Author's note : Some might have noticed (or not) that last chapter was slightly edited for the Tamaki Himiko part.
First off
As a rule, my betas have the right to ask me for a favor, a change in my story (as long as it impact either the last chapter or one currently being written).
One example of such change was the Katsuki/Yui fight.
Anyway, one of my beta cashed in their to make the pairing Tamaki Himiko possible in the futur. However, as you will see in that chapter, it probably won't be a happy one. Because, as much as I love Himiko, she is a bit insane and a killer.
Second : I apologize for the lack of chapters for the past two weeks. Two reasons for that:
1) I was dealing with the incoming loss of my job. So yeah, not really in a good mood.
2) Since I had a lot of free time, I... Kind of binged Persona 5 Royal, finally.
And fuck, now I understand why people thought i was referencing it. The game is awesome.
Anyway, enjoy your chapter, people !
Chapter 38 : Trials incoming, prepare for assault.
"So… How are we going to organize study groups?" Kaminari asked, because he knew he wasn't really at the top of the class. Tooru, if her face could be seen, would have been terrified, because suddenly Izuku got up and put on the wall a giant paper for everyone to see.
"BEHOLD MY NEW CREATION ! THE EXAMINATRON! HOW TO DIVIDE THE CLASSROOM WITH OUR BEST STUDENTS TO COACH EVERYONE!"
"And Tooru being in your group is just a coincidence, right?" Mina tried to tease Izuku, who gave her an adorable smile and answered back.
"Nope. She is my girlfriend, and I want to spend time with her. That and we actually are used to study together." Tooru made a small whining sound. While she was now highly successful in how to derail a study session into a make-out one, or a reading, massage, discussion… Hell, anything, Izuku was now planning around her planning and made sure she still worked. It helped greatly her marks, though. Still, she appreciated the fact he countered teasing with pureness.
"Why Todoroki isn't in charge of a group?" Justice asked, still new to the classroom, before being confused by the general laughter. He wasn't worried about the exams, as while he was far from being as smart as his brother, he wasn't dumb. "He is still among our best in the class, no?"
"Maki, Todoroki's social skills are…" Kirishima was thinking of a good comparison that wouldn't be harsh to his friend, but Shouto was Shouto.
"I have as much social skill as Bakugou has any self-control about a good fight."
Bakugou nodded his head approvingly. He was notoriously battle hungry, and he liked that.
"We are to the point where Katsuki is his social skill teacher, and he has made a lot of progress." Shoji added, behind his mask, nodding too.
"… And Katsuki is a teacher, according to your planning because?" Maki wanted to understand the insanity in this class.
"He is actually very good at motivating his students to learn. His notes are also very good." Kaminari explained, having been tutored by his teacher. His scared trembling threw shades on what he just said, though.
"To be fair, I threaten to make them my sparring partner, and since most of them are…"
"Sane enough to not want that?" Mina asked, quite rhetorically, actually.
"… I was going to say boring," Katsuki said with a disappointed look. "But I guess that works too."
Maki seriously wondered if being clinically insane was a requirement for this classroom. Considering the class president was demoted for apparently attempted murder, it made sense and was scary as hell.
Having Koda's rabbit beginning to a staring contest with Bakugou (and somehow winning) didn't help the situation.
"Ok, now last question. Why did you put me in Asui's study group?"
"Because she is very friendly, and you seem to need friends?"
Tooru did not bribe her boyfriend to make it happen, she could assure you that. No one could have seen her do that, anyway. As for Tsuyu, she was still ribbiting in a friendly way, as the emotional support frog she was, petting the Eevee.
Yes, the cute critter was still here after a few days, and Izuku seemed to be very happy at the prospect. It was the second pet of the classroom,
However, back on the initial subject.
Izuku planned for four groups of five students each, each time with a tutor and four people to help. The tutors were Momo, Katsuki, Izuku and Tsuyu. Which meant Maki had absolutely no way to escape her… However, now, the young Justice was also sure Izuku knew about his mother and made the sensible call to make everyone come to U.A. for studying. Otherwise, considering his upbringing, going to Tsuyu's house would have most likely involved the last part of studying. There would not have much stu.
