A/N: Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, and added my story to their favorite/alert list. This chapter will focus on the other characters and delve deeper into the plot. Please don't forget to review – feedback is always important and lets me know how I'm doing.
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia.
Special Thanks to my Beta Reader, Kamil the Awesome.
The Essence of A Hero
Chapter 4: What the f# % is going on?!
It was Friday morning and Bakugo didn't recall class in Gym Gamma being part of the schedule. Leaning against a corner near the side door, (and he'd hate to admit, but there were still some nervousness from his kidnapping experience with the League of Villains, plus training himself to be aware of all entrances and exits would make him a better hero whether fighting villains, stopping petty crime, or saving civilians) he narrowed his eyes at the rest of his classmates as they entered the facility, dressed in their gym uniforms. He frowned, teeth gritted as he realized his uniform wasn't in the adjacent locker room, but back in his dorm room, right above his favorite pair of All Might boxers. 'I don't remember PT scheduled at 7:30 in the damn morning. Why hand out a syllabus with a full schedule of the fuckin' year if you're just gonna be a bitch and ignore it?'
He glanced around and saw Iida at the entrance, bustling about with wild gestures and getting everyone into line. Their eyes met and Bakugo groaned as their class president strode over with quick yet long steps.
"Bakugo, why aren't you properly dressed?" Iida asked, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. His voice was loud enough to fill the gym. "I emailed the class earlier about the change in schedule," he continued, frowning at the grey blazer and sloppy tie Bakugo wore. "And included a reminder to wear your gym uniforms to class."
The blond scoffed. "Listen, four eyes. I don't check email before breakfast and I haven't even had a coffee yet, so stop wasting my time and tell me what the hell we're doing here. I don't see any of the teachers," he said, blatantly looking around with slow, large gestures and blinked his eyes upon returning his attention to the class president before him. In fact, Deku and the half-and-half bastard were missing along a few others. Round cheeks, the girl with the ponytail, and someone else. 'It's not like I bother with most of these extras.' He could barely remember people's quirks because they were so lame, let alone their faces and names. Those few worth his attention would get called by name, once he respected them enough.
"Bakugo!" came Kirishima's familiar cry. The redhead walked over, grinning as if he'd drank a full pot of coffee. 'Great, now I'm jealous of my sidekick.' "Didn't you get the notice?" he said, raking his eyes across the blonde's clothes.
Bakugo rolled his eyes. "Instead of getting on my ass about the uniform, why don't the two of you check out who's playing hooky today? Unless I'm having a shit dream, there's a few people missing."
Kirishima raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"
Iida waved his arms between Bakugo and Kirishima in a robotic manner, aiming to redirect the conversation. He drew their eyes to him and then said, "I've been informed of the situation… somewhat."
Bakugo frowned, noting the hesitation. 'Something's going on. Something I'm being kept in the dark about. Maybe even something worthy of my time.' "Somewhat sounds like they're lying, four eyes."
"They'd do no such thing!" Iida defended, arms waving erratically. Bakugo couldn't fight off the smile that emerged onto his face.
"A lie of omission, little white lies so you stop questioning them. That's the sorta shitty stuff they're probably doing to you."
The other two frowned, startled by Bakugo's words. A doubtful expression crossed Kirishima's face while Iida looked to be even more defensive than ever. Yet before the class president could argue, three older students march into the gym, followed by a tired Class B. He frowned at the three older students, trying to line their faces up with previous Sport Festivals he'd seen on TV. 'The blond…ain't he some loser? Well, I don't care even if they try and get me to call them sempai.' Talking loudly among the other class is that stupid blond that drove the explosive quirk user mad during the Sports Festival. 'I ain't getting a better chance to slip off than right now. I should find out what Deku and half and half are up to.'
"You know what," Bakugo began, hoping they remained unaware of him lying through his teeth, "I'll head back to the dorm and change. The shitty building is close by, so I should be back soon. Might be late though."
Iida considered the proposal for a few moments and then nodded, slow and pondering. "Yes, that sounds good. Our, uh, guest instructors should be speaking for the first ten or so minutes hopefully, so you should be back before anything serious starts."
"Great," Bakugo said. He slapped Kirishima's shoulder, getting a startled smile from the redhead, and then nodded to Iida and headed to the side door he'd put himself near.
As he reached the door, a loud voice reached his ears. He gritted his teeth and pushed through as Monoma announced for all to hear, "I forgot Class A had a delinquent problem! Showing up to a special session dressed in your regular uniform? None of us in Class B would ever do something so ignorant. And he's walking away! Maybe there's hope for him after all." There was a pause as Bakugo left the gym. As the door closed behind him, one final comment reached his ears. "Although I doubt with his attitude anyone would want him to save him!"
'You don't matter at all, loudmouth,' Bakugo thought with frustration. 'Finding out where Deku and half-and-half are off doing is more important because something's fishy about all of this.'
Iida watched the door close shut behind Bakugo and sighed. He had expected to fight tooth and nail with the stubborn blond, yet he gave in easier than he could dare and dream. 'Maybe having Kirishima with me was what convinced him. They have a good rapport, and that's something I can rely upon in the future. I wish I could understand why he's so difficult to deal with.'
"Is it me, or was that too easy?" Kirishima asked, voicing the traitorous concern that Iida had considered. Several of their classmates agreed, whispering rumors of why Bakugo may've given in so easily. Behind them, the class president of Class B silenced Monoma, something Iida was generously thankful for. Their obnoxious blond was worse than theirs, if only for his attitude specifically with Class A. It was tedious and tiresome.
'That could explain why Aizawa-sensei seems tired all of the time, and not just from overusing his quirk. I wonder why he originally became a teacher.'
As they rejoined their classmates, Iida found his thoughts drawn back to the morning and his discussion with their homeroom teacher.
"Enter." Iida slid open the teacher's lounge door and entered. He had received a surprise message a little after five that morning – he had been in the midst of his morning stretching when it popped up on his phone – and he had dressed and rushed to the main building on campus. Only one desk was occupied, occupied by the teacher who had called him over.
"Good morning, Aizawa-sensei. What did you wish to speak with me about?" Iida asked, bowing respectfully to his teacher.
"Morning, Iida," the tired hero responded. He yawned and rubbed his face. "I called you over to explain a few things. First, Blood King and I agreed to a joint class session this morning in Gym Gamma. You'll be joined by the Big Three of U.A. I take it you remember them?"
"No need," Iida responded, straightening. How could he possibly forget an ass-kicking like that? "Will Blood King-sensei and you be joining us?"
"No, unfortunately," Aizawa said. "I have other things to deal with. Maybe get some sleep." He paused, staring into space and then sighed. "Oh, there's some people who'll be missing from the session this morning. Aoyama will be late while Uraraka, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Yaoyorozu are performing a special task for the Principal. I can't say anything else about your fellow classmates, so don't bother asking for specifics. And that goes for the Principal too."
"Thanks for informing me, sir." Iida nodded, holding back a frown until he left the teacher's lounge.
"Thanks for joining us this morning!" the peppy third year girl shouted. Iida blinked and let the memory of the morning fade away. She had long, baby blue hair that surpassed her knees. "My name is Nejire Hado and I am a third year here at U.A. I see the familiar faces of Class 1-A – good to see you again – oh and nice to meet you as well Class B!" There was some grumbling from Class B, but she continued speaking. "With me are Mirio Togata and Tamaki Amajiki."
With each name, she gestured to the boys surrounding her. Mirio was tall, buff, and had a boyish face that reminded Iida of his favorite foreign comic as a boy. Tamaki, on the other hand, was all dark hair and slouched back. He struggled to look at them, glancing away whenever someone dared to catch his eyes. Mirio seemed to be trying to get Tamaki to interact with them, but the dark haired boy resisted every attempt.
"Now," Nejire continued, still smiling though it looked forced. "If you can tell me if anyone is missing, that would be great! I, uh, well…"
"She doesn't want to say your names," Tamaki said, scuffing the gym floor with his shoes. "Uhhh, why do we have to do this?"
"Because we must set a great example for our kouhai!" Mirio declared, pounding his chest with a meaty fist. Iida blinked, remembering the blonde's eccentric persona. If he didn't know better, he would think the older boy was related to All Might. 'Perhaps a nephew or even a secret son.'
