Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia
This was originally over 10000 words however I removed certain content because I felt it did not make sense at the time.
Immediately after Izuku fainted, Aizawa did everything he could to make sure he was still breathing and that the worst hadn't happened.
Recovery Girl arrived alongside Mic with several medical bots and examined Izuku. Upon verifying that he had just passed out and was not in critical condition she had the bots hoist him on a stretcher and taken him to her office for treatment. She also wanted to ensure that nothing went wrong when he woke up.
Aizawa went along with her as he wanted to make sure Izuku was alright despite knowing he wasn't. He ordered the three students to remain at the dorms and instructed his best friend to inform Nezu about what happened here. Aizawa said he would join him and the other teachers shortly but right now he needed to check on his student.
Meanwhile, the three students who'd just witnessed the event first-hand sat in the common area unsure of what to make of it.
"What the hell was that?" Jiro exclaimed. "It was like he went insane all of a sudden."
From what she had seen of Midoriya so far, he was a calm and collected individual. He rarely, if ever, lost his temper. And what she saw, what they all saw, was completely out of character for him. It was like he'd flipped a switch and broke down like a mad person. Momo glanced at the table with a worried expression.
"It would appear that Midoriya knows the people that attacked us at the mall," she murmured. "What's worse, he fears them. The reaction we received from him, must have been the result of some rather painful and traumatic memories resurfacing."
No one said anything. They all knew Momo was right. She had to have been. There was also the mention of fear right there. From what they, especially Tokoyami, had seen from Midoriya, there was practically nothing he feared.
This, however, made Dark Shadow remember something Midoriya said during the day he and Fumikage reconciled.
'Hey Fumi, do you remember the first day we worked with Midoriya, the day we became friends again? Dark Shadow asked.
Tokoyami frowned wondering why Dark Shadow was bringing this up now.
'Of course, I remember. It was last week after all,' Tokoyami mentally responded. 'Why? What does that have to do with anything?'
"Do you remember when I asked about him being afraid of me and he explained why he wasn't?" Dark Shadow continued.
Tokoyami thought back on that day and the conversation Dark Shadow had with Midoriya, and when he did, realisation struck him like lightning. He recalled everything Midoriya had said and his eyes widened. It was then that he realised how much danger his classmates were truly in.
"Oh shit," he swore out loud.
Jiro and Momo glanced at him with concerned looks.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Momo asked nervously.
Fumikage looked up at them with an uneasy expression. He knew they wouldn't like this. The mere concept of it was enough to scare him and Dark Shadow.
"During the time Midoriya and I worked together we talked about some things," The girls tensed at what they were about to hear. "When he was with the League, he encountered different individuals who, as he described, were far worse than people like Shigaraki and AFO." The two girl's eyes widened in fear at the idea. Tokoyami sighed and continued. "At the time I didn't ask who, but I could tell he was incredibly serious about them. And now, given his most recent reaction, it's safe to say that these are the individuals he was talking about."
There was dead, uncomfortable silence between the three students. The idea that such people existed was frightening, but what was worse is how much danger their classmates were truly in. Just what kind of monster was holding them hostage?
UA Staff Room
The meeting between the faculty was just ending after having discussed the meeting at nine. Reo was relieved it was over so he could go and talk with Midoriya. However, at that moment, Mic burst through the door gasping for air.
"Nezu, something's happened!" he panted.
The principal and teachers looked at him with concern and worry. Reo was more annoyed.
"What now?" he groaned. "Can't we just get one break today? I was just about to go and question Midoriya about these kidnappers?
What Mic said next caused everyone to shut up.
"Midoriya collapsed," he exclaimed.
Everyone froze. Their eye's widened in shock.
From what they had observed from Midoriya, he had never displayed this type of behaviour before.
Even Ryo, who had gotten to know Izuku on a personal level, couldn't understand why this had happened.
The silence was broken by a simple command.
"Explain," Nezu ordered.
"Okay so what happened was me and Shota took the kids back to their dorms and we met Midoriya there. There was some small conversation about what happened, he asked about the guys who attacked them, and when a name came up, Midoriya he, he, he," Mic knew that what he said next would be the equivalent of dropping a bomb in the room. "He had a full-on panic attack."
Everyone stared at him stunned. Fainting was one thing but fainting because of a panic attack was a more serious matter. Mic wasn't done.
"Before he collapsed, Midoriya said somethings, well, actually names, about who these people are." Mic tensed up for the next part. He had never encountered this group himself, but he knew how dangerous they were. "He said Shiro and Hades."
Several teachers flinched when they heard that name.
All Might stared at the desk in horror, feeling even more helpless and guilty than he was before.
Naomasa accidentally snapped his pen, ink oozing out of it.
