Beta'd by Kylekatarn77 and Poliamida

63. What's On Second

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

-Alexander Pope

"All rise!"

Izuku shuffled to his feet along with the rest of Class 1A as the judge entered the courtroom. Today he was dressed to the nines in a black suit and tie, the same he'd worn to All Might's funeral a few days before. He could only hope he wasn't about to witness the end of another great hero.

"Be seated," the judge ordered, shuffling some papers as she sat. She looked up, peering over her spectacles down at the massive man wreathed in flames in the plaintiffs area. "Enji Todoroki. In the case of the People Versus The Endeavor Hero Agency, this court finds you not guilty on all counts. You acted well within the bounds of your duty as a hero, and the Ministry failed to communicate to its heroes that being a member of the MLA was not considered a crime in and of itself. Additionally, the court absolves you and your agency of wrongdoing related to the deaths and damages during the so-called 'Battle of Feel Good.' While your team did participate in a gruesome incident, the damages caused are laid at the feet of those who resisted arrest and caused great loss of human life. Court is adjourned."

Izuku breathed a massive sigh of relief, sagging slightly as the buzz of conversation filled the courtroom. "Well, that's one battle down I guess."

"Yeah," Shinso agreed. "Now we finish the fight. The MLA isn't done for."

"Can we go after Hanabata again? His trial is still ongoing," Izuku pointed out.

"He's not Re-Destro. I can feel it. The leader is still out there, somewhere," Shinso growled. "We'll find the bastard and nail him to the wall."

After a brief press conference, Endeavor met with Class 1A and Togata at a conference room in the Ministry of Justice. "I'm glad you're all safe. Shoto told me about what happened with the Shie Hassaikai. Bakugo. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Whatever. I'm even stronger than ever, and I'll kick anyone's ass who says otherwise," Bakugo growled.

"That's the spirit," Endeavor said, nodding his approval. "But I'm afraid our work against the MLA is far from over. We have finally identified Re-Destro, and the location of his base. That's why my court date was moved forward: we need to move on them. Now."

"After the fiasco from arresting Hanabata?" Shoto demanded. "Is that wise, father?"

"Perhaps not, but it is necessary. Things are at a crisis," Endeavor stated. "While we were all out of the picture, crime has been at an all time high. The MLA continues to distribute Trigger, though you did remove the source of tained variety that the yakuza was putting on the streets. And, worst of all, now the League of Villains has access to the quirk erasing bullets that were used on Bakugo."

Izuku winced. Spinner, alias Tarou Yamada, had made off with several cases of quirk erasing bullets in the confusion, sneaking out a back entrance after infiltrating the abandoned lab. Quite a few members of Shie Hassaikai were still on the loose, but with Kurono and Chisaki arrested they were done for as an organization.

"So who is Re-Destro, and where is he?" Uraraka asked. "I want to end those maniacs, once and for all."

"I can answer that question," a new voice said. Everyone turned to the young man entering the room, his crimson wings folded behind him. He was dressed in a long tan coat, and wore yellow sports goggles over his eyes.

"Hawks?" Tokoyami said, standing. "What are you doing here, sir?"

"Relax, Black Bird," Hawks chuckled. "No need to call me sir anymore. Hell, maybe I should call you that. You took down All For One, a yakuza gang, and two heads of the MLA. You keep this up, I won't have to work so hard soon."

"But you're the Number 2 hero!" Tokoyami protested. "And you were my mentor for several months. It's only fitting I address you as my senior."

Hawks shrugged, the motion making his feathers rustle slightly. "Sure, if you're going to get bent out of shape about it, fine."

"Um, yes sir," Tokoyami said, looking pensive. "Are you well? I haven't heard from you in some time, normally you're very prompt in answering our correspondence"

"Oh, you know me, busy busy. Hardly a moment for a guy to relax." Hawks sat at the table, kicking his legs up on it and leaning back in the chair. He took out a knife, and began to lazily spin it through his fingers. "So, you're in on this party too, Lemillion?"

