So, February has been a long month. Broke up with the girlfriend, had to go through a fuckton of renovation stuff, and I had to let go of my dog. The old mutt was already turning fourteen and his little heart wasn't recovering from a surgery.
Sometime during all that shitstorm I ended up with an almost 12k word long chapter. Please enjoy.
-.
September 28th, U.A. Highschool Heights Alliance, 1-A, 0310.
The low buzz woke him up.
Hakuba took a deep breath and rolled off the couch he slept on. No message that came this late into the night could be good news.
"So everything is finally set…" he told himself, now re-reading the brief text.
All the information he had on the case was playing back inside his head as he sat down on top of the small table by the center of the room. Key players, time, location… how high the stakes were.
It took Hakuba a little over a hundred and fifty seconds to get up once more. He needed to at least wash the sleep from his face, unfortunately making it to Momo's bed right now would be far too troublesome for both of them and it was too late for him to boot up a movie without waking Shoji up. His friend's good hearing and general alertness were problematic every so often, more so since Momo's birthday.
The courtyard was the third-best place to relax.
Getting back asleep without Momo around after that message would be impossible even with his usual "set aside" trick for dealing with tension, so he decided to pick up his shamisen and head down to his usual spot on the grass for a little practice.
Instrument in hand, Hakuba opened the door just in time to see the elevator on the girl's side opening up.
Asui came out of it, clutching something close to her chest as she walked towards her room.
Took her a few seconds, but eventually she noticed boy missing from the brief reunion she just had with Midorya, Kirishima and Uraraka.
The two just stared at each other for an instant.
Then Asui held the dimly lit screen of her phone out for Machibuse to see. It wasn't possible to see what was on display from across the gap that divided the two sides of the dorms, but it wasn't hard to guess.
Machibuse just nodded in response to the unspoken question, causing the frog girl to slump her shoulders in a nervous sigh before continuing towards her room.
Soon she vanished behind her door and Hakuba was alone once more in that night.
Calmly he made his way down towards the courtyard and sat down.
With a deep breath Hakuba cleared his mind and began playing.
The courtyard was surrounded from all sides and that caused the sound to reverb, but luckily the windows that divided the open space from the corridors above was thick enough to keep the music out.
It was the first movement of a kabuki play; slow paced at first, keeping to a simple rhythm that looped over, the tempo increased as the act reached its climax. It then stopped and shifted into a more lighthearted tune that preluded a more joyous second act.
But the second movement never came.
Hakuba wasn't feeling the music… It that did little to distract him from the news: Sir Nighteye had pinpointed Eri's location; the girl was somewhere down into an underground network of tunnels that ran bellow the main residence of the Shie Hassaikai. The heroes and the police would raid the facility on the morning of the last day of September. Heavy resistance was to be expected.
With a heavy sigh the teen rested the instrument on his lap, this wasn't going anywhere.
"Any suggestions, old man? You and mom were on an anti-smuggling operation, right? Guess you of all people would know a thing or two about dealing with these Hassaikai people…" Hakuba asked as he looked down towards the shamisen, a tinge of grief in his eyes.
Silence was the only response.
"I promise that I will go visit you two once my internship ends. Becoming a hero is rather time consuming, and things haven't been smooth lately… although I think you and Kamihara-san would get well along, he reminds me of you a little." he continued the one-sided conversation.
Another moment of quietude filled the courtyard as Hakuba placed the shamisen onto the grass with great care and proceeded to lay down on his back.
Stars twinkled softly on the night sky above.
"Next month… It's gonna be five years already, huh…"
-.
September 28th, U.A. Highschool Development Testing Range, 1200.
The arrow zipped through the air and impacted the paper target, embedding itself onto the wood behind.
In between it and the archer stood a pane of nine-millimeter plywood that now had a small hole punched into it. On the floor of the shooting range were a few more panels: One-centimeter drywall, punctured and cleared. Five-millimeter PVC, punctured and cleared. Two-centimeter plaster, punctured and cleared. Two-millimeter laminated glass, punctured and cleared. Three-millimeter sheet aluminum, dented but unbroken. Kevlar cloth, stretched but unbroken. Three-millimeter bulletproof glass, cracked on one side but only deformed on the other.
These last three wouldn't have achieved the same success against one of the still highly restricted armor piercing arrowheads Hatsume had designed, but even with not all tests being cleared by the standard delivery arrow it was hard to deny that White Rider's new bow packed quite a punch when fully drawn.
"It's amazing, isn't it!?" Hatsume asked enthusiastically as she unceremoniously shoved the plywood to the floor and replaced it with a square wooden frame that had a piece of hardened leather stretched over the hole.
"Indeed, although I must admit that the possibility of reliably shooting hostiles through cover is something I will have to get used to." Machibuse responded, now lining up another shot.
He pulled the drawstring.
"A little heavy to pull however." he added.
The arrow soon crossed the air and punched through the leather as if it wasn't even there.
"It's intentional. You are only supposed to use one hundred per cent of the drawn length to punch through stuff or like, really long-range… I mean, this baby puts out just under fifty kilos of force; even if the arrows are non-lethal they will end up giving someone a concussion or breaking bones if you get too gung-ho with it." Hatsume explained as she took a few mental notes of the results and moved on to pry the arrows from the target.
"So it is just a matter of drawing it less?" Machibuse asked, slowly pulling as he gaged the force.
"If you want the same amount of force from your previous bow then you are going to need to draw this one about two thirds of the way. I'd say this improves rate of fire, but you are the archer here so you tell me." Hatsume responded, now skipping towards her client to drag him somewhere else.
"By a small amount, but the real benefit is allowing for tighter movement." Machibuse spoke, his neutral expression struggling to remain strong as the girl suddenly pulled him around.
"Huh, good to know… anyway, good thing you are careful. Don't want my beautiful babies ending up in the news with a body count." Hatsume mused.
Machibuse didn't respond. That innocent comment hit a little too close to home.
Soon the two were back inside the development studio and Machibuse was pretty much shoved into a bench as Hatsume dove into a stack of blueprints for things she wanted to build.
"Now just hold on tight, I know you gotta leave soon to Edgeshot's, but I had this amazing idea and I want you to tell me what you think!" Hatsume shouted from behind the papers.
"Do I have enough time to get changed?" Machibuse asked cautiously as he pointed towards the curtain that separated the studio from the small changing room.
"Uuuh… just leave the bag with caltrops here, I'm gonna need it! And be quick!" Hatsume pretty much ordered as she continued to toss papers around, starting to lose her patience with the missing blueprint.
Machibuse sighed and proceeded to the closed off space where he had left the case that for now contained his uniform. He gave the new, now collapsed bow one last look before he began undressing.