Snipe gripped his gun.
Ryo growled.
Nezu put his paws together.
Reo went pale.
"Y-Y-You're kidding right," Reo stuttered. "Hades?! Hades as in the largest and most dangerous criminal organisation in Japan. As in the one group we have very little knowledge of their members. That Hades?"
Mic nodded sadly.
Hades, despite its size, was a rather elusive group. Their operations were mostly unknown however sometimes they made assaults on society, though, mostly for personal gain.
Anytime a member was captured, they were either killed by someone who broke in undetected or (in most cases) took their own life. They resisted any form of torture made on them.
Why? Their boss, Shiro, was why.
Though the man had yet to make a full-body appearance for the heroes and police he was already an S-rate villain with a reputation that could make anyone fear him just by hearing about it. Several pro heroes and police who went after him ended up dead, with, certain parts of them found in different places at different times. The same had happened to psychopath's own men or members of rival gangs.
He was a sadistic bastard, one not to be taken lightly, but at the same time, one they knew so little about. They didn't even know what his quirk was.
They had heard rumours that he invoked slavery as part of his regime underground.
"Well, this certainly complicates things," Nezu said keeping a level head. Getting panicked would do him no good, however, he was intensely furious at what he had just learned. The danger his students were in, and the horror they would experience reminded him of his time with Atrocity. It made the fur on his head stand up.
"It's more than that," Naomasa muttered. "This group isn't easy to find. We don't even know where their base is located."
"Midoriya might though," Reo suggested.
"Absolutely not," All Might argued. "Did you not hear the way he reacted? How do we know bringing it up again right in front of him won't cause him to have another panic attack?"
"I'm with All Might on this one," Mic agreed.
He didn't care if Izuku was a villain. He was a child, one that was clearly traumatised. He wouldn't allow people to add more fuel to the fire, because eventually, it would burn out. He also seriously doubted Shota would allow it to happen.
"He's the only lead we have," Reo pressed. "We have to go forward with it otherwise a lot of people will get hurt, innocent people. Don't you want to save your students?"
"Of course, we do!" Ryo declared. "However, it's not that simple. For starters, he may not even remember them properly."
Reo raised an eyebrow. "And just what do you mean by that?"
Ryo sighed.
He had wanted to discuss this after acquiring more information but now was as good a time as any.
"During our last counselling session, Midoriya mentioned he had been experiencing strange dreams and hallucinations," Ryo explained. "According to him, they started during the hospital incident, and have increased since coming here. At first, he thought they were nothing, but later they felt very real to him."
"And just what does that have to do with anything?" Reo asked.
"I'm getting there," Ryo snapped. "I only considered it a possibility but, AFO possessed many quirks did he not? What if had a quirk that could tamper with memories?"
Everyone remained silent as they considered what Ryo was proposing.
"In such quirks, when they start wearing off the memories start to slowly return unless triggered by specific words or people, as we've seen with Shiro's name," Ryo finished. He waited a minute to allow his words to sink in. "My point being, if his memories were triggered just by name alone and the result was a panic attack, then they are clearly traumatic. Interrogating him may only serve to worsen his condition."
Reo stared at the ground guiltily. He hadn't thought about that.
"Interrogation aside, how did Midoriya become associated with Hades and their leader?" Snipe interrupted. "For that matter, how did he even escape?"
It was a well-known fact that no one had ever escaped Hades, let alone Shiro.
So, how did Izuku manage it? Was he the only one to escape? Or did the League rescue him?
"Excellent questions," Naomasa stated. "I'm sure everyone will be asking them."
The teachers looked at him with sad, yet also angry looks.
"I'm sorry, but this has to be reported," Naomasa explained. "It's our job. I don't like it any more than you do but, it has to be done."
"The police and pros will eat him alive when they find out," Midnight warned.
"I'll run it by my superiors, however, I'll ask them to try and leave it out of the meeting," Naomasa replied.
"Not that it'll do any good," Mic countered.
Naomasa sighed. He knew it wouldn't end well.
"Um, I may be wrong in thinking this but," Cementoss spoke up. "Wasn't there one other arrested alongside Midoriya at the battle of Kamino?"
Naomasa and Reo's eyes widened in realisation.
"Dabi," they both whispered.
Cementoss nodded. "Do you think he might know something about what happened to Midoriya, or even this enemy we're facing now?"
Naomasa thought about it.
"It's possible. Dabi has stated he was closest with Midoriya in the League," Naomasa admitted. "At least, that's what we learned from his conversation with Inko Midoriya, who visited him once in prison."
"Is she still being guarded?" All Might asked suddenly.
