It flew over his head.

Perhaps it was due to the same reason people refused to believe he was a half-ghost: the answer was so ridiculous and surreal that nobody wished to accept it. Same case here: the villain addressed him so informally and with such sense of familiarity that Danny did not put much weight into the 'my child part'. It would take the directness All for One so far wasn't willing to show. Neither did anyone else grasp that part yet, still absorbed by the shocking and terrifying presence of THE villain.

Danny looked at the man in front of him. The villain no longer reminded him of Vlad. No, that man had nothing compared to the malicious will oozing off the villain right then. Comparable perhaps to...Danny's own, one from a distant future. The halfa knew that his classmates had nothing to put up against not only the power but this very will that could render an unprepared soul motionless and paralysed with fear. He couldn't spare them a glance, lest he gave their position away. Phantom wasn't sure how to act now that he was faced with the villain. One thing for certain - each hit of his equalled death. But he was yet to push his joining speech, so that at least gave him some time, he reasoned. Until then, Danny had to prod and learn what weakness his opponent held. But they were interrupted when Danny heard Jeanist speak.

"Ph-phantom," he rasped. "What are you doing here?"

Before Danny could answer, the villain beat him to it.

"The boy merely wanted to help his friend. Don't chide him for this noble notion," he spoke. "And he probably saved your life. You are quite famous, aren't you, Daniel?"

"Don't act all chummy with me," the halfa responded.

"How can I not? I am proud of you, child. You've come so far so quickly."

"What are you on about?" Asked Danny, genuinely not understanding where this was going. What was there for him to be proud of?

"Ah," the villain raised his fingers. "We will talk about this a bit later, but first, let's get what you came for, shall we?"

He snapped the fingers and immediately out of nowhere, from some goo-ish substance appeared none other than Bakugo.

"The hell..." he muttered and coughed.

"Apologies, Bakugo," the villain said and very soon the entire League was brought forth the same way, including downed Dabi and Kurogiri.

Danny cursed. That guy alone was a problem, but now he brought his henchmen, too. They didn't fail to notice him, soon.

"Oh, hello, Danny-kun!" said Toga and waved, but Phantom paid her no attention, it still being fully grabbed by the boss. At least he had some time to come up with a plan.

"Master..." whispered Shigaraki from his knees.

"Looks like you failed again, Tomura," the villain chuckled and approached him. "But don't let this failure discourage you. Try as much as you want. Look, I have brought your associates, too. As well as someone you deemed as an important piece..."

So it was Shigaraki's plan all along, Danny realised. Figures, that man was not a good judge of character. He had told Danny everything about U.S.J., after all.

"Do it again, Tomura. And again. As much as you need to. That's why I am here," the villain continued and extended his hand.

Meanwhile, back in the hiding spot, the students were still unable to shake off the paralysis. Until another Danny showed up in front of them.

"See what I meant?" He whispered.

"F-fenton," Kirishima said through the shaking. "Who...who is that?" He asked.

"Don't know. What I do know is that you need to leave."

"We can't leave without Kacchan," Midoriya managed to say a full sentence.

"Look at yourself," Danny whispered. "You guys can't even move."

"Why can...you?"

"Won't be the first time I see it," Danny said grimly. "I can distract him and probably do something. But you will be on your own because I will need all the power I can get."

Danny felt a hand gripping his suit. It was Iida, whose look screamed at him to stop. In response the halfa gave him a somber look and vanished. He said all that he needed. The one Phantom glared at the villain. He needed to do something, but just jumping him was probably a suicide.

"Am I not interrupting your touchy reunion?" He spoke loudly as he landed on the ground.

The villain looked at him and chuckled. "Ah, he is already fighting for my attention. I am touched. Don't worry, Daniel, I am not going anywhere anymore."

"Again with your stupid riddles!" Danny exclaimed. "Spill out what you want with me already!" He shouted and threw a blast at him.

One that was lazily swatted away. It was hardly a powerful one. But Danny reasoned that at that point one stops seeing the difference.

"So impatient...oh, he is here," the man looked in another direction. "That took him a while."

The next moment, from the sky All Might fell right upon the villain with all his force. And yet, as the ground was collapsing around them, he stood firm.

"I'll have you return everything! All for One!" All Might exclaimed.

"Will you kill me again, All Might?" The villain mocked, before their clinch erupted into a full explosion of force that tossed everyone around.

Once the dust settled, the villain, All for One, stood firm, just shaking his palm lightly, as if he had not just stopped the most powerful man in the world. Phantom stood up, but he was right in the middle of the fog.

"You are late. It's just five kilometres from the bar to here. It was easily thirty seconds since that moment. You've gotten weaker, All Might."