"Well, all of Class B is here, so you don't need to worry about us," said Kendo Itsuka. Iida glanced at his colleague. She was nice enough, though he wished she'd tighten the leash on Monoma.
"We have a number of students absent from Class A," Iida admitted. Where he thought it would disappoint the girl, it brought a smile to her face.
"Would you be a dear and not only mark off who is missing from your class, but also take this to the teacher's lounge?" Nejire's smile grew and a pulse of fear pounded through Iida. "I'm really excited to get the exercises started and I really don't wanna take the time to – "
"Let me handle it for you," Iida declared, coming forward. He took a clipboard from Nejire, the pen left where it likely had been placed when she picked it up. As he quickly departed Gym Gamma, he heard the sounds of screaming.
And that should be everyone, Iida thought with deep regret. Why he'd allowed Nejire to bully him into filling out and delivering the attendance sheet for her he still didn't know. While the girl was way too peppy for the morning – and he, a most excellent student and inheritor to the legacy of Ingenium, had high standards for what could be considered too peppy – the shouting from when he departed tempered the doubt. He had just finished off marking the five absences for Class A and was about to reach the teacher's lounge when a face he had hoped to never see again appeared.
"Hey glasses!" shouted Mei Hatsume. The grinning girl sprung forward, her typical goggles covering yellow eyes. "Surprise to see you around here. I woulda sworn you'd be with Deku off doing whatever that guy does. He always seems to be at the center of events, doesn't he?"
The class president frowned, eyes brunching under the frames of his glasses at the girl's comment. Aizawa-sensei had been fast and loose with where four of his fellow classmates were. 'He didn't explain why Aoyama would be late either, though at least I knew he would eventually arrive.' And among them was Midoriya, just whom she was asking after.
"I'm afraid I wasn't asked to join him," Iida said, hoping she wouldn't notice the lie. "I'm surprised you would know about it. The Heroic and Support Courses rarely intermingle. Unless you had to build something specific."
Mei blinked, still smiling, and then the corners of her mouth fell a hint. It was just enough to raise red flags in his mind. "I, uh well…I don't know anything," she said, voice shaky. The pink haired girl took a large step left. "Well, it was great seeing you around glasses, but I gotta go!"
Before she could take another step, Iida was right in front of her. "Please, if there's something you know, tell me," Iida begged. "Anything, as long as it helps me figure out what's going on. I fear that my classmates – no, my friends are in grave danger."
"I…I can't do anything about that," Mei mumbled, looking away from Iida.
"Please, whatever you know. I'll…I'll help you out however you want."
Mei frowned, her boot suddenly tapping a rapid pace. "There might be something I know to help you. I got a strange request in recently. The little furry guy, Nezu or whatever, asked me to design new babies to be tested on a mission and I'm not one to say no to designing new babies."
Iida bit his lip to hold back his comments about how she spoke of U.A.'s Principal or her insistence on referring to gear as 'babies'. 'Keep moving forward, Tenya.' "Do you know what the gear was for?"
She shook her head, pink hair flopping about. "Honestly I had no clue what those babies were for. Power Loader was pretty insistent on finishing, too. First time he's ever called something critical, at least while working with me that is." With that, Mei moved to walk away. "Gotta go! Power Loader needs me back in the office to go over my new designs! If you see Deku, tell him to come by. I think I got something he'll appreciate."
"Before you go," Iida began, mind whirling. 'This sounds strange. I should keep my ear open, in case it drags in my fellow classmates. Midoriya, as Mei mentioned, has been drawn into the center of several incidents since we started here at U.A. and as his friend, I cannot let him be led astray or risk his career as a hero.' "If you could keep me informed about anything strange you see or hear, I would appreciate that. As a favor, if necessary."
She blinked, surprised by his request. And then she shot him a grin, one he feared would make him regret asking. "A favor, huh? Well, I got two conditions then: one, come by my studio from time to time to test my babies for me. You were a great help during the Sports Festival and I'd love to reignite our wonderful partnership. Two, if you tell nobody about this conversation, I won't either."
Iida was tempted to say no solely due to the first condition, but instead swallowed his doubts. "Sounds good. I will see you around then."
"Yep," Mei declared, grinning. "See ya, glasses!" And with that, she marched off humming an oddly familiar tune.
Iida sighed in relief for the conversation was over. 'I will need to consider what she has told me later. For now, I need to get this to the lounge.' He continued along his previous path, reaching the teacher's lounge in a few minutes. As he reached out to slide open the door, it moved on its own.
And Aoyama, of all people, was in the doorway. Their eyes locked and they blinked.
Bakugo stared at the door, lips pursed. He had thought about who'd know where Deku was and only one name came to mind. With a deep sigh, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. Bang. Bang. Bang. There's a shuffling inside and instead of a lanky yet confident voice, the door slid open and a large, uniformed man with a dog's head appeared. The blond stepped back, away from the threshold. Worst was that he had to look up at the departing fellow.
"Thanks for speaking with me, Toshinori," the dog-man said. "I know your forced retirement has been tough on you as much as us. If anything changes with the situation, we'll let you know."
"Thank you," came the tired voice of All Might.
As the uniformed adult stepped out of the office, his eyes flicked about the hallway and stopped upon spotting Bakugo. There was a pause and a furrow as if a hint of recognition sat in the back of his mind.
A moment passed and then the uniformed adult smacked the side of a fist into an open palm. "I know you," the dog-man started. "You're Katsuki Bakugo, the student kidnapped by the League of Villains."
"Chief," All Might said, a warning tone that sounded more like his heroic persona than the thin teacher he'd now become. The Chief looked back into the office and then sighed. Bakugo frowned, but kept his mouth closed as the dog-man nodded to the former hero, glanced at the young blond again, and departed with precise, clicking steps.
Once the Chief was gone, Bakugo stepped into the threshold. A slight frown graced his lips as All Might – no, Toshinori for All Might had retired after defeating his greatest villain – crossed the office. "Ah, young Bakugo. I suspected you would come visit me. Enter, enter."
The blond entered, glancing at the sofa and stool to his left. 'I've heard Deku has spoke with All – Toshinori during lunch a few times. Is this where they've met? It's, well, shitty. You would think the former number one hero would have good furniture to display his former position at the top of the world of heroes.'
He continued through the office, following behind as Toshinori returned to the plush chair behind his desk. It was the nicest piece of furniture in the office, if only for the fact it appeared to be some sort of expensive wood.
"Please sit down," Toshinori said once Bakugo reached the chair set before the desk. It was plain and simple, though looked sturdy enough. He sat down, leaning back with his legs sprawled as far as he could with the desk nearby. "I assume there's something you wish to speak to me about. Please, ask away."
"Fine then," Bakugo drawled. "I wanna know where Deku is. If you don't know, then something is wrong." He paused and leaned forward, hands on his knees. "It's a simple request, All Migh, uh, Toshinori. Where is he?"
Toshinori stared at the younger blond, long face downcast and hands drumming on the desk. After several long seconds of only the sound of drumming, his hands stopped and the former number one hero leaned forward to speak.
"Aoyama," Iida said after a moment. "I thought you'd be later. Aizawa-sensei wasn't specific about when you'd arrive." He had honestly expected to see his fellow classmate around lunch, not less than a half hour or so late. 'I wonder why he was late then. There had to be an important reason, if Aizawa-sensei already knew when I arrived to speak with him this morning and now I'm meeting Aoyama right outside the teacher's lounge.'
"Class President, you surprised me," Aoyama said, his French accent lifting the end of his comment. He glanced away, pressing his fingers together. "I hope Aizawa-sensei has told the rest of the class about why I'm absent. It was rather embarrassing, honestly."
"He mentioned your absence," Iida started, frowning. "But he didn't explain why you would be so. Could you inform me?"
Aoyama nodded, a slight smile on his face. "I was late because I had to speak with Aizawa-sensei about my, uh…punishment. One of his robots caught me out after curfew, though I saw something interesting…"
"And that is?" Iida pressed, motioning his hands as if he was reeling in a fish by hand.
"When I entered the teacher's lounge this morning, Aizawa-sensei wasn't waiting for me," Aoyama continued, a small smirk upon his lips. "Ectoplasm was the only teacher in the lounge, although what surprised me most was that I was alone in coming to the lounge."
