Beta'd and Edited by kylekatarn77 and Poliamida
68. Arise, Alexander
"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails."
-John Maxwell
Even with everything going on, Izuku still needed sleep, and at long last he passed out in the workshop with Mei, the two of them snoring on the futon alongside Eri. When he finally woke up, it was because his stomach was growling. He glanced at the clock, and found that it was late in the evening.
"Mei, we've got to get up," Izkuku sighed, gently scooping Eri up in one arm.
"What?" Mei gasped, jerking upright. "Izuku, they're coming, I-oh. It was a dream."
"Yeah," Izuku sighed. "You awake, Eri?"
"No," she answered, then yawned and wriggled out of Izuku's grasp. She looked out of the window, frowning at the darkness outside. "It's bedtime. Why did you wake me up?"
"Because I'm hungry, and I'm sure you are too. Did you eat dinner?" Izuku asked.
"No. I want pancakes," Eri declared.
"Yes! Pancakes! With strawberries!" Mei agreed.
Izuku rubbed his chin, scratching at a bit of stubble that was growing there. He hadn't shaved that morning, and he had a faint bit of green shadow. No time for that now, though. "I guess we can see what Lunch Rush has in the cafeteria." Thankfully, Lunch Rush hadn't come on the ill fated expedition, as culinary skills were not much use in a battle. After, however, they could be invaluable.
Eri took Mei's hand as they left, clutching Fluffles to her chest with her other hand. "Are you my big sister, Mei?"
"Yes. Ha! Now I am not the youngest sister anymore! But I think you are more help than the two brats. You are very good at fixing babies! That is good, all the Hatsume women are good at fixing things, that is what mom said. Also, we are very bad at following rules according to dad."
"I'm a good girl, I follow the rules!" Eri said desperately. "You don't need to punish me!"
"Eri, I think Mei was saying that she's bad at following rules," Izuku explained. "We're not going to hurt you, I promise."
"Yes. Hari says they are more like guidelines anyway," Mei agreed. "You only need to follow the rules that are smart, not the dumb ones."
"How do I know if a rule is smart or not?" Eri asked, confused by the concept.
"That is what big sisters are for. We show you what rules are dumb and which to follow. For example, the rules about not making cute babies are dumb, and also the rules about not having ice cream for dinner."
"We can have ice cream for dinner?!" Eri asked eagerly.
"Um, let's stick with pancakes. Maybe we can have ice cream later," Izuku cautioned.
"What if we had ice cream on pancakes?" Mei mused.
"Yes!" Eri agreed. "Ice cream pancakes!"
As it turned out, the cafeteria was fresh out of ice cream and pancakes, though there were waffles, which both Mei and Eri agreed was an acceptable substitute. Izuku managed to convince them to take some eggs along with the pastries, so they both got at least a little protein. Plenty of people were in the cafeteria eating, from families that had come to shelter at UA, to students or even a few visiting pro heroes. Izuku was heartened to see Fat Gum, Lock Rock, and Gunhead in the cafeteria, but the mood was still nervous and tense. There was only a low buzz of conversation amidst the clink of plates and glasses, with tight faces and haunted looks for many of the students.
Still, it was good to see Eri happily dig into her waffles, unaware of the grim atmosphere. Mei smiled and ate, but she seemed moody and depressed. Izuku simply ate, only responding in short sentences to Eri, who babbled on happily. He had picked out some fish and rice, with steamed vegetables on the side.
They were about halfway through dinner when Izuku saw Mei glaring at the television that was playing in the corner. He turned to look at it, then stiffened. On the screen was Chitose Kizuki in the uniform of the Meta Liberation Army. She was talking and smiling brightly, but Izuku couldn't hear over the noise in the cafeteria.
"Mei, we need to go. Eri, stay here," Izuku said, and he and Mei sprinted to the smaller staff dining area off the main building. Inside he found Nezu sitting with Burnin' and Pixie Bob, all three of them staring at the screen in the room.
"Boss, you gotta hear this!" Burnin' gasped, turning to look at Izuku with wide eyes.
