Amazing Fantasy

by The Infamous Man

Izuku Midoriya was once Quirkless, but a twist of fate gave him great power. Power that he will use to become one of the world's greatest Heroes! But first thing's first: he needs to know how to use them responsibly. And he will with the help of his mentor... Peter Parker? Hang onto your hats True Believers, because this is the birth of the world's strangest Hero... Spider-Man!

15. Issue 14 - Crisis On Campus

Katsuki enjoyed taking his morning shower.

It was one of the few things that didn't piss him off. The feeling of warm water cascading down his body relaxed his muscles and woke him up. It made him feel like he was on some distant planet, alone and peaceful.

It also gave him some time to think.

"Today is the start of a new day." He scrubbed the shampoo in his hair, his eyes closed so that it wouldn't sting them. "Yesterday's shit doesn't mean anything. Deku beat me, and I can't lie to myself about that. All that matters from here on out is getting stronger."

There were many areas in which he needed to improve. First, he would have to up his study time. The first two days attending U.A had been embarrassing on every level, and the only thing that stung worse than losing in the classroom was losing to Deku in a fight. But Deku wasn't his only competition anymore. He had to deal with Four Eyes, Ponytail, and all of the other extras in his class. Then there was his fighting style.

"Maybe I should ask the hag for a spar. She's probably got a few tricks up her sleeve."

He knew that his mom had it kind of rough as a kid, even if he didn't know the specifics. Katsuki asked his dad about it a couple of times when he was younger, but in a surprising show of sternness, the wet blanket told him that the hag would talk to him about it when she was ready. "'Not my story to tell'. What a bunch of bullshit."

She taught him practically everything he knew about fighting. However, there were a few moves that she didn't teach him. Stuff that went beyond fighting dirty and dove straight into lawsuit territory.

"But she said herself that Villains will be trying to kill me. It's not a practice match, so why should I play nice?"

After all, there's no such thing as fighting dirty in an actual fight.

His musings were interrupted by banging on the door. "Katsuki! Hurry the hell up in there! You're going to be late!"

Growling, Katsuki shut off the water. "Shaddup! I was finishing up anyways!"

"Don't tell me to shut up! You're the one who's going to pay if you don't get some breakfast in you!"

He dried himself off and grabbed the U.A uniform he'd thrown on the toilet. In a few minutes he was fully dressed and headed out the door.

The kitchen looked the same always, his dad reading the news on his tablet with a steaming cup of coffee to the side, his mom in front of the stove flipping eggs, and rap music by that old group Soul'd Out playing from the speaker on the countertop to her left. He never got why his mom liked that rap crap. He'll take rock any day of the week, but the hag kept insisting that rap was some misunderstood genre.

He was pretty sure she was the reason why Deku liked the crap. She always had it playing whenever he and the lackeys came over when they were kids.

"Turn that down. I don't wanna hear that while I'm eating." Katsuki complained as he sat down. "Put on the news or somethin'."

"I'm the one giving you free food. I can put on whatever I want." Mitsuki slid a plate with toast, eggs, and ham in front of him. "When you start paying the bills, you get to decide what to put on in the morning."

"Come on, you two." Masaru let out a nervous laugh. "It's the morning. Maybe we could spend one morning without getting into a heated argument? Besides, Mitsuki, isn't it good that he's interested in what's going on in the world?"

Mitsuki scoffed. "Please, he just wants to hear who All Might beat the crap out of on his morning commute. He can just ask the man when he gets there."

"Still…"

"Masaru, come on. Don't tell me you actually want to hear Hero news. They always run the same bullshit stories and they always end with the Heroes winning. What's the point in even watching it?"

"More interestin' than hearing Soul'd Out and Biggie Small Prick." He ignored the scathing glare his mom gave him and tore into his food.

The hag knew how to cook. The eggs were always a perfect over-medium and the ham was firm but not leathery. Nothing was burnt and they were always perfectly seasoned.

"Not that I'll ever tell her that." No need to puff up his mom's ego.

"Ah, shit. It's that late already?" He brought his head up to see Mitsuki turning off the stove and rushing to the coat rack. She put on her cardigan in preparation for her trip. "I have to head to work. I promised them that I would be there and…" She looked to him. "Come on, brat. We'll take the car and I can drop you off since U.A's on my route."

Katsuki took the last bite of his toast. "As if. I'll just walk a-."

He barely even heard her move behind him and only realized it when she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Damn. She's really good at that."

"Come on, Katsuki. You know that paparazzi will be swarming the place. I'll drive you up there and you'll dodge the skeevy tabloid reporters." Mitsuki smirked. "No son of mine's going to be on the front page of the Japan Enquirer!"

"Leave it, hag. I'll walk and deal with those losers myse-OW!" She began dragging him out of his seat by his ear, pinching and pulling like he was some kid! "You bi-!"

He let out another scream as his mom pulled harder. "Don't call your mother a bitch, Katsuki! You're taking a drive with me and that's final!" She turned to Masaru and gave him a light peck on the forehead. "I'm going to be late tonight, so just warm up the plates I left you guys in the fridge. Have a nice day, honey!"

"You too, Mitsuki."

He flailed and tried to break free, but it was no use. She had him good and it would take a fight to get her to back off. But that would waste time and ensure he was late to his third day of class.

He looked at his dad, who began whistling as he turned his full attention to his tablet.

"Oh, you cowardly bastard!"

It took some more tugs, but he eventually caved and allowed his mom to have a victory.

He would take the stupid car ride, but it didn't mean he would like it.

"But if any of those losers see me and laugh about it, I'll kill 'em."

---

"The whole of life is just like watching a film. Only it's as though you always get in ten minutes after the big picture has started, and no-one will tell you the plot, so you have to work it out all yourself from the clues."

Mirai Sasaki, known to the general population as Sir Nighteye, was well aware of the irony as he turned the page of Terry Pratchett's Moving Pictures.

He enjoyed the series immensely, despite how old it was. The books were kept in print by the fact that there were so many to make movies out of. They were varying in quality and so much about the setting was changed. Mostly out of necessity due to the existence of Quirks, but the most egregious of the changes was in the style of humor.

They sapped Pratchett's deadpan sense of humor that gave the setting so much life. Modernized it for today's audience, making the jokes not land as effectively.

"I cannot abide by studio executives who cannot see what is truly funny."

Mirai also appreciated this deadpan, yet witty humor because it suited his disposition. He was well aware he could not be like All Might, his former partner, and make people feel at ease with a joke and a laugh. So some wordplay and humorous observations were able to elicit the happiness Heroes swore to instill in all those around them.

"And I suppose there's an extra bit of irony in reading this, considering the operation."

A knock came from the door to his office, the rappings to the tune of "Shave and a Haircut". An old gag, one that will need to be addressed after the mission.

"Come in." Mirai shut his book and adjusted his tie, glancing at the small desk mirror he had. Josu Moashi, his sidekick Centipeder, came in with his immaculate black suit. The florescent lights reflected off of his polished centipede head.

"Sorry for disturbing you, sir." Moashi walked up to the desk and placed a small packet on top of it. "But we just received a copy of the warrant and the memo for the meeting."

Mirai hummed as he picked up the memo. He had been rehearsing his presentation for the past few days. He needed the rundown for the raid to be precise while containing all necessary information. "Have we gotten anything from Endeavor?"

"Yes. The warehouse was purchased by Moraband Industries. A shell company with a convincing website that lists a Ludwig Rineart as the CEO." Moashi chuckled. "Seems like this Mysterio guy is really committed to the character. Endeavor says that it was one of the comic character's aliases."

"If nothing else, it does allow us more freedom should there be an altercation." Heroes needed to be careful when they fought Villains. Insurance can only cover so much. But if the only thing that was damaged was a warehouse that was owned by a Villain, then they only needed to worry about attacks and debris reaching civilians outside.

Which wouldn't be the problem with the police helping to clear out the area in advance.

"And the Heroes?"

"Well, Fat Gum's agency accepted our invitation and is willing to participate under your command." Moashi glanced at the wall that showed the limited edition All Might poster Mirai had spent hard-earned money procuring. "Endeavor's busy with his own investigation and his sidekicks are handling guard duty at the Poli Mana Hospital. As for independent Pros… well, the only ones free were Snatch and Rock Lock."

The sidekick shifted uncomfortably.

"Sir… why couldn't you get Mirio out of class today?"

Mirai glanced from the papers. "The school year has just started. There's no need to disturb Mirio before he can get acclimated with his new classes and classmates."

"But Fat Gum brought Suneater…"

"What Fat Gum does with his sidekick is his business." He glowered at his sidekick, who probably saw that he wasn't going to achieve anything with his protests. "We can have Mirio assist us later in the year. Right now we need to focus on disrupting Mysterio's trafficking ring." He drummed his fingers on his desk. "Now, I think Bubble Girl needs some help setting up the coffee and complimentary doughnuts in the meeting room…"

"Sir, I don't think that's neces-."

"Or we can talk about how… lacking in humor your entrance was."

"I'll go make sure that Bubble Girl has everything in order." With that, Moashi rushed out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Mirai sighed and looked around his office. All the All Might memorabilia, his office practically a shrine to the man he admired and whose dream he fully believed in.

A man who wouldn't speak to him unless absolutely necessary. The few conversations they had since All Might's interview with Mirio were stiff and lacking the warmth they once shared.

He looked at his poster, All Might's beaming smile seemed almost accusing rather than hopeful.

"You may have disapproved of my pressuring, All Might… but it did give you a successor."

It was to secure a future. A future that still had a Symbol of Peace.

"Then why am I nervous?"

Mysterio was more than just some upstart Villain. For months, Mirai had been using his Quirk and seeing visions of a future that disquieted him. Mentions of Mysterio, a Villain he had never even heard of, whispered in their futures;. News stories that weren't in the futures of past criminals suddenly came into existence in brief flashes.

He couldn't check on those he had captured. Touch them and see their future again, and he wouldn't be able to use his Quirk on their compatriots.

How could he convince the government that the future was becoming uncertain when he could hardly believe it himself?

