Chapter 29: The Speech
The day had finally come. Hiro and his brother had been taken out of school the day before to have tailored made suits made for them and had spent the night at Might Tower. Hiro's nerves were so bad that Izuku had to share a bed with him in order for him to calm down enough to fall asleep. As a result, neither of the boys wound up getting much sleep.
They both were woken up bright and early in order to make sure they had enough time to make it to the courthouse thanks to the necessity of a professional security escort. Some of the heroes who had participated in the raid would be part of that escort on an armored bus with a full police motorcade, or so they were told the night before and they would be spending the night at the Might Hotel which occupies the lower floors in Might Tower. Given that a large portion of the UA faculty were giving testimony, a lot of classes were cancelled and so all their friends would be watching the trial on live television. The boys just hoped they could feel their classmates' positive thoughts while in the courtroom.
The living room was packed and crowded as all the heroes that had been staying in the floors below had come on up and were gathered around, waiting to escort them down to the bus below in the underground loading docks of Might Tower. It was quite shocking to see Midnight in a trim and proper business suit and seeing Aizawa dressed in something a salaryman would wear and looking for once he knew what the word hygiene meant was just as shocking. Eventually Detective Tsukauchi called the room to attention, and everyone fell silent as they gave their undivided attention.
"Thank you!" He called out to the crowded room, "In just a few moments, we will all be heading downstairs to the sub-terranean loading docks where the rest of the heroes and the ten different armored buses will be waiting for us. On one bus will be Izuku Midoriya, Tenya Iida, and Hiro Fuji. The nine remaining buses will be acting as decoys, all taking different routes to the courthouse in case of an attack on route. Each bus will be accompanied by a full police motorcade which will clear traffic ahead of the paths the buses will be traveling. I have personally interviewed every police officer and hero taking part in this operation in order to make sure that none of them are plants by Zu'Kuvma. We had also brought in an expert on mind altering quirks from South Africa to double check that nobody was affected by such quirks. Unfortunately, our expert did find twelve police officers and four heroes that have been affected by such quirks and by result, were able to fool my quirk because as far as they were concerned at the moment, they were telling the truth. They are currently being held at an undisclosed facility where they will be held until their treatment is completed –"
"DRONE!" Snipe shouted, reaching for his pistol before stopping himself, remembering how bulletproof the windows were. However, the rest of the heroes jumped into action. The drone was quickly shot down by the forces stationed on the roof.
That wasn't the end to the panic though. The heroes instantly surrounded the three teen boys as they were hurriedly forced out of the penthouse and into one of the many waiting elevators which shot down far faster than it normally travel to the point that they nearly became airborne as the elevator flew down the shaft as though it was falling. The boys were then forced onto an armored bus in the middle of the cue.
The boys all stared wide-eyed in panic as the bus exited the loading dock at speed with its police escort with Hawks flying alongside the bus right into a scene of carnage. Apparently Zu'Kuvma had decided to detonate a bomb right outside of Might Tower. The bus's tires squealed as it made a sharp turn and plowed through the rubble and debris as Izuku saw heroes begin to apprehend some villains.
Izuku was then told to stay down below the windows. Even though the bus's windows were heavily tinted, there was no guarantee that Zu'Kuvma didn't have access to someone with a quirk that would allow them to bypass the tint. So, he hunkered down on the floor between the seats as he saw his brother across the aisle doing the same thing, shaking in fear for he too saw the blood and carnage that the bomb had left behind.
The bus charged on ahead, not stopping for anything as their police escort's sirens blared at high volume as they thundered through the middle of Tokyo at speeds no sane driver would consider. All while the radio upfront kept squawking updates from the other buses as they went their separate ways in order to play their roles in the diversion.
One of the buses had ran into a roadblock set up by the police who were in Zu'Kuvma's pocket. The bus had reportedly not stopped and rammed straight through the patrol cars, no doubt killing the corrupt officers if any were still inside. Another bus had been attacked by villains with aerial capabilities and from their last update were fighting Ryukyu who was that bus's particular aerial hero escort.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
The boys all jumped as spiderweb like cracks spread throughout the windows. They were being currently shot at, the twelve-inch-thick bulletproof glass doing its job in protecting them all from physical harm, but unable to protect them psychologically. Eraserhead who was upfront with the bus driver began cussing that he should've brought his capture weapon with him. There were five other heroes on the bus with them: Mirko, Wash, Euphoria, Ms. Roast, and Vlad King, plus Hawks flying outside. It was then that the radio crackled once more and Izuku hear a voice that he had not been expecting to hear.
