My Hero Academia: Heavenly Restriction

UA High School 

Toshinori Yagi slouched in the teacher's lounge, his emaciated form a stark contrast to his heroic alter ego. The morning's hero work had drained him more than usual, leaving him late for his scheduled appearance at the USJ. His fingers, thin and scarred, scrolled through his phone contacts until he found Aizawa's number.

The automated message that greeted him only deepened his frown. "The number you dialed is unavailable or temporarily out of service. Please try again later."

"Thirteen and Aizawa aren't picking up," he muttered, running a hand through his unkempt blonde hair. "Then again, they're actually teaching, unlike me." A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "Why would I spend my morning commute doing hero work? Such a rookie move."

He slapped his hollow cheeks, trying to summon some energy. "I guess I could at least make an appearance and give some inspiring words. Ten minutes in hero form should be doable."

Drawing upon One For All's power, Toshinori felt his body expand, muscles bulging as he transformed into the Symbol of Peace. His signature grin spread across his face as he struck a pose. "Time to see my stu-"

The familiar tickle in his throat cut him short. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he coughed, the metallic taste coating his tongue.

The door creaked open, revealing Principal Nezu's small form. "Hold on, All Might."

Toshinori quickly wiped the blood away, dropping to one knee to greet his superior. "Hello, Nezu, sir."

"Yes! Am I a mouse, a dog, or a bear?" Nezu's perpetual smile widened. "All you need to know is that I'm the principal!"

"Your fur is looking especially glossy today, sir," Toshinori offered, trying to lighten the mood.

Nezu preened at the compliment. "The secret is keratin! Though I doubt humans could achieve quite this shine." His expression turned serious as he produced a tablet. "But enough of that. Have you been following the news?"

The headline blazed across the screen: "All Might Solves Multiple Cases in 4 Hours!" Toshinori felt heat creep up his neck.

"While these troublemakers bear some responsibility for causing incidents despite your presence," Nezu sighed, "you can't keep responding to every call for help."

"You know I can't ignore someone in need," Toshinori protested weakly.

"You haven't changed at all these years," Nezu's voice softened. "Always so proactive. But your time is limited now. You still need to focus on finding and training One For All's successor while maintaining your position as Symbol of Peace from the shadows."

Steam began rising from Toshinori's massive frame, drawing Nezu's attention. "Oh my, you're smoking. That can't be good."

With a poof of vapor, Toshinori deflated to his true form, collapsing onto the couch with a wheeze. His sunken eyes stared at the ceiling as exhaustion settled into his bones.

Nezu hopped onto the opposite couch, his expression calculating. "It seems you need more rest. The other teachers can handle things; they're quite capable. This gives us a chance to discuss that important matter. Have you chosen a successor for One For All?"

Toshinori's thoughts drifted to the entrance exam, to a determined young man with fire in his eyes. "Something draws me to young Midoriya," he admitted quietly.

"Izuku Midoriya?" Nezu's paws steepled together. "He certainly left an impression during the exam. But are you confident he's the right choice? One For All isn't a burden to be passed on lightly."

"It's not a decision I make lightly," Toshinori ran fingers through his limp hair. "But there's something about that kid... he reminds me of myself, before..."

"I understand the connection you feel," Nezu nodded thoughtfully. "However, let's not rush this decision. Take time to observe him, to truly know him. See how he handles himself both as a student and aspiring hero."

"You're right, as usual." A ghost of a smile crossed Toshinori's gaunt features. "I'll watch him closely, see how he develops. If he proves to have a true hero's heart, then perhaps he is worthy of inheriting One For All."

"I trust your judgment, Toshinori." Nezu's smile held a hint of something more - knowledge, perhaps, or foresight. "And I suspect young Midoriya will exceed all expectations."

As they sat discussing the future of One For All and the fate of hero society, Toshinori couldn't shake a growing sense of unease. Something loomed on the horizon - a storm gathering strength. It would take everything they had to weather what was coming.

But with the right successor, with a new Symbol of Peace to carry the torch... perhaps there was hope after all.

=======

U.S.J. 

The first villain's face met concrete with a satisfying crack. Aizawa's capture weapon retracted, already seeking new targets. Amateurs. Their stances, their timing - everything screamed inexperience.

A burly man with stone-like skin charged forward. Aizawa ducked under a wild swing, his elbow finding the sweet spot between ribs. The villain doubled over. A quick knee to the face finished him.

