The sun had barely begun to rise when Kael arrived at the far edge of the city, hood pulled low and his breath sharp in the cold morning air. The stolen hospital cloak barely covered the clothes he had snuck in days ago—a sleek black compression shirt and pants made for mobility, now layered with a weathered jacket.
'I thought that if things went bad with me exposing myself, I could escape the hospital and vanish.'
He moved through the outskirts with quiet urgency, each step fueled by the image still burned into his mind—Voidflare, bloodied, bound, tortured.
He knew where to go.
He didn't have GPS coordinates or a tracking signal. But he remembered the voice of one villain during the broadcast—an accent, a background hum, the faint flicker of a foreign city skyline through a cracked window behind Voidflare. His eyes caught it all. And he had a name.
Makoto Izen.
An underground broker Kael had saved two years ago during his time as Equinox. Back then, Makoto had been caught in a villain-run organ smuggling ring. Kael had torn through the entire base, no mercy, no hesitation. He left with blood on his hands, and Makoto with a second chance at life.
Now, he was calling in that debt.
Kael stepped into an abandoned subway tunnel hidden beneath a collapsed overpass. It was damp, echoing with every footstep. He passed through rusted gates and into a hollow service room where a single lamp flickered above an old vending machine.
The machine beeped twice, then slid open.
Behind it stood a man in a long gray coat, his hair slicked back, cigarette between two fingers.
"Equinox," he said with a smirk. "Or should I say… kael Ishiro?"
Kael didn't respond at first. He just nodded, eyes hollow and heavy with exhaustion. "I need your help, Makoto."
Makoto took a long drag. "I figured. After that broadcast, I knew you'd come. I'm sorry about what's happening to your friend. But you probably don't wanna hear that knowing you. Follow me."
The hidden corridor behind the vending machine led to a compact operations room, lined with old maps, stolen tech, and monitors still blinking with regional feeds.
Makoto gestured toward the largest monitor, which displayed a topographic scan of a distant coastline.
"Now, I've crossed match what you sent me on the burner phone I gave you, and compared it to what I found and this is it."
Kael looked at the screens that switched to a different channel.
"Here it is. A decommissioned hero support facility—used to be run by Japan's foreign alliance division. After All for One's rise, a few of those outposts went dark. Word is, some of them were repurposed by rogue villains. This one, in particular…" He tapped the screen. "No hero's been near it in over a year."
'All for One...' The first thing that popped into Kael's mind. That wasn't the first time he'd heard that name, and he knew that wouldn't be the last. In Kael's head, that was the man possibly behind everything. The attack on the USJ, the Nomu, and villains whose Quirks didn't seem like they were integrated well into their users.
Kael put the idea at the forefront of his mind and put his focus back on Makoto.
"So that's where they're keeping him?" Kael asked.
Makoto nodded. "It's offshore—technically outside Japan's jurisdiction. You'll need fake papers, transit clearance, and backup routes. And you're going to have to go completely dark. The Commission's watching the borders since that broadcast. The news of your escape has reached all ears. Some are calling you a criminal, others a Hero. The community's split man."
Kael's fingers curled into fists. "If I can't even save the man who taught me everything, provided me with all the resources I needed to develop as a Hero and a better person, what kind of Hero am I? A pretty shit one if you ask me."
Makoto studied the boy—the fire in his eyes, the tremble of his fists, the storm raging just beneath his calm expression.
"I was given the power to change the world. And I'm gonna use it."
Makoto smiled, tossing him a small case.
"Inside is a temporary ID, a forged hero license, and access to a boat moored three docks from here. You'll find some gear stashed onboard. And if you're asking me, what you're doing requires a major pair. Do things how you see fit, Ishiro. You have way more support than you realize."
Kael took the case and held it tightly. "Thank you."
"Just remember," Makoto said, voice quieter now. "If you go through with this, there really is no going back. Not as a student. Not as a hero. You're choosing a path most don't return from."
Kael glanced at the monitor again, eyes narrowing. "I already crossed that line when they used him to get to me. My minds already made."
Meanwhile…
Back at the hospital, the silence was deafening. Aizawa stood by the open window of Kael's empty room. The sheets were folded, the IV unplugged. Yumi sat on the bed, eyes red and damp, hugging Kael's coat to her chest.
The detective, Tsukauchi, cursed under his breath. "He's gone. We scoured the entire block, but there's no sign of him."
Aizawa remained silent, still, as he continued staring out the window. He pondered that if he told all his colleagues his suspicions before all of this went down, would things have gone differently.
"There's no telling what kind of Quirks he's has. He could be halfway across the world right now for all we know." Aizawa finally spoke.
"You're right.." Detective Tsukauchi sighed as he sat down in the corner of the room.
"We.. Subconsciously compared him to All for One when we should've been seeing him for Kael Ishiro, student at U.A. If we had just.. Just took the time to explain to him why we were so disturbed by the idea of having someone with his sort of power within our presence then maybe we could have earned his trust."
"It's too late for that. He's made his choice. Whether he truly does want to help the world, we'll never truly know. But what I can say for certain is that boy fights for what he believes in. Once he starts something, he sees it through until the very end. I seriously doubt we won't see him again. I hope for his sake however, he's…" Aizawa stopped talking as he looked towards Yumi. He saw her bawling her eyes out even harder, her pupils growing brighter and brighter as though they were exploding.