"Who else was out after curfew?" Iida asked, exasperated. 'There's four potential names as to who, though. Please don't be Midoriya and Uraraka.'
Aoyama leaned close and whispered, as if it was a juicy secret, "I saw Todoroki and Yaoyorozu out after curfew and they looked pretty close. Yet, they weren't in the lounge today. I wonder why."
Iida nodded, though there were too many questions still unanswered. 'Does Aoyama know what is going on with Todoroki and Yaoyorozu? He makes it sound as if he has an idea, but then how accurate can it be? Did Aizawa want to have him keep quiet? Does this relate to the mission Mei mentioned? And how does Midoriya and Uraraka tie into this?'
"Thank you for telling me," Iida said, nodding to Aoyama. A flicker of disappointment crossed the laser quirk user, but he only smiled and nodded. "If you see either Todoroki or Yaoyorozu, please inform them that class is in Gym Gamma until lunch time. I would recommend that you head there yourself." And with that, Iida entered the teacher's lounge to drop off the attendance sheet.
Yet, unknown to the class president, Aoyama remained in the hallway, frowning. He glanced at the door, pulled out his phone, tapped out a quick message, and sent it. 'I hope you aren't covering for them, Iida-kun. I doubt you'd stand by and let someone get away from a deserved punishment.'
Aizawa glanced around the conference room. His schedule had been completely upended so he could be here and he wasn't he only one with a disrupted day. Vlad King, dressed in his hero uniform with arms crossed, sat across from him with an annoyed frown, fangs poking out of his mouth. Beside him was Midnight, leaning back as she stared up at the ceiling, slowly fanning herself as if they were still in the midst of summer. And beside him was Present Mic, chattering away about some podcast from Persia or wherever he'd been listening to. 'I don't get paid well enough to bother with these meetings.'
The room went dark and they all switched to attention, hero instincts trained into them kicking in. A large hologram appeared, flickering for a moment before stabilizing. Principal Nezu hovered above the table, hands behind his back and dressed in his typical work clothes, though his entire body appeared to be a faint shade of blue.
Eraserhead frowned. He'd gotten a call overnight that four of his students were being recruited into some matter that Nezu was in charge of. What it was or the amount of danger they'd be in, the note didn't mention. 'What questions will I have to ask to get the truth? Will I get it?'
"Good morning," the Principal began, smiling. "It's good to see you all. Your holograms all look nice from my side, so I hope you're seeing me as well." There was a pause, as if he expected them to respond. Nezu pressed on. "I have unfortunate news. There was a successful break in and out at Tartarus recently. Four students from Class 1-A have agreed to help with a mission to investigate potential individuals responsible for the attack. Due to our recent security issues, I am keeping the specifics of the mission secret for now. Just know that they're working side by side with some young, talented pro heroes."
Midnight grinned at Aizawa and he frowned. "Hopefully your students have had their talk. What is it they say? Knowledge is the fountain of wisdom? Can we expect them to act wise without the proper knowledge?" He snorted and rolled his eyes for good measure, looking back to Nezu. Why does she always insist on being so crude?
"Now in this time of uncertainty, I'm asking that all four of you support the remaining students of Class 1-A. Keep their classes running smoothly, their training sessions moving forward, and stem off any attempt to investigate where their fellow classmates are during their…unforeseen absence."
"I have questions," Aizawa stated, glaring up at the hologram. The Principal smiled back at him, making his lips purse even more. "You speak of young, talented pro heroes. Who are they working with and how many heroes per student?"
Nezu's smile faltered. "Successful and talented ones, so do not worry. They've been helping U.A. with many tasks in the past few months, so I suspect you've seen them around. The ratio of hero to student may not be to your liking, but this situation is too severe to let any opportunity pass. Any more?"
'Evasive. I wonder how many questions I'll have to throw at this brick wall until he relents and speaks.' "Yes. Has Tartarus reported who was responsible for the break in and on, and which villains have escaped?"
"I must admit they've kept me in the dark on this matter," Nezu said, nodding his head as if it was a terribly unfortunate result of the attack and not simple government obstruction. 'That does little to pacify my concerns, assuming that's the truth.'
"Last question," Aizawa started. "Why were Uraraka, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Yaoyorozu selected for this mission? Todoroki, for one, shouldn't be involved until he gets his provisional license."
Nezu shrugged. "That's for the pro heroes they're working with to answer. Well, if that's everything, I have several tasks I must get to – "
Aizawa stood and interrupted his employer. He waited until everyone was focused on him before saying, "I have more…concerns."
"So," Bakugo started, scowling at the desk between him and Toshinori. "I want to make sure I got this straight. The Chief of Police pays you a visit to tell you four students from my class have been recruited to help with a serious problem. You put it as, what…"an important mission"? More so, you're told to stay here at the school and allow not only the students handle whatever messy situation is going on outside, but also the police that are involved. You try to get some names out of him and the only one he gives up is Deku."
"Yes, that is correct," he admitted, a shadow of even his skeletal self as he stared down at his desk.
'You're hiding something,' the younger blond thought, seething from being treated like a child. 'You know what the mission is, or something related. Why else would the Chief come in person to tell you?'
A long moment passed with neither looking at the other. "Who else on staff knows?" Bakugo finally asked.
There was a pause as Toshinori sighed and then looked up to meet his eyes. "Nezu is meeting with those on staff he most trusts, but it is to remain secret. There is a chance I have told you too much."
"But you're telling me this because I know about your shared secret," Bakugo accused, standing. "Because if something happens to Deku, your quirk disappears. Forever."
Toshinori looked away, a look of defeat in his eyes. "Please young Bakugo. Please don't do anything rash. Young Midoriya will believe it his fault if you do."
"Class 1-A has grown close to each other and are one of the most observant classes I've seen come though this school," Aizawa begun, looking around the small conference room. "If any students are absent for an extended period, their classmates will begin to ask questions about where they are. Should those answers not satisfy them in a way that is believable, they will take it upon themselves to discover the truth.
"And, as we saw with the Kamino Ward Incident, they are bound to get involved and potentially expose secrets. We all witnessed how a few students were unwilling to sit back and wait for us to rescue their classma – " he paused, pursing his lips, and continued, "their friend. If they'll do it for Bakugo, who has an admittedly terrible persona and struggles to make friends with his classmates, what will they do for Uraraka or Yaoyorozu, or even Midoriya?"
Bakugo stormed out of All Might's office, slammed the door shut, and released a disappointed sigh. 'I don't think I learned anything new other than the police might be in over their heads.' His eyes scanned the corridor and found a clock on the far wall. 'First session is nearly over. I should head back to the shitty gym. Best to meet up with everyone as they finish and then head up to the classroom than be there first.' He started back, taking a faster route than the meandering path up to All Might's office. 'I just hope four eyes doesn't get on my dick about me basically skipping class. I wonder if he'll buy me being late…' He then shrugged his shoulders and snorted. 'Doesn't really matter either way.'
As he turned the corner by the near staircase, red eyes spotted a familiar face with glasses emerge from the teacher's lounge, the same one he had just been thinking about. Before Bakugo could cross to the stairs – 'what the hell is he doing up here?' quickly passed through the blonde's mind – Iida pulled out his phone and raised it to his ear.
"I'm surprised you got back to me so quickly, Mei," the class president said rather loudly. 'He must think himself alone. How did he get into U.A.?' "Have you heard something about Midoriya and the others? I think I might have something."
The blond froze, standing in the middle of the hall, and stared at Iida. 'Mei? Who the fuck is that and why would she know about Deku? Is that pinky's name?'
A few moments passed as Iida nodded to whatever news he was hearing and then said, "That's a little close to curfew for my liking, but I can meet you then. I will see you tonight then. Goodbye." And with that, Iida ended his conversation and pocketed his phone.
"Oi! Four eyes!" Bakugo bellowed, sauntering down the hall. He grinned, more a vicious sneer than anything pleasant, when the class president nearly leapt out of his skin.
"Bakugo. A surprise," Iida said, regaining his composure. His postured remained somewhat defensive though, as he frowned and took in the blond's clothing. "I thought you were going to the dorms to change. You're still in the regular uniform, even though yours looks vulgar."