"I guess I'm sorta an honorary member of 1A now," Togata said with a grin. "Besides, we're all heroes together, right? But why are you here, Hawks?"

"Cause I'm your man on the inside," Hawks drawled. "Old Fire Face here is finally out of the joint, and it's my job to help him clean up the mess he's made."

"Hawks has been the Hero Public Safety Commission's infiltrator with the League of Villains," Endeavor explained. "They've made contact with the MLA, and are negotiating an alliance. We need to do everything in our power to stop that from happening. If our two greatest foes ally, it could spell the end of society as we know it."

"Which would be a total drag," Hawks sighed. "And it's just way too much work for me to try to take down both of them at once.

"What about Shigaraki?" Togata interrupted. "We have to stop him! He's All For One's heir!"

"Cool your jets, Lemillion. Leave ol' Shiggy alone for now. The League's out hiding in the boonies, or didn't you know that? You took down Gigantomachia after all," Hawks pointed out, gesturing with his knife. "No, it's the MLA we're worried about. After all, they've got a whole damn town, and Detnerat's money behind them."

"Wait, Detnerat?" Mei demanded. "Don't tell me the MLA is using their babies!"

Hawks nodded. "Yep, that they are. They're arming their so-called soldiers with their gear, getting ready for war."

"But that would mean, Rikiya Yotsubashi is Re-Destro?" Shinso asked.

"Mmmhmmm," Hawks agreed. "Forehead boy is Re-Destro."

"Oh hell," Izuku whispered. "That's how the MLA's been funding everything. Yotsubashi is one of the wealthiest men in Japan."

"That he is. And it's up to us heroes to stop him," Hawks explained, now absently trimming his fingernails. "And I can tell you right where his little base of operations is."

"Why should we trust you?" Shinso demanded, standing to glare at Hawk. "I've seen what's been posted online. You're chummy with the League of Villains and the Meta Liberation Army. Sure, you might be number two, but you've got skeletons in your closet. Like what happened to Best Jeanist. I think you had something to do with his disappearance."

Hawk sighed heavily and glanced over at Endeavor. "Is he always this annoying? I thought you explained things already."

"As I said, Hawks has been acting as a spy on behalf of the HPSC," Endeavor stated. "He's someone who can help us in this fight. And we do need to bring this to an end. The MLA is gaining a large amount of public support thanks to their propaganda division blaming the entire Feel Good incident on heroes."

"On us, you mean," Bakugo snapped. "Don't try and sugar coat things for us."

Hawks shrugged. "The stunt you kids pulled against the yakuza didn't help. But a big win against the MLA could change all that. Everyone loves a winner, right?"

"I don't care," Uraraka declared. "Whatever the consequences, the MLA needs to be stopped. They're evil. It's our duty to end this."

"I agree," Izuku stated. "The MLA has proven they're willing to do unspeakable things to people, just because they're quirkless. Not everyone can defend themselves like me, Mei, or Katsuki can, and-"

Hawks' feet slid off the table, and he suddenly sat up. "Wait, Katsuki? What about him?"

Izuku flinched, glancing at Endeavor. "He doesn't know?"

"I'm quirkless now. Get over it," Bakugo growled.

Hawks tilted his head to one side. "When did that happen? Oh, wait, don't tell me. That raid on the yakuza. You got hit with one of Overhaul's bullets?"

Bakugo nodded. "Yeah. You got a problem with that?"

Hawks studied Bakugo for a moment, then shrugged. "I mean, it's going to make this a little harder. You were quite the fighter."

"No were about it, Bird Boy," Bakugo stated, sticking his chin out. "I can still kick ass. Quirk or no."

"You going to be using one of those mech suits like Midoriya then?" Hawks asked, scratching at his head with the tip of his knife. How he didn't cut himself, Izuku didn't know.

"No. I've got my own way," Bakugo snapped. He flushed, and glanced at Mei. "Um, Mei helped."

"Me and Izuku made him some super cute babies!" Mei declared. "And lots of grenades!"

"Well, more power to you then," Hawks shrugged, leaning back in his chair and draping an arm over the back. "So, you're all in, I take it?"

