I knew damn well I wanted to bury this whole mess and deal with it on my own terms, but my fuck-up had painted me into a corner with no way out. The situation had me pinned like a rat in a trap, forced to face the music whether I liked it or not.
Still, letting Toga waltz in here—right in front of All Might, and potentially the rest of the cavalry was a gamble with stakes so high it made my gut twist. One wrong move, and this house of cards I'd built could come crashing down, taking everything with it.
After firing off a message to Toga, I turned back to All Might, who was still sitting there, waiting for me to cough up the truth. His sharp eyes bored into me, patient but unrelenting, he wasn't the type to let a red flag slide, not when it could mean lives on the line. The weight of his stare pressed down on me, heavy and unyielding, like he could see straight through the bullshit I was about to spin.
"All Might…" I said, my voice rough and shredded from exhaustion, barely holding together. "You remember the plan I laid out for you, right? She's exactly the linchpin for that final showdown. Better to keep a key enemy piece in our pocket - even if we can't use it yet - than let 'em turn it into their ace. Plus… it's… my own selfish bullshit too…"
All Might didn't blink, his gaze slicing through me like a laser, dissecting every word for a trace of deception. He didn't snap back right away, just let the silence drag out, thick and suffocating, until it felt like the room itself was closing in. I could hear my own heartbeat thumping in my ears, loud and uneven, as I waited for him to make his move.
"Ryuga…" he said at last, his tone softening but still carrying that edge of unease, nowhere near relaxed. "I hear you trying to justify it, but that doesn't ease my concerns any. If she's as critical as you're claiming… I need the real deal: Who she is, why she's tied up with you."
I clammed up, my brain scrambling to piece together something coherent. Toga wasn't just some random criminal in the original story, she was a goddamn lieutenant in the Paranormal Liberation Front, one of the nine big shots who'd help tear the world apart later down the line. Keeping her close wasn't just a tactical play, it was something deeper, something messier, something I wasn't even sure I fully understood myself.
"She's…" I hesitated, the words sticking in my throat like jagged glass. "She's Toga Himiko, 'meant' to join the League further down the road. But...not anymore. I… flipped her to my side before it all went down the way it was supposed to… at least for now. Trust me, All Might. If we lock her in with us, it's a massive win against All For One later."
All Might's jaw dropped slightly, his eyes widening like he couldn't quite wrap his head around what I'd just dumped on him. "You're telling me you turned a major League threat? And she's… on board with you?"
I nodded, meeting his piercing stare head-on, refusing to flinch. "Sounds batshit, I know, but I've got this under control. She's not rotten to the core—just a girl who got cornered by life and pushed too hard. If I can pull her back to herself, then… less people die in that grim-ass future…"
All Might let out a long, heavy sigh, pacing a few steps across the sterile hospital room before turning back to me. His broad shoulders slumped slightly, like the weight of this was settling in. "You're dancing on a razor's edge, Ryuga. But if you're right, you've cracked open a real shot at this war. Still, I can't shake the chance this is a setup. I need a guarantee she won't fuck over anyone's safety…"
Before he could finish laying down the law, the door swung open with a sharp creak, cutting through the tension like a knife. Toga strutted in, decked out in my U.A. uniform and wearing my face thanks to her Quirk.
The room froze solid for a heartbeat—everything stopped, the air turning thick and electric. All Might, caught off guard and too slow to bulk up to his hero form, snapped to full alert, his eyes narrowing into slits as he clocked the scene: two Onodera Ryugas—one propped up in the bed, one standing at the door like some twisted mirror image.
"What's going on?!" All Might barked, his voice a mix of doubt and raw unease, bouncing between me and Toga like he was trying to spot the crack in this bizarre facade.
I threw up a hand, clawing my way off the bed despite the stab of pain in my neck, desperate to cool him down before this blew up in my face. "Easy, Al… Yagi-san!" I swapped his name mid-sentence, shooting Toga a hard look to back my play and kill the suspicion before it spiraled. "Be cool."