"It's Eraserhead!" Someone in the crowd shouted. "He can erase quirks just by looking at them!"

"Then don't look him in the eye!"

Idiots. Aizawa's hair rose as he negated three quirks simultaneously. His capture weapon lashed out, wrapping around an arm here, a leg there. Bodies crashed together with bone-jarring force.

"He's fast!"

"Where'd he go?"

A woman with blade-like fingers slashed at empty air. Aizawa dropped from above, boots connecting with her shoulders. As she fell, he used her momentum to launch himself into a cluster of villains.

"Spread out!" A man with a wolf like build barked orders. "Don't bunch up!"

Too late. The capture weapon sang through the air, binding four villains together. A quick spin sent them bowling into their comrades.

Aizawa's eyes burned. Blink. In that fraction of a second, a villain's skin erupted in spikes. The capture weapon shifted, using the man's own momentum to impale his allies.

"He's making us fight each other!"

"No, you're doing that yourselves." Aizawa's voice carried just enough edge to unnerve. "I'm just helping."

A massive fist of compressed air whistled past his ear. Wind quirk. Back left. He spun, eyes finding the caster. The next air blast dissipated harmlessly.

"My quirk..." The villain's eyes widened.

"Gone." Aizawa closed the distance in three steps. The man raised his hands in a boxer's guard - proper form, but too rigid. A feint left drew the expected block. The real strike came from below, catching his liver. As the villain crumpled, Aizawa was already moving.

Twenty-three down. His eyes swept the battlefield. Roughly twenty remaining. The burn behind his eyes intensified. He'd need to be more selective with his quirk erasure.

"He's tiring!" Someone shouted. "Look at his hair dropping!"

A wave of villains surged forward. Aizawa grit his teeth. Fine. Let them think him vulnerable.

His capture weapon coiled around a piece of broken concrete. With a twist, he sent it scything through the crowd. Those who dodged found him waiting, a whirlwind of precise strikes targeting joints and pressure points.

A villain with elongated fingers tried grabbing him from behind. Aizawa shifted, letting the fingers close on empty air. His elbow found the man's throat. As the villain staggered, Aizawa used him as a springboard, launching into another group.

Blink.

Pain lanced through his eyes. The constant quirk erasure was taking its toll. But he couldn't stop. Not with his students' lives on the line.

"Having trouble?" A new voice cut through the chaos. The remaining villains parted, revealing a lean figure covered in disembodied hands. "You're pretty good at one-on-one fights. But how about against multiple opponents?"

The man - clearly the leader - scratched his neck with disturbing intensity. "Just so you know, hero... I'm not the final boss."

Movement caught Aizawa's peripheral vision. Something massive and wrong lunged from the shadows.

He erased three quirks instinctively, capture weapon already moving to intercept. The creature - because it couldn't be called human - didn't slow.

No quirk to erase?

The first punch came faster than it had any right to. Aizawa barely managed to dodge, feeling the wind displacement ruffle his hair. The ground cratered where he'd stood.

"Meet the Anti-Symbol of Peace." The hand-covered villain's voice dripped with sick pleasure. "The bio-engineered Nomu."

The creature's exposed brain pulsed. Its beak-like mouth opened in a soundless roar.

Aizawa's capture weapon wrapped around its arm. A mistake. Instead of being redirected, the Nomu simply yanked. Aizawa flew forward, straight into a punch that would have taken his head off if he hadn't twisted at the last second.

Even the glancing blow sent him skidding across concrete. He rolled to his feet, tasting copper.

Think. The creature was engineered. Probably multiple quirks working in concert. But which ones?

The Nomu closed the distance with frightening speed. Aizawa dove left, only for a second punch to catch him mid-evasion. His ribs creaked in protest.

"Wondering about his quirks?" The villain leader scratched harder. "Shock absorption. Super regeneration. Super strength. He's designed to kill All Might."

Shock absorption. That explained why his redirection techniques weren't working. The Nomu simply powered through, absorbing the kinetic energy.

Aizawa's eyes burned as he erased three more random villains' quirks. He couldn't risk them joining the fight. But that meant he couldn't focus solely on the Nomu.

The creature's fist filled his vision. Aizawa threw himself backward, feeling the air pressure as it passed inches from his face. His capture weapon shot out, wrapping around a support pillar. He used it to swing away, buying precious seconds to think.

Can't redirect its strength. Can't outlast it. Can't-

"AHHHHHHH!"