"We are," Iida agreed. "Where one of us go, all of us go."

Hawks nodded as if that was to be expected. "That's good. We'll be recruiting the help of a lot of heroes for this. The MLA has a lot of people at their base in Deika city, including some heavy hitters."

"Deika? Isn't that in Nagto, up in the mountains?" Izuku asked. "That's a really isolated place, hard to get to."

"A perfect base of operations for the Meta Liberation Army," Shinso agreed. "And a major outpost for Detnerat too. They have a large manufacturing plant there."

"Yep, and they won't have anywhere to run either," Hawks added. "They'll be cornered. I've even got intel for a time when Re-Destro himself and his remaining lieutenant, Chitose Kizuki, will be there. It's only five days from now though, so we'll have to move fast."

"How many heroes can we bring?" Izuku asked Endeavor. "Obviously, we can't trust everyone."

"No, we can't. I'm bringing in only the heroes I trust completely," Endeavor explained. "Mount Lady, Dead Arms, Kamui Woods, the Pussycats, Edgeshot, Mirko, and Ryukyu. Along with a large number of UA students and staff. It will have to be enough."

"Plus me, you know, the number two ranked hero?" Hawks prodded.

"And us!" Burnin added. "Don't forget your trusty sidekicks, boss!"

"I won't," Endeavor agreed, giving Burnin a nod. "It's all the forces we have to field."

"How many UA students are coming?" Izuku asked, feeling slightly sick at the thought.

"All the classes, from every year," Aizawa told them quietly. "There's 68 of you left, after those that have washed out and the deaths and injuries we've had."

That made Izuku flinch. Class 1A so far had gotten off relatively lightly, all things considered. True, Akai was crippled for life, and Bakugo had lost his quirk, but none of them had died. The same couldn't be said of the other classes. A third year and a second year student had both died, and Shishida and Kaibara from 1B, along with three other upperclassmen were so injured they'd had to be put on medical leave. Six others had simply washed out, unable to handle the stress and responsibility of the life of a hero.

"Hey, don't sweat it. We're the strongest heroes in Japan, we got this," Hawks chuckled, spinning his knife lazily through his fingers again. "We'll clean out the MLA, then just those chuckleheads in the League of Villains are left, and Togata basically handled those, right?"

"Not quite. Shigaraki is still out there, along with the Vanguard Action squad, and most dangerously, Kurogiri, their teleporter," Togata answered quietly, his hands clasped before him on the table. "They're still a threat."

"Pfff, Kurogiri's a boring stick in the mud, not a drop of blood in him," Hawks answered with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Ol' Shiggy's scary, sure, but a tough guy like you can handle him, right? You're the kid All Might tapped to carry the torch, after all."

"Not just me, all of us," Togata said, nodding to Izuku and his classmates. "Class 1A really has earned their title as Pillars of Peace. After all, they've defeated the League of Villains, the Yakuza, and the MLA."

"I don't remember them defeating the League, but sure, whatever," Hawks answered with a shrug. He tucked his knife away and stood, his feathers rustling. "Well, nice chat, but I've got to fly. Hopefully you kids help straighten this out so I can get a day off once a while. Being a hero is so stressful since All Might retired. Sheesh. Makes me wonder why I signed up for this job in the first place. Ciao."

With that, Hawks departed, leaving the others to mull over the proposal.

"What, no words of caution or wisdom, no protests that we're too young for this?" Bakugo demanded of Aizawa.

Their teacher shook his head, sighing. "No. You're not really my students anymore. Not after what you've been through. You're heroes now. You know the risks. You know the consequences of going, and not going. It's your own burden to bear now, I can't help you with that anymore. You're young. Too young to have the weight of the world thrust upon you, but that is irrelevant now. You've all had to grow up, and fast. And you've done an amazing job. There have been bumps along the way, but I'm proud of you all, and proud to call you heroes."

"We couldn't have done it without you, sir," Iida said, bowing slightly in his seat.