"What about you? You must wear this mask for a reason. Aren't you overexerting yourself?"

At this, Phantom tried what his teacher had been doing. A powerful swing of his arm was enough to push it away, revealing his presence, much to All Might's shock.

"Young Fenton..." the hero mumbled.

"You didn't expect a boy breaking every rule to come here? You were never the brightest, but this you should have pieced together."

"Don't talk about me like I am not here!" Danny exclaimed and took a battle stance.

All Might's mind was reeling from many questions, but his hero duty came before everything.

"Young Fenton! Step aside, this is beyond anyone you've faced!" He called.

"I ain't blind!" Danny kept talking with a raised voice. That villain had gotten under his skin for a change. "But if you think I am gonna just run away, you don't know me. As a teacher you can still give me permission, you know?"

"Isn't this a lovely sight," All for One interjected. "But those rules, Daniel. They are quite pesky, aren't they? You'd do better without them."

"I'm sorry, was I talking to you?" Danny turned to him and glared.

If the situation wasn't so dire, All Might would have been impressed by the boy's ability to talk back even to a man like that one. The bravery was commendable. But he supposed that was another trait those two people shared. All for One laughed, as he seemed to have reached the same thought.

"The irony is palpable, isn't it All Might? Who would have thought that you will one day teach a student with such peculiarity."

"I swear if he says another riddle..."

"That's what he wants, young Fenton," said All Might. Although, it must have meant that the boy was still clueless about the situation. "Don't. This is between me and him. I will not repeat my past mistake. This time, I will have him in prison!"

Without even giving the teen time to think, the hero lunged towards the enemy. But once again, All for One blocked the strike. But now, his left arm looked like something was pumped into it. The next second, the number one hero was sent flying across several city blocks, crashing into every building on his way.

"Air cannon plus Springlike limbs," the villain mumbled. "Kinetic booster times four, strength enhancer times three. What a fun little combination. I will try adding a few more booster Quirks," he said and looked towards a shocked half-ghost, Shigaraki and Bakugo.

"It will take more than that to put him down. And don't act so surprised, Daniel. You are no stranger to this, either. Tell me, what did you feel when you attained a new power from Kurogiri? Was it joy? Excitement? Hunger for more?"

"I would be lying if I said no," Danny huffed. "And what did you feel when you learned about it?"

"Oh, I was positively elated. Yet you don't seem to understand the full extent of what you were blessed with. I hope today will serve as a good demonstration. Do stay around. That's what you intend to do, do you not? Tomura. It is time for you to leave. And take this child with you," he pointed at Bakugo.

"Master..." Shigaraki tried to say something, consumed by anger and fear that had been lingering in him ever since All for One took interest in the brat.

"If you think I will let you..." Danny's eyes glowed brighter.

"You will."

As he said this, strange black and red strings flew at Danny, which he easily dodged. But the villain was aiming at Kurogiri all along. As the wires pierced right into the henchman's unconscious body, Phantom grimaced.

"What...are you doing to him?" He asked.

"You see, his Quirk is just so much better than the one I have. His can take people anywhere they want, but you should know this by now. However, since he is unconscious, I guess I will have to activate it for him."

As he finished saying this, a large portal was opened, and so he retracted the wires.

"Master, what about you?" Asked Shigaraki, before everyone heard a loud rumbling noise. All Might was coming at the villains again.

"You have much room to grow, Tomura. Think and evolve," was All for One's command.

He floated higher and met All Might's strike. Phantom began contemplating his options. The Number One could hold his ground for a little longer. As much as the villain boasted, All Might was not someone he could easily shake off. Thus, Danny turned towards the League, then at his blonde classmate. In case his classmates had followed his advice, he was the only one who could help Bakugo escape.

"You know, Bakugo, I really am a lost cause."

"What?"

"Well, I am already knee-deep in problems when we are done. So I guess I've got nothing to lose. You, on the other hand..."

"The hell are you getting at?"

Danny snapped his fingers and opened a portal right below the blonde. With a loud yell he fell into it, with the gateway closing behind him. The villains had no idea that it wouldn't take him very far. In fact, Bakugo ended up in the same alleyway the rest of their classmates had been hiding. And where they still remained.

"Kacchan!"

The surprised blonde looked up and saw the rest of the group.

"So you are here, too?" Bakugo asked loudly, before feeling a hand cover his mouth. It was Iida.

"Please, keep quiet, the villains are not far."

"Screw them! I'll make sure they eat through the straw for months."

"Bakugo," Kirishima urged. "Fenton-san is taking the fall for us. We can't fight. It shouldn't have been this way."

"Yeah, and why can he?"

