Shahryar - Overhaul is a good case of the biggest fish in a pond landing in a much bigger pond and having troubles understand that he is now in an upper middle class at best, yeah.
Jpx0999 - Doing my best :P
dragonightmare - Nice :D Yeah, tbh, if I were to rewrite this fic to be better, I'd probably get rid of harems, even if they are actually pretty well executed, ngl.
(***)
Midoriya, at this point, almost felt like a government official. He didn't yet have an office - although if the news coming to him through Principal Sasaki were to be believed, that was going to change soon.
The government was already obtaining an appropriate building. All of that thanks to Hisashi Shigaraki doing the 'lobbying' for him. Midoriya was incredibly, incredibly confused about that fact.
In fact, the time seemed to be oddly focused on the concept of obtaining buildings. Sasaki agreed to finance it, resulting in several pairs (and two groups) of people preparing to move out of the headquarters.
So many good memories.
Somehow, he still couldn't genuinely consider himself acting as a head of the Network as 'a good memory'.
"You want me and Himiko to deploy to Hosu again?" Hitoshi asks back dryly, the main reason for Midoriya's current 'I don't want to be here but I have to' streak. "Seriously?"
Midoriya sighs. His surroundings are certainly not very official, nor is his attire. He is still in his pajamas because he just enjoys lounging around in the morning, and is in no hurry to start his work day officially.
His pajamas are green and decorated with some cartoon frogs.
Then he ran into Shinsou, literally on the corridor outside of his apartment's door. Probably heading downstairs to eat breakfast as well.
He is wearing pajamas too. They are black, and are decorated with some red blood drops and what looks like vampiric fangs.
They just stared at each other for solid five seconds, probably looking like that 'two spidermen pointing at each other' meme, before Izuku went 'fuck it' and decided that he can as well have the business talk while at it.
"Look, the murderhobos called for our aid." Midoriya replies. "And we shall, unfortunately, answer."
"Oh, great." Shinsou sighs. "Overhaul is losing it, isn't he?"
"In my opinion, our favorite American Cop Stereotype pushed him too far." Midoriya replies honestly. "Then again, if he is not thinking clearly, it's a possibility that he'll go too far and we'll manage to finally end him."
Izuku can only hope. If Overhaul is taken out of the picture, then Musutafu is going to officially become the closest thing Japan will have to a safe zone. With the Shie Hassaikai defeated, even if Izuku moves full time to Tokyo taking a lot of important members with him, Musutafu will be alright.
They can only hope.
"Great, so me and my girlfriend are going to head to the regional danger zone, a lawless city filled with bloodthirsty maniacs that live for bloodshed and murder." Shinsou replies dryly. "And, worse than that, actual villains."
Midoriya snorts at that. Yeah, the vigilantes were bad, the villains were worse. Or, maybe, they were both bad but the vigilantes were on their side?
Defiant would take Knuckleduster and his group of The Boys reenactors over the Moderates, that's for sure. Not to mention the League of Villains, because at this point Midoriya personally wished he would see Yoichi's murderhobos fight it out with Kuroiro's black business suit enjoyers.
"Oh, the things I'm ready to do for a pardon." Shinsou sighs. "What are our objectives for the day?"
"Figure out what Overhaul is planning, figure out everything you can about the new quirks he managed to obtain at Gunga and, worst case scenario, give us a heads-up when he rolls out to do whatever he's probably planning to do." Midoriya replies.
The worst part of fighting the Shie Hassaikai? Dabi was still there. If it's Carnage that gets sent out to commit mass murder - let's say, on a local police precinct - he'll kill a dozen people, at best, before reinforcements arrive and put him down. And that's if the heroes tasked with guarding the precinct wouldn't repel the attack on their own.
They have someone around the major precincts in Musutafu at all times. As the situation with Split and the Aldera precinct showed, it saved lives. While also giving more combat-oriented sidekicks a steady income.
But Dabi? Yeah, no. That man would have wiped out half of the police force on the Gunga mountain if not for a series of lucky coincidences (including Amplitude at the perfect position and Chancellor noticing the temperature spike).