——————
Meanwhile, Nedzu had made a giant house for the students to progress peacefully in U.A.'s ground, and it was totally because he wanted to spoil his adopted grandson. Shouto asked him for the favor with a smile. A true smile.
It earned Katsuki a few points, considering how Shouto was only a month before. However, for now, he had a meeting with some people, to plan accordingly for the future conflict.
In front of him, a screen which had Endeavor and Compress in his masked suit, ready for a conference.
"Gentlemen, what did we learn?"
Compress pulled out some stacks of paper, and spoke.
"Thanks to La Brava, we managed to get some data from the Triceps Corporation. Apparently, they were indeed working on the implantation/reimplantation of quirk artificially done. They had some success with the mutant factor, probably because it isn't an on/off switch like an emitter." Which also explained their recent success for genetic therapy against cancer and various illnesses.
"Any data about Muscular? Because, as far as I knew, he didn't seem very animal themed. Same for Moonfish, actually" Endeavor needed to ask, because he still remembered how the villain looked in the end… Not to mention Moonfish. Students shouldn't have to fight such monsters, and honestly, he understood why, once upon a time, Stain and Compress had been friends.
"…Endeavor. You obliterated him. We lack a body to study what exactly was done to him, and besides that, apparently, the head scientist destroyed her own research before leaving the institute. Considering she died in a blue fire soon after…" Nedzu still had his source among the police force.
Endeavor groaned, knowing perfectly what it meant.
"HPSC taking action and having an Ember with them. Considering they are most likely the one who kidnapped Touya…"
Blue fire was incredibly rare as a quirk, and it had an even bigger stigma on it than a simple fire quirk. They were called Ember amongst the higher-ranking of the government because they were all related, as far as the autopsy showed, to the Ashen King.
Of 35 Embers discovered until now, 5 only were sane and not pyromaniac. It was a reason why Endeavor was so careful about identifying fire quirk users and making sure they were under control. Embers were a true risk, for themselves and the world.
The heroes in charge of dealing with the Embers were Crust, him, and the underground hero Ryo, who thought he hid his family link to Endeavor well. Endeavor was perfectly aware of it and found it funny the underground hero didn't notice yet that the grant that helped him get into a heroic school was funded by him.
"So, you think Touya is basically the HPSC walking weapon of mass destruction." Compress wasn't dumb, and he needed to know that kind of information to not face such a threat unprepared.
Very, very few things could block a blue fire burst blank range. Considering Touya had Endeavor's training and whatever the HPSC taught him… His son was most likely a danger.Well, even more than before, when he had his first psychopathic episode, but it was another can of worm.
Nedzu sighed, as he would very much like for his source inside the HPSC to create a two-way channel, to have confirmation. They always had top tier information, and when he had to listen to the HPSC president yelling at him, it was always refreshing, especially when she asked who did he corrupt to have the information.
"Most likely."
"La Brava also discovered something else, based on Hisashi's incident and our own discovery. Touya might not be alone." Endeavor had sent the files on that one to Compress, as per the agreement for them to work together.
Everyone stared at Compress, who pulled some files concerning various small-time villains who disappeared.
"If La Brava isn't mistaken, and I doubt she is, the project Mocking Bird might be a reference to the old complotist theory according to which, the CIA used brainwashed killers, who all had a certain book in their library. Anyway. Some of their quirks would explain… Incidents, like what happened to Ingenium. Remember the blond girl you spotted on a video feed? The one with probably a blood quirk?"
Endeavor nodded, clearly not happy with that investigation. They could have uncovered so much earlier if it hadn't been botched!
He gritted his teeth even harder when a file appeared, showing Himiko Toga, still at school. It was clearly a class picture, and the young teenage girl seemed tired on it. She seemed to be underweight too.
"Himiko Toga, had an unidentified blood quirk, but it had elements of transformations, according to the witnesses."
Compress was nothing if thorough, and when La Brava noticed the absence of police files about Toga Himiko despite her being in the "official files" of the HPSC, she knew something was wrong. As a result, she sent Gentle for some breaking-in, getting intel or simply asking questions. His gentleman demeanor made him actually quite the face, especially if Hana was with him.
