Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia
Chapter 222:
"So," Kamui Woods started where he stood at the door of the private jet. His head turned from the window back to the rest of the team standing behind him in the landed plane. "There seem to be a few more people than we thought waiting-"
"We could see them from the sky," Rin finished for the hero who turned the Chinese boy's way and eased his head back at the amount of sweat on Hiryu Rin's face.
"Feeling okay there man?" Shinso asked over his shoulder at the teen one step behind him. He decided against mentioning how it was starting to feel like Rin was staying this close to hide behind him once they opened the plane door to head down the steps currently descending from the jet to the tarmac below. "This is no time to be nervous-"
"I'm not nervous. I'm cool. Totally cool," Rin took in a deep breath and then nodded around as too many of the other heroes were looking his way.
"I can hear them already," Todoroki muttered, and he glanced to his left at Jirou who was next to him and frowning with an annoyed expression over her face.
"Let's get this over with," she mumbled.
"We chose our time of departure carefully. The heroes here can't waste time doing several orientations, so they wanted us to arrive the same time as many of the other teams who also responded immediately after Yue Fei's announcement," Backdraft started to the others in the plane. "The second team from Japan won't be arriving until the smaller second wave, but on different parts of the runway a few other jets have been taxied for this arrival event that appears spontaneous, but the Chinese heroes are really trying to use it."
"Just like Battle Fist suggested," Mt. Lady said, smacking her hands down on the orange-haired girl's shoulders and leaning her head forward onto Kendo's right side, which made the younger girl smile and close her eyes with a small laugh to try and ease her own uncomfortableness. Kendo Itsuka wore her traditional turquoise qipao and the black corset she always had over it, though her costume had had some adjustments made to it since the last time Zach recalled seeing her in it. He checked out all the heroes' costumes around him and noticed changes in all of them, though most of the people in the plane with him were not used to his new costume either.
Class A had seen Zach's mostly blue costume before but only the one time. Ectoplasm and Recovery Girl had seen it as well during the joint training, but the other Musutafu heroes and Class B had never seen it before. Shinso glanced down at the white bandages wrapped around his neck and the bottom half of his face, then to his dark blue sleeves of his costume that covered up more bandages like his favorite hero's. The bandages over his mouth covered the voice changer, though he had heard a rumor from Class A students he was acquainted with that the visor Zach had on pushed up into his black bangs could turn into a helmet that had similar tech as his modifier in it.
Kendo's eyes had lingered on Zach's hands just as his hand fallen on hers. Kendo had a pair of tight black gloves on, matching her domino mask rather than her turquoise combat dress. The material could stretch while also being more resilient than her own skin which despite being stronger when she used Big Fist, could still be cut by sharp objects. Zach's right hand was in a black glove but so was his left, yet she focused on the watch on his right wrist and the bracelet on his left that she had heard about on the news a few months back rather than from her Class A friends. I wonder if he'll have a chance to use them. I want to see what his gear can do.
Class A might be the most promising graduating class of new heroes, Midoriya thought while staring towards the door about to open and let them outside. He felt like the cheering was getting even louder even though the door was still shut, but he convinced himself it was all in his head. He could not keep himself from continuing to himself though, But Zach and Class 1 of Shiketsu beating Class A was huge news around Japan. Any news about Zach becomes international too now. It's not just about that though here in China.
Backdraft grabbed the handle of the door with a hand made of water, and he turned it when he saw the signal given by a hero down on the tarmac with the team that had come to receive them. The hero looking like a firefighter opened the door and the sound filled the interior of the jet instantly. Backdraft's mouth was hidden by his costume, so the others just heard his voice as he said in a steady tone, "Let's move quickly. Remember, every second counts."
Ectoplasm nodded his head and repeated that louder for his students and in a more stern tone. "Don't dawdle. Follow the instructions you receive and listen to the leadership of the Chinese heroes who have requested our aid. Move." He was waiting to leave last just after Recovery Girl, and he motioned out the door at the students still looking at him instead of following Backdraft, Kamui Woods, and Mt. Lady out onto the escalator.
"They're pros alright," Jirou muttered while looking out the window on her right to the escalator where she could see all three of those heroes waving out to the cheering crowds who could see through the chain link fences around the runway where it looked like thousands had gathered. Might even be tens of thousands out there. It's so early, Jirou thought, somehow annoyed by how many people had come to greet them. She gulped as the line was moving in front of her, and she took in a deep breath. Just calm down. It's not like- Her eyes bulged and the line stopped moving.
Rin froze in the doorway with his feet suddenly planting on the ground. The cheers doubled in volume instantly, and the heroes down below him on the escalator glanced back expecting to see Zach or Midoriya had just stepped outside. "Smile," Shinso snapped back at him when he looked up at the boy supposed to be following him down. The cheers had risen slightly for a student of U.A. like Shinso who had done decently in Sports Festivals of the past three years, but the native of China was met with roaring applause and cheers and whistles that made people exiting the planes on either side of theirs look inwards at the eighteen year old.
Rin gulped but rose his hand and started waving as he stepped onto the first step that began bringing him down to the tarmac. This is crazy, he thought, though he was not sweating as much as he was earlier now that the moment was actually happening. He looked out at the massive crowd and then over their heads at Xing, then his gaze shifted to the left and he stared past the city while waving a bit more aimlessly. Mom, Lifen, Dad, I hope you're all safe. I'm coming back…
Zach stepped in the door and there was a lag behind when people saw him and when all hell broke loose in the crowd. The cameras pointed towards the plane with the exiting Japanese students zoomed in more when they recognized the scarred face of the student who no one recognized in his costume for a second. He wore a blue costume so unlike the old white or black ones he used to wear. His body type was so different too; he was a tall young man with broad shoulders and wavy black hair that was not that long that it became unkempt. The bright blue color was complimented by the vibrant green highlights around his collar and on his wide shoulders, as well as a few other places like his belt and joints. The red 'L' in the center of his chest was inside a circle of black, but the 'L' did have an outline of green like the black circle had a white outer rim to it, with four thin white lines cutting in from the circle's edges diagonally to make an 'X' behind the L. His blue pants were highlighted with more red on the sides than green, though his knees had green highlights on them like his boots that were mostly black and blue.