"Team Endeavor reporting in!" The voice of the former number two hero said through the crackly radio, "Our bus was hit by an IED and has been flipped over, and we have been surrounded by at least thirty villains. Requesting assistance!"
"We can't do anything!" Mirko grunted, "We have to stay focused on our mission and get these boys to the courthouse!"
"Agreed." Eraserhead nodded, "We can't stop for anything. Endeavor maybe an asshole, but there is a reason why he managed to become the number two hero all those years ago. He is more than capable of holding out until rescue comes. There were no civilians on his decoy bus, so it is just him."
The gunshots hitting the bus had finally stopped, and Hawks radioed in that he had taken care of the snipers and they could keep going on ahead. Izuku then got brave enough to peek out the window for a quick second when there wasn't a hero looking at him. His heart fell when he noticed there were far less police cars on his side of the bus compared to when they left Might Tower, and the cars that were still there were riddled with bullet holes.
"We got a handful of cars coming right up our six!" the bus driver called from upfront, staring at a screen that was projecting a view from the bus's rear.
"Wash!" Eraserhead called out. "See what you can do!"
Wash nodded vigorously as he climbed up on top of the seats and opened the roof mounted emergency hatch, an annoying buzzing alarm filling the cabin of the bus as he struggled to climb out onto the roof as the bus kept jerking around as it flew through Tokyo traffic. He walked towards the rear of the bus where he got a good eye on the vehicles charging at them, a bunch of black SUVs and to his anger, a repurposed police van with villains hanging on the sides.
"ULTIMATE MOVE! TORRENTIAL WAVE!"
The door on the front of Wash's costume flew open as a tsunami of soap bubbles came out of it. The deluge fell onto the road where it acted like an oil slick, causing the pursuing cars to spin out, roll over, and smash into one another, the sound of crunching metal folding upon itself permeating the cabin.
"I didn't want any of this! I didn't want any of this!" Hiro cried out as he began having a panic attack before Vlad King went up to him and bent down to his eye level.
"Listen Fuji. None of us wanted this." Vlad said smoothly as Wash climbed back into the cabin, sealing the roof mounted hatch behind him finally silencing the buzzing alarm, "No one wanted lives to be lost today. However, we all volunteered for this assignment because if they can take you out, we lose our largest advantage against this international criminal organization in decades. That is why they are doing everything in their power to stop you and I'm willing to bet they are throwing everything they have left in Japan at us. However, none of that matters because we will all make sure you get to the courthouse and make Zu'Kuvma reckon the day they abused you."
Hiro nodded as he understood through his tears. It was then that a giant explosion rocked the bus. All the occupants flew towards the ceiling, banging violently against it as the bus went airborne. The bus then slammed back onto the ground and the passengers violently onto the bus's floor as the bus then lost control, careening off the road, toppling over a light pole and smashing into brick store front, masonry clattering on the ground as civilians ran for cover, screaming for their lives.
The bus driver immediately threw the bus into reverse. The backup alarm blared as the tires squealed and kicked up smoke, the smell of burnt rubber entering the cabin. Unfortunately, the bus was stuck and hung up on the light pole they knocked over when they lost control earlier thanks to the IED they drove over.
"We have to get the bus unstuck!" Eraserhead called out as he released the pressure valve keeping the bus sealed.
He, Mirko, and Euphoria all rushed out of the bus. Izuku again got the chance to get a view outside as Ms. Roast got on the radio to send out a distress signal. He saw villains approaching the bus on all sides, witnessing Hawks sending his feathers out like there was no tomorrow, sweeping the villains away. There were loud banging noises followed by a crunching sound. At the same time the bus fell back onto the ground violently, causing Izuku to mash his teeth together. The heroes then quickly got back on to the bus which immediately backed out of the storefront it was wedged in, causing more bricks to clatter to the ground as it thundered away. There were noises of villains poorly attempting to board the bus however, those noises were immediately replaced by the horrifying sounds of their bones being crushed as they were run over, which left a permanent mark on the memories for those onboard.
