wolves to a fresh meal. Yuta's back hunched slightly. "Well, guess you weren't kidding."
"It's mostly because most of their efforts are focused on All Might in Tokyo." Aizawa replied without a change in expression. "If not there'd certainly be more." His words barely fell when they were surrounded from all sides.
"Mr Akutami! How did you survive?"
"Where are the other passengers of the YAMANOTE LINE?"
"Are the rumors true? Did you strike the final blow against All For One?"
"Were you authorised to intervene in the battle between All Might and the leader of the League Of Villains?"
"Eraserhead! Give us a statement on the student's illegal involvement!"
"Why are you just appearing now?"
Aizawa frowned. "Move,"
The frenzied media personnel seemed not to have heard him. One question after another was thrown out, causing the man's face to darken even further.
"Just one word, Akutami! The people deserve—"
SCHLIP.
The grey capture scarf whipped out with the speed of a striking cobra, creating a literal perimeter of woven cloth that shoved the front line of reporters back three feet.
Everyone retreated either by force or in fright at the sudden movement, silencing the crowd in the process.
Cameras recorded the scene of Aizawa's capture scarf floating unnaturally around him, eyes glowing deep red. "I said ... Move."
The crowd parted with reporters tripping backwards. Tanaka Reiko retreated with slightly panicked steps, her face somewhat pale. Aizawa retracted his scarf in, the red glow in his eyes fading as his hair settled back onto his shoulders. "Let's go."
He said without looking back. Yuta followed right behind him, his hands buried deep in the pockets of the hoodie Aizawa had tossed him on the way here.
As they reached the threshold of the gate, Nezu smiled wider. "Welcome you two." Then turned back to the reporters.
"I apologize if that came out rudely," He looked up at Aizawa, then offered a small, meaningful nod to Yuta. "We've all had a very long night. Some of us, I'm afraid, have had a very long few weeks."
Nezu turned back to the cameras, his expression shifting from a welcoming host to a guardian of a fortress.
"The verification you asked for is standing before you. Akutami Yuta is home. For now, that is the only statement UA High School will be providing. We have a student to care for. Further statements may appear within the hour or more."
The personnel door opened wider. The media could only watch as the trio disappeared behind the doors.
Silence reigned for a few seconds, followed by grumblings.
"Hmph. Just an underground hero. Even All Might doesn't act like that."
"Yeah. Who the hell does he think he is?"
_
The personnel door clicked shut behind them.
The noise of the press pack cut off immediately, replaced by the quiet of early morning UA.
Nezu raised a paw to his forehead and made a small theatrical gesture of wiping away sweat.
"Phew. That was close." He turned briefly toward the gate behind them. "The pressure of facing the media is immense as always." He glanced at Aizawa sideways. "Eraser, you really should be more careful with your temper next time. The capture scarf was perhaps a touch much."
"They should learn to control themselves and listen for a change." Aizawa replied indifferently.
Nezu accepted this just fine as he turned to Yuta.
"Hello again, child. It's been a while since we last spoke properly."
"Principal," Yuta said. They looked at each other for a moment. The last time they had sat across a desk from each other, Yuta had been a General Studies student who had just taken second at the Sports Festival and was being informed of his transfer to the Hero Course.
The distance between that conversation and this one was measurable in weeks yet seemed like it had been a whole year ago. "Within the hour," Yuta said. "What exactly are you planning to say to them?"
"Something true and carefully incomplete," Nezu replied. "It is a skill I have been refining for some time. You will find it comes in useful." He began walking up the path toward the main building. "Come. There are people waiting for you and you have certainly had quite the adventure these past few weeks." He glanced at Yuta as they walked. "How are you feeling?"
Yuta considered the question. "Fine. If anything, I do feel somewhat hollowed out?"
"Oh dear. Perhaps we should take you to see recovery girl first."
"No." Yuta shook his head. "That's not it. I'm fine. There's no physical injury I haven't already regenerated from. I'll be fine with some rest."
"Hmm." Nezu hummed "I should take it it's similar if not the same thing you experienced back at the sports festival?"
"Um ... Yeah, just like that."
"I see. Thankfully that was all that happened." The principal smiled. "Last night has been a great deal for all of us."
The path before them was wide open. In the distance, the two giant H structures could be seen.
"Those are ..." He noted the buildings in the distance.
"Those are the dormitories, implemented after your accident." Nezu replied. "All U.A students now live within them. Your classmates are there as well."
"What about me?" Yuta asked
Nezu glanced at him sideways without breaking stride. "What about you specifically." Yuta paused for a moment. "Legally. Officially. What am I right now."
"Currently, you are a deceased minor who conducted unauthorized combat operations across multiple jurisdictions who has been broadcast on live national television to approximately forty million viewers."
