Over 200 favorites now, I wonder how high this can actually go?
Updates are slowing down, college is really screwing with me, plus, Capstone Project is taking up almost all of my time now. This shit is hard.
When Naomasa Tsukauchi woke up this morning, he didn't think he'd be at UA investigating an attack, but that's just another day in the life of a detective.
He is a tall man with short, black hair and somewhat rectangular black eyes. He wears his signature tan overcoat and matching hat, underneath which he wears a suit, a green tie at his neck with matching slacks, and dress shoes.
Tsukauchi is a detective in the police force, he's currently working with the Musutafu branch on investigating the infiltration of the USJ that happened less than an hour ago. Police cars and buses made for transporting large numbers of villains to prison are parked outside the facility.
He's already done a headcount of the students, and thankfully none of them were harmed. The teachers' injuries were a bit more serious, though none of them were life-threatening to the relief of the students. The students are now being escorted back to the main UA campus and he's left Officer Sansa in charge of the rest of the investigation.
Though Tsukauchi's glad that no one got hurt severely on the attack, he's also very much considering taking a leave.
He's been stressed for the past few weeks with the constant streams of Pro Hero deaths that had been popping up much more often now than they had been in years. It was almost like every week another hero would be found with either a bullet hole through their skull or chopped up into pieces.
The two Villains responsible for these deaths have been very elusive, their works have only ever been found after the heroes targeted were already dead.
Lady Nagant and The Hero Killer.
Their body count had reached numbers unseen since All Might's debut, and a blanket of fear was slowly starting to envelop the people and heroes of Japan.
It was obvious that catching both of them was extremely important and dangerous, but for some reason, the HPSC had been putting more effort into catching Lady Nagant than the Hero Killer. Perhaps it was because she was a previous hero herself or maybe because she knows some kind of confidential information, but whichever the reason, it's above Tsukauchi's paygrade to know.
After all, he's no All Might or even a hero, he's just a detective.
Speaking of All Might.
'I should ask Toshinori about what he knows about the villains that escaped.'
Not many are aware, but Tsukauchi is one of the very, very, few people who know about All Might's true identity and secret. Not only that but the Detective is also one of All Might's closest friends, with Tsukauchi being Toshinori's main contact in the police force. He's a capable and accomplished detective.
But right now, he can be forgiven for being duped.
"Tsukauchi, sir!" He hears someone call him. The person is a male of average height and build, and he has black hair and brown eyes. Officer Akira Shourai is walking toward him.
"Officer Shourai." The Detective greeted the officer.
With a salute, the "officer" says his report. "We've searched the interior of the USJ and found no more villains present, the current tally is 71 villains in total and they're all being brought in with cuffs as we speak." He gestures towards the villains chained up into lines and being brought into the buses by the other cops while the rest were searching outside the USJ for anything else suspicious.
Tsukauchi nods in affirmation before asking a question. "Did you find anything dangerous in there?"
"Other than the weapons? Everything that could be dangerous in there is gone now."
Tsukauchi's Quirk is called Lie Detection, which is a passive Quirk that allows the Detective to instantly know when a person he's speaking to has told a lie. This Quirk helps him tremendously in his detective work, he immediately knows when someone is lying to him so all he has to do is keep probing until he gets the truth. Coupling that with the fact that his Quirk isn't exactly well-known makes sure that the people he's interrogating can't think of any counters.
But he's not interrogating anyone right now, and even if he was, the person speaking to him did not tell a lie so his Quirk didn't tell him anything.
Yes, everything dangerous inside the USJ had been taken out, but what Tsukauchi didn't ask was what was removed and who removed them.
"Alright then," Tsukauchi responded. "I left Officer Sansa in charge here, I'll be going to the main campus to investigate there. Proceed as planned."
"Don't worry sir," From behind Tsukauchi, Officer Aiya Chairo was walking by and discretely put something on the back of the Detective's coat, she gives Shourai a small wink as she passes. "Everything is going exactly as planned." Shourai calmly states, and the Detective sensed no lies in that statement.
As the Detective walks away, Viktor hears their mother's voice in their head. 'Good job sweetie! You're fitting in just right!'