The students exchanged looks. "We'll tell you on the way, just come with us," Kirishima urged. "Beating them won't matter if we follow right after."

Midoriya realised that Kirishima's presence was what they needed. Bakugo seemed to treat the redhead with less hostility. Even listen.

"Watch me care."

"Think about All Might!"

Everyone looked at Midoriya. "He can't fight the main villain if he has to watch over us as well!"

That also seemed to strike another chord within Bakugo, who gritted his teeth and looked away.

"And why...can...he?" He hissed angrily.

"Fenton-san can get out whenever he wants...And he is not going to be killed," Midoriya mumbled. "Their leader won't allow it."

Danny wiped his mouth and took a battle stance in front of half of the League. There wasn't much optimism in those of them who could be considered rational. Before them stood someone who put another half of their teammates in prison. And they did not even have any heavy hitters at the moment. Phantom looked unbecomingly serious about putting them down, if his look was anything to go by.

"Uhm...Shigaraki, we need to escape now," Compress told his leader.

"Not that it would do you any good," Danny butted in and gave the very same condescending smile All for One rewarded All Might with just then.

"No...no!" Shigaraki exclaimed furiously and glared at the white-haired bastard.

He knew what it must have been about. The brat humiliated him over and over again, and yet Master wants Phantom on their side. There was only one possible conclusion to that ascension. He was being replaced. Shigaraki could not allow this to happen. He would show Master that that brat was nothing.

Danny glanced at the portal. He instinctively reached for his thermos and to his surprise, found none. It must have been blown away during the initial clash between the two enemies. His surprise was cut short as he saw the blonde girl running at him with a knife.

"You are mine, Danny-kun!" She exclaimed joyously and swung her knife. Phantom dodged several times and hit her with an elbow to the chest and then the back of her neck, pushing her to the ground.

"Ouch," she hissed. "You are mean," she said and tried to stab Danny's leg as he turned intangible. She rolled away from a retaliatory kick of a very tangible second limb.

"Thank your boss," Danny huffed, his hair starting to move along the non-existent wind. "He pissed me off, so you get to be the anti-stress punching bags."

The air around turned cold as he began summoning ice projectiles at his enemies, taking over more and more ground. The villains actually found themselves on the defensive, as Phantom was not giving any of them a moment's rest. Phantom saw Twice sliding his way on the ice and towards him, swinging his measuring tape. The halfa summoned an ice wall before him, blocking the weapon strike, but Twice managed to grind to a halt, only for the wall to be broken by its own creator. The shards of sharp ice flew towards him, impossible to dodge in time. And through the flurry of ice Phantom himself emerged, grabbing the man's wounded face and pushing him to the ground. Twice rolled away from an upward kick, ignoring the stabbing pain in all his front, and swung his tape at the opponent. With his reaction, Phantom managed to grab it, cutting his hand in the process, and pulled. Twice decided to let go in time, but had to dodge a blast.

"Impressive, isn't it?" All for One asked his nemesis as they clinched once more. "The child shows such promise. You just have to bring it out."

"I won't let you," All Might growled. "And most importantly, he won't!"

"Really? Look at him now, you can feel it, can't you, All Might? The darkness that is lurking inside of him. You just have to break the seal, and none other than you will play part in this," the man sounded excited, grinning from ear to ear.

Phantom himself was too busy to hear that exchange. He was coming after Compress. Inside that man's coat were some of their allies. Taking him down would ripe a greater prize. He knew not how the man's Quirk worked. But a basic measure needed to be applied - he could not touch anything. Phantom flew towards him, but instead of kicking directly, he flew through, avoiding the grasp that confirmed his suspicion. If he tried it instead of dodging, that's how his enemies were captured. Danny turned around in the air to land a punch.

"Stay away!" The man exclaimed and jumped aside, seeing the ice below crack after a hit. 

Phantom's offensive was cut short when suddenly he was assaulted by blue flames. After hiding behind a shield, he saw Dabi standing there. But wasn't he...Danny looked towards Twice. Of course, that man could make duplicates of other people. Phantom flew up again, seeing that Twice had just made a second fire controlling villain. But since they were copies...

Twice jumped away as the green blast blew off the copy's head before it could do anything. Phantom looked towards the other one, before letting go of the flight and falling into his own portal and falling right atop of the clone. Pinning him down to the ground. Danny caved in the duplicate's cranium, reducing it to mud. He glanced to the side and saw Shigaraki lunging at him, with a clear intent to evaporate him to pieces. Danny grabbed one hand tight and used it to swing the opponent above his head and onto the ground. Not without leaving some ice on Shigaraki. Upon colliding with the ice on the ground it melded to it, trapping the villain.

"You..." Shigaraki growled with anger, trying to get up.