"It has to be something minor. Perhaps Mysterio was mentioned and I never noticed until now. Maybe he was a minor pawn and this operation is his downfall."

That had to be it. The future was set in stone, and all Mirai could do was try and help forge one that still contained smiles.

He looked down at his papers.

One of them was a profile, general information in bullet points to the left and a picture on the top right. It was a pale-skinned boy so dainty that one might mistake him for a girl at a glance. His hair was cut short and colored a light lime-yellow green, matching the two cat ears on the top of his head. His blue-green eyes were downcast, as if he were ashamed to be in front of the camera while his mouth was pressed into a tight line. His uniform was tight, showing the boy's thin frame and fingers that were in the middle of fidgeting.

Everything about this teenager was indicative of someone who had little confidence in the world or himself.

"And yet…"

Mirai glanced at the header of the profile.

Rei Narukami

Alias: Boomerang

Known Associate(s): Mysterio, All For One (?)

---

"This freakin' sucks."

Katsuki stared out the window watching the city. Businessmen were going to their offices to sell crap or move around like drones, students were heading to their schools, and both college students and grown adults were making a line to trendy coffee shops.

"But they don't have to deal with an old hag nagging at them all the time."

"Man, would you look at that line!" Mitsuki snorted as she made a left at an intersection. "They line up to shell out five hundred yen for their soy lattes and golden frappucinos. Do you have any idea how quickly that crap adds up? I'm glad we've got our own drip coffee maker at the office, otherwise I'd be forced to buy from them to get through the day!" She shrugged. "The pumpkin spice lattes are good, I'll give em' that."

"I don't want to hear about the crap you drink." Katsuki crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Just take me to U.A. That's all I care about right now."

"Come on, Katsuki. You can't just sit and sulk the entire trip." She pointed outside to some extras wearing U.A uniforms. "And you should be grateful! You get to get some extra time to sit back and relax!"

"If I relax I'll fall behind! That's the last thing I want to do."

"God, you don't have to act like every moment of your life is training." His mom stopped in front of a red light. "Look, when I was younger I had to work my ass off too. But I also knew when to take it easy."

He clicked his tongue and looked away. "Aw, shaddup. I don't wanna hear about your life story."

"From what your dad said, that's a big fat lie."

"She always has a damn comeback." It was annoying. The hag always seemed to have something to poke holes in his statements, and then had a comeback for his own. "Believe what you want. But the last thing I need is for you to go on and on about nonsense you'll forget in a few days."

His mom didn't say anything for a few seconds. He glanced at her and saw that her lips were pursed. She was looking down at her wheel, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Damn it…" If he didn't try to solve this now then it would become a thing when he got back. "If you wanna talk about it, we can do it on the weekend. Y'know, during a spar or somethin'."

"Nah, it's fine. Don't wanna weigh you down with my sob story." The light turned green and she went with the traffic. "So, how's U.A? It's been two days. You getting along with your classmates?"

Katsuki tried to hide his grimace. "It's… fine. And I don't need to get along with extras. They're not important to becoming a Hero."

"Come on, Katsuki. Getting along with your classmates is important for your future. I mean, not only do you get to make friends but you also make connections." Katsuki could already see U.A. Reporters hounded the extras up and down the sidewalk, shooting pictures, shoving microphones in their faces, and crowding the front gate to the point that anyone trying to get inside had to push their way through. "If you're in trouble, then you can ask one of your friends for advice…"

"I would be a shitty Hero if I had to ask for help."

"There's nothing wrong with asking for help. Even strong people know their limits."

"What a load of shit." All Might never asked for help. He was a lone wolf who always won the day and beat Villains all by himself.

Thanks to the exercise, Katsuki knew he needed to improve his teamwork when he's stuck in a team-up situation. "But it would only be for those shitty instances. Otherwise, I'll power through my problems on my own."

"I'm sure if you asked, Izu-kun would…"

Great. This shit again. "I don't need that damn nerd's help with anything!" The crowd was getting denser the closer they were to the gate, but a path was cleared in the front by the presence of Ectoplasm and Snipe. "Besides, who the hell cares what he thinks? I mean, he is a lazy piece of crap who styled his freakin' costume after Spider-Man of all things! Like that loser he rescued..."

Katsuki noticed something about his mom. Mitsuki's eyes narrowed into the distance; her hands gripped the steering wheel so hard he could hear her knuckles crack.

"What the hell's eating her?"

It was so damn weird.

"Why would he do that?" She was all smiles again, picking up as if nothing happened. "If I remember right, all he can do is phase through walls."

"I… wish." Katsuki said cautiously. "He can also climb up walls, shoot webs, and throw an actual punch."

Why the hell was she so interested in Deku? Asking about his Quirk, asking him if he could get along with the nerd, and saying that it paid to get along with extras. "Who the hell is she to take pity on me!?"

"And how could he…?"

"It doesn't matter, and what happens at U.A isn't any of your damn business!"

"Katsuki, I was just…" Mitsuki grimaced and stopped the car in front of the gate. "I didn't mean to offend you. I'm just trying to teach you how to get ahead in li-."

"It's my life, and the last thing I need is lessons from you!" He unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'm gonna be the Number One Hero when I graduate from this school, and there's no way in hell that some office worker drone knows a thing about what it takes to be a Hero!"

"I'm your mother, Katsuki!" She shouted as he opened the door. "And I've lived through a hell of a lot more than you! You'll get farther if you just listen!"

Okay, that was it. "Why the hell would I want to listen to a loser like you!?" He slammed the door shut, only looking at Mitsuki's shocked expression for a second before turning and stomping to the gate.

He ignored the questions thrown his way. He didn't bother to glance at any of the cameras and ignored some of the judgmental glares the losers sent his way.

Their opinions didn't matter. They were unimportant to the life of a Hero.

Mitsuki Bakugou watched her son go through the gate for a few seconds before driving away. She pulled into a parking lot that was mostly empty, her office building just across the road.

She gripped her wheel and rested her forehead on top. She closed her eyes, trying her damndest not to cry.

"Useless…."

Just like her bastard of a father.

---

"Now that everyone is here, we can get started."

Mirai scanned the room. Everyone was seated at a rectangular conference table next to the folding table containing the doughnuts, coffee, and bottled water. The Heroes sat on his left while the heads of Musutafu's police force sat on the right. Each held a white binder containing copies of relevant documents and findings of his investigation.

He was at the head, the presentation he had put together projecting on the smart screen behind him.

"This operation, codenamed 'End Scene', will be commencing at twelve hundred hours today." He pointed to the screen, displaying a dilapidated-looking warehouse with a 2D rendering of its rooms. "The warehouse, labeled FN-2187, has two levels. The main room is massive and was once used for shipping and storage, hence the two shutter doors. It takes up seventy-five percent of the building, with the last twenty-five was used as office space. They can be accessed from a door in the main room that leads to the kitchen and the rear-door that leads to what was once a break room."

He pointed to the top floor. "There is a stairway that leads to a single office space with two windows looking outside from the west and east walls, so we will need to cover those."

"This warehouse sounds like a fire hazard waiting to happen." Taishiro Toyomitsu, the BMI Hero Fat Gum, commented as he popped another doughnut into his mouth.

Saijin Higawara, known as Snatch by the public, flipped through his binder. "Probably why they only rented out the place for storage and why the Villain got it at such a low price." He scratched his bearded face. "But it will be useful for us. Not a lot of places for these punks to escape, and it will be hard for them to see our guys in advance."

Mirai nodded and pointed to the front and back of the warehouse. "Correct. In order to avoid detection and undue harm to the officers assisting us, they will be watching the north and south side. Rock Lock will enter the back entrance with Bubble Girl as backup. Meanwhile, Fatgum will enter through the front with Snatch while Centipeder and I access the building through the top office's windows."

"What about me, Sir?"

Mirai glanced at Fatgum's sidekick. Tamaki Amajiki, who went by the Hero name Suneater, was a young man with messy indigo hair that spiked at the back. He wore a black bodysuit decorated with gold plating around the arms and shoulders. He was shrouded in a white tunic with a cape and hood with a silver face mask on the collar. His eyes were hidden behind a purple visor that matched his carrier vest.

He had met the young man a couple of times due to him being Mirio's closest friend. The boy was talented, he had a strong Quirk and knew how to use it effectively as a Hero.

"The only problem is that he lacks confidence." Mirai noted as Amajiki looked down.

"Not that I particularly mind not being a part of the main operation. Being in an enclosed space like that… so much can go wrong…"

Fat Gum sighed. "Come on, Tamaki. When you're a Hero you're going to be put in situations where you have to take on a Villain somewhere other than the open streets. Besides, your Quirk can easily end a fight in something like that since you ate tokoyaki this morning…"

Amajiki shook his head. "No way. I would probably trip over myself and the Villains would really…"

Mirai decided to cut this short. "You will be stationed outside with the police to provide them assistance should any of Mysterio's men leave the warehouse. You will need to be alert and ready for anything."

Relief seeped into Amajiki, but not much. He still seemed unsure with his place in the plan, but was holding himself back from saying anything.

Chief Kenji Tsurugamae grimaced. "Having our officers concentrated in two areas is risky. If the Villains were to escape…"

"They will not." Mirai pushed up his glasses. "I used my Quirk on one of Mysterio's personal enforcers. There will be a fight, however it will not leave the warehouse and once he wakes up from the battle he will find himself in a cell."

That pleased the police chief and his compatriots, but he could see that the Heroes were unsure. While his Quirk helped to calm officials whose reputations lived and died on the successes of the operations, it was treated with only slightly more caution by his fellow Heroes.

Perhaps it was because they were the ones who needed to battle the Villains personally.

"Or, like All Might… they see it as a potential betrayal of trust. They do not want to know the future so they can live their lives as they see fit."

"Speaking of which, the kid we're taking in," Kaoruko Awata, his "number two" sidekick Bubble Girl, was looking at her binder with worry in her eyes. "The amount of detail in this profile is odd."