He occasionally checked on Inko to make sure she was okay. Ever since the incident at the villain hospital, Inko had been placed in a protection detail of her own.
With her son under the threat of dangerous villains that threat extended to her as well. Mostly she was guarded by the police, however, occasionally she would be followed by a hero to ensure she got where she needed to go safely.
"Yes," Naomasa replied quickly. "There haven't been any incidents thus far, however, we haven't let our guards down. You never know what could happen."
All Might exhaled with relief.
"Might I suggest we keep this hidden from her for the time being? It's just that we've got enough going on as it is, and we don't need anymore," Reo pointed out.
The teachers and Naomasa exchanged looks with each other. For once, they were all in agreement with Reo.
"Very well, we'll inform Mrs Midoriya what has befallen her son after we have dealt with this incident. Now, as for the meeting, I would like several of you to remain here and protect the school," Nezu announced. "With everything that's happened today I'm not taking any chances."
"Understood," they all said in unison.
Fuyumi Todoroki
Fuyumi was pacing up and down the hall of her home. She was incredibly nervous, and for good reason.
Right after she got home, she received a call from her brother Natsuo asking if she had seen the news. She had been at school teaching all day, so she hadn't. Her younger brother quickly gave her a summarised version of what went down at the mall in Kiyashi.
Upon hearing the last part of Natsuo's speech she nearly dropped the phone from shock.
When he didn't get a response Natsuo tried speaking again only for Fuyumi to apologise and hang up. The second she did, she dashed to the bathroom and started vomiting. She was so horrified she couldn't hold it back.
"No," she whispered softly, tears beginning to fall down her face. "No, not again. Please, don't let this happen again. Oh, Shoto."
Her youngest brother had been kidnapped. He had been taken by some unknown group, just like that. The very thought of it all, the things that might happen to him, or the possibility that she might never see him again made her sick to her stomach.
It was as if history was repeating itself all over again.
Years ago, her twin brother had gone missing when a villain attacked their house, and he hadn't been heard from since.
Then Natsuo moved in with her mother's parents out of fear of their father. He urged her to come with him, but she refused to leave Shoto alone with their father (for obvious reasons).
Fuyumi finally stopped walking and took out her phone. She dialled a number she rarely used and waited for the receiver to pick up. She needed to know what was going on, and only he would know. Finally, there was a click on the other end and her father's voice answered.
"What is it?" Endeavour demanded sounding very annoyed. "I'm busy at the moment."
"Has there been any progress on finding Shoto?" Fuyumi asked getting straight to the point.
Endeavour scowled. "Obviously not. There is barely any evidence as to who is behind this. That's what me and every other hero in this city are trying to work out. Try to keep up."
Fuyumi didn't respond. She was used to this type of attitude from her father, although, he was more tolerant of her than most people.
"Is that all?" Endeavour questioned. His tone of voice made it clear he wanted this conversation to be over and done with.
"Just, please dad, find him and bring him back," she pleaded.
"What do you think I've been trying to do?" Endeavour responded sounding even more annoyed than before. "If that's all then I'm hanging up. Leave this me and the other heroes and don't bother concerning yourself with it."
In a rare moment, Fuyumi's temper flared up.
"Am I not allowed to be worried about my own brother?" she snapped raising her voice. "Am I not allowed to hope he'll come home safely? Am I?"
There was silence on the other end. Endeavour had never heard his daughter sound angry before.
Fuyumi quickly calmed down.
"Sorry but, I am worried. Dad, I know you consider me a failure because I wasn't like you or Shoto. I've always known that. You even made it abundantly clear since I was a child. However, even if Shoto is your masterpiece and the rest of us are failures, we are still his siblings. And as such, we will always worry about each other," Fuyumi lamented. "I've already lost one brother. I don't want to lose another."
Endeavour said nothing. Fuyumi knew very well he didn't like it when his eldest son was mentioned but Fuyumi didn't care.
"There will be a meeting tonight where all heroes and police shall meet and discuss the evidence that has been found," Endeavour finally said. "Something may come up, or it may not. That's all I can tell you."
Fuyumi sighed with some relief.
"Thank you," she said.
With that Endeavour hung up.
Fuyumi walked towards her own room, where she took out a picture she kept hidden from her father.
It was one of her mother Rei, herself and all her siblings when they were younger.
While their father was out Rei suggested they take one altogether.
It was the only real family photo she had. It was the only one that made her feel like they were a normal family, even though they weren't.
Looking at their faces Fuyumi sunk to the ground and began to cry, wondering what they ever did to deserve this life. She looked at her mother, and mostly her twin.
Tears flowed out of her like a river.
"I-I-I-I wish y-y-you were here," she sobbed.