Danny leaned over him. "You are a funny guy, aren't you?" He asked before kicking his head and knocking him out. Shigaraki was hardly the toughest of their bunch. Looking towards the fight between the heavy-hitters, Phantom decided to hurry up. Seeing Shigaraki beaten, Compress decided to bail.

"Toga, Twice, let's leave to fight another day."

"We can't just leave without Shigaraki," Twice argued.

"Trust me," Compress jumped from one of his allies to another, taking them in two blue marbles. It was a huge bet, but it was either that or being utterly beaten.

Phantom realised what was going on. Compress was about to escape. Danny lunged towards him, trying to stand between the showman and his fallen leader. However, with the corner of his eye he noticed a black and red beam heading his way. Danny became intangible at the last second, but to no avail, and the halfa felt burning across his entire body as he was tossed towards a ruined building. How did...right, of course.

"Apologies, Daniel!" All for One said loudly, not diverting attention from All Might. "But that's quite enough of a lesson."

Compress took the time to get to Shigaraki, successfully grabbing him as well. Then the villain dashed towards the still lingering portal. Danny struggled to get up, but still saw it. The halfa recalled the idea that had appeared in him a while back. What if he didn't need the thermos?

Danny outstretched his hand towards the portal. It was still ectoplasm, or, rather, a third-grade ersatz of one. He should be able to control and absorb it even from a lengthy distance. It stuck to Kurogiri like a used sticker to a second object - poorly. Danny concentrated, before feeling something click inside him. With a loud cracking noise the portal first turned green, making Compress freeze in surprise, before being reduced to greenish smoke. Danny felt his energy reserve grow. All for One had made Kurogiri spend all his power on the portal, so he absorbed quite a bit.

"What the..." Compress turned to look at the smirking enemy.

"Would you look at that," Danny commented, looking at his palm, engulfed by dark purple energies. He absorbed the last of it to heal the damage done by the blast.

He scored that part, but getting hit by such blast again would be just as bad. Still, Compress came first, but was beaten to it.

The villain was suddenly grabbed by many strings and held in place. Phantom turned towards the source. Best Jeanist was still conscious. In the next moment, just as the last of his strength faded, the villain was struck by a kick that came from a small old man in yellow and white.

"Gran Torino?" Danny recalled the hero's name.

The old man stared at him in surprise. "What are you doing here, boy?"

"Funny, is it not?" All for One continued. "Daniel was looking for his friend, so he came right to me. We had a lovely conversation before you came in and interrupted us."

"It was more you throwing endless riddles," Phantom huffed. "You were about to ask me to join you, but I am yet to hear it. Get this out of the way before we beat you up."

"Child, this is no place for you to be," Gran Torino said sternly. "Much less fight in."

"Well, it's not like you have time to force me out," Danny smirked.

That resemblance was even scarier given the situation. But he was right. And from what he said, All for One was yet to tell him everything. But what would happen when he did?

"Once again you go against their laws, aren't you, Daniel?"

"I am ready for the consequences," responded Danny.

"There shouldn't really be any. You would like to use your power when you want, to get the recognition. Yet so far, you were faced with fear. Your so-called parents cast you out without a second of doubt, even in the society that is said to relish these gifts you are put on eternal probation. How long are you going to have to be a slave to those who think they can order you around?"

Danny did not speak initially. That pause was enough for Gran Torino and All Might to try and attack their opponent. However, the old man was snatched by black goo and teleported right in front of All Might's punch. The latter hero couldn't stop the strike, hitting his mentor instead. All for One was about to gloat, before sensing danger from behind him. Turning sideways, he grabbed Phantom's burning fist, as the earth beneath collapsed even further. While Danny kept pushing forward, trying to overpower the enemy. All Might did not waste an opportunity, pulled Gran Torino away, and aimed to strike All for One as well.

"Detroit Smash!" He yelled.

All for One grabbed that fist as well, for a time successfully holding the opponent back, but then two heroes struck him simultaneously with their free fists, each passing the strength into those. The strike pinned the enemy to the ground, breaking the mask apart and caving the face, ugly eyeless flesh, in.

"Look at you two, working as a team. Touching," All for One said. "Is this karma repaying me in kind, I do wonder."

"What...do you mean?" Asked All Might.

Danny could see faint smoke coming from the hero's body. The villain did, too.

"Oh, what's wrong, All Might? Not as strong as you used to be? Then again...you are better than your predecessor."

"Predecessor?" Danny looked at All Might.

"He didn't tell you? He is one of the last in the line to a particular Quirk I created per chance. Nana Shimura is the one before him. An embarrassment, to be honest."

"Do not dare to sully the name of my honoured master with your filthy mouth..." All Might growled.