Kirishima nodded, giving a thumbs up. "Yeah. Even with those logical deceptions of yours. We get it, now. You had to make sure we were tough enough. You did good, teach."

Izuku and the others echoed the sentiment, but Aizawa shook his head. "That will be proven on the battlefield. Now. Let's get ready. Endeavor. What's the plan?"

Over the next few days, Izuku and the others drilled and practiced with the other UA students, familiarizing themselves with their quirks and abilities. Izuku made sure to look up the quirks of the known MLA associates again, and with Mei prepped the Ultra Armor and Power Suit to deal with them. Not much was known about Re-Destro's quirk, aside from that it was a transformation quirk called "Stress" and that it enhanced physical abilities, but he didn't use it very often.

As for Chitose Kizuki, her quirk was far better known and understood. She had applied for a hero course when younger, but had been rejected due to failing to pass the entrance exam. Her quirk was an emitter type that allowed her to turn objects into living bombs with a touch, dubbed "Landmine." The individual mines were fairly weak, but she could use it repeatedly to produce lethal blasts. She could even use it on living beings, though you had to be close for that.

The other known MLA associate was Slidin' Go, real name Tatsuyuki Tononame. He was an experienced pro, who had been operating solo for nearly a decade after seven years as a sidekick. He was considered to be a competent hero who usually ranked somewhere in the top half of the hero board, though he wasn't anything remarkable. His quirk allowed him to reduce or eliminate friction on his hands and feet, allowing him to rapidly slide across surfaces.

For each of their foes, Izuku and Mei planned special countermeasures. To counter Land Mine, Izuku and Mei mounted a special sonic cannon modeled after Jiro's quirk that would vibrate and explode landmines from a distance, and had the added bonus of being excellent for disrupting crowds. Capture foam easily countered Slidin' Go, as if he were immobilized he couldn't use his quirk at all. For Re-Destro, they simply ensured that the Ultra Armor was in tip-top combat shape, testing it against Tetsu-tetsu and Kirishima, and even Togata. While Izuku could now subdue the two hardening quirk users, he was simply no match for Togata, which was no surprise as he now possessed All Might's quirk.

"Damn, I can't even touch you," Izuku panted, looking down at his readouts after a brutal training session.

"It's OK Izuku," Mei said, patting the armor and helping him out of it. "We'll make our baby even better!"

"You did good! I'm a little winded!" Togata laughed. "Don't fret, Izuku. I'll handle Re-Destro myself."

"I hope so," Izuku said with a sigh. "If Re-Destro's half as strong as you, I won't have a prayer. You really did get All Might's quirk, didn't you?"

Togata looked down at his hands. "Yes. For all the good it's done me. I couldn't save him, or Gran Torino. And Bakugo...What a terrible heir I've turned out to be."

"That's not true at all!" Izuku protested, coming over to put a hand on Togata's arm. "You're a great hero! You defeated All For One, and Gigantomachia! And don't forget, you took down Stain too!"

"Yeah. Maybe. But… but what if All Might had still had his quirk?" Togata asked, wiping at tears in his eyes. "What if he were still alive? Maybe, maybe he could save the day, like he always did. He was my hero."

"Well, you're MY hero, tough guy," Hari said, striding in and punching Togata lightly in the arm. "Sheesh, you did a number on my sister's baby. Again. You're lucky she doesn't pop you one."

"It is alright, Hari! I am collecting data. Togata is helping us make our baby even cuter!" Mei declared.

Togata, however, wasn't listening to the byplay, instead watching Hari, a desperate look in his eyes. "Am I...am I really your hero?"

Turning, Hari lifted her goggles to her forehead and smiled. "Of course you are! I always feel safer when you're around." Then she sobered. "Listen...keep the kids safe, OK? I know...I know you all have to go and do this thing, and I'll help from the control room like always, but...hey, I don't gotta worry about you, right? You're the best there is. But Izuku and the others...I know they're tough, but I still see them as kids. So keep them alive, alright, Mirio?"

That made Izuku's ears perk up, and he glanced back at Togata. He'd gone over to help Mei assess the damage on the Ultra Armor, and quickly turned back around when he saw the expression on Togata's face.