Tensei Iida
Tensei was feeling less than well. Actually, he felt worse than usual. Why? Because his little brother had been kidnapped by an unknown group this morning for God knows what purpose. He wanted so badly to help find Tenya, but unfortunately, he was confined to this godforsaken bed in the hospital, and by extension, that stupid wheelchair he used to move around.
Ever since he was defeated by the hero-killer he had been paralysed from waist downwards. There was nothing that could be done about it but still, he had never felt so frustrated and angry, as well as useless as he had in that moment.
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of one who he considered his best friend, Koichi Haimawari.
"Hey," Koichi greeted. "I thought I should come in and see you."
"Thanks," Tensei replied with a forced smile. "If it's about what's going on outside, I already know. Not that there's much I can do about it."
His mother had come in earlier and informed him about what happened. She did her best to remain calm, but in the end, she broke down in tears. She couldn't stand the thought of what might happen to Tenya, especially since she wasn't over what had happened to him.
Tensei understood.
His mother had married into this family, and while she supported her son's dreams, she was always worried about the dangers they might face as heroes. It was possible that she might be more vocal about Tenya remaining at UA after this.
Koichi gazed at his friend sadly.
"I'm not gonna ask how you're doing," Koichi stated. "I already have a pretty good idea."
"Do you?" Tensei asked sullenly.
"Not the way you do but yes, I do," Koichi retorted.
Tensei sighed. He then looked at Koichi seriously.
"I'm assuming you didn't come here to visit me. Have you heard any news, from your side?" Tensei guessed.
He had worked with Koichi's group several times already, more than any pro hero would or should do. He knew they were also capable of acquiring information most heroes and police couldn't.
"How perceptive," Koichi complimented. His expression darkened. "Your right. The truth is, my group and I might have a lead on who took your brother, as well as those other people."
Tensei listened intensively. He would remain silent for the entire explanation. Taking a deep breath, Koichi began telling his friend what he knew.
"We've been investigating the underground for a couple of weeks now because we heard rumours about illegal activity taking place there. It's not that it's unusual but in this case, it was more extreme than others. The rumours were people getting kidnapped and forced to fight in an underground arena, however, they were not just forced to fight, they were also sold into slavery by this one group. We came up with a list of suspects since there are various groups in the criminal underground, and, eventually, after much research and running by several information brokers, we discovered that the group that was behind it all was none other than the organisation Hades," Koichi explained.
Tensei flinched with fear. He knew that group. They weren't exactly public knowledge, but every hero and police officer knew who they were, sort of. Koichi wasn't done.
"From what we gathered, they're the largest criminal organisation in the underground, and the most successful because they rarely, if ever, fail at a job. Their leader is a man by the name of Shiro, a powerful individual, who has fought villains like AFO and Atrocity singlehandedly and come out with very few scars."
Tensei gulped. The fear he possessed for his brother's situation just increased drastically.
"We heard rumours they were planning something big, but we weren't sure what. When we heard about what happened at the mall today, we weren't sure if it was them or not since there was no evidence of who attacked. However, Sora managed to recover the footage from today, and when she did, we saw that several people bore the symbol Hades group verifying that it was them."
Koichi decided that it would be a good idea to leave out the part where Tenya and his friends were beaten down and defeated. He had a very good idea of how his friend would react if he found out, and Koichi didn't want him to go through that.
Tensei was shaking with a mixture of horror and rage. These people, these villains, assaulted his little brother, and now they were forcing him to be a part of illegal activities. It made his blood boil, which was highly uncharacteristic of him.
"Do you know where they are?" Tensei asked softly.
"Not yet no," Koichi replied rubbing his head. "We're close but, Hades is incredibly hard to locate. I'm surprised that they've managed to stay hidden this long. We will find them though, of that I swear to you."
Tensei stared at the sheets covering him. He carefully weighed his options as his friend waited for his response.
"Koichi, please save my brother," Tensei pleaded. "However, if the situation becomes too dangerous for you and your friends, get the hell out of there. I don't want to lose someone else I care about. I've already lost so much."
Koichi grinned proudly. "Who do you think you're talking to. Of course, I will. I can't promise I won't come out of it unscathed, however."
"Koichi," Tensei said softly. "I'm serious."
Koichi looked back at him. "I know you are."
Tomura Shigaraki
Tomura, like many, was shocked at the news about the raid on the mall, even more so about who was behind it. Giran had informed his group that Shiro was behind it all.
For the past few weeks, Tomura's group had been on the run from the heroes, police and Atrocity's faction.
They had managed to stay hidden from the first two but had encountered Atrocity's group several times. On one occasion they had two Nomu with them but in the end Tomura's group emerged the victor.