Him just randomly firing a Prominence Burn at local police headquarters was still the local police's recurrent nightmare. And Izuku can empathize, because he doesn't feel particularly safe knowing that Nedzu knows where the Network headquarters are.
Thankfully, it's just a matter of a few days top.
"Sure, sure, I can do that." Shinsou sighs. "I'm probably also supposed to act as a further reminder to our charming murder fucknuggets from Hosu that the Metahuman Network might be composed of teenagers, but those are surprisingly competent teenagers, hmm?"
"Yep." Midoriya replies. "Naturally, you were officially never there, and we officially have no ties with such a violent vigilante group. Which, uhm, totally and completely isn't shaping up to something akin to the Hero Association's black ops division."
Midoriya actually managed to say that with a straight face. Prompting Shinsou to sigh loudly.
"Where is the cinnamon roll that the entire Network was looking up to as their patron saint of heroism, anxiety and impostor syndrome?" Shinsou looks exasperated. "Where did he go? Did someone kill him?"
Midoriya could have said something like 'Bakugou did'. But to be honest, it was a process. Nedzu's revelations contributed. Hell, even the Marukane Ward fire contributed, and greatly so.
"Since I all but threatened you on our first meeting…" Midoriya replies instead. "... I really don't think that you of all people should be surprised by me growing up earlier than I probably should."
"There is a difference between 'be nice or go to jail' and having a group of slightly maniacal murderers on a speed dial." Shinsou replies. There is something slightly weird in him calling Midoriya out on this, but…
"I'm not having anyone on speed dial, Shinsou." Midoriya sighs. "I just can imagine a scenario of someone, let's say someone politically important, having a metahuman child and not liking this one bit. If the government then tells me that the parent is untouchable due to political fallout, I believe that having someone with no official ties to me to do the rescue might be wise."
He, certainly, isn't planning to order the vigilantes to clean up his laundry, neither literal nor metaphorical. But…
"Hmm…" Shinsou gives him a questioning look. "You think it's going to be a long-term policy?"
The fact that they are having this talk while still in pajamas makes the whole meeting unintentionally hilarious.
"The whole 'vigilantes doing dirty work for heroes'?" Midoriya replies with a question, and Shinsou nods. "No idea. Knuckleduster seems to be trying to use HeroNET to organize similar cells nationwide, but it's been a struggle, especially with him so focused on Overhaul nowadays."
"This certainly sounds like a long-term policy." Shinsou retorts dryly. "And I have a feeling that the underground heroes are going to be the main point of contact with that little Vigilante Murderclub of his."
Midoriya shrugs.
"I honestly expect the unofficial deal to last at least for a decade or two, until the initial chaos passes." Izuku then adds. "Then, we'll probably go our separate ways. But for now, I simply prefer dangerous people like Knuckleduster, Stain and Luna to be in our team, if only because it makes them target people that would otherwise kill heroes, police officers and so on."
"Right, I forgot the times we're all living in, it's always about choosing the least bad of options." Shinsou sighs. "Fine, fine. I get it. I'll work with them. Then I'm going to be an absolute little shit and won't describe what exactly happened to you, aside from a general report about the results, just to leave you seething about no more quirk data to analyze."
"Shinsou, you bas…"
(***)
After all that happened during the past few months, all the preparations, all the hard work, all the fighting… the Reveal Day turned out to be surprisingly tame. Almost unremarkable, really.
It was probably going to be one of the days that became great and remembered forever thanks to hindsight. Thanks to people writing them down in history books and saying 'yeah, this is when everything fucked up'.
The TV reported the results of the Chinese investigation into the Qing Qing glowing child. Including the fact that several 'unexplained abilities' were found by its members, and that the people involved in the investigation basically made the scientific equivalent of scratching their heads in disbelief.
The Council of Twelve either lost their control over China completely in the aftermath of the onset of its civil war (a very likely scenario), or gave up trying to put the situation under the lid.
The revelations were reported - at least in Japan - with disbelief more than anything. With a solid spice of 'what the hell are those Chinese people doing'. Midoriya should be surprised, but he honestly wasn't.