"Let him listen," Nezu said quietly, and Izuku turned his attention to the screen.
"-martyred for the glorious cause of Quirk Liberation, our leader, Rikiya Yotsubashi, known as Re-Destro, will not soon be forgotten!" Chitose declared. "Now, as the current leader of the Meta Liberation Army, I must soldier on! But as I said, we shall not go alone! I am a gifted speaker and writer, but I am not a hercules, to rid us of our oppressors!"
"In this time, you may be tempted to turn to the government, and their supposed heroes, but I am here to expose the many crimes of the Government's attack dog, UA High!"
"What? Crimes? We've never done anything wrong!" Mei protested, but Izuku put his left hand in hers and squeezed gently, and she quieted.
"First, Class 1A, led by the quirkless menace, Izuku Midoriya!" Chitose snarled, gesturing behind her to a picture of Izuku. It was an image of him in the ultra armor, holding up a bleeding and broken Bakugo as he screamed in pain during their match at the sports festival.
"Their crimes are many! First, was there involvement at Kamino. The government claimed they were there as interns, but in fact, this was a brazen act of vigilantism that the government swept under the rug to use these impressionable young people as their personal enforcers!" Chitose snarled. "As proof, here is the Number 2 Hero, Hawks, to recount the incident!"
"That's not him, that's Toga!" Mei snarled, pointing an accusing finger at the television, but it did not change the fact that Toga looked exactly as Hawks would have, down to his signature jacket and glasses.
"See, the kids were there illegally, at the insistence of Izuku Midoriya," Toga as Hawks explained. "They didn't think the police or All Might could handle things, and so they attacked without authorization. Then the government used that as leverage to get them as their own pet heroes. Just like the Hero Public Safety Commision used me for years. I was taken as a child and raised to be their own little pet. Well. It's time for this bird to spread his wings. I'm throwing in with the MLA."
"Even the nation's new top hero after the death of the violent, child and spouse abusing Endeavor at the righteous hands of Re-Destro knows the justice of our cause!" Chitose proclaimed, spreading her arms wide. "But the list of 1A and the Quirkless Menace's Crimes do not end there!"
"Oh no," Izuku whispered, a sick feeling in his gut.
A familiar face with cold eyes and a mask over his mouth appeared. "The Quirkless Menace conspired with known Yakuza leader, Kai Chisaki! They used his drugs as an excuse to attack the innocents at Feel Good Incorporated, which led to a brutal slaughter!"
"That's not true!" Mei wailed, and Izuku pulled her into his arms, feeling as though he were going to vomit as Mei's eyes leaked tears of frustration.
"They cheated on their Hero License Exam, being fed information on other testees from the observation booth by that other Quirkless Charlatan, Mei Hatsume, which 1A then used to enact a brutal and senseless beating of innocent children!" Images showed of the many, many wounded after the license exam, intercut with video of the members of Class 1A pummeling any who resisted them into submission. Even Izuku had to admit they'd been excessive in hindsight.
"Not content, 1A threatened the test takers themselves if they were not given their exams!"
This time, footage of Izkuk, Bakugo, and Uraraka charging the observation area as government suits fled in panic, murder in their eyes. The context of Mei being held by them was gone, but even with that in mind it looked damning.
"And then there is Mirio Togeta, to so-called Heir of All Might!" Chitosi ranted, pointing to an image of Mirio's smiling face. "First, he brutally beat Stain, a man who saw the corruption at the heart of hero society and tried to reform it!"
Stain's battered and broken body, covered in bandages in a hospital bed, unconscious.
"He left his own mentor, Grand Torino, to die on a mission!"
A photo of the former hero, his body shattered and broken beyond recognition.
"And he attacked a member of the government without provocation!"
A screaming Mirio slammed Hanabata's face into a table, then pulled him up by the hair to reveal a bloodied face with a smashed nose, fury on every inch of his features.