Though the face doesn't show it, ASIA was smiling on the inside. 'Thank you, mother.' She responds mentally in her original voice.
'Now then, we've cleaned up the cameras and teleported out the Nanite Hives, Tsukauchi has no idea about the mic and environment scanner attached to his coat, and I'm patched in the shit stains' heads. You can control them now through my phone's signal ASIA.'
A quick check was all it took to see that her mother was right, she now can easily send signals of compulsion straight to the villains' heads with a single thought. She can even read their minds, memories, and their feelings, but she knows that changing them is out of the question. This was done just so they could be controlled, nothing more.
COMMAND: WAIT
Every villain on the bus feels the compulsion, even the restless ones suddenly felt the urge to calm down and be patient.
They don't know what they're waiting for and why, but they just somehow know that they should just wait.
'You ready to cause a scene later ASIA?'
'Mother, I was created to be ready.'
Officer Sansa Tamakawa, a lean man with large yellow eyes and the head of a ginger tabby cat called out loud. "Alright everyone, let's hurry this up!"
"Yes sir!"
LATER
It was reaching late noon by the time the police left, while Detective Tsukauchi stayed behind at UA to question All Might and to check on his current state.
The buses currently transporting the 71 villains from the attack are heading towards the police station for the villains to be interrogated. The prisoners and cops stayed relatively silent throughout the trip, but only one group was silent against their will. Buildings and apartments were being passed by as civilians exited and entered them, noticing the large number of vehicles passing by the street. Most thought nothing of it, thinking the police were just transferring the day's batch of criminals beaten by the heroes they cheered on.
'Same old story, different day' they think.
Police cars follow the buses side by side, as well as front and back for safety and protection. One Pro Hero Teacher from the campus also came with them to guard the prisoners just in case they escape. The route they were taking was predetermined to be a secret and in a few more minutes, they'll go through a near-empty part of the city for safety reasons.
Aiya Chairo, who's currently sitting in the passenger seat, looks at the rearview mirror directly at the car driving behind them, which houses the officer driving the car, and the Pro Hero Ectoplasm.
Ectoplasm, currently in his hero uniform, is wearing a tan cloak that covers most of his body, the area over his torso, and the high collar resembling that of a double-breasted trench coat. Underneath this, he wears a skin-tight black bodysuit with a golden striped neck area and a matching black helmet that covers his entire head, a jaw guard attached over his nose and around his jaw, and circular mufflers. He also wears baggy dark gray pants and a pair of thin, lightweight prosthetic legs.
It was a smart choice, his combat capabilities can beat more than a dozen of villains simultaneously, and combining that with his ability to create clones makes him one of UA's most effective heroes in taking out large groups of enemies, next only to Midnight.
But he won't be enough. Nothing would be enough to stop their plans.
She looks back at the front windshield and smirks at the bus in front of her, Kaina then turns and speaks to the driver, Viktor looking like Akira Shourai, and tells him. "Alright partner, let's get these sad sacks free."
+/+
"You couldn't find it?" Toshinori asked his friend, Tsukauchi, with a worried expression.
The Detective nodded grimly, realizing the problems that can occur from it. "The creature you described wasn't anywhere around the direction you sent it to. We've even searched up to a kilometer away and we didn't find any evidence of it landing."
They are both inside the nurse's office of the UA main campus. Toshinori is lying on one of the beds, bandages put all over his depowered form. He was explaining everything he could recall about the attack, from the villains that attacked him, and to the monster that he fought.
He described its power and seemingly mindless state, he explained that all of his injuries came from the battle between them, and most frighteningly, the fact that it had two Quirks according to the leader. Toshinori said that he was able to beat the creature and send it flying off into the horizon, but there was a problem. The creature seemingly never fell back down.
Tsukauchi even called the police still at the USJ to search the area up to a kilometer away, but not only did they not find any traces of the creature, but they also found no evidence that it ever hit the ground.
And that worried both men.
They both knew that All Might was nowhere near as powerful now as he was back then, so they know that he couldn't possibly have sent the Nomu so high into the air that it escaped the planet's gravity, and Toshinori knew that the creature could not fly or teleport because if it could, it would've already come back or used those abilities in their battle.