"I'll pretend you never said that to my face. But, since you asked, just know I decided to do some detective work. Like you," Bakugo added, looking at the back of his hand with a disinterested frown. "Tell me, who's Mei and why shouldn't I rat you out to Aizawa? I suspect he'd be so disappointed if the class president himself was skipping class."
Iida's lips pursed as if a thousand regrets flooded him in that moment. Bakugo could only grin. 'Gotcha, four eyes.'
"Frankly, if we're going to continue pursuing this path," Aizawa continued. He wasn't sure how long he'd been speaking, but he'd drawn everyone's attention. 'I am growing sentimental, or perhaps my students have just grown on me.' "Then we need to bring in the four involved and explicitly inform them that there is a strong possibility of their classmates and friends being drawn into this problem. And that is something we cannot have happen."
"While I appreciate your concern," Nezu started, but stopped when Aizawa shot him a glare stronger than his quirk.
"The problem being faced is a lot to ask of four professional heroes, let alone students not even a full year into their education and training as heroes. Tartarus had a perfect track record, something not even Rikers Quirked Super-Facility could claim. Villains capable of breaking in and out are clearly beyond them. Few of us here could handle them ourselves with backup, if we are truly being honest."
"He's right," Midnight said, staring at her folded hands. "This mission has the potential to seriously impact the upcoming conferences with parents in a few weeks. Conferences we're only having because of the new dorms. If any of them catch wind we're sending first years to handle our mess, it could permanently damage both U.A. and the professional hero community, especially with the affects of All Might's retirement still being felt."
Vlad snorted. "Nezu has the right of it. What purpose is a Hero Provisional License if they don't get a chance to gain experience in the field besides more experienced heroes? We may not like the situation, but we shouldn't arbitrarily take away the option for them to be involved. They volunteered, even after being made aware of the scenario, threats and all."
Eyes turn to Present Mic, who could only sigh, as the pressure of the world seemed to come down upon him. He tiny moustache fell as his mouth opened.
He wasn't surprised to discover that only a single room in the compound was free of cameras and microphones. Even so, Inferno was surprised by the state of the bathroom he found himself in. White squeaky clean walls, shiny silver faucets, and pristine mirrors that showed the best part of himself. He felt safe in this room and had to give credit to Giran and his faculty for keeping it in such great condition.
'It's nearly ready. All of my efforts, everything I have given up. The money and the research, the countless dead and the quirks stripped from them to reach this point. This will be the fulfillment of a life's work and I cannot wonder how it will be viewed in five, ten, fifty years from now. Will I be damned or lauded? A visionary? A madman? Just another villain, overshadowed by the terror he unleashed?'
'Even so, the Nomu's will soon be ready for their purpose, to execute my vision for the future. Once they acquire the quirks of Stain and Muscular, they will be ready for testing.'
Inferno leaned back and drew forth a cigarette. Lighting it came with practiced ease and he started to puff away at the stick. It was nearly impossible to think of a time when he didn't smoke. He puffed and frowned. 'There's a chance Giran will put them through tests that go against my wishes. I have seen the work of the League from that night Stain was brought down. Absolute idiocy, that waste of resources and any tactical advantage. Yet it was unsurprising given the childish vision and ambitions of Shigaraki. The Nomus should be tested in secret, secure from being discovered. Instead they were used on the whim of a fool who for so long lusted to crush All Might with his own hands.'
The thoughts of testing breathed fresh life into old memories, almost ancient, ones he had suppressed for so long. Inferno couldn't help but smile as he thought of his family, of those close colleagues from a time before the time of him as Inferno. 'Of my wife, that brilliant woman with such a simple yet effective quirk. I doubt the foundations of what I will do would have been laid without her.' She was but an assistant then, working with that pair almost as brilliant as her. He sighed, thinking of those two. 'I wonder what became of them.' One married to a rich family with a silly name and an even sillier view of a woman's role. And the other who had left to pursue a completely different field. He could only hope that man was doing well. Among the last correspondence from his wife, she had told him how those two old friends had children around the age of their own. 'A boy and two girls, if I remember the count right. I wonder if they grew up friends or are complete strangers.'
He sighed, eyes wandering like his mind. And then they fell upon his watch and the time displayed. Inferno rose, frowning, and left the bathroom. 'Selena leaves soon for her meeting with someone she hasn't seen in years. It'll be good for her to have a change of scenery. I hope it goes well.'
The route back to the lab was shockingly short, if only for the speed of the elevator he took to the main floor of the compound. The bathroom he had used was in the lowest subbasement, an artifact of the pre-quirk era where dirty nuclear weapons and theological mercenary bands dominated the highest worries of the major global governments.
Inferno stepped into the lab and frowned at Selena and Giran. Well, more the look on Selena's face beneath the HAZMAT mask she wore. They'd been together so long he knew her emotions just from posture alone and that mask would give her leave to be more expressive while surrounded by uncertain allies.
"You still have a weak stomach for our work?" Giran asked, his face contorted into an obnoxious, mocking look better suited on a punchable TV character. "I thought you'd have gotten over it."
He only glared at the villain, eyes threatening terrible burns.
"Did the process work?" Inferno eventually asked. He stared into a separate chamber, where the two villains he had extracted from Tartarus were laid out, bound into machinery he had helped design and build. 'A terrible price to pay, but it has its benefits.'
"Clearly," Giran said. "You'll have to wait a couple days before the new ones are ready, though."
He released a loud sigh of relief, though it was more play than truth. His eyes flickered to Selena, who had turned away. 'I wonder how she must feel, seeing the process that made her what she is. Being experimented upon is a terrible fate for anyone and she was but the first successful attempt.'
"What's the condition of the two? Stain and Muscular still have uses."
Giran rubbed his chin, a falsely thoughtful gesture. There was a likely chance he was considering how to profit off the villain's corpses. "They can be used again, though whether they survive…"
"Don't, at least not yet," Inferno stated. Giran gave him an odd look, but he shot back a scowl that killed any protest. "I want your best staff – your best, not some idiot who dropped out of med school – to monitor them and get them back to full health."
"Fine, fine," Giran relented, though Inferno knew it pained the villain to do so. 'His greed has raised him high and it will one day bring him down.'
Selena reappeared, HAZMAT mask removed, and arms raised above her head to stretch out. "This concludes the first phase of these final experiments. The rendezvous is in three days. The new Nomus should be prepared for testing by then. Unfortunately, Inferno and I have meetings we need to get to. Important ones, you must understand."
Giran clicked his tongue. "Ain't nothing done by sitting in a meeting. If you two keep this shit up, I'm gonna ask for a pay increase. What you're giving me isn't enough for the dirty work I am doing for you two."
The hiss that came from Selena was guttural, almost bestial, drawing from her quirk. "You are in no position to criticize our work, lackey."
"That's enough, you two," Inferno said, drawing their attention. "Giran, continue your work as we have discussed. Selena, it's time for us to leave."
"You gonna answer me or continue standing about with that constipated look on your face?" Bakugo asked with his foot tapping and arms crossed. Nearly three minutes had passed since he questioned Iida about Mei and the class president had yet to cough up as much as a hello. The name sounded vaguely familiar, he wouldn't lie, though so many had been given to him in the past few months that he couldn't separate them all out.
"She's well…someone in our class," Iida said, looking away as goosebumps ran up his neck.
Bakugo snorted. "Anyone ever tell you that you're a shit liar? Anyways, I know that ain't a name of anyone in our class. Only one of the girls has a name startin' with 'M' and she's…uh…" The blond paused to think. 'I wanna say her name's Mina, though I wonder if four eyes will be nice enough to 'finish' for me.'
"She's Mina Ashido," Iida said automatically and then flinched. Bakugo smirked and leaned forward, making the taller boy lean back.
"Just tell me the truth, Iida," he said, drawling out the other boy's name. It got him a scowl in return.
"It's nothing you need to worry about," Iida finally said. "I can't understand why you're so concerned about Midoriya given your attitude towards him, but – "
"But nothing," Bakugo cut in. "You may be gullible, but I can smell bullshit from a prefecture away, four eyes. Something fishy is going on and it starts with the Principal going against his own promises. When we moved into the dorms, the little furry masochist promised to, and I am repeating verbatim, in case you're wondering, that," and in his best impression of Principal Nezu, said, "'your schedules will remain as strictly printed upon your schedules. With all of the recent disruptions, we wish to keep one thing consistent.' You cannot tell me with a straight face that either he lied or something is going on.
