"Speaking"

:Thoughts:

Izuku's POV

The next day had Izuku once again avoiding the detective. If the man wanted a nice reception he should have chosen a more reasonable hour to visit. Eight in the morning was not a reasonable hour for someone who spends their nights hunting criminals.

He could feel Eric's disapproval across the building as more than once he escaped onto the rooftop. Heights were his best friend unlike Tsukauchi who seemed reluctant to follow him out a window. Kavar brought him lunch a little after one and they ate looking out over the city.

It was a good thing they were sitting on the rooftop. If they had been inside avoiding the detective they might have missed the grey blue smoke that rose over the top of the buildings. The sight caused Izuku to suck in a surprised breath.

A meeting had been called of the vigilantes and informants of the city. This was something that only happened once in his time as a vigilante. The night that All For One was temporarily defeated by All Might.

Kavar questioned his voice tight with emotion, "Is that?"

"It is," answered Izuku roughly, "I need you to keep Tsukauchi busy. It seems something has happened."

"Of course," Kavar replied as he stood, "How long do you think it will take?"

All he could do was shake his head in uncertainty. There had not been a meeting called like this in several years. How long would it take? As long as necessary to brief the vigilantes on whatever had happened. Then make a game plan on how to deal with it.

Instead of taking the stairwell down to his room Izuku jumped and landed perfectly on the window sill. Then he entered the same way he had left.

It only took him a few seconds to grab his vigilante bag. Being the middle of the day it was too dangerous for him to go out in his usual outfit. He was after all a nighttime vigilante. If he was seen out in the daylight it might ensight spotlight heroes to give chase. They would be more difficult to avoid and fight than their underground counterparts.

Once his bag was secured over his shoulder he gave a nod to Kavar. The other boy left the room first. Izuku waited listening intently for a conversation to start between Kavar and Tsukauchi. Two minutes later it did and he took advantage of the distraction.

Slipping out of the church was easy only Eric saw him. Looks were exchanged in the span of half a second. One questioning one unrelenting and serious. Then Eric turned away as if he didn't see Izuku sneaking out. While the man wouldn't lie for him neither would he freely give up information.

On the streets people milled about. Most of them were heading back to work from lunch. A few like Izuku looked like they were on a mission. There were too many for him to try and see if he could recognize them. Even if he did it wasn't like he could just call out to them. There was a reason the bar was where they met. It was a safe haven for the vigilantes and informants. He wondered how many were going for the same thing he was.

A familiar presence brushed against his mind. Accepting the connection with ease he felt it snap firmly into place linking him with Noise. Noise like Izuku was a vigilante who patrolled the poorer districts of Musutafu. They typically avoid each other's routes so as to cover more ground. Though if Izuku was ever in trouble he knew Noise would come to his aid.

:I assume you saw the smoke,: came Noise's gruff timbre voice flitting through the link.

Discreetely he glanced around trying to spot his fellow vigilante. No one seemed suspicious. Then again Noise was one vigilante few had ever seen. If he needed to speak with you, he'd form the mental connection.

Izuku answered back easily, :I did. It gave me an excuse to get away from a certain detective.:

:So you have been caught by Tsukauchi then. What are your impressions of the man?:

Izuku didn't pause even if he was shocked by the question, :Honestly I'm not sure what to make of him. Especially given the revelations.:

:Revelations?: came the curious question.

Izuku shut down that line of questioning and changing topics, :Not something that I'm willing to share, Noise. Do you know what this meeting is about?:

Noise went eerily quiet. It made Izuku at least suspect he knew what was going on. Even if he wasn't inclined to share with the younger vigilante.

Then he said, :I do but it's best if you hear it from them. Trust me on this, Shadow.:

Great. This was bound to be terrible news if Noise was being this tight lipped. Fine he would wait until they all made it. This time at least.

Half a block from the bar Izuku slipped into an abandoned building. There he changed into his vigilante gear and made the rest of the trip in silence.

Once at the bar he slipped in finding it densely crowded with people. Vigilantes and informants alike littered the walls. All the tables had long since been taken. Izuku chose to climb up into the rafters. This allowed him a bird's eye view of the bar and he would be able to hear everything that was said.

Noise wasn't far behind him having slipped through a window. Like Izuku he settled himself onto the rafters. The link between them closed no doubt so many minds in one spot was already straining him quirk. The more he connected with someone using it after all the easier it was to form the link.

Within five minutes of Izuku and Noise entering the doors were shut. While not locked there were two who went outside to act as lookouts. With so many vigilantes and informants in one spot they had to be on their guard.

Then Dorren leader of the bar came out his eyes glancing over each member. He was a short stocky man with a beer belly. His clothes were plain and if one didn't know better they would have thought he was a regular business man.

A brief flicker of his hazel eyes up had him checking on Izuku and Noise. Then they went back to the others.

Dorren began easily, "Welcome back to the bar everyone. Unfortunately this is not a happy meeting. We are here to speak about the Boogeyman."

Whispers broke out immediately. Izuku and Noise shared a look of disbelief. The boogeyman also known as All For One had been assumed dead since his fight with All Might. What could be the reason for bringing him up now?

A fairly tall, pale young man of a slim, somewhat-lanky build, roughly Izuku estimated him to be in his late teens or early twenties stepped out of the shadows. Izuku was horrified to see patches of gnarled, wrinkled, purple skin that cover much of his lower face and neck, all the way down past his collarbone, below his eyes and on his arms and legs. Dabi he realized. It had been awhile since Izuku had last seen him. Rumors had it he was in Tokyo.

A second man older than first came out of the shadows a second later. He was middle-aged man of moderate height and slight build. No obvious quirk but then again many vigilantes and informants didn't have obvious quirks. He had short gray hair worn parted to his right with side bangs hanging above his eyes, along with a small mustache and a goatee on his chin. Something about him put Izuku ill at ease.

By the way the others shifted about they felt the same as him. No one trusted this newcomer but they would hear him out. If only out of respect for Dabi and Dorren.