"She was a woman with no skill but big aspirations that bit her in the end."

"All Might, he is doing the same with you," Danny realised and warned.

"And look now here. I took something from her, other than life, and now you are keen to take a prize from me," All for One spoke.

"Shut up!"

All Might swung his hand for another strike, but the villain blasted him with the force enough to cause an explosion and launch him into the air, with Phantom managing to summon a shield around himself, even if the earth crumbled beneath him. All Might meanwhile nearly hit the arrived news helicopter, if not for Gran Torino crashing into him and changing course.

"Would you look at that," All for One spoke as the dust settled, turning to Phantom. "They are on time like always."

Danny narrowed his eyes. "What are you planning to do with them?"

"Oh, nothing. Don't take me for someone who murders just because. Like everyone I pursue my own goals. Noble goals of bringing the old days when everyone could use Quirks freely."

"With you being the one atop of a food chain."

"That's just what comes with wielding the most powerful Quirks. You would know, child, surely. What are those reporters above saying, you think? Are they wondering why the rising hero star speaks to the one fighting All Might? They did get here just now, so how much of your help did they see? Can they hear us? I've heard their equipment is this advanced."

He was right in that part. They just switched said equipment on.

"This really is no place for you, child. With so much between us, do you really want to throw it all away?"

"Is this the part when you try to convince me?"

"I don't need to. You will come around. If not now, then later. Tell me, does this bring you pleasure?"

"Beating people like you is probably the only thing I'm good at."

"You are being harsh on yourself. Must be the good parenting you were involuntarily subjected to. I feel such shame that it happened."

"How is that even your fault? You are a shithead, but not the omnipotent one."

"No, no. It is my fault. I should have paid more attention to you, be more in your life. I had my reasons, in my defense. Too busy being dead. But worry not, I am willing to make amends. My son."

The metaphorical bomb finally imploded. There was no longer room for second thoughts or misreading what he said directly. Neither for Phantom, nor for everyone else at whom the villain's show was directed. A collective gasp of surprise and multiple looks of shock and disbelief were their response. Even coming from Danny's own classmates, lost in the crowd.

"You mean...all this time..." Kirishima was struggling to put words together.

"It can't be," Iida tried to reason. "After everything he did..."

"What, U.A. is taking villains' brats now?" Someone from the crowd asked.

"All Might had the suspicion," Midoriya blurted out to his friends. "But it doesn't mean that Fenton-san will suddenly change and join him."

"Maybe. But if that's true, just how many things he is still hiding from us?" Todoroki asked nobody in particular.

Everyone was united by one thing - they expected a reaction. And the reaction was as follows: there was a laugh. Then another. And finally the halfa began laughing hysterically through the surrounding silence.

"Ow, Ow," Danny grabbed his stomach. "It's starting to hurt. You know, I actually thought you were serious for a moment there. You can't be that dumb."

"But I am serious..."

The boy roared with laughter again, before having to dodge a punitive blast.

"It is not just me who believes so, isn't that right, All Might?" All for One turned to the hero.

"You too?" Phantom looked there. "But I guess that explains a lot."

Suddenly his strange behaviour made sense.

"You know, if I got a nickel each time a megalomanic frootloop called me son, I would have two nickels. Not a lot, but it is weird it happened twice," Danny shrugged.

"You don't seem bothered at all. How can you speak with certainty that it is not true? Child, you are my splitting image from back in the day. Your Quirk is similar to mine. The dates all align."

"Except I have parents. Shitty ones, but what do you do."

"And why would they so quickly abandon their own child, haven't you wondered? Why would they tell you that they don't consider you as such?"

Danny stood there for a moment. He almost believed it, if not for a simple fact - he was not from that world. There was no way the bastard ever could do what he claims he had. The halfa sighed, before his look filled with serious determination.

"I had the idea that you are a delusional madman. Turns out I was right. But in the end it won't even matter what you are. I am helping All Might put you behind bars and this will not change, no matter what you say!"

Upon hearing this, All Might couldn't resist a tiny smile, even through the pain and fading power. He knew he could believe in the boy's judgement no matter what.

All for One smirked. "You are right. What I say won't matter."

But what the people believe would. He would just have to wait, no matter the outcome of the fight which he intended to win. That day, two heroes would be humiliated and ashamed.

"All Might! I realise that you hate me with passion. Rest assured, the feeling is mutual. You took so much from me as well, including the boy. Then I suppose..."