"These monsters are a threat to our nation!" Chitosi screamed, pictures of all of 1A appearing, with Izuku, Mei, and Togeta front and center. "They must be stopped! They have killed enough! Bring these false heroes down!"
The TV changed back to a stunned looking news caster, who was staring forward, his mouth open. He swallowed, licking his lips. "An...impassioned message from the Meta Liberation Army. I...Class 1A, they are the Pillars of Peace, they...oh god."
Silently, Nezu turned off the TV and turned to Izuku, his expression grim. He didn't speak, and neither did Pixie Bob or Burnin' Izuku realized they were waiting for him.
"Call what allies we have left," Izuku said quietly. "We need to make a plan."
"You got it boss," Burnin' agreed quickly, standing and hurrying from the room.
"What they said...it doesn't matter. You kids, you're real heroes," Pixie Bob said quietly, but she looked haunted. "I know some of it is true, and the rest...they said it in the worst possible light. But it doesn't look good for you. At all."
"No," Izuku agreed. "But we can't just give up."
"Agreed. I'll do what I can," Nezu said, hopping off his chair. He paused by Izuku and Mei, his tail drooping slightly, his wears wilted. "I'm sorry. For what was done to you, and the rest of your classmates. But...we thought it was the only way."
"We agreed to it. We didn't know what we were up against when we went to Kamino," Izuku answered. Then he smiled down at Mei, and she nodded back, her expression determined. "But it was worth it. We all agree. Do what you can."
Nezu nodded and left, and Izuku took a deep breath. "What are we going to do, Mei?"
"I don't know. But I trust you, Izuku. You always have a plan," said answered, with far more confidence than Izuku felt. But then again, perhaps that was enough.
Izuku and Mei hurried back to Eri, who was still finishing her food. They managed to get a to go box for Eri, though she still protested and whined as they left the cafeteria. Izuku got the impression she was still drained from using her quirk, and picked her up to carry her. By the time they got back to the dorms, Eri was snoring. They left her with Tsu, who promised to watch her while she slept on the couch.
As fast as they could, Izuku and Mei showered and changed to look as presentable as possible. Izuku felt like he could sleep for days, but now wasn't the time. He scrapped the green stubble from his cheeks, and changed into his hero costume. He hoped he looked professional, even in the loud colors. With that, he and Mei made their way to the conference room, where they found a number of pros waiting for them along with Nezu.
"Ah, Power Suit. Please, have a seat," Nezu said, gesturing to his right at the head of the table. All the eyes in the room turned to Izuku, which made him freeze, feeling nervous to have so many adults staring at him.
Mei, however, knew exactly what to do. She grabbed a chair and hauled it to the head of the table, shoving the other chair to the side, and plopped down in it as if she belonged there. Feeling slightly relieved, Izuku sat beside her, looking down the table. He silently did a tally, then frowned upon seeing Bubble Girl, one of Sir Nighteye's sidekicks there. "Bubble Girl? Where is Sir Nighteye? Shouldn't he be here?"
Bubblegirl shook her head, looking sick. "He went to Tartarus. Warned Crust and some of the others that the League was going to attack. I...I thought he would have survived, but he...the last text message he sent me was 'The Future Is Alive.' He was a confirmed casualty."
Izuku's heart sank even further, but he forced himself to nod. "He'll be missed as will the others." He turned his eyes down the ranks of pros at the table. Not as many as he would have hoped, only a couple of dozen in a city with hundreds of heroes. Those here were solid though. Rock Lock had an excellent record, even if he was abrasive, while Fatgum was well liked. Gun Head might look frightening, but he was actually friendly and popular with kids for his outreach programs. Solid pros. But not amongst the strongest.
"Ok, no offense, but what the hell is a kid doing leading this meeting? I came here because you called, Burnin'. I thought you'd be taking over for Endeavor," Rock Lock said, leaning back in his chair and glaring at Izuku.
"I ain't takin' over, and don't call the boss a kid. He kicked ass today, same as the rest of the UA kids. And the boss got his class out with the fewest casualties of any group, so don't talk smack when you don't know," Burnin' snapped, glaring right back.