"Plus," the blond continued, holding up a hand before Iida could respond. "There were five absences this morning – "
"Aoyama was caught out of bounds and had to speak with Aizawa-sensei," Iida quickly said, arms waving to cut through Bakugo's argument.
"That's one of five, dipshit," Bakugo said with a roll of his eyes. "Anyways, Aizawa-sensei wasn't in the teacher's lounge, am I right?" Iida flinched. 'I should honestly teach him how to lie and conceal secrets. Too honest by half, though he's a half-decent actor. I'm tempted to ask if only for the shock on his face.' "And you're having suspicious conversations on the phone. You, Tenya Iida, our class representative with the largest stick up his ass I've ever seen. If you were a bigger stickler for the rules, you'd become a cop instead of a pro hero.
"So let's make it easy. Tell me. The. Truth." And with that, Bakugo rested a smoking hand on Iida's shoulder and shot him a nice, pleasant smile that pained him to use, if though it was the only thing of value he got from his internship with Best Jeanist.
"Fine," Iida relented with a grumble. He glanced around the hallway and then added, "If you really want to know, keep quiet and follow me."
"And why the fuck should I?" Bakugo growled. Sparking explosions formed in the center of his palm, releasing soft pops like bad firecrackers. Iida gulped. "I think this is a great spot for you to spill your guts before I make you."
"Let's at least get away from the teacher's lounge," Iida said through gritted teeth. After a moment, Bakugo sighed and then nodded. They made their way to the staircase the blond had been heading for and went down to the landing.
"Well?" Bakugo asked, leaning against the window with his arms crossed. "I'm waiting, four eyes."
"Mei was the girl from the support course that I fought during the Sports Festival – "
"Oh, that freak," Bakugo said, nodding. "That was hilarious, what she did." He then waved his hand for Iida to continue.
"As I was saying," Iida grumbled. "I fought her. So when I ran into her today, I was rather surprised. Especially when she mentioned gear she built for a secret mission involving Midoriya."
Bakugo straightened, chest rising and hands clenching. "And? What does she know about Deku?"
"She didn't have much on details, but we agreed to meet tonight and speak about something she just heard."
"Then I'm coming along."
Iida smirked, a look almost villainous on his face. "And let you tell Kirishima? I'm fast enough to leave you behind and keep you in the dark about where I'm meeting Mei."
Bakugo snorted, drawing a frown from Iida. "I ain't gonna blab to the idiots in class so don't even try to run off without me. Those extras would be lucky to get an hour of tutoring out of me, let alone something like this. Maybe I'll recruit shitty hair and Pikachu should we somehow end up over our heads, depending on what that weirdo tells us, and only if we need backup. If round face weren't already involved, I'd get her too. She's head over heels for Deku for some stupid reason."
Iida sighed and rubbed the corners of his eyes beneath his glasses. "Fine then. We're meeting an hour before curfew at Mei's workshop. We'll head from the dorm together and don't fight me on that. Now, we should get going. We've missed most, if not all of the morning session."
Gym Gamma was in a state of absolute chaos. A few members of Class 1-B stood, the rest lying on the ground, unconscious and injured. A tall, muscular blond popped up behind one of them and quickly struck with a chop to the neck, dropping them like a sack of rice. Before a student could avenge their classmate, he dropped back into the ground and then sprung up behind them, close enough that he slipped his arms under theirs and used the momentum to send them both up into the air. They came down, the older student on the bottom.
He slipped into the floor, smashing the other against the hard ground. They remained down, curling up and groaning.
The last three – Kendo Itsuka, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, and Neito Monoma – rushed together and stood back to back.
"He shouldn't have enough space to pop up between us," Itsuka declared, hands growing to the size of small cars.
"Got that right," Tetsutetsu stated as he strengthened his steel skin. He had several bruised points where the metal covering his body had been tested and weakened.
Monoma remained quiet, if only for his single attempt at copying the third year's quirk had stripped him of his clothes for several seconds before he copied a classmate's quirk to stop its effects. He had dressed and gotten fortunate, for though he had been an easy target, the third year had passed him over in favor of taking down the others.
"Are you sure?" asked a voice from below. They turned, taking a step forward so they could stare down at the face on the ground without straining their necks. The third year grinned, disappeared, and then shot up with a spinning blow. Monoma went down first, getting hit first with the full power of the attack. Itsuka was second, if only for her large hands suddenly becoming a liability. She was certain the third year had said, "stop hitting yourself" as she went down. Tetsutetsu resisted several blows, but eventually his steel skin was weakened enough to be knocked down. Before he could regain his footing, he was launched several feet into the air by hands pushing up from below the floor and before he landed, was grabbed and slammed into the floor.
Gym Gamma went silent except for the third year's heavy breathing, and then a door opened and two boys entered.
Bakugo looked around the gym, scanning the members of Class 1-B as they lay about, bruised, battered, and utterly defeated. It looked absurd, entering Gym Gamma to see that the entire bodies of their fellow class of first years studying to become heroes lie around, defeated. The only person still standing was the blond third year who, instead of wearing the gym uniform he'd had on upon arriving, was now in his birthday suit. They had just seen a little bit of the final blow and Bakugo was convinced the older blond had popped out of the ground like a glitchy video game character.
'If this is what the top students about to become pro heroes are like, then I must face him and find out just how strong he is,' Bakugo decided as he entered the Gym. He glanced over and saw his fellow classmates on the balconies above the main floor. They all appeared wary and afraid, though they were unmarred by whatever pain and humiliation was inflicted upon the other class.
"That's impressive, Bethesda, but let's see how you handle a serious opponent."
The third year blinked and then grinned. "Such an odd insult, but then I am like those old games. Surprised you've heard of them. Though if you're using strange insults, then I know exactly who you are. You're Katsuki Bakugo, who won the First Year Sports Festival, correct?" The younger blond nodded and then scowled when the older student beamed. "Great! I've wanted to fight you. Well, you and Midoriya."
"Is that so," Bakugo seethed. Thunderous explosions rippled from his palms. He pulled off his jacket, tossed away his tie, and then rolled up his sleeves. "I doubt Midoriya will be of interest after you fight me."
Bethesda nodded and then squatted into a powerful stance. He took a step forward and then dropped into the floor. Bakugo, in response, dropped his hands so the palms faced the ground and blasted into the sky. It was the right call, for the third year grabbed at where he had been standing. Yet, the older boy was grinning.
For that was when he launched up towards Bakugo. It wasn't exactly at him, but close enough to chance grappling in the air.
They reached a height near Bakugo's classmates when several of them watched Iida begin to head up to join them. "About time," Kaminari grumbled, grimacing as Bakugo blasted the third year out of the sky. He slipped underground while their blond classmate descended to the floor.
"You sure Iida will knows where they are?" Ashido asked. Her typical cheery attitude had faded into concern.
"I have a feeling he does," Kirishima said, getting nods from Asui and Jiro. "He's the type to know why classmates are missing."
"Darkness descends, but will light rise?" Tokoyami asked. They all blinked, uncertain whether it was a serious question or just one of his odd comments.
"Has Aoyama showed up yet?" Iida asked them when he arrived. They glanced at each other and then shook their heads. It drew a frown from their class president, but he didn't follow up on the question. Instead, he turned to watch Bakugo duck and dodge under the third year's quick and fast blows. He tried to fire off several explosions, but they all missed for the older blond slipped underground when the other's fiery palm turned his way.
"You find out where the others are?" Kirishima asked. "Aizawa-sensei must've been in the teacher's lounge when you headed up to speak with him."
"No, nothing," Iida blurted, focusing on the fight below. His shoulders also rose and his lips pursed. Tokoyami and Shoji exchanged a look of concern at the slight movements.
"I hope Uraraka and Yaoyorozu are fine," Asui said. "I was worried when neither showed up for class this morning, kero."
"Yaoyorozu didn't even show up for breakfast," Jiro added. At the smug looks she received, she flushed and added, "I just eat with her every morning, alright. She brews really good tea, nearly as good as my parents. It's not how you think it is."