His dark visor was pushed up on his forehead which pushed back his hair too, revealing the scar on the right edge of his forehead as well as the one on the right side of his face just below his ear on the edge of his cheek. The left side of his face below his eye was mostly scar tissue, the point in the middle of his cheek cutting out both under his cut-up ear and down under his chin to stretch down his neck. There was one unmistakable scar though on the right side of his face below his eye that everyone recognized. They all knew where he had received it. None of them knew where those other scars had come from. They could only imagine the horrible things that could have caused them, considering their guesses were based off the first ones he had gotten from Shigaraki Tomura. And yet despite those scars on his face that were zoomed-in on by the media awaiting his arrival, both domestic of China and from international news agencies who had all come for this, Zach Sazaki smiled as he stepped out and faced the thousands looking towards their plane. He wore bright colors and displayed the 'L' proudly, a clear sign that Lifebringer had arrived and was here to help.
It felt like the escalator had to be shaking from the sound of the cheers that vibrated through the air. Midoriya stepped out right behind Zach and was expecting some noise similar to the cheers for Rin, but he stared out in shock for a moment before smiling again when he realized the cameras were all pointed straight at them. The cameras and all the people were too focused on Lifebringer still to notice that moment of surprise on Deku's face. Midoriya smiled and started waving like Zach was doing with his right hand, but he watched his classmate in his peripheral vision and saw the smile on Zach's face as he looked back and forth down the fence at as many people as he could. This is a bigger reception than Zach received coming out of Tartaros. The people here are crazy about him.
I thought- well, it doesn't matter, Rin countered himself and actually felt more relaxed that he was not the most anticipated student who came to China. There was a second burst in the middle of all the deafening cheers when other people looked back and saw some more of the world-famous Class A students they recognized, but it was impossible to get things louder than they got from the roar that sounded when Lifebringer appeared.
China is a country where Zach may be the most popular, Yaoyorozu thought as she headed down the escalator behind her classmates. Just from people who think he might have been involved with AoD. The Qingxiao earthquake and flood where over a hundred people were brought back to life. Taking down the Wang Dynasty, assisting with the Triakuza, and even the city of Huangdoo where seven people were killed that day and many more injured, in a fight that caused a huge amount of damage to the edge of the city. Yaoyorozu stared out into the crowd and could read the kanji characters that some of her classmates could not, as they were not ones shared between China and Japan. She saw people representing cities that had been affected badly by the Age of Villains and who felt the Army of Death had saved them. She even saw some that read out 'Huangdoo,' and yet one of those signs also had 'Go Away Lifebringer' written across it rather than 'We Love You Lifebringer.' Even here he's polarizing though. Some people who believe he was Death will blame him for that. It seems most people don't though.
We've got a plane from Europe on our right and the Americans' jet to our left. Seems like Latin America's just past them, and on the other side of Europe is a smaller plane, looks like Australia and a few Islanders. Oceanic flight. And there's Outback Man. Always right on the front lines of everything. I like him. Zach's eyes focused closer than the Oceanic flight when he recognized someone big stepping out of the European jet at the back of their group. There's Jedenwurst, whoa, Zach glanced back towards the terminals they had not pulled in at as they were getting in vehicles right there on the runway. He looked at the people all around the airport buildings and on the outside of the fences, and although they got louder, some people were not cheering when they saw Jedenwurst. Many others were cheering as loud as they had gotten for him though. Makes sense, considering the situation here now.
"Wow, that's her," Kendo whispered in amazement while looking to her left at the closest plane to them. A female hero at the bottom of their escalator was looking towards the Japanese flight and specifically at Lifebringer. Kendo got nervous though at the sight of Coola's impressive appearance and poise. Shinso and Rin looked in at their class rep between them then towards the American team gathering at the bottom of the escalator where some cars were parked and some police officers were gathered along with hero escorts.
In front of the Japanese team to greet them was Heiping, the eighth ranked hero in China. Zach saw her staring up towards him and kept cool and collected. Former ADTF. Just like The Wall and Crane over there. Are they all here to watch out for me? Looks like a lot of former ADTF and current members around here. Even on our plane there were quite a few who are currently investigating me.
In the whole of the Anti-Death Task Force, there is no longer a single Chinese member, Yaoyorozu thought to herself when she saw Heiping staring towards Zach who was just about to reach the bottom of the escalator. So many have quit. More from China than any other nation. Yet China's bottom line is that the AoD are still terrorists.
"Hey, look over there Rin," Zach mentioned as he reached the bottom and stepped up next to the Class B student who spun to him in surprise. "It's another study abroad student," Zach said, motioning towards the American's plane where a tan-skinned student of mixed race was looking confident and smiling out at the crowds too. "Buccaneer."
"Oh I know him," Kendo said with her face lighting up again, as Coola was not the only interesting figure to come on that jet. She looked to Zach and mentioned to the Class A student, "He's a third year. Khayone Mandela. Initially from South Africa, he's studying at the USA's top hero school, Patriot Hero High."
"That school's massive, and as good as U.A. if not better," Rin said in surprise as he looked towards that other student who looked their age.
Jirou spoke up from behind Rin, "Calling them better than us?"