"I can understand why. It's not often that one so young becomes a Villain." Mirai changed the slide to show Rei Narukami's profile picture. "Rei Narukami. Fifteen years old, male, a hundred and sixty centimeters, and type B blood. Current first-year at Mandalon Academy and the Villain known within the organization as Boomerang."

He changed the picture to show the blurred picture of Rei in his Villain costume riding his motorcycle, a black Pod PM-1999. "We had gotten reports in the past month that the boy had been frequenting the area. Going to Big Bang Burger, getting large orders, and returning to the warehouse. Through our investigation, we had determined that Mysterio has been behind the string of kidnappings in recent months, with this warehouse as one of his bases. Narukami has been providing the kidnapping victims with food before they are shipped out."

Only Awata and Amajiki looked sickened by that. The other Pro Heroes and police heads showed no reaction. Their experience gave them more of a handle on their emotions.

But human trafficking was something all of them were disgusted by.

Ken Takagi, the Lock Hero known through the appropriate name Rock Lock, kept staring at the profile page in his binder. His eyes narrowing as he scanned the details line by line.

"His Quirk?" Snatch asked as he pointed to the profile. "All it says here is Teleport."

Mirai sighed. "Unfortunately, while Narukami registered his Quirk, he never provided any specifics. According to the documents, he can move himself a few steps away so long as he sees where he's going."

"Not tested?" Fat Gum put down his doughnut and flipped through his binder. "That can't be right. Even if they have no intention of sending the kid off to a Hero school, parents always have the limits of their kids' Quirks be tested so they know what they're dealing with."

"It's because the kid's bastard of a father didn't care enough to get him tested." Rock Lock growled as he slammed his binder down. "And I have a pretty good idea as to how this Mysterio guy got his hooks into the kid."

He knew this was coming, and it pained him to divert the point of this meeting just to state the obvious.

"Yes… I'm not qualified to make this judgement, but through my investigation I believe that Rei Narukami's reason for becoming a Villain is years of physical and emotional abuse."

---

It took three knocks on the door before it opened.

"What? What the hell do you want?"

Mirai observed the father of Rei Narukami, Gendou. He was a brute of a man, fat but with bulging arms that didn't indicate where the muscles began and the flabbiness ended. His buzz cut yellow hair, unshaven face, sleeveless white shirt, and filthy sweatpants seemed to complete the image of a drunk.

He pushed up his glasses. "Is this the Narukami residence?"

"Yeah, and what if it is?"

Well, it seemed like the man didn't know who he was. "My name is Sir Nighteye. I'm a Hero conducting an investigation on behalf of the police."

"I didn't do nothin'." The fear and panic was obvious in the man's eyes. "Whatever those teachers said are all lies."

"I'm not here because of you. There is no warrant for your arrest." He motioned to the door. "May I come in?"

"Y-Yeah, sure."

He went into the apartment and scanned it. The kitchen and dining area were immaculate. But the area around the television and the couch in front of it was soiled with the remnants of take-out boxes, cheap beer, and cigarette ashes.

"So…" Gendou closed the door. "What brings you here?"

"I would like to discuss some things regarding your son, Rei."

He watched the man carefully. There was no concern or confusion in Gendou's features, only a bitter scowl of exasperation. "Great. What did that little shit do?"

"What makes you assume he's in trouble?"

"Well you're here, aren't you?" he scoffed, lumbering to the kitchen. "I've told that brat time and time again to stay out of people's way. The moment he makes a nuisance of himself is the moment they bring their shit to me! He's supposed to shut up, keep quiet, and do as he's told! It's the least he could do! He owes me."

"Owes you, does he?" He looked at the photos that were on the wall and by the small coffee table by the television. They showed an obviously younger and fit version of Gendou next to a woman with blue hair, cat ears, and green eyes. All of them were of the two being happy and on various dates. To the fair, at the mall, by Mount Fuji…

But there were no photos that included the boy.

"Well, it's because of him that my wife isn't around." Gendou opened a beer and took a sip. He had a second can in hand and motioned for Mirai to take it.

"I do not drink." He kept his tone even, but inside he was fuming. He didn't need his Foresight to see where this was going. "Complications at birth?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." The man leaned against the counter. "Postpartum bleeding. I had to raise the little shit for years. He knows the only way he could make it up to me was to stay out of my hair and keep this place in shape. Not like he's good for anything else."

He took another swig of beer, giving Mirai an eyeful of Gendou's rough, calloused knuckles. A cursory look at a nearby trash bin revealed fistfuls of bloodied bandages and discarded tubes of disinfectant.

"...I see." That explained the state of the apartment at least. "Has he been displaying any odd behavior in the past few months?"

"I figured he went out to the movies more often than usual, but I thought that the longer he stayed there the longer he was out of my hair." He chuckled. "Likes going to the theatre down the block to watch old movies. Stuff like Casablanca and that sappy shit. Figured his boyfriends were takin' him there or somethin'. So what? He been running drugs or whoring himself out? I know I haven't been giving the brat any money."

"I'm afraid I can't share that information with you." And he couldn't stand being with this repugnant man any longer. He moved to the door. "If you see your son, please call us as soon as possible."

"Yeah, sure. And I'll make sure that brat learns his lesson before you throw the book at him." The man's face darkened. "He won't be causin' you people any more problems. Believe me."

"...Just call the police when you see him. Nothing else." Mirai stepped out and slammed the door behind him.

He had encountered the younger Narukami a couple of days before. The boy had taken off his helmet and was ordering food. None of the patrons inside paid any mind. They likely thought the young man was a sidekick getting food for his Hero office.

He tapped the boy on the shoulder and talked to him under the pretense that he was a motorcycle enthusiast. The young man was anxious, stuttering at times and mumbling his answers while obviously trying to make him go away.

But he barely listened to Rei at that point. His purpose was fulfilled and his Quirk, Foresight, gave him a peek into the young Villain's future.

He made his rounds like clockwork. He would head to the warehouse and hand food to people in cages, ignoring their pleas and the crying of children. Once he was done he would go to the break room and watch old Japanese and Western movies on a television with the volume at full blast. He would keep doing that until he heard two honks of a horn, at which point he would turn off the television and clean the cages before changing clothes and heading to his father's apartment.

The man would yell at him for being late, Rei would clean the apartment before heading to the two's shared bedroom. He slept in a bunk bed, taking the top bunk and lay there completely still. If he moved even a little the bed would creak and…

...he didn't need to see that. So he went farther into the young man's future and saw that he would face Rock Lock and Bubble Girl. He would be defeated and open bleary eyes in a jail cell.

"And that's all that matters." Mirai muttered to himself, pushing up his glasses as he left the apartment where so much pain happened.

But saying that didn't make the bitter taste in his mouth go away.

---

He had also questioned several of Rei's teachers. They also said that the boy was incredibly withdrawn. He had no friends and he avoided conversation with his peers. His grades were acceptable, but they were kept at a steady seventy mark as if he were trying desperately to be average and under the radar.

All of them couldn't believe he would do anything bad solely because he didn't have the personality for it.

They also mentioned that sometimes he would limp into class or nurse his abdomen.

"Damn it…" Rock Lock was gritting his teeth in anger. "Think we can nail his father on anything?"

Tsurugamae shook his head. "Rei Narukami's father has nothing to do with the operation. It is frustrating, but we cannot do anything unless the boy gives a statement while in custody."

"Even if the bastard is responsible for him being here in the first place?"

"Rock Lock…" Mirai glared at the dark-skinned Hero. "The reasons for Rei Narukami becoming a Villain are irrelevant. The boy made his choice to become Mysterio's enforcer and is willing to fight for the man. We will fight him and we will arrest him."

Rock Lock stood up to say something only for Fat Gum to put a hand on his shoulder. "Sir Nighteye is right. I'm sorry, but we need to focus on the victims who are hurting and stopping both the kid and his boss from kidnapping more people."

The Hero grimaced, debating with himself whether it was worth continuing with the argument. Seconds later, he sat down and glared at his binder.

"You're projecting too much of your personal life into this young man." He knew that Rock Lock was expecting a son in the next few months, so the idea that the Villain they would be facing is an abused child would strike a cord. But as Heroes it was their duty to separate their personal lives from professional careers.

To sacrifice one's own happiness and make compromises for the best possible future.

"And how did you know this kid was Boomerang, let alone one of Mysterio's enforcers?" Snatch glanced at Mirai. "No offense, but while it's obvious the kid's a Villain it's kinda a stretch to make a connection with Mysterio's inner circle."

Tsurugamae coughed. "We came upon that information after interrogating the Villain that styled himself after the Rhino from Marvel Comics. He said that Mysterio had four enforcers, and the one called Boomerang had a description that matched Rei Narukami's costume. Other than the one called Vulture possibly being of Korean descent, there's no other clues that can point us to their true identities."

"Any other questions?" Nobody said anything. Mirai clicked on the remote and ended the projection behind him. "Very well. Make the necessary preparations and review the information in your binders. We will be heading out in three hours."

By one in the afternoon, Mysterio and his Villains will become a footnote in a brighter future.

---

"Alright. Now cast your votes and be quick about it. I'd prefer if this didn't take all day." Aizawa zippered his sleeping bag up and proceeded to fall asleep.

Ochako hummed as she waved her pencil from between her fingers. "I can't believe we're actually picking a class representative. What happened to all the Hero stuff with the battles and all that?"

Though she supposed it was a relief to be reminded that this was a school like any other.

Class 1-A's homeroom teacher had surprised them all by saying they needed to choose a class rep. Most of them were giddy while a few like Kirishima were dismissive about the idea. He said everyone would just vote for themselves save for Izuku, who would likely be the only exception.

"It's a bit mean, but he's probably not wrong." She would imagine that a majority of the class would do just that. Everyone wanted to be the class representative. Managing the class was a big job. There was a sense of importance attached to it, especially since it was a surefire way to get noticed by sponsors and pros looking for sidekicks.

But not her.

She wasn't built for that kind of responsibility, and worrying about the class would get in the way of her own goal in becoming a Hero.

There's no point in half-assing the position just because she only wanted it to be noticed by sponsors. She wouldn't bring in the money her family needed acting like that.

