Chapter 57

"Aftermath"

Izuku felt like punching something. A wall would do. Or his stomach. Or his face. Maybe that way, he could get rid of his stupidity. Yeah, not likely, but it wouldn't hurt too much to try.

He gazed at the sleeping form of his beloved, pink-haired girlfriend, who lied on a hospital bed, a blood bag hooked up to her arm. Momo sat next to their girl, rubbing her thumb against Mei's palm. Despite her calm expression, he could clearly see worry lingering in her eyes.

It was his fault. If he went there instead of Mei, then she wouldn't be here with a bullet hole in her leg. Toshi also would be able to come from this unscratched. Aizawa-san could turn off the villain's quirk and deal with the criminal before he could do anything.

"Hey." Momo called him, offering a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's okay. We have to get used to this kind of situations."

A frown came over his face. "I don't want to get used to this." He replied with the rebellious voice of a child.

Momo stood up from her stool and came over, sitting on his lap. Her arms snaked their way around his neck. A light peck settled on his forehead. His own arms wrapped around her waist almost instantly, holding her close.

"I know, Izuku." She whispered, sighing a little. "I hate seeing either of you in a hospital, being hurt, while I'm okay." Her fingers entangled themselves with his curls. "Besides, look at how much good we did."

As always she had to be right, didn't she? He couldn't deny it, saving all students from the camp was a great achievement.

After packing up all of the teens and Pixie-Bob on Urania, they transported them to the nearby hospital. The gawked expressions of the doctors at the sight of the helicarrier and Quinjet typically would please him. But seeing as his girlfriend was bleeding to death, he just asked them to take care of her. Not kindly either.

Seeing as most students didn't have serious injuries, mostly scrapes, they were quickly patched up. They were asked to stay, most likely for their parents or police. The ones affected by the gas were hooked onto IV drops and gave MRI scans. Doctors still weren't sure when the teens would wake up.

Recovery Girl also came to try using her quirk to see if it could help with the students' recovery. Unfortunately, there wasn't any sign of betterment. However, she swung by and used Heal on Mei. He felt like he should send the Heroine some chocolates.

He nuzzled himself closer into the crook of Momo's neck. It was over for now. Once Mei healed enough, they'd quickly board on Urania and move from Japan to get away from the mess that he got them into.

A loud knock sounded, and the door opened. Through them stepped a man clothed in a long coat with a fedora hat. In his raised arm was a police badge.

Of course, it wasn't over.

She screwed up. Correction, she severely screwed up. How did she got caught? By being hit with an electric bicycle and getting hit across her temple. She usually would swiftly and effortlessly dodge it, thanks to her honed reflexes. But she got too comfy with downplaying her abilities, which in hindsight was a bad idea.

Himiko didn't care about those losers from League. They could all die in a hitch for all she cared. However, she cared for her Master. The man took her in and shaped her into who she was today. All by her wish, as she was the one who asked him to help her. She dreaded to think about who would she become if she didn't encounter her Master. Most likely a loser wanna-be villain like the rest of those suckers.

So here she was, locked in an interrogation room, waiting for yet another cop to come and try to persuade her into telling them the location of the League's base. She wouldn't mind spilling the beans, but she was under a direct order to cooperate with them until said otherwise.

The police tried everything. Bad cop, good cop, threatening, pleading, offering a great deal. However, Himiko refused to talk. Literally, she didn't utter a word. When presented with an opportunity, she took a pen and wrote a simple sentence, telling them about her conditions.

Not that she believed that they would happen.

The door opened, and she got ready to hear yet another wish-wash from the police that would make her vomit afterwards.

Imagine her surprise, when through the entrance, stepped a teenager. She blinked, not believing her eyes. Black-green curly mess on top of the head? Check. Big, dark green eyes? Check. Diamond-shaped freckles on each cheek? Check and check. Slightly nerdy, but still cute features? Oh boy, definitively check.

Huh, apparently there was a God somewhere out there.

"Hi, Izuku." She said, grinning widely and giggling a bit at the end. She still needed to keep the charade of an insane girl.