His right arm bloated, filling with power as he readied an attack. Phantom would not let him. The halfa lunged towards him, coming from the man's left. All for One was about to swat him away, but Phantom went intangible and ended up to the man's right, where his arm was charging for a hit and couldn't budge. The blind zone perfect for landing a hit on the exposed head with the strength he could muster. All for One buckled, but now he could reach the teen and grab him with his left arm, swinging the opponent forward and into the trajectory of his strike as well. Danny put up a last second shield by pouring as much energy in it as he could, and it cracked barely a moment after the force of the strike died out. But his previous hit made sure that All Might was only grazed by the misdirected strike.

"Naughty child," All for One scoffed. "But do you really think that you can beat your own father? I have been in this business longer than you."

"I have beaten a guy ripping whole towns from the face of Earth. I am yet to see you do the same," Phantom responded, choosing to ignore the comment. He then landed on the ground. "Don't take me for a simple trainee."

"Maybe so. But how does the Symbol of Peace feel being protected by a child, mine atop of everything? But what else can he do? I've heard the old injury of his got cracked wide open, was it not? Magnificent work, child, but unlike me, they did underestimate you."

Danny gritted his teeth. How was he to know about that weakness he had poked? And his classmates could already hear the whispers. Those were the whispers of confusion and contempt.

All for One kept talking over the boy and to his opponent.

"Go now, All Might, let the whole world witness your true form," the villain spoke, sparking even more questions.

Phantom realised that he needed to divert the attention. Those stupid journalists were playing right into the villain's hand, and best he could do was to divert their attention from All Might's deteriorating body. And mere tricks would not suffice, neither for distraction, nor actually beating the Goliath. All Might had demonstrated the best approach that dealt the most damage. He needed to strike him hard, directly. Danny readied to lunge forward, his balled fist ripe with raw ectoenergy. He didn't have the strength comparable to the two opponents. However, he knew how to compensate that destructive difference.

With a loud outburst, he lunged forward and towards the enemy. The villain charged another blast and fired. Phantom had to release the energy from his own hand to meet it head on, leading to an explosion. The dust covered the area around them, Danny used the cover to strike the enemy from cover, yet his fist was snatched, and he was tossed to the ground with all the strength. If he had bones, those would be shattered to pieces. The impact pushed the dust away, revealing the villain holding him by neck, pinned to the rocky surface..

"You can do better, son. If you seek to oppose me, then do put your heart into it."

Phantom, instead of phasing out, touched the ground and turned it intangible. Losing his footing, the villain met a backward kick that sent him flying away. There he was suddenly met by All Might, who once again landed a proper punch. Danny groggily got back to his feet and shook his head, happy to see the hero back in action. His relief did not last long, as he could see how withered the man's body was. He was all but reduced to his daily form.

"Don't think that this is over, All for One!" He still exclaimed.

The chuckling villain slowly got up from the ground, his well-kept suit by then half in tatters.

"You are correct, my old foe. We are not done yet. But look at yourself, Symbol of Peace. By now you are nothing but the skeletal husk and sunken eyes. And that won't be the extent of today's humiliation."

"It does not matter," the hero spoke. "Because no matter what you do to my body, no matter what punishment you put it through, my heart you will never overcome!"

"Hm..." the villain seemed to be in thought. "Your heart it is then...there is something else you should know. Tomura."

"What's he got to do with it?" Phantom asked impatiently.

"That's something All Might would know...Tomura is Nana Shimura's grandson."

That revelation seemed to have struck the confident hero like lighting. He stood there, in horror, struggling to believe or dismiss those words.

"For all those years, I thought about what would you be most dismayed about. I worked meticulously to ensure your meeting...unfortunately there was a spammer in the works," he glanced at Phantom. "But you should be happy about inadvertently doing the same to me. But it brings you little comfort, does it?"

"Lies..." All Might could only mutter.

"You know too well that that's exactly what I would do..." He then put fingers to where the edges of his mouth would have been. "Why are you not smiling, All Might?"

The hero was absolutely devastated. He did not budge, the expression of tremor painted all over his growingly gaunt face.

"You...bastard..."

"It really is fun!" The villain exclaimed joyously. "Perhaps I did strike..."

He saw a blast heading his way, before it exploded into his face and left only a few minor burns.

"I don't like anyone with a bigger mouth than mine, you know?" Danny spat. "Put it to use and tell me, was he a petulant idiot before you took him in or is it just your excellent parenting?"

"Such harsh words, Daniel. Don't be hard on him, I love you all the same."

Danny kept looking at him, contempt visible in his cold green eyes. He decided not to entertain his delusion for longer. Instead, he turned to All Might.

"Are you going to just stand there?"

The anger in the statement caught everyone off guard.

"The villain who did this," he opened his arms and showed the destruction around. " And probably killed who knows how many stole one kid. And judging by your surprise, you probably didn't know he existed up until this moment. Is this really all it takes to take you down?!"