Rin spun around and rose his eyebrows high as he was not expecting Jirou to take offense to that. "Well, I mean, Tsunotori said her application got denied in the first stage of their process." Jirou's accusatory look lowered a bit and she shifted her gaze past the others and over to the American group, some of whom started turning their way when they noticed people staring.
"After the CHAF got wiped out last February," Zach started while looking back to the others and away from the Americans. "Most of Africa's heroes-in-training took on a much larger workload. Buccaneer traveled abroad with Coola and became one of the most popular heroes across the continent of Africa."
"Weren't you on another world last February?" Shinso wondered.
Zach turned to Shinso and rose his eyebrows in surprise. "Did you think I didn't read your book?" Shinso asked at that look.
"Not my book, technically," Zach replied. "But also yeah I was, I just read about it when catching up on all I missed. Before I went to Tartaros actually."
Jirou rolled her eyes and turned away. She looked back and watched as Ectoplasm reached the bottom of the escalator. Good. Now we can finally get moving. Oh man there's Francois! King of Paris! Jirou's heart fluttered at the sight of the hero voted Mr. Europe four years in a row. She shook her head around quickly and looked away from one of the top French heroes and definitely the most attractive. Her eyes darted back though as she realized she recognized a red costume that had some alterations in it, Is that- Yes! Ms. Fashion! Or Miss Moda! So cool. Jirou darted her eyes to the side and then took a subtle step closer towards Yaoyorozu, waiting for a moment where there was a break in her talk with Todoroki about the size of the crowd and how it could be a possible target for the very terrorists they were after.
Jirou hesitated when she heard such a serious conversation going on, but she could not hold it back. "Miss Moda changes up her costume every month," she whispered to Yaoyorozu who glanced back at her and then over towards the European heroes who just started getting briefed by Crane who greeted a few of them in a friendly way as he was already well-acquainted with them. Heiping was not acquainted with anyone other than Kamui Woods in this group though, and the two of them were talking with both Heiping and Kamui Woods just struggling to speak in their second languages with one another smoothly.
As Jirou continued talking about Miss Moda to her best friend, and the other students looked around at all the heroes or continued waving over to the cheering civilians who sounded so glad to see them, Kamui Woods' and Heiping's conversation took a more serious tone. "I'm sorry for being choppy. It has been a while since I left Japan."
"We all feel for your losses," Heiping said with a nod. She had on a dark purple costume tight to her body, but there were sections of it that had harder armor pieces on it that were even darker purple so they were almost black. The woman with long yellow hair continued, "Fantasma and Miruko helped stop many villains here in China. And I looked up to Best Jeanist's, role model-ness."
"Yes, thank you," Kamui Woods responded with a nod. "Shall we?" He asked, as he knew there was not much time for small talk. Ectoplasm had touched down and the plane's escalator was lifting back up now so the pilot could go park the plane in a hangar.
"Everyone get in one of the three cars," Ectoplasm called out to the students as he got to Heiping and Kamui Woods and heard that the pleasantries were already finished. He knew what was happening from here based on what he heard over the radio during their descent, and he was in contact with the command center in Xing that had him transferring orders to the rest of their team. "We're moving out."
"So much for having a big event here," Shinso said.
"What we just did was enough," Kendo countered.
"Agreed," Zach said with a nod and a glance at her.
"I want to get moving soon as possible," Rin was already heading towards the front of the three black cars that were waiting for them to enter. There were cop cars on the other side of those vehicles along with some motorcycles that officers were standing next to and watching for anyone who might try charging the celebrity heroes arriving at XAX. There was no incident though. Everything went smoothly, and everyone started loading up into the cars. Zach looked back and he started moving away from the Class B students all heading for the front vehicle.
Kendo looked back and Zach nodded at her, "See you guys there." He said it in English, surprising Rin and Shinso.
Kendo nodded back though in agreement. "See you," she replied in English. She turned to the others and nodded at them in a serious way, showing that they should follow the example and speak in the universally accepted tongue. Sometimes on international missions you would speak the native language, but with an operation this big it was to be assumed that all commands and communications would be given in English. They had to get used to it.
Zach walked back for the center of the three cars. "Thank you-" He heard Kendo's voice in his head. He had seen her since returning to U.A. and talked to her, but it was the day of skiing that he recalled her voice all of a sudden. He remembered her cutting herself off and the look of doubt that spread over her face as she wondered whether it was the right thing to do. I convinced her that day that I wasn't Death. It seems like since then she's gone back on that though, deciding that I had just tricked her somehow into believing otherwise. "Thanks, for coming back… Don't leave again."
Zach frowned as he was stepping into the vehicle and the citizens could no longer see him. I forgot about that. I made a lot of promises, I was going to break that night.
Heiping got in the middle car that Zach Sazaki got into the back of. She sat on the opposite row of seats that faced the side Zach had sat in on the side farthest from the plane, giving room for Midoriya and Yaoyorozu who both followed him into the vehicle. Ectoplasm got in after Heiping and closed the door behind them. She knocked on the tinted glass separating them from the front of the vehicle, and the two officers who got into the front shut their doors and buckled in. The heroes in the back of the car did not buckle up themselves, instead all turning to the right and looking at the window on Zach's side that had television lowering down from out of the ceiling that it was folded up against.
The heroes were in costume and their expressions were serious. The screen lowered down and nothing appeared on it right away though, and Heiping looked back around at the other four in there to explain, "The main briefing will be when we get to Fundong. If Command needs to let us know anything before we arrive they'll contact us."
"Why not brief us on the way?" Ectoplasm questioned.
"We don't have the resources," Heiping replied curtly. Ectoplasm opened his glowing white eyes a little wider in surprise. Heiping turned her head and glanced over Midoriya's head and out the back windshield. She stared down the line of cars that were heading slowly down the tarmac to get to the exit where they could speed up in this massive convoy heading for Fundong. "This virus hit us hard and at the worst time. I don't want to blame anyone in particular, but Jedenwurst screwed us."
