Once at U.A., the first thing Allen did was visit Nezu. He was very curious to hear the opinion of the most intelligent super-genius creature in the world.
After listening to the entire story, Nezu sighed and stood up to look out the window. From the sofa, Allen chuckled at this—it seemed that if you were important and wore a suit, you were obligated to do that before speaking. The last person he remembered doing it was Saya's father.
"One of the main reasons why the old heroes resisted a system supervised by the government so strongly is precisely because something like this could happen..." Nezu turned to look at Allen. "Are you disappointed that the Hero Commission has a dark side?"
"No," Allen smiled. "On the contrary, I'm glad they don't even bother hiding it... Also, that high-ranking official Kaina killed… he really was the president of the Commission, right?"
Nezu hesitated before answering. "If the heroes had found out that the highest authority of the Commission was ordering assassinations against heroes, the system would have collapsed. That's why that information was hidden… Originally, they planned to imprison Kaina Tsutsumi in Tartarus to tie up all loose ends. Still, a certain little monster grew attached to the 'assassin,' so they had to reconsider once I intervened."
"Do you feel better after confessing?" Allen asked, narrowing his eyes.
"You're free to be angry..."
"Don't worry, I understand. Only in a handful of fairy tales do you get happy endings where everyone lives and laughs… For someone like All Might to exist, someone like Lady Nagant has to remain in the shadows. That's the idea they used to deceive her..."
"Yes..."
"Isn't that just choosing the easy path? Is that why you decided to leave that world and become a principal who deceives students into believing that ideals and good intentions alone can make them heroes?"
"I..."
"Don't worry, I don't blame you. Regardless of everything, I owe you a lot, Principal Nezu. Besides, it must be difficult being in your position." Allen stood up and walked toward the door.
"Allen," Nezu stopped him as he was about to leave. His gaze showed concern over what Allen might do.
"Don't worry, I'm not planning to start a revolt and destroy the current system. But I'm not going to be an obedient dog either. If they want to use me, they can try—depending on my mood, I might accept. Otherwise, I wouldn't even hesitate to send the president of the Hero Commission to the moon if she crosses my patience threshold."
After the door closed, Nezu sighed.
"The world we live in is more fragile than it seems..."
....
Allen returned to Class 1-A, and the moment he opened the door, everyone was surprised.
"Walker?" Aizawa frowned. He hadn't expected Allen to come back today.
"Good afternoon, sensei," Allen smiled with a con artist's grin. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to welcome me?"
"Allen?!" Mina jumped out of her seat and ran toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I knew you'd come back safe and sound, hehe."
"Tsk, they should've locked you up," Bakugo growled.
Allen scoffed. "I couldn't handle not humiliating you every day, explosive rabid badger."
"Shut up! Stop calling me that!" Bakugo slammed his desk.
"Allen, are you okay?" Ochako asked, examining him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Actually, the meeting was pretty satisfying."
"You seriously didn't get into trouble?" Jiro raised an eyebrow.
"Were you expecting me to get into trouble, or were you worried about me, Kyoka-chan?" Allen gave her a slight smile, shamelessly calling her by her first name.
"N-not at all," Jiro looked away, slightly embarrassed as she leaned on her desk.
Allen chuckled at her reaction. However, Momo and Toru were annoyed that this bastard dared to flirt in front of them. As for the rest of the class, they rolled their eyes—wasn't it enough that he already had so many girls around him? Was he targeting Jiro now too?
Allen shrugged. "No need to worry. They called me in to congratulate me for my great work—and even rewarded me with this."
A card appeared in Allen's hand—but it wasn't a template. It was an official ID, complete with his photo, name, identification number, title—and in large letters, it read: "Hero."
"Is that a hero license?!" Kaminari exclaimed, falling out of his seat.
Aizawa examined the card, then his eyes widened. "That's not a provisional license… It's an official one. Walker, they gave you a license?!"
WHAT?!
Students can receive provisional licenses to act as heroes—like the Big Three of U.A.—but they come with restrictions. They don't receive all the benefits of a professional hero, they can't act independently, and the license has an expiration date.
But Allen's license was permanent—and it officially registered him as a "hero." In fact, at that very moment, the media was going wild over the appearance of a new hero in the professional rankings.
"What do you think now? Believe me yet?" Allen said arrogantly.
"That's impossible!" Bakugo shouted.
"It has to be fake!" Monoma growled.
Allen mocked them. "Cry all you want—it's real. Now I can blow up factories, ride sharks, and humiliate villains by making them wear mascot costumes and ballerina outfits—and I'll get paid for it. Be jealous, you bastards~"
Everyone felt a chill run down their spine. Many villains would probably quit once Allen started acting as a hero.
'Giving a first-year student a license? That's insane! What are they thinking at the Hero Commission?!' Even Aizawa couldn't believe it.
After the jokes, Toru approached Allen with a sad expression and tugged on his sleeve.
"Does that mean you won't come to U.A. anymore?"
