"I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people who do"
- Angus Delaney, Night in the Woods
As Izuku pulled his car to a stop, he looked at the scene in front of him and tried to figure out what was going on.
Firstly, the road had been blocked off, but not by police. Armed to the teeth and wearing full tactical body armor, Oscar's retinue of brainwashed agents seemed to have grown. Where there originally had only been five or six, there were now more than a dozen agents under Oscar's direct command. Behind the yellow crime scene tape, Izuku could see a tall, rotund, and clearly enraged pro-hero being held back by his nervous liaison while several interns tried to calm him down. A two story building seemed to be the center of activity, and Izuku could see blast marks and bullet holes in the walls.
In front of the building, Oscar stood directly in front of the main entrance as people in biohazard suits ferried different objects out of the building. In the middle of the street, a Ministry of Defense cargo helicopter sat with its cargo ramp open to receive personnel and items from the crime scene. Looking closer, Izuku felt an uneasy sensation settle in his stomach as he noticed there were no identifying markings of any kind on the pitch black aircraft. Oscar himself was wearing black body armor, and Izuku could see a splatter of blood on the American's clothes that clearly was not his own.
Turning to look at Rumi sitting next to him, and Uraraka in the back, Izuku spoke in a deadly serious voice. "Listen, whatever you do, do not engage with Oscar. He may be a psychopath, but he still works for the Ministry of Defense. If anything, judging from the resources here, he has more tools at his disposal than ever before."
Rumi grumbled under her breath but nodded, while Uraraka worriedly looked around at the blocked off street. Getting out of his sedan, Izuku walked towards the crime scene with a blank expression on his face. Just as he was about to cross the perimeter of the crime scene, one of Oscar's agents stepped in front of Izuku with his hand on his combat shotgun.
"This area is off limits." The balaclava-wearing agent stated in a monotone voice.
Frowning, Izuku briefly considered pushing past the guard. However, he was not one to tempt fate.
"I am agent Midoriya. Senior field agent." Izuku explained evenly as Rumi and Uraraka came to a stop behind him. "I have business with agent Smith."
"This area is off limits." The armed agent repeated robotically. "Any attempt by unauthorized personnel to enter the area will be met with force."
Izuku was about to get his ID out and pull rank on the guard, when a gratingly cheerful voice called out.
"Heya Mido!" Oscar said loudly. "You bring any food?" The cannibal then grinned toothily, apparently enjoying the twisted inside joke only Izuku would understand. "I am starving. Been a busy day." Seeming to finally notice that the agent blocking Izuku was not moving, Oscar called out to him. "Alpha Four! Let them pass."
Like an obedient guard dog being told to heel, the masked agent immediately stepped back. Deciding to not push his luck, Izuku ducked under the yellow crime scene tape and made his way over to the cannibalistic American. Finally getting closer, Izuku ignored Oscar and walked over to the enraged pro-hero shouting threats.
"He can't do that!" The rotund hero yelled angrily. "How dare he slander Iori's name! Ministry or not, I will teach that bastard a thing or two about respect!"
"Fat Gum please stop!" Said the lanky male liaison worriedly. "This is not the time or place! I called for backup so please stop!"
Looking at the three teens next to the bellowing pro-hero, Izuku recognized Kirishima, but not the other two. One of them appeared to have metal skin, while the other wore some kind of hero outfit with a hooded cloak.
"What's going on here?" Izuku said authoritatively.
Whirling around, the overwhelmed liaison let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god they sent you Midoriya! It's bad, really bad."
Frowning, Izuku gestured back at the sneering Oscar. "I still don't know why the hell I was called here. Explain please."
"Umm, where to start?" The skinny liaison muttered to himself before responding in a more professional tone. "I am Fat Gum's hero liaison. Yesterday, one of Fat Gum's newest recruits said he had gotten a tip on some drug smuggling and said he was going to investigate. We all were a little nervous sending him out on his own, but with all the recent PLF activity the agency is stretched thin. By this morning we knew something must have happened. Because Iori, the new recruit, had gone dark and was not responding to any of our attempts to contact him. In Iori's desk we found a note with this address on it, so we immediately investigated. When we got here Agent Smith had already set up a crime scene perimeter. We asked about Iori and…"
The lanky liaison trailed off sadly, giving Fat Gum the opportunity to explain himself.