The bus continued to fly through Tokyo, it's police escort now completely taken out, charged through all stop signs and red lights, hopping onto the opposite side of the road as it struggled to make it through Tokyo Traffic without its escort. Hopping up on curbs and sidewalks, sending civilians screaming in terror as the bus did everything it could to not get stuck for fear of being surrounded by villains who were currently relentlessly chasing them. There was a battalion of police and heroes waiting for them at the courthouse and they had to get there no matter what.
"Team Idaten to Echo Bus! We received your distress call and are pulling up alongside you. Security clearance code Zulu-Alpha-978-Delta." Called a voice that had Tenya sitting up at attention.
"Code received and confirmed." Eraserhead said into the radio. "Cover our six, we are currently being pursued."
"Received and understood Eraserhead." Ingenium's voice crackled through the radio as several vehicles pulled alongside the bus. Three Team Idaten trucks lowered their rear doors as Idaten sidekicks with long range offensive quirks rained down fire on the pursuing vehicles, causing them to retreat and fall back. After a while, the sounds of battle fell silent thanks to the arrival of Tenya's brother's hero team. Still, the hearts of the teenagers were still pounding at over one hundred beats per minute as the bus flew down the road unencumbered for the first time since their police motorcade was wiped out.
Unfortunately, they fell into a fall sense of security. The Zu'Kuvma operatives had regrouped and were coming straight at them in armored vehicles, taking up all lanes as well as the sidewalks, leaving them with nowhere to go. The bus's tires squealed once more as the brakes did their best job to get the massive heavy vehicle to stop. It was then that more vehicles came out of side alleys, encircling the convoy, completing the ambush.
All the sidekicks poured out of the Team Idaten vehicles and began attacking the ambushers. There were about forty villains, more than Endeavor reported being surrounded by. Fortunately, Team Echo had more heroes and firepower at their disposal than the former number two hero. Sounds of gunfire, yells, and quirks deafened the boys' ears who were left in the bus with Vlad King, all the others had joined the battle.
BANG!
BOOM!
BANG!
BOOM!
BANG!
The bus was rocked back and forth violently as though it was being pounded by a battering ram on all sides. With each successive bang, the bus violently rocked side to side, nearly tipping over once. Next thing they knew they were being lifted up into the air. They screamed as the bus was picked up as though it was a child's play toy. After the bus was placed back on the ground, the sounds of people coming onto the roof sent their already dangerously high heartbeat into the danger zone. The bus then took off once more as a series of knocks echoed against one of the emergency exit hatches as though it was Morse Code.
Vlad clearly understood the meaning of the code and opened the hatch. Their hero escort fell through the hatch and to Tenya's horror, he saw his brother who was carefully lowered through the hatch by Ms. Roast above and Wash below. There was a lot of blood and Tensei's unhelmeted face was tensed up as he was obviously currently in excruciating pain, numerous bullet holes riddling his armored costume.
"Midoriya! Quickly!" Vlad shouted and Izuku lunged forward on to the elder Iida and cerulean energy surrounded the pair of them as he attempted to diagnose how badly the pro was hurt.
He detected multiple bullet wounds, broken bones, a ruptured spleen, and a cracked skull with a matching concussion. He first focused on the spleen as gold energy flooded and illuminated the cabin. The problem was that Ingenium had truly little energy left in him, so he had to pick and choose which injuries he was going to heal. He could always risk using his green aura, but he couldn't risk passing out due to his current lack of control on that ability. After fixing the spleen, he moved onto sealing all the bullet wounds. There was enough energy left for him to fix the cracked skull, but the rest of the broken bones and bullets lodged in his body had to stay the way they were.
"I've stabilized him the best I could." Izuku stuttered through his nerves and adrenaline. "However, there are still numerous bullets lodged in his body which will have to be removed through surgery. I did my best to fix the ruptured spleen thanks to a gunshot wound and I fixed his cracked skull. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough energy left in him for me to work with to fix his concussion or anything else. He needs to be taken to a hospital as soon as possible, but he is going to live."
Eraserhead nodded as he radioed that they were in need of a medivac helicopter at the courthouse. Tensei was mumbling words as his eyes struggled to focus on any particular person or object. Through his mumblings, they learned that Enigma was the one to thank for getting the bus out of the ambush. Izuku had given up trying to sneak peeks outside of the windows for they were so smashed and full of spiderweb cracking, and bullet holes that it was impossible to see out of them. The bus driver was now completely dependent on driving the bus based on the feed from his screens.
