Kaminari felt the walls closing in around him. He could hardly breath.

Jiro, Sero, Kirishima, Shinso, and Mineta were gone.

Guilt crept up his throat making it close until he couldn't swallow. Fear of what was happening to them clutched his chest until he heard his heart beating in his head.

What if they'd been caught? Would they think that he betrayed the League? Would they go after his family? Were his friends already gone?

He pushed the sheets and pillows off his bed in cold panic and regret until there was nothing there but the mattress. He collapsed on the bare bed and swallowed his tears down. He lay facing the wall for what felt like and eternity questions ramming around in his head. 

The door to his cell unlocked and Kaminari figured it was a guard coming in to tell him about another visitor - they'd become lenient with his security because he'd made no move to escape (and he was still a minor.)

He heard foot steps and someone put a hand on his shoulder. Slowly he looked over at the guard who stood over him. The guard's face was concealed behind his helmet and his skin was hidden behind a grey suit; nothing strange.

Kaminari wasn't surprised until he noticed the pillow in the guard's hand. It was one of his pillows that he had forced of the bed in his fit of hopelessness.

The guard suddenly forced Kaminari on the bed and shoved the pillow over his face. 

'He's trying to kill me' Kaminari realized after the moment of initial shock had passed. He immediately began to panic, he thrashed and struggled. He tried to pry the pillow off of him, tried to slid away, tried to kick his opponent but the guard was remarkable strong and kept him in place.

Kaminari couldn't breath and he began to cry as he struggled, tears streaming down his face

'Not like this,'  he begged internally, 'Please, I don't want to die like this!'

The helmet of the guard was cold and empty and Kaminari could watch his reflection struggle; it was pitiful.

Pitiful like him...

And this whole damn charade.

The world became blurry and Kaminari could feel his strength waning.

He thought of Kasusai and his mother and his father... He thought about how they'd die thinking he'd been a villain. What would Kasusai grow to be like with the weight on her shoulders? Would no one ever trust her because her older brother was the UA traitor? His mother and father would never live it down.

He thought of his old friends; they'd never know his story. Never know why he did it.

For a moment he accepted it..... As his world went black he accepted the future...

...Jiro, Sero, Shinso, Kirishima, and Mineta - they'd all probably die from the villains and he'd be blamed for it.

...This villain would make his death look like a suicide, it would be fitting; "Kaminari Denki, sent his old friends to die and then killed himself."

...Kasusai would become a hero despite the world expecting her to become a villain; maybe she'd eventually uncover the truth, but no one would care anymore.

...His mother and father would be ridiculed their whole lives because they raised a villain.

...Mr. Aizawa would be fired because one of his students was the traitor and five others died under his watch.

... UA's reputation would go into the mud.

... Hero's would always be doubted.

... Maybe the villains would win.

... And it would always be his fault

...

...

...

"Kaminari!" someone yelled. The voice was familiar.

"Come on Kaminari my boy," the voice pleaded. Someone was shaking him. Slowly the world came back to him. He looked up and saw a scrawny figure form.

"All Might?" Kaminari asked not believing what he was seeing.

And then he remembered the villain. He sat up too quickly and his head ached but regardless he looked around.

"What happened to - " he began.

"The fiend who attempted to kill you was dealt with. Luck for you dear boy we happened upon your struggles and one of the guards was able to drag the other off of you," All Might explained.

Kaminari looked around still breathing heavily; he had almost died. He had survived.

"It's alright my boy," All Might smiled putting a hand on Kaminari's shoulder, "You're safe now."

"You're... you're in my cell," Kaminari realized.

"I have connections in this place and I've convinced them that you aren't a threat to me. We're being watched by people who I trust and I swear no one is coming to harm you."

"What about Jiro and Sero!? Are Kirishima, Shinso, and Mineta alright!?" Kaminari demanded.

"Young Kaminari," All Might soothed calming him down, "Heroes are on their way to them as we speak. But you mustn't be concerned about them right now," All Might explained. He sat down on the bed and looked at Kaminari with paternal concern.

"What do you mean I shouldn't be concer-" Kaminari began.

"Young Kaminari," All Might interrupted staring at the blonde, "I'm sorry."

"What?" Kaminari asked shocked.

"I accepted all too quickly that you were to blame. I failed you but that's not why I'm here. Please Kaminari, tell me what villains chase you."

Kaminari knew what he meant.

What was actually going on?

Part of him was tempted to lie.

And then, he thought of Kasusai, of his mother and father, of class 1-A. He thought of Bakugo, Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, Aizawa, Thirteen, all the people he had hurt... and he began to cry.

It was quiet at first, and then it turned into sobs. Loud, ugly, wrenching sobs that shook his entire body. He hadn't sobbed like this ever in his life but as it continued he realized how relieving it was just to do it. 

And then All Might gave a small smile and that was it. Kaminari threw himself into All Might's arms and began to tell the entire story in between sobs.

"I never meant for this to happen!" he prefaced between chokes and sobs, "If I'd known I would've never... I wouldn't have.... "

"I know," All Might nodded embracing the boy.

Slowly Kaminari's sobs died down and Kaminari left All Might's arms and looked to him tears still streaming down his face.