"He said Iori was a traitor! That he was working for the PLF and was here to meet with the drug runners!" Fat Gum raged vehemently. "The bastard said that his team raided the building, and when they broke in Iori tried to go for a gun! Then that miserable excuse of an agent laughed when he told us he gunned Iori down like a dog!"
Fat Gum's lip trembled, and he opened one of his large hands to reveal a torn yellow mask soaked in blood. "I didn't believe him, b-but then he tossed this on the ground like a dirty rag." Fat Gum's rage morphed into grief, the massive hero doing his best to keep himself composed as he continued to talk. "Iori was a good kid, he would never do anything that agent said he did! At that point all I wanted to do was to put Iori to rest and figure everything out later. But that inhuman monster just laughed and said something about cutting Iori open to look for more evidence!"
As Fat Gum wiped tears from his eyes, Izuku immediately grabbed Rumi's arm to prevent her from charging over and attacking Oscar.
Pure rage on her face, Rumi tried to shake off her partner's hand as Uraraka shrunk back in fear.
"Izuku don't try to stop me!" Rumi raged. "That fucker needs to get his teeth kicked in for saying shit like that!
Looking around, Izuku could see all of Oscar's agents tense up and raise their weapons. There was no way any of them would survive the sheer amount of bullets that would be fired at them. Even with a quick glance Izuku could see that all of the weapons aimed at them were military-grade. Ranging from fully automatic assault rifles, to semi-automatic combat shotguns, to high powered marksman rifles.
"Miruko, stand down!" Izuku barked authoritatively. "Shut up and let me handle this!" Lowering his voice so only Rumi could hear, Izuku hissed in frustration. "Rumi look around you! You keep acting like this and you are going to get us all killed. So knock it off!"
Seeming to finally notice the number of weapons pointed at her, Rumi stopped struggling and clenched her fists in frustration.
Gently pushing Rumi back towards Fat Gum, Izuku gave his partner a pointed look. "Rumi, I need you to watch Fat Gum. Keep everyone together and don't do anything crazy." Izuku then looked over at Kirishima and the metal-skinned teen and gave them a threatening look. "Same goes for you two. I can tell just by looking at you that you two dumbasses are the kind of idiots to act first and think later. Don't even think about starting shit."
Huffing angrily, Izuku straightened his suit jacket and turned around to face the grinning Oscar. Walking over, Izuku gritted his teeth as Oscar chuckled and clapped politely.
"A smooth talker like always Mido." The American said appreciatively. "Here I was looking forward to adding a few more bodies to the pile, but I guess my wishes will go ungranted."
Coming to a stop in front of the leering cannibal, Izuku crossed his arms. "Oscar what is your game? I know you, sticking around and pulling guard duty is not something you would do willingly. If this whole thing is legit like you say it is, I want to see the documentation. If you don't have any, then you are going to be in a whole lot of trouble with the logistics division."
Reaching into one of his pockets, Oscar handed Izuku a set of folded papers. "Ask and ye shall receive Mido. If you say that you know me like you do, then you should know that I never lie."
Snatching the papers out of Oscar's hand, Izuku inspected the printed text. His frown deepening, Izuku skimmed the documents until he got to the authorization section. True to Oscar's word, the operation was indeed authorized. The concerning part was that the authorization was from the highest clearance level possible. A clearance level only given to a select few people in the highest echelons of the Ministry of Defense.
In short, Oscar could do whatever he wanted as long as he got results.
Slowly handing the papers back, Izuku kept his expression blank as Oscar grinned victoriously.
"Sorry bud, looks like your hero buddies can go fuck themselves." Oscar said loudly so that everyone could hear. "It's a shame that one of Fat Gum's recruits was a drug smuggling traitor."
Looking around, Izuku finally noticed the crowd of bystanders and reporters looking on in shock.
Well that was not good at all.