Back at UA, all the first-year students along with Kaito, Alex, Skyler, and Felix were gathered in the boy's dorm and were sitting in front of the television watching the JNN in horrified silence. Not a word was said apart from gasps and cries of terror as they watched the helicopter coverage of central Tokyo in complete chaos as they followed some of the buses make their way throughout the city. Todoroki in particular fell even more silent when they showed Endeavor surrounded by a horde of villains, his armored bus tipped over, showing its scorched armored underside.
Eventually the news crews finally started showcasing Izuku's bus, but they didn't know that being outside of the information loop. There were many gasps and screams as they watched the bus drive over an IED, sending the bus into the air and into a brick storefront. Reiko had tears in her eyes as she watched the bus struggle to free itself, and she wasn't the only one to scream as the cameras showed the bus running over and crushing villains as it escaped before they could cut the feed and go back to the newsroom.
Kaito couldn't close his eyes if he wanted to. He knew from experience how big and powerful Zu'Kuvma was when he had it all explained to him when he was freed from his parents. However, he never expected such brutality. Lord Waira must have brought in all of his remaining assets in Japan to pull off such an attack of this scale to send all of Tokyo into chaos. This must be the reason why Zu'Kuvma had been silent all of these past weeks. There were preparing for such a massive operation that was now in motion.
"This is Takanawa reporting live from Tokyo ahead of the long-awaited Twist Orphanage/Zu'Kuvma Trial. It appears as though the infamous international criminal syndicate has clearly abandoned their rumored methods of witness intimidation in exchange for something more brutal. We tracked ten different busses leaving Might Tower where the witnesses were rumored to be held for safety inside of the Might Hotel. No word on how many of the buses were decoys, but all ten have been attacked. We are now coming once more back above one of the buses that struck an IED where the disgraced former number two hero Endeavor is currently fighting a horde of villains."
A lot of people in the room turned to look at Todoroki for a second, but his emotional mask was as fixed as ever, but inside was a different story. The screen cut to the scene they saw earlier, and it hadn't changed that much. Endeavor and his sidekick Burnin, the only sidekick at his former agency to stick with him throughout the entire scandal were standing back-to-back and horribly outnumbered. The news reporter was quick to criticize every decision the two heroes made, despite having to resort to desperate and more aggressive methods given that they were outnumbered.
The two heroes were being swamped by attacks. They all knew Endeavor could quickly end the situation by using his famous Hell Spider supermove a couple of times, but he was desperately trying to still rebuild his popularity ranking, and mass killing wouldn't do that. So, he and his sidekick resorted to more close-range attacks rather than area of effect ones. As a result, it took them longer to defeat all of the villains. Nobody bothered to answer their calls for help.
"Takanawa, we are going to have to cut your coverage of Endeavor." Said the horned reporter in the newsroom as the feed switched to show the police and hero filled courthouse plaza. "Our reporter on the ground has informed us that a bus has made it through the security perimeter."
The feed then turned to show a white armored bus that had so many dents and craters that it would've been mistaken for a giant golf ball were it round. The windows were completely smashed and bowed in. The reinforced tires were flat, and one wheel was on its bare rim, creating sparks as it pulled in front of the courthouse. The door opened and it was instantly surrounded by the police and heroes. The camera barely caught a glimpse of Izuku's and Hiro's respective viridian and periwinkle hair, letting the students know that their classmates were safe and all right, but clearly shaken up.
"Holy crap." Alex whispered, but everyone heard him because they were all so silent from shock, "Wasn't that the bus that got thrown inside that store?"
"I hope not." Reiko whispered back as they all then silently watched Ingenium being carried out of the bus, strapped to a backboard before being carried to a medical helicopter.
"Can anyone with Midoriya, Fuji, or Iida's number shoot them a quick text to make sure they are all right?" Tetsutetsu called out, but Kaito shook his head as he answered.
"Don't you remember our lessons? Their phones would've been taken from them the moment they crossed the threshold of the entryway of the courthouse. Besides, Hiro sent me a message late last night saying that they were taking their phones from them before they left Might Tower in case they some how became hacked and used to track them on their way to the courthouse, which led him and Izuku to theorize that they would use some kind of method of transport that would involve decoys. They had no idea how they were getting to the courthouse till this morning, that's how tight lipped they were with moving them that they didn't even tell the ones they were moving how it was going to happen."
"Ah. I guess that makes sense." Kirishima grumbled.
