"What are you saying?" Aizawa's eyes narrowed.
Kenji leaned forward. "The HPSC wants to reframe last night's events. To minimize the vigilante angle and emphasize the professional hero response. They've asked me to... request your cooperation in shaping the official narrative."
"Shaping the narrative," Aizawa repeated, his voice flat. "You mean lying."
"It's not as it sounds."
"It sounds like you have a lot of paperwork to do, Chief," Aizawa said bluntly. "But I'm a teacher, not a PR manager. My student followed my orders, saved lives, and survived. If the public is questioning the competence of the Pro Hero system because a fifteen-year-old had to do their job for them, that is a failure of the system, not the student."
The atmosphere grew heavy as silence fell in the room. Aizawa bad been in the system long enough to know what the police chief was here for. Frankly, he wasn't giving it.
The silence remained. But eventually, Kenji Tsuragamae's posture softened as he realized he wasn't going to get a scripted confession or a submissive apology out of the man in front of him.
"So that's your final word on the matter?"
"My job is to teach him how to be a hero, not a politician. If you want to spin the White Fang situation however you need to, that's your business. But my student's achievements stay accurate."
If the HPSC wanted a puppet, they should've recruited from the drama department.
"Very well then." The chief of police uttered, standing up and tucking the laptop under his arm. "I expected as much,"
"Is that all?" Aizawa's hand was on the door handle.
"Indeed." The dog man walked towards the door and paused "I do hope you teach him well. He's an exceptional young man and from the looks of it, will make a fine hero. I'll do my best to spin this so the boy doesn't get a target on his back from the Commission."
"Have a Goodday." He left without another word.
___
[HOSPITAL CORRIDOR – 10:45 AM]
Yuta stood by a vending machine, the temporary flip-phone pressed to his ear. On the small, flickering TV screen mounted in the corner of the hallway, a news anchor was shouting over a clip of Endeavor being shielded by a "mysterious white-haired figure."
"—and you're absolutely sure you're not hurt?
"I'm fine, Mom. Really," Yuta said, his voice lowering as a nurse walked past.
"Yeah. You watched the whole thing, didn't you? I had backup. Aizawa-sensei was there the whole time, suppressing its quirks. It's not as strong as it looks." He chuckled. "It was .. actually kinda fun."
"... Yes, I know, I know. Once again, you have no need to worry."
"How's Eri?"
"Ok, tell her I said hi when she wakes up."
"Love you too. Bye."
The line went dead.
Yuta lowered the phone, running a hand through his hair. On the television mounted in the corner of the waiting room, the news was still playing—analysts debating the Hosu Crisis, footage of his fight playing on loop, and the image of stain being arrested.
His eyes lingered on that last one. 'I ... I did it.'
His daze lasted until the image changed.
'Sigh. Why am I always finding myself at the heart of attacks lately?'
Just then, a door hissed open nearby. Tenya Iida stepped out, his usual stiff posture replaced by a weary slouch. He wasn't wearing his helmet.
"Akutami-kun," Tenya greeted with a small nod.
"Iida." Yuta stood, pocketing his phone. "How's your brother?"
Tenya's expression softened. "The doctors say he'll recover. No major organs were damaged from his fight. He'll need two or three weeks of physical therapy, but... he's going to be fine. He's already asking for his morning coffee."
"That's good to hear."
"Indeed."
Iida's gaze drifted to the TV, where Yuta and Todoroki's faces were currently side-by-side under the headline: THE PHANTOM AND THE FLAME: U.A.'S NEW ELITE?
"Looks like you've become famous," Tenya uttered. "I'm sure the whole class will be in an uproar when they find out, if they haven't already." He paused, watching the footage of Yuta's crater punch play in slow motion. "It seems you've gotten stronger since the Sports Festival."
Yuta shook his head. "Not really. If anything, the addition of support gear is the only difference. My actual strength hasn't had any significant surge since then."
"... I see."
His expression didn't give away to whether he believed that statement or not.
A familiar face caught Yuta's attention before he could continue. Aizawa appeared, his right arm still secured in its sling, expression as tired as ever.
"Iida," Aizawa acknowledged with a nod. "How's Ingenium?"
"Stable," Tenya replied. "The doctors are optimistic about his recovery."
"Good." Aizawa's gaze shifted to Yuta. "Akutami. It's time. We're leaving."
Yuta stood immediately. "Where are we going?"
"Back to U.A."
Tenya blinked. "Already? But the investigation .."
"Is continuing without us," Aizawa said firmly. "We've given our statements. The local authorities have everything they need. Staying longer just feeds the media circus, and neither of us is in condition for that."
He looked at Tenya. "Give your brother my regards. He's a good hero. He'll pull through this."
"Thank you, Sensei." Tenya bowed slightly. "You too, Akutami-kun..."
"It's ... no problem." Yuta smiled wryly, then followed Aizawa down the hallway.
As they walked, passing nurses and patients who stared with obvious recognition, Yuta spoke quietly.
"Sensei. Why didn't we just go back to U.A. in the first place? Wouldn't that have been safer?"
Aizawa was silent for a moment, his boots clicking against the linoleum.
"I had a case lined up," he said finally. "Underground work. A human trafficking ring operating between Hosu and Saitama. I was coordinating with a few other underground heroes to take them down this week."
He glanced at Yuta.
"That's why we were going to focus on combat training with no public patrols. But with my arm like this..." He gestured to the sling. "I can't operate effectively. Plus I feel you've already had enough excitement for one week."