Ignoring Hatsume's enthusiasm for a moment, he took his time to fold the costume and store it with care. He had grown surprisingly fond of that design he came up with on the plane he took a few days prior to U.A.'s entrance exam.
The one minor tweak he still needed to do on the design was deciding on where the red cross symbol would be put. Perhaps an armband would suffice? Or maybe just tailor it to the front of the vest?
"Come on! I found it already!" Hatsume completely derailed his train of thought as she pushed the curtain open.
Machibuse was still hunched over, getting out of his pants.
Ah yes, the glorious and never-at-all-awkward Hatsume experience.
"WHY ARE YOU STOPPING!? I HAVE THIS AMAZING BABY WAITING FOR THE GREEN LIGHT AND YOU ARE STILL HALF NAKED!?"
-.
September 29th, U.A. Highschool Heights Alliance, 1-A, 1259.
Machibuse was just about to leave for his internship, a little later than the usual but he was given a good reason for it. Kamihara had told him yesterday that they wouldn't be doing patrols until the investigation led by Sir Nighteye was over, it was better not risking an injure that could put the operation at stake. Today would be just a day of training, so Machibuse was expected to arrive after his boss had returned from daytime patrol. Edgeshot knew very little of the details given the secrecy surrounding the operation, but it was easy for him to tell that his intern was a little bit on the edge about the whole ordeal.
For the moment Machibuse was just allowing himself a last minute of laziness before actually get going.
"Right, getting up in forty-five… forty-four…" he counted in his head, now idly eyeing the ceiling of his room.
Then someone knocked on the door.
Machibuse took a deep breath and got his protocol face on.
"Zero apparently."
In a moment he was already unlocking the door to meet the rigid gestures of a certain class president.
"Iida-san, can I help you?" Machibuse asked, mildly surprised with that visit. Iida hadn't shown up at his door since he learned about the Hero Killer's sword.
"Machibuse-kun, I am aware that you are supposed to be on your way towards your internship, but please, I need to ask you something!" Iida spoke quickly. Whatever he had in mind was clearly bothering him.
At first Machibuse imagined that it could have something to do with the guidelines students in intimate relationships had to follow, but it was easy to tell that Iida's visit was about something far more serious.
"I have the time… would you like to come in?" Machibuse offered, holding the door open.
Iida took a deep breath and nodded.
"I suppose it is better that we discuss this in private." the class president made his way inside the room, eyes quickly going for the jagged blade on display by the far end of the shelf as Machibuse closed the door behind him.
"Something has you unnerved." Machibuse stated.
"Very much so…" Iida admitted as he turned to face his colleague.
He made a brief pause, apparently choosing his words with care.
"Back before I left for Hosu… before I went chasing the Hero Killer, Midoriya-kun told me that if I needed help all I had to do was ask for it. And lately he has been clearly troubled with something as I am sure you noticed." Iida explained the reason for his visit.
"You are concerned for him." Machibuse concluded.
"Not only for him. With the exception of Tokoyami-kun, all of you who have engaged in the internship program have been growing increasingly tense. Even you… since a few days ago when you went with Midoriya-kun to meet with Sir Nighteye. Midoriya-kun apparently cannot speak about his situation this is why I have come to ask you… maybe you can ease my worries a little if you are allowed to." Iida responded. His gestures oddly absent as he spoke only made the distress he felt more apparent.
"Unfortunately I too am not allowed to disclose any information. It is a very sensible investigation." Machibuse responded with a short sigh.
"I imagined that this would be the case, so I have a favor to ask you." Iida turned his eyes towards the ground for a moment.
"I am afraid that he will end up like my brother… he's always putting himself in more danger than he should." Iida continued, now giving a small glance towards the weapon in the room.
"Midoriya-san has already saved both of us, hasn't he?" Machibuse asked, now making his way towards the shelf.
With great care he picked up the sword and stored it into the scabbard. It was a painful memory for Iida.
"Thanks…" Iida nodded, his eyes now idly running along the shelf and away from everything that happened in Hosu. Apparently Machibuse now had taken a liking to hero history, evidenced by some classics resting between the chemistry and medicine books.
"Super Powered Society" and "Hero Zero" were books Iida also owned, albeit he had different edition of the first. Both were books detailing the formalization of vigilantism in the United States.
"Law and Super Law" was another very important piece of literature for the repertoire of a good hero-in-training.
"Vigilantism versus Commercialism" spiked Iida's interest, the book adaptation of a rather bombastic sociology paper that got the more conservative academics quite vocal. Maybe Iida would ask to borrow that one at a later date.
"Endeavor: Just Another Hero" seemed to be a very odd choice at first, most would have opted to begin with "The Symbol of Peace". But given how Machibuse always had efficiency in mind it wasn't strange to imagine that he would lean more towards the hero with most resolved cases in Japan. Perhaps Machibuse had a soft spot for the father of his fellow recommended student.
Although Iida expected to see a book on another hero… ah, there it was: "Ninja Way", one of the very few pieces of literature that had accurate information about Edgeshot's rise. Just beside the book was a bobblehead figure of the Ninja Hero himself, with some kind of note sticking from underneath it.
"Meta Liberation War" caused Iida to quirk an eyebrow, if his memory served him right that one had been written by a villain and was actually quite a controversial book. Machibuse apparently hadn't got to that one yet, if the still intact cling wrap was enough of a clue.
And the last one was… "Lunch Rush's Lunch Rush: Ninety-Nine Recipes For A Heroic Meal"… Fitting.
Iida's eyes continued further.
He stared at the photo of the infant Machibuse with his parents for a moment, an odd question popping into his mind, but they didn't have the time now.
"I assume you would like for me to ensure that Midoriya-san's recklessness does not get the best of him." Machibuse gave Iida a faint smile.
"I doubt that you five will be unsupervised when this investigation heads to a close, but… yeah." Iida gave a small chuckle as he turned to leave, he had already stalled his classmate's departure enough.
But he stopped just shy of the door.
"Not only him, keep an eye out for everyone… and for yourself as well. You are Class 1-A support, so you need to be well enough to care for the others."
"Orders received, president."
-.
September 29th, U.A. Highschool Heights Alliance, 1-A, 1915.
It was supposed to be a normal night back at the dorms; some people watching TV, a few others just chatting, but there was a feeling of tension hanging in the air of Class 1-A's dorm, and it was heavier than usual. Asui and Uraraka were sitting together in the main room of the common area, trying to go over the classes they had lost recently but clearly focused on something else. Kirishima was sitting on the floor in front of the television, nervously fidgeting with whatever he had in hand. Midoriya and Machibuse were nowhere to be seen, the first just made it straight for his room after class ended and the later still had to return from his internship.
Dinner was going to be served a little later than usual according to a message Machibuse had sent a few hours ago.