Kaito however sulked as he remembered when he got the message last night and how he was too nervous to respond. His mind had been laser focused on the awkward encounter a few nights ago and was also constantly on his mind that he had difficulty concentrating on the auditorium style lectures that he had to endure for the past couple days. Not to mention that he had not touched a single pair of sweatpants since then either. Hiro had tried broaching the topic for the past couple days, and he had acted like a total coward, making excuses to extract himself from the situation. This one: made him feel like a horrible friend, and two: made him think… well he didn't know the words to describe his current range in emotions because he had never felt them before.
He knew he was only hurting himself by denying his feelings. But he still found ways to make excuses when lying in bed and struggling to fall asleep, only to wake up with crusty pajamas as if his mind was telling him: "You are being a complete and total idiot for denying or even attempting to argue that Hiro Fuji is not the most kind and attractive person you have ever met." A sit-down talk was most certainly in the future. He just didn't know if he could do it if the trial took a turn for the worst though.
The students watched the eight remaining buses pull into the courthouse plaza and the roughed-up heroes disembark and head inside the courthouse. The camera then cut back to the newsroom where the horned anchor was discussing the trial with a legal expert that they had brought on. But Kaito wasn't really paying that much attention to what they were saying. He got up and began pacing back and forth, his nerves getting the better of him. A few people stared at him but said nothing.
After a while the anchor was cut off as the feed then changed to that of the courtroom. People were filing in and the room filled on up with a matter of minutes as only the sounds of muttering came out of the TV as they finally spot their classmates walking in, clearly nervous. They mingled for a bit before they all rose up as the judge walked in and began speaking.
"Before I begin today's proceedings, I am going to make a statement. Never, not in my forty years as a judge have I ever seen such a brazen attempt at witness intimidation. What happened earlier today is a tragedy for all of us in Japan. However, we shall not be threatened or intimidated by such barbaric tactics. Before I left my chambers, I was informed by the chief of police that they had made over 500 arrests, but that number should've been higher. The reason it isn't is because around 100 villains chose to fight to the point that lethal force was the only alternative left to us. A small number of villains escaped, but we are beginning to search for them so we can capture them and bring them to justice. They each will have their day in court guaranteed to them by law, but as a judge, I see no way any of them is not going to serve a long time behind bars. Court is now in session."
The judge then slammed his gavel on the block as everyone then took their seats.
"The first item on the docket is the challenge put in by Morooka, the defense attorney for the former workers of Twist Orphanage."
The lawyer in question stood up and walked up to the podium. Those in the courtroom were silent, however those watching at home and back in the dorms had some choice words for him that would've landed them in trouble for saying them in a courtroom.
"Your honor." Lawyer Morooka began, his voice just as ugly as his face. "On behalf of my clients, I must object to evidence item number seven on the basis of Mr. Fuji not having consented to having his words recorded, and for the use of code 263-37, an excuse for heroes to violate citizen's rights to privacy. In essence, to do something inappropriate and then ask for forgiveness later. We ask you your honor to follow the established current precedent set forth by this court in recent trials and throw out these items as illegally obtained pieces of evidence."
"Madam Prosecutor Nijima, what do you have to say to this challenge?" Judge Nakamura asked the woman at the neighboring desk who then stood up and walked to her own individual podium.
"Your honor, the people greatly object to these items being withdrawn. While the people do admit to the controversial nature of code 263-37, it is still on the books as just and legitimate law. As for Mr. Fuji, he has been recorded and stated that he has had no issue with his testimony being shared with Team Idaten who started the investigation that ultimately led to the raid shutting down of Twist Orphanage, and the discovery of the villain base below."
"Would Mr. Fuji himself wish to confirm the veracity of those statements?" Judge Nakamura asked. Nijima turned to look directly at Hiro who was still for a second, but then nodded, a look of courage and resolve coming across his features.
"He will your honor." She said as he made his way to the podium she had just vacated.
"For the record, could you please state your name, parentage, and date of birth?"
"My name is Hiro Fuji, born on the 21st of July 2XXX to an unknown father and an unknown mother." Hiro said softly into the microphone as he adjusted it, fully aware that most of Japan and a lot of people around the world were listening to every word he was saying.
"And when were you admitted to Twist Orphanage?"
"According to what I was told, not long after my fifth birthday." Hiro went on to explain, stuttering for a bit before regaining control, "I have no memories prior till then, and this has been confirmed by Dr. Riku Sakura, the pro-hero Empathy, who thanks to his quirk is able to verify my claims."