"What do you mean?" Ectoplasm asked.
Yaoyorozu responded knowingly so as to make sure their host did not think they were too uninformed of the situation. "Ectoplasm sensei," she started respectfully. "Premier Feng is under investigation-"
"It's beyond that now," Heiping said, shaking her head but appreciating that the student was attempting to help her. Yaoyorozu looked surprised as did Midoriya, though Zach's expression stayed steady as he stared at this hero's face and into her eyes that never lingered on his for too long. "Yue Fei is at the command center here in Xing where most heroes arriving are going to be briefed and receive their orders. Szechuman is already on the front lines, one of the only ones right now keeping everything under control after the announcement last night. The third and fourth ranked heroes here, Jake Long, and Shān, are both in Beijing busy with Premier Feng's removal and establishing an impromptu national election."
"Yue Fei has no idea how we're going to go through voting in Gangwe, where everything is in lockdown right now," Heiping continued, speaking English as the Japanese heroes had expected coming in. "Even the command city of Xing is full of fear about the virus suddenly emerging there. E-Lass The City is working with the top government officials with nothing linking them to Exonbaba to try and establish some sort of system so we can get our command structure back up. But public outcry demanded immediate removal of everyone involved, and unfortunately, all the top hero officials were as involved as the Premier and his cabinet. We think the Americans got away with scapegoating Kathers and Franklin-"
"Speculation," Zach said, his voice stern and countering Heiping without hesitation. She froze with her mouth open and Zach wondered before she could even come up with a response, "Or do you have evidence of that claim?"
"We… I, just suspect it. But you're right. I should keep that to myself," Heiping agreed, before quickly taking her eyes off Zach.
Don't know why I was so harsh right there. I kicked the shit out of President Javier. I wouldn't be surprised if he and many others besides Secretary Franklin and General Kathers were involved with Exonbaba. It's better to make everyone else believe otherwise though. If I wanted him taken down I would have released the information on him when it was fresh. Thrown him out of the White House instead of staining the Oval Office with- Zach suddenly refocused as he noticed the girl on his left just past Midoriya looking his way. Momo faced him with more confidence than Heiping could muster, but Zach focused on the older woman in front of him now who darted her eyes away from him again to keep speaking only more directly to Ectoplasm.
She doesn't know whether to thank me or not. Kendo had the same dilemma. I saved Heiping farther back than Kendo. League of Shadows raid. She helped take down the corrupt UN members like Carmen afterwards. Stayed a little longer, then bailed after helping out in Qingxiao. If she thanks me, I'm certain it won't be for reviving her but for the people she brought to me that day. It was the most people I had revived in a single day up until that point. Maybe the most in a single incident, since I won't include the day's worth of reviving Japan as a single event. Too many of my days out there blended together with so many incidents, that one of those twenty-four hour periods likely exceeded 206 people.
"Here," Heiping pulled out the bag from under her seat and distributed rectangular black tablets to each of the four Japanese team members in the vehicle with her. "Keep these on you at all times. Make yourself an account right now and lock the device with your fingerprints."
Death shouldn't have left fingerprints anywhere. Hm. On poker cards in Korea? Possibly. Probably. The place was in chaos. Many people touched the same cards. Prints on prints on prints. In the ensuing chaos there was no way they knew which ones I had touched. Plus, if they got my prints on those cards they could have charged me already. Maybe they don't know to look for them there. Maybe the cards were destroyed. In motel rooms in the US, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, and Germany I had no glove on my left hand before it was removed. Oh yeah, Zach made no shift in his facial expression even as he remembered something President Andersson had told him once. Let's see if this new hand isn't as good as real. They wouldn't have used my real prints, for a moment just like this one.
Zach pressed his left thumb against the screen after giving himself a username and password that he had never used before. Perfect, Zach thought as the screen read his fake fingerprint and accepted it as his own.
"The Japanese Team," Midoriya read an icon on his screen that was unlocked to him. Several of the application buttons that looked similar to icons on his own phone or laptop were dimmed on this tablet and locked to their group. Midoriya did not read too much into that, instead just clicking on the button that would show him the information that he knew was meant for them.
Zach looked to his side as Midoriya clicked that and immediately got to reading what information was readily available before their first briefing. Zach sighed internally but did the same on his own tablet. Are the Chinese really afraid that these terrorists they haven't heard of before are connected to the heroes they're calling in from around the world? This move is out there. Yue Fei made a ballsy decision. And not one that villains would have predicted, which means these precautions will only slow us down. I shouldn't do anything to get the rest unblocked though. It could just happen in time, and I shouldn't break any rules- I can't! Not shouldn't. I cannot break the rules here. If Principal Nezu expels me… I have no idea what I'm going to do.
"This is the complete list of all the others coming on the next flight?" Yaoyorozu wondered. She looked up at Ectoplasm to see if that was true, but her teacher was still struggling to use the tablet as seamlessly as his students who seemed very adept at this. He grumbled but looked up at her screen that she turned to him rather than look at his own.
"Their plane already took off," Heiping responded to the girl who turned her way now as did Ectoplasm who had not heard that yet. "So that list is the rest of the Japanese team. Not as many heroes as I was hoping for, but it's still the first wave."
"And hopefully the last," Midoriya countered, smiling up at Heiping who looked back at him in surprise and then started nodding her head in response. "We'll do whatever we can to help you end this as soon as possible," Midoriya promised.