Also absent from the common area were Tokoyami, who returned to Hawk's agency earlier that week, and both Yaoyorozu and Hagakure, who were last seen entering the baths some ten minutes ago.
The usual chit-chat that happened in the common area of the dorms was still going, but by now everyone clearly knew that something was up but they couldn't ask about it. Bakugo made that very clear a few minutes ago when he berated Kirishima for turning the television off while fiddling with the remote; for the last couple of days he had been constantly trying to get his red-haired friend to spit out what was happening, only to be denied every single time.
Suddenly that bit of tension exploded through the roof as the door opened to a familiar face and puff of smoke.
"Now where is that walking sack of problems?" Machibuse Hakame demanded loudly as she made her way in. Aisawa was just a few feet behind her.
Just the sound of her voice caused the members of class 1-A that were at the lobby of I-Island's central tower to shot up to their feet and stand in attention.
"Is that Machibuse's…" Ashido muttered as she turned towards Jiro.
"Your grandson is yet to return from Edgeshot's agency, Ma'am!" Iida informed, voice loud and clear. Good thing the class president was in his natural element when dealing with that kind of situation.
Bakugo on the other hand…
"Oi, granny! You can't smoke in here!" the blonde shouted as he walked up towards the old woman he recalled seeing during the I-Island incident.
The elder took a deep, stressed-out, puff of her brass cigarette holder and muttered something in Okinawan, clearly displeased about having to deal with all that noise.
"B-Bakugo, you shouldn't…" Kaminari and Mineta weakly warned.
"Didn't you hear me!?" Bakugo pressed on, now standing right in front of the elderly transgressor.
Aisawa was just about to step in, well aware of what was about to happen, but he took a second too long to intervene.
In an instant a sharp pain on his right foot caused Bakugo to bend forward slightly. That damn hag had slammed her cane right onto his toes.
And after that he was sent straight into the floor as the elder Machibuse whipped her forehead against the bridge of his nose. She clearly could've broken it if she wanted… hell, she almost knocked Bakugo out.
"No wonder that Shigaraki's group had their eye on you. Keep overstepping your authority like that and you will keep up attracting the wrong crowd." she warned, now calmly placing the cane underneath her arm before fixing her hair.
"The fuck…" Bakugo grumbled as he pushed himself to a sitting position, his head still throbbing hard and his vision mostly a blur.
"U.A.'s less than ideal standards for how their students should behave aside… how long until Fura arrives? I have a busy day tomorrow and waiting for him to show up is not high on my list for tonight." the elder Machibuse walked around the Bakugo and pressed her cigarette against the inside a nearby bin, putting the ember out.
"Normally he is already back by this time." Aisawa pointed out as he now moved between the slowly rising Bakugo and their guest.
"Machibuse-kun informed us that he would arrive a little later than usual, means that he is busy back in Edgeshot's agency, Ma'am! He usually returns around nine PM when that happens, just in time to begin preparing dinner!" Iida once more provided the information, visibly more tense as he preferred to avoid any more harm being done to his classmates.
"So I not only have to wait for that waste of breathable air to actually arrive but I also have to wait for him to prepare that barely passable slag he calls food?" the elder Machibuse rolled her eyes.
"I-If that is too much trouble we can just cook by ourselves…" Ojiro suggested meekly.
"Or we can order something maybe? Sounds about right…" Kaminari offered a solution as well, a quiet mumbling followed suit.
The sound of Hakame's cane rocking against the floor was more than enough to silence everyone once more.
"Point me to the kitchen. Suppose that if I want something done right around here I got to do it myself… at least that will get me busy while he doesn't show up." she ordered, causing almost half of the students to immediately point towards the far end of the common area.
"You with the glasses seem to be competent enough, come with me." Hakame added, pointing towards Iida with her cane before walking away.
Iida swallowed hard as Kaminari, Sero and a few others saluted.
In his mission to save his classmates he ended up throwing himself into the fire.
"We'll never forget you…"
"Down like a true martyr."
Now everyone in the common area was tense for another reason, pretty much all of them only daring to peek at what was happening at the kitchen whenever Jiro or Shoji ensured that the coast was clear.
Apparently they were going to have a two-course dinner tonight.
"Sensei… did something happen? Why is she here?" Todoroki asked as he turned towards 1-A's homeroom teacher, who had been watching their guest from a safe distance.
"The principal and All Might wanted to discuss something with her. Don't know exactly what, but Midnight suggested it might have something to do with All For One." Aisawa responded with a small shrug. He wanted to go back to sleep and the younger Machibuse couldn't come a second too soon.
"Why the hell is Pinprick's old crone here?" Bakugo almost barked the question. That damn hag would get her comeback sooner or later.
"No idea. She just decided to come here after that meeting, said she had something family business to deal with." Aisawa responded.
"Not even Aisawa-sensei wants to go against her…" Ashido whispered, causing the teacher's hair to flare up slightly as to warn her to not press on with that commentary.
The sharp sound of the elder's voice caused everyone to stiff.
Apparently her assistant was not up to her standards, as evident by Iida meekly joining his classmates.
"She kicked me out…" he admitted in a shaky voice that would've fitted his confrontation with the Hero Killer.
Machibuse really couldn't return a second too soon…
"Did something happen?" a voice came from the hallway.
Hakagure and Yaoyorozu had returned, folded clothes inside baskets in their arms as they prepared to head back to their respective rooms. The later with the Okinawan hairpin resting on top of her belongings, her hair loose from the usual ponytail.
"Yaomomo! Thank god!"
The girl recoiled slightly as half a dozen of her classmates rushed in pleading.
"Umm… can I assist with something?" Yaoyorozu asked reluctantly.
"Your extended family is in the kitchen. Get that hag out of here before I lose my patience." Bakugo ordered in a bitter tone.
"Excuse me?" Yaoyorozu blinked in confusion.
"The Captain's grandmother showed up and decked him hard." Jiro informed in a mostly neutral tone as she pointed towards Bakugo with her thumb, causing the blond to snap at her.
"W-well, I suppose I shouldn't leave her waiting." Yaoyorozu spoke mostly to herself, not exactly surprised by how things went between Bakugo and Hakame. Been a couple of months since she last met Hakuba's grandmother, since the aftermath of Kamino if she remembered correctly.
She took a quick breath and made it for the kitchen. She could tell that every single of her classmates back at the common area, as well as their homeroom teacher, had their eyes peeled to see what would happen now.
Momo still had a small lump in her throat as she came closer.
The smell in the kitchen was absolutely amazing.
"Oh, there you are. I hope Fura hasn't traumatized you with his attempt at Okinawan food." Hakame beckoned the girl to join her into the kitchen. Her voice was almost not aggressive, which was nice.
