Protecting You (Katsuki Bakugo x Reader)

Chapter 46- United

The President of the Japanese Hero Association met with the Minister of Defense, the National Chief of Police, and other top executives that specialized in Hero protection in Tokyo's Hero HQ. The men sat in suits as they went through a slideshow of the devastation left by the League of Villains and the Hero Association's top heroes. The National Chief of Police was leading the presentation, his stern expression unwavering as the Minister of Defense gave a recount of his report. Mr. Hanzo, the same man who assigned you on your mission, spoke proudly as he gave his analysis of the events that took place.

"Mt. Lady completely demolished the building the Nomu were stationed in, but thankfully there were no casualties or bodies found within the rubble. Thanks to the united effort of the Heroes sponsored by the Hero Association, we were able to fend off the head of the League of Villains before anyone else was hurt. The UA student that was captured was retrieved, along with another pro-hero, Ragdoll. There were a few injuries. Mt. Lady and Gran Torino have concussions, Kamui Woods has a few sprained appendages...but the worst two were Best Jeanist and All Might. All Might is suffering from broken limbs and internal damage due to a previous injury that never quite healed. He should be out of the hospital by the end of the week though. Best Jeanist is in critical condition. He has three broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, and punctured lung that was barely able to be mended by our medical team. Thankfully, his injuries were not nearly as fatal as they possibly would have been due to the unforeseen hero that arrived. He is expected to make a full recovery after several months of rehabilitation. As for that hero, it seems the woman who called herself 'Astral' was placed under All Might and Endeavor's care. Information on her is limited, but from what we have gathered she had ocular scar removal surgery to help her visual quirk heal. As of right now, she seems to be resting in hiding." 

All was silent for several heartbeats until the police chief spoke up.

"And this is acceptable to you, Mr. Hanzo?" Everyone turned to look at the stone-faced man whose obsidian eyes were narrowed into slits. 

"I don't understand what you are getting at." Mr. Hanzo replied.

"That a child was what kept the world from falling apart. A UA student that nearly was butchered on live television...our Symbol of Peace that was reduced to nothing had to rely on a teenaged girl to save him. We lost this battle with the League of Villains. They know All Might is vulnerable now, that he has spent every ounce of his power that he had left. All members of the League of Villains have escaped. We lost." The Chief of Police said with a heavy grit of despair. He felt at fault for this...but he also felt rage towards a society that relied entirely on one hero to protect them all. No one said 'call the police' when something awful happened. They said 'call All Might'. This shift in the societal structure from a single pro-hero to now a vulnerable police force long since neglected has created a feeling of panic among the people. How was a man supposed to bring trust the same way All Might did?

"We have relied on one pro-hero for too long. This is the point that the League has been trying to make and they were right. Now, look at the news agencies across Japan! Every headline says 'what are we going to do now?' as if he was the only thing keeping villains at bay. This reliance is going to not only weaken the public's trust in the police and heroes, but it incites the villains that know that All Might isn't going to be there to apprehend them. If this was purposeful by the League of Villains, then they have us at a checkmate." The Chief of Police had the room in complete silence, an eerie feeling of doom creeping into their chests. He was right. Having a single entity as what keeps the world together was never going to work. As powerful as All Might was, he was still human and would one day fall. 

Suddenly, the President of the Hero Association stood up from his office chair. His eyes carried the only light in the room despite the sunny blue sky that peered through the wall-sized glass windows behind him.