It was like that with all their battles, no enemy left alive, which would be considered an act of mercy considering what that sick psycho would have done when his henchmen failed.
Tomura's group worked together well as a team. Being on his own forced him to take the role of a leader seriously and put an end to his childlike personality.
That wasn't to say Tomura was okay, because he wasn't. Ever since Sensei's death, no his murder, he had resorted to his own habits of decaying his own body. He never went too far, as his comrades would notice, and he didn't want their pity. It was something he first developed after being given his hands when he was a child to deal with the trauma until Sensei put a stop to it.
"Where is Toga?" Compress asked.
"Out gathering intel," Tomura informed him. "With her quirk, she should be able to move around undetected."
Toga's quirk 'Transform' allowed her to take on the appearance of another person depending on how much blood belonging to them she ingested. It was perfect for stealth and espionage which was why Tomura often sent her out errand and recon missions, which ended in success.
"Any news on Dabi or Deku?" Compress asked.
"You know I would have told you all if there was," Tomura snapped. He noticed Twice sulking in the corner at the mention of his two comrades. "Wherever they are it's in a place where the heroes are keeping a close eye on them. We will continue to search for them, but now, we need to look after ourselves."
"We know that darling," Magne piped up. "It just seems strange that we haven't heard anything about them at all."
"They're not in any prisons," Spinner pointed out. "Every information broker we've gone to said so."
There was silence between the villains.
Spinner had a point. If Deku and Dabi were captured they were surely in police custody, where else would they be? They weren't dead, of that they were all sure of. Then again, if they were free why hadn't they contacted them?
"Perhaps they are in a prison, just not the way we're thinking of," Compress suggested. All eyes turned on him. "A common trick used by magicians such as myself is hiding an object in plain sight so the audience can't figure out where it is. Perhaps the police did the same thing with our missing comrades, which is why we haven't been able to locate them."
Tomura considered it for a minute. It wasn't impossible. If there was one thing this society was good at it was covering up news.
"It's possible, but that only makes the search more complicated," Tomura declared. Then he thought of something else. "Who knows though? Deku might reappear now that Shiro's resurfaced."
That earned him questioning stares from everyone present.
"Does Deku know Shiro?" Compress asked. "What's more how?"
Tomura sighed. He always knew this story might come up eventually.
"Around seven months ago, Razor, the person who taught Deku how to fight, took him on a sort of field trip to the criminal underworld to show him just how fucked up the world really was. Things didn't go as planned and he got captured by Hades where he was forced to fight in those underground matches. He was only supposed to be there for two weeks but instead, it was a month. Eventually, Razor broke him out and brought him back with Kurogiri's help," Tomura told them. "When he arrived back, he was so traumatised by what happened Sensei wiped his memory."
His team members stared at him in shock. They couldn't believe Deku had gone through such an ordeal at his age.
They didn't know the full story. Tomura could still remember how they crashed into the bar through Kurogiri, on a freaking motorcycle. Razor was wounded, but not as much as Izuku. He could also remember how furious Sensei was about what happened, with Razor for not looking after him properly, and for what Shiro had done.
Sensei forbade anyone from talking about it with Izuku in fear of what it might do to Izuku.
Tomura didn't mind, and in fact, he even understood why. He and Kurogiri were given the full details on what transpired at Hades so, it was better to keep quiet about it, for the sake of Izuku's sanity.
"What happened to him aside, it's not important right now," Tomura declared. "We need to get back to work."
Quietly, the other members went about their usual duties.
Hades Group: Children's section
Umi and Utada led the newcomers to the children's section where they would be staying. It was a large area with toilets, bathing sections, with two big rooms filled with bunk beds that were all gender-segregated. There was even a play area for the children and the door to the training ground for the teenagers.
As soon as they arrived, they were greeted by children that looked between the ages of nine and twelve, there weren't any teenagers.
"Umi, who are these people?" a thin girl with pixie wings, light purple skin and pink hair asked.
Umi smiled at the girl and said, "These are students that were just brought in Yosei."
Yosei blinked. Her expression then morphed into one of confusion.
"I don't understand. We just got Kai a few days ago, why suddenly bring in more kids?" she questioned.
Umi shrugged. "It was Shiro's idea. There are adults who were brought in as well."
Yosei appeared to accept the explanation as she said nothing.
"Want us to take the kids with us and explain how things work around here?" a boy with the appearance of a red fox offered.
"That would be wonderful Kitsune," Utada declared. "Please do that."
The ones called Yosei and Kitsune signalled for the younger kids to come with them. Despite their nervousness, the children went with them, leaving the teenagers alone with the two women.