"Well, that was honestly underwhelming." Izuku announces, when they all finish watching the recording of the talk. "Especially the whole disbelief at the revelations, it's… not exactly how I pictured it going."
He is at UA, with Principal Sasaki, Senior Commissioner Aizawa and, believe it or not, Rabbit.
Rabbit, rather clearly, doesn't exactly want to be here, but Izuku is about 90% sure that he was promised additional cuddles if he was brave. And was doing his absolute best to earn those cuddles.
Midoriya missed out the initial event, resulting in them all watching the recordings. Then again, Aizawa missed most of it as well. They are busy people nowadays.
"It'll change tomorrow." Principal Sasaki replies. When the eyes center on him, he corrects his glasses. "I believe that Prime Minister Shimura is going to make an official statement confirming the findings. And we can probably expect President Skyline and who knows how many other government heads to do the same thing in short succession."
"Makes sense." Aizawa sighs. When Midoriya and Rabbit look at him questioningly (seriously, they are so similar when they do it like that Aizawa is slightly weirded out, even if they are cousins), he decides to elaborate. "Fear of the unknown, Midoriya."
Right.
"They are trying to unleash the whole truth on the world before most people will realize that the Chinese findings aren't a hoax." Midoriya summarizes. "Giving them no time to start suspecting that it's not fake news and creating who knows how many wild theories, including the conspiracy ones."
"That's the intent, yes." Sasaki nods. "The governments are basically trying to cut the length of the 'what the hell is happening' period to the minimum. Of course, a lot of people will react with disbelief, others will see the degree of government awareness as proof that the whole thing is some nefarious worldwide conspiracy, but it's still probably the best way of breaking the news."
The fact that it was some nefarious worldwide conspiracy actually made things weird. Because the wildest of conspiracy theories about the birth of quirks were actually going to be the ones closest to truth.
"I-is the p-prime minister g-going to mention the q-quirk s-suppressants?" Rabbit cuts in, clearly beyond himself in fright.
"I believe so." The Principal nods. "We don't have them yet, although the talks are almost finalized, since nothing makes diplomacy as smooth as the prospect of the end of society as we know it. She'll probably say that we're about to start producing them, which is more of a white lie in these circumstances."
"That alone will do wonders for public reception." Aizawa points out, and Sasaki nods in agreement. "Especially if she doesn't mention that the villains have to be captured first for them to be safely administered. It will make the previously unknown bullshit of meta-abilities sound controllable, and that should placate the first wave of fear somewhat. Same with the warp quirk suppressors."
To be honest, Aizawa actually slept soundly for the first time in a while after being called by Governor Yagi and hearing about those new breakthroughs. Yeah, it changed a lot, even with all the technological limitations.
First generation of technologies tended to have those.
Midoriya, in the meantime, has a completely different thing on his mind.
"So, tomorrow everyone's going to find out that the quirks exist, that mutants exist and… well, that there are superheroes now, at least in Japan." Midoriya lets out a loud sigh. "No pressure at all."
"You'll do fine, Problem Teenager." Aizawa replies. "Just keep doing what you're doing thus far. Thanks to you, Japan, despite the state it's in, is probably among the countries best equipped to deal with this."
He means it. He doesn't praise people a lot, but he can see how much the local police force changed ever since Sansa and Tsukauchi barged into his office and told him that they were saved from a supervillain by a self-proclaimed superhero.
So many things have changed.
Sure, Overhaul was still a threat, but he knows the best that without Defiant and his Network, Overhaul would be probably ruling the prefecture openly by now. Who would stop him, especially ever since he got Dictator with his mind-control onboard?
Makes you wonder how Yagi would react to being mind-controlled by two people at once.
"Yeah, I guess." Izuku sighs. He might have accepted that fact intellectually, but emotionally… emotionally he has still a lot of healing left. He isn't sure if he is ready for such a mind altering realizations on that level. "Guess we'll see how good we're prepared sooner or later."
"Speaking of…" Sasaki gives him a questioning look. Aizawa joins it right after. The meeting did, in fact, have two subjects instead of one.
Even Rabbit glances at him, even though he, of all people, knows the answer. What a betrayal.