"Her parents are nowhere to be found, most likely moved to another location and with a different identity. Hell, if I read correctly about their fortune, they most likely moved out of the country after their daughter attempted to kill another student."
A rich family, but not crazy rich as Nedzu. As a result, the scandal had tanked their local reputation, and they decided wisely to move out in another country to live there and be happy.
Still, the last part made everyone perk up.
"Attempted murder?"
"Apparently, being deprived of blood for too long made her attack a young man named Saito. He survived, but he needed a lot of surgery. He is actually the one who told us the most about her. How Toga was always on the edge about something and him trying to reach out and help…" Compress sighed. That one act of kindness backfired on so many level.
Nedzu sighed. Being nice was nice, but in certain cases, like this Toga, offering your blood to help was dangerous, as there was no way of telling if the blood-thirsty girl would have a way to stop drinking or the self-control to not kill by mistake.
You had to call a pro, like Vlad. Professional helpers exist because they are needed. Not everyone is a therapist, not everyone is part of the rescue force. This was actually one of the reasons why vigilantism was forbidden: well-meaning people doing something that worsened the situation.
"So this Toga girl was reported arrested in one document… But no trial, no police record… Nothing. She vanished off the face of the earth afterwards. Her family wasn't that influential and from what we gathered… I doubt her parents would bail her out."
This made Nedzu angry on several levels. His mammal instinct to care about youngling, his hero instinct that this kind of quirk could have been very useful for an underground hero, and the fuck HPSC instinct he felt everyone should have.
"I see… So, the HPSC probably has a death squad for special operations they want to deny. Probably Nagant's replacement then."
Compress nodded behind his mask, before following, having discovered a few things and needing his colleague to be up-to-date.
"We also have a very good lead on the real identity of the Boss, though we need it to keep it secret for his safety. All-Might should be warned, though."
This was most likely to be a groundbreaking revelation, right?
"The Boss is probably Tenko Shimura, who disappeared several years ago, and was most likely taken and raised by All For One."
"OH COME ON! HOW THE FUCK DOES HE DO TO BE IN EVERY FUCKING INCIDENT?!"
This time, Endeavor was officially sick of this man.
"Language, Enji. Compress, how the hell did you got that one?" Nedzu still liked to see Endeavor being grumpy when his dad treated him as a child. Still so cute.
"Well… This one is a bit of a stretch, and I miss some evidence. However, let me tell you that once upon a time, Stain and I were friends. Even after he radicalized enough, we were still friends enough, so I accepted an ex-partner of his, Sophie Deveraux… Also known as Hana Shimura. Both he and I were aware of her research of her brother, and apparently, during his time at the League, and after interrogating Native, Stain concluded that her brother was alive and he knew where he was."
"And what is the link to Boss?" Endeavor was legitimately intrigued.
"Stain didn't have many friends. I think he made some mental notes about what the League told him and… Boom. It would also explain why All For One would want to silence him."
"So… Hoshu wasn't a declaration of war but just a big cover-up?"
Once again, the vigilante nodded as the heroes sighed. The shit was even messier than before. Just how many gambits AfO was running at the same time?
——————
"So, we have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, and Plan E still active."
All for One was pleased, especially as it was more than expected. Someone wise in a fanfiction he read when he was younger said, "There is two kinds of mastermind: those who run a plan the shortest possible to limit the fuck-up, and those who run a hundred complicated one at the same time. One of them was bound to succeed and they could pretend all the others were fakes." All for One agreed with that explanation, and he loved to run several plans at the same time. Besides, being immortal helped a lot for that. Also, he was probably a Vandal Savage fan, but no one knew that.
"Kurogiri? What about our update on the mole?"
Kurogiri put on a computer screen the video of a young man, tortured to death apparently.
"Properly disposed of, sir. However, it brings concern about Giran."
"Of course it does. I was thinking Giran helped us way too readily. Is he still searching for my granddaughter?"
"I have asked for a report on that, sir. Apparently, he confirmed the young miss is alive thanks to someone who can check if someone is dead or not from a picture. By precaution, I have executed that individual, to diminish the risk people can confirm if you are alive."
Kurogiri was built with that function after all.
"Very good. Are we sure Luck Stealer's wife's family don't have her?"