"Now, let's get down to business," Umi declared. "First of all, I completely understand that none of you wants to be here. No one ever does. However, this is your situation now, so you'll just have to deal with it. My sister and I didn't want to be here, but we are. We look after the children, like you. I mostly act as a guard for this place, however, like you, it's not of my own will. Do you understand? We're all in the same boat."
Umi indicated to the collars around her and Utada's necks. It surprised the students to learn that these two were slaves as well.
"As you can see a lot of the areas around here are gender-segregated however, there's a common room here for both. Food is generally delivered here, and you can eat it wherever you want. There's also the training ground which you'll be taken to practice your fighting styles when you have to compete in the underground matches."
Umi heard a "Tch" from one of the students and sighed.
"Look it's fine if you don't want to fight but at the same time, you have to. Look at where you're standing and what situation you're in, you are in no position to refuse. If you try, you'll be punished severely, and won't just affect solely you, but everyone around you, us and those kids you saw too." The students stared at the ground in defeat and despair. This was truly their situation now, and there wasn't a thing they could do about it, not unless someone came to rescue them. Only a few held their heads high.
"Now that you understand your position, does anyone have any questions? Just ask and we shall answer."
The students exchanged glances with each other. At first, they weren't sure of what to say. Then one of them finally thought of a question.
"My name is Saiko Intelli of Seiai Academy," a tall girl with white hair wearing a Parisian style black and white outfit. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. The man who runs this domain, Shiro I believe he's called, mentioned something about fighting in underground battles. Would you happen to know what those are like?"
Seiai Academy was an all-girls hero school that was quite prestigious and had a good reputation. While most hero schools were co-ed, there were a couple that was single gender-based.
'Definitely, a rich girl who's been raised in a more sophisticated environment,' Utada thought. 'She's polite though, which is nice compared to most of the other people living in this shithole.'
"Brutal, just downright brutal," Umi stated bluntly and honestly. "And before you ask, yes, competitors do die, on more than one occasion. Most people are lucky to walk away with just a few broken bones. They're even more lucky to walk away with only scars and bruises."
Umi could the uneasy expressions on their faces. In her opinion, it was a good thing. The sooner they understood just what they were up against the better.
"What other jobs will we be assigned? Not everyone here has a quirk that's suited to combat," Kendo argued.
"True," Umi agreed. "Everyone will be given a job that's best suited to them. You see down here quirks aren't everything. Shiro investigates what a person is skilled at and then exploits their talents to use for his own gain. For instance, we have a quirkless woman as the lead scientist and weapons developer here. She even made the gadgets that brought you down. She has an assistant who is also quirkless and is a teen like you. He has a knack for designing support gear for our members."
"I also possess an excellent sense of fashion, so if you need help call me," a male yet soft and elegant voice rang.
The source of the voice was a young man of fourteen, with dark hair combed back to the point where his right eye, golden eyes, a handsome face, and a neck that was slightly longer than usual. He was tall in appearance and wore jeans, a black t-shirt with characters from Fairy Tail on it, brown sneakers and a blue hoodie. He was smiling warmly at the new arrivals as well.
"Shita, what a pleasant surprise," Utada greeted cheerfully. "Are finished for today already?"
Shita grinned mischievously at her.
"Nope. I heard we had some newcomers and I wanted to check them out," Shita responded while holding his hands behind his head. "I must say, I didn't expect this many. Are they regular students or are some of them from hero schools?"
"Of the fifty here, forty-five are, one is a Gen Ed student while the others are kids that skipped school for the day," Umi explained, causing Shita to gasp. For Shiro to get his hands on this many hero students made it the man's lucky day. "Be nice to them. Also, everyone, this is Shita, one of those two individuals I was talking about a few seconds ago. Treat him with respect."
"Of course," he responded in a flamboyant tone. "Names Shita. Nice to meet you! If you need help with your clothes feel free to come to me for help. I can make anything that's suited to your style. I'm better at designing for boys but I can design clothes for girls. I also make support items for people. You'll need to get special permission to use support gear in your fights and other duties I'm afraid but, behave and work hard enough and you'll be granted the equipment you desire."
The students were surprised at this teen's friendly and cheerful demeanour. How could he act this way in a place like this? Bakugo had a different reaction to this person. He walked up to Shita and grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in close enough that their faces were only inches apart.
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" he half asked half demanded.
Shita frowned.
"No, I don't think so," Shita replied honestly. "I think I'd remember meeting someone like you Katsuki Bakugo."
Katsuki said nothing but glared at the younger male. He wasn't lying when he asked that question. He didn't know how or when but, somehow, he knew this boy, or at the very least he seemed familiar to him. He just couldn't think of when. He released Shita by the collar and walked away.
"Tch," Katsuki scowled. "Whatever. I don't need anything designed by a quirkless person, not when someone with a quirk can do it so much better."