Izuku knew that the minute he turned around, Rumi would know what the result was from his defeated expression. Wanting to delay the inevitable just a little bit longer, Izuku glared at Oscar as he tried to figure out what exactly was going on behind the scenes.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised at how low you can stoop." Izuku said wearily. "What are you getting out of this Oscar? This underhanded political shit-stirring is not your style. If you had it your way, you would simply just beat every pro-hero to death yourself."
Smirking, Oscar gave Izuku a conspiratorial wink. "All in due time buddy."
The caucasian man then reached out and lightly poked Izuku's chest. "The thing is, you and I are not so different. We are both monsters. I am just honest about it." Oscar chuckled and nodded over at the group of heroes behind Izuku. "That is what pisses me off about those hero people. They pretend that they can make the world a better place with words and happy thoughts. You and I both know, the only way to change the world is by getting your hands dirty. The second they find out what you truly are, they will abandon you without a second thought. So when that time comes, remember that I will always be your friend."
Disgusted, Izuku wiped his shirt like Oscar had left a slimy fingerprint. The problem was, he had no retort for Oscar's logic. As much as Izuku wanted to believe that Rumi would love him no matter what, the fact that he had innocent blood on his hands would never go away.
With no easy response, the green-haired agent simply turned around and walked away.
Returning to the group of pro-heroes, Izuku was met with hopeful looks.
Except for Rumi.
"So you straightened him out, right?" Fat Gum asked eagerly. "Everyone was telling me about you, so if there is anyone who could face that monster, it would be you."
Izuku was silent and avoided looking Fat Gum in the eye, opting to instead look down at the pavement in obvious defeat.
"Go home." Izuku said quietly. "Everything checks out, Oscar has full authorization. I will make sure to get Iori's body back to his family as soon as possible, but right now there is nothing I can do."
The silence was deafening, and Izuku still could not muster up the courage to look Fat Gum in the eye.
Eventually, a silent Fat Gum turned around and slowly walked away with his interns in tow.
Sighing heavily, Izuku motioned for Uraraka and Rumi to follow him. "Lets go guys."
Walking back to his car, Izuku got into the driver's seat and waited for Rumi and Uraraka to hop in themselves. When Rumi sat down nin the passenger's seatr, she slammed the car door closed with so much force that the window audibly cracked.
The day had just started, and Izuku was already feeling like he was at his limit.
Turning the key in the ignition, Izuku backed out of the street and drove away.
"S-sorry…" Uraraka suddenly mumbled. "I was telling everyone about you and got their hopes up. I...I didn't mean to…"
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Izuku saw the brown-haired teenager staring at her feet with her head hung in shame.
"It's not your fault kid." Izuku replied. "Don't beat yourself up over something you had no control over. The fact is everyone will eventually have a day where everything goes wrong. All you can do is grit your teeth and keep moving forward."
Uraraka stayed silent, and Izuku could practically feel the anger and frustration radiating off his silent partner beside him.
Time for a change of plan. Right now morale was very low, and trying to get any serious work done would only go poorly. A good leader knows when to provide the carrot, as well as use the stick.
A situation like this definitely warranted a carrot. Figuratively of course.
Driving through the city, Izuku eventually came to a stop in front of a small deli that was crammed between a hair salon and a mattress store.
Izuku then turned to look at his secret girlfriend and shy intern. "Okay, what kind of sandwiches do you guys want? My treat."
A heavy frown still on her face, Rumi glowered at her partner. "The fuck are we doing at some random ass deli? I am not hungry, all I want to do is find some criminals and kick the shit out of them."
Rolling his eyes, Izuku gave Rumi a pointed look. "And the last time you did that you ended up locked in a basement with a quirk-nullifying bullet in your leg."
Rumi continued to glare at Izuku, but eventually relented and turned to look out the cracked window. "BLT, with extra lettuce." She mumbled just loud enough for Izuku to hear.
Izuku then looked expectantly at Uraraka.
The gravity-controlling teen was quiet for a few moments before responding in a hesitant voice. "Do they make paninis? I had one back when I was a kid and I always wanted to try it again. It was a turkey avocado panini."
