Himiko Toga felt her knife break as she struck her enemy, his skin hardening to protect from harm. It made no difference, she knew how to fight these kinds of opponents. From her belt she grabbed her kali batons, one for each hand. They made little damage, but were fast, nimble, and extended her reach for grappling. She managed to get in close, poked at the enemy´s eyes, and, dropping her right-side baton to grab a backup knife, she jammed it through the man´s ear. But he wasn't the only one, the ghostly images of fighters circling around her, ready to strike. A young man with a scarred face attacked her with blue flames. A lizard guy tried to cut her in two with a sword made of knives, held together by belts. A sickly man tried to dissolve her with his hands. They were all familiar. She jumped at the last second out of death hands guy´s attack, and he struck fire guy instead. The screams were horrible. She used her baton to deflect the lizard´s sword into hand guy´s forearms. His hands fell off. A throwing knife in the eye took down the lizard guy.
From the mist emerged more people. These rang a bell a bit more, Toga felt some anger towards them. A brown-haired girl tried to grapple with her but putting herself in distance of the kali sticks gave her a disadvantage. Toga broke the brunette´s wrist, then sliced her throat open. But the liquid that sprayed her was acid, burning her hand, as a pink skinned girl attacked her. A throwing knife put her down, but Toga´s left hand was burnt badly, and she couldn't hold her baton with it. A strong woman in a costume with bunny ears jumped at her next, kicking her on the side, knocking out the air in her lungs. Another kick disarmed Toga, and another broke her fingers before she could get a new weapon. A kick of her own pushed back the rabbit woman, and then she was fighting a green haired teenager. He was familiar "Izu-Izu?" She knew him! But something was off about Izu-Izu, his eyes were not the same. Red eyes were in their place, red eyes with no mercy. Power surged through Izu-Izu´s body, and he punched Toga through the chest.
Toga woke up with a start, shivering, covered in cold sweat. The London hotel room she shared with Izuku had a controlled climate, and still she felt a cold tingle on her skin. The dream had been horrible, but it was just a dream. Izu-Izu was on the other bed, he didn't have red eyes, and he wasn't going to punch her to death anytime soon. She pushed the dream away from her mind and decided she´d sleep easier cuddled with her hero. Removing the covers, she slid in behind Izuku, who was sleeping on his left side. She huddled close, enjoying every second of it. She passed her arm over him and nuzzled her face into his neck, his hair tickling her nose. She felt an urge to bite his neck. Maybe when he is awake, he might even like it! She could feel Izuku´s steady heartbeat through their t-shirts. If she wasn't as sleepy as she was, she´d probably have stayed up and just enjoyed the moment. Damn you, exhaustion!
Izuku Midoriya took a drink out of his coffee mug and reviewed the camera surveillance on his tablet one more time. Toga was out, getting food and supplies for the apartment they shared with Holy Diver. They were supposed to keep a low profile while they looked for more leads, at the moment in Great Britain´s capital city, so Izuku was even more careful than in Florida, where no one looked twice at a green haired tourist. Apparently, the hero Deku was starting to gain renown in Europe, so he went out less. The CIA agent with them, Flight Plan, had used his drones to get eyes on a few suspicious activities by criminals, and at the moment they were trying to piece together any clues to Pestilentia´s whereabouts.
Izuku knew the villain was as likely to be hiding deep in the wilderness or the countryside as he was to be hiding in plain sight, just as All for One had been in Kamino Ward. And given the reach of his organization, Midoriya inferred he likely had people with warping Quirks, or Quirks against detection, so it was likely they would not find him easily. Their plan was to catch one of his underbosses and make him talk, and to do that, they had to find one first, and whoever was coordinating their London operations was a good bet.
The camera footage showed close to sixty activities, but three stood out to Izuku: a cargo shipment arriving at the docks, heavily guarded by men armed with weapons illegal in Britain; some sort of big drug deal in an alley; a kidnapping in broad daylight, the victim, a member of Parliament, released a few hours later near the Shard. What would Sir Nighteye think when seeing this? The kidnapping was probably just a message to the politician, a threat, so its not directly related, but we could look at the kidnappers´ Quirks and start preparing. Four criminals, all were masked and dressed in dark pinstripe suits. One used a quirk that turned his hands and forearms into rope to restrain the victim. Another appeared to have double articulation on his legs and arms. The other two didn't display active Quirks, but one had eyes glowing green menacingly at the victim. An offensive Quirk? Maybe like Aizawa-sensei´s? With that, he could cross-reference with the other crimes; the glowing eyes man was in the drug deal, apparently as the leader for one side, this time his face was obscured by a hood; the rope arms guy was helping unload cargo at the docks, with no mask this time. "Gotta tell the agents" Izuku mumbled.
