You didn't even try to go back to sleep. You couldn't after such a vexing thought. Could Keigo have told him about your history? From the looks of it, Dabi didn't know you existed before you met in the alley, which means Keigo probably didn't tell him beforehand. Keigo had even told you he had no idea you were coming, and you doubted he had time to meet Dabi yesterday given that he was on patrol. Keigo did say Dabi was "holding out" on him, whatever that meant. You'd have to ask him about it later, but you feared you'd have to learn about Dabi's acquisition of your personal info on your own. Thankfully, you'd gotten the sense to charge your phone during the night, even while you were busy frantically formulating theories about the villain's warning. What was coming? Surprisingly enough, it wasn't fear or panic that kept you up, but the pure adrenaline behind the mystery. For the first time ever, you had a mission that was truly all your own. With no knowledge of the situation, Stiller wouldn't be able to intervene and, though it meant you were alone in this, you'd be doing real investigative hero work! (Even if it was under the radar.)

You probably shouldn't have been so excited about the impending threat of a villain attack, but it wasn't the thought of mass destruction, or even receiving praise for your heroism that made you feel this way. It was the notion of total independence. Typically, back home, it was others who would do the information collecting. They'd pass it off to Stiller and he'd send you off wherever in the world to complete the mission while giving you only what he deemed necessary for you to know. The idea that, if you could prove to Stiller and the Commission that you could be trusted to work on your own, you might be permitted to stay in Japan and work as a real hero filled you with glee.

You found some stationary in one of the desk drawers. Though you didn't know exactly how much of your phone's contents Stiller had access to, you couldn't risk him seeing anything you'd written about Dabi. Not only could he distance you from any real responsibility, but if he told the others, it could put Keigo in a predicament. At least, that's what Dabi had said. Perhaps it was foolish to listen to anything a villain said, but to you, the risk wasn't worth the reward. It took over an hour, but after going through some of the files in your cell, you found that it did have a built-in internet browser. You made a mental note to keep your finding away from Stiller. Using your phone as a news source, you began jotting down notes on paper- simple things first like the League's members, their quirks, and how likely you thought they were to commit flashy crimes based on past activity. This quiet time alone was better than any briefing. It was becoming apparent why Stiller had never given you a phone before: the internet had so much information! Some of the stuff you were finding you were sure wasn't brought up before.

"They snuck into UA?"

"They tried to kill All Might?"

"They kidnapped a high school student?!"

"Hero killer?"

"Those 'nomu' monsters were people?!"

Everything you were learning was interesting on an individual scale, but it didn't seem to come together to give you an idea of what their next move might be. There were only a couple of conclusions you could draw from the information you had: the League was trying to topple hero society by eliminating the symbol of peace, but didn't have enough man-power to do it so they were probably using this "Hero Killer" guy's cause as a ploy to bring in new members.

"Okay, but All Might is retired now… so what are they planning to do with the people they recruit?" You thumped your pencil steadily against the desk as you racked your brain for answers. Whenever a possible scenario popped into your head, you'd hastily write it down.

After hours of news articles, videos, and blogs, you still didn't have a solid answer. There was quite a bit of speculation surrounding the League, but not much on its members. Though you could speculate about the group's plan as a whole, nothing you found helped you discern anything about Dabi specifically. Sunlight began to creep its way over the horizon and into your room.

"Huh?!" You exclaimed, hopping out of your chair to look at the changing sky. "Have I been up all night?!" Your phone began its violent song-and-dance routine against the wood as your morning alarm rang.

"Ooooohhhhh, I messed up…" You laughed. You didn't prefer it, but you had gone without sleep before. It was usually agony and you'd likely knock out the second your head hit the pillow (or anything else, for that matter), but you'd have to deal with any exhaustion that came.

"I slept too much yesterday, anyway." Your wrist vibrated. You tapped the screen to display Stiller's message:

'Wake up.'

"Again with the watch wake-up? Whatever, I'm way ahead of you…" You muttered, switching off your phone's alarm. For now, you weren't exhausted. Might as well take advantage. You stole into the restrooms to ready yourself as best as you could. There was a new notification on your phone once you returned to your room.

Henry Stiller - 6:37 AM

(H/N),

Good morning, I hope you're doing better. You'll be on patrol all day today. I suggest you use this time to familiarize yourself with the city and its citizens. Obviously, keep an eye out for any crime as well. Bring me a full report on the day's events when you return. Secondly, you need to stop by the address below to pick up your updated suit. Finally, don't forget to set a password on the phone. Give it to me with your report tonight. I'd also appreciate it if you turned the location on as well.

'You wanna track me through my phone, too?! Is the tracker that's literally locked around my wrist not good enough for you, old man?' You had to admit, as annoying as it was to have him text you orders, you were pretty thankful that you were being trusted to be on your own… for the most part. Your heart swelled with happiness. On top of your private investigating, you were also going to be on patrol alone. Best. Day. Ever. This was perfect. It'd give you plenty of time to meet with Keigo. Speaking of which, when were you going to meet up with him? He said he'd find you, but didn't exactly specify when or how. You decided to text him.