Nezu pondered. "Your legal status is, to use the technical term, a project."
"How long does the project take."
"Longer than today. Shorter than you might fear." The reply wasn't really much of an answer.
"The HPSC's current incapacity is, administratively speaking, the single favorable development of the evening for your specific situation. There is no functional body to move against you through official channels while official channels are being reconstructed. That window will not last indefinitely, but it will last long enough for the groundwork to be laid properly."
"And until then."
"Until then, you are a student of UA High School who is on school grounds receiving medical attention following an incident. What happens next should be resolved for later."
The path curved. The Heights Alliance dormitory building was visible to the left, several windows showing light. To the right, further along the path, a smaller residential structure that Yuta did not recognize from before his departure. Staff quarters adjacent. Before Yuta could nod, he realized they were staying away from the direction of the main campus. "Are we not ..." Yuta's voice came to a halt. In the distance, two people could be seen heading in their direction.
They were coming from the direction of the staff residential wing, which sat to the right of the main path, a small building set slightly apart from the rest of campus.
In an instant, Yuta's pupils shrank to slits.
"Is .. is that." His footsteps came to a halt.
"Your mother didn't want to tell you over the phone." Up ahead, they hadn't seen him yet. Aiko was looking ahead down the path, her expression seemingly lost in thought as she walked on her own two legs.
Eri was looking at her feet as she held her hand.
Nezu and Aizawa stopped a half-step after him, and neither of them said anything. Eri looked up first, and was stunned the moment she did.
"Yuta?"
"Huh? What was that dear?" Eri didn't respond as her eyes widened in surprise, confusion, and finally, delight. "Yuta!"Her hand slipped out of Aiko's as she broke into a sprint.
Her small feet hammering against the pavement.
"Eri what are you ...?" Aiko paused mid sentence. Her eyes widening just like Eri.
Seeing this, the subsequent adrenaline surge caused Yuta's hollow feeling to vanish in an instant.
He didn't even realize he was moving until he was halfway across the distance, his own boots skidding as he dropped to one knee to catch the impact.
The next moment, she hit him with both arms going around his neck and her full weight behind it like she had been saving that one up for weeks.
"Yuta," she said into his shoulder. She was trembling so violently that Yuta could feel her heart hammering against his chest through the thick fleece of his hoodie.
"Hey, snowball," he replied, taking in her scent of breakfast and art supplies. "Did you miss me?"
"Mmhmm." The cute, trembling hum was followed by a deeper nuzzling into his shoulder.
The sight of her like this pained him to see. "It's ok. I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere ever again. Ok? I promise." Behind them, Aiko had stopped. She stood twenty feet away, her hands pressed tightly over her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears running down her cheeks.
She looked at him—really looked at him—noticing the soot under his fingernails and the slight splashes of blood on the side of his face and neck.
"Yuta," she called out. Yuta looked up from Eri, his gaze locking onto his mother's standing figure. "Mom... your legs."
"A miracle," she choked out, finally letting her hands drop as she stepped forward. "A miracle among many, it seems." She reached them and collapsed into the huddle, her arms draping over both Yuta and Eri, pulling them into a tight, protective knot. She didn't scold him for the danger, didn't ask about the broadcast, or mention anything else.
Pulling away, She put her hand on his face. Her palm against his jaw and cheek.
Yuta let her look over him. Aiko's thumb brushed over the blood stain near his temple. Her touch was light, as if she were afraid he was made of glass.
"You're so thin," she whispered, her voice trembling. "And you smell like... like a fireplace."
Yuta managed a weak, lopsided smile, the first genuine one in what felt like a lifetime. "It was a very long night, Mom."
"I know," she said, finally pulling him back into a second, tighter embrace, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I saw you. On the news, standing there in that awful place. I thought my heart was going to stop all over again." Eri didn't let go either. Yuta gently pulled back to look at his mother again. He reached out, his hand hovering over her knee before tentatively resting there. The muscle was firm; the skin was warm. The paralysis that had defined their lives since the accident was simply... gone.
"Let me guess. Eri?" Aiko smiled. "Yes. Eri." Yuta looked down at Eri. The girl looked up, her red eyes puffy from crying but shining with a fierce, quiet pride. She didn't say anything, just gave a small, jerky nod. A warm feeling spread through his insides.
He pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head.
"Thank you, snowball," he rasped. "Thank you."
Eri's face beamed with happiness. A few yards back, Aizawa and Nezu remained a respectful distance away. "What a touching scene." Nezu uttered smiling. Aizawa nodded in response, brows furrowed in thought. "What about The Island?"
"Hmm?" Nezu didn't respond immediately. "Well, that depends honestly. However, I believe that's something we can discuss later on."
"I see." Hearing this, Aizawa didn't press further.