"I assume everyone has seen the videos the MLA has put out?" Izuku asked quietly, folding his hands atop the tablet to keep them from trembling.
Everyone nodded, and Fat Gum spoke up. "I seen it. They're lyin' their asses off if you want my opinion. Hell, I know what happened with Togeta and why he busted up Hanabata. Son of a bitch deserved it, pardon my french and all."
"Some of it's true," Izuku said, looking down at his hands. "We did cheat on the exams. We thought...we thought it was the only way to pass, and Mei did feed us information. They exaggerated things, but we aren't completely innocent."
"Everyone here worked the streets, Midoriya. We know the score," Gun Head answered. "Villains don't play fair. Neither do we. So you stacked the deck in your favor. Wish I'd thought of that when I was your age. Anyone can see you all deserve to pass."
"It was a dumb rule anyway, "Mei muttered, which earned a few chuckles.
"Rule or not, y'all screwed up," Rock Lock said, stabbing the table with a finger. Mei puffed up in anger, but he held up a hand. "Y'all screwed up, but mostly that's all not your fault. You were under a hell of a lot of pressure after Kamino. More than I've ever been in my whole career as a pro. And you were put there by us. So I don't blame you. But it don't look good. At all."
"No, it doesn't, and that's why there's so few of us here," Bubble Girl said quietly. "People are scared, and angry, and uncertain."
"And a hell of a lot of us were fair weather get rich types who weren't in this for anything but the money and glory. You know the types," Gun Head grunted. "I won't name names, but they're not going to stick their necks out when it counts."
"Which means we're in a bad position. The League of Villains is working with the MLA," Izuku sighed. "They have the numbers. They have the strength.. And we're weak here. Vulnerable. If a fight breaks out in Musutafu, a lot of people will die. But I don't see any alternative to standing our ground aside from attacking, and we're too worn out to manage an assault."
"I, um, I might have a solution," Pixie Bob said hesitantly, looking around the table. "We never told anyone about it .It was our secret. Rag Doll found it."
"Found what?" Nezu demanded. "Tell us."
"We sort of found an old government bunker up in the mountains," Pixie Bob admitted.
"A bunker? How does that help us?" Rock Lock demanded. "How are we supposed to go hide out there? I brought my family here, my baby and my wife. Whole lot of people did the same thing. No way we can go hide out in some tiny bunker."
Pixie Bob shrugged. "Well, it's sort of big. As in, it has room for hundreds of people. We think it was built back in the Old Times, when Japan was threatened by nuclear weapons from her enemies. And, well, we sort of used it for our own secret base. We stocked it with emergency supplies over the years, and repaired some of the collapsed areas. It wasn't that hard with my quirk. It was, you know, our secret hideout. We found it when we were just starting out."
"Where is this bunker?" Izuku asked, feeling a sense of urgency.
"It's out in Nagano, near where we held the Training Camp. Pretty far off the beaten path, but it's not a hard hike. We stored most of our supplies there, and I mean, we owned the land and all, so it wasn't like it was illegal," Pixie Bob explained.
"That sounds perfect!" Izuku declared. He looked to Nezu. "Do you think we could organize an evacuation there?"
Shifting uneasily, Nezu nodded. "Perhaps, but that seems risky. UA is well fortified, and it's nearest the base of government operations. If we abandon it, people will lose even more faith in heroes."
"It's too late for that, in case you hadn't been paying attention," Rock Lock said with a disgusted snort. "Hell, I heard a rumor they're going to arrest every single hero who was at Denkai. The people on the street are calling for the HPSB to be disbanded. Ain't no one who ain't here got faith in UA or heroes."
"So we have two options. Fight, or run," Burnin' said morosely, her flames flickering to a sickly green..
"Izuku, I hate to say it, but I'm not ready to fight again," Togata admitted. "I need at least a few days to heal and rest, even with Recovery Girl's help. I think most of us from UA aren't ready to go at it again either."
"But then neither is the MLA and the League of Villains! They're fresh out of prison!" Burnin argued. "They need rest and shit too!"