"I thought I was still just a kid too," he teased, gently taking Hari by the shoulders. "I'm still in school, you know."

"Only for a few more months," Hari said, gently caressing Togata's face and wiping away his tears. "Then I'll think about giving you my phone number. Not that you really need it, mind, but you know. It's the idea of the thing."

Togaga laughed, letting go and rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I guess I have another reason to look forward to graduation, then!"

"That's the spirit! Just mind yourself until then. Girl's gotta watch herself with a big hunky hero like you," Hari teased, then came over to help load the Ultra Armor onto a motorized dolly.

"Hari, are you and Togata dating now?" Mei asked curiously. "I have a hard time telling. I had to ask Toru about Mina and Kyoka. Apparently, Mina is dating Enjiro now, but Kyoka is not dating Denki because he has not asked her yet and she thinks that is funny but I do not know why. And Izuku did not know we were dating for a very long time, so I want to make sure I am not confused."

"You are, but so am I," Hari sighed. "Life's strange that way."

Mei wrinkled her nose. "That does not answer my question."

"Mine neither, but since neither of us are getting laid, let's just move on before you make Izuku's ears catch on fire," Hari advised.

Izuku quickly nodded, as both his face and ears had gone crimson. He didn't dare look at Togata, but he assumed the older boy was just as embarrassed by the rapid retreat of his footsteps.

"That is a home run, isn't it? You should let Izuku and I try. I did not think that sounded very interesting before, but Ochako and Mina seem to enjoy it so-"

"WHAT!?" Hari yelped. "Mina and Enjiro are-Oh, I am going to KILL that girl. Or I would, if she wasn't a part of the sisterhood of the pink hair! She told me she wasn't-"

"Toru says it is because they are scared. I am scared sometimes, you should let me and Izuku try that too," Mei argued, interrupting her sister.

"Um, Mei, maybe that's something the two of us should talk about, you know, in private?" Izuku managed, his voice strangled.

Mei glanced at him, frowning and lifting her own goggles up. "Izuku, I thought you would like that! My research indicates most healthy males have a lot of interest in home runs, and not just the kind in baseball! You are not sick, are you?"

"I am sick of this conversation!" Hari declared, slamming a panel on the suit shut and glaring at Mei. "Look, the other kids, well, I may not like it but dammit things are crazy enough as it is. I am not letting my little sister and her boyfriend get up to ANYTHING like that, not on my watch, you understand?!"

"Fine. I will do like Izuku says," Mei huffed. "We will talk in private."

Hari glared at her sister, then got back to work on the suit, muttering under her breath. Izuku should have been surprised at the sort of language she used, but he'd heard Mrs. Hatsume swear when she'd slammed her fingernail in a vice and cracked it, and he had a pretty good idea of where Hari had learned that sort of language. Especially since her father wasn't exactly above a few coarse words himself. Mei, interestingly, never seemed to swear all that much, though how she managed that he honestly didn't know.

Of course, Hari tried her best to then ensure that Mei and Izuku didn't have any private time for the rest of the day, but that was hard enough with her other duties and the frantic preparations that were needed to prepare for the upcoming attack on the MLA.

So, it was with both trepidation and eagerness that Izuku found himself cornered by Mei in his own room while Hari was busy having a "chat" with Ashido and Kirishima.

"Alright, Izuku, I brought a diagram," Mei said, hurrying into his room and shutting the door behind her. He looked up from his workbench where he'd been working on some of the more delicate wiring for the Ultra Armor. Half of him was worried - and the other half excited - that Mei had brought in something incredibly lewd. Instead, she pinned up a diagram of a baseball field on the wall.

"Um, OK?" Izuku said, leaning back. Mei gestured urgently to him, and he sighed and pushed himself up, coming over to stand beside her.

"Ok, so this is where we are," Mei said, pointing to the space between First Base and Second Base. It was labeled "boring zone."