The crimes were definitely related, the perps were definitely the same gang, but was there a connection to Pestilentia? The activity was low-profile enough to fit with what Izuku knew about the villain and seemed to move the appropriate amount of money and cargo, as well as the intimidation factor.
Izuku referenced his own notes on the supervillain, taken from what he could find in Hero Network sources and the American´s intel. Quirk: unknown, own speculation suggests mental type Quirk, more information needed to determine whether control or enhancement based, might also be age based. Appearance: unknown, inference; either average, or too distinctive to show in public. Age: unknown, suspected to either have average lifespan or enhanced like AfO. Sphere of Influence: Europe, Middle East, Asian partnership with AfO (terminated in Operation Skywalker), connections in South America, partnership with Villareal Cartel in Mexico. Little influence in the USA and Canada, Australia and the South Pacific. Expected to have at least one subordinate in each area. Connections to other top villains suspected but unconfirmed.
Based on what they knew, Izuku had little material to plan for a direct confrontation. He suspected a mind-based Quirk or one that allowed him to live longer as an explanation of his criminal influence and the reach of his shadow hand. But that said nothing about his henchmen. All for One had powerhouses like Dabi, the Nomus and Kurogiri, Overhaul had men like Rappa and Mimic…who knew what Pestilentia could have. At least now they knew three of their guys, and that was something.
He felt a small shift in the air to his right, turning immediately to the source. Toga was just millimetres away, opening a soda. She smiled her crooked grin "Brought ya something to eat, Izu-Izu!" She handed him a fish and chips sandwich and took a seat next to him. "Working on something?" "Yeah, trying to figure out how to get that Pestilentia guy. Hmm…I think I never asked you if the League knew anything more?" "Shigaraki knew little but sure, what would you like to know?" "I know the approximate size of his operations, but don't have any idea of his underlings or his own Quirk, do you know anything about that?" "I kinda have a feeling it was something to do with communication, All for One never got any calls on the phone but he told us one or two times they had spoken. And Shigaraki had no contact so he could never talk to him. Maybe telepathy? The underlings…I think once a guy with white hair visited All for One, but I don't know if he was one of Pestilentia´s guys. Any progress on the leads?" "These three crimes are related; the same guys are there. I think we should find them and capture them, and get them to talk about their boss, and then go up all the way." "Nice! When do we start kicking asses?" Izuku heard silent walking behind them. Much louder than Toga? And miss Holy Diver is a trained commando? "You can start tonight, kids, the drones caught signs of something big at the Parliament happening sometime in the night at an emergency session called by the Prime Minister."
Shouto Todoroki was channel surfing news broadcasts, hoping to learn about other heroes worldwide and become a better hero himself. After meeting Aoyama´s cousin, the French hero known as the Black Cat during his vacation with Momo, Shouto had been much more curious about heroes outside Japan. Most news programmes were reporting on the African Quirk War, a growing tragedy that he felt powerless to stop. If all the power of the United States and its allies wasn't stopping that warlord, a hero sworn to defend Japan wasn't going to be much help. He switched channels, until he found an interesting one:
"Good night, ladies and gentlemen, this is John Wilcox for BBC News, with an emergency news broadcast just outside the Parliament. As far as we know, all MP´s present, as well as Prime Minister Edwards, have been taken hostage by the MP for Croydon North, Alistair Sweeney, along with a band of masked men. The MP took the Parliament hostage just twenty minutes ago, police are just now forming a perimeter outside Westminster…Wait, I there´s a commotion from the inside…Officer, has the police made their move?" A middle-aged officer with a Sikh headdress and a mighty beard answered "That is not one of ours, and no heroes have arrived on scene yet. The criminals may be fighting amongst themselves".
Momo had joined him at the couch, intrigued that he was up this early; their last couple of weeks had been mostly hero work late in the night, and sleeping in the day. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and asked "Shouto, why are you still up? We returned four hours ago from Hosu and you´ve not yet come to bed." "I…just lost track of time, Momo. I´ll be there in a few, this looks important." "I guess I´ll have to stay so I can drag you when its over, then?" She smiled mischievously. "Just this news story and you can drag me all the way" Shouto smiled at his girlfriend and then turned back to the broadcast.
"There is definitely something happening inside, it sounds like someone using a powerful Quirk for combat!" One of the Palace´s windows, an old and beautiful piece of glasswork, exploded into a thousand pieces, blown away by a green beam of energy and a shockwave of air. Shouto raised an eyebrow. This was becoming most interesting. He wished Izuku was in Japan to analyse the Quirks used, his insight was always showing new angles on situations that Shouto would have never thought of. The newscaster turned to the camera again, "The situation has developed from a hostage situation, to a possible fight between the perpetrators. We know the Quirk of apparent ringleader for this terrorist act, Alistair Sweeney, from his medical records; the power to manipulate cathodic tubes, the ones used in early telly systems. We would like to remind the viewers that the usage of Quirks in public without a license is against the law and is punishable by a minimum of five years in prison." Shouto was surprised by that, Japan had pretty strict regulations but that was a pretty big step up.