"So noted." Judge Nakamura noted, "Mr. Fuji, could you please go over the events of when you gave your recorded testimony to Izuku Midoriya?"
Hiro quickly took in a deep breath as he took a quick look at the crowd of reporters with their cameras, staring into the eyes of those across the world.
"Your honor, it all started off the day I got accepted into the hero program at UA University in Shizouka Prefecture. I was summoned to the principal's office at Aldera High School along with my classmate Katsuki Bakugo. Once there, we met with Principal Nezu who let me know that I had been accepted on a full ride scholarship. He then told me that since I was living in an orphanage, they would need to seek permission from Abe Zabatsu, the registered owner of the orphanage for permission to allow me to move into the newly constructed dormitories full time because it was going to be the policy that students were required to return home at least once every two weeks."
Hiro then paused, deciding to specifically leave Bakugo's name when telling the story of him being accosted in the alley.
"Later when school was let out, I was accosted by one of the more well-known school bullies not far from the school. They were jealous an upset that a: weak nobody like me got into UA instead of staying where I belonged."
Another deep breath.
"Before they could do anything more than say hurtful words, I was rescued by my friends Tenya Iida and Izuku Midoriya whose presence drove the bully away. They came as soon as they heard I got in and won the scholarship because it was Midoriya's intention to give his to me if I never earned mine. Midoriya himself too had a history with the bully in question and the exchange between them left him shaken. Then he opened up about some personal secrets."
He then took one more final breath; this was the part that he had dreaded during all the mock trials they held back at UA and caused him to stumble more times than he could count.
"You see, Midoriya for the past several weeks have been trying to get me to open up and reveal some more personal details about my home life. They figured out that I was being mistreated and that I was being raised in a quirk orphanage. After seeing Midoriya open up about his past, it finally encouraged me to do the same. Not long after I confirmed their suspicions that I indeed was growing up in a quirk orphanage, I heard a blip from Midoriya's pocket as I was telling my story. When I was done, the pair flat out told me that they were going to do everything in their power to get me out of the orphanage. Iida reminded me that his brother was the pro-hero Ingenium. I knew then that I couldn't talk them out of it, not with Iida's brother being who he is, or from Backdraft, whose facility we trained at in preparation for the practical exam, given that he was suspicious of my home life as well."
"So, you knew you were being recorded?" Judge Nakamura asked, he was taking handwritten notes during Hiro's entire speech.
"I had a very strong hunch your honor." Hiro answered and nodded, "Besides, looking back, I had no expectation of privacy given that we were out in a public space and people were walking past us and looking at us as they walked by. Besides, even if Midoriya didn't record me, Iida would've brought me to his brother and had me repeat the story to him in person at his agency right away instead of going out celebrating getting into UA."
"I see." Judge Nakamura hummed, "Prosecutor Nijima, do you have any questions for Mr. Fuji?"
"No your honor." Nijima said very confidently, "Mr. Fuji's recorded testimony speaks for itself, as well as the video footage of his treatment."
"Mr. Morooka, do you have any questions for Mr. Fuji at this time?"
"No your honor." Morooka grumbled. He had planned on ripping the boy to shreds. Unfortunately, that little statement of not having any expectation of privacy because he was in a public space ripped his line of questioning and counter argument to pieces, not to mention him repeating his story in person to Ingenium at his agency.
"Very well." Judge Nakamura smiled at Fuji, "You are dismissed Mr. Fuji. Based on what has just been said, I have determined the defense's request to have Mr. Fuji's recorded testimony thrown out denied. We shall now listen to the testimony to determine whether or not it alone would've justified use of code 263-37. I must warn all those watching this trial at home that the contents in the recording may be highly disturbing to some people."
The recording was played and Izuku reached over and squeezed his brother's hand as he shook a bit as the words he said that day were broadcasted around the entire world. By the end of the recording, a lot of people were either crying and/or shaking with rage.
"It is the judgement of this court that the heroes were more than justified in their use of code 263-37." Nakamura said shakily, "We will be breaking for a quick ten-minute recess."
Everyone got to their feet to leave the courtroom. Not long after leaving however, they were approached by Prosecutor Nijima.
"Mr. Fuji, I'd like to personally thank you for your performance earlier. However, Judge Nakamura has requested that you all stay in the courthouse bunker given the recent assassination attempt on you all. If you are called, then you'll testify via a live video feed."