"Likely, as Giran's agents never saw a kid in their house. So, either they have her locked in an underground basement, far from even his eyes, or they don't have her. However, considering the strength guarding the place, it would need committing several noumus, and humanoid at that, or yourself, sir, to check directly. We can't afford to lose that much human resources after Hoshu."
All For One sighed. Truly a stronghold who had a lot of good quirks. Maybe he should go there when he would have better lungs. The exercise would be nice for his cranky body.
"Very well. What about Tomura then? What is his League doing currently?"
"Well, they are trying to find some good targets. Endeavor was vetoed because Tomura pointed out ending the #2 would be nice, but Endeavor wasn't the kind of person easy to beat in the first place, and his sidekicks are all pretty strong. As a result, rather than heroes, they decided to do some killings on the CRC. Since apparently two of the recruits are complex mutants, it was received quite warmly by them. They plan a raid on the newly christened ISP tomorrow."
Kurogiri pulled on the screen, for AfO's virtual eyes, HPSC's spies' files.
"Tomura and Loony managed to befriend Toga quite easily. I would recommend working on her nonetheless, as her quirk could have an interesting reaction with your and potentially be used as a back-up plan."
"Using this girl and my quirk to possess it? Useless unless I have something that would allow me to rewrite my flesh at the same time or unless Garaki is willing to modify her enough to receive me… More wine, Kurogiri."
"Very well, sir. As for Twice, the man is… He is a bumbling buffoon, sir. Only useful as a support."
All For One sighed. It was sad, as Seikyo still remembered Shin Bubaigawara, and his wonderful quirk. He had hoped his grandson would have inherited from an upgraded version of his quirk, not a downgrade. Oh well, Seijin's gift for his birthday was still quite touching and useful! Such a good daughter.
"What about Dabi? Who is totally not a Todoroki, by the way."
"Dabi, confirmed Ember. If we can convince him to accept the noumufication or to accept a gift from you, we would have one of the most powerful fire user in existence, sir. While his technique is crude and his body is crumbling, his output is unlike any other. Besides, while he tries to hide it, he still knows most of his father's style. However, I am not sure he can actually make through the noumufication. His body is already in a very bad state."
So this was the true gift! Oh, such a beautiful weapon~ Even if it was unstable as hell, and he actually tried to attack Tomura to assert dominance. There was much they could work with!
"And we have all of Seijin's intel on him?"
"Young mistress made an excellent report, and she even included some data so you could use his bypass word."
"… Send her a card telling her she is the best, and tell Garaki to work on his youthfication procedure. She is going to be the first to be by my side." He adored his daughter. Loyal and crazy fun like him !
"Very well, sir. Finally, Spinner. He… is a pizza delivery man who got lost."
"… That's totally a trap." All For One also had a quirk called Captain Obvious.
"Of course, sir. However, I have to admit, I am surprised as Giran found nothing on him. He was actually surprised about that. All he found was that his backstory was coherent. When his men asked in Deika about him, there was no discrepancy."
This was weird, and honestly, quite worrying. Another secret organization who was aware of him, but not the opposite? One who could apparently fool Giran? Shit.
"Tell Nine he will be deployed around Deika. I want intel on what is happening over there. Just to be sure I am not about to be stabbed in the back by a laying knife."
—————
Meanwhile, at an unlucky CRC HQ.
"Loony! Catch!" Spinner said, before throwing a dumbass at the bunny, who smashed his head like a pumpkin. Both mutants hated people like the CRC, and it was always a fun mission to bond with the other. Hell, after seeing the ominous League for himself, he was clearly hoping to recruit them for the moderate faction of the MLA. The MLA as whole hated the CRC and the SMASH… Wait, no. According to the new intel, the SMASH had a new leadership, and they got rebranded as the Inhuman Supremacy Party. Anyway, both of them were assholes, and Spinner couldn't wait for Re-Destro to smash them to the ground.
"Boss! I was drinking that one!" Toga yelled, as she was covered in dust, her fang bloodied. Clearly, she had her fill. Tomura sighed, before looking at her.
"Not when working, Kitsune. Did you finish the evacuation?" Tomura was clearly going to ask Izuku his opinion on how much Kitsune thirst was biological and how much was it addiction. Because, clearly, her look made him a tiny bit suspicious.