"Good evening, Ma'am." Momo bowed lightly after putting down her basket on a nearby table and now made it around the counter with a lot less weight upon her shoulders.
"I see that you liked the gift… took him long enough to get his act back together with you." Hakame observed as she eyed the hairpin she had procured little over a week ago at her grandson's request.
"Hakuba said that he owned you another favor." Momo gave a small chuckle. The mostly casual conversation surely surprised her classmates, who were still unsure of what to expect from that interaction.
"You'd think Fura would be minimally decent at giving gifts with all the fuss he makes about giving away sweets, but it he actually does that because he has no clue on what else to do for birthdays… he just asked me for something made out of hotaru glass. Knowing the idiot, he would've gone for the blue one. Warm colors are obviously much more your type. By the time I made it out of the store he called me again with the idea of getting a hairpin." Hakame complained as she began draining the water out of a pot.
"His father wasn't much better either… I remember watching Hakaku walking in and out from an antique store in Naha for over an hour as he debated whether or not to buy me my cigarette holder." she added with a long sigh.
Momo could almost see a smile creeping up on Hakame's face as she reminisced about her son.
"Can't say I don't find it strange to not be able to meet my boyfriend's parents." Momo admitted.
"Your first meeting with his mother surely would've been something to behold." Hakame commented.
"Huh?" Momo blinked in confusion.
"I have never seen in all my years a woman more insecure about her cup size than the former Alpha Six. And you surely would've struck a nerve." Hakame casually took a jab at her late daughter-in-law, now taking to sample the broth from one of the pots with a small grin in her face
At that Momo just turned red.
"Now now, we are all girls here… still, those two always complained that Fura spent too much time alone for his own good. They would be happy to know that he found someone that cares for him as much as you do, and I suppose that's plenty." Hakame offered with a small shrug and returned to her work.
Silence filled the air for a moment, but another question was still left hanging.
"You came here to speak with him about what he found about the Nomu, right?" Momo turned her eyes towards the ground as she asked.
"I see you got him to talk… Got some new intel I prefer to discuss face-to-face. There are plenty of things about the Murakumo that are still muddy. And I don't need to tell you that Fura has a target painted on his back; that Nomu might get us a lead about who painted it." Hakame responded, now reaching for her front pocket for another cigarette.
She gave a daring look towards the inconvenient blonde that squinted at her as she lit the paper at the stove.
"Regardless, Fura still has to actually arrive before that. Set up the tables for me, food shouldn't take long." Hakame added after a dragging in the smoke.
Time flew, and in minutes the bulk of Class 1-A was already coming in, mildly cautious about the cook but still lured closer by the unexpected feast that came to life in those last two hours. Sure, they would be needing to replenish the fridge tomorrow, but the sheer amount of food that was presented to them was staggering.
And not just the amount.
It all looked as if it came directly from the screen of one of these shows about fancy restaurants: Spiced jushi rice, filleted fish and perfect golden potatoes cooked and served in a thick vegetable broth.
All that was left was for them to dig in.
Kirishima was the first one to brave the food, slightly concerned about it being as aggressive as the cook.
His eyes went wide.
Glorious.
Didn't take more than a minute for people to be lining up for their servings.
Hakame just walked away towards the courtyard. She needed another smoke break and would like it to be the least noisy as possible.
Her grandson apparently had found a small group of very lively friends. It was a good change of pace.
Another long drag.
A couple of short coughs and a tired sigh.
"I hope you have a good excuse for making me wait." Hakame spoke as the glass door behind her opened.
"Not a good look for the family if I use my Quirk as recklessly as you do. Not racking up a body count with an assassin's fundamentals is not something that I am going to learn in a rush." Hakuba spat.
Hakame just rolled her eyes.
"What are the updates?' Hakuba asked, his grandmother would not be there if things were not important.
"You remember Tamani, correct?" Hakame asked back.
"Tamani Susumu, current Minister of Defense and your former right-hand man." Hakuba informed.
"He has been feeding me some intel. Off-the-books information regarding where the investigation on the Murakumo went after I resigned. Squad Six reported a run in with a strange creature a few months prior to the incident. We knew that it was the same creature that was brought aboard the ship by your godfather because you stated that Alpha Six knew what attacked the cargo bay… but we never cleared up on how exactly Bravo Six came to acquire that Nomu." Hakame began the explanation.
"All For One's interrogation got something?" Hakuba questioned.
"Negative. Albeit now I have some new ammo to play with… honestly this entire shitshow regarding the League of Villains wouldn't be a tenth the problem today if Nana had just left her son in my care instead of making everyone swear to not approach that kid." Hakame had a bitter tone to her voice now.
"Who?" Hakuba gave his grandmother a confused look.
"Toshinori's mentor, the one to possess this "One For All" prior to him… but that is beside the point. The Nomu has been spotted a few times recently: First in an alley nearby Tokyo's fish market about two weeks ago, apparently it attacked one of the members of the League but testimony was hardly reliable: two drunks were blabbering about a "black thing from a nightmare" jumping after a man that used blue fire. The second appearance was on the bay across from Tartarus eight days ago." Hakame explained the situation.
"Somehow it knows that All For One is locked there." Hakuba assumed.
"How these artificial humans work is still a mystery, but investigation assumes that our Angler has some sort of tracking Quirk. The Nomu was last seen a three days ago heading further inland towards Yamanashi through the Sagami river, likely got there via Yokohama's sewer system given the reports of a missing clean-up crew." the elder continued.
"Probably the target understands that getting to All For One is not possible now, so is began searching for someone else." Hakuba spoke, apparently this Angler Nomu wasn't just another attack dog.
"According to the intel I got from Tamani, police is mounting up an operation in the area. There have been sightings of the League in the mountains. I will be joining the search party tomorrow; I doubt that your detective friend will be against that." Hakame concluded her explanation with another drag of her cigarette.
"And why you came in person to tell me this?" Hakuba asked.
"Because there is still a mole hiding away into the Ministry, so vital communications shouldn't be taken lightly. Whoever set your godfather to act in the Murakumo is likely the same person that secured this Nomu for the attack. We capture that thing and maybe it can somehow lead us to our middleman…"
"It is well past time we strike back, isn't it, Fura?"
-.
September 30th, Tokyo, Shie Hassaikai Residence, Front Gate, 0815.
It was about to begin.
Heroes and police filled the street, those would be the last few minutes of peace before the raid.
"White Rider, it's your turn." Sir Nighteye approached the teenager that had joined his agency specifically for this day.
In his hand he now held the Quirk-erasing bullet that Fat Gum and his interns managed to secure.
"Yes, Sir!" White Rider straightened his back before picking the bullet with care. All the other chemicals he would need for the task had already been taken, now he had the linchpin for his vaccine.