Behind the couch on the First Response Team´s living room, Shouto heard the door open. He looked back to see Uraraka and Tokoyami arriving from an extended investigation in Kamino Ward. "Hey guys, how did it go?" asked Momo. Shouto nodded as a way to say hello. "Greetings. My heart is grieved, for we have returned empty-handed. The museum burglar is still at large, and the truth eludes us still." Tokoyami seemed gloomier than normal. Maybe Shouto could ask him about it when they talked next time, after some rest for everyone. He was no Izuku for helping others with their trouble, but he could always listen to a friend in need. Uraraka just waved lazily and joined them on the couch, slumping next to Momo. "What are you watching?" "A hostage situation in London, we hope to see the British heroes respond quickly and decisively." answered Momo. Tokoyami took his leave, heading for his quarters to get some well-deserved rest. Shouto turned back to the broadcast with Momo and Uraraka.
On the background of the reporter, a large door exploded into splinters. "Gavin, stop recording me, record that!" yelled the reporter, and the camera zoomed in on the door. "Someone´s coming out!" said the reporter, as a figure appeared, carrying two people, one on each arm. It looked just like All-Might rescuing the victims at that disaster from the video that had marked Shouto´s childhood. Except for the fact that the medium-height, athletic man was wearing a simple set of black fatigues and a balaclava. There was something very familiar about him, Shouto thought. Rushing the victims to the police perimeter, the masked man put them down softly, telling the Sikh police chief something in whispers, far away from the camera crew´s microphones. Then he rushed again inside Westminster. "We have just seen a man emerge from inside, saving the MP´s for Aberdeen and Colchester, is this a vigilante? No British hero wears such an outfit." The reporter stopped talking as someone else came out. A short woman wearing SWAT-styled fatigues and a dark grey shemagh headscarf around her face carried a pig-headed man Shouto recognized as the British Prime Minister. He was not exactly as fat as a pig head might suggest, but he was still at least a foot taller, and yet the woman carried him with speed.
"Gavin, we are using that favour with the Police Commandant, follow me!" The camera´s picture became shaky as the reporter and his crew got to the police cordon, just a couple meters away from the officers approaching the Prime Minister. At this distance, they could see woman in the headscarf´s eyes. They were a golden hue with tiny flecks of black, green and orange. Around them the woman had applied quite a bit of eyeliner and eyeshadow. She looked directly at the camera, and Shouto felt a chill run down his spine. Those eyes were very familiar. And then she spoke, confidently addressing the officers and the reporters "We are extracting the wounded, there are just three more, the rest are alright and await our all clear to escape."
Beside him, Uraraka had made a strangled sound. It took her a few seconds to compose herself, and by the time she spoke, the woman was already running back inside Westminster, a Kali baton in each hand. "That BITCH!" yelled Uraraka, waving a fist at the TV. Shouto knew who she was talking about, it had clicked with the voice, even speaking a different language. And the run back inside, that was definitely how Himiko Toga moved, like a predator after its prey.
The Prime Minister was being interviewed, but it wasn't the priority anymore. An old enemy, saving lives in a different country? It was bizarre. But Shouto didn't have time to consider the situation, as the first rescuer came out, two more members of Parliament on his arms and a very small woman, just a few inches taller than Mineta, clinging to his neck. He put them down with the Paramedics, careful not to hurt them in any way. One of them, a young-looking politician with scaly hair, seemed to have both legs broken, and Shouto thought he could see the signs of a concussion. It appeared he had fought back. The short woman, who the reporter was just identifying as the Speaker of the House, Bernadette Collins, was bleeding from an abdominal wound into a well-placed bandage. The third MP, an elderly man, clutched his right hand in pain; the bandage around it was completely soaked in blood.
"Watch out!" yelled one of the officers as another window broke into a thousand pieces, a masked man in a bespoke black suit bursting through, a grenade launcher on his right hand. The criminal fired. The cameraman didn't move, he had to be frozen in fear. Shouto held his breath. Two loud snaps filled the air, and then the explosive was caught in mid-air, exploding in a very small air bubble. The first rescuer held up his hand, his index and middle finger extended as if he had just flicked them. It is your power! "Oh fuck" muttered Shouto. "No" whimpered Uraraka. As if that wasn't obvious enough, with a leap, the rescuer caught up with the criminal and kicked him in a very familiar fashion. Shoot Style sent the criminal flying through the air, his left arm flailing in thin, rope-like strands. The man who was clearly Izuku Midoriya followed, tackling the rope arms man when he got up, taking the fight back inside. It was enough for Shouto, he couldn't see any more. This was too much to take in, let alone process, and if he tried to do so while sleep deprived it would undoubtedly lead to much suffering. Beside him, Uraraka had grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. "What is happening?" she sobbed "Why was Deku-kun there? Why was SHE there?" It was all Shouto and Momo could do to give their friend a hug and help her get to bed. They had to contact Izuku soon, they had to know he was alright. But it had to wait, at the moment Shouto felt so frustrated by his friend that he knew he would say something we would regret later.