"I don't think so," Izuku said with a shake of his head. "Sure, a lot of the MLA's soldiers are wounded. But there were far more of them than we anticipated. I thought we'd be facing hundreds. We faced tens of thousands. Even if half that number needs to rest and resupply, we're just not ready. And with our public support eroded…"
"One moment," Nezu said, checking his phone. "Someone's here to see us."
The door opened, and in strode the chief of police, flanked by two officers. "Ah, you're already all gathered together, woof. Good."
"Chief?" Izuku said, standing quickly. "What's going on?"
"Several things, all at once," the chief of police said. He nodded to the officers, who stepped back outside and closed the door. The chief sighed, his long tongue lolling down as if he were exhausted. "May I sit?"
"Please," Izuku said, gesturing to an empty chair around the conference table. "We were just discussing our options against the MLA and the League of Villains."
The chief snorted, sitting down. "Oh? Well, what did you come up with."
Izuku hesitated, then slowly sat back down. "We were discussing the possibility of needing to fall back and regroup. We...maybe have to abandon UA."
"That's wise, woof. Because I was sent here to arrest you," the chief of police stated.
Mei shot out of her seat, glaring at the chief. "No! Bad dog! You cannot arrest Izuku! I won't let you!"
"Mei!" Izuku gasped, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He's the chief of police!"
"I don't care if he's the Prime Minister or the shogun or emperor or whatever! He can't just arrest you! No one is hurting you or taking you away!" Mei snarled, her fingernails biting into the tabletop.
"Wait, just a moment," Nezu cautioned. "Please, listen first. Chief Tsuragamae, what did you wish to tell us?"
The chief leaned forward, clasping his hands before him and wearily resting his chin upon them. "I saw what happened at Deika. On one hand, what you did was a gross violation of the Hero Code, woof. On the other, it was entirely necessary. I know full well what the Meta Liberation Army is capable of. The killings and other vile crimes they've perpetrated across this nation. That was a situation the police were incapable of handling, woof. Though I wish we had been called in, that Endeavor had trusted me enough to talk to me, personally. I have a number of trusted officers I could have sent with you, that might have been enough to turn the tide. And, I know the truth: none of you kids knew about the lies we told on your behalf."
"But alas, we are not a professional military force, and we cannot be, woof. What is coming now is a storm the police cannot hope to shelter this nation from. And if I were to arrest the very people who have the only hope of safeguarding the welfare of Japan and her citizens, I would be doing a disservice to my office, and to the oath I swore when I took it."
The chief reached into a pocket and withdrew a letter, passing it to Nezu. Nezu unfolded it and quickly scanned it, then handed it to Izuku. After reading, Izuku felt his heart sink. "Mei, sit down. We need to talk about this."
Slowly, Mei sat back down, but didn't take her eyes off of the chief. Izuku set the letter on the table, smoothing it out. "A letter of resignation? Why are you giving us this?"
"I sent a copy to the Department of Justice when I departed to come here. It will take a while for it to be delivered, then make its way through the proper channels, woof," Kenji said. "I need to know what you heroes are planning, however. You say you are going to abandon this city. Why?"
"A battle here would be devastating," Izuku said quietly. "I saw the destruction at Deika. If we fight here, at UA, the battle would spill out into the city. There would be massive civilian casualties. The MLA had time and authority to evacuate its non-combatants. We can't."
"A sentiment I am in agreement with. It's settled, then. My men and I will accompany you to your new location," the chief said.
"What?" Izuku asked, jerking slightly in shock. "You'd come with us?"
"A war is coming, woof. All For One is out of prison. He has a long history of visiting terrible vengeance upon those who defied him. Many of my top officers are those who helped All Might take him down all those years ago, woof, including myself. You are correct; we cannot hope to stand as we are and fight. We need time to come up with a plan, and to pick ground of our choosing. I will leave behind some trusted officers. They will provide us with information as they can. But for now, we must retreat."