In a single movement he spun the needle and slammed the drug into his tight. What a nasty payload that was.
White Rider closed his eyes and focused for a moment.
"Those who are going to fight line up! I got more than enough ready to go already!" he called out, springing the Chelicerae on his right hand and motioning for Deku to approach.
Sir Nighteye eyed this small detail with care. The teen in front of him clearly hadn't chosen Deku at random… the first dose of the vaccine likely was the strongest one and protecting One For All was the top priority there. Apparently Edgeshot's intern knew more than he should about All Might.
"Side effects might include a minor increase in pulse, and those of you with emitter and transformation type Quirks might experience a small itching sensation the next time you activate your Quirks. The vaccine should remain in effect for at least forty-eight hundred seconds and will block all drugs similar to the sample by preventing your bodies from absorbing the Quirk-erasing drug. Still, this is only a safety net so avoid taking risks." White Rider informed the heroes that now lined up in front of him.
There was a palpable feeling of release amongst the heroes. Perhaps the most important effect of the vaccine was completely unrelated to its chemistry: Morale. Just knowing that there was a chance to push through something as harmful as the Quirk-erasing drug without risks gave the heroes some much needed peace of mind.
In minutes all the members of the raid team were properly immunized, with about just enough left of the Quirk-erasing drug in Machibuse's system for one or two more doses. The breakdown provided by the police proved to be vital.
"Be ready to move as soon as they've read the warrant. I'm counting on you all to be swift." the head of the police force called everyone's attention.
It was time.
"He keeps saying the same thing over and over. It's like he doesn't trust us." Rock Lock complained.
"Stop being mean." Fat Gum interjected.
"These yakuza are living secretly in the shadows. When they see all these heroes and the police at their doorstep they may just curl up on themselves." Rock Lock justified his pragmatism.
One police officer reached for the doorbell.
There was sudden crash on the other side of the door, and through it came a massive fist.
The Hassaikai had the initiative.
"Or they might just lash out at us… who thought that they would care for the warrant!?" White Rider quickly drew his bow and readied for combat.
"What do you guys want? Bringing so many people this early in the morning…" the hulking villain asked tiredly, his arm bulking up as he readied another blow.
An arrow would not stop a punch like that.
"Get back!" Ryukyu stepped in.
The battle now had really began.
A dragon appeared from behind the dust.
"We shouldn't split our forces here. The Ryukyu Agency will take care of this one. The rest of you go now!" Ryukyu ordered as she easily tossed the villain into the ground.
People immediately began rushing in.
"This is the police! We have a warrant to search the premises of your compound! You are all suspects of manufacturing and selling illegal drugs!" the head of the police shouted, holding his paper for the yakuza to see.
"A search warrant?" one of the yakuza in the patio asked back.
"Who the hell cares!?" a second one shouted, waving his arms forward and reading an attack.
An arrow immediately impacted into his chest, knocking the air out of his lungs.
"Déjà vú." White Rider sighed through his mask as one of the pros quickly pinned the thug against the floor. This whole warrant thing was rather inefficient… sneaking into that house and simply snatching the girl from under the Hassaikai's nose seemed like a lot less trouble.
Now it wasn't the time for that.
Time was limited and the target could very well already be on the run.
More and more goons poured out from the house.
Cannon fodder.
"Leave them to us and go ahead!" one of the pros shouted as he cleaved a path through the mob.
"We are counting on you!" Sir Nighteye responded, being one of the first to step inside the building.
"This is an emergency! Excuse us for not taking off our shoes!" Fat Gum announced the heroes' entrance.
"I got a bad feeling about this, man. We have no choice but to keep going now that we've started, though." Rock Lock muttered.
"I wonder if someone leaked the information to them. It's like they are all gathered here for some reason." Suneater brought up the possibility.
"If someone had, I think they'd be avoiding us more smartly. They should all be used to working together with one will already." The police chief soothed the concerns. It was sound logic.
"They devote their all to their bond with boss and brothers. They might feel ashamed now, but that makes them put more importance on their old bonds. This commotion… and Chisaki and the top brass of the Hassaikai haven't shown themselves up yet. They are probably getting ready to escape now." Eraserhead added as they continued to run, now following Sir Nighteye's lead.
"That's not loyalty! Forcing their henchmen to take the responsibility while they run away is not manly at all!" Red Riot shouted, apparently triggered by that behavior.
"But it is a sound tactic. The Hassaikai doesn't need to win this battle, they just need to not lose for long enough to secure that their plan is not disturbed." White Rider observed.
Suddenly Sir Nighteye stopped in front of a vase.
"There is a device here that opens up a secret passage." he informed, now pushing the vase to the side and tapping over the wooden tiles bellow it.
It was a combination lock, and he already knew the password.
The wall shifted to the side.
More goons.
Easily dispatched by Sir Nighteye's sidekicks.
The real path was clear. The hunt began now as the heroes rushed down the hidden staircase.
And met with a solid wall of stone.
"It's a dead end!" one shouted.
"Explain yourself, Nighteye!" Rock Lock protested.
"I'll go take a look!" Lemillion stepped forward, his head now phasing into the obstacle.
In an instant he turned back.
"It's just been blocked off by this wall, there is a path beyond it. It's a pretty thick wall though." he informed.
"So this is Chisaki's Quirk, huh…" Rock Lock suggested an explanation.
"It's a cheap trick!" Fat Gum clenched his fist.
"It's like he is telling us that there will be trouble if we go that way." Deku spoke, now getting ready to smash through the barrier.
"Yeah, good luck to him if he thinks this will be enough to stop us!" Red Riot followed, arm now hardened and ready to strike.
"The kids aren't half bad." Rock Lock smirked.
"It is safe to assume that this is not going to be the only barrier." White Rider suggested.
"Yeah, let's get moving!" Lemillion didn't wasted a second before sprinting forward.
Other walls after that one hardly caused any trouble. Even if Overhaul was able to rebuild the entire place at will he couldn't make the stone harder. It was just a matter of bulldozing through.
Not how White Rider preferred to deal with problems, but it certainly would do.
The ground felt weird for an instant.
The entire place was moving.
"This is not Chisaki! It's different… the only one who could do this is the director, Irinaka!" the police chief explained. Back on the dossier the police prepared on the Quirks of the top brass of the Hassaikai there was indeed one instance of a man capable of manipulating inanimate objects. Mimic.
The villain had entered the very walls of the tunnel and was now warping it up around the attackers.
"The scale is too large! Wasn't he supposed to be able to control things about as large as a fridge!?" Rock Lock asked out loud as the floor rolled underneath his feet.
"With a big enough boost this kind of thing is possible!" Fat Gum explained.