"Yep! I left Tanuki protecting the hostage, and he prepared two Amaterasu" Well, at least it didn't impair her skills on the field and it was nice to see her annoying Dabi.
"DABI! MY FUCKING NAME IS DABI!" Amaterasu yelled even harder as he incinirated a man by making him eat his flames.
"Amataresu roll better on the tong, mate. What are you, a Chunni?!"
"Fuck you, CRUSTY FACE!"
"It's not crusty anymore, because I USE CREAM, ME."
Both men flipped at each other the bird, before Tomura lunged toward Dabi's side, and the fireman redirected a hand in the direction of his Boss.
Fire and dusting hand crossed each other, and Tomura dusted a man with a lesser invisibility quirk while Dabi incinerated a bad cosplay of a knight templar.
"… You know, if I didn't see the Boss with his girlfriend the other day, I would ship them." Toga whispered to Spinner and Rabbit, leaving them giggling.
"She isn't my girlfriend!" Tomura was once again thanking Izuku for the idea of an all-face concealing mask for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been believable at all, blushing and everything else.
The stare he got from everyone, as they stood in the middle of burning corpses, and dusted people, made him yell.
"Fuck you guys!"
Meanwhile, Twice was protecting the mutants, and taking some measure with his notebook. He had a lot of useful people to copy in it, and he never stopped to use it. He was half mad, not half stupid. Even if his doubles were less powerful than the original, they were still useful. With two Recovery Girl healing the prisoners, he was making sure everyone was alright.
"Mister Double Face? Thank you!"
Twice only had the time to turn back before two little fox girls began to hug his legs… While he headpatted them. Daw, so cute. And thoses assholes were trying to kill them? They deserved everything they got!
"Don't worry, kids! We are the League of Villains… Because we do the things heroes can't./ALSO BECAUSE FUCK THE RACISTS."
Both personalities were agreeing on that, and it was nice to feel at peace with himself. Then, Twice got something on his phone and yelled at his friends in panic.
"Guys! Gang Orca is coming with his gang, right now! We should, you know. GET THE FUCK OUT?"
Everyone in the gang stared at each other, and the league began to run away quickly, leaving some former prisoners still wondering what the fuck happened, many CRC members dead and not wondering at all, and their leader with his legs dusted but alive, with a little post-it "Gift from the League of Villains".
Tomura's idea, after the Triceps attack. When he was thinking about it, the attack could have fucked up Ryuukyuu's investigation, and killing everyone, while very satisfying, could also mean destroying any leads the heroes needed to work on a bigger scale. That way… Well… It was better that way.
Still, Tomura hoped Stain would have liked what they did today. There were even two heroes in the building, secretly part of the CRC!
———————
Meanwhile, in Tartarus.
The HPSC's president was looking through the glass to see the operation in front of him. Project Sundowner. Her personal ultimate soldier in her war to purify the HPSC from Seijin's influence. She needed that fire power, one loyal only to her… But also with the backbone to tell her to fuck off if she ever steers from her initial goal.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That was her unofficial motto, and why she self-imposed rules on herself, to limit her own power and avoid losing her goal.
"How is the operation going?"
"It is going as expected ma'am. We have finished most of the modification asked, and as per order, he should wake in two weeks." The doctor said through the speaker, as he implanted even more stuff in the man in front of him.
Underneath the HPSC's president, on the surgery table, Stain was being operated on and he had a smile on his face, still in his sleep since the attack. Maybe the madman had a good dream.
"I just want, for the record, to say that giving a cybernetic body to a madman is a bad idea that could easily backfire. Shouldn't we insert a mind control puce or something ? Just the bomb might be not enough." Someone had played some old Mass Effect apparently.
No, the HPSC President second idea for this operation wasn't Lazarus. Any trace of that had been eaten by her dog.
"It is my call to make and I promise you it won't backfire at all."
Surprisingly, the HPSC president was right. She was also sure she made the right call for Stain's partner.
——————
In a Tartarus cell, Nagant snizzed. Someone was thinking about her maybe? A first since she was dumped into that hole.
—--
The HPSC President, if she knew the whole consequence of her actions, would have rewarded herself with a good cup of wine.