"Deku-kun probably wouldn't like it if I said that out loud." She knew how selfish and even lazy that sounded. Her friends would see her in an entirely different light if she they knew why she was in the business.

But it was the truth as she saw it, and nothing would be able to sway her mind.

Speaking of Deku, he had been acting a bit down all morning. He didn't talk much with her, Jirou-chan, or Sero-kun when they came to class and his eyes were red as if he had just finished crying. He said he was fine but everything about his demeanor said otherwise.

He didn't even get psyched when Aizawa said they were going to choose the class rep.

No, no she needed to focus. She couldn't waste time trying to figure out what was eating Deku. He would tell her when he was ready. It wasn't nice to pry into other people's business.

"Leader material…" Her eyes scanned her classmates. "That's more Deku-kun, Iida-san, and Yaoyorozu-san's forte."

They were smart. They knew what it meant to work with others and do their best no matter the odds. If anyone were to be class representative, it would be them.

But Iida was straight-up mean at times. Especially to Deku. She wouldn't feel right if she elected the guy to a position of power where he could pick on her friend.

She didn't know Yaoyorozu that well and she had gotten the whole expelling thing wrong.

That only left Deku…

Ochako smiled and wrote Deku's name on her ballot.

This was the right choice.

"I know you'll do a great job, Deku-kun."

And who knows? Maybe this would snap him out of his funk!

---

"How did I get two points!?" Izuku shouted, his jaw dropping as he stared at the tally marks on the board. Someone actually voted for him other than himself? He never got picked for anything, let alone a leadership position!

"Dude, you only got second place." Mineta said from behind him. "Nothing to get worked up about." He giggled. "Especially since Yaoyorozu's going to be the one telling us what to do every morning! It's like a dream come true!"

Izuku ignored the last comment but acknowledged the reality in front of him.

Out of their entire class, Yaoyorozu had acquired three votes, making her the winner of the election. He was in second place thanks to one other person voting for him.

"I have to tell everyone when I get out of school. I need to tell Mom, Dad, and P-!"

Izuku's mood soured a bit at the memory of Peter. His mentor who was stuck in the hospital watched over by Heroes and police who thought he was a criminal.

He was alive, which was a relief, but it was frustrating that he had to sit here and act like everything's normal. To pretend that everything was alright and that Peter's capture had nothing to do with him.

"And I can't even call him anymore. Not without arousing suspicion."

"This is bullshit!" Kacchan shouted, bringing Izuku out of his musings. "Who voted for that nerd!? I'll kill 'em!"

"What are you so worked up about? He didn't even get to first place!" Sero chuckled. "And it's not like anyone would've voted for you!"

"That's a load of bullshit!" Kacchan glared at the tape-dispensing teen, who held up his hands in surrender. "I would've been a great leader! I would've whipped this class into something worthy of having me!"

"This is crazy." It was also exciting. Someone had enough confidence in him to cast their vote in his favor? Someone actually wanted him to be class representative?

Someone other than Peter trusted him with so much responsibility?

But who? Both Sero and Jirou had made it clear they wanted to be class representative. They wouldn't throw away their votes on his behalf when there was a chance they would become head of the class. He didn't fault them for it since he voted for himself as well.

"Then who would…" Izuku looked towards Uraraka, who was whistling and looking off to the side. "Did she…?"

"Zero votes…" He heard Iida sob. He looked towards the guy who proposed the voting in the first place and saw that he was shaking. "I can't believe I got zero votes, but I suppose I can't blame the very system I suggested…"

"Wait, did you actually vote for someone else?" Tsuyu put her finger on her chin as she gave Iida an incredulous look. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Iida-chan is way too honest."

"Seriously, man. What were you trying to prove?" Kirishima looked towards the board. "Though I guess it does help that there was someone to be a tie breaker."

"Yeah, it makes sense for Iida to vote for Yaoyorozu. He probably thought that she did her best during the Hero vs. Villain exercise despite the circumstances." But then who was the second person to vote for her?

He remembered Mineta's comments and saw that he had zero votes on the board as well.

"Well… alright. That's fine. Even if it's kinda gross."

"Are you guys done?" Everyone turned their attention to Aizawa who was now standing up and had shed his sleeping bag. "Yaoyorozu. Midoriya. Come to the front."

Izuku gulped and stood up. With shaky steps he stepped in front of the teacher's desk and stood beside Yaoyorozu.

"She's so calm while I'm having a panic attack!" He really wanted to know how she was able to keep her cool despite having all this responsibility thrust on her. "Peter never had to deal with stuff like this when he was fifteen! What the heck am I supposed to do!?"

Well, Izuku couldn't ask Peter what he did when he taught a class of X-Men. He was on his own, lost at sea, without anyone to help him hoist the sail.

"I can't do anything for Peter." That was just a pill he would have to swallow and deal with for now. "For now I need to try and get through this on my own. Maybe… yes, maybe I can use this to distract myself. Focus on this and try my best at it, and when Peter gets out I can tell him all about it."

It was all he could do anyways.

"Alright, so Yaoyorozu will be your class representative while Midoriya will be your deputy. I want you to be respectful and for you two to do your jobs." He shrugged. "To be honest, so long as you guys don't cause any trouble I won't care."

"So blunt…" For a second, Izuku felt as if he and the rest of the class were on the same mental wavelength.

The bell rang and Aizawa was already zipping his sleeping bag back up. "And that's it for homeroom. All of you get out of here."

As the rest of their class got out of the desks Yaoyorozu turned towards him. "I look forward to working with you, Midoriya-san."

He blushed and looked away from his superior. "Y-yeah… you too. But I still can't believe this is happening."

The tall girl's lips pursed. "Trust me, neither can I."

---

Momo walked to the table where Midoriya and his friends were sitting at for lunch. "You can do this. Just be polite and respectful. They will understand."

Wasn't it common for teenagers to have private conversations?

"...but man, you should've seen the goal! I mean, I ain't Real Madrid's biggest fan but in those last few sec-." Sero stopped his monologue about sport when he spotted her. "Hey, Midoriya! Looks like your superior has shown up!"

Midoriya stiffened and she could swear he heard a squeak come from him. Jirou and Uraraka laughed as he shot up from his seat to meet her gaze. He tried to greet her with a friendly smile, but the beads of sweat dripping down his face betrayed him. "Y-Yaoyorozu-san! It's good to see you!"

"Likewise." She bit her lip. "Midoriya-san… do you mind if we can go outside? I would like to talk about some things."

"Wow, you're already getting a jump on that class representative thing?" Jirou leaned back in her chair. "Gotta say, I admire your work ethic."

"I'm very sorry about this." She bowed slightly to emphasize the apology. "I promise it won't take long."

"Hey, don't apologize!" Uraraka waved her arms around. "If it has something to do with being a representative, then it's a good idea to talk about it before tomorrow!"

"R-Right…" Midoriya was still quivering as he stepped out of the booth he was sitting in. "I'll go with you, Yaoyorozu-san."

"Thank you."

They went to the outside balcony. Due to the chilly weather, not many students were out save for a couple who had Quirks suited for it. It gave them a degree of privacy that the cafeteria wouldn't provide.

"So." Midoriya coughed. "W-What did you want to talk about?"

Well, she might as well get this over with. "Do you think I'm… stuck-up?"

He blinked. "W-What? Of course not! I don't think that about you at all!" He paused and looked at her with a worried expression. "Why would you think that?"

"During the Heroes Vs. Villain exercise, Bakugou-san told me that I was high and mighty." She shifted uncomfortably while leaning against the railing. "That I was trying to lecture him and everyone with a holier-than-thou attitude. I know on some level he just wanted to get me to leave him alone, but it made me think about... about…"

She looked down and bit her lip.

"What everyone in the class thinks of me."

Bakugou's words had kept her up all night. Her thoughts were consumed by how she'd treated her classmates over the past two days. She had hardly spoken to any of them, instead focusing all her attention and energy on excelling academically and in class exercises. She made a fool out of herself when she "deduced" that Aizawa's threat of expulsion was an empty one. How arrogant she must have looked before he revealed that his ruse was anything but.

Momo could see why some of her classmates might think that she saw herself as being on another level than them.

"Well I can't speak for everyone." Midoriya scratched his cheek. "But I know that I've never thought about you that way, Yaoyorozu-san. And neither have Uraraka-san, Jirou-san, or Sero-kun."

Great, now she was looking like an even bigger fool. Someone obsessed with how her classmates thought of her and couldn't stand it if one person thought she was something other than perfect. "Maybe Bakugou was right about me."

"Are you nervous about being class rep?" Midoriya chuckled like a comedian after a bad joke. "Trust me, you aren't alone. I'm terrified! I've never had to be responsible for anyone but myself!"

She could see that. From his quavering voice and rigid posture since the election, Midoriya seemed to be trying to reassure himself as much as her.

"But…" A thin smile spread on his face. "I know as a Hero, I will eventually have to take charge. Sometimes it'll be a teamup, other times it'll be trying to lead civilians to safety. I need to be responsible if I want to become a great Hero. So I need to step up, even if I'm unsure of how I'll do."

He seemed to realize who he was talking to and waved his hands excitedly. "N-Not that I'm saying I have it tougher than you! You're definitely getting more responsibility than me. On top of that, you're a lot smarter than me! If I hadn't seen the bottom of that sheet, you would've beaten me in the exercise!"

"He sounds so confident despite being unsure of himself." Was he right, though? Was the key to getting along with their classmates and earning their respect to just "step up" when the situation required it? "But doesn't that make you seem… aloof?"

"Well, I guess." Izuku looked up in wonder. "But I think that if you just see things from other people's point of view, then you will help them better."

"Easier said than done." If her encounter with Bakugou meant anything, then she couldn't truly relate to her classmates. Her family, their wealth, and her upbringing made her an alien to those who had none of them. "And if that's what it take to be a classroom representative, let alone a Hero, how can I…?"

But before she could contemplate on that any longer, the loud wail of the alarm came out from every speaker.

"What in the world?"

And after that single thought, everything went to hell.

