Gray, satisfied with everything he did, powered down and turned off his Super Saiyan transformation. Feeling a bit exhausted from not being used to the massive energy drain of the form, he reached into his inventory, pulled out a Senzu Bean, and popped it into his mouth. Instantly feeling back to normal, he began flying smoothly up out of the deep crater.
Landing back on the surface, the searchlights from the news helicopters immediately shone down on him. He didn't care; he simply walked out of the ruined building. Meeting All Might right at the entrance, Gray saw the dark bruise forming on the Symbol of Peace's face but decided to not say a single thing about it.
The cops and heroes stationed near the cordoned-off property line watched Gray arrive. Some of them instinctively moved backward out of the way, while a few others tried to hold their ground. They barked frantic orders for him to surrender, though nobody dared move forward to enforce them.
"H-Hold it right there! Do not take another step!" one officer yelled, his hands shaking violently as he aimed his firearm.
"Put your hands where we can see them! You are completely surrounded!" a street-level hero shouted from a safe distance, refusing to close the gap.
Gray completely ignored the noise and walked straight past them toward Nighteye. Not seeing Eri anywhere in the immediate vicinity, he frowned. "Where is she?"
Nighteye, seeing the look in Gray's eyes, quickly put his hands up in a placating gesture. "She's safe," he said, pointing out toward the edge of the police line. "She's currently being checked over by the paramedics. So far, all I know is that she needs to go to a proper hospital to get thoroughly examined."
Gray nodded. "Appreciate it."
Jumping effortlessly over the blockade and the people standing in his way, he made his way directly toward the waiting ambulance. He stepped up to the open doors and looked down at the shivering girl. "How are you doing?" he asked her softly.
Eri, hearing his gentle voice, looked up. The moment she realized her savior was standing right there, her eyes started to tear up again.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's fine. I told you, right?" Gray told her, kneeling down to her eye level. "He's never going to come back. He is gone for good."
When he moved closer, she rushed forward, throwing her small arms around him in a tight hug. Gray smiled and hugged her back tightly. "It's over."
One of the paramedics hesitated, shifting nervously on his feet, but got closer anyway. "Sir, she needs to go to the hospital immediately. We already called ahead; the staff is waiting for her arrival."
Gray stood up smoothly, lifting Eri up so she stayed cradled securely in his arms. "Okay. Let's go then."
"Umm..." the paramedic stammered. He looked around at the wall of cops and pro heroes standing outside the vehicle, but no one stepped up to voice an objection or tell them no; he sighed in defeat, climbed into the front, and closed the ambulance doors.
Out on the streets, the national news outlets were having an absolute field day. Just a few days prior, the very same rogue powerhouse had been recorded dismantling heroes in the mountains. Now, in the dead of night, the exact same person had single-handedly raided a notorious Yakuza compound, wiped out their entire network, and apparently rescued a little girl from her captors. It was massive, historic breaking news.
Back at the hidden bar hideout, Tomura Shigaraki had been awake when the emergency broadcast flashed across the television screen. Recognizing the familiar face, he grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. Right on cue, the monitor on the side counter turned on.
Watching the devastating, effortless way All Might had been manhandled and swatted away, and seeing that final, world-shaking blue pillar of light erase the sky, All For One started getting significantly more interested in this random person. The stranger was clearly absurdly strong. To the ancient villain, it looked like an extremely potent, multi-faceted physical quirk, a quirk he desperately wanted to steal for himself. But for now, he chose to hold off. He already had several chess pieces moving forward in the shadows, so he planned on waiting. He had plenty of time anyway.
Miles away, Izuku and his mother had been abruptly awoken a few minutes prior. When Gray had turned into his Super Saiyan form, he didn't just make the local surface courtyard shake for a bit; the sheer density of his rising Ki had literally caused the entire country of Japan to experience earthquake tremors for a few seconds. Being awake, they immediately turned on the living room TV and saw the live combat footage.
"No way..." Izuku whispered, his face turning pale as he clutched his knees. "Gray-san?"
Inside the back of the moving ambulance, Gray kept reassuring Eri as the vehicle sped through the city. He kept telling her that Overhaul would never come back to try to take her away ever again, and that no one else would ever be allowed to hurt her. Feeling safe and shielded in Gray's arms, the young girl finally let her exhaustion take over and fell fast asleep.
The moment they reached the hospital entrance, the ambulance doors flew open. Gray stepped down onto the pavement and noticed a few stone-faced individuals wearing black government suits waiting for him at the doors. Ignoring their presence completely, Gray simply walked right past the agents.
One of the agents stepped up and tried to get in Gray's way, extending an arm to block his path into the building. Gray didn't even slow down; he bumped forward, and the agent was forcefully pushed aside, stumbling back against the wall. Before any of the other guards could draw a weapon or move to retaliate, an older man who looked like the one in charge of the detail simply raised his hand. The agents instantly fell back in line, gritting their teeth but remaining perfectly still.
Gray continued inside without looking back and carefully placed Eri down onto a clean stretcher so the medical doctors could begin looking at her injuries. But he wasn't going to let her out of his sight for a single second. Gray knew that All For One had a dirty personal doctor in the medical system, the very same man responsible for manufacturing the monstrous Nomus. Gray leaned against the wall of the room, keeping his senses sharp and sticking as close to Eri as humanly possible.
Some of the doctors tried to keep Gray out of the hospital room, but by simply telling them that he would take her away immediately if they refused, they backed down and allowed him inside. Every once in a while, nurses came in to check Eri's vitals. Some doctors also drew blood samples. Gray allowed it, keeping an eye on their needles. Eri was terrified of every new person who came into the room, but seeing Gray standing by the wall instantly calmed her down. Once the medical staff finished taking their samples, they turned down the lights to let Eri rest. She fell asleep pretty fast.