The teen sat across the table, glaring at her. "Just for the record, from the professional side of it, I only agreed, because you're in the police custody." He stated coldly.

That made sense. Himiko could only imagine how much trouble he had on his head right now, due to that foolish law. "And on the personal side?" She couldn't deny her own curiosity here.

"You stabbed my girlfriend. And my other girlfriend got shot by one of yours." Did the temperature in the room just drop a few degrees from how cold his voice sounded?

She held back a wince. Not because she felt bad for stabbing Yaomomo, they were fighting, so all was fair. No, her problem laid elsewhere. Hearing her crush saying that he was in a relationship with not one, but two girls, really stung.

She didn't know when the simple interest in him, changed into that sweet, warm feeling that bubbled in her chest every time the object of her affection was mentioned. It was stupid and irrational to have a crush on someone that she had never met before. But wasn't love supposed to be silly and ridiculous in the first place?

"Any chance for a room for one more?" She asked hopefully, not sure if it was herself or her facade speaking.

Izuku just released a very unamused snort. "Where's the League hideout?"

"Oh... You already want to be done?" She questioned pouting lightly. They'd just met! She needed to learn something more about him. "How about it? You answer a question of mine, then I answer one of yours. Fairtrade, right?" She stated gleefully.

He measured her with his eyes, nibbling on his lip. Damn, that looked hot.

"Shoot." He said after a few seconds.

"Doesn't that Quirkless Hero Ban irritate you?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

His brow quirked ever so slightly, and his features changed a bit, giving her a weird look. Looks like he didn't expect that one from her. Adopting a more thoughtful expression, his lids closed slightly, yet still showed his saddened eyes.

"Of course, it irritates me." He replied after a moment, his voice sounded rather pretentious. "Those bastards took away my chance at being a Hero in my motherland. Not only mine; I can't even imagine how many quirkless kids somewhere out there that will be disheartened by it, or those that will be born in the future, were their dreams got destroyed before even existing. It's like saying that only quirks matter in our society." He shook his head, snarling in disgust. "While quirks are undoubtedly a very noticeable feature, they don't define a person. Someone with a weak quirk can be a great person, and someone with a powerful quirk can be a horrible one. Our lives, our identities depend from many more factors. Parents, family, environment, personal likes and dislikes, and so on." Suddenly, he blinked and scratched his cheek, a small blush setting on his face, making him even more adorable. "Sorry, I tend to ramble. Erm, I guess what I'm trying to say is that while it surely bothers me, I won't allow them to dictate my worth based on their twisted beliefs." He ended with a small, graceful smile.

Himiko wasn't just amazed. She was blown away. The words he spoke came straight from the heart. At first, she expected some outrage or despair from him, calling the world for its injustice. She didn't think, even for a split second, that he would be so pure, so open about it, so... like her Master.

She closed her jaw that opened during his rant. "So you're saying that even a villain like me could be someone significant?" Not that she ever doubted her self-worth, she just wanted to dig further to learn more about her crush.

"Yes, even the pettiest criminal can create something great." He answered truthfully. A second later, his gaze hardened yet again. "Now... where's League's hideout?"

Ah right, they still needed to go through that. Let's see they were in Tokyo, so... "They're not far, but also not close." She told him, giggling a little. No one said that she needed to give a direct answer.

He shot her a dirty look but seemed to accept her response. Standing up from his chair, he moved to the door.

"Wait!" She called, making him stop, right before passing the doorstep. "What's a chance for a date?" She asked, grinning widely.

Her reply was in from of a door closed with a bang.

Well... can't blame the girl for trying, right?

Nezu looked around the meeting room in the police station before the meeting itself started. Best Jeanist, Gang Orca and Edgeshot talked among themselves at one end of the table. Next to them, Kan-san looked over some papers with Tsukauchi-san. Finally, the elephant in the room, Endeavour. The man sat on his chair with arms folded on his chest, glaring ahead of him.

The meeting purpose was to discuss their plan of action against the League Of Villains. They couldn't allow Ragdoll and the unknown teen, that the villains somehow caught, remain in their grasp. Of course, if the suspicions about who was the mastermind behind the group proved right, then they could face a severe problem.