---

Prowler knew she only had minutes to work when the brat made his move.

He had slipped through the crowd unseen by the reporters and placed his hands on the steel barrier. In a matter of seconds, the metal rusted and shattered, slowly tearing itself apart and becoming dust in the wind.

The paparazzi, already frustrated by their inability to get a scoop from the students, did not question the phenomenon and simply swarmed inside. She moved with the crowd rather than remaining ahead or lagging behind. Her camouflage technology wasn't perfect and the school would be suspicious if they saw an obvious blur in their shots.

"I'm not going to let this opportunity slip through my fingers!" That reporter who covered the Spider-Bastard, Ouka Oosawagi, screamed as she rushed to the front entrance. "This is my chance to get a word about what caused U.A's gate to fall!"

"Aren't we pushing things?!" Her cameraman shouted. "We could get into serious trouble just by coming in here!"

"Freedom of the press! We see a story and it's our civic duty to uncover it even at the risk of our own lives!" She giggled. "Besides, that kid who rescued the Spider-Man is actually attending here! Can you imagine the viewership we'll get if I can just sit down with him for five minutes?! Plus, he'll get even more fame and his online presence will benefit his career!"

Prowler wanted to just trip the bitch and make her kiss the concrete, but she had a job to do.

She left the crowd before they could get to the center of U.A's courtyard. She darted through the grass as she circled back to the front doors. They opened to reveal Eraserhead and Present Mic, both looking bewildered and annoyed. She could hear the mayhem from the rapidly closing doors.

Doors she slipped through from behind the unsuspecting Heroes.

"Now where the hell are you?" She switched on her HUD to show the school's power lines. Following a cluster of power cables, she slowly crept to the elevator doors.

But she heard the clamor from the hallway to her left. Stopping to glance through the door's window, she saw students panicking and trying to shove their way out. It was complete chaos, and it made her curse how U.A somehow hadn't managed to practice the evacuation procedures. Where were the class reps to calm the kids down?

"Ignore it. Focus on the mission." She took out a capsule from her belt. "This shit better work, Mysterio."

She crushed it, releasing wisps of smoke that enveloped her and the door. According to the bastard, the smoke would create the illusion that the elevator doors were never opened, fooling onlookers and even the cameras.

She whipped out a remote from her belt and pressed the button. The elevator doors opened by themselves, revealing the dark, empty shaft inside.

"Bombs away!" Prowler jumped down, the darkness swallowing her as floor after floor passed her by. After the basement level, she activated her Quirk, shifting her personal gravity towards the wall of the shaft. She planted her feet on it and ran the rest of the way down, gradually slowing her pace to save her from being reduced to a pancake on the ground..

She looked at the doors marked SB1 from across her and the air vent grate over it. "Practically begging me to sneak in through there." She activated her rocket boots, flying "up" before spinning her body and planting her feet on the doors with the vent now just below her. Activating her right hand's claws, she tore the grate open and carefully placed it inside the vent before crawling in.

"In a matter of minutes, I've broken into the most secure Hero school in the nation." Part of her was thrilled. This was something that had always been on her bucket list. A personal bet from childhood that had finally been fulfilled.

On the other hand, it was done at the service of All For One and Mysterio. Two bastards who deserved each other and dragged her into their stupid grudges.

"I just have to be patient." Prowler thought to herself as she crawled through the air vents. "Sooner or later they will slip up. I will have my chance and tear out their fucking throats."

Then she could go home. She would be able to put away this stupid costume and live the life she deserved.

All her mistakes would be buried six feet under where they belonged.

After minutes of crawling and hoping her mask's filters wouldn't get clogged from the dust and rat shit, she reached the grating to U.A's server room. Reaching into her belt she took out her phone and pressed on the application Giran had set up for her. One by one, the feed from all the security cameras appeared in boxes with the single command "Begin loop" at the center.

She pressed it and the five-minute counter began.

Opening the grate, she dropped into the server room and ran towards the main computer. Hopping onto the chair, she sat in front of the three screens and turned the desktop on.

She removed the green USB drive from her belt. "You better work, buddy." As the username and password box appeared, she inserted the drive into the port and waited.

After an agonizing thirty seconds, the command window appeared. But the code was straightforward enough for her to follow along.

Foreign drive found in C:\.

Loading...

Updating software to Local Area Network.

Copying licenses and MAC addresses for firewalls.

Accessing Local Area Network.

Loading…

Loading…

Accessing all wireless and Bluetooth devices connected to Local Area Network.

Without warning, the speakers turned on and a deliberate mechanical voice came from them.

"Whrr—click-ick."

It took all of Prowler's self-control to not gasp and jump out of the chair as the screen turned green. Four yellow slowly squares appeared in the center, the space between them forming what could only be called a face.

"The Living Brain is now online."

"What the hell…?" Prowler muttered to herself as she realized what she had just loaded into U.A's computer network. She could see the lights in each of the servers slowly turn green as well and hum with activity.

"Whrr—click-ick. The Living Brain will commence with pre-programmed instructions. Operating system image is now booted into database. It is now safe to remove hardware."

With a shaky hand, she took the thumb drive out of its slot and jumped back into the air vent.

"Security measures will not detect you and security video will loop for rooms you enter during your escape. Have a nice day, meatbag. Whrr—click-ick."

"I just uploaded a killer A.I into U.A." What was Mysterio planning on doing with it? She knew that he was planning on something big, but it was just for the teachers. They would deal with it and the kids would be safe.

Her eyes narrowed.

"But I'll keep a close eye. Just in case."

---

It was complete pandemonium.

"Move!"

"What's going on!? What's happening!?"

"I bet Villains have gotten in somehow!"

"Hey, quit shoving!"

"I'm not dying before I score!"

Momo could see the sea of heads and bodies trying to squeeze through the doors leading to the stairwell. Her height let her to get a better view of how everyone was losing their minds. "Where are the teachers!? Why aren't they keeping the students calm?"

But she knew the reason. They were busy resolving whatever caused the alarms to come off. They would rush off to do it so that the students wouldn't be in any danger.

"T-This is insane!" Midoriya shouted from behind her. "What could have caused the alarms to go off!?"

"Someone got past the barriers!" She felt someone's elbow dig into her side. She ignored the pain and shouted back, "A level three security breach happens whenever unauthorized personnel is on school grounds and the barriers are damaged!"

"I can barely move! Everyone's panicking and not letting anyone through!"

This was bad. "With how disorganized this evacuation is, people could get trampled and even killed!" No, she needed to think positive. Surely one teacher would come and get everything under control!

They wouldn't allow chaos to reign during a crisis situation!

"Yaoyorozu-kun! Midoriya-kun!"

Both of them turned to see Iida pushing through the crowd towards them. His eyes were frantic, but free the fear that had seized the student body. "There aren't any Villains outside! It's just the media!"

"What!?" she and Midoriya screamed. The media were the ones who broke through the gate?

"No, that can't be! They wouldn't be willing to trespass and go to jail just to get a story!"

"I saw them from the window! They are just harassing the teachers and nothing more!" Iida waved his arms and tried to raise his voice above the clamor, "Everyone! Stop! There is nothing to worry ab-!" But he was quickly smothered by the crowd, their screams and arguments drowning out his pleas.

"Please! It's just the paparazzi! There are no Villains!" Midoriya yelled at the top of his longs, but it was no use. He looked towards her. "Y-Yaoyorozu-san! I don't think they're going to listen!"

"Of course not. They're…" The had to look at things from their point of view. She had to put herself in their shoes. "They're scared. All they hear is the word Villain, the alarms are blaring and they are being told to evacuate as quickly as possible, yet they can't even leave a hallway. They need something to focus on. Something louder than their fear…"

Something she could provide.

Momo unbuttoned her jacket and shirt's midsection. "Midoriya! When I say so, jump up to the ceiling and grab my wrist!"

"Huh!?"

"We need to do this so everyone can calm down!" She put her right hand over her stomach and got to work with her Quirk. In a matter of seconds, an airhorn dropped into her palm. Placing her finger on the button, she raised her hand and shouted, "NOW!"

Midoriya obliged. He gripped her wrist and brought her up with him. Momo winced as she felt herself lifted up into the air for a few seconds before coming to a halt. It took all her upper-body strength to lift herself with Midoriya rather than go limp and allow her arm to be dislocated.

He landed on the ceiling with his feet and right hand. His left was around her wrist and he was looking down. He saw her airhorn and understood immediately.

"Do it!" He closed his eyes as she pressed on the button.

The loud screech of the horn echoed through the hallway. Those directly under them covered their ears in pain as she held the button down for two seconds before cutting off the noise.

"Everyone!" She shouted down once everyone had their eyes on them. It wasn't every day they saw one student crawling on the ceiling while another was dangling from his grip. "There's no reason to panic! It's just the reporters outside and the teachers are handling the situation! There are no Villains! I repeat, there are no Villains!"

That wouldn't be enough. They would think she was trying to calm them, to boss them around and diminish the threat.

They needed something more. Something that would make them see she understood them.

"I was scared too!" She admitted to them. "I was just as scared as all of you, but we cannot allow fear to guide our actions! If a real Villain had been attacking we would've done their job for them by acting like this!" She took a deep breath. "So… let's try and treat treat this like a drill. We need to use this as an opportunity to be better, and be thankful that none of our teachers saw this." Okay, now she needed to end this with a joke to lighten the mood. "They would never let us hear the end of it."

They were silent for a couple of seconds. But eventually, a couple of giggles broke out as did some sheepish smiles.

"Holy crap, that was a thing."

"Dude, I was scared out of my mind!"

"The media!? Those reporters actually broke in!?"

"It's true! I can see them out of the window!"

"I'm going to tell my parents to sue!"

"Man, that chick and the wall-crawling guy knew how to become the center of attention!"

"Helps that she's hot!"

"Speech could've used some work."

Everyone had calmed down and seemed to regain their sanity. Senior students were shakily directing the first-years to follow them to the evacuation areas outside.