"Trigger?" White Rider asked, the hooks on his soles keeping him anchored to the floor and preventing him from tumbling like everyone else.
"Yeah, I was taking care to find out where he would be hiding, but I didn't think he would enter the concrete! This has to be hard on him physically… Eraser, can't you get rid of it!?" Fat Gum responded, doing his best to approach the erasure hero despite the unstable footing.
"Not if I can't see the main body!" Eraserhead responded, trying to figure out away to take down the troublesome foe.
Lemillion braced himself on Suneater and spoke something to him. Then he rushed towards the objective.
"No matter how much he warps the path, as long as we know the direction of our goal, I can get there!" he shouted.
"Lemillion!/Senpai!" Sir Nighteye and Deku shouted back.
"Time is of the essence! Those guys know it too, this is why they are stalling! I'm going on ahead!" Lemillion responded before disappearing through the wall.
The movement from the concrete stopped for an instant.
"Irinaka is following Lemillion. He can't be everywhere at once." White Rider observed.
"Or at least he can't sense everything at once. Maybe he needs to show up to keep track of us." Eraserhead was now on the lookout.
Then the floor began moving once more. Irinaka came back.
A hole opened up and the heroes dropped down to the level below.
Midway through the descent another hole opened up to the side of the vertical tunnel and a mass of concrete jutted from the opposite side.
It tried to push White Rider into the hole.
An arrow flew quickly.
The wire tensed up as the teen pulled on his escape rope.
It was close call.
With a thud the group landed, and the tunnel above them closed back up.
"He is trying to isolate me." White Rider warned as he rolled to his feet.
"Any idea why?" Red Riot asked in surprise, now taking a look around their new location.
"Negative. Deku, Red Riot, Rock Lock, I will be sticking close to one of you three at all times. You all have better means than mine to deal with the concrete." White Rider responded.
"So I gotta take care of a kid now? In here?" Rock Lock rolled his eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey… some government authorities have fallen from the skies. Strange things happen, huh?" a voice came from the back of the hall where the group had just been tossed into.
Three hostiles. All with their faces masked in a way: The bulkiest one was a bald man wearing a simple medical mask not too different from the one of the White Rider, the second was a lean man with blond hair and a beak shaped mask, and the third was a slim figure with a ragged burlap sack over his head with holes poked on them.
"Hey Hojo, that one is stealing your look!" the blonde, apparently the face of the trio, snickered as he pointed towards the masked hero-in-training.
It was only then that White Rider realized that his mask had been stolen somehow and was now in the hands of this villain.
"Looks like they are ready for a fight. How about we show them what pros can do?" Fat Gum cracked his knuckles.
Then someone interrupted.
"Save the strength of the pros for the objective. For ones stalling for time… I'll be enough by myself!" Suneater stepped forward.
"What are you saying? Let's work together!" Red Riot protested.
"Yeah, yeah, work together. I'll kill all of you." the villain teased.
"It's Setsuno! We can't use guns against him!" the police chief shouted.
"So that's "Larceny", huh? Good thing he didn't came for my bow." White Rider thought, now thinking about the other two Quirks they were up against.
Crystalize and Food were much simpler to understand with the information he had. That trio was a close-range unit, and Larceny ensured that ranged weaponry wouldn't be a problem.
"So you have already figured it out? Makes it easier to go all out!" Setsuno charged forward, sword in one hand as the other readied to steal something.
"We won't let you!" Eraserhead stepped in, countering the Larceny Quirk.
Hojo then made his move, drawing a handgun.
"I've heard about a hero that can erase Quirks… it's like an inferior version of Eri's." he stated.
It was a standoff, and time was in the yakuza's favor.
Suddenly a mass of tentacles surged forth and the three yakuza were thrown against the wall.
"It won't do us any good to all fight against them. With so many pro heroes here we would be playing right into their hands. We should save the pros' Quirks, including Eraser's, for the big boss! We should also save our power to wiggle around through the underground, too! The police needs to save ammo!... Fat Gum! If it's me alone, I can completely shut down these three!" Suneater stated firmly in an unexpected display of courage.
Fat Gum was silent for an instant.
"Let's go!" he began moving without a second thought.
Eraserhead too the chance to knock out the burlap yakuza and moved on.
"Please take care of Mirio! He definitely is going to try too hard, so please go help him." Suneater ushered the group forward as a tentacle reached down for something on the floor.
"Machibuse-kun…" he added, now presenting the stolen mask back to its owner.
"My gratitude senpai, this is something important. Good luck." White Rider gave a quick nod and dashed after the pros. Staying within Setsuno's range was too troublesome.
The now thinned group continued after Overhaul, they didn't have a second to waste.
"This is strange… that guy that was twisting the corridors hasn't appeared in a while." Eraserhead pointed out.
"I noticed that too. He has his attention somewhere else or something is preventing him from attacking." White Rider added to that, his eyes constantly scanning around for signs of movement.
"If he isn't putting around any more obstacles while we are running then our opponent most definitely is not able to observe and control the entire basement. There is the police squad that remained above too, maybe he is focusing his attention on them." Eraserhead continued.
"You are saying that he's limited in the area he can keep tabs on?" Rock Lock asked, an eye out for the hooded teen that Irinaka target previously.
"The intel said that he can hide inside objects, so he likely is unable to see what happens around that object." White Rider suggested.
"It's just a prediction. He went into the basement to control it. If it's not that he has been assimilated into it, but that he is moving around inside the walls to see and hear what is going on, then that means that when he is manipulating the basement his body must be close. If an eye or ear from his main body is peeking through to try and block us… then I can see him." Eraserhead concluded his explanation.
"That marks you as the main target, Eraserhead." White Rider turned towards his teacher.
"So he went after you to distract us?" Red Riot pondered loudly.
"It's a possibility. Machibuse, keep your eyes peeled either way." Eraserhead nodded.
"Yes, Sir!"
The words had barely made it out of White Rider's mouth when the concrete moved once more. A hole opened up just besides his teacher as the opposite wall surged forth to push him through.
White Rider was a distraction after all.
It happened in an instant, but the result was much different from what anyone expected: Eraserhead was still there, Fat Gum and Red Riot were missing.
No time to waste, the hole was already closed.
The group continued to run towards their target. Now with an extra layer of worry over their shoulders.
It was a mostly silent trip, very little conversation happening to dampen the sound of the group's footsteps.
Then Irinaka attacked again. This guy was starting to become a nuisance.
The hallway twisted and folded over itself, but Rock Lock was quick react and freeze the walls in place.
It quickly came down to a battle of attrition, but inch by inch the heroes and the police were being boxed in.
Deku could only do so much to break the concrete that kept on trying to crush everyone with one kick after another. But he only had so much stamina to throw around.