"Where's All Might?" Endeavour all but demanded to know.

"He's downstairs, trying to get information from the villainess captured at the camp." Tsukauchi-san replied, entirely lying to the Hero.

They needed Yagi-san to save his time limit before the raid against the villains began... That is if they could figure out where the hideout was. And seeing as they had no clue at all, their chances weren't the greatest.

Suddenly the door opened and through them walked Aizawa-san, who still had Night Raven strapped to his back. Following him, young Shinso stepped inside, keeping the doors open for young Yaoyorozu who supported young Hatsune. The girl had a crutch in her left hand, avoiding putting all and any pressure in her injured leg.

Nezu felt a bit of guilt for what had happened to his student. He kind of regretted not stopping them from going to help. But at the same time, he knew that consequences could be so much more severe if he did.

Finally, young Midoriya walked inside with an expression that told him that the boy was ready for war.

"What are you doing here?" Endeavour barked, standing from his place, glaring at the boy.

The student's response was silence, he just moved to the table and looked at the map that was laying on it. The look in his eyes showed that young Midoriya was deep in thought.

"I asked you a question!" The Flame Hero yelled, striking his fist against the table. "And shouldn't you be arrested? You broke the law, boy. Additionally, being here makes that the second time." The man added in the disgustingly smug tone.

"I can walk out, but when the press asks why you couldn't rescue a fellow Heroine and an unnamed teen, I won't hesitate to tell them that you refused my help due to your overgrown ego." Young Midoriya replied calmly, taking the pen and using it as a ruler. What was he measuring with it?

His remark only added fuel to the fire, angering Endeavour even more. Now not only the man's flames but also his face were bright red in colour.

"Are you perhaps saying that you know where they are?" Tsukauchi-san asked full of hope.

"Nope, but I am the only one with an idea and resources to find them." The teen replied, his eyes still glued to the map.

"We don't need your help, boy. Walkout and I may not put a lawsuit against you." Endeavour growled with the edge in his voice.

Before Nezu could step in, young Midoriya released a sinister-sounding chuckle and shook his head in amusement as if he heard a good joke.

"You do that, and my mom will take it to the highest court in less than a day." The student replied, smirking at the Hero, who finally backed off.

Nezu smiled at that. He was well aware of just how good Inko Midoriya was as a lawyer. Despite starting the profession late, she quickly proved to be one of the best. As far as he knew, the woman never lost a case, even defending those that seemed to be absolutely hopeless to win.

"I think that adding Midoriya-kun will help us rescue the taken ones." Best Jeanist said suddenly, gaining a nod from Edgeshot.

"I second that." Gang Orca added, looking at the Endeavor with a challenging gaze.

"Endeavour." Tsukauchi-san called with an edge in his voice, staring at the Hero. "If you have any problem with this, the door is open."

The Flame Hero just sat there trying to burn a hole through everyone's heads with his eyes.

"While I see the point of adding Genius Boy, why are the rest here?" Kan-san questioned, pointing at the other students.

"We're a package deal." Young Shinso's reply was accompanied by the girls' nods and smiles.

Nezu could swear that he saw a tiny smirk stretch Aizawa-san's lips.

"Young Midoriya, what is your plan?" He asked, smiling lightly. He was sure that the boy had already something good cooked up.

The teen stroked his chin and looked around the room. "First, I want to determinate some things. Can we have access to Japanese Air Zone without restrains? What's the maximum amount of Heroes we can have without raising suspicion?"

"During special actions with multiple Heroes on board, almost all restraints are lifted, so we can use the sky." Edgeshot replied calmly.

"As for more Heroes, I'd say about four more could be added." Best Jeanist added confidently.

Young Midoriya nodded at that, as he marked a circle around Tokyo on the map that had a few centimetres in diameter. "Okay, here's what we're going to do." The boy put on an earpiece and turned his head to him. "Principal, I need pilots. I don't care if they are military, civilian or a hobbyist. As long as they can communicate with each other and can operate a computer, they're good to go."