Giving the intern a nod, Izuku got out of the car and walked into the deli. Upon opening the door, Izuku's nose was met with a practically euphoric assortment of smells. Herbs and spices, grilling meat, fresh vegetables, it was all there. Behind a cluttered counter, a chubby Cuban woman with greying hair sat on a stool watching telenovelas on her smartphone. Hearing the chime of the small bell attached to the door, the woman looked up from her phone and laughed heartily.
"Izuku! Mi hijo! How are you?" The woman said with a warm smile on her face. "Are you finally going to take me up on my offer? I have a niece that needs a strong man in her life. She is nice on the eyes to boot!"
The woman's joviality was infectious, and Izuku felt his normal default frown turn into a small grin. "Sorry tía, I actually have a girlfriend now. But I do know a few guys that you might approve of."
As Izuku walked over and leaned against the counter, the older woman sighed in exaggerated disappointment. "Nobody can compare to you corazoncito. You are like the son I always wanted. If I could I would trade my son for you in a heartbeat. I swear the bum loves his cars more than people."
Feeling some of the stress melt away, Izuku waved away the compliment. "I am not as good as you think. I just tend to make a good first impression."
The woman behind the counter was Anesia Castaneda, an immigrant from Cuba with enough personality for three people. She also happened to be a respected peer of Lorenzo. Where Lorenzo had dedicated himself to high-class meals and culinary innovation, Anesia had devoted herself to making food that could warm even the coldest of hearts. Her deli was a hidden gem, a place that was just as much a part of the local culture as it was an eatery. Patrons of the deli came not just for the food, but for the familial feeling that Anesia provided with every meal. She had a knack for finding misfits and outcasts, to which she promptly became an almost parental figure. When you were deemed worthy by Anesia, it truly felt like you had just been adopted into her family.
Wiping her hands on her apron, Anesia smiled knowingly. "Anyways, enough with the small talk. You came for food, yes? What can I make for you?"
Izuku nodded appreciatively. "A BLT with extra lettuce, a turkey avocado panini, and one of your amazing Cuban sandwiches. It's been a rough day, and I knew that if I wanted to cheer myself up some of your food would definitely fit the bill."
Cracking her knuckles, Anesia let out one of her trademark hearty laughs. "Always such a smooth talker! But that's what I love about you Izuku!"
As Anesia went to work on making the sandwiches, Izuku leaned against the counter and idly looked around at the interior of the small deli. Everything from the red and white tile, to the decorations on the walls, gave the deli a warm and cozy feeling. A rare occurrence that many businesses tried to replicate, but few achieved.
Five minutes later, Aneisa placed the finished sandwiches on the counter and expertly wrapped them up before putting them in a brown paper bag. "Here you are Izuku. I hope your friends can handle the seasoning."
Opening up his wallet, Izuku handed the payment to Anesia in exchange for the warm food. "I know they will love it. Thanks Anesia, I really mean it."
A wide smile on her face, Anesia sat back down on her stool. "No problem Izuku. You know you are always welcome here."
With a final wave goodbye, Izuku left the store with the bag of sandwiches in hand and returned to his car. Getting into the driver's seat, Izuku could not help but grin as he saw Rumi's rabbit ears perk up once her nose detected the heavenly smell coming from the bag.
Obviously trying to act like she was still angry, Rumi glanced over at Izuku and huffed in annoyance. "Took you long enough."
Keeping the warm bag in his lap, Izuku gave his partner a stern look. "I can always eat your sandwich as well as mine. I might as well, if that is the kind of attitude I get for buying you lunch."
Rumi opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by the distinct sound of her stomach growling hungrily.
Izuku chuckled, and was surprised when he heard Uraraka giggle quietly behind him.
"You were going to say something?" Izuku asked Rumi teasingly.
Her face blushing red, Rumi crossed her arms and slumped down in her seat.
"Nevermind." She mumbled. "Thanks for the food."
Satisfied, Izuku put the warm paper bag in Rumi's lap as he started the car. "Your welcome. Though you can't eat it yet, not until we get to where we are going.
As Rumi whimpered hungrily, Izuku steered the car away from the deli and drove to the edge of the city. Eventually they arrived at their destination, a generic high rise apartment building. Parking the car in a nearby parking lot, Izuku opened his door and took the bag of sandwiches from Rumi's lap.