All for One would have raised an eyebrow if he still had any. Was he trying to convince the hero to fight? If so, it was a rather...roundabout way of doing so.

"All Might, there are millions of people counting on you! If you are trying to shoulder a burden this heavy then step up to it!"

Danny knew what All Might was feeling like. He too had gone through that feeling, in a time that never happened. And he saw what misery such feelings brought. He had the right to feel anger, frustration, but beating yourself up about something you did not even have power over was doing nobody any favours. Yes, Danny was not the shining example of a hero like All Might. He himself was easy to anger, like any ghost, easy to make a killing machine, but that anger pushed away everything else, leaving no room for doubts and worries, even at the expense of caution.

"Letting this bastard pocket Shigaraki is less of a sin than letting him keep his prize now that you know everything, don't you think?" Danny finished.

All Might's expression slowly changed. The terror was gone, yet it was hard to read. But then his right arm returned to its bigger size.

"You are right, young Fenton," he mumbled.

He would have huffed at the amusing thought. The boy could deny it all he wanted, but his was All for One's ability turned towards better good.

"Oh no, I guess I should watch out for a couple of swings," All for One mocked, ascending into the air and readying for another power blast of his spring-like arm. "Don't act like you still have much to throw at me, All Might. You ARE at your limit."

Before he could attack, however, he felt how his arm twisted at an unnatural angle, before the limb sprung and the attack hit empty air. Both enemies turned towards the boy, who gave a small smirk.

"I told you to take me seriously," he said, before out of nowhere All for One was blasted by a gust of fire.

Everyone looked for the source, seeing a number of heroes arrive, including Endeavour, who looked surprised at the scene. Figures, he was too busy saving people to watch the news and all those revelations.

"Hm...those Nomus were a failed batch, but I didn't expect you to take them down so soon," All for One said. "But that's expected of a number two hero. Now..."

He did not have time to finish a phrase as he was attacked by all heroes at once.

"Phantom!"

Danny looked to his side and saw Endeavour.

"What are you standing around here for, you need to leave, we will take it from here."

"After that lovely speech? No way, sir," Danny huffed, before looking at the villain. An idea sparked in his mind. Danny looked at his hands. If he got close enough... "But I can trust you to keep him occupied, can't I?"

With that, the halfa vanished from sight. Confused, but realising the inability to stop him even if he wanted, Endeavour went at the powerhouse of a villain. Even if he could not beat him, even if All Might remained an unassailable mountain for him, Endeavour would still do everything within his own power to at least buy some time for the one who still was the greatest hero to everyone. All for One was keeping his many enemies at bay, but still could not come to finish All Might Off just yet. It also suddenly occurred to him that someone was missing from that merry band. But he couldn't pin where the attack would come from, so all he could do was wait until the boy would inevitably show himself.

He didn't have to wait for long. As the villain once more pushed away his opponent, he was blasted by a gust of fire from Endeavour. All for One expected the hero to come for a hit right after, but saw the flash of black and white slam into him. With a yell Phantom grabbed the man's shoulder so tight his fingers went under skin, before head butting his opponent. All for One grabbed the teen by neck and lifted him.

"Now, child, stay put when the adults are busy," the villain said, preparing a blast.

But then nothing came out.

"Looking for something?"

All for One was suddenly attacked by a storm of his own red and black energies, so hard that it tossed the villain towards the ground, just as Phantom phased out of the grip, continuing to float in the air. Danny looked at his hand, still flickering with the same-coloured sparks. His core just couldn't contain the equivalent of a top A-rank ghost. He needed to release it then and there, so he pushed as much of it as he could and wanted to fire in the form of a destructive blast that ripped the ground asunder even more. The spot where the villain was in particular. Even the heroes watched the display of power in shock. Phantom stopped firing, letting everyone see the collapsed villain. Still, All for One laughed.

"You stole my Quirk. Just as I would expect from a progeny such as you."

Danny glared at him, the remnants of the crimson energy even sipping into his irises.

"You still going on about this shit? I don't take Quirks, I take and give the energy some of you people use," he responded, on the inside shocked at how easily the villain got up, even as his suit was in tatters and his body bruised all over. That man really was on another level. "And can replenish."

"Remarkable. For a moment I thought you wanted to take All Might's honour and beat me."

"Sorry, I am not much for the whole Symbol of Peace saving everyone sentiment," he said as the eyes of the heroes were still on him. "All I see is a bastard in need of a beatdown. I don't care which one of us has to do it."

"Such cynicism. You have to understand the feelings of others. If only to crush them. Of course, there is also another kind of crushing left to do."

With that said, the villain outstretched his right arm.