Hey, when and where do you wanna meet up? I'll be on patrol today, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have. I do have to stop somewhere to pick up my new suit, though. I could send you the address and we can meet up there.

Send. You put your phone down and glanced at the mess of shopping bags on the floor at the foot of your bed. You felt a bit silly for having cast them off the mattress like an angry toddler. You stepped over to begin picking them up.

'Hm, I have been wearing my hero costume all night. These are all clean; I could wear some of these. Just to pick up my new suit!' You convinced yourself as you set the bags on your bed. It may have seemed childish, but you were kind of excited about the new street clothes. Usually, all of your clothes were provided to you by the military, so they were fairly bland. Occasionally, Stiller would get you a t-shirt or jacket from whatever city you ended up in, but the man's fashion sense was seriously lacking. You chose an outfit you thought looked nice and threw it on. Since you still didn't have a mirror, your phone's camera would have to suffice yet again.

"Just don't take any pictures this time and you're safe from Stiller." You chuckled out loud, knowing he'd probably be irritated about your little shopping spree. Just as your camera opened up, your phone pinged. It was a message from Keigo.

Hawks - 6:45 AM

Give me the address, I'll meet you there.

Simple enough. At least this conversation was going to happen sooner rather than later. You went ahead and sent him the address and told him you'd be there soon. You didn't even bother with the front doors today, assuming they'd be locked since no one was in the building yet. Instead, you headed out the window again but this time, you made sure to close and lock it.

You paced outside of the building as you waited for Hawks.

'Come on, bird brain, where are you?' For someone so fast, you'd think he'd be on time for things. All this waiting was making you anxious. He wasn't flaking out on you, was he? 'Maybe I should text him again…' You thought, pulling out your phone.

'No, no. Trust him. He's your friend.' You sighed. You couldn't help but feel conflicted; after all, he wasn't willing to tell you what was going on before, so what made you so sure he would now? Maybe he already knew about Dabi sneaking into your room. Maybe that's why he agreed to meet you. He wouldn't have let Dabi in himself, would he? Did you actually leave that window open?

"Hey, Crash." A familiar voice came from behind you and you nearly jumped out of your skin. You leapt back as you spun around with a tiny shriek. "That's not funny, Kei!" Keigo laughed heartily. "My bad! Didn't think I'd scare you that bad." He apologized as he landed. "What's got you so skittish all of a sudden?"

You took a deep breath to calm yourself down. Despite your dismal thoughts, you knew that you should be able to speak with your friend about anything- especially matters as serious as this. You gave him a stern look as you mentally prepared yourself. "I wanna know more about the League. It's important." You did your best to convey urgency with your unwavering glare. It's a good thing Keigo could take a hint. His expression turned serious as well, but his tone was just as cheerful as ever. He pulled out his phone and began typing.

"Eh, I really only know about as much as you do. Hey, by the way, have you picked up your new suit yet?" He asked, simultaneously turning his phone screen to you. He had typed something in the memo section:

Does your watch record audio?

You read the message quickly before returning your gaze to him. You pointed at his phone as you responded.

"Nah, I was waiting for you. Wanted you to be the first to see it." You shook your head and spoke as casually as you could. Keigo flipped the screen towards his face and started to type again.

"Ha, that's rather thoughtful of you. I'll come in with you to get it." He said, turning the phone to you again.

Turn off your phone.

"Sure!" You said cheerfully. You long-pressed the button on the side of your phone and selected the "power-off" button. Once it was done, you looked back to Keigo. He silently pointed up as he outstretched his wings.

"Let's go."

You nodded in acknowledgement and the two of you took off. You squinted to protect your eyes as you followed Kegio straight up. The tolerable autumn air gradually became colder as you rose higher. Your training acclimated you to quick changes in altitude, but at the rate you were going, you wondered if you might reach the clouds. Once he felt you were well out of earshot, he halted abruptly and flapped his wings steadily to keep himself in place. You were so high up, you could no longer hear the hustle and bustle of the city below.

"Here." You motioned. Using your quirk, you created an invisible platform just under your and Keigo's feet. You stood steadily in the air.

"Sorry 'bout the detour. Looked like you wanted to talk in private." He said, stretching his arms over his head and resting his wings. "Man, I'm real glad that thing doesn't hear what you say. We'd have been screwed in the alley earlier." He said with a chuckle. You managed a small smile. "Yeah. So uh, about the alley. What's your deal with Dabi?"

"Look, Crash; I know this is confusing, but I asked you to trust me. I promise it'll all make sense eventually." You knew he was only trying to assure you, but you needed to press the issue.

"I know, and I do… I just think it'd be better if I had a little more information. Like why you said you'd been trying to 'meet up' with him for example." You did your best to come off as confident, but feared you may look a little more like a timid child.

He smiled sweetly at you. "I promise you don't need to be worried about it. I know it sounds strange, but there's a reason for everything. You just don't need to know that reason for now. I wouldn't want to get you involved in it anyw-"

"He was in my room last night, Kei." You were quick to cut him off. For some reason, the gloom that came with the admission made you feel more assertive. His smile faded and a look of shock poured over his face.