"W-We did it Yaoyorozu-san!" Midoriya shouted in glee as he stood up, slowly lowering her to the ground. When the tip of her shoes were a few inches away he let go. "If it hadn't been for that horn and Iida-kun…"

"No, it was all on you two." She turned to Iida who seemed haggard but had calmed down. "If it weren't for your quick thinking our fellow students would have still been in a frenzy."

"Yeah, you guys rock!" A passing Uraraka pumped her fist into the air. "Way to go, class rep!"

Jirou was beside Uraraka and blushed. "Though you might wanna button up your shirt."

Shrugging, she did just that. It wasn't that big of a deal to be honest. She showed off far more skin in her costume.

She could see more of her classmates passing by. Each of them offering their congratulations and sighs of relief. Each of them thanking her, praising her and looking with eyes filled with admiration.

"Yo, everyone! Those two are my class' rep and the deputy!" Kirishima laughed out loud. "That move took serious guts! Ya better believe that my class is manly as hell!"

Momo blushed. This was different from people praising her intelligence.

Was this acceptance?

"They aren't thinking about how I'm from a higher class, and when the chips were down status was unimportant." She watched as Midoriya dropped from the ceiling and hastily gathered his shoes which had been kicked away by the stampeding crowd. "All I was thinking was how scared they were and what needed to be said to calm them."

Perhaps that was all one needed to become not just a great leader, but a great Hero and friend.

"And perhaps… just perhaps… I can now start on the other two."

---

Ken Takagi tapped his Bluetooth earpiece. "B-Team is in position."

Bubble Girl was crouched silently behind him. Despite being a newbie, she was surprisingly calm and collected when the mission got underway. "Guess that's what happens when someone works for Nighteye long enough. They learn to shut up and do as they're told."

Working with a girl that was just four years out of Hero school still didn't sit right with him. But at least he wasn't working with Suneater.

"Don't know how I would be able to handle that."

Confirmations from Fat Gum, Cetipeder, Suneater, and the superior officers of the police teams sounded off. Sir Nighteye's voice was clear and to the point. "Proceed with the operation."

Ken took the skeleton key out of his pocket and inserted it into the back door's lock. The servos hummed as the cuts rose and fell, fitting into the lock until the small light at the bow glowed green. Slowly, he turned the lock and opened the door.

The two Heroes kept low as they shuffled through the cramped, dark hallway. They could already see the glow of the television in the break room and hear the movie that was playing.

"Chiyoko, a film director is like a painter, a painter puts the colors as he wants on the canvas. And I found a great color for my canvas, This color is you."

Ken tuned it out as they reached the corner. Carefully peeking his head around the doorframe, he observed the young man they were going to arrest.

He was sitting on an old couch with his helmet on the table in front of him. His full attention was on the movie, the glow reflecting off his eyes and illuminating his hair.

The thing that looked off was how still Rei Narukami was. Most people fidget slightly whenever they watched a movie. When one was watching from the safety of their home, they would take out their phone or do something else. Humans were natural multitaskers, especially when it came to watching television.

"Taught to him by his bastard of an old man, no doubt."

Ken understood that the kid was a Villain. He was aiding and abetting a criminal in his human and drug trafficking, and if that Rhino guy was telling the truth, he even killed a couple of people. "But how much of it was really by his own volition?"

The fact that Rei was abused had put Ken into a foul mood after the mission briefing. His wife was expecting their son, Ryu, and so many thoughts had been going through his head the past few months. Things as simple as "Can I be a good father?" to "What if I lose my temper and hit him?".

That last one scared him.

As a Hero, he spent most of his career solving the problems of society by beating them up. It was just what a Hero did and he was good at it. He wasn't a violent man by nature and throughout their marriage he never laid a finger on Sakura.

Oh, they argued and sometimes shouted at each other when things got heated, but it never went beyond that. They loved each other deeply despite how her parents disapproved of their marriage since he was four years older than her. Their child would be the ultimate result of that love.

But he was both eager and terrified to meet his future son. He knew he'd never want hurt Ryu, but what if he lost his temper? What if he hurt his son by accident? He'd never forgive himself if he laid a finger on Ryu.

"And now I'm seeing the end result of abuse." Ken narrowed his eyes at Rei. "Mysterio probably stumbled on the kid after he received a beating. Acted all understanding and supportive, convincing the poor kid that he was the only one who cared about him and that he had value as his lackey."

It made him sick.

"North section is clear." Fat Gum said over comms. "There isn't anyone in these cages. Did they make the delivery before we got here?"

"The chief says that's impossible. They had eyes on the warehouse since yesterday." He could hear the background chatter of the officers behind Suneater. "Did they already move?"

"Rock Lock, come in. Confirm what's happening on your end." Nighteye ordered from his end.

Well, that confirmed it. He needed to act fast and take in Rei.

He motioned Bubble Girl to stay put and rose to his feet. Her eyes widened as if to ask, "What the hell are you doing!?"

Slowly, he stepped into the room. "Rei Narukami?"

The boy's eyes snapped to him and he was already on his feet. He looked scared as he grabbed his helmet while his other hand reached for one of the boomerangs on his jacket. "W-What are you doing here!? W-Who are you!?"

Ken raised his hands. "Come on, there's no need for that. I only want to talk."

Ren's eyes looked around frantically. His hands shaking as he stammered, "Y-You shouldn't be here! Only Mysterio-sama is allowed here! A-And Clash. Only Mysterio and Clash can come and no one else…"

"You shouldn't be here either, Rei." He had to keep his calm. He couldn't make any sudden movements otherwise the kid would panic and fight. A cornered animal was the most dangerous kind. "I'm Rock Lock. There's no sugarcoating this, but I'm a Hero."

"A-A H-Hero…!"

"But I'm not here to fight you. I want to avoid that if possible, but that's all on you." He inclined his head to the side. "I have a sidekick with me. Her name is Bubble Girl, but she won't act unless I tell her to. Is that okay?"

The boy's eyes darted to the corner and he licked his lips. "J-Just don't move. You can't move."

"Okay." He took a deep breath. "Why are you here, Rei? You should be starting your school year."

"M-Mysterio-sama needed my help. He needed someone to guard the merchandise."

"You mean the people, right?" Rei was silent so he continued. "I know your father hasn't been a great dad. Said you were only worth something if you helped him and stayed out of everyone's way, right?"

The boy flinched. "H-How do you know that?"

"I'm a Hero, and it's my job to find out who's hurting and to help them." It wasn't exactly true. If it hadn't been for Nighteye's investigation they would've never found out about Rei. "But, Rei… you've been hurting a lot of people for Mysterio."

"I-I need to. I need to be useful, otherwise I won't be worth anything. I would just be trash and trash gets thrown away. I would be nothing if I didn't do it. Nothing and…"

"Rei, come on. I'm here aren't I?" He patted his chest. "I wouldn't be here talking to you if I thought you were nothing."

Hesitation entered the boy's eyes. They shifted uncomfortably, mumbling the words to himself as if trying to decipher their meaning. "Damn it, his father really fucked up his head."

All the abuse over the years, all the speeches about how he was worthless probably convinced Rei that he had no value as a human being other than serving others.

It was heartbreaking.

"Sir, please! We're trying to negotiate Boomerang's surrender!"

Bubble Girl's statement was in a low whisper, but somehow it was louder than the volume of the movie.

Fresh fear entered into Rei's eyes. "There's more of you!?"

"Rei, calm down and…"

"N-No! You were trying to trick me and make me betray Mysterio-sama and my precious friends!" Rei put on the helmet and a drew a boomerang from one of the "ribs" of his costume. "I won't let you! You don't belong here!"

"Damn it!" He spotted a trash can by his feet and grabbed it. Throwing it, he activated Lock Down just as Rei threw his boomerang. It's edge glowed as it curved past the suspended can and headed for his neck. Leaning back, Ken avoided the spinning projectile with only a small cut on his chin.

But his eyes registered Rei's body disappearing in a flash of light. "Where did he g-!?"

He was answered by a flash to his right. Rei appeared out of thin air, catching the boomerang and slashing at him with it. Only the reflexes Ken honed from years of being Hero saved him from having his throat slit.

"What the-? His Quirk was supposed to just teleport him a couple of feet!"

---

Rei Narukami!

His Quirk? Teleport!

He can transport his entire physical being and anything on him so long as it's under fifty kilograms!

His range is limited to his own field of vision, but focusing on his boomerangs helps to give him a range up to eighteen meters!

---

"Rei, stop! This isn't going to solve anything!"

The boy responded by increasing the ferocity of his attacks, swinging at Ken's neck, thrusting at his heart, and threatening to gouge his eyes out.

"Shit! He's not going to listen, not while he's panicking like this!"

And why would he? Thanks to Nighteye and Bubble Girl, he thought Ken was just tricking him and pretending to care.

He swept his legs and knocked the boy off his feet, but Rei threw his boomerang up into the air and vanished once again. Ken whipped his head around to find him. His answer came when the boomerang slid down his thigh, leaving a shallow cut before embedding itself into the ground.

"His options are limited by this enclosed space. He can't throw these things far and if he uses heavy-duty weaponry it'll bring the building down on top of him."

Rei landed in a crouch and drew another boomerang from the same "rib" of his suit. A replacement had appeared in it sometime during the fight. "And he's got storage gear on his own costume! Who the hell could've made it for him?"

"Rock Lock!" Bubbles filled the room in an instant.

He understood instantly and started to breath through his mouth.

The bubbles burst one by one, filling the room with the rank smell of a garbage dump. The pungent mixture of rotting food, decomposition, and crap assaulted their senses. Rei gasped and dropped the boomerang, his hands reaching desperately for his mask.

"W-What is this!?"

Bubble Girl came from her hiding place and snaked her right arm over Rei's neck. She twisted her body and slammed him onto the ground face-first while tugging his left arm back. "Stay down!" She ordered while tugging at his arm some more. "If you don't this will get a lot more painful!"

Ken breathed as he approached the two. The boy kept trying to wriggle himself free himself from Bubble Girl. She was increasing her grip on him and he could hear the boy gag and choke on the suffocating scent. Bubble Girl was also starting to look scared. "Rei, stop trying to fight for Mysterio! That bastard doesn't even care for you!"