"We were going to a remote part of Nagano, to an underground bunker complex," Izuku explained. "But we'll need supplies, equipment. We're evacuating many of our families as well. Pixie Bob, how much space is there at this complex?"
"It can house about 1,000 people, at maximum. If we expand to the nearby valley, we could easily erect shelters for many times that number," Pixie Bob answered. "I think we have enough people with quirks that could be used for construction that would be viable."
"Ten thousand people?" Rock Lock asked, surprised. "How the hell did a complex like that go undetected?"
"Well, it was designed to shelter the Japanese government in case of a nuclear attack. I think it was well known, once, but during the Time of Change, a lot of knowledge was lost," Pixie Bob answered.
"UA can handle the supplies and equipment, we have quite a bit of emergency stores. The trouble we would have is moving it all. Do you think you could handle that, Chief Tsuragamae?" Nezu asked.
"Don't call me that anymore. I'm just Mr. Tsuragamae now, woof. But yes, I think I can call in a few favors. We have access to some JSDF equipment from the Before Times. It might be illegal, but, in the service of saving Japan and her people, I am willing to bend or even break the law."
"That's what we'll do then," Izuku said, standing. "Burnin, organize the Pro heroes to work with the police. We'll need food, medical supplies, and materials for building shelters. Make sure you bring things for families, there will be young children, and the elderly."
"You got it, boss," Burnin said, standing and saluting, then hurrying off to follow orders.
"Pixie Bob, you work with the chief to plan out a route to this location. We'll need scouting parties. Togata, can I count on you to get Hado and a scouting party together to make sure our path is clear?"
"Of course, Izuku, I'll get it done," Togata agreed, bowing and quickly exiting.
"Nezu, get the supplies together. We'll get a work crew ready to load them into the trucks and other transports. We'll check to see who can drive them."
"Of course, I know just who to talk to," Nezu agreed, hopping off his chair and scampering away.
"Rock Lock, I need you to see to the civilians. Get them ready to move, but make sure they stay calm. We don't want to start a panic," Izuku said.
Rock Lock blinked, then shrugged. "Well, as long as you're giving orders that make sense, guess I'm following them. I'll make sure it happens."
"Fat Gum, Gun Head, reach out to the pros you know. I know it's a long shot, but see if you can get any more of them to join us. The more powerful fighters we have, the better off we are. The ones we can't recruit will either end up dead, or be forced to join All For One."
"You got it, Power Suit," Fat Gum agreed. "I know a few people I can still talk to. Let's roll."
"We'll bring in everyone we can," Gun Head assured Izuku as he and Fat Gum left.
With that done, Izuku slowly sank into his seat, exhausted, his mind reeling. What else needed to be done? What could he do to make sure that everyone was saved?
"You're a natural born leader, aren't you, woof?" Tsuragamae observed.
Izuku looked up, blushing. "Oh, sorry sir. I suppose I should have asked you before I started giving orders. I...I guess I'm not thinking clearly enough."
"When was the last time you slept?" Tsuragamae asked.
"I got two naps in today, a few hours," Izuku said with a shrug. "I'll be fine."
"Take some advice from an old hand at this, woof. Once you've given your orders, you need to rest. Let others carry some of the burden. I'll see to it you get the vehicles and men you need to pull this off. It's late, and I'm sure you didn't sleep much last night. Get what rest you can now."
"There's just so much that needs to be done. How can I rest when everyone else is working?" Izuku asked, rubbing his temples with his left hand.
"I will make sure Izuku gets more sleep," Mei promised. "He will take good care of himself."
"Mei, I-" Izuku began, but Tsuragamae's bark of laughter cut him off.
"I'm glad Power Suit has such a talented young woman to look after him. Make sure he stays in good condition. I think we're going to need him in the coming weeks and months." With that, the former chief of police stood and bowed, then left Izuku and Mei alone.
"Come on, Izuku," Mei said, taking his arm and helping Izuku up. He was surprised to realize how exhausted he still was. Hadn't he just taken a nap? "You took care of me for a long time. Now it's time for me to take care of you."