"What the hell, (Y/N); why didn't you lead with that?!" He spoke quickly, grabbing your arm. "Did he hurt you?"

You let out a breath. "No, I'm fine, but I just…" You paused, reluctant to divulge anything more about your encounter until he gave you what you wanted. "Kei, what is going on? He mentioned you specifically. I know you're involved with him somehow, I just can't understand why the hell you can't tell me." Your tone became angrier by the second. You didn't mean to come off so brash, but you had to admit, his secrecy was starting to piss you off.

Keigo looked away as he contemplated. He released your arm. "Was he alone with anything you're wearing now?" His voice was so low, you almost didn't hear him.

"No, this is all stuff from yesterday." You said.

"Look at you. When did you get so smart?" He complimented you with a smile.

"Please don't try to change the subject." You pleaded calmly.

He nodded. "Alright. What did he say?"

You frowned. Keigo had been your friend for years and maybe it was the decade you'd spent apart, but your doubtful nature had completely taken hold of you. You didn't want to give him anything he could use in a lie. For once, you had the upper hand when it came to information.

"You first." You insisted.

Keigo sighed and looked away disheartened. "Yeah, I understand your distrust. Listen, no one's supposed to know. You can't breathe a word about any of this, Crash. Okay?" So he was hiding something. You nodded. Surprisingly, you weren't as mad in the moment as you thought you'd be.

"You can probably tell already, but we really don't have as much information on the League as we like to think. It seems like every time we think we know what their next move will be, we get hit with a curve ball. Obviously, at the rate we're going, and the rate they're growing, there's no way we'd be able to beat them. So, they figured an inside man was what they needed. A few weeks ago, the Commission decided that I should be that man." His voice was steady and serious. It made you feel confident that he was telling the truth.

"You're trying to infiltrate the League." You stated plainly.

"Exactly. Though, it hasn't exactly been going my way. That Dabi guy keeps avoiding me at every turn." He looked up at you and your eyes locked. "Whatever he said to you… it would really help if you told me."

You hummed. Knowing the truth made you feel a bit better. "He said he was giving me a warning, but wouldn't give me specifics. If it was a lie, I wouldn't know what he was really there for- could've been anything. He probably planted bugs in the room or something."

Keigo's expression formed into one of anger and confusion. "A warning?"

"Yeah." You replied. "He said something is coming within the next few weeks and that he didn't want me to fight. I know it's probably ridiculous to trust something a villain says, but if there's even a chance that harm could come to innocent people..."

"Did he threaten you?" Keigo asked.

You shook your head. "No, no. Surprisingly, it was nothing like that. He didn't even try to attack me."

The news seemed to surprise Keigo a bit. You quirked an eyebrow at him. "I take it you haven't had many positive experiences with the guy." You guessed.

Keigo shook his head. "Most of our interactions end with death threats."

You couldn't help but chuckle. "No wonder he doesn't trust you. What happened to those amazing 'interpersonal skills' of yours?"

Your friend rolled his eyes. "Guess I don't bode too well with villains. Still, I wonder why he felt inclined to warn you."

You shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. It was strange how friendly he was."

You could practically see the wheels in Keigo's head turning. "What are you thinkin'?" You asked.

"Maybe he trusts you." He said.

"Eh, 'trust' is pushing it. At most, he tolerates me. I think he's really just trying to learn more about me and how I could fuck up their plan." You corrected.

"You might be right. If you make them nervous, I'd say we've got ourselves an advantage. It could delay them." He pointed out, rubbing his chin.
"What you need now is a bonafide fanbase. The League is going to learn about your power one way or another, so it'd be best if you had the public's support. You don't need to be super well-known but popularity will help you win people's trust. It'll be easier to help them in a crisis."

"Makes sense." You agreed. Keigo smiled. "I'll help you out with face-to-face interactions. Just remember, it's alright to be a little awkward. As long as you're doing good, they'll accept you. I mean look at Endeavor: dude's the least friendly guy I know, but he's still number four in the approval ratings."

You tried to hide your grimace at the Fire Hero's name. You nodded. "I'll do my best."

"I'll come over later on to check for bugs in your room. For now, though, we should get going. Don't want that overseer of yours to wonder why you've been in the same spot so long."

You rolled your eyes. "Not my overseer."

"Alright, your dad, then." He teased.

You couldn't hold in your laugh. "Pfffttt, yeah, sure, okay." Your voice was soaked in sarcasm. "Speaking of Stiller, though… Uhm…" You began.

"Yeah?" Keigo questioned.

"Do you uh… do you think you could show me how to set up a password on my phone? He wants me to have one, but I haven't figured it out yet." You felt embarrassed at the need to ask such a simple question.

Keigo laughed at you. "Wow, Crash, I didn't think you were that technologically inept."

You frowned at his teasing and rolled your eyes. Without saying anything, you released the platform of air underneath the two of you and allowed yourself to freefall. Keigo didn't even flinch at the sudden sensation; instead, he stretched his wings behind himself and fell right alongside you. You were hit with a feeling of euphoria as the two of you continued your controlled descent. Starting today, you were a real hero.