Ch: 7 The curtain rises.

(Shinso's pov - abandoned theater)

I had to admit to myself, if no one else, to having a bit of nerves at the plan Midoriya had. A sound plan sure but risky. Eraserhead would say a foolhardy plan but it's the best we had. Gentle would contact Compress acting like he managed to get the data from the Commission servers, the four of us would follow and send our location to local authorities and stall the villains until help arrived.

Gentle had finished his part perfectly, contacting Compress and leading us to the theater, Midoriya contacted Lieutenant Nagakura informing him of what was happening. "Ten minutes. We just have to stall for ten minutes." He said once the phone conversation was done, I had to admire the confidence that came from his voice even if I was mostly sure it was all fake. Still the four of us looked at each other, uncertain and worried. Who knows what type of traps the villains had or numbers, not to mention that if Hatsume and La Brava we're in fact being held here we'd end up in a hostage situation. An utter shit show. Midoriya then pointed to the roof. "Mindwipe, Froppy I think it's best if you two took the roof and rafters, your agility and stealth make it the optimal position for the two of you. Creati would it be possible for you to make mines to place around the exits?" After a moment she nodded and went around boobytrapping the exits. He looked at us. "See if you locate Hatsume or La Brava, we won't have much time until Compress realizes that Gentle doesn't have the data so you'll need to be quick." I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand when I noticed a faint whirring sound, at which point I turned to its source and to my horror a shimmering light was floating to our left before blinking away revealing a heavily modified drone. Before any of us could react I felt a sting on my neck and as I reached for the cause as my world started to dim I felt a small needle embedded in my skin. I fell to my knees after and the world went dark.

My eyes were heavy as I slowly regained consciousness at which point i noticed that all four of us were now strapped into the front row seats of the theater, panic then filled me as I tried to stand or move my arms to no avail, I could feel my lungs working as my eyes darted around taking in every detail I could. Above us in the rafters I could pick out the silhouettes of armed gunmen watching us, supported by various drones that buzzed around like bees in a hive. The curtain was lowered, but the spinning spotlights made it clear that that was not going to be the case for much longer, as for me and the others we were all bound with Midoriya's coat being placed on Yaoyorozu in what I think was an attempt to prevent her from any use of her powers. I looked down and closed my eyes as memories flooded into my mind at the sight of the muzzle that currently prevented me from speaking, so similar to the ones my parents would use, that teachers would demand I have. Powerless, chained once more, I remembered the breathing techniques Aizawa taught me to calm myself a bit.

A booming drumroll began followed by the bombastic voice of an announcer. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! The League of Villains is proud to present." As they spoke I held my breath watching the curtain rise, on center stage slumped and bloodied and strapped to a chair was Gentle Criminal with no obvious signs of life. "The magical marvel, the mastermind of mystery PRESS!" At that moment a blinding light appeared center stage as pyrotechnics shot off at the borders engulfing the theater in collage of sound and lights, all to reveal him standing where the light once was arms spread out as the gunmen began to cheer and holler prompting Compress to bow, various drones buzzed around him at that point makeshift weapons pointed at us.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank you all for coming to tonight's performance. Please forgive the decor but I honestly didn't expect a live audience to our show." He grabbed his top hat and gave another exaggerated bow. "My dear audience you have perhaps one of the greatest honors one can be bestowed before your deaths, for you see for my greatest performance I shall make the all powerful Hero Commission disappear! It will be the greatest criminal act in world history, and with it this corrupt hero worshiping society will have its eyes opened." He paused as the villains cheered once more before what I could only describe as a held in laugh was heard, I turned and my eyes widened as Midoriya began to laugh, surprising the villains and even Compress himself. "I see we have a heckler in our audience tonight! Well then hero tell me what you find so funny?"