"Hijack and Carmilla made contact with the murderhobos today." Midoriya replies. "It was mostly a quirk presentation, but it seems like Knuckleduster has a plan on how to utilize them. He did, though, ask for some additional manpower to pull it off, and…"
"I-I'm going there t-tonight." Rabbit cuts in. "With E-Edge a-and D-Deadshot."
"Are you sure?" Aizawa decides to embrace his totally-not-a-replacement-father-figure role. Or, to be exact, the replacement-father-figure-that-didn't-start-a-world-war one. "That's one hell of a way to meet your future in-laws."
Rabbit probably preferred not to think about that part. Both his eventual marriage to Rini and the fact that he was going to meet said in-laws. Especially as Edge was probably seething about it right now.
That girl… had a temper.
"M-my quirk is super u-useful, D-Deadshot is good in d-doing the s-stakeouts from a s-safe distance and E-Edge k-knows how to o-operate in p-places like H-Hosu." Rabbit replies. "I-it's a good i-idea."
Right.
"Well, the only thing I can tell you then is 'good luck' and 'watch your back'." Aizawa replies. "We most certainly need that intel, and for yesterday, because Overhaul is probably planning something big." He then sighs. "Is it bad that I sincerely hope that he's planning something big against Kuroiro and they both just murder each other?"
He hears 'no' from three mouths at once, including a shaky one from Rabbit. Yeah, Kuroiro has begun to outlive his usefulness. Shame they don't exactly know where to hit him so it'd hurt.
Well, baby steps, Aizawa. Baby steps.
(***)
Disguises were slightly irritating, Rabbit had to admit. Completely not because they made him NOT see all the things that he so loved about Rini, like her fluffy tail, her perky and adorable ears, the muscular arms, legs and abdomen and…
Focus, Rabbit.
Disguises were irritating, because they served as a reminder that they were on a hostile territory. And that being recognized might end up actively detrimental to their long-term health.
Yeah, this totally didn't amplify the pressure his already overactive nerves were feeling constantly.
At least, he wasn't alone.
Bonus points for the fact that it was raining heavily, so raincoats were both perfect for concealment and didn't stand out.
Shinsou was acting as their guide, leading them to the unremarkable abandoned warehouse in question, before knocking on the side door a few times. A code, probably.
A moment later, they were all taking their raincoats off, looking around the insides of the building.
A few tables with some equipment on them, some of the guns clearly in the middle of maintenance, Knuckleduster working with them. Some 'living space', mostly a large table with some small fridge standing close to it (no other kitchen utilities aside from a microwave, though, so most of it was probably filled with cans of beer, he could see a few of them on the table).
There was something akin to private space on the other end of the warehouse. Mostly a lot of curtains, it seems.
Rabbit is slightly surprised by the central part of the warehouse housing what appears to be a fighting ring. More like an open space, with some drawings on the floor to know where the edge of it was.
Rabbit is, honestly, surprised by the fact that it surprised him. He heard enough about those folks from Rini.
The fact that he could see two rabbit women fighting each other out in the ring was narrowly more surprising. Then again, they were probably testing how far her impersonation could go.
That, or, well, Rini's mom was probably just enjoying a fight against someone that had her body and, to a large degree, seemed to be able to copy her movements thanks to the specifics of her quirk.
Two rather muscular and strong rabbit women fighting it out in the ring was quite hot. The fact that they were Rini's moms made things very, very awkward, though. Besides, they were a little too old for him, right?
"Reinforcements from the Network are here." Shinsou announces. Stain and Chainfist, was it? finish observing the fight, and turn their heads to assess the new arrivals.
"Rini!" Both Lunas shout in unison, but only one moves forward, the other one undoing her impersonation and becoming Toga again.
"I don't know you." Rini replies, appearing so emotionless that Rabbit actually starts being afraid. Both for her and because of her. "Please don't get any closer, or I will defend myself with lethal means."
"Rini! Don't be like that!" Luna clearly doesn't realize the threat she was in. Stain, judging from his sudden facepalm in the background, probably did. "We haven't seen each other for so long and…"
"Rumi, I don't think this is a good ide…" Stain tries to be the reasonable one.