"Springlike Limbs. Multiplier. Hypertrophy. Rivet. Spearlike Bones. Air Walk..."

As he kept naming the Quirks he was putting into his coming attack, his arm was becoming all the more grotesquely enormous, riddled with various protrusions sprung from his muscle mass.

"Sheesh, get yourself a girl instead, would ya," Danny muttered, referring to the disproportionately large right arm, and still readying for the attack.

All it took is a swing for most heroes to be pushed away by sheer force. Danny stayed intangible and was freed from the consequence. Next, the villain struck directly. Phantom allowed his opponent to fly through him, but his regained intangibility was immediately met with a force that pushed him away as well, into the nearest collapsed building. He flipped in the air and came to a screeching halt, allowing himself to see what had happened. All Might was matching the force his enemy was putting out, as they clinched once more, hitting each other's fists.

"I realised something after exchanging blows with you, All Might," the villain spoke. "One for All no longer dwells within you, does it? What's left is nothing but lingering embers, a flame about to die off all on its own. You already passed it on...Izuku Midoriya, wasn't it?" He asked, knowing that the wave of force had blasted away the news helicopter as well. The villain only wanted to poke at the enemy's weakness, and it worked. All Might's momentary surprise was coupled with the use of another Quirk.

"Nullification," All for One calmly said.

Danny in the meantime groggily got up in a pile of rubble. His joints hurt, pulsing with stabbing pain. Some sharp pieces of rubble had torn his clothes and stabbed him in multiple places. Phantom phased them all off. He concentrated his power on healing and was about to lunge back into the fight. Phantom took off ground, but then felt something grab his hand. Looking back, he saw Endeavour, who was giving him a stern look.

"Phantom, you can't go in there. Don't make it worse for yourself."

"I am already knee-deep in this, there is no point. So let me go."

"Don't you understand? There is no future beyond this fight if you continue!"

Endeavour had his stake in this, one that he could not disclose just yet. He couldn't allow a boy with such powerful Quirk rot in prison. He was yet to introduce him to someone...

Phantom glared at Endeavour and phased out of the man's grip.

"So be it."

But then they were interrupted by the fight happening so seemingly far away. For there, All Might unleashed his final strike of truly terrifying proportions. Phantom grabbed Endeavour and made them both intangible, as the sudden tornado ravaged the thrice destroyed area, not stopping for what felt like eternity of suspension and fear, worry about which opponent was the cause. The tornado eventually died off, the winds came to a halt. And there, in the middle of it all, atop of the defeated villainous mastermind, stood the Number One hero, beaten, exhausted, but undefeated.

"Think what you want, Fenton," Endeavour mumbled. "But All Might is up there for a reason."

Danny looked at the hero raising his triumphant fist, for a moment All Might returned to his hero form, as unbeknownst to many yet, it was his last job as the Symbol of Peace. And the boy couldn't help but wonder. There was something more to him than the outwardly courage and determination. What Endeavour saw, what people were elated about was but the final show. A much needed one, one that filled people with hope and joy. After all, he never cared much for this, but before him laid an example of what people truly yearned for. Was he to adopt something or to stay true to the already established path he was already content with? Danny really wondered.

He was not allowed to continue the subsequent rescue mission, as per Endeavour's order.  The teen felt the rush of tiredness so big that he didn't feel like arguing. He was probably supposed to head his way, but as he went, he was called over by the elderly voice of one Gran Torino.

"Hey, gramps," Danny called back as the hero slowly approached him. "Are you alright? You look beaten up."

"Not everyone gets to heal easily. Especially someone my age," he huffed, before his tone turned serious. "So now you got told about this..."

Danny immediately caught on to what Gran Torino meant. "I told him and everyone. There is just no way we are related, sir."

"It ultimately doesn't matter, I agree. But let this still be a lesson of where your power can take you."

Danny chuckled and shook his head. "I got that lesson a while ago, actually. But I guess there is no end to improvement."

"There isn't," Gran Torino agreed. "You could also use a lesson about rushing into a fight you cannot win."

"I didn't get my chance," Phantom argued.

Then they heard the sirens. The ambulances rolled in, alongside a surprisingly sizeable police force. As the doctors rushed to aid the injured, from the car exited Tsukauchi. Danny was happy to see him for a whole of a second, because he then saw a very unhappy, grim expression. The detective approached him and they silently stared at each other.

"Ehm...look, Tsukauchi-san, I..."

"I am afraid it is not me you should be worried about."

"I know that I rushed into this again, but I..."

The man raised his hand and made the boy go quiet. Instead, he handed Danny a list of paper, one that showed the signs of someone holding it perhaps too tightly.

"What's...this?"

"An arrest warrant."