Gray, having already consumed a Senzu Bean earlier, was in top physical shape. A few hours later, he heard a firm knock on the door. A group of people dressed in sharp black suits walked into the room, followed closely by Nezu and All Might. Thankfully, the private room was large enough; otherwise, the entire group wouldn't have fit. Finally, the last person stepped in. She was an older lady wearing a high-end suit. She scanned the room and coldly looked at Eri for a few seconds, a look that Gray didn't miss.
Finally, she turned her eyes toward Gray. "You're a really big pain in the ass, you know that?"
Gray laughed. Moving faster than anyone in the room could possibly see, he instantly materialized just two inches away from her face. "Pretty bold words from someone in killing distance," Gray whispered.
The suited bodyguards, shocked by his impossible speed, reached for the firearms at their waists. But the lady simply raised her hand. "Leave," she told her security detail.
"But ma'am, we can't leave you in here alone with him," one of the guards protested.
She scoffed, looking at the guard. "Are you saying you have the power to stop him?"
The guards fell silent, realizing their helplessness, and left the room one by one. Now that the room was clear of grunts, the lady introduced herself. "I'm the president of the Hero Public Safety Commission."
Gray walked back over to his couch, sat down, and leaned back. "And?"
All Might tried to step in and speak, but Gray held up a hand to stop him. "Why the hell would I care who you are?"
The Madam President was completely lost for words. She had explicitly come to this hospital to project a front of government power and to finally reel this anomaly into her custody. But seeing his total disregard and attitude toward her title, she decided to play her strongest political cards. "You better play nice, Mr. Gray. I have the power to make all of your legal problems disappear... or I can make your life significantly harder."
"Hoh? Is that a threat?" Gray said, a small, humming blue Ki ball instantly appearing and spinning above his open palm.
All Might tensed his muscles, ready to act and move between them if necessary.
"I think it's best we all calm down a bit," Nezu finally spoke up, breaking the heavy tension. "After all, we are all ultimately on the same side."
The Madam President scoffed loudly. "Ha! The same side? Don't you dare pair the Commission with this killer, Nezu."
Gray burst into a hard, mocking laugh. "People in glass houses really shouldn't throw stones." Gray stopped laughing, his face turning serious as he stared at her. "Remind me again... how exactly did the Commission president die before you? Was it because of Lady Nagant?"
The Madam President's entire posture froze, her face going serious and pale.
Gray continued, his smile turning cruel. "You know, the beautiful sniper? She used to be the preferred killing dog for the Hero Commission, executing whatever targets you guys deemed inconvenient to the public peace. That was until she grew a conscience and put a bullet through your predecessor's skull, right?"
The Madam President's breath hitched, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of her neck. All Might and Nezu remained completely silent, though Nezu's eyes gleamed with intense interest at the sudden drop of classified state secrets.
"How do you know about that?" the President demanded, her voice dropping into a tense, dangerous whisper.
Gray casually killed the Ki ball in his hand, letting the blue light vanish into thin air, and leaned back comfortably against the cushions. "Magic."
Madam President sighed, massaging her temples. "Ok, fine," she continued. "I'm here giving you two options. You surrender yourself to the hero commission, or two, you get branded a villain."
"I choose option number 3," Gray said, shifting his gaze over to Nezu with a relaxed grin.
"There is no option three," the president snapped.
"I think there is," Gray said. "Option 3 is that I continue being at UA, since I already told Nezu I would help him and All Might with a few issues."
"You think you can simply go back to that school and act normal?" the president countered, leaning forward aggressively. "The news, heroes, cops, everyone in Japan just saw you kill a person on live television!"
"Correction, I killed a monster," Gray replied, his voice dropping into a steady tone. "I'm sure if you call for a press conference, you could easily explain that I was acting under your orders to eliminate Overhaul. I'm sure you're used to lying to the cameras. Doing it one more time shouldn't hurt your reputation."
Madam President crossed her arms. "No."
Gray just shrugged his shoulders. "If you do it or not, I don't care. I will still be at UA. And if I see anyone from the hero commission come anywhere close to Eri or me, I will kill every single higher-up from the commission one by one, until a new president takes over who will actually give me what I want."
The president stared at him. "So you'd commit genocide just to get what you want?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Not really genocide," Gray said, smiling. "I would just kill the corrupt ones."
Nezu stayed quiet throughout the back-and-forth, his dark eyes observing the entire power dynamic. He had originally come to the hospital to try and negotiate another delicate deal with her to keep Gray on their side. Hearing Gray openly declare that he fully intended to go back to UA made the principal incredibly happy.
Eri started moving on her hospital bed and slowly woke up. Getting up, she looked around the room and saw it had quite a few more people in it now. She didn't say anything, her eyes wide as she took in the unfamiliar crowd.
Gray stood up from his chair. "You have my answer, so I'd like you to leave."
Madam President, Nezu, and All Might all exited the space. The door clicked shut behind them.
Gray turned back and walked closer to the bed, dropping his voice into a gentle tone for Eri. "Hey, it's still kinda late, so why don't you go ahead and go back to sleep?"
Eri rubbed her tired eyes with her small hands and nodded. She lay back down onto the mattress and closed her eyes. Gray sat back down right on the edge of her bed, watching her sleep peacefully to ensure she felt safe.
Looking back toward the closed door, he knew the Commission President wouldn't give up her scheming that easily. But Gray didn't mind. If she continued giving him any more trouble down the line, he wouldn't hesitate to completely get rid of her much earlier than her scheduled death in canon.