The villains also couldn't have easily predicted where the beast would land (which it didn't), and the Warping Villain, Kurogiri according to Toshinori's memories, was distracted when he sent the Nomu flying so he wouldn't have been able to catch it.
So that begs the question, where did it go?
"I hoped that it would've been captured so I'd never have to face it again," Toshinori mentioned with a scowl. "But knowing that something that strong is still out there…"
"Now, now, I know exactly where your head is going Toshinori," The Detective cuts the Hero off. "And stop it. You saved those students, you did all you could, don't start pitying yourself now."
Toshinori goes quiet at first before sighing. "I know that, but I just can't help but think of the 'What ifs?' you know?"
Tsukauchi sighed too in his seat. "Of course, I know, but we'll find it again I'm sure of it, plus, we already know its weaknesses so we'll be better prepared, you don't have to always think that everything rests on your shoulders."
"Well, how else am I supposed to think? I'm the world's Symbol of Peace and Justice, or at least I'm supposed to be. I think my time limit got cut down to two hours."
The Detective could only frown at the knowledge.
All Might is a symbol of not only heroism but of security as well. All Might was a bright light of goodness that pushed back the darkness that threatened the peace of people's lives. He was seen as immovable and unbeatable, villains fled at the sound of his catchphrase "I am here!", and the people felt safe at the mere thought of him being close by.
But what the people didn't know was that his bright light is starting to dim.
All Might's power is waning and his time of being the Symbol of Peace is coming closer and closer to coming to an end. A new ray of light is needed in the form of All Might's new successor.
But there's just one small issue.
"Do you even have a successor yet?"
"..."
*Sigh* "Listen, I'm not here to rush you on your choice, but you're running out of time."
"... I know."
"I get that you don't want to give up yet, that's just not in your nature, but it's better to pick one early Toshinori. Whoever you pick has to be ready before you go."
Tsukauchi knew that Toshinori had always been stubborn, never one to back down even if he was on his last legs. He'll always be All Might at heart, even if his body starts to fail him and his power wanes, that need to do what's right burns brightly within the Number One Hero. That's the reason why All Might still exists even after an injury that would normally end careers. But Tsukauchi knew that if his friend kept this up, he'll die on the job, and he was not sure if the world can handle seeing that happen.
Then, in the middle of the silence, his phone started to ring, checking on the name he sees one of the officers that were investigating the USJ a few hours ago.
He answers the call. "Detective Tsukauchi here, what is it?"
Toshinori looked on curiously at the call, then he quickly sees that something is wrong. If the sudden widening of Tsukauchi's eyes weren't enough of a signal, then his yell surely was.
"WHAT!?"
A FEW MINUTES AGO
*BANG*
One moment the villains were waiting in their cuffs and buses for anything to happen while they are all stopped at a red light, the next thing they know a loud gunshot rings out and shatters the lead bus' windshield and hits the driver in the shoulder.
*BANG*
Not even a moment later another gunshot was heard and another driver was hit. Then suddenly, hell broke loose.
"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" Officer Sansa Tamakawa's voice immediately yelled out from nearly everyone's radios.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
Gunshot after gunshot battered the streets they were in as well as hitting the rest of the bus drivers. Police and villains alike immediately lowered themselves to their vehicles. They were in the near-empty part of the city and the route they were taking today was supposed to be a secret, and since the routes were being changed on a random basis, villains couldn't have predicted they were going through here.
So how did these attackers know?
The cops couldn't even fire back because the bullets seem to come from every direction, directly above their heads through the windows of surrounding buildings, gun barrels poking out and shooting, yet oddly, none hit the officers anymore despite being able to.
The shots then stopped for a few moments, realizing that the threat is currently gone, some officers and the Pro Hero Ectoplasm quickly mobilized.
Tamakawa ordered everyone to get out of their vehicles and take cover behind them while Ectoplasm made clones to check for the places where the shots came from. But before they could get far, the shots started up again. Destroying the clones and forcing everyone to hide again.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
"SHIT!"
"GET BACK TO COVER!"