"Bakugo, that was uncalled for," Tenya stated.
"Yeah, don't be mean," Mina piped up.
"It's alright, I'm used to it. That's how everyone starts off when they hear about me, then they see how good I am and change their minds," Shita reasoned. He then changed to a more serious tone of voice. "Let me ask you something Bakugo. What makes you think I can't design something better than a quirked individual? Have you ever seen the stuff I've made? Have you ever tested any devices made by me? Let me answer that one for you: no, you haven't. So, don't go judging before you try it."
Katsuki growled. "Why would I need to? You're quirkless so,"
"And that automatically makes me useless?" Shita interrupted, his voice now cold with a hint of anger.
Katsuki glared at him and nodded. Shita sighed. It didn't matter how many times he went through this; it was always so tiring and frustrating. He'd had to put up with this for most of his life.
"Okay then, let me ask you another question. For the things I do, why would a quirk be necessary? There are many people in those industries that don't have quirks suited to the job, yet they do it anyway." Shita paused momentarily to catch Bakugo's reaction. It was a mixture of anger and uncertainty, just what he was going for. "Take Best Jeanist and Power Loader for example. True their quirks help with bringing their designs to life, but at the end of the day they're the ones that made it, not their quirks. They used their own intelligence, technical and creational skills to do it."
The students were exchanging glances with each other.
"Most of you seem to forget, the world started off as quirkless. For centuries that's the way things were, and many inventions today are based on theories and designs by quirkless people. So go on, call me useless and weak, but the next time you try and degrade a quirkless person remember this moment."
That seemed to shut Bakugo up. They began making mental notes on how to judge someone not by their quirk, but by their abilities.
"I apologise for our colleague's rude behaviour, he's like that with everyone," Elena defended. She didn't want to make enemies around here, not unless she could help it. "His behaviour aside I'm sure many of us will be coming to you in the future, so please take care of us."
She bowed her head as a sign of politeness.
"Sure thing," Shita replied, his cheerful demeanour having returned. "On to more important matters."
"Do any of you have any questions you'd like answered?" Utada asked.
The students thought about it.
"Earlier Shiro said no one would come for us, does that mean no one has ever escaped before?" Asui asked. "Or been rescued even?"
The three individuals exchanged uneasy glances with each other. It wasn't something they liked talking about around here, but it wasn't something they wanted to forget either.
"Once," Umi admitted softly. "Someone escaped once, with some outside help."
"However, the outside help he received had a thorough knowledge of this place, and they weren't the sort of opponents to be taken lightly," Utada added. "He didn't plan to escape at the time, the opportunity just presented itself and he ran for it."
"He was a friend of ours, one who we're glad got away and hope he never comes back, especially after what he did to Shiro," Shita explained with a hint of sadness in his voice.
"What did he do?" Setsuna asked nervously.
The three people stared at her.
They all spoke at the same time. "He was in a fight with Shiro and was losing badly, but at the right moment, he took out that man's eye."
The students were both intrigued and terrified of this individual that managed to accomplish such a feat.
"Don't talk about this though," Umi warned. "Shiro was furious after he escaped. He was harsher on people for a while and increased guard duty. He even killed people just for bringing it up. Three months ago, He reverted to his usual self, but other than that don't mention it in front of him."
There was silence. The students were now aware of one thing not to do around this place.
"I know this might sound a lot to ask but, these fights we'll be participating in, would it be possible for us to see them first, just to have a clear idea of what we're up against?" Shoto asked politely.
Umi thought about it for a minute.
"I'll ask, but I'm not promising anything," she finally said.
Shoto and several others nodded in understanding.
Police Headquarters
Police and heroes gathered for the meeting at police headquarters to discuss what had happened earlier that day. In attendance were the highest-ranking heroes, including Best Jeanist despite still being in recovery, and the highest-ranking police officials. Several UA staff (including Nezu) were in attendance. Edgeshot, for some reason, wasn't there and neither was Mt. Lady. It was irrelevant at that moment as the meeting moved forward.
"First of all, thank you for all attending this meeting," the President of the Public Safety Commission, an elderly woman with short hair, announced. "Without further ado, let the meeting commence. First off, on our agenda, identifying the people responsible for this barbaric act. I believe the evidence uncovered in relation to this came from UA after several students returned. Principal Nezu if you would?"
"Of course," Nezu acknowledged. "Earlier today students Jiro, Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami of Class 1A returned after escaping their attackers at the mall. From them, we acquired a description of what these villains looked like and their abilities."
There were a few murmurs. Trouble seemed to always find that class, whether they wanted it or not.