After a moment Midoriya's laughter began to die down, a tear even fell from his eye. "I apologize but I have to say 'greatest criminal act?' I'm afraid that while your trick was a bit clever and it's scope was quite grand it just doesn't make it the greatest crime ever pulled off." What the hell is he doing? I looked at him as he smiled at mr. Compress Yaoyorozu, staring at me asking the same question I was. Hero training states that during an abduction the best course of action is to empathize and keep the abductors calm, not antagonize them! But he had to have known that didn't he? Plus from everything I've picked up about Midoriya he wouldn't just risk our lives if he hadn't planned a way out for us. I started to scan the area once more when I noticed the drones were…twitching? No, restarting as if losing control. Mei! Midoriya is distracting the guards so she can take control of the drones, which means that now our lives are in the hands of the Commission's mad technician. Shit.

"Does it now? I fail to see how the destruction of the entire hero Commission fails to be the single most criminal act of all time. With this one action, this whole society of sheep blindly worshiping corrupt hero's will be liberated! Their eyes open to the truth!"

"All you'll be accomplishing with your little three card monte trick, is the deaths of a couple dozen hero's and their families. Hardly the societal revolution you want." Midoriya glared at Compress. "A bad game of three card monte at that."

Compress froze before yelling out. "You dare compare this to some common street game?" I watched as the drones began to change their flight patterns getting closer to various goons.

Midoriya laughed once more. "That's all this was after all! Oh don't get me wrong it took a bit to see it but it was obvious in retrospect. I admit it was clever how you split your forces to attack various hero's planting your little bugs on them while the other group went to various warehouses and factories stealing all the drone parts you'd need for this little scheme. Something no one would really notice or look into but that is why people come to me for investigative help. After all, why would you need Miss Hatsume if you didn't need her technical expertise to help modify these little holographic attack drones of yours. Did you enjoy it I wonder when you had fooled the whole nation into believing that you had actually held most of its leadership hostage when in reality you simply hijacked their broadcast and replaced it with yours, all the while using your drones to sell the illusion? A showman's dream I'd deduce." He smiled at Compress. "I wonder how did you know that a national emergency would cause the archives to be basically abandoned it's server room unguarded as a prime target. But you for all your intelligence can't hack through one of the most secure security systems in the world, but you didn't have to did you? It's why you terrorized La Brava, she's the only one that would have the ability to make a virus that would grant you access into the server, and Gentle the perfect scapegoat able to sneak in and out with all the data you wanted, and be an easy target to pin all the blame on."

"My my aren't you the clever detective, tell me how did you figure it out? It's so rare that I get to entertain and perform for someone able to see the grand picture after all."

"It wasn't difficult once I viewed it in the right context."

"Is that so?"

I watched the conversation amazed at the fact we were still alive. "Indeed, I must thank my companions for the data they collected while interviewing the bugged hero's it truly was the last piece of information needed, to which all praise must go to Miss Creati and Froppy for their invaluable help."

At that Compress began to clap to mock us or in actual praise I don't know. "Well then a big round of applause for the stage hands. Detective I must admit I am a bit impressed by you but still confused as to why you'd stoop so low as to insult my act."

"I thought the answer was obvious. For all your claims of greatness and showmanship, for all your intentions your plan revolved around one of the most common con games in history. No originality, just some rather basic sleight of hand if we can call your clumsy amateurish acts of distraction that. For all your plans scope you had to know that the only value the information would gather you is dead heros and money. Perhaps you might reveal some dark secret but all you'd have accomplished is to prove why the Commission exists. Your plan reeks of desperation most likely born from your narcissistic need to hog the spotlight of Mineta's investigation onto you." He glared at Compress hard with a fire of determination blazing in his eyes. "You're nothing more than a rank amateur magician with barely any noticeable talent. I saw your plan magician and I am thoroughly disappointed in it."

The silence that followed seemed louder than a salvo of cannons, as Midoriya's words reverberated from every wall and surface. Compress stood there, his mask covering his face but the shaking of his hands said everything. Outrage and wounded pride was what remained of the greatest showman as he clenched his gloved fist and spoke in a low almost feral snarl. "There's always a critic that can never see the true genius of an artistic expression." He raised an arm and the drones rallied to him, their weapons pointed at the target of this maelstrom of anger. "An unoriginal talentless hack am I! Yet you're here at my mercy Detective! It's only a shame that you won't get to live to see the impact of my brilliance now die!" He swung his arm and pointed it right at Midoriya.