At 11 A.M. the rest of the team was gathered, waiting for a more detailed briefing about the hostage situation in the Parliament, and any word on Midoriya being involved. The British news had apparently prepared a special report for their late-night news programme, and so far, it was the most direct source of information, as the British government hadn't given them anything with their request on the hero network. Iida pressed the play button on the recording, starting just before the report.
"…and that is all for the moment in the developing situation in the mountains of northern China. Onto our special report on the deeds that occurred earlier today. From a beginning that screamed of the Guy Fawkes plot to a heroic conclusion, we have the inside scope on the facts.
"From security camera footage, released by the London Metropolitan Police, we have been able to more accurately piece together what transpired. An emergency Parliament meeting started at 9 P.M., at 9:05 MP for Croydon North, Alistair Sweeney, excused himself to the lavatory, taking a briefcase with him. He placed the briefcase in some point of the men´s lavatory, where it detonated. The explosives appear to have been organic matter detonated via Quirk, according to Metro Police ballistics specialists, and thus didn't set off alarms. A team of ten masked terrorists emerged from the blast hole, coming out of a sewer and into the Palace of Westminster. The criminals split up and subdued the five security guards protecting the emergency meeting´s chamber. Three surrendered peacefully, were disarmed and bound with plastic handcuffs, the other two attempted to resist and were grievously injured. Every man and woman in the BBC, we all pray for the guards´ survival and recovery.
"The ten terrorists then stormed the chamber, threatening the MPs with illegal weapons and Quirks. They demanded nuclear launch codes, and to speak with the press. At this point, the MP for Aberdeen, Lillian Stronghold, was chosen to make a phone call to the BBC to get the terrorists their demand, but in a show of incredible bravery, the MP called for help immediately, allowing the police to mobilize for action. The terrorist leader, a man with a Quirk that allows him to project bright green plasma beams from his eyes, identified under the alias "Elias Shreveport", attacked MP Stronghold, causing third degree burns to her leg. By this point, it was 9:15, and the terrorists announced their plan to kill a hostage every five minutes their conditions weren't met. One of the men started beating the Prime Minister, trying to force him to give up the nuclear launch codes. The Police and reporters were still some twelve minutes away.
"At 9.18 P.M., a joint team of SAS operators and MI6 agents used a zipline to cross the street from Jewel Tower, who then rappelled to a window and ambushed the terrorists, taking down one of them in the entrance, and wounding another. In the chaos, the MPs for Colchester, Cardiff and the Speaker of the House attempted to fight back, sustaining injuries. The SAS team chased the criminals out of the chamber, with a pair of them fighting against the terrorist known only as Noodle, with a Quirk that allows him to turn his hands and forearms into steel-tipped, variable length cords, and an escaped convict identified as Jared Tataglia, who used a double articulation Quirk to boost his martial arts. The two SAS operators quickly beat the criminals and immobilised MP Sweeney, allowing the other MP´s to evacuate and find safety in another room away from the fighting.
"The two SAS rescued the injured MP´s, the Speaker, and the Prime Minister, securing them behind the police cordon, and protected the officers and press from a grenade launcher with an air control Quirk. After reassuring the police, they headed in to fight again. Noodle and Tataglia were subdued and captured, along with two others, while the MI6 agents captured the ringleader and one other criminal. The two other terrorists were killed in the crossfire. The identities of the SAS and MI6 operatives are, of course, protected, but we thank them for their timely intervention."
The recording stopped there. Tsuyu spoke first "Wasn't Midoriya doing a course with a hero in the USA? Why was he in London?" Hatsume answered almost immediately "It is definitely a secret project, maybe a joint operation. He would have used my babies if he wasn't hiding his identity!". "But why is THAT BITCH there?" Uraraka asked, cold fury in her eyes. "It didn't really sound like that Toga person, maybe some secret agency made a clone? Or they brainwashed her?" Hatsume tried to be optimistic, only to be a more direct target to Uraraka´s anger. She stopped talking and looked away, fidgeting. "We´ll have to contact Midoriya to see what he can tell us. If it is a secret, like Hatsume thinks, he may not be able to give us the answers we want, but we must ask all the same. I´ll tell you when I arrange the call." finished Shouto.