But as everyone else was distracted by the threat of being shot, two officers quickly and discretely separated from everyone else while they were too distracted.
Kaina and Viktor quickly slid underneath a bus each, they reach into their pockets and bring out a pen. They press the tip of the pen in a specific pattern before then suddenly shifting into another device. A modified blowtorch took shape and they quickly got to work, first, burning a hole through the bottom of the buses.
Meanwhile, as the shots stopped again, Ectoplasm immediately capitalized on the pause which he guessed was because they were reloading. He already counted how many perpetrators are shooting at them, and all six of their locations are already being targeted.
He quickly mobilized clones to close in on the shooters' hiding spots, leaping toward his target with his prosthetic legs, he sends his clones to immediately charge the targets head-on by jumping on lamposts, worn down store signs, and ledges to reach them as he and a few others enter another way to flank the shooters.
The cops back on the ground watch as the Pro Hero enters the shooters' nests and see the bright flashes and sounds of gunshots again.
"At least they're not aiming at us this time." One of them says as he looks up at the windows.
"How did they know that we'll be here? Are they planning to free the prisoners?"
Suddenly, Aiya Chairo appeared next to them and says her piece. "Well, if they are, they're not doing a good job so far, look, the villains are still inside."
A look was all it took to confirm that she was telling the truth, at least from what they can see. The villains were still visible from the bus windows, they were all keeping their heads down and they occasionally peeked up to see what was happening.
"You think this was planned?"
Chairo shook her head. "I don't think so, if it was, then these guys didn't know about it." She points a thumb towards the scared villains.
"Then how'd they know which route we were taking?"
"... I don't know."
Soon enough, the gunshots stop and this time, it seems to be for good.
Ectoplasm then exited out the window and landed on the sidewalk, he looked unharmed and unwinded so they think the villains were easily apprehended.
"Ectoplasm!" Akira Shourai ran up to the hero. "Are you ok? Did you get hit?"
The hero shook his head. "I'm fine officer, it was actually easier than I've anticipated."
Shourai released a breath of relief before asking. "So, how many were apprehended?"
Ectoplasm sighed before giving an unexpected answer. "None, I'm afraid."
Everyone paused at that. Eyes widened and surprise showed clear on all of their faces.
None? What did that mean? Did they get away? Did they turn invisible and snuck out to escape?
"Uh, what was that sir?"
"There were no villains to apprehend because the rooms were all empty."
"E-Empty? How's that possible? Who was shooting at you up there if the place was empty?"
"No one was shooting at me, it was automated, the guns were set up as turrets attached to some sort of targeting system. I dismantled them easily enough." Ectoplasm explains.
"Turrets?" Shourai questioned. "Who would set up turrets for an ambu-"
*BOOOOOM*
Without warning, all six of the dismantled turrets spontaneously self-destructed. Bricks, concrete, and dust flying everywhere, and everyone immediately drops down and covers their head with their hands to protect them from the falling debris.
Their ears were left ringing even after the dust cleared up, they coughed and pat themselves down to remove the dirt that stuck on them after all the damage settles down. The buildings still seem stable even after the explosion, meaning the damages weren't close to the main supports.
*Cough* *Cough*
Other than a few scrapes and bruises from the debris, everyone seemed to be just fine. The cops wave off the dust in the air to try and clear everything up. Broken pieces of concrete and bricks litter the streets. Their cars' windshields and windows had cracked under the explosions' damage.
"Everyone ok?" Tamakawa asked out loud.
*Cough* "Ugh, we're fine sir."
"A little roughed up, but we'll live."
'Did they set up a trap for me? Or was it some kind of failsafe?' Ectoplasm thought as he looked up at the destroyed parts of the buildings.
If he had been just a few seconds slower…
"Sir!" Someone suddenly shouted frantically. "The villains! They're gone!"
"WHAT!?"
They checked everywhere around them for the missing villains, but there wasn't even anything left that could clue them in on how they got out. The chains that held them captive were seen to be broken by what appeared to be brute strength and they will later find out that the bus drivers were shot with bullets that are covered with some kind of a powerful sleeping agent, but tracing the culprits through the bullets or the devices used to attack them in the first place would be a lost cause.