"Deku." White Rider called out, Chelicerae already out. It was the best he could do to help.
"Thanks…" Deku panted a little as he felt the injectors pricking the skin of his bicep. Almost immediately he could feel his body getting lighter.
"This should help your system with the effects of lactic acid. You might feel less tired now, but the damage to your body is still there so it is only a temporary relief. I will get you something for that once you can stop for a minute." White Rider informed, now scanning the area for signs of this irksome yakuza that kept attacking them. Whatever drug Irinaka had used surely wouldn't last much longer, or Irinaka himself would get knocked out by the drug… Machibuse knew a thing or two about overdosing.
Deku jumped forward, ready to shatter another mass of concrete
Suddenly the entire hallway expanded into a room.
"What are they planning this time?" one of the policemen asked out loud.
Silence.
Then a series of walls suddenly came in to split the group.
It was just Deku, Eraserhead and White Rider now. The former almost got crushed right now, but his teacher managed to snag him out of the way, and the later had to do a fair bit of dodging himself. Irinaka once more tried to isolate him.
So he wasn't a distraction? This was getting much more confusing now. What the Hassaikai was planning that needed him out of the picture?
"Sorry." Deku apologized for the trouble.
"Don't worry about it. Why separate us now…?" Eraserhead readied for the worse.
"The ones holding back Irinaka are you two and Rock Lock. He has a plan to take you three out separately." White Rider proposed, now leaning an ear against the newformed wall.
"Should be easy enough to break, seems thin." he added, now knocking onto the concrete with the back of his fist.
He didn't need to have his ear against the wall to hear Rock Lock shouting something and then suddenly going silent.
"Rock! What is happening!?" Eraserhead shouted.
White Rider gave a quick glance back towards Deku and jumped away as he readied his bow, they needed to breach that wall and fast.
The dust cleared and everything was suddenly weird.
Rock Lock was wounded, laying on his stomach with blood pooled around him.
But he wasn't the only Rock Lock in that room, another Rock Lock was also kneeling besides the wounded one.
"A fake appeared out of nowhere and attacked me! Be careful! They've got more people down here! And they are going to be back soon!" the conscious Rock Lock shouted, sounding genuinely distressed.
Eraserhead rushed towards the fallen man as Rock Lock approached Deku.
A familiar sensation creeped up White Rider's spine once he locked eyes with this Rock Lock. Whoever attacked that room was certainly a predator, and his own survival instinct was screaming just like during the provisional license exam…
In an instant he knocked an arrow and fired.
He knew very well who the real Rock Lock was.
Rock Lock nimbly dodged the shot and proceeded to draw a knife as he lunged forward.
Eraserhead snapped his head back, hair now flaring up as he targeted the fake.
"Toga Himiko!" Deku shouted in surprise as the less than clothed girl rushed after him with her blade.
The League of Villains was there as well.
"Oh, I'm so happy to see you again! So happy!" Toga giggled as she continued slashing.
In an instant her midsection was wrapped around in Eraserhead's Capturing Weapon. Letting her escape was a risk they couldn't take.
In an instant the villain used the pull to launch herself over the pro attacking her, her knife quickly stabbing into Eraserhead's shoulder.
Toga readjusted her grip on the handle, she wanted more blood.
A swift flying axe kick forced her to reconsider and retreat. She wanted to play more with her dear Izuku, but they were being interrupted nonstop.
"I'm cutting you up next, stinky-blood!" Toga glared her threat at White Rider as she jumped away just in time for a wall to descend and split her from the fight.
"Stinky-blood?" White Rider rose a confused eyebrow as he repeated the diss. He found it to be… surprisingly offensive? Where did that come from?
"Sensei!" Deku came in running.
"I'm okay. More importantly, get the knife. Machibuse, stop Rock Lock's bleeding. I've heard that Toga uses blood to fuel her Quirk." Eraserhead gave the orders, now clutching his wound.
Deku and White Rider exchange a weary look. It was now clear that Toga had attacked both of them during the exam.
White Rider took a deep breath and began tending to Rock Lock. It was a deep cut, almost punctured the victim's left lung. One quick glance towards the knife; straight blade, sharp but not jagged. The inside of the wound be a clean cut.
Quickly White Rider pushed a Chelicerae into the opening that loaded his suture wire; Rock Lock would've already died if that cut had reached any deeper. Perhaps he managed to use his Quirk just in time to prevent Toga from striking any further, or perhaps he just had some ungodly amount of luck.
First he needed to stop the bleeding, otherwise Rock Lock would be dead all the same.
One quick hit from the Chelicerae would begin the process.
"Eraserhead, come here, you need attention too. I will give you the same antihemorrhagic and then I will start the real operation with him." White Rider called out.
"Forget about me, I'm fine." the pro got up to his feet.
The hero-in-training rolled his eyes.
Eraserhead stumbled forward as an arrow impacted his wounded shoulder.
"Sensei, I was tasked with taking care of everyone in Class 1-A. That includes you. Stand still while I clear Rock Lock's wound and suture it, then it is your turn." White Rider gave a tired sigh and stored his bow. It was time to get to work.
"That old nurse is rubbing off on you." Eraserhead groaned as he sat back down and pulled the arrow out. Arguing with medics never ended well.
The three of them heard a quick scuffle taking place on the last wall that had divided their group, then the sound of another wall coming down halted that battle.
Deku busted the wall in between the two rooms. Apparently everything was fine, Sir Nighteye had a quick bout against Twice, but aside from the damage done to his suit everything was fine.
"The League is in here as well." Sir Nighteye informed as the two parties regrouped once again.
"We need to keep an eye out. If Kurogiri is involved then we might end up with people popping out everywhere." Eraserhead noted.
Then the entire place shook once again. This time much more violently. Irinaka was finally losing it.
White Rider immediately picked Rock Lock over his shoulder, the man could barely breath let alone dodge. That cut was a massive risk in case Irinaka tossed him around.
A high-pitched scream came from somewhere unseen.
"That yell! Your all heard it?" Eraserhead asked out loud.
"We are going to be crushed like this!" the chief of police shouted as he moved out of the way of the almost alive ground.
White Rider continued to scan the area, Irinaka had to be exposed somewhere close.
He trained his eyes for that, where would the enemy be hiding?
Then his sight landed up a small hole, just big enough for a hand to fit through.
"Deku!" he called out, there was no time for him to drop Rock Lock and ready a shot. They needed Irinaka exposed for his Quirk to be erased.
The greenhead looked back, only to be met with his classmate pointing with his head towards the topmost part of a wall.
Another yell came just as Deku noticed the hole.
In an instant Deku tore the wall apart and Eraserhead had suppressed the yakuza's Quirk.