But Toga, in some freaky-ass power move, didn't give a damn about my signal. She kept my form, marched straight over with a vibe that screamed worry, and - holy fucking shit - planted a deep, sloppy French kiss on me right there in front of All Might, then she spun to him, still using my voice but with an icy edge that wasn't mine: "Who's this ?"
"Uh… he's… U.A.'s new janitor… Principal just brought him on… Came to check on me with the banged-up teacher !" I stammered, fumbling hard to stitch together a cover story, my face draining to ghost-white as I shook inside, terrified All Might's secret identity was about to get torched in the dumbest way imaginable.
All Might shot me a look that screamed like "you've gotta be fucking kidding me", clearly pissed at the flimsy excuse, but he caught the stakes fast, soblowing his cover wasn't an option. He sucked in a deep breath, steadying himself in the middle of this absolute clusterfuck, and stayed silent, just watching with those sharp eyes of his.
Toga, still wearing my skin, narrowed her eyes at All Might, her skepticism thick enough to cut. "Janitor, huh?" Her voice - actually that's my voice - dragged slow and heavy, dripping with doubt. "Why's he here now instead of at school? Or… he ain't just some regular janitor?"
"No need to overanalyze, alright? He's just scoping things out. And for fuck's sake… drop the act, will ya?" I snapped, my patience fraying as I tried to wrestle this back under control.
Toga flicked her gaze to me, that familiar spark of mischief flaring up in her - my - eyes. "Nope. This is too much fun…" she said, her tone taunting, playful, and utterly shameless.
Then, ignoring how weird, crass, and downright mortifying it was, she - still in my own damn skin - leaned in and kissed me again, with a long, loud, and sloppy enough to make All Might bolt out of the room from sheer awkwardness. It bought us a breather, a slim window before he'd inevitably circle back to dig deeper into this mess.
How the hell does she get so good at this?
"Urghhh…" I panted, staring at Toga as she grinned back at me, still wearing my face like it was her favorite mask. "Can't you just...not to...?"
She didn't hit back with words right away, just flashed a loaded smirk, her - my - eyes blazing with zero fucks given. "But it's fun this way... ~" she teased, leaning in close, her voice dropping low and sultry. "For real, though… you good? You look like you're about to die.…" Her tone softened, those eyes - my eyes - glinting with a rare, raw honesty.
Even mimicking me, there was this odd warmth in her stare, something that cut through the chaos.
"If I said I'm good, it'd be a straight-up lie," I admitted, my voice rough but steady. "Nearly bit it… Yeah, it's rough, but I ain't dying that quick. Cockroaches don't last for nothing…"
Toga giggled at my self-dig, the sound lightening the tension just a fraction. Even in my skin, her laugh didn't carry my usual rough edge. It was softer, more real, like she actually gave a shit.
"Cockroaches are hard to squash, sure," she said, tilting her head so those golden eyes twinkled with mischief and a hint of something gentler. "But I don't want you just hanging on. I want you living, got it? I'm not getting ditched…"
Her words hit me sideways, playful on the surface but heavy underneath, like a real challenge, or maybe even a green light to lock this hazy thing down for good. Either way, I was swinging for the fences. Worst case, she's a roommate crashing at my place; best case, a girlfriend on probation. Win-win situation.
"Sounds like you're confessing, Toga," I smirked, tossing it out as a tease even though my heart was hammering hard enough to crack a rib.
Toga, still me, grinned wider, her - my - face lighting up with a dangerous kind of glee. "What if I am? How you handling it if I'm laying it out?" She leaned in close, those golden eyes pinning me down, no escape. "Spit it: roommate or more?"
"Gotta bust outta this hellhole first before sorting that… Then we can get to know each other." I half-answered, dodging the full commitment and signaling this wasn't the place to hash it out.