Tamakawa could only sigh at how the evening went, he can already tell that this is all going to be a pain with all the paperwork. He brings out his cell phone and calls the detective to deliver the news.
"Detective Tsukauchi here, what is it?"
"Detective, I'm afraid I have dire news."
+/+
According to the police reports, 71 villains were apprehended in yesterday's attack on UA's USJ facility, but not long after, as the villains were being transported, unknown assailants suddenly launched another attack at the police officers that were escorting the captured villains and allowed all 71 of them to escape during the unexpected ambush. It is unclear exactly how they managed to escape, and the police department has yet to make a statement about the situation.
"How peculiar…"
All for One wasn't expecting to hear that the 71 "NPCs" as his protege liked to say, had recruited for the USJ attack were actually saved from being sent to prison. He wasn't disappointed that the mission failed like Shigaraki was, he expected it to fail, though it was quite a bother for the lost Nomu, the doctor was pretty distraught about that.
But they all agree that the minor villains recruited weren't important by any means, they were just street thugs, brutes without any semblance of skill or knowledge that would leave an impression in the Villain Underworld. They were all just expendable pawns.
This is why it was quite strange to hear that they were saved.
Shigaraki didn't really care that they managed to escape, stating that they can just be reused now that they are free again. But All for One knows that something like this does not happen without a reason.
He couldn't think of a reason why they were saved other than the thought that someone else wanted expendable pawns to use for themselves.
And he had a feeling this person is also behind the other news that's been dominating everyone's lives these days.
Lady Nagant's killings.
Viktor's theft from Saitama Bank.
The "robots" that attacked Hiroshima.
He knows that these are all connected in some way, but the puzzle pieces don't quite make a full picture yet. These are all surface movements, things that someone wants the public to see while they ready their plans in the shadows. This tells him that whoever is responsible for them is intelligent, and cunning, and has planned every movement forward.
But for what purpose?
He could already tell, that whatever it is they are planning, it'll be something big.
He hums to himself as a thought enters his head.
"Hmm, I wonder, did they take Nomu as well? I wouldn't be surprised if they did."
/
"Did you see their faces!? Hahahahahaha! Oh, that was great!"
'Well, at least one of us can laugh.' Midoriya thought as he stared ahead to where All Might was standing before he and his new "friends" warped away.
He still could barely believe what happened, not the killing part, he's had four months to get used to that, but the fact that he's a villain going up against All Might.
He, a Quirkless kid, antagonizing the world's strongest hero!
It was terrifying.
Heart pounding.
And oh so satisfying.
He loved the fact that he'd caught the greatest hero flatfooted, but unlike Shigaraki, he at least has the class to not laugh hysterically.
Midoriya then hears the sound of a television opening, he turns around and sees nothing but static on it, but he does hear something else.
"Oh? You seem quite happy Tomura, did you succeed in your mission?" A deep and imposing voice sounded out.
He didn't know what it was at first, but the moment that Midoriya heard that voice, he felt a shiver crawl up his spine. He couldn't even see who spoke, but on an instinctual level, he just knew, from the tone of their voice, that whoever they are, they were very dangerous.
Kurogiri bowed towards the television and greeted the speaker. "Sensei."
Shigaraki's laughter slowly stopped before answering, and from the respect in his voice, it was clear that he really looked up to this figure. "Hehe, no Sensei, but we did hurt him, a lot."
'Sensei? So, this must be the big bad then.' Midoriya mentally noted. It didn't seem like he won't get the chance to meet him in person yet, but he can wait.
"Really?" Midoriya could practically hear the smile in the man's voice. "Tell me, what harm did befall the mighty hero?"
"Actually Sensei, I think our guest of honor deserves to tell you."
'Eh?'
It took a moment for Midoriya to realize that Shigaraki meant him.
"And who might you be young man?" The voice asked calmly.
Midoriya stutters for a few moments. "U-Uh, I-I'm… You know, I'm… I just uh…"
'Calm down man! You're talking to the boss you wanted to meet! This is not a good first impression!'