If it lasts more than a week or two, that seriously screws up our plans for graduation, Zach wondered. Principal Nezu doesn't even want us here for that long, so if we don't solve it by then he might just have Ectoplasm take us back, he leaned back in his seat and checked out the list of heroes coming to assist them. Well, looks like Nikko's uncomfortable enough as it is with Deku and myself out of the country. Won't let any of the conjectured top ten heroes in the country come out. Maybe it's their decisions too though; they all know Kaminari's just looking for an opportunity to ravage the country. Still, it's not a bad list. Tsuyu and Uraraka are even coming too…
"…I don't get it," Uraraka turned confusedly to the pro hero on her right who was still only two years older than her. "Nejire…Chan," Uraraka hesitated upon saying the 'chan' but her pro had emphasized how they needed to be formal on this overseas mission so she was trying to get used to saying her full hero name, even though calling a girl two years her senior by 'chan' was unusual.
Gilgamesh had just finished explaining their objective to the back of the plane where three agencies of heroes were sitting together in the same response team. He was moving up now to speak to a larger group of heroes ahead of them, and Uraraka asked Nejire Hado in the seat across the aisle from her, "Shouldn't we be helping at the cities where the virus is popping up? Why are we going out on the water in such a crisis?"
"Gero," Tsuyu leaned forward and looked over curiously as well towards the twenty year old pro who shifted her gaze behind the high schoolers on her left.
Nejire looked at Selkie and her look got a little more serious than the enthusiastic smile she had on her face when accepting Gilgamesh's orders that he was really just relaying from even higher-up heroes than him. Selkie nodded seriously then smiled himself in a friendly way while lifting up and leaning over the seats in between Asui and Uraraka, making Sirius pull away next to him with a sweatdrop dripping down her face as she smiled and closed her eyes, trying to just deal with this quietly. Uraraka jumped when she spun back and saw Selkie's head between her and Tsuyu, but the seal-like pro who just put his head there spoke in a reassuring way, "Our duties will help just as much as efforts in any city. Even right in the epicenter of the virus."
Selkie paused and then added, "Where I know some of your friends are." Uraraka hesitated but then nodded along, and Tsuyu nodded as well when Selkie glanced back at his own intern who had returned to his agency for the first time in years only a few months ago. "They have a very important job to do, but so do we and you should put all your effort into it."
"But I-" Uraraka paused and furled her lip as Selkie gave her a look suggesting she just take their advice and listen.
"Selkie, sir," Asui spoke up and her pro looked back at her. She was not backing down, and she asked, "How is our job going to be important? We are working from the safety of the water." Selkie was about to give the girl a more serious look and sterner to get them to stop questioning their orders, but his intern was making too good a point. "When people see us they will think that we are too afraid of coming on land because of the virus. It will cause fear-"
"That's why we have to be out there," Selkie replied. He cut off the student who looked confused, then he sighed and leaned back in his seat. He glanced across the aisle at some other heroes on their team then forward at Nejire who hummed and nodded her head at the older man who seemed hesitant to explain the situation.
Nejire herself turned and looked out the windows on her right side past an empty seat. She could have had another intern there other than a U.A. student who the government was pushing them to take along to make Lifebringer's release seem less like a special circumstance (or so she theorized). In that seat she imagined the two recent Shiketsu grads she had working for her, but Camie and Shishikura faded away and Nejire smiled. We need lots of competent heroes to stay back while we're gone. I'm sure they'll have their hands full with more important- no, not more important. Just more, heroic activities back home.
"People are going to be afraid whether or not we're out there," Selkie said to the eighteen year olds in front of him who were now fully turned and looking in the seat behind them. Their looks got anxious but much more intense too as Selkie continued, "The people of Gangwe are going to be afraid. It is a region with a large coastal border. And unfortunately, the current quarantine requires that everyone stay in the region. This is to prevent the terrorists from escaping if they are still inside, and to prevent anyone who may be infected from getting out."
"But-" Uraraka started speaking fast against it. She stopped herself, but then spoke rapidly again, "They said the virus isn't communicable! So, shouldn't it be okay for people to leave-"
"If it isn't communicable then there shouldn't be any reason for them to flee. No mass exodus needed," Nejire started to back up Selkie, and because this was her intern asking the questions. "Uravity," Nejire said sternly when Uraraka spun to her. The younger girl with brown hair froze with her mouth open, and she just listened instead as her pro continued, "Not enough is known about what's going on. What us heroes and the police and the doctors trying to figure things out all need right now, is for everyone else to stay put. Stay inside, which will reveal to us the suspicious forces moving around outside. And if we manage a huge quarantine and can narrow down where the virus is coming from, then we can't have gaps that the villains could slip out of, spreading their disease and killing many more people."
"That's right, Froppy," Selkie agreed. "Many others will have the same duties as us: ensuring that the lockdown measures are followed by enforcing the rules put in place by Gangwe's governor and the heroes in command. Our job, I'm assuming but I'm also fairly certain of, will be to assist with making sure no boats leave from Gangwe's coast. As well as stopping any aquatic Quirk users who attempt to break quarantine."
"But that's… they're just going, to be scared people," Uraraka argued, though her voice was quieter near the end.
"And yet we will need to stop them nonetheless," Nejire said. Her lips were flattened and her expression determined, resolved on what she needed to do. Uraraka's eyes widened when she saw that look on her senpai's face. She turned and looked back at Tsuyu who lifted her thoughtful gaze back up and met her friend's eyes. As uneasy as she was, Tsuyu nodded back at Uraraka and made the brunette hoping for someone else to back her up lose that hope that she was still in the right. Nejire spoke to the back of her intern's head, "I know it's not what you were expecting. This is a joint effort though. There will be hundreds of heroes actively searching for the terrorists Yue Fei says are responsible, but remember…"
The eighteen year olds each looked back towards Nejire whose look was much more serious now. "Our job is two-fold. We have to stop everyone, but we also have to look out for anyone suspicious among those who come. If the villains try to escape via the sea, we'll be the first line of defense. We don't know how many of them there are or how strong they may be." Uraraka's expression shook for another second and then hardened. She nodded it back at Nejire who smiled and finished to her, "But no matter what they come at us with, we'll be ready for them."