After that, they were swiftly moved down into the bunker. Judge Nakamura immediately explained their absence, saying they were moved to an undisclosed location for their own personal safety. One by one the heroes and police officers were called and questioned. They each explained what they saw in the orphanage that had their classmates shaking with rage, Kaito in particular. Then the other former residents of Twist Orphanage were called up and backed up Hiro's claims, and even confirmed that all the staff at the orphanage encouraged the tradition of cutting. Any suspicion of Hiro being groomed to a villain were dismissed by actual villains who were currently being locked up. It was actually Toxic Chainsaw who testified from a feed from Tartarus who singled him out not to be trained, saying: "He was just a goody two shoes who wanted to keep his head down, not get in trouble, and not attract any attention so we ignored him in our recruitment efforts."
By the time it was for the people who actually worked in the orphanage to be called up and to explain their actions, so much had been exposed that they didn't try to deny anything. One by one they were sentenced. However, they had to spend several nights down in the bunker because so many people were getting their judgement handed down upon them that it took several days to go through them all. Thankfully, the courthouse bunker was equipped with a bunk room and a shower with toilet. It wasn't luxurious but it kept them safe. It got lonely being unable to have any contact with the outside world.
After the third day of the trial while they were all sleeping, several members of Zu'Kuvma attempted to break into the bunker, but their information was out of date. All the defenses were changed upon the discovery of Lord Waira's identity and thus they were caught off guard. This was brought up first thing upon the start of the fourth day of the trial. Morooka, who had previous gotten numerous Zu'Kuvma operatives out of trouble in the courtroom was struggling under an ever-increasing mountain of evidence and testimony that kept on piling on top of him. By the sixth and final day of the trial, he knew he was a dead man walking when Abe Zabatsu, (Lord Waira,) was tried in absentee and found guilty of too many charges to count.
This was the first time that Hiro had ever seen the man's face. He was in his sixties and had short white hair, and grey eyes that had no warmth in them. The sound of his voice recently fresh since they had played the recording of the man beating him went through his head once more.
"Never in all of my years as a judge have I been so revolted by what I've heard in my courtroom. Everyone that has been charged has now been convicted. This should be treated as a victory for the Japanese people, but it feels bittersweet to all of us given how much pain it has cost us to get here. Court is now dismissed."
The journey back to UA was an uncomfortable one. They were unceremoniously told to climb inside the trunk of a police car. They only climbed in when they were assured they wouldn't die of carbon monoxide poisoning, but they failed to consider the risk of flatulence. Needless to say, when they finally got back to UA the trio of boys were taking very deep breathes and now had a case of claustrophobia.
"We are never doing that again!" Tenya exclaimed to the heavens.
"I second that motion!" Hiro wheezed, and Izuku raised his hand.
"In absence of our class representative at this time, I as vice rep approve of said proposal."
They slowly trudged up to their dorm, all while stretching and groaning, trying to reset limbs that had fallen numb as a result of awkward positioning. When they got back to the dorm, all they wanted to do is to hop in the hot spring and relax. That is not what they got when they walked inside.
Upon crossing the threshold, their senses were assaulted. The lights were turned on to their maximum brightness, their ear drums were overloaded with the sounds of pops, bangs, and cheers as they were covered in confetti. A banner unfurled with brightly colored words in block letters. Shouts of well wishes came towards Hiro. However, he felt overwhelmed and started to panic, his head felt heavy, and his vision began to blacken around the edges.
"ENOUGH!" Izuku's voice roared out with an undertone of a growl. Silence rang out and hung over them as Hiro struggled to regain control over his breath. "Don't get me wrong. I really appreciate all of this love and support for my brother, but we have all been through an extremely traumatic week. For crying out loud, tomorrow morning will be the first time either of us will see sunlight in the past week due to being kept underground because there were people who wanted him dead. My brother has just been forced to relive the worst parts of his life that he most likely would rather forget if he ever got the chance and had to do so with an international audience watching him to boot. The entire world knows his story now, something most people if they were in similar shoes would have rather kept secret. We have just spent the last couple of hours piled on top of one another crammed in the trunk of a police car just to get here safely. Again, we both greatly appreciate all of your support, but what we really need is peace and quiet with time to process the events we have just gone through."
With that, the crowd parted allowing them to head upstairs with guilty looks on their faces. Just before Izuku closed the door to the stairs behind him, he heard Kaito's voice. "I told you so."