Rei stopped struggling. He was now completely still, and without the sound of shallow breathing, one might have mistaken him as dead.

But this needed to be said.

"Think about it, Rei!" Ken shouted at the kid. "I don't have to read your mind to guess that Mysterio said some pretty things to you. How you weren't as worthless as your old man said you were, how you can take your life back by working for him, and you were going to be accepted for your work. But that was just pretty bullshit he spewed just so you could do his dirty work! Why else would he make you hurt other people!? Why isn't he here helping you? Why hasn't he just killed your father to end your pain at its source!?"

"He doesn't give a damn about you and you know it!"

---

Rei Narukami had known all his life that he was worthless.

Ever since he could could walk and talk, his father would look at him with disgust. Whenever he made a mistake, he'd see nothing but his father's fists and hear nothing but his shouts. He learned at a young age of how he killed his mother by being born.

That was his first mistake.

It was a sin he could never be forgiven for, a debt he would have to repay for the rest of his life.

The only time his father was happy when he was silent and out of sight. The man loathed every fiber of Rei's being and would constantly tell him that the only reason he wasn't dead was because it would be inconvenient for him.

The only lesson his father taught him was that he should never make trouble for others.

His very existence caused nothing but pain and misery. He was a mistake given physical form, so he did his best to stay out of other people's lives.

"Hey, Narukami! Wanna go to the arcade with us?"

"Dude, what's up with him? He's so creepy…"

"Narukami? Oh yeah, he is in our class isn't he?"

"He's hot, but I can't stand how quiet he is. It's like he's dead or something."

He only interacted with the wider world by watching movies. He saw their lives, their happiness forever captured in digital amber.

They were the only lives he could never ruin.

And yet he admired her. The girl who was rejected by the world and didn't allow it to defeat her.

She instead struggled against it, fought back through words and actions.

The world tried to say that she had no value and she rejected it.

And one day, while he was staggering out of his apartment she approached him.

"Rei-kun… I saw everything. I-I shouldn't do this, but I need to. I can't stand by while you get hurt."

"W-What are you talking about?"

"Please come with me. I'm going to introduce you to someone."

She had introduced him to Mysterio. A man who looked like a Villain, but was nothing but kind. He asked her why she had brought an outsider.

"Because he's hurting. He needs to be shown there's another way. I want to give him a chance, just like you gave one to me. Go on, tell him Rei-kun."

Because it was her, he told Mysterio everything. The man listened, nodding his head as Rei explained the ways of the world and his place in them.

And when he was finished Mysterio calmly said, "Your father only says you're worthless because he cannot stand the sight of his own failures."

Mysterio said Gendou Narukami was a man who shoved all his pain onto him. He was a man who was drowning in grief over his dead wife and intended to drag their son down with him. There was no debt to be repaid. The world was simply an unfair place to those who didn't seize what they wanted.

They saw value in him. They didn't consider him useless. Instead, they wanted him to be with them. To help them and to obtain a new life.

The girl he admired, the one who had the identity of Clash, planned on leaving this unfair world and going to a new one.

She wanted him to come with her.

At the end of their offer, Rei Narukami cried for the first time since he was a baby.

"How dare they."

Rage pulsed through his veins.

"How dare he say that about them!?"

How can this man say all these horrible things about Mysterio, the man who saved him. The man who saw him as human just like everyone else!? Who saw that he had value and didn't demand anything from him!?

Mysterio didn't give him orders and neither did Clash. They only showed him kindness, and as repayment he would perform jobs at their behest.

He would not be useless to their goals, and his life was a minor thing if it meant he could help them achieve it.

"Liar…" He whispered. That whisper turned into a howl of rage. "LIAR!"

He savagely jerk his head back, slamming it into the nose of the Hero restraining him. Temporarily free, he pulled out a shatterang and threw it to the ceiling.

After a few beeps, it exploded and rained debris on top of them. She let go of him to roll to the side and avoid the worst of it. He instead dashed forward and grabbed onto a binderang.

He flung it at Rock Lock's feet to pin him in place, but Rock Lock was faster and flipped the table. It remained suspended in the air as he jumped on its underside and avoided the pink material that exploded from the boomerang.

Snarling, Rei drew another shatterang in his right hand and a razorang in his left. He threw the shatterang first; it detonated on impact with the table and blew the Hero back. As the man tried to flip in the air, Rei hurled the blade boomerang. It almost certainly would have pierced Rock Lock's heart.

But no. He wanted to do this personally.

To destroy the man who insulted those that were kind to him.

He used his Quirk to appear in front of his boomerang when it was only a few feet away from the Hero's chest. He took it in his right hand and rammed his knees into Rock Lock's abdomen, digging it deeper when they landed on the ground. Letting out a savage scream, Rei brought his boomerang up to stab it through Rock Lock's face.

But the unexpected happened.

Rock Lock used one of his hands to toss a piece of the table's leg into the air and into the boomerang's downward path. He stabbed the wood instead, the knife halted by the suspended table leg.

Then the other Hero made her move.

He tackled him, making Rei land on his side. She yanked off his helmet and began punching him.

She hit him in the face over and over again, her face twisted in anger and desperation.

Memories of his father filled his mind. He wanted it to stop, but he was helpless.

He could do nothing against this onslaught.

Slowly, he began to black out. "Everyone, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so useless…"

Mercifully, he fell into blissful unconsciousness.

---

Mirai knew something was wrong when the floor below him buckled and shook.

"What the…!?" Moashi wasn't able to finish as the floor began to crack and then fall at their feet. Both of them jumped away from the hole as it collapsed to the floor below.

"The fight is near its end." He turned his attention to Moashi. "Go and meet with the others in the main shipping room. I'll assist Rock Lock and Bubble Girl."

"Are you sure?" As if to accentuate his sidekick's fear, another explosion rocked the room and caused more pieces of debris to fall down.

"Yes, now go."

Moashi nodded and left through the door. Mirai jumped down the hole and landed in a crouch, observing Rock Lock grabbing Bubble Girl by the collar and dragging her off the bruised and bloodied Rei Narukami.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Rock Lock demanded to the panting sidekick. "You could've killed him!"

"He wasn't going to surrender and if I didn't do anything you would've been in danger." Bubble Girl explained, grimacing as she observed her blood-stained gloves and blue skin. "I-I didn't want to resort to that, but…"

"You beat him beyond the point of incapacitation!" Rock Lock pointed at her face. "Do you understand that!? Do you have any idea how much shit you're going to be in!? When I write my review, I'm going to send your ass back to remedial classes and you won't even set foot on the field until you're thi-!"

"That's enough." Mirai dusted off the pieces of wood that had fallen on his suit. Both the Pro Hero and sidekick turned to him. "Bubble Girl was acting under my orders."

"What!?"

He pushed up his glasses. "After negotiations broke down, I told her to incapacitate him by any means necessary. He needed to be unconscious for the success of this operation, and so Bubble Girl acted at my direction to bring that about."

Bubble Girl had understood that. She knew from her observations that Rock Lock was unable and unwilling to do what needed to be done.

Rock Lock seemed to be unable to accept that. He motioned to Narukami. "If this is just a way for you to cover her ass, then…"

"I am many things, Rock Lock," Mirai stated ominously. "But sentimental is not one of them. If Bubble Girl had been acting against my wishes then I would've been the first to punish her. She was not. Ergo, I am taking full responsibility for this."

Rock Lock looked from him to Bubble Girl, his brow furrowing and teeth grinding. "Fine. But you better believe that I'm going to have a lot to say in my report." He went to Narukami and began to put cuffs on the boy.

"I'm sorry, sir." Bubble Girl mumbled as Rock Lock picked up the young Villain. "I should've handled it better."

"The circumstances said otherwise. You were following my explicit orders and nothing more." After Bubble Girl had told him about the attempted negotiations with Boomerang and hearing them fall apart, he made it clear that she was to punch him into unconsciousness. She had protested, but he made it clear that the mission would fail unless she did so.

It wasn't the most elegant way to end a battle, but it got the job done.

"And do not think too much about Rock Lock's statements. He needs to understand that being a Hero means pushing his personal struggles aside for the greater good."

"I think that's easier said than done, sir."

"You'd be surprised." Mirai thought bitterly. The two followed Rock Lock as they went through the kitchen area. It was surprisingly barren. Other than the area around the sink and the garbage can filled with snack bags, everything had a layer of dust over it.

Rock Lock opened the door to show the other Heroes in the center of the empty shipping room.

"Well, at least you got the little punk." Snatch grunted while inclining his head to Rock Lock. "There's nobody else here. What gives, Nighteye?"

"I cannot say." He admitted. "If I had to guess Mysterio's penchant for theatrics, there's bound to be a trap door or something nearby."

All he knew was that Boomerang was going to be captured. Their victory over Mysterio's forces in this building was a foregone conclusion.

"Is it, though? Is it really?"

Mirai spotted a piece of white paper in a trash bin by the door. Frowning, he walked over to it.

"What's going on?" Fat Gum followed behind him, cautiously placing another potato chip into his mouth and munching on it. "Did you find something?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, you guys can figure it out yourselves." Rock Lock set Narukami on the ground and began walking to the entrance door. "I'm going outside to backup Suneater and get medical attention for me and the Narukami kid. Call me when this crap is over."

"Come on, aren't you overreacting!?" Snatch called out after him. "This is going to make you look bad in the debriefing!"

Mirai ignored them and picked up the paper before reading it.

Hey Rei,

Mysterio says there will be no deliveries tonight, so just relax for a bit. I put some snacks in the kitchen so take it easy until I come along later. We can watch something fun or play a game!

-Clash

He frowned as he read the note again. "Something's not right…"

"So we just have to wait a bit for his accomplice?" Fat Gum hummed. "We're going to have to ask the cops to keep a low profile if that's the case."

"No, it's something else." Realization dawned on him. "The signature."

"Huh?"

He pointed at the name. "This person called themselves Clash while addressing Narukami by name. Why would they do that if they're obviously close?"