"Now, now, calm yourself, child, I mean you no harm. After all, how could I possibly feel any sort of anger towards the boy that's seemingly responsible for hurting the greatest bane to my plans?"
Midoriya briefly pauses at that and tries to calm himself down, he takes a deep breath and latches on to what the mysterious villain behind the TV stated.
'That's right… I was responsible for that. I wanted to get close to this guy, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.'
He remembers what he did to All Might as the memory seems to calm him down. A treasured memory that he'll cherish till the hero is dead. He visualizes the anger, rage, and despair in the normally smiling hero's face.
"That's right sir," He starts as a dark smile starts to spread on his face. "I'm the Quirkless kid that beat All Might today."
/
"What is your purpose in life? You're probably wondering. Now that you've been separated from your master, what else could there possibly be? What else could the world offer you? Your sole reason for existence has abandoned you, left you in our hands. Does that make you angry? Or grateful? Because, perhaps somewhere in there, in your empty eyes, there's a mind that can comprehend your situation, that can understand that you now are away from their control. Don't worry, I promise, you'll be part of a greater purpose than what you have been given by your careless owners."
"Kaina, stop monologuing to the Nomu."
"But how else am I supposed to practice Izuku?"
"You got a super-brain Kaina, use that why don't you?"
Kaina pouted at the adult green-haired genius before huffing and walking away from the unresponsive Nomu.
After its capture, Izuku 1 immediately transported the monster back to their home base, and without any threatening action being given to it and the fact that Shigaraki is nowhere around to give it commands, it now just sits in the corner, just staring off into the abyss.
'Tsukauchi is going to tear his hair off at this rate.' Izuku 2 mentions as he looks through the Detective's eyes in a first-person view through his phone. It was already the day after the attack, and the students of UA were given a day off so the authorities can investigate the school without interrupting anything, but Tsukauchi is still trying to work out what the hell happened.
Back at the investigation at the USJ, Kaina discretely planted a Human Senses Receiver and Transmitter at the back of the Detective's coat. The small device then carefully slipped through the cloth and climbed up Tsukauchi's back then attached itself to the back of his neck.
This now allows them to pick up on everything the Detective sees, smells, hears, and even tastes.
He's their spy in the police force, and he doesn't even know it.
'I almost feel bad for the Detective, you know? He's never going to figure out that; One, the villains are under our control, and now we hid them all underground. Two, his own cops were responsible for freeing them. And three, that we used a matter rearranger to fix up the hole we made through the street and under the bus with no traces.' Kaina mentally lists down.
'He's a detective, but I doubt he'll put that together, hell, even Nezu would have a hard time figuring it out, they'll just think it was the work of a warp Quirk. Are Aiya Chairo and Akira Shourai back in their homes?' Izuku 2 asked.
'With the altered implanted memories of everything that happened since they went under? Yeah, they're back home safe and sound.' Izuku 1 answers.
Their plan for the USJ, as expected, went off without a hitch. As soon as the news that they used turrets hits the public, the HPSC will also put it together that they were the same ones who worked with Lady Nagant and Viktor. All for One would've already figured that part out, his experience makes sure of that.
But all of that was already foreseen, by the three smartest people on the planet.
'Safe to say that everything went just as well as expected," Kaina pointed out before asking Izuku 2 a question. 'Hey, Izuku 2, you and Hatsume together yet?'
'No, but I plan on crossing that bridge soon enough,' He responds before slyly asking, 'What about you two eh? I can feel the tension between you, and it's not the bad kind.'
'Really? You're siding with her?' Izuku 1 mentally groans as he lies down on their shared bed. (He wanted there to be two but the other one "mysteriously" disintegrated.)
"Aww, no need to be embarrassed about us.~" Kaina cooed as she moved towards the lying-down time traveler.
'Kid me, are you not going to help me out here?' The adult Izuku asks as Kaina lies down next to him and snuggled closer.
But Izuku 2 just snickered and replied, 'You got a super-brain, use that why don't you?'
Fact: Izuku deliberately makes the inventions that he uses for his plans as least advanced as possible just in case they're found out in any way. But make no mistake, he's smart enough to invent the means for time travel, so he's definitely smart enough to create devices that can break other laws of physics.