Daylight.

Notes: Finally the end of Act 1 which served more like an introduction - the proper War Arc starts though with end of Act 3 so we still have a long way to go. But it won't be boring because while the squad won't start participating in the war (yet), I didn't say that they wouldn't fight ;). And yeah, a big reveal about Iris at the end!

TW: Violence, child abuse and emotional manipulation

Izuku's PoV

After the thug confessed, we binded him with a rope and knocked him out, leaving him for the police to deal with. While Shouto was clearly confused about AFO, Iris was aware judging by her sharp look in the eyes. She knew about him, more than she wanted to admit. With that our patrol ended, and we came back to the motel room.

As the time passed, we decorated it more. Iris added some Pre - Meta Hero posters with Batman or Spiderman, Shouto with Arisa's help (a lot of it) fixed an old fireplace, fueled by Todoroki's Meta. Kouji in his little corner, had his drawings pinned against the wall and even tried to create potraits of our team with crayons. 

What was the most important is that we got a day job - Iris and Shouto in a local supermarket as a pair of cashier's while I got a work as a recepionist in the nearest clinic. It was a busy and draining job which is why we had to adjust our vigilante schedule. Iris and Todoroki got more involved in the patrols due to their work being less taxing while I took a step back, anf focused more on the day job and homeschooling the kid.

I mostly focused my efforts after work to educate Kouji - starting with Math and ending at Japanese. Biology, geography and other subjects were for later - I didn't want to shove all the knowledge down his throat, so it took a lot of patience out of me to do not dump down all the stuff I knew from school. Especially about Meta's, due to topic being quite fresh and new in those times.

Even though, Iris made an effort to hide it I still wanted to question her about the reaction. After discovering those news about AFO, Iris wasn't confused nor terrified. No, in those eyes the only thing I saw was rage and past pain. 

So when we arrived at the motel room and Shouto went to sleep, I took a short walk with Iris around the motel's building. It was a damp, warm night which was to be expected given the month and the it was. She stopped near a bench and and old vending machine with snacks and soda - she took out a pack of cigarettes out of her hoodie's pocket and a rusty lighter.

Iris offered me one but I refused, waiting.

She light the cigarette and inhaled a long breath of smoke and then exhaled. The blond closed her eyes staring at the clear night sky, watching the stars. The leaves of the trees rustled on the wind.

-"Iris, how do you know about All for One?" - I began my questioning

-"What about it?" - her tone of voice changed from calm to tense and unnerved

-"Don't change the subject. I clearly saw the look in your eyes after you've heard about him from that thug" - I immediately cut the chase -"Shouto was confused but you weren't. Why?"

-"Do not make me bring this up. Please" - she whispered and put the cigarette into her mouth

-"And then we'll go back to this topic, again" - I reminded her

Once the smoke was out of it, Iris dropped it onto the pavement and crushed it with her shoe.

-"Ever since I went back to Japan, AFO started to hunt me down. He wants me, as much as he desires One for All. But he wants alive. I've been in multiple towns since the chase started - I was Nagoya, Musutafu or even Deika City. But the bastard never takes his eyes off the prey" - Iris revealed with a long sigh -"Admists the whole witchhunt, he did a lot of the damage not only to me but to the people who I cared about".

I stared at her with my eyes wide open. But Iris continued with her explanation.

-"I was hoping that with you being the new inheritor of OFA, would put an end to that bastard and I would finally be free. But now...it's nothing more than a wishful thinking. Izuku, do you think that past can be changed?"

I thought about the anwser for few minutes.

-"Probably, I'm not sure"

-"Then don't be unsure. Undeciviness can cost lives of the others. Back to the topic - you need to be prepared for what will happen next. Because, like it or not, some things are inevitable - and you are going to witness multiple deaths and sacrifices. Especially with the Resistance starting to be formed. Those guys will put their life on the stake, no matter what just to get the shot at the bastard" - Arisa frowned

-"How do you know all of this?"

-"Doesn't matter right know. Just you know - in the end Resistance was crushed and some remaints created what we knew as the Vigilante Network".

....

-"WHAT?!"

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Late March, Hosu - Year Unknown

Arisa Kanai - around 11 years old.

Admists the ruble of the buildings, stood a girl with her hair disheveled and dried blood covering her face and arms. She squeezed her reddened eyes shut, like she wished it was only a nightmare. The girl then opened her eyelids just to witness the whole around destruction again. She wanted out of the ruins of district and saw a silhouette of a man with his head made from mist.

Arisa's eyes widened and she ran away in the opposite direction, but the Mist Man caught up with her. She yelped with her eyes being full of tears. Her pupils glowed and a flare of a blue flame appeared in her scarred right hand. 

-"Kurogiri, please...just leave me alone!!!" - she screamed, visibly afraid of the man's touch

-"You're the master's only living relative, Little Princess"

-"I'M NOT A LITTLE PRINCESS. Stop...calling...me...that" - Arisa cried out 

-"Master says differently" - Kurogiri replied calmly

-"The file says something else. My ancestor from my mother's side is Yoichi Shigaraki not AFO" - she whispered through tears