"They're gonna be okay. All Might is getting ready to depart as we speak. Trust in him and your friend and father. They aren't pushovers."
Yumi heard him clear as day, but the pain and emotions she was feeling were clouding her mind and thoughts. She felt helpless. Weak. Powerless.
With a Quirk that gets stronger and harder to control based on her emotions, she knew that if she went with Kael, she would end up hurting more than just the people holding her father hostage. She would've ended up hurting the person she loved most.
And she couldn't do.
…
The air by the docks stung Kael's lungs with salt and cold.
He moved silently through the empty port streets, the loose gravel crunching faintly beneath his boots. A worn duffel hung from his shoulder, packed with just enough gear to carry him across the sea and through a warzone. Every step sent a dull ache through his ribs and thigh, his body still recovering from wounds that hadn't yet faded. His cane tapped rhythmically against the pavement—but it wasn't for show. He needed it.
Puppeteering himself was hard enough on his own, so he decided to only use it in battle to conserve energy.
Kael gritted his teeth.
"I'm not at full strength yet," he admitted to himself. "But I don't have the luxury of waiting. Not this time."
The world had seen Voidflare tortured on live broadcast. The man who raised Kael, trained him, believed in him. And the villains had made it clear: they wanted him. Equinox.
Kael kept walking, jaw tight.
He could already hear what All Might would say if he was there in front of him.
"You're not ready."
"You'll get yourself killed."
"Let the pros handle this."
But they didn't know Voidflare like he did. They hadn't trained under his brutal guidance. They didn't owe their lives to him.
Kael did.
"I'm not letting him die."
He rounded a corner and the ship came into view. A black vessel, resting near the edge of the port—rusted, silent. His ticket out of the country. Makoto had said the captain wouldn't ask questions. A favor repaid, nothing more.
Kael exhaled.
Just a few more steps, and he'd be gone.
Then a scream tore through the early morning air.
Kael's eyes snapped toward the sound. It echoed from a nearby shipping yard—stacked crates, metal towers, and rusting machinery.
Another scream. A child's voice this time.
He moved without thinking.
Cutting through a narrow alley, Kael emerged onto the yard and spotted them: a woman clutching her daughter's hand, sprinting across the cracked concrete.
Behind them… something monstrous.
It burst through a pile of steel containers with a deafening crash, snorting like a beast unleashed. Its body was a horrific fusion of a man and a bull—towering, muscles taut beneath patches of fur and torn skin. Its horns scraped the sides of buildings. In one hand, it dragged a slab of bent metal like a club.
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
"What the hell is that…?"
The creature let out a guttural roar, then lowered its head and charged.
The woman screamed. The girl stumbled.
"MOVE!" Kael shouted—but they wouldn't make it in time. They were frozen in fear, a natural reaction to the disgusting beast in front of them.
Kael vanished in a blink.
Flashstep.
The next moment, he stood between the monster and the family, arm raised, a cape he used to hide equipment and weapons, flaring behind him as tendrils of pitch black energy burst from his sleeve.
DarkBind.
"Back off," Kael growled, voice sharp and low. "You're not gonna hurt them."
The beast didn't stop.
It hit Kael's tendrils at full speed—DarkBind wrapped around its limbs and horns like chains. The impact sent cracks spidering across the ground beneath him, Kael's knees buckling as he strained to hold it back.
"Shit—stronger than it looks…"
The creature twisted violently, snapping some of the binds.
Kael rolled to the side as it swung its club, narrowly dodging.
He leapt back, breathing hard. The monster roared and charged again.
Kael didn't hesitate.
Kinetic Forge.
His palm glowed with searing heat.
As the bull-man closed in, swinging the metal beam down, Kael dropped low and punched upward—driving all his kinetic energy into the beast's exposed ribs. A concussive blast echoed out, sending both of them skidding back.
The monster reeled in pain. Kael landed hard, gritting his teeth.
"We aren't done. Not yet."
Smoke hissed from his collar.
Smokescreen.
Dense fog swallowed the yard in seconds. The monster flailed blindly.
Kael emerged behind it. Calm. Focused.
"You're not the first monster I've had to put down."
He raised his hand again. "And you won't be the last."
DarkBind shot out again, lashing around the creature's limbs, squeezing until the beast let out a final groan and collapsed.
Kael stood over it, panting, smoke curling around his shoulders as it slowly absorbed back into his body.
'Tough bastard. That Quirk might come in handy..' Kael kneeled down and placed his palm on the beast. BalanceKeeper activated and began taking the Quirk, the beast slowly becoming more human.
'The stronger the Quirk, the longer it takes to absorb.' After about 10 seconds of contact, Kael acquired the Quirk as his own.
He turned toward the woman and child. They were crouched behind a crate, staring at him wide-eyed.
'That.. Probably looked a little weird..'
He offered a hand to the girl. She hesitated, then took it.
"There's nothing to fear, okay? I took care of the monster for you.."
Her mother spoke out. "Thank you… I don't know how—"
Kael shook his head gently. "Just be careful from here on out. It may be best for you to stay away from this place for a while.."
Then he turned and began walking off. "Please stay safe guys."
His cane was still lying on the ground near where he'd intercepted the charge. He picked it up slowly, exhaled, and looked out toward the sea.
'I'm still strong enough to hold my own.'
He glanced back once. The mother was hugging her daughter tightly, still staring after him like she'd seen a ghost.
But she hadn't.
She'd seen something else.
A hero.
…