He nodded at the demand. It wouldn't be a piece of cake, but Nezu would do his best to find the most suitable ones. "How many do we need? And what for?"

"At least fifteen. Twenty-five would be a perfect number. We're going to make Urania our operation centre. With it, we can quickly cover great distances and remain undetected high in the sky from the public eye." The student turned towards his girlfriends. "Mei, I want you to write a localisation program. Alan will help you do it. Momo, as much as I hate to do it, we need you to be a living factory. Alan is going to provide you with a schematic."

Both girls nodded and gave him a mock salute.

"I don't follow..." Kan-san whispered, looking at the students weirdly.

"You're not the only one." Aizawa-san replied, pointing with his head at the other Heroes, who looked like they tried to wrap their heads around what was being said. "Problem Child, we are not mind-readers."

Young Midoriya blinked at them and released a nervous chuckle. "Sorry. What we're going to do is to triangulate the position of the villains, using Kurogiri's quirk energy signature."

"That's a brilliant plan, young Midoriya." Nezu commented, smiling brightly. Even he didn't think about using the enemies escape tool against them.

"And how are you going to get it, boy?" Endeavour rudely asked.

"We already have it. Before the attack at the USJ, Mei and I had built a device that analysed Kurogiri's energy signature and linked it to the school's scanners. That way we'd be immediately alerted when he opened his portal on the school's ground." The teen swiftly replied.

"While it seems good, we have a whole of Japan to search." Gang Orca stated in worry.

"Actually, no. We only need to check the area that I've circulated on the map." The boy said, tapping his finger on the map. "I've seen All Might before coming here. He told me that he managed to get that clue from the villainess in custody."

Great cover-up, young Midoriya! Nezu would make sure to give the teen praise later.

"Coming back to the topic, Momo is going to produce us the special sensors that I, Toshi and Aizawa-san will place at the multiple telecommunication towers and satellites. After that, we're going to send a unique signal, which in turn will show us every place where Kurogiri opened his portals. The site with the strongest one will surely be their hideout. In the case of there being more than one location, we would have to gamble a bit, but I hope that we won't need to stretch our forces too thin." The student explained further, gaining the nods and impressed looks at his deep thinking.

"Shouldn't we use some of the police force to help us with placing the sensors? It would speed up the process." Young Yaoyorozu asked, looking at her boyfriend.

Young Midoriya shook his head. "We're going to need quite a lot of them, and while it surely would speed up the process, it would also attract the media."

"I doubt that the media would immediately release information." Kan-san stated, stroking his chin.

A frown came over teen's features as he gazed back at the map. "It's only my speculation, but I think that the League may have some connections with media moguls." The boy said dreadfully.

"Are you perhaps referring to the latest video about the Hero Industry?" Best Jeanist questioned.

"The timing of it and positive reaction of many media sites are too convenient to not to take it into account." Young Shinso stated, peeking at young Midoriya, who nodded.

"Right, Urania is above us, and Puppy is bringing the Quinjet to transport us to it. Let us continue on the board if it's okay with everyone." The boy said, looking around the room.

All of the Heroes, except for Endeavour, and the detective rose up and followed to the door. From their expressions, Nezu could clearly see that all of them were positively pleased with the student's attitude and strategy. He would even dare to say that they're hugely impressed with it. Not that he could blame them, that was also his first reaction, when he met the teen.

Hopping down from his seat, he took the tablet in front of him into his paws and looked at it, following others to the rooftop. Opening the files, he selected the list of villains that took part in the raid. Thanks to the database, the police was able to identify the criminals. All but one. His eyes lingered a bit longer on that face.

Nezu couldn't help, but feel ashamed that due to his actions, Touya Todoroki was a villain now.

A/N:

I AM... UPLOADING THIS CHAPTER THAT IS A PRELUDE TO A BIG EVENTS!

Hey, guys. The end of the year is coming. It's been almost half a year since I started uploading here and I can't wait for the next half a year with you all here. I'm planning to release two more chapters before 2019 ends. And let me tell you... Things are going to happen there.

NO SPOILERS THOUGHT!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you in the next upgrade.