Ashido approached Iida and asked, "Are you sure you've heard nothing about them? Or Todoroki and Deku?"
"Nothing," Iida said. Down below, the third year had finally taken down Bakugo, who lay on the ground near the Class B students. "Did any of you challenge the third years?"
"No way, are you joking?! I don't want to get my ass kicked again by the likes of that guy" Kaminari pointed at Mirio. "We were supposed to face his emo friend, but he all freaked out and called us potatoes before fleeing. We then slipped up here and left Class B to fight the Ness-looking dude. Pretty rough for them, but better them than us."
Before Iida could respond or the others try to pull the conversation back to their missing classmates, Mineta said, "It's obvious where they are."
They all blinked and turned to their squat classmate, his sticky balls wiggling as he stepped forward. He grinned at them, a hint of his perversion hidden among a rather pleasant smile. "They're getting a special punishment from Aizawa-sensei. The student guidebook mentions that engaging in sexual activities are prohibited and I doubt the school wants it getting out that four of their promising first years engaged in acts most unspeakable. I did hear one of the objections to the dorms was an increased possibility of…unsightly relationships between students." He then paused and released the full might of his perverse mind. "Though I'm rather jealous of Deku and Todoroki for nailing those two. Probably the hottest girls in our class."
"Ugh, I can't believe you'd think such a thing of them," Ashido said, disgusted. Her voice lowered and added, "I'm also strangely disappointed by that last comment."
Jiro only rolled her eyes. "That might be the least objectionable thing you've said that perverted, though I doubt Momo would be able to look at herself in a mirror if she really was doing as you said. She's a hundred percent the type to wait until marriage."
"Uraraka also wouldn't do what you're suggesting," Asui added. She turned to the other girls. "We should throw Mineta down to fight the third years for suggesting something so gross, unless he's willing to take his words back."
They nodded, but before they could act, Mineta threw up his hands. "Wait! I can totally prove it, though. Uraraka has been acting weird around Midoriya since day one, though it's gotten worse over time. And then Yaoyorozu acts differently when around Todoroki, and that's been going on since the exam before summer."
"Explain," Ashido demanded of Mineta, drops of sickly acid falling from a clenched fist. He nodded, grinning.
"Good you should ask, since my biggest piece of evidence for Uraraka's feelings for Midoriya actually comes from something you said. After we moved into the dorms, you girls were all discussing boys or whatever and you suggested to Uraraka that she liked Midoriya. She then blushed like an embarrassed maiden and floated about as if she was on cloud nine. We all know she does that when she becomes too emotional to control her quirk.
"There's a few other examples, including her reaction to a conversation Kaminari and I had during the Provisional License Exam about the strange blonde girl and what Aoyama mentioned in passing about how they defeated Thirteen during the exams."
"That's circumstantial at best and you know it," Ashido defended. "I won't deny the first thing happened, but that doesn't mean she's off, well, sleeping with him."
"But it means she has feelings and that's the best step forward for a guy trying to get laid," Mineta shot back. "Deny it, I dare you." The pink girl only pursed her lips.
"And Yaoyorozu?" Jiro asked, scowling. "I'm curious what bullshit you got for that."
Mineta shrugged and then admitted, "Oh, my reasoning here is much more circumstantial than with Uraraka and Midoriya, but then again he had a significant impact upon her after the exam where they fought Aizawa-sensei. While I can't guess at what Todoroki thinks of her – hell, I doubt any of us could guess what he thinks of us, I can tell you that Yaoyorozu has, at worse, a mild infatuation for our favorite half and half quirk user.
"Trust me when I say that I'm an expert on the subject of girls among us here – and girls don't count, in case you're about to protest – so trust me when I say that a girl has feelings for a guy. Feelings enough she could end up in his bed, should he play his cards right."
It wasn't enough to save him from being tossed off the balcony by Asui's tongue, though she was kind enough to release him as close to the ground as she could.
Mt. Lady glanced over at her young charges when they sneezed. She smirked at how they glanced at each other and shivered, as if someone unsettling was speaking about them. 'Knowing the little I do about their classmates, I shouldn't be surprised.' Their eyes broke away from each other and went to her and when their cheeks turned pink, she shot them a smug grin.
"You know, there's something I've been wondering," Mt. Lady drawled, watching, as they grew tense and nervous. "Those boys you were with last night. Do you have a crush on them?
"What? Deku?" Ochaco mumbled, her naturally pink cheeks a burning crimson. "I…I don't have…a…a…"
Momo rested her face in her hands, pushing her cheeks back, as she whispered to herself, "Do I like Todoroki? No, that can't be possible. He's decent and all, but he clearly has daddy issues and that's unattractive in a guy."
The pro hero sighed, disappointed by the denial. She shouldn't be surprised, since she was the same at their age. It was only once she became Mt. Lady and got her feet underneath her as a pro hero that she realized the depths of her feelings. 'Well, if they won't tell me, I'll just keep it my little secret then. Can't wait until they figure it out, though it might make things more awkward.'
"There's something I wish I heard as a student," Mt. Lady said, breaking the girls out of their clouds of denial. "That as important as it is to focus on becoming the best hero you can be, you shouldn't set aside the things that make us human. Spending time with friends and family, even dating. There were…opportunities that I missed out on."
They blinked; clearly shocked she'd bring up a topic like this.
"Something you should do before you graduate is to seriously think about your future. Do you want to have a family, even children, after becoming a pro hero?" Mt. Lady paused, watching how they looked away, eyes cloudy in thought. "You should seriously think about it.
"It's very common, I've found speaking with older heroes, to want to settle down and build a family. Of every profession in our society, pro heroes struggle the most on achieving this common goal. Our profession is dangerous and given that many of us have our personal information out in the open for anyone to find, you could easily paint a target not only on your own back, but on those of your loved ones. And villains love nothing more than threatening a hero through their loved ones, especially spouses and children." She drummed her fingers on the couch she sat on. "Don't think I'm back tracking on what I said earlier. If you find yourself falling in love, even wanting more, go for it with the same rigor you show in your hero studies. Just remember there are risks, risks not only for you but whomever you may choose. And once you sort out your feelings, tell them. They deserve to know."
They nodded and Mt. Lady watched them, wondering who would speak first.
"Thank you for your advice," Momo said, holding one hand with another. She grimaced and continued, saying, "I understand what you're saying, but the only thing I truly want from my future is to one day become a research professor, like my mother, contributing in more ways than just a regular pro hero."
"Oh?" the pro hero said, surprised. "U.A. seems like a strange school for a researcher, but I guess they do have one of the best programs for training and studying quirks, even if it's your own." She then paused and grinned. "Unless that's the impact you want to make. Your quirk is very impressive and I did peek at your file. Neither of your parents or grandparents have a quirk even vaguely similar to yours."
Momo nodded, growing in confidence and excitement. "Exactly, Mt. Lady. If I can learn the specifics of how my quirk works, the chances for inheritability, and other means of using quirks. The ways I convert my body mass into inorganic objects have a wide array of applications and I've always wondered about the impact of quirks on transfusions. The laws for blood transfusions is so specific one would think it affected quirks. If we could transfer a quirk from one person to another…"
"It could eliminate quirklessness overnight," Mt. Lady mumbled, fingers held up to her mouth. She stared at the young, dark haired girl. 'I…I'm impressed. She's thought a lot about this and it shows.'
"Wow," Ochaco said, rubbing the back of her head. "Your reasoning sounds so lofty compared to mine. I just wanted to become a pro hero to help support my parents. Their construction business has been struggling for a few years. Thanks to U.A.'s scholarship I'm able to go here without hurting my parents financially, though if I hadn't got it, I doubt I would be attending. Though I've been sorta rethinking everything."
"There's nothing wrong with that," Momo said. "It's noble in its own way. Not all of us can be selfless beacons of heroic ideals like Midoriya."
Ochaco grinned, cheeks a tad pinker than normal and Mt. Lady found herself nodding in agreement. She heard rumors about the boy and it seemed he was a second All Might in the making.
"Goals are important in life," she added. "They motivate you, give you something to aim for. And, should you aim high enough and achieve those goals, you could be remembered and known for something important. Deciding that, though, is on you."