The classroom fell silent. Everyone at U.A. High School came with the hope of achieving what Allen had just achieved. It didn't make sense for him to keep attending if he was already considered a professional hero.
"Don't worry, I'll keep attending like normal. Actually, if my grades and performance at U.A. drop because of the license, I could lose it."
Toru's eyes lit up as she hugged him. Momo let out a sigh of relief, which Ibara noticed and smiled at teasingly.
Momo blushed and cleared her throat.
"..." Itsuka silently watched Allen as he patted Toru's head.
"Hey, did you forget we're still in class?" Aizawa looked at everyone coldly. That scared them into sitting down. As for Allen, he shrugged and did the same.
The final class was training at Ground B. It was simple—they just had to defeat a kaiju while minimizing damage to the city. Teams were formed for the task.
However, no one expected the kaiju to be Allen himself.
He used a template to transform into a Tyrannosaurus. It wasn't a real one, but rather the template of X-Drake from the world of One Piece, who had that ability.
....
(A few days later)
Allen floated above U.A. while sending a message to Kaina so she wouldn't worry about him being late.
Kaina had become overprotective of Allen ever since she learned he was under the Hero Commission's watch. It didn't really bother Allen—but it did prevent him from fully enjoying the benefits of being a "hero."
Esdeath appeared on his shoulder. Despite being doll-sized, she still carried herself with the presence of an ice queen. "Going after villains in your free time? Is there even any difference from before?"
"Of course," Allen smiled. "Before, I hunted bad guys to destroy them physically and mentally as a hobby. Now it's the same—but I get paid for it. Isn't that great?"
Jack B – I think they made a mistake giving my brother a license.
"Hey, we've had this conversation already. I'm a guy with a big family—I can't work for free. I'm sure most of you would think the same if you were me."
Jack B – Brother, if I were you, I'd worry about dying from exhaustion in bed, hahaha!
Rick – That's nothing, kid. When you sleep with a planet and its entire population, I'll start respecting you burp
Diana – Don't give him ideas!
Saya – It's terrifying to even think about that...
Lucy – I don't even want to imagine it -_-
"Do you really think I'm as messed up as you?" Allen shook his head.
It wasn't surprising that Rick's standards were so high. After all, that bastard had even gotten a planet pregnant. Even Allen didn't think he'd ever do something like that—he wasn't that degenerate.
[...]
"Enough jokes… though now that I think about it, now that I'm a 'hero,' I could request a few things from the Commission..."
Gwen – What are you planning to ask for?
Allen narrowed his eyes before smiling mysteriously. "Nothing out of the ordinary… I just want to visit someone."
....
The reinforced metal hallway stretched far into the distance, clean, well-lit, and filled with cameras everywhere.
Wearing his superhero suit, Allen walked down the corridor escorted by two heavily armed guards equipped with special protective gear.
Along the way, Allen glanced to both sides, observing the special containment cells, each designed for a single person.
"How do you prevent them from trying to escape?" Allen asked one of the guards.
"These containment cells are designed to withstand attacks. They're not indestructible, but they can hold prisoners long enough for the anti-escape systems to activate."
Allen turned toward one of the cells and used his X-ray vision. Inside each one, automatic machine guns were prepared. The moment a prisoner attempted to activate their Quirk, they would either die or be gravely injured.
"No mercy. You're ready to kill them," Allen said.
The guard glanced at Allen before responding.
"In Tartarus, there are no second chances. If villains end up here, it's so they never leave."
"I see."
The work of heroes ends once they hand villains over to the police. From that point on, the authorities take over. But what happens to them afterward?
The answer is quite interesting. Logically speaking, you can't put the most dangerous villains in regular prisons. Of course, there is a place where they all go.
Tartarus Maximum Security Prison.
This technological fortress was located 5 km off the coast of Japan. A heavily armored, high-tech stronghold built on an island. Massive walls isolated it, with a single entrance through a bridge that could be submerged in case of an escape.
"There's the cell of the prisoner you're looking for," said the other guard in a stoic tone.
"Thanks." Allen smiled as he looked ahead at the cell.
He stepped forward and approached the door. It turned transparent, allowing him to see the prisoner inside.
"Hello, Stain." Allen smiled mockingly. "Enjoying this coastal resort? I heard it's so exclusive that only VIPs can get in."
Stain, formerly known as the Hero Killer, was sitting in a chair, bound hand and foot. The only freedom he had was looking toward the door, waiting for a freedom he would never have again.
"Allen Walker... what do you want?"
"You can guess"
"If you came to mock me, you're wasting your time... wait, you're just a UA student, how did you—... I see... so you became part of the system?" Stain narrowed his eyes.
Allen made a disdainful expression. "Don't come at me with your 'hero corruption' drama just because people earn a salary by defeating villains. I have several girlfriends and wives—I can't risk my life for charity."
"Risk your life? Is that even possible for you?"
"Even I'm not invincible, you know?"
Stain's gaze shifted slightly as he realized Allen wasn't lying. However, the young man in front of him was capable of fighting All Might's nemesis, so he couldn't understand why he would think that.