Fat Gum blinked before his eyes widened. "So we don't know whoever this Clash person is." He pressed on his earpiece. "Suneater! Come in, Suneater!" He waited for a second before shaking his head. "He's not responding."

A sinking feeling grew in Mirai's gut. He turned and shouted, "Rock Lock! Stay close to us! This could be a tr-!"

They only heard it faintly. A whirring sound akin to an airplane flying overhead.

The whirring grew into the roar of a jet turbine moments before the wall to Rock Lock's right burst inwards. The Hero only had enough time to turn as a blur pinned him to the left wall.

It was a man dressed in an aviator jacket with giant metal wings. Mirai recognized him from the description that the Rhino gave. Mysterio's own Vulture, his airborne enforcer and personal assassin.

One of Boomerang's comrades.

Vulture's giant metal talons dug into Rock Lock's chest. Blood splurted from the wounds and splattered across the concrete floor. The Hero could do little more than let out a silent scream of pain.

"Rock Lock!" Snatch sent giant waves of his sand body towards the Villain that transformed into claws.

"Byeong-shin!" The Villain said in his native language before laughing. The turbines of the wings sped up and the Villain soared towards the roof, dragging their comrade up the wall and leaving a stain of red. Before he reached the top, Vulture changed direction but let go of Rock Lock's body. It slammed into the ceiling with a bony thud. "You bastards really fucked up now!"

"I've got him!" Fat Gum ran past the shocked Heroes and dove on his back to catch the dark-skinned Hero in his gut.

But even Mirai could see it.

Ken Takagi was dead.

"Get him!" Moashi shot two giant centipedes from his sleeves to catch the flying Villain. "Get him down here and make that bastard pay!"

But it was no use. Vulture was circling in the air, too high and too fast to be caught by Moashi or Snatch, who sent pieces of themselves to ensnare him.

"Everyone, remain calm! If we don't keep a cool head then w-!"

A loud, booming noise filled the warehouse. It vaguely resembled a techno beat, but it rose to a volume and pitch that caused his ears unbearable pain. Everything began to vibrate and windows cracked. The Heroes covered their ears to try and block out the sound. Even Snatch was forced to return to his human form and got on his knees. Bubble Girl's teeth were bared and her jaw clenched.

He could see blood leaking from her ears.

A figure dressed in white and silver with a tinted glass mask casually strolled by them, picking up Narukami as gently as possible. The air beneath her feet distorted and warped as she flew into the air, riding the sounds emitted by the speakers built into her costume's boots and the center of her palms. in. She landed in front of the upper office and carefully laid Narukami on the ground.

"A trap. This was all a trap." But how? How could anyone lay a trap for him of all people!?

The sound faded and a new voice boomed from all directions.

"Greetings, foolish Heroes!" Vulture settled on top of the top of the stairway's railing in a crouch. Smoke twisted and curled on the ceiling like the beginning of a tornado. "I had been expecting you! To think it would be so easy to ensnare you all into my grand plan!"

"What…" Fat Gum shook his head to clear the ringing out of his ears. "What are you doing here, Mysterio?"

"Why, it's to eliminate you all of course!" A giant flaming head appeared in the center of the spiraling clouds. "What better way to show the weakness in the Symbol of Peace's society than eliminating his former partner who relies so much on fate! Fate is but another tool for the Master of Illusion to bend to his will!"

"Cut the crap!" Moashi pointed at the face. "Sir Nighteye's Quirk is one hundred percent accurate! There's nothing you could've done to fool him!"

"Oh? What is forming a realistic cell to a Master of Illusion?" Nighteye felt disbelief wash over him while the evil smirk on the face grew. "It is but mere child's play! A simple thing, to fool one like Sir Nighteye, who believes only what he sees and never looks below the surface!"

"No…" That was true. He never looked further into Narukami's future with Foresight. There was no need. He was in the cell and that was where his relevance in the case ended save for an interrogation. "If I had looked further…!"

"You would trick your own comrade like that?" Bubble Girl breathed out.

"You won't get away with this!" Fat Gum got onto his feet and shook his fist. "Do you hear me!? You're all going down!"

The face of Mysterio merely opened its mouth. There was a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder that shook the warehouse, and when they blinked they saw Mysterio in his normal size standing across them in front of the office stairway.

"That is where you are wrong, Hero."

The white and silver-clad girl, Clash, floated to Mysterio's right with the soundwaves from her gauntlets and boots. He could vaguely hear the sound of an idol singing a distorted song.

"This base was set up to lure you all here."

A hulking man dressed in a white suit and a ridiculous quilted mask exited the kitchen entrance. The Shocker fixed his tie as he stood to Mysterio's left.

"This place will be your tomb; and the grand stage on which I reveal to the world my might and the fantastic powers of my men. Now it's time for introductions, servants of the Symbol of Peace."

The turbines of Vulture's wings whined and the feathers stretched out to their full wingspan. The body language of the Korean screaming of anticipation for the coming fight.

"You've met Boomerang, but he was merely a part of the whole. Enter…" He motioned to the hulk of a man. "Shocker!" He thrust his arms up. "The Vulture!" Mysterio placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and rubbed it. "And their leader, Clash! Together, they are... THE ENFORCERS!"

He let out a chuckle as he stared directly at Sir Nighteye. "And we will be your executioners, Heroes."

Mirai let out a steady breath and pushed up his glasses. "We shall see, Villain."

Both sides readied themselves for battle.

"We shall see."

---

It didn't take long for Prowler to reach her base.

It was a simple bachelor suite in that was nearly barren. There was a ratty couch where she sometimes crashed on after missions, a bathroom where old bloody bandages rested in the trash, and a kitchen that had an empty first-aid kit on top of the counter.

And, as usual, she entered it through the window next to the fire escape while camouflaged.

The smart locks recognized her "work" phone and allowed her to pull up the window with tinted glass. She stepped in and closed it without a sound while pulling down the shades. All For One's pockets ran deep. He spared no expense in ensuring she would have complete privacy. The entire building was empty, each room rented out to people who didn't exist while the owner was long dead. Nobody would bother her, nobody would wonder why she was there, and the people in this neighborhood didn't know her.

It was perfect for keeping a double life.

As she turned off her cloaking, a phone ring came in through her suit's HUD. Tapping the area of her mask over her right ear, she answered it. "What is it?"

All For One's smooth voice came in. "I trust the mission went well."

"What the hell did you have me put into the school?" Prowler hissed. "That wasn't a virus! It's a fucking A.I! It called me a meatbag and everything!"

"Calm yourself, Prowler. It's simply another tool Shiragaki will have in his arsenal. Think of it as insurance should his mission not go well."

"And now you're giving the brat killer to play around with. Isn't that just perfect." She tapped the wall across from the couch. It opened to reveal the secret compartment she stored her costume and gear in. Slightly rusted gear with a thin sheet of dust from when she first started and the new crap Mysterio outfitted her with. "And what exactly is your plan for the bastard?"

"That is none of your concern."

She hissed. "It is my concern, asshole!" Prowler began stripping out of her gear one piece at a time, starting with her claws. "You just had me put in some A.I to do god knows what in that school while the brat attacks the Symbol of Peace! I don't give a fuck what you do to the teachers, but if those kids get hurt…"

"Need I remind you that you have no say in the matter?"

Prowler stopped while putting her coat on a hanger.

"Our deal was that you work for me once again in exchange for keeping the precious little life that you've built. I would compensate you, of course, but I would not tell you of my larger goals." A cold chuckle came from him. "I believe you said, 'the less I know, the better',... right?"

She said nothing because it was true. All For One had big plans, both with the brat and that Mysterio bastard, and dragged her into them. She would work for him, but she didn't want to know anything or be involved with the "big picture". Steal some shit, occasionally kill a guy, and do whatever Mysterio said. That was as much as she could stomach.

"Of course, if you want to quit, you can. However, I believe it's my civic duty to place an anonymous tip to the police regarding the identity of the Prowler. Such a dangerous Villain shouldn't walk freely in the streets."

And that was it. That was how he had her by the balls, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Oh, she could tell them the location of the League's hideout, but by then the brat would've gone somewhere else. Everything she did know didn't add up, and they would never believe her about Mysterio. She would end up in jail and her family…

Her hands balled into fists.

"No need for that."

"Oh?"

"You know me, you bastard."

Her hands reached for her mask.

"I never quit."

"Good. Wait for further instructions after Mysterio and his underlings have their fun."

When she pulled it off, cool air hit Mitsuki Bakugou's sweaty face.

She looked at the mask in her hands and glared at it. Anger boiling inside her with each passing second.

"DAMN IT!" She screamed as she threw the mask into the secret compartment with the rest of the gear.

But as it slid down, all she could do was put her hands on her face and cry.

"Useless… useless idiot…"

She stood alone in the ghost of a building, mourning her wasted youth and her family's uncertain future.

---

To Be Continued...

---

Note: Well holy crap, glad I got this out before the start of the new year! Thanks goes to reppuzan for betaing!

Man, this thing turned out longer than I intended but there was a lot I wanted to get out. Specifically, Boomerang's backstory along with the trap and Prowler's identity being revealed. Speaking of Boomerang, I tried to be as respectful as possible. Abuse isn't a comfortable subject and I tried to show the emotional pain it causes to the victim. Rei's is an exaggerated case, however, and I want to make that clear. I wanted to show what it takes to make someone like him, but point out he's still a Villain even if Mysterio's obviously manipulating him.

As for the Prowler's reveal... holy crap! Mitsuki's Prowler!? Who would've guessed?

Well, unfortunately everyone in Spacebattles since I mused the idea when this story was just a plot bunny and the first chapter wasn't even out. But do not worry, there will be a "Prowler: The Origin" chapter sometime in the future.

Speaking of the future, I just finished a one-shot titled Musutafu 2099 in which Jirou becomes the Spider-Punk of 2099, and it's my love-letter to the cyberpunk works of William Gibson and Philip K. Dick. I would love you all to read that and give it your two cents!

Also, go ahead and check out this fic's TV Tropes page!

Be sure to leave a review!