"…Lobscar, Rainbow Sparkles, Vitacore, Flowery Hero: Bouquet…"
Rainbow Sparkles huh? She fired Mina, the right corner of Zach's lips lowered down as the list of the finalized second Japanese team was being read off.
"Wake, FlyGuy…"
Midoriya's eyebrows rose up. He looked at the screen to his right that Heiping was controlling with her tablet. I didn't know FlyGuy was going to be coming. It'll be good to see him again, Midoriya thought of the former comrade of his from SkyLord's agency.
"Encode…" Yaoyorozu nodded her head while focusing on the new face that popped up along with all the information Heiping had on him next down on the list. Encode must be coming to help figure out the nature of this man-made virus. His intelligence can get us ahead of the villains who are as-of-yet unidentified.
"…Sirius, Froppy, Bubble Girl, Centipeder, Volarum, Nejire-Chan, and Uravity."
"That's a lot of heroes," Ectoplasm commented.
"Maybe," Heiping replied. Ectoplasm turned his head and then hummed in response rather than arguing with her reply. He nodded, sharing the hope that the number of heroes being sent to aid the Chinese really was a lot and maybe even too many. It would be better to have too many come though, than to have not enough.
Midoriya continued looking at the screen as the shared information system updated to show red lines, green lines, and blue lines connecting the heroes on the list into three groups. Summaries of initial orders given to these teams wrote out onto the screen and Zach read them all quickly. He furled his lips more and looked out the window through the crack between the screen and the edge of the glass, No one has a great job during this.
Uraraka and Tsuyu are heading straight off to the CHS Qin, Midoriya read it and felt his stomach fall. He worried about his two close friends, and he curled his hands onto his pant legs over his thighs as he thought, The people they're likely going to come against throughout this will be regular citizens. People so afraid all they want is to run. Midoriya's eyes shifted down from the screen and to Zach's stoic but focused face staring out the window silently. It's not just them though. We're all going to see a lot of that ourselves too, a look of frustration flashed over his face but he forced it down. This is too important to get caught up on stuff like this. I understand the severity of this situation.
Ectoplasm turned after he finished reading the brief explanation of two of his other students' mission goals. He checked on the three across from him to see if they were wondering why their classmates were not coming to join them, and he tilted his head back as all three of them clearly understood the reasons already. His eyes shifted down the line from Creati to Deku to Lifebringer, and he actually went back on the way he just accepted what Heiping said. "It's enough."
She looked to her side back at the Japanese hero in confusion. Heiping had thought she just got him to get even more serious and understand just how severe the situation was, but it was not optimism but confidence in the teacher's voice that what he said was true. There was a part of her that wanted to reiterate the complexity of the problems they faced, while another part of her wanted to glance back to the student who had scolded her a few minutes ago for making baseless accusations. Her eyes did shift to the boy next to him who had won the last Sports Festival in one of the most amazing fights she had ever seen, or seen part of, considering Deku and Explosion King's battle had gone too high up at times and moved too fast for most to witness much of it at all.
It was the girl among the three students in the back of the car who Heiping's eyes moved over to though after a second. Yaoyorozu's fingers tapped quickly on the tablet she held, and she wondered with a quick glance up as she noticed Heiping looking at her, "Is Star-Spangled Man not coming with the American team? I do not see him on the registry for any of their later flights either, but I do not know what he is currently doing that he would not come."
"He arrived with the first response group," Heiping responded. "Star-Spangled Man came before Yue Fei even made the worldwide broadcast actually. I believe he is at the Fundong forward command, with Szechuman, but with his flight ability he could be anywhere we need him right now."
He'll be there, Zach thought while nodding along interestedly and without showing that he knew that at all.
Ectoplasm kept his eyes off of Lifebringer. He did lower his gaze down though as he thought, There's no way he doesn't bring his ulterior motives into this. I know what his focus will be on, but a hero of his prestige will be sure to focus on multiple things at once. Star-Spangled Man's going to use this proximity. And he's going to waste time trying to prove something that isn't true.
A double knock on the tinted divider between Ectoplasm and Heiping's seat and the driver got everyone looking to it right before it opened. Midoriya stared straight forward and listened as the officer up front mentioned the guard post up ahead leading into Fundong. He could see out the windshield and down the road that was packed full with their convoy, yet he could also see across the highway ahead of them and to the right where the screen on his side had been blocking most of the window for a while now. It's almost empty… but they're still letting cars in and out. Trucks mostly, which makes sense…
Those trucks are likely being searched and scanned by heroes. But that takes manpower, Zach frowned as he watched the movement outside of the city across the highway. If the villains learn they can't travel via roads, they'll use other means. I'm sure sewers are being searched. Uraraka and Tsuyu have the sea. Someone will be watching the skies. These terrorists shouldn't be able to outmaneuver heroes for long.
As they got closer to the city's edge, the groups arriving from foreign countries could see out their vehicles a long line of fencing surrounding the city. It stretched right up to the edges of the highways, and every vehicle going in and out of the epicenter city where the first cases had erupted in volume was being stopped. Even their convoy was slowing down and driving through the guard post at a decreased speed. While they were going through, the screen in their car started blinking and then turned on with an image of a man standing inside a white tent with some tables and computers around him.