"What did you want to know?"
"I'm glad you're more cooperative." Allen chuckled before speaking. "Stain, you were defeated by me, and from what I could see, you had no intention of escaping. But you did, and then you went to fight a bunch of students who defeated you again. That doesn't look very good on your résumé..."
"..."
"It's true. If I had to guess, some of All For One's villains freed you, then tried to recruit you but failed. You barely escaped their hideout, and this was the final result."
"If you already know the answer, why ask?"
"Now that I have a license, I can review villains' criminal records, and there was something that caught my interest." Allen smiled as a file appeared in his hand. "Stain, a few years ago when you first started as a vigilante, you didn't just hunt heroes—you hunted villains too. I wanted to know why you stopped doing the latter. Why did you decide to only hunt heroes...?"
Stain's eyes widened. He expected Allen to ask who freed him or where Shigaraki's hideout was—but not something like this.
"You're quite strange..." Stain said, lowering his gaze for a moment before looking back at Allen. "I... I don't remember, huh? Why?"
Stain's eyes sharpened. That empty gaze said everything Allen needed to know.
"See you, Stain..." Allen turned around.
"Wait..."
"..."
"If the system were to crash, what would you do? Would you restore it? Fix it? Take control of it? Or maybe you wouldn't do anything?"
"Who knows..."
"... I see"
The guards who had witnessed everything didn't understand why Allen suddenly decided to leave. Still, their job was only to escort him, so they said nothing.
Nikky – Al, I need context...
Kratos – Someone tampered with that man called Stain's mind.
Saya – All For One?
"Maybe... or maybe just another victim of the butterfly effect," Allen said.
...
Allen flew back toward Mustafu, but along the way, he spotted a situation that required his attention. A giant villain was causing trouble, and the heroes present seemed to be struggling.
Seeing this, Allen smiled and accelerated.
Without any warning, without any signal, he punched the villain, knocking him down. After that, he left the scene, ignoring the annoyed heroes upset that he had stolen their spotlight.
"Society really is rotten. Getting mad just because they didn't look good on camera," Allen shook his head indignantly, though at the same time, he saved a selfie he had taken with the defeated villain, giving a thumbs-up and a grin that would irritate anyone.
The Chat fell silent after witnessing that.
"What? How am I supposed to get my bonus if I don't have proof? I don't do this for fun," Allen said indignantly. "Well, maybe a little..."
Gwen – ...
Kioko – ...
Raven – ...
Ivy – ...
Megan – ...
Of course, no one believed him.
....
A couple of normal days passed until Aizawa arrived with news that surprised everyone.
"That's right, there will be a training camp for all of you."
A training camp—a place where students would train under the supervision of pro heroes. Even though the objective was different from a normal camp, it still sounded quite pleasant to everyone, almost like a vacation. Unfortunately, the next words brought their excitement crashing down.
"Before you get excited—anyone who doesn't pass the upcoming exams won't be allowed to attend!"
"No way!" Kaminari stood up from his seat with a desperate expression.
Toru trembled and looked at Allen pitifully, seeking help.
Momo and Itsuka smiled confidently, as expected of model students, while Ochako turned pale.
Exams. Even in a hero school, they couldn't escape that fate. However, the reward was being able to go to the training camp—something everyone wanted.
Everyone except Allen, who yawned.
"Not interested, Walker?" Aizawa asked, frowning. "Don't think that just because you have a license I'll give you special treatment. On the contrary, if you're already qualified as a hero, your exam results should be better than anyone else's!"
"Relax, Aizawa-sensei." Allen gave a mysterious smile. "It's not that I'm not interested—quite the opposite. I have a feeling this won't be an orthodox camp... and that something interesting awaits us."
Hearing Allen's words, everyone grew tense. Could it be another villain attack or something worse?
"Don't be afraid. The camp will take place in a secret location known only to a few trusted individuals. Several pro heroes will attend, including Tsutsumi-sensei and All Might. This time, we won't hold back on defense!"
Hearing that All Might would be there, everyone relaxed. Regardless of his condition, the power of the Symbol of Peace was enough to ease everyone's worries.
"Hey, what's with that reaction?" Allen frowned. "What about me? I'm going too. I am Absolute. Doesn't my presence reassure you at all?"
Kirishima smiled awkwardly. "That's true, sorry."
"I trust you, honey~!" Mina exclaimed.
"Me too!" Toru stood up as well, not wanting to be left out.
"Thanks. Just for that, I'll protect you above the rest," Allen said.
"Hey, what about me?!" Kirishima protested.
Allen looked at him with disdain. "You're a man—wipe your own ass."
"Huh?!"
"Everyone, shut up!" Aizawa cut them off, already exhausted from the constant interruptions. "The exam won't be easy. I suggest you study hard. That's all for today."
The class ended with that statement, and everyone began thinking about how to study. Some formed study groups, others chose to do it on their own, and a few asked the top students for help.
And so, the race toward the training camp began.
====
A/N: Looks like the famous camp arc has begun 🫠