"Almost there." He explained as everyone disembarked. "We are going to the very top of that apartment building."
As the midday sun rose high into the sky, Izuku led his pro-hero partner and her intern through the empty lobby of the building and into a well-used elevator. Ascending all the way to the top floor, Izuku exited the elevator and made his way down several dusty hallways. Finally, the group of three arrived at a small concrete staircase that led to a rusty metal door. Without saying anything, Izuku walked up the steps and pushed the door open.
The sight that greeted the three was something that could only be described as a hidden oasis. Lush green grass covered the ground, and in one corner of the verdant area a small pond and waterfall bubbled softly. High walls surrounded all four sides of the roof, blocking the constant high-altitude wind and reducing it to a gentle breeze. There was no roof, the only shade coming from the small grove of healthy trees that occupied half of the yard. The other half was empty except for the soft grass, a perfect spot for sunbathing or simply laying down and staring up at the sky.
Stepping out onto the lawn, Izuku grinned when he heard his two teammates gasp in amazement.
With a voice full of youthful wonder, Uraraka looked around in disbelief as she smiled brightly. "It's so pretty!"
Stepping onto the grass like she was stepping onto some sort of forbidden paradise, Rumi gave Izuku a bewildered look. "How the hell did you find this place?! I swear this is like something out of a book! Next you are going to pull a unicorn out of a hat or something!"
Chuckling at his girlfriend's reaction, Izuku gave her a friendly wink. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. Just relax and enjoy it."
Leaning against one of the high concrete walls, Izuku took off his shoes and socks then proceeded to walk over to the shade of one of the trees. "Alright, Operation Picnic is a go." He said like a commander briefing his troops. "Our objective is to eat some damn good food then proceed to relax in the AO. Is that clear?"
For the first time, Izuku saw a bright smile on Uraraka's face as she nodded eagerly.
Rumi seemed to have forgotten about her bad mood as she walked over and stared at the bag of sandwiches hungrily. "Loud and clear Izu...Midoriya. Now stop messing around and give me my sandwich...please."
Chuckling softly, Izuku handed Rumi her sandwich and pointed to her feet. "Take off your shoes. Trust me, it will be hard to find a lawn softer than this."
As the two girls took off their shoes, Izuku sat down on the soft grass and retrieved Uraraka's sandwich as well as his own. Digging in immediately, Izuku groaned happily as he savored the perfect blend of ingredients.
As he ate his food, Izuku could not help but overhear Uraraka whispering to Rumi in awe.
"Does this kind of thing happen a lot?" The teen asked honestly.
Rumi responded with a grunt as she chewed. "Yup, at this point I stopped trying to figure out how he knows about all this stuff. Trust me, this ain't nothin. You should see some of the people he hangs out with. Will blow your freakin mind."
Flattered at the praise, Izuku pretended like had not heard the two heroes and simply listened to the wind rustling the leaves overhead. Once he was finished with his sandwich, Izuku took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Scooting over to one of the walls in the bright and sunny half of the lawn, Izuku leaned his back against the concrete and closed his eyes.
"I am gonna take a short nap." He told the two girls. "We don't have anywhere we need to be. So feel free to relax."
"That sounds like a good idea." Rumi agreed. "Been awhile since I had the opportunity to soak up some sun."
Opening one of his eyes, Izuku watched as Rumi sprawled out on the grass and closed her eyes as she faced the sky. Meanwhile, Uraraka had laid down under the shade of one of the trees with a happy smile on her face.
For a minute, the only sound was from the pond and the wind. However, Uraraka suddenly broke the silence.
"This is...really nice Agent Midoriya." The teen said sleepily. "I remember doing this with my parents when I was little. I um...thanks for taking me here."
"No problem kid." Izuku replied as he let the sun shine down on him. "I figured I can't just traumatize you the entire time. Carrot and stick and all that."
Rumi snorted in amusement, but otherwise stayed silent.
Setting his mental clock to wake him up in an hour, Izuku gave himself permission to forget his worries for a short time and simply enjoy the peace and quiet.
"If only we could spend every day like this." He thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep.
- Edit -
- made a stupid mistake and called Kirishima the wrong name. Fixed now. That is what I get for posting while tired.