"It started the summer I was accepted to UA," Kaminari explained in a murmur. All Might listened intently. "I was so happy that I posted it on my social media accounts, it wasn't anything crazy just... just a post," Kaminari explained. "And this person commented congratulating me. He said that he'd gone to UA a few years back and was willing to give me advice. So... So I replied to him and he sent me a whole bunch of stuff to study; it was good and so I kinda trusted him even though I never met him. And then suddenly he asked if we could meet, he said that he was looking for future side-kicks and he'd be willing to take me on after UA until I could become an independent hero. My Gramma said that it would be a great opportunity and so I met for lunch."

"And?" All Might asked after Kaminari paused.

"He was nice at first... actually, he was always nice. I left the restaurant thinking that I had just planned ahead for the first time in my life... and then I was surrounded by purple smoke."

"The League of Villains," All Might supposed.

Kaminari nodded viciously, "I guy I thought I meant was named Giran. He works for the League, brings them recruits, and I was a recruit." He gritted his teeth and wiped some of his tears away, they were quickly replaced. "They told me I wouldn't have to hurt anybody... and... and that if I didn't, they'd come after my family."

"So you did it," All Might nodded understandingly.

"Well yeah!" Kaminari defended, "I have a little sister... I couldn't drag her into this, and my mum and dad! I couldn't do that to them... my Gramma was getting old and wouldn't be able to fight back... I had to protect them."

"Kaminari," All Might assured him, "I do not blame you for what you did."

Kaminari swallowed a lump in his throat and continued on.

"Well... well I was told to... they needed information about the schedules," Kaminari admitted.

"So you took it," All Might nodded.

Kaminari shook his head, "No... I wasn't that traitor."

Now All Might was shocked.

Kaminari took a deep breath; this was where it got dangerous. "I was the cover-up."

It dawned on All Might. Kaminari was the martyr. He was the man who was supposed to take the bullet for the actual traitor, he was the League's sacrificial lamb.

"I was supposed to help the actual traitor out, but I never met them. All I did was short circuit a security door so the news reporters could get through that one time... But then..." Kaminari hesitated before speaking, "Then they told me to block the signals at the USJ so that no one could contact us. After they beat you they were supposed to kidnap me and that was how I was going to get out."

"They would kidnap you, " All Might supposed, "and then release you in a bad state so you wouldn't return to UA. That way you'd be out of the way for their next attack after they killed me."

"I didn't know they were going to try and kill you!" Kaminari defended.

"Kaminari," All Might chuckled holding up a hand, "Please, I'm not here to persecute you. Continue with your story."

Kaminari let out a sigh his tears were almost dry now, "Well, after that failed they didn't contact me for a long time... until the training camp."

"You gave your location," All Might supposed.

"They told me the attack was just supposed to scare us! But I tried to get out of it!" Kaminari whimpered.

"You failed the finals on purpose," All Might supposed.

"They couldn't use me if I wasn't there right!?" Kaminari asked rhetorically, "But that was a ruse and so I had to give them my location... and on top of it all was safe while my friends were fighting for their lives because of me."

"And then they kidnapped Bakugo," All Might nodded.

Kaminari began to cry again. He held his head in his hands and shook, "I never wanted it to go that far... so I tried to get out of it. I almost told Aizawa... and then... and then you... you - "

"I fought All for One," All Might realized.

Kaminari was now sobbing again, "It was all my fault," he wailed, "It's my fault you had to retire!"

"Kaminari - " All Might assured him.

"If it wasn't for me the League never would've gotten Bakugo... he would've been safe... Izuku and Momo and Tetsutetsu, none of them would've gotten seriously hurt and - and you would've never fought All for One!" Kaminari cried.

"You tried to get out," All Might assured him.

"I did," Kaminari sobbed, "And they killed - killed," he couldn't say it and All Might was pained by the suffering this boy had endured.

"I know," All Might nodded.

"So... So I couldn't leave... and I didn't. They told me to turn myself in at the next attack... to cover up the real traitor. A-and they told me that if I told anyone the truth... they'd... they'd kill everyone."

All Might's gaze became fierce and he looked Kaminari in the eyes, "That will not happen," he swore.

"But... but I should've told someone," Kaminari continued "Then Jiro and Sero wouldn't have pushed to be so stupid! Kirishima, Shinso, and Mineta wouldn't have gone with them, the heroes wouldn't have had to go after them and they'd all be safe! They'd all be safe if it wasn't for me... I've ruined so many people's lives... all because I was too scared to say anything."

He continued to cry but All Might smiled softly.

"I wish UA never accepted me," Kaminari sobbed, "I don't deserve to be a hero."

"Kaminari," All Might soothed with a chuckle, "You are one of the most heroic person I've ever met."

Kaminari stopped sobbing and slowly looked up at All Might clearly confused.

"Dear boy," All Might sooth putting a hand on his shoulder, "You gave up everything to try and save your family. You blame yourself for the pain inflicted on others even though you had no choice. You braved through terribly hard circumstances and did it while smiling. You never hesitated to bring a smile to your friend's faces no matter how troubled you were inside. You were willing to suffer a lifetime of imprisonment in this place if it meant that your family and friends could live and smile even if it would never be with you." All Might meant every word and Kaminari looked in awe as the man he'd looked up to for so long smiled at him.

"You, young Kaminari, are a hero. And I'm sorry I couldn't save you in time, " All Might smiled.

Kaminari would've cried again; but he had no more tears left to cry. So instead he hugged All Might again. And he sat there for an eternity and  felt grateful; someone had listened and understood.