"Rabbit, do I have your permission to kill her?" Rini asks her boyfriend coldly. "If we draw all the blood from her body, Carmilla will be able to impersonate her long enough for the death to not matter."
Rabbit doesn't like her being cold. She is always so warm. In, err, the completely wholesome kind of way.
"Rabbit?" Rumi pauses her march towards her death daughter and glances at Asa. "Who the hell's this shrimp?"
Rabbit actually opened his mouth to answer something (however shaky it would be), but Rini moved faster.
"My boyfriend." Rini announces. Proudly.
Stain starts shivering profusely in the background. Whether that's the 'omfg someone's dating my daughter' or 'omfg my wife is going to kill someone', no one can tell. Maybe both?
"What the fuck?!" Rumi looks almost horrified at those words. "Were there no actual men out there?! You've picked this shrimp over, like, anyone else?"
"Yes, Luna, I've picked this 'shrimp' over anyone else, probably because I like the way he looks and acts." Rini says through her teeth. That's some serious anger. She uses her mother's vigilante name rather than the word 'mom', which was probably another faceslap. "Which is mostly because he is absolutely unlike you and that noseless dickhead over there. Now, if you could, please fuck off. Or he's going to kick your ass."
Rabbit doesn't enjoy being put in the spotlight.
"Oh?" Luna actually approaches him. Despite being rather short, she's still slightly taller than him. And the presence is rather… intense. "You'll kick my ass, huh? C'mon, hit me then."
He - besides himself with fright, but c'mon, Rini is a rabbit and she is fierce and brave, so he'll be fierce and brave too! - actually hits her. In the shoulder. Lightly.
"What was that supposed to be, huh?" Rumi isn't amused.
"P-Powerless!" Rabbit replies.
Then he sidesteps quickly as Luna - really confused and shouting something angrily - falls forward and hits the concrete floor with a loud thump. Her quirk was a mutant one, so her entire bodily strength was basically read by his status condition as a quirk. They tested this command on mutants earlier.
Stain actually wheezes loudly in the background. Shinsou sighs. Deadshot looks vaguely amused. Rini simply erupts with laughter, acting as if what she just saw was the funniest thing ever.
"OH MY GOD!" She laughs. "I THINK SHE BROKE HER NOSE! Rabbit, you're fucking awesome!"
Rabbit likes hearing words of praise, especially from Rini (but also from the other girls). But he also thinks that he isn't done quite yet.
"Rumi, which part of 'I think we might have fucked up with parenting and we should play it out fucking calmly before asking her to consider going with us to some fucking family therapist' didn't you under…" Stain, once again, proves himself to be the somewhat lucid one in the present company.
"The moment your quirk stops working, I'm going to break you like a fucking twi…" Rumi ignores him completely, speaking the litany of murder threats. But then, it dies suddenly, together with Stain's short speech.
With an extreme amount of sheer spite and fury (probably) she actually manages to twist her head enough to see Rabbit with the corner of her eye.
Also, yeah, it looks like she actually broke her nose a little.
"Did you just…" She says, with complete disbelief in her voice. "... kick my ass?"
"R-Rini said that if you don't f-f-f-fuck off, I'll k-kick your ass!" Rabbit says, trying not to freak out anymore, his hands making some odd chopping moves in front of him, as if he was trying to put a guard up but was too scared to actually do it so he kept stopping himself mid-way before restarting the motion. "You d-didn't, so I did!"
Silence. Even Rini looks mortified, probably expecting some people to die. But then, Luna suddenly starts laughing loudly.
"I take everything back!" She says. "You have a fucking backbone, I give you that! Looks like there is more to you than meets the eye. Now, can we get back to the whole 'plan how to fuck Overhaul up' bit? Because I feel like we're on a time limit here."
Right.
(***)
It looks like clouds are gathering over Overhaul's head. And Dabi is still being feared due to his firepower, despite being consistently an idiot when applying was involved. Heh.
Also Rabbit is fierce, Rabbit is brave.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END: The process of writing this fic has ended. It ended at chapter 100 :D So, not much left.