Toga laughed - light, taunting, and full of that wild energy. "You're a real buzzkill, Ryuga." She pulled back just enough to give me space, then swooped in again, her voice dropping. "I'll cut you slack this time. But I need a lock-in…"
I didn't overthink it, reached for the fruit knife on the bedside table, sliced my thumb open with a quick flick, and jammed it into her mouth before she could finish her sentence. Her shock flipped to hunger in a heartbeat, those eyes locking onto me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. That grin slid back, not the wild, smug one I'd seen before, but something obsessive, loaded with feelings I couldn't even begin to untangle.
"You're fuckin' psycho," she said, her lips curling around my thumb, eyes glued to mine as she savored the taste. "But I'm into this bold shit…"
I shrugged, playing it cool despite the jolt of surprise at how she leaned into it. Blood dripped from the cut, and she took her time, licking it slow like it was some twisted ritual, her gaze never wavering. "Now for the introduction, shall we? I'm Onodera Ryuga, and i know all about you so you don't need an introduction." I said, my voice worn but steady.
Toga nodded, those cat-like golden eyes shining bright. "Kay. But y'know, Ryuga…" She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper that felt like a promise—or a threat. "…I ain't letting you back out. Your blood's mine now. You're stuck with me forever, got it?"
"Sure. Run with that," I said, keeping my tone flat even as my pulse kicked up a notch.
I figured we'd get another sappy moment, maybe even another French kiss to seal the deal, but right as we leaned in, the door flew open again...
Class 1-A and All Might - bulked up to his full hero form this time - stormed in like a damn tidal wave. And yeah, shit hit the fan really hard.
Everyone except All Might either went pale as a ghost or gawked like they'd just walked in on a train wreck. For me, having 1-A catch this - two versions of me getting all lovey-dovey - was pure, unfiltered shame I couldn't dodge. For them, it was a mix of shock and confusion, maybe even suspicion that she was some villain sneaking in to shank me - though she wasn't. For Toga, a pre-League serial killer on the run, seeing All Might jacked up instead of scrawny threw her for a loop - her face drained of color, eyes widening as she braced herself for him to slap cuffs on her right then and there.
...
Flashback, over the three days Ryuga lay comatose…
Himiko Toga paced the small apartment like a caged predator, her golden eyes flicking restlessly over every corner of Ryuga's space.
She had been holed up there ever since she'd passed out, trapped in a tense limbo as she waited for any scrap of news. With each silent hour that ticked by, her nerves frayed a little more, unraveling like a thread pulled too tight.
The place was sparse - barely lived-in, with a cold, utilitarian feel.
But as she prowled around, a realization began to sink in: this wasn't just some random crash pad. It was rigged, deliberately set up, and it was all for her.
She tugged open the fridge, the low hum breaking the stillness, and peered inside. Neatly packed meals greeted her, simple stuff like rice balls and grilled fish, each one labeled with sticky notes in Ryuga's messy scrawl: "Eat this if you're hungry, don't touch the raw stuff." On the top shelf sat a blood bag, marked in bold ink: "For emergencies—don't waste it." Her fingers hesitated as they brushed the cold plastic, a strange cocktail of unease and warmth creeping up her spine.
He'd planned for her Quirk, her needs—things she'd never even hinted at wanting. It was unsettling, calculated, and oddly intimate all at once.
Her exploration didn't stop there. She wandered into the bathroom, where towels were stacked neatly on a shelf, a spare toothbrush sat unopened beside a cheap hairbrush - all pristine, untouched, like they'd been placed there just for her arrival make her felt creepy...
A note was taped to the mirror, scrawled in his familiar handwriting: "Clean up if you stink—don't trash the place." Her reflection smirked back at her, sharp and defiant, but her gut twisted beneath the surface.
How long had he been prepping this setup? Had he been tracking her, watching her every move, way before their paths collided?