"I see," Yuta muttered, understanding. Aizawa was an underground hero. Underground heroes didn't do patrols. It seemed his sensei had plans to take him into actual combat instead of standard hero work.
Well ... Before all this at least.
They reached the hospital exit. Outside, a crowd of reporters had already gathered, cameras ready.
Aizawa glanced at them, then at Yuta.
"Keep your head down. Don't answer questions. Follow my lead."
"Understood."
They pushed through the doors together.
Immediately, the cameras flashed. Voices overlapped in a cacophony of shouted questions.
"ERASERHEAD! OVER HERE!"
"AKUTAMI-KUN! WHAT'S YOUR HERO NAME GOING TO BE?"
"WERE YOU AUTHORIZED FOR COMBAT?"
"DO YOU KNOW THE WHITE FANG'S IDENTITY?"
"HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE CALLED THE HEROOF HOSU?"
"HAVE YOU LISTENED TO QUIRK ANALYST, YAMAMOTO HIROSHI'S REPORT ON YOUR CONDUCT?"
"... JUST A STATEMENT PLEASE .."
Aizawa's capture scarf shot out, creating a subtle barrier that kept the reporters from getting too close. His glare alone was enough to make several cameras lower.
"No comment," he said flatly. "Direct all inquiries to U.A. High School's public relations office."
A police car was already waiting at the curb. They climbed in quickly, and the driver pulled away before the reporters could regroup.
As Hosu City's skyline receded behind them, Yuta finally allowed himself to relax slightly.
The ride to the train station was quiet. Neither spoke, both lost in their own thoughts about what they had just experienced.
[HOSU POLICE HEADQUARTERS - PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM - 11:30 AM]
Commissioner Kenji Tsuragamae stood at the podium, dozens of microphones pointed at him like weapons. Behind him, the Hosu Police Department logo loomed large on the wall.
The room was packed. Every major news outlet, local reporters, even some international press.
"Thank you for coming," Kenji began, his voice amplified through the sound system. "I'll make a brief statement regarding last night's incident, then take limited questions."
Camera flashes erupted.
"At approximately 6:42 PM yesterday, the terrorist organization known as the League of Villains launched a coordinated attack on Hosu City with multiple villains. Six were deployed across multiple districts with the apparent goal of overwhelming our hero response network and causing mass casualties."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"Thanks to the swift action of professional heroes, emergency services, and ..." He hesitated. "... other participants, the attack was repelled with zero civilian fatalities. All threats were neutralized due to the combined efforts of our City's pro heroes, Endeavor, and Underground Pro Hero Eraserhead and U.A. High School intern Akutami Yuta."
"Additionally, the Hero Killer Stain, wanted for seventeen murders and twenty-two cases of permanent incapacitation of Pro Heroes, has been apprehended and is currently in custody."
The room erupted with shouted questions.
"COMMISSIONER! What about the vigilante?"
"Is White Fang connected to Police Force? Is he some underground Hero?"
"Was Endeavor actually paralyzed?"
"What do you have to say on U.A interns, out performing the heroes of the city."
Kenji raised a hand for silence
.
"Regarding the unidentified individual known as 'White Fang'—" He let the weight of the name hang in the air. " .... this person is being investigated as an unlicensed combatant who engaged in illegal vigilante activity."
He leaned into the microphone.
"And while Endeavor may have been caught off guard, he was more than capable of defending himself and had everything under control. The White Fang's intervention was unnecessary with his use of abilities to permanently paralyze The Hero Killer being frankly against the law. Hero work without a license is a crime. Regardless of outcome, regardless of intent, vigilantism undermines the legal framework that keeps our society safe."
The cameras zoomed in.
"The Hosu Police Department, in coordination with the Hero Public Safety Commission, is actively seeking information on White Fang's identity. We are treating him as a person of interest in multiple investigations, including the permanent injury of a wanted criminal."
"If apprehended, they will face charges for unlicensed quirk usage, vigilante activity, and potentially assault causing permanent bodily harm."
He paused.
"We recognize that some may view White Fang's actions as heroic. But we cannot allow individuals, no matter how skilled or well-intentioned, to operate outside the law. That path leads to chaos. To copycats. To the erosion of the very system designed to protect all of us."
A reporter stood up. "Commissioner! Are you saying White Fang is a criminal despite saving Endeavor?"
"I feel the need to reiterate that White Fang did not save Endeavor. The Number two hero was more than capable of handling the situation on his own." Kenji replied firmly. "This is the official stance of the Hosu PD. The law doesn't make exceptions. If he had nothing to hide, he could have come forward, obtain a provisional license, and work within the system like every other hero."
"What about Akutami Yuta?" another reporter shouted. "Aren't his actions basically the same thing?"
"Akutami Yuta was operating under the direct supervision of a licensed Pro Hero on an internship basis." Kenji stated. "He had legal authority to engage under emergency provisional regulations. His actions were fully within the law. There is a significant difference between a supervised student intern and an unlicensed masked vigilante."
"COMMISSIONER! Does the HPSC believe White Fang might be connected to the League of Villains?"
Kenji's expression didn't change, but internally, he noted the planted question from the Commission's media liaison.
"We are exploring all possibilities," he said carefully. "Including the theory that White Fang may have been a planted distraction designed to confuse public perception and undermine faith in professional heroes."
The room exploded with noise.
"That's all for now," Kenji said, stepping back from the podium. "Further updates will be released as the investigation progresses. Thank you."
He left the stage to a storm of shouted questions.
As he exited through the back hallway, his phone buzzed. A text from the HPSC liaison:
'Well done ...'
__
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