"I do not think it is actually boring, but that is what my research indicates this is," Mei explained. She pointed to second base. "Now, I think licking is gross, unless it is a lollipop or a popsicle, and neither of us are those things so we should not try that. I am interested to know why you would want my shirt. I do not very much want your shirt, but I feel that for the good of experimentation, we should at least try it and at least if it is with you, it should be fun."

Izuku blinked, scanning the baseball field, then blushing at some of the things written on it.

"Now, I have looked up who Napoleon is, and I think that if we are going to have a battle, we should try some of his tactics, though I do not think muskets would be very helpful, we can build a bayonet attachment," Mei declared, pointing at a spot to the left of centerfield.

The door suddenly slammed open, making Izuku jump. He whirled, expecting to find Hari there, but instead Aoyama stood there, grinning at them. "Did zumone sai Napuleon? If you 'ave questshé-ons, ai would be 'appy to educaté you! He eez a great hairo een mon country!"

Then, Aoyama blinked, taking a look at the diagram that Mei was still pointing at. "What eez zis? Baseball? Why do you not talk abut a propair spairt, lik football?"

"Because you can't do retrograde wheelbarrow in football," Mei stated patiently. "Also, this is a private conversation, Yuga!"

"Eet eez a baireng convairsashe-on, zat eez what eet eez. And haire ai thought you waire talkng abut zumthéng intairesteng, lik tactics, air pairhaps sex. Bah. Ai 'ave bettair thengs to do," Aoyama said, sounding disgusted. He closed the door, but in the hall Izuku heard him yell, "Hari, do not wairry, zey are talkeng abut Napuleon, ét 'ow 'é eez applicabuhl to stupid amairican spairts. Zey are rubbish at strategy, ai tell you! Notheng racy was goeng on at all. Do not waste mon time on such thengs, woman!"

"American Sports?" Hari's voice demanded.

"Oui, and not even propair spairts, lik football! Air, pairhaps rugby. Did ai téll, you wé, zat eez, Francé, beat England last yair? True, we placed 10th, but we beat la English, et zat eez what eez impairtent!"

"What? What exactly were they saying?" Hari demanded again.

Izuku could almost hear Aoyama's shrug. "Zéy wént to mak a baionétté fair zat robot child of theirs. Eet eez baireng, trust mé. Ai am goeng bak to traineng. Ai am not zo stupid as to think zis shall not be ur gréatest bat-tell! Eet just should not be ur Watairloo."

"...The hell does this have to do with toilets?" Hari asked.

"What? You do not know of Watairloo! Comé! Ai shall éxplain. Non, zis eez too long. Ai shall sum up. You see, Napuleon Bonaparte was a great man, pairhaps ze greatest of frenchmen to évair live! Which of course, means 'e was le gréatést man een 'eestairy!" Aoyama's voice faded back down the hall, and Izuku swallowed. He looked down at Mei, who was frowning, with her hand stuck up his shirt.

"Hmm. It is nice to touch you, but I think hugs are better. You try, Izuku," Mei ordered.

Gently, Izuku lifted Mei's hand out from under his shirt. "Mei, I know...I know you want to try some of this, but...but I need to take it slow. I'm not...well, I am more comfortable with being touched now, but...well, I've never really been the touching type. My mom, she's great, but my dad, well, he never really touched me. I-I-I don't mean in a bad way! I just mean, you know, hugs, and kisses, and stuff. Neither did my mom really, and I...I'm babbling, aren't I?"

Mei nodded, looking thoughtful. "Yes, but that is a very Izuku thing to do, so I do not mind. I did not realize you did not like being touched. You don't mind that I like to touch you?"

"No! I, um, I like that. And, well, I do like touching you too. But, I need to go slow, Mei. I do love, you really, but, well, this is hard for me," Izuku admitted.

"I understand," Mei agreed. "We will go slow." She glanced at the diagram, frowning. "What do you feel comfortable with, exactly?"

Izuku considered. "Well, I suppose we can try the hands up the shirt thing. I, um, that does sound interesting."

As it turned out, it was a lot more interesting that Izuku had guessed. And for at least a little while, he and Mei forgot that the fate of the world was riding on their shoulders.