Star-Spangled Man was in the background of the screen jogging for the exit of the tent. He shot off the ground while the tent flaps were still pushing outwards, and his liftoff was so smooth that there was barely a wind sent back into the room to make Yue Fei's ponytail braid shift slightly from where it rested down over his right shoulder. The number 1 hero of China stood in front of the camera with his expression stern and his demeanor shutting up everyone in the vehicles heading into Fundong. He had his black helmet off and a blue plastic gown over his hero costume, though he had his face covering down around his neck so his words could come out as clearly as possible to all those he was about to give out orders to.
Outside the windows of the vehicles heading into Fundong, students of U.A. looked at the officers wearing masks and safety glasses looking at their tinted windows to try and see who was inside. The barricades stretched farther than they could see as they drove through them, looking to curve around the entire city that they were now heading into. Other than the officers at the post, there were old military-type supply trucks near the posts on the inner side of it, and talking to some officers were men in blue and black urban camo, as well as some doctors wearing full HAZMAT suits.
Rin stared out the window in shock at the sight of the response measures being taken in a city he was so used to visiting when he was younger. His only relief was in the fact that his dad no longer worked in Fundong as he got a position much closer to home several years ago when he was promoted. No longer having to commute meant fewer times his family traveled out to meet him in the city after work, but Rin was fine with losing those trips now as he turned the other way and looked at the strongest Chinese hero who wore protective gear like anyone else would.
"I know you're all almost at Fundong's forward command post already," Yue Fei began in English. His voice was unrestrained and deep, and he continued without pause, "Based on the geo-locaters in your ERT's: Emergency Response Tablets. However there is no time to waste so I will give you the newest updates now before the main briefing to come."
Of course there's a tracker in my tablet, Zach thought, though he brushed past it and continued listening closely as Yue Fei started his briefing early.
"I want you to hear this from me and listen closely," Yue Fei began. "The virus has been given a nickname that has stuck. As we currently have no precedence of how to label such an unknown pathogen, as it is neither viral nor bacterial in nature, but Quirk-based, we are sticking with this nickname for now when referring to the disease. For now on all of you will also refer to it, as 'Sleepless.'"
Why Sleepless? Todoroki wondered, though he realized he was about to find out as Yue Fei was not moving on from the name yet. His eyes shifted to the side in that moment too, and he stared in surprise at the most intense and even scary look he had ever seen on Recovery Girl's face before.
"This disease kills badly so that it's too hard to fall asleep. Once the symptoms set in, there will be 48 hours of discomfort, then pain, then nausea and worse. Vomiting and diarrhea will persist, before one finally falls into a coma. It is called Sleepless because once you fall asleep you never wake back up, so as soon as the virus gets you you're Sleepless and then you're dead." Yue Fei's voice paused for the first time and his expression got even more serious somehow, and the foreboding tone of his upcoming message could be felt through the screens. "There is currently no cure. The mortality rate is abysmal. Our doctors are working around the clock on a treatment. There are no natural immunities and it appears to affect everyone the same way."
"This is a picture of a sample of blood taken that was infected with Sleepless particles." Replacing Yue Fei on the screen was a computer screen. A splotch of blood was zoomed in on, and zoomed further, and further. Everyone stared at the blood cells that were dark and broken and covered in splotches. It was clear what was causing that deterioration of the blood too, as there were tiny creatures sticking stingers out the bottom of their already-spiky bodies right into the cells. There were six legs sticking out of sharp spikes on the particles, each of them jammed into the cells as well and breaking through the membranes. Some of the viruses were imbedded deeper into the cells though, nearly impaled inside them fully as if they were infecting the cells themselves rather than destroying them from the outside. "These creatures have both RNA and DNA. They are organic and made from a Quirk, which was discovered by a contractor working for the Chinese government whose Quirk can identify if a substance is Quirk-based."
First time I revive someone I'll be able to tell if I killed the villain responsible. I doubt he or she's in control directly of each individual Sleepless virus. They're likely self-sustaining after creation. Hopefully for some short length of time. Zach focused in on the tiny creatures and thought to himself, Viruses aren't technically living. These are organic though. Will I be able to feel it when I kill something so small? Maybe if I kill so many of them all at once. Reviving the individuals I don't want to revive the Sleepless particles that died inside them because of lack of a living host though. How quickly do they deteriorate? Are they living in the first place? If so, when I revive someone will their body better fight off re-infection because of- but I'll be strengthening any virus I revive as well! I'd potentially make it an even stronger strain.
Then again, if the virus survives even inside a dead host then I could kill every Sleepless particle while reviving the host at the same time. That would be the perfect outcome. I just have to hope for that. The rest of it is just an attempt to avoid what I need to do. Zach grit his teeth behind his lips and refocused back on Yue Fei's voice, "…Working day and night looking for cures, vaccines, any ways to combat the virus that humanity's never seen anything like before. This is a brand new scenario we find ourselves in. Fortunately for all of us, it has stayed within China so far. This is good for you as it is for us, as we are able to have you all come here to help us. We should be able to keep it here, as after one catches the Sleepless disease the incubation period is only a matter of hours before one starts showing signs of infection. Between two and twelve hours seems to be the range when one will discover if they have been exposed."
"Due to this short incubation rate, other nations are keeping waiting periods of short amounts of time for all Chinese travelers. They are taking care not to let the disease spread while sending in as much help as they can and not isolating China in the process." Yue Fei paused and then added, "It's not the first time such an epidemic has happened, but it is the first that we have responded so quickly and to such a scale. The joint response will result in our victory. Now, you will be arriving soon. Protective gear is under your seats. We have no clue when the terrorists will strike next or where that strike will be."
"Resolve yourselves. The PPE you are provided may not be sufficient to protect you from the Sleepless particles if you are not careful. We need every last one of you to help stop this from turning into a greater national tragedy. I will be in touch with you shortly for the primary briefing once you are all together."