Finally that hassle had been dealt with. And apparently it was thanks to the League of Villains.
Taking that guy out felt like a massive weight being lifted.
"Any of you are wounded?" White Rider called out, now very carefully placed Rock Lock down and began sewing up the wound at the man's side. He would need a proper surgery after this thing was over, but at least White Rider could make sure that the pro would live to fight another day
"The policemen have a few cuts and bruises, but it seems that everyone is mostly fine." Deku gave a quick look around.
"Good. You sit down here too; your body still needs that break. Please do not make me use another arrow for that." White Rider responded; eyes still glued to the operation he was performing.
It was a moment of peace as the police tried to get some questions out of Irinaka, but the man was just too high to respond properly.
"Fat Gum guessed right. The drug probably already wore off; he doesn't have that power anymore." Eraserhead spoke, meaning that Irinaka wouldn't be a problem anymore.
"I will get him to sleep in a moment then." White Rider offered as he tied the knot into the suture, now allowing a single drop of an ammonia based chemical run down his finger. Rock Lock was awake almost immediately once he inhaled the smell.
"Ugh…" he groaned.
"Please do not move too much. I still need to bandage your torso, just to be safe." White Rider instructed as he helped his patient to a sitting position.
"We still need to find the League of Villains. They must be hiding somewhere." the police chief stated. Things now had gotten really messy.
"Toga… Toga, Twice… I WON'T FORGIVE YOU! YOU TRAITORS!" Irinaka began screaming.
"Where are the other members of the League?" Sir Nighteye took the chance to try and squeeze out some intel.
"LIKE HELL I KNOW! I'M GONNA FIND THOSE TWO! I'M GONNA FIND THEM ALL AND BREAK THEIR SKULLS OPEN!" Irinaka continued, almost foaming at the mouth now.
"This means that those two were the only ones here, huh?" Sir Nighteye concluded.
There was a quick back and forth between the police force, they were right about having to go after Toga and Twice. Those two were too dangerous to be left to escape.
For a moment it was hard to say whether or not Deku and White Rider would remain on the mission. Crossing paths with the League was a strict no.
"The hell you all are standing around for!? Leave the League to the police! What is our top priority here!?" Rock Lock half shouted half groaned as the pain made speaking way harder than expected.
"He is right. This would be the best solution." the police agreed.
"Either way, someone needs to keep an eye out on Irinaka. And thanks to that girl I won't be jumping around for a while. If you get it then hurry up and move your legs." Rock Lock admitted painfully.
"Think of everyone up there in the street… those that got separated! Don't waste the time everyone worked so hard to get! GO!" he added with gusto.
In an instant everyone was already moving again.
"I will just tend to the injured! Go on ahead!" White Rider spoke as he made haste to see how badly the policemen had it. If Deku was correct then he wouldn't be too far behind.
But he had the time to step onto Irinaka's tight. That man wouldn't be a problem anymore if he spent the next hour snoring.
Everything was quiet for a while. It had been a hell of a morning thus far.
"Four hundred and three… four hundred and four… four hundred and five…"
White Rider counted the time. There were very few members of the police force that needed his help, most were fine. One had two broken fingers and another suffered a small concussion; those two would be staying behind with Rock Lock and the sleeping yakuza.
The medic took a deep breath as he got up. He had a mission to see through.
With haste he rushed down the corridor.
Then the entire compound shook. But this was different from before.
White Rider could see the fight happening far into the distance, but whatever just rocked the basement was strong enough to collapse the corridor. He would need another way in.
The hallway reeked of alcohol, on the floor there was one of the members of the Hassaikai and a shattered bottle of the same cheap sake his mother always had liked.
Someone had given that guy a good trashing already, but it was hard to say for sure whether or not he was knock out, drunk out of his mind or just sleeping. Maybe it was a mix of the three.
White Rider continued to run, now taking the only available path, it was a short stairway that led further down, but the corridor at the end of it was in the same direction on the battle.
It was his best shot.
The basement continued to shake. The battle was raging on and getting even more intense. He had a bad feeling about this.
Another tremor, this one bigger than any of the previous.
He continued running.
The sound of rubble falling inside the room next to him caused him to stop.
"If the roof collapsed in there… then that means I can reach them!"
White Rider tried to open the door. Barred, heavy, but not by much.
"I hate doing this…" he sighed and reached for the device on his chest.
One brown pill down, one quick prick to the back of the neck.
He hated using this drug. It felt a little too good to have something this strong going through his system. Muscles bulged and pupils got larger, he needed the extra oomph to his muscles right now.
White Rider backed away and prepared to kick the door open. The hardwood door felt like papier-mâché. It was very hard to hold back with that thing fueling his biology. This is what Edgeshot had him training to do, to push further to the limits of his self-control so more possibilities would be created.
The room was mildly lit by an opening to the battle above.
But there was more in there.
Eraserhead was bound, eyes covered by his Capturing Weapon.
Standing over him was Overhaul's aide. Kurono Hari, Chronostasis.
The man eyed him with a serious expression.
"Mimic didn't manage to take you, but it seems like our plans for you will still be within reach." Chronostasis spoke, both opponents now sizing each other.
"So you were after me this whole time. Why?" White Rider carefully studied the scenario.
"You have no need to know." Chronostasis responded coldly, now donning his mask.
It all happened in an instant.
The arrow-shaped hair surged forward.
The hero-in-training rolled forward to dodge.
The battle above caused another chunk of the roof to fall down.
They were back to neutral, both fighters were well aware that one hit from the other effectively ended the duel.
Standstill.
"S-so hwat is all thish noise? W-where is ttah blond pis of sshit?" another voice came in. The battle had woken up the defeated Hassaikai member that was on the floor of the corridor above.
Suddenly White Rider could barely stay on his feet as he basically leaped forward to avoid being hit by Chronostasis.
"Luck is most definitely with us today. Sakaki, hold him still. Overhaul wants him alive." the aide instructed.
Chronostasis couldn't help but let a small grin form in his lips underneath the mask.
"To think that almost five years after the boss prohibited us from taking place at the auction you would just present yourself to our cause. Kai will surely be pleased." Chronostasis almost couldn't believe how things played out so perfectly.
Five years?
Auction?
Wants him alive?
Those words echoed inside Machibuse's head; he began shaking as the drunken yakuza approached him. The tattoo ached and burned.
The Murakumo.
The Hassaikai knew who had set everything in motion. Their boss knew at the very least.
Machibuse stopped thinking for an instant.
"Target acquired."
…
..
.
AN: Been a while since I left you guys with a good old cliff hanger huh?
Writing the Hassaikai Raid is really weird, there is so much happening and everything happens at the same time and ridiculously fast. Didn't felt natural to divide this chapter into two.
See you guys next time.