A chilling breeze filled the land of dreams as Deku stared at Nana in horror. "What are you speaking of?" he asked. "What do you mean he doesn't have a lot of time left? Those words, that shocking thing he had heard, threatened to undo him.
Nana sighed, a painful sound from the spirit of the one who came before All Might. The connection of One for All bound them together nearly as tight as their relationship with Yagi Toshinori. "I'll need to speak quickly, Izuku. I don't know how much more time I have left to me. You need to understand that since the flame of One for All left Toshinori following his fight with All for One, his life force has been dwindling away in a manner that shouldn't be possible. I don't know if it can be stopped, but if it is possible, then every other vessel of our quirk must come together to save him." She paused, fists clenching, and added, "Be careful. All for One has been the downfall for multiple vessels of One for All. Even in prison, his influence spreads far and wide through the villainous underbelly."
"What should I do?" Deku asked. "What can I do?"
Nana smiled, soft and warm, though her eyes watered with tears. "Be careful, young Midoriya. My grandson, the person All for One has selected to succeed him, is far more dangerous than anyone suspects. Do not face him unless you can defeat him without risk of death. You easily have the potential to surpass both Toshinori and myself as a hero. Don't let that hope be destroyed by a mistake."
Deku woke up, slow, tired, and found that his eyes were wet when he rubbed his face. 'Her grandson…she couldn't mean Shigaraki, right?' He sat up in his bed and turned to find Todoroki standing nearby, focused on a phone. Midoriya's phone, he realized, noting the Silver Age All Might dangling from a corner. The other boy was dressed in a new hero uniform – black bodysuit with smoky grey armor to regulate his temperature and a heavy utility belt with a dozen pockets and pouches. There also appeared to be a hood on his uniform, but he couldn't tell.
The heterochromatic boy looked up. "You're awake. About time."
"How long have you been waiting?" Deku asked, mouth dry and sticky. "And with my phone."
"Only a few minutes," Todoroki said, handing the device over. "It was on the floor when I entered, vibrating. I went to check who it was. I, uh well…"
"You didn't." He sighed, rubbing his freckled face. "Who was trying to get in touch with me?" Deku asked, sliding out of bed.
"Texts from my sister since we went back and forth a little using your phone from earlier, but most were from All Might. In fact, he sent a few dozen."
Deku frowned. 'Oh. I guess he wouldn't be aware of that. He guessed at my relationship with All Might before, but my messages reveal…a lot.'
Todoroki nibbled at his lower lip, clearly considering something. Deku was tempted to ask what it was, but held back. The heterochromatic boy had been confrontational in the past. There was no reason to think he wouldn't be, should the scenario be important enough.
They remained silent, staring at each other. The only sound in the room was a ticking clock, every second going by with a tick, tick, tick. There was a strange anger, like a pot of water slowly bubbling as it approached a boil.
He glanced at Todoroki, who stared at him with an odd expression. It reminded Deku of, well, he wasn't sure. Just that the only words that seemed fitting to describe the look was confused, and maybe surprised.
The seconds continued to tick past and soon became a minute, and then two. Time, for all that it seemed to impress upon him with the ticking, passed in a manner that made it almost irrelevant in the moment.
And then there was a pounding on the door. Todoroki, as the one standing, went to the door and opened it. Kamui Woods, dressed in his dark hero uniform, entered the room, glancing between the two.
Bakugo followed Iida into the dark workroom. They were in the Support Annex near the gym complex. While he was nervous about entering the workroom adjacent to the studio of pro hero Power Loader, there was no sign of said hero. The door opened with a soft slide, barely audible, and they entered with padded footsteps. Once the door was closed, the pink haired girl they were meeting appeared.
"You brought a friend," she said to Iida with a frown. Bakugo snorted, arms crossed.
"Don't be so disappointed, Q," he grumbled, coming forward. "I happen to know more than four eyes about what's going on."
"Oh?" she asked, eyes glimmering. She came forward and poked her head around him. "I saw the design you sent in. I loved the grenade gauntlets, though you could do better. You should come by in your uniform some time. I'd love to see what I could do with it. The stuff I added to Deku's, along with our friend here, were pretty good."
"Enough," Iida commanded. "We're here to exchange information, not to entertain Mei's…eccentric nature."
"Fine," Mei pouted. She plopped onto a cleared table and swung her legs out like an excited child.
"I'll start then," she said, grinning. "There are four of your classmates involved, though I hope you know this already. Two of them I worked with during the Sports Festival and the other two were on another team. Yours, I want to say," she told Iida. "I had to help make stealth suits for them. Unfortunately I only had plans from their initial orders to go with, since apparently I wasn't allowed to modify their usual uniforms for their mission. I was able to get some notes on changes since, so I could add any useful modifications."
"Probably to keep us from getting too suspicious," Bakugo said with his arms crossed. "If those went missing, we'd all know something odd was up. It's smart, making fresh stealth suits."
"Indeed," Mei said. She then pouted. "I just wish I had more time to make those babies perfect. Power Loader rushed me on them."
"Thank you for telling us," Iida said. He then turned to Bakugo. "What do you know?"
"I spoke with All Might earlier," he started. "He didn't tell me much, but I suspect some of the teachers know about the mission. What they do know, can't say. Also, the Chief of Police was here at U.A. today. Something bad must've happened, for he spoke with All Might. Also, there's been two pro heroes watching our dorm every night for the past few weeks yet as we made our way here, I saw no sign they were on patrol tonight."
"Who?" Iida asked. "I was unaware we had extra security."
"Not surprising," Bakugo said. "They don't want us thinking the villains might attack us on campus, four eyes. Anyways, I saw that gigantic bimbo and Kamui Woods."
"Mt. Lady deserves your respect," Iida lectured as Bakugo rolled his eyes.
"Sure, once she breaks into the top fifteen heroes in Japan. She's what, in the three hundreds? She's only involved since she's a recent graduate who hangs around for free food like a parasite and most of her fans are creeps like grape head.
"Yet what should have you interested is the four off on the mission. For what sounds like a stealth mission, only ponytail and maybe round cheeks make sense."
Iida frowned. "What do you mean?"
Bakugo slapped his face. "Are you being retarded? Deku and half-and-half have powerful and destructive quirks, as much as I hate to admit it. The latter also doesn't have his Provisional License yet. Round cheeks' gravity quirk would be useful for sneaking around out of sight while ponytail can make whatever she wants."
"That answers the question of how they got recruited," Iida said.
"Deku probably got caught training outside after curfew," Bakugo said, peeved. "Saw him doing it myself once, so I'd bet the pro heroes would catch him too. Why they'd then recruit him, dunno. Maybe it's punishment, being put on a dangerous mission, or he volunteered and they're so desperate they need help from someone like him. Doubt it'll teach him not to sneak around after curfew, but it keeps him busy."
"And the others?" Iida pressed.
Bakugo scowled. "It's bullshit that they got picked and I didn't. Half-and-half, as I already said, failed the Provisional License Exam just like me, so he's breaking the law. Don't know how he got involved, but that's the facts as it appears."
"Aoyama told me he saw both Todoroki and Yaoyorozu out after curfew last night," Iida added, frowning. "You think that might be why they both got recruited?"
"Likely," Bakugo admitted through gritted teeth. "She got in on a recommendation and was first on the written exam, so don't care she was included."
"But Uraraka's involvement bothers you," Iida said. "She nearly beat you during the Sports Festival."
"Nearly being the operative word, dipshit," Bakugo growled. 'Can't believe she got included while I didn't. She ain't as bad as the other extras, but she's barely a supporting character, let alone someone important or even a sidekick.' He scowled at Iida, getting a concerned frown in return. 'And stupid four eyes had to bring up her near win. I can't believe it still bothers me months later.' "If I could get away with breaking a rule, or even get rewarded like they did, I'd do so in a heartbeat."
"Well, I did break one rule," Mei interjected. Bakugo and Iida turned to her, shocked. She continued without prompting, a sly smile on her face. "I put trackers in their suits even though they didn't want me to do so. I can easily give you a device to track them down, but that's all I'll do. I've done a lot of hard work and crafty engineering to get on Power Loader's good side."
"And you don't want to ruin it," Iida said with a nod. "Thank you for providing this. If we do get caught, we won't mention your involvement."
They turned to a frowning Bakugo. After a long moment, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever. Let's just go after those losers."