Pain exploded through his skull as something caught his capture weapon. The Nomu yanked him back like a fish on a line.

Its grip closed around his face. Concrete rushed up to meet him.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

The world went red. Through the haze of pain, he heard the hand-covered villain laugh.

"You know what, Eraserhead? I'm not sure if you're incredibly brave or incredibly stupid." Footsteps approached. "Maybe both. But I want you to know something before Nomu finishes you."

Aizawa tried to move. His body refused to cooperate.

"Your students are probably dead by now. Scattered throughout the facility, facing villains who actually know how to kill. And it's your fault for not seeing this coming."

No.

The Nomu's grip loosened.

I'm sorry.

Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision.

I failed you all.

=====

The entrance came into view through the smoke. Uraraka, Ashido, Sero, Aoyama, and Shoji stood in defensive positions around a prone figure. My heart dropped.

Thirteen's hero suit was shredded, exposing sparking circuitry and damaged components. The rescue hero's breathing came in labored gasps.

"Midoriya!" Shoji's multiple arms gestured urgently. "Iida managed to break through. He's gone for help."

"Status report." I kept my voice level despite the fury building in my chest.

"Warp villain caught us off guard." Shoji's eyes darted between my face and the scattered villains behind us. "Thirteen tried to use Black Hole, but they turned it back on her. The damage is... extensive."

Hagakure's glove squeezed my hand before she moved to help Ashido stabilize Thirteen's condition.

"The others?"

"Scattered throughout the facility." Another of Shoji's mouths formed. "We've been trying to-"

A scream cut through the air. Raw. Agonized. Familiar.

Aizawa.

I was moving before the echo faded, running down the stairs. The central plaza spread out below, revealing a scene from a nightmare.

Our teacher lay broken on the ground, face pressed into bloody concrete by a monstrous figure. Its exposed brain pulsed obscenely as it followed the commands of a villain covered in severed hands.

"Your students are probably dead by now." The hand-villain's voice carried clearly. "Scattered throughout the facility, facing villains who actually know how to kill. And it's your fault for not seeing this coming."

The monster raised its fist for the killing blow.

Flash step.

The world blurred. Pain shot through my legs as I crossed the distance in an instant, scooping up Aizawa's broken form just as the Nomu's fist cratered the concrete where he'd been.

Flash step.

My muscles screamed in protest. Two rapid jumps in succession pushed the technique's limits. But I couldn't stop. Not yet.

Flash step.

The third jump nearly broke me. I stumbled on the landing, barely managing to set Aizawa down gently near the entrance. Blood soaked his costume, his breathing shallow and erratic.

"Holy shit." Ashido's voice seemed distant. "Is he..."

"Stabilize him." The words came out clipped, precise. "Both of them."

"Midoriya..." Shoji's tone held warning. "Whatever you're thinking-"

"Interesting!" The hand-villain's voice echoed up from below. "Very interesting! A speed quirk, maybe? Or just lucky?"

I turned toward the stairs. My legs trembled from exhaustion, but adrenaline and cold fury kept me moving.

"Hey, where are you-" Sero reached for my shoulder.

"Stay. Here."

Something in my voice made him pull back. Made them all take a step away.

"But we can help!" Uraraka protested. "We can-"

"They hurt our teachers." The temperature seemed to drop as I spoke. "This isn't a training exercise or a game."

"Which is why we should-"

"No." I started down the stairs. "You'll only get in my way."

The hand-villain's laughter grew louder as I descended. "Coming to face us alone? Either very brave or very stupid. Just like your teacher."

I said nothing. Each step brought me closer to the plaza. To the monster they'd created to kill All Might. To the villains who'd dared attack my school.

"The silent treatment? Really?" Hands clawed at his neck. "Fine. Nomu? Kill him. Slowly."

The creature's muscles tensed. I cataloged its movement patterns, its likely attack vectors. 

Engineered to kill All Might.

My legs still burned from the flash steps. Fatigue pulled at my muscles. The smart play would be to wait for reinforcements. To stay defensive. But they don't seem like the type to wait.

They hurt my teachers.

The Nomu charged, moving faster than something that size had any right to. Its fist carved through the air toward my head.

They threatened my classmates.

One thought crystallized as I shifted into a familiar stance, channeling all of my training under Bang into a single moment.

I don't need to win.

The Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist flowed like its namesake.

I just need to buy time.

The real fight was about to begin.