Yaoyorozu lifted up the respirator mask that she just unwrapped from the packaging she found under her seat. She turned her head to the left and looked out the window at her side to an abandoned sidewalk on a main city street lined with skyscrapers and billboards that all read the same kind of messages. She understood the bold red Chinese kanji telling people to stay inside, and she looked at businesses with chain links locking them shut, wooden planks over windows with flyers on them informing the public of their closing. A team of ten soldiers in urban camo were running down the road in the opposite direction as their convoy was moving, with two figures in full HAZMAT gear at the front and everyone behind just wearing blue surgical masks and protective goggles.
Is there any point in wearing these at all? Yaoyorozu wondered even as she saw the authorities all moving around with them on. Ectoplasm and Heiping told the students to wear theirs as well, but Yaoyorozu looked down at her mask and frowned at the dual purpose it served. There's no proof the Sleepless particles won't penetrate these kinds of masks or even how they infect people at all. That is just the official reasoning. They tell people there's no airborne spread person-to-person to keep them from fleeing areas that have already been hit and where neighbors are sick, and yet they have us wear these masks because it's possible they're wrong. They have us wear them to keep people just afraid enough that they accept the authoritarian measures to keep them inside. Justify preventing them from leaving the city. To try and trap the villains here.
"How long do the particles of Sleepless remain in the air for?" Zach wondered while putting his mask on over his face. He continued speaking through it and appreciated how they did not muffle his voice much, "That should have been one of the first things tested, correct?"
"Yes," Heiping replied. "And only for a few minutes. Five to fifteen max. Though most testing showed the average was close to five, fifteen was just outliers."
Zach nodded along and he turned to his left and looked at Midoriya and Yaoyorozu. His classmates each looked at him, and Zach was glad the respirators they were given were all transparent even with the plastic coverings over the mouth. He flashed them a small smile and rose up the safety glasses too that were also fully clear, and he put them on over his eyes. "You guys ready?"
Despite how serious the ongoing incident was, the two on Zach's left each felt calmed by that question asked in a calm voice as if this was any other mission. Midoriya looked to his own left at Yaoyorozu who took her eyes off Zach a second later and looked at Midoriya herself. She nodded at him and lifted her glasses up that she put over her eyes and pulled tight to make sure they created an air-tight seal. Momo looked back at Zach and nodded at him with a small smile forming on her face as well, "Ready."
"Let's do this," Midoriya agreed. It may be an invisible enemy. It may be something I can't punch, but I can still help people. And I can do it knowing that I'm safe! This would be terrifying, if you weren't with us Zach. Midoriya smiled but then flattened his lips quickly. I'll still do whatever I can to keep you from having to revive me. The corners of his lips lowered more even as he spotted their destination just up ahead of them. I know you're going to have a lot on your plate already.
…Heiping, Star-Spangled Man, Szechuman, Kurt 2, Zach kept his breathing steady even as certain names of heroes in this operation with him repeated over and over in his mind. One girl in her black domino mask appeared fresh in his head again, smiling and encouraging them on the plane to keep bright smiles for the people of China to see. And he pictured that warehouse full of unconscious villains and dead heroes, and the orange-haired girl who was the first he went to that day. What am I going to do if Kendo gets infected? If any of them do?! No one knows about most of their deaths. Star-Spangled Man is the only one who announced his so openly to the world, though I think Kurt 2 people knew about, from the Mosu Esupa raid. Why is he coming back here? When he knows I can't save him?!
It's obvious. Heroes come even when it's dangerous. Death rate of heroes in any major incident is usually higher proportionately to civilians. Rushing towards the danger rather than away from it. Shit. I don't want you guys to die. If you do, you'd still stay here to keep helping. I couldn't convince you to leave. It's not my place to make your decisions for you. Zach's eyes shifted back to his left and the two on his side preparing to get out of the vehicle. I don't want either of you to feel what it really is, to die.
A/N Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave a review telling me what you think, comments, questions, and your predictions for the arc and story!
Tigracho chapter 221 . Apr 15
Tigracho here! Couldn't comment because I was getting overwhelmed with online assigment from collegue.
Now on the last this chapter: Man, I'm happy for Kirishima and Zach. Nothing else to say, Kirishima was bitter that Zach never bring him to do stuff. Zach had(and probably still has) the tendency of just closing off to himself when dealing with challenging situations.
Which brings me to the last chapter: I don't know what's coming, but it gives me the same vibe as the Scotland Arc. Probably it must be related with the fear and tension of the unknown.
My prediction: What are the odds of this being a planned distraction for Zach? I'm looking at you Raijin.
Everybody's schools giving them so much work now, X( it's horrible! Glad you caught up though and liked the recent chapters. Nice prediction, a few of y'all are guessing the work of Raijin. No spoilers about the vibe or what's going on, but we'll see!
WomanSlayer chapter 221 . Apr 16
Yue Fei: Yo we need help from the entire world
Zach: Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about
Yue Fei: and by the entire world, I really only need Lifebringer
Zach: FU-
Haha, I just really loved how that played out. Imagining Zach with a grin on his face and then cutting to the tv with Fei asking for him specifically and then cutting back to Zachs face with a deadpan expression. You really do a great job of creating a scene with your words man, really good shit.
Now, as far as this Virus, I don't know about you (but you do actually know) but I think this Virus may be a ploy to get lifebringer out in the open by a certain group of very miffed individuals. And just a thought, but what if the person emitting this deadly quirk virus happened to have been revived before by Death? How would his quirk affect Zachs ability to revive the deceased? This is all just tinfoil theories, don't mind me.
Hahaha! This comment made me actually laugh out loud XD Glad you enjoyed the chapter, and another prediction on that Raijin's using the virus, now known as Sleepless as a ploy against Zach. Some other nice 'tinfoil theories' as well, and glad to hear them even if I won't react much 'cause no spoiling! Thanks for the review!