In the living room, more evidence piled up. A folded blanket rested on the couch, a spare pillow beside it—nothing fancy, but deliberate as hell. Tucked under the pillow, she found a crumpled note: "Crash here if I'm not back. Don't fuck with the windows." She clutched it tightly, her thumb tracing the smudged ink as her mind raced...
This wasn't some offhand gesture—he'd carved out a space for her, like he'd known she'd end up here, stuck waiting for him. It creeped her out very hard, sparking questions about whether he'd been shadowing her for months, observing her kills, her chaos, from the sidelines. But it also stirred something deeper—something that flickered with a twisted kind of warmth. He'd gone out of his way, set this up in secret, all for her.
The bedroom was the clincher. His bed, unmade, sheets tangled in a chaotic heap, had a stack of notes piled on the nightstand. She rifled through them with quick, curious fingers: "Toga—don't touch my shit unless I say," "Blood's in the fridge, ration it," "Pager's by the lamp—hit me if it's bad."
One note stood out, scribbled rougher than the rest: "If I don't make it, you're on your own. Leave. Don't fuck up." Her breath caught, hitching in her throat as she stared at the words. He'd thought this through - her survival, her Quirk, even her sticking around after he was gone. It was as if he'd mapped her out completely, not just as a pawn in his game, but as… something more, something he couldn't let slip away.
Himiko sank onto his bed, the notes clutched tight in her hands, that strange mix of emotions bubbling up inside her—part creeped out, part captivated. She'd pegged him as just some punk with a plan, a guy who stumbled into her orbit by chance. But this? This was him betting everything on her, rigging his entire damn life to fit her into it. It felt off—like he'd been obsessed with her long before she'd crashed into his world. Yet it also set her ablaze, a twisted kind of wholesome that made her chest tighten.
He cared enough to lock her into his existence, and that realization fed into her itch...
She wanted him closer, wanted to own him, to make damn sure no one else could claim a piece of him. If he'd stalked her, fine—she'd stalk him right back, harder, fiercer, until the lines between them blurred completely.
Three days passed like that—pacing the apartment, reading his notes over and over, simmering in her own restless thoughts—until the pager buzzed on the nightstand, sharp and insistent. His message flashed across the screen: "Nearest hospital."
Her grin split wide, wild and razor-sharp, as she pocketed the device and bolted for the door. It was time to see her cockroach—and figure out just how deep this tangled web of theirs went.
...
Back to the present—obviously, Toga and Class 1-A don't know each other yet; that's half a year off in the original timeline. She also thinks All Might's two forms are separate people, so untangling this shouldn't be a total nightmare if I play it right.
I spun toward Toga, backing off a step as she sized up All Might, her body tense like she was about to bolt. That'd only fuck us worse—I grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to chill and roll with my half-assed cover story. "Easy," I hissed under my breath. "No one's touching you if you play this right with me."
"RYUGA! WHAT THE FUCK'S HAPPENING HERE?!" Bakugo exploded first, his voice a thunderclap of pissed-off confusion as he jabbed a finger at me - or Toga-me - like he was seeing double and hated every second of it.
"Wait… two Ryugas?!" Kirishima's eyes bugged out, darting between us, his fists clenched like he was ready to swing at whichever one turned out to be fake.
"What's going on?" Midoriya asked, his tone quieter but dead serious, his analytical brain already kicking into gear as he glanced at Toga.
Before I could spit out an explanation, Toga, still wearing my face, pulled herself together and jumped in, taking the reins like she'd been waiting for this moment. "Chill out, everyone!" She threw up a hand, flashing a grin too slick—half of me wondered if she'd practiced this shit in a mirror. "I know it's a trip, but I'm legit Onodera Ryuga's girlfriend. Why I look like this…" She locked eyes with Bakugo, her—my—gaze oozing threat as she leaned into the role.
"Secret. But if you want it carved on your tombstone for fucking with my man... I AIN'T AFRAID OF ANY OF YOU BASTARDS…"