Kamui Woods frowned at them. "If you two are having problems, please leave them here. Bringing them into the field could get one of us hurt, or worse. Otherwise, I don't have much in terms of advice for the upcoming mission. Even with my popularity, I've never been good with words."
"Then why are you here?" Todoroki asked. Deku flinched at his tone, though Kamui Woods took it in stride.
"To wish you good luck, naturally," the pro hero said. "The mission starts soon and like it or not, you both need it."
"Thanks," they said, tone almost matching as the word out of their mouths had.
The pro hero nodded, but before he could respond, his wristwatch began to click and flash. Morse code? Deku wondered, watching as Kamui Woods brought it up to read the message. Though his face was wood, something like a frown crossed it. And then he let the arm fall down and faced them.
"We're being activated. Come along. I'll explain the mission en route to our destination."
Todoroki nodded and moved to follow Kamui Woods. Before either left the room, the heterochromatic boy turned back and said, "We'll wait for you outside, Midoriya."
Deku pursed his lips. "There's something I want to talk with you about, actually. And I'd rather us be alone while we speak."
Kamui Woods frowned, at least as much one with a wood face can. He glanced between the two boys and sighed. "You have five minutes and then we leave. Being late will reflect poorly on all of us."
And with that, Kamui Woods left the room, door slammed shut behind him. Todoroki turned to Deku and said, "What do you want to speak to me about?"
It took longer than Inferno had wished, but he finally departed the underground laboratory. He took several steps away from the door down the hallway towards the elevator and turned into a shallow passage. Alone, he collapsed under the stress, exhaustion, and pressure placed upon him. It hurt his knees, falling so, but being able to rest his warm forehead against a cool, metal wall was almost meditative compared to the past 36 or so hours.
He placed a hand against the wall near his head and thought about Selena, already gone to a meeting. 'Oh, I am thankful she is not here. I do not need her questioning my resolve. Our mission will be completed, no matter what becomes of it.'
Yet, as much as Inferno wished to remain there and rest, there was a hotel room booked for him. He stood, straightened out his clothes, composed himself, and departed the facility as if he had gone straight from the lab to the exit. Once outside, he made his way to where he had arrived with Selena and found that a dark sedan waited for him. He didn't speak a single word to the driver, only nodded upon entering and when he stepped out of the vehicle an hour or so later when they reached his hotel.
The trip from the lobby to his room was a blur. The world came back into focus as his knees hit the bed and he was tempted – oh so tempted – to collapse, let his head rest on the pillow, and fall asleep. Instead, he turned to the single piece of luggage he owned, the same that had been with him when he had become Inferno and set down his current path. He smoothed out the worn leather case, somewhere between a large briefcase and a small suitcase, with burnished latches and several locks of varying ages.
Even with his tiredness, he picked up the case and set it down. A moment passed, one of consideration, and then his hands worked across the locks through pure muscle memory. And, once the final one was undone, he opened the case.
On the top of everything inside were two letters. Inferno reached in and grabbed the fresher of the two, opening it. His feet almost dance upon the floor as he turned to sit, plopping down with a weighty shift. He drew out the letter and read it, something he had done more often than anyone could guess. They were words he knew well, better than nearly any. They were words scarred upon his heart, seared into his soul.
'To my dearest husband,
'I will miss you more than anyone has missed another. A part of me has left to join you abroad, a part that I won't regain until you return to me. Oh, how I yearn to have you wake beside me in our bed, to hold me tightly through the cold nights, to watch you gaze upon our child with that fond smile which makes me fall in love with you all over again.
'I hope that you return before our child can come to feel the emptiness you leave in our home. I want our child to know the joy and love of having a father as well as a mother. To learn the countless things you have to teach them, to guide and advise as they grow up and join the rest of society, and to stand by me as they leave home to start a life of their own. And, should you return soon, we will more children to join our first. Siblings to look after and love just as we look after and love our child.
'Oh, please return to me as soon as you can, my dear.
'For I will always remain your loving and faithful wife.'
He set the letter aside as tears streaked from his eyes and down his cheeks. He wouldn't dare to tarnish such a precious reminder of who he was, of why he does what he must. Forgive, my love. I do this for you, for our child whose face I cannot imagine. I have tried so many times to envision their face, but I cannot do it. Please think me dead, for I fear you would turn away from me should you learn of what I will do.
'If I should be fortunate to see you again, I hope I do not need to ask if you love me.'
About a quarter mile from the main terminals of Hosu International Airport (servicing U.A. High School, alumnus of All Might) was the old regional airport building. Selena was dropped off outside the haggard structure with a large, touristy suitcase spotted to look like a leopard. Inferno had gotten it for her as a gag gift, especially since her family persona was that of an airhead and such a thing would fit it.
A sad smile crept across her face at the thought of her family. It was strange, knowing that she worked with the same people they were desperate to take down. 'Dad was a cop, and so were his father and his father going back for generations. Brother is a cop too, though I cannot say what his position is again. He'll even buy it, though I wonder what stupid gift he'll have for me.'
A shuttle sat near the building, the door open, and Selena had to dash over and catch it. The driver frowned as she stumbled on, nearly tripping in four-inch heels. She smiled, dragging the oversized suitcase inside behind her.
"Let me help," a low voice said. Muscular arms reached out and it took everything not to snap them.
"Oh, thank you so much," Selena said in a simper. The man grinned and she internally rolled her eyes and scoffed. Even so, she let him guide her to a seat and then she proceeded to ramble on and on about fashion and nails and, because it was good fun, made sure everything she spoke of was exactly five years and four months out of date. The man had some sense of fashion, for after the arrived at the main terminal, he helped her out of the shuttle and then rushed off on some false emergency.
'I should've taped that somehow for Inferno. It would make him smile, at least.' Selena sighed, realizing exactly what she'd just thought. For all of the stress, all of the near misses of her double life, it was worth it to help him. There was so much she stilled owned him, it was unlikely she would ever repay that great debt.
So there she stood, in front of Hosu International, with her family suitcase and her family persona, yet her thoughts were plagued with the villainous work that couldn't bleed through. 'It might just be for the best, getting away. Seeing that experiment – that process – again was too much. Dammit Inferno. How much longer will this take?' And then her phone rang. It began with a horn call and then the lyrics, fast and poppy, kicked in.
'Welcome to youkoso japari paaku
'Kyou mo dottan battan oosawagi'
'Ugh, this is what I get for letting Inferno pick my ringtone.' She pulled her phone out and flicked it open before the song could continue. Even so, a few people looked her way and a couple even smirked. At least one of them staring her way was a grinning child.
"MOSHI MOSHI SELENA DESU!" she said, pitching her voice high in her range. It would tick her brother off, which was exactly why she had done it.
"Just tell me which terminal you're at," her brother grumbled. "Sometimes I prefer you staying out of the country."
"Ah, that's so mean," Selena pouted. "I thought you loved me, big brother."
"The terminal, Selena."
She sighed. "Fine, fine. Terminal Two like usual. You'd think you would remember."
He puffed into the phone, pushing her back a little. "Things at work have been rough recently. Everyone's been a bit under the weather, with All Might retired and all."
"It was really sad to see," Selena said and while she wouldn't admit it, she was honest. Even as a villain, it was difficult to not admire All Might, if only for the fact he stood for ideals over greed or a desire for fame. "Just let me know when you get here."
Her brother didn't respond. Instead, her phone beeped into her ear and she pulled it away to see he had hung up on her. Selena blinked, mouth slightly agape at the sight. She never thought he'd have the guts to do such a thing.
She was apparently wrong, for a loud car horn caught her attention. She nearly jumped out of her fur, turning to watch as her brother's car pulled up. Rushing over, Selena's suitcase nearly tipped onto its side. With a bit of luck and skill, she was able to get it to the car, where her brother had jumped out and helped her load it into the trunk.
Large paw-like hands grasped her shoulders and turned Selena to face her brother. He had come from work, for he was dressed in the dark uniform of the police. She scanned it, wondering if she could gleam something of interest from the decorations and accomplishments. And then she spotted a fascinating pin on his shoulders and lapel, one that made her grin.
"Why big brother," Selena drawled, grinning. "When were you going to tell me you were the Chief of Police for Hosu?"
To Be Continued
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!