"Further investigation revealed that these individuals were part of the criminal organisation Hades, and this attack was conducted at the order of their leader Shiro," Nezu announced.
Everyone began exchanging worried glances and whispers amongst themselves. They all knew who this group was, and what their leader was capable of.
Even Endeavour was wary. This would be a very dangerous foe, one not to be taken lightly.
"How did you trace the thread to this information?" Best Jeanist asked. "Hades is a rather elusive group, that rarely, if ever, leaves any evidence behind?"
Nezu glanced at Naomasa, who nodded in understanding. They would try and avoid referencing Izuku at all costs. Naomasa's superiors agreed to leave Izuku out of this meeting, but only if he wasn't brought up.
"I shall turn you over to Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi on that one," Nezu declared.
"Thank you, Principal," Naomasa said. "We conducted several interviews with several villains who were part of major organisations to see if they knew anything. Eventually, we interviewed Dabi from the League of Villains and he actually had quite a bit to say." Naomasa could still remember how angry Dabi was when he heard about this, which made sense considering his identity. "We learned that Hades organizes underground battles which are made up of people they kidnap and force into slavery. It generally extends from teenagers to adults as children are seen as too young and inexperienced to fight, they are still given minor jobs though."
Some of the people present flinched at that description. Just what kind of horror were those innocent civilians going through right now.
"The leader, Shiro, is a man in his forties but looks to be in his twenties. We have a full body description of the man, and details on his quirk. Dabi didn't know the name, but Shiro's quirk allows him to manipulate light in any shape or form. He's fought with individuals such as AFO and Atrocity in the past. Due to his strength and threat, we've upped his ranking to an SS-rate villain."
That explanation was terrifying enough. There were very few villains that achieved that rank, and those that did very extremely dangerous.
"If the League knew them then shouldn't you have asked that pet villain of yours about them?" Endeavour questioned.
Naomasa gulped. 'Goddammit Endeavour.'
'Goddammit Enji' All Might mentally shouted. 'Of all the times for you to- ughhh.'
The pros exchanged curious and confused glances. The police officials sighed inwardly. So much for keeping quiet.
"Oh, didn't you all know? UA is housing a villain that worked for the League of Villains, a quirkless villain," Endeavour announced. "One who was involved in the USJ Incident."
The room erupted into shouts and roars.
None could understand why UA would allow a villain to attend their school.
Others were curious about him being quirkless. What use could he possibly be to the League?
Others were wondering what the hell Endeavour was talking about.
The room was quieted by the General Commissioner and the President.
"I'm sure you all have questions but now isn't the time," the President declared.
"Now seems like the perfect time to me," Fourth Kind muttered.
Some pros nodded in agreement.
Sighing in defeat the Commissioner-General decided to explain.
"Okay, you want the truth, fine, we'll tell you the truth. A villain codenamed Deku was captured alongside AFO during the battle of Kamino. He was transferred to UA as a sort of protection detail due to several attempts made on his life. These include a Nomu attack at Hosu which was aiming at him specifically, Atrocity trying to gun him down at Kamino, and some metallic weapon at the villain hospital. Given that he helped several UA students in the past, this is a way of reforming him. Furthermore, the skills he possesses, they are not something to be looked down on, and in all honesty, they are better off on our side than the villains."
Endeavour sneered. He didn't see what a quirkless person like him could accomplish.
The other heroes were surprised. This villain, Midoriya, `they couldn't understand why but, he was dangerous.
"Quirk analysis and science experiments, coupled with expert martial arts skills make him extremely dangerous," the Commissioner-General explained in a low serious tone. "He defeated Bakugo and Todoroki with little assistance. So, mark my words, do not underestimate him. His abilities made the League even more powerful."
Despite not entirely believing it, the heroes did not take his words lightly.
"Is this the boy Mina Ashido defended when we came to rescue her and Bakugo?" Kamui Woods asked. "The one who defended her from Atrocity?"
Kamui hadn't forgotten about the boy at Kamino. He remembered how Mina spoke up for him when he saved her. He was surprised at how old he looked; he must have been the same age as the students. How someone as young as him became a villain he didn't understand.
Out of all the League members that were restrained, he was the only one who didn't struggle or try to escape. He was the only one to accept his capture and subsequent defeat, a rare trait seen in most villains, or rather a rare trait seen in most people.
"Boy? How old is he?" Death Arms asked.
"Sixteen," Nezu answered before anyone else could.
"Sixteen. That's sad to think someone so young became a villain," Ryukyu mourned.
Some heroes agreed with her.
"Okay. I'm sorry but can we get to the topic at hand. I thought we were here to discuss how to deal with these bastards, not discuss some teenage villain," Miruko barked.
"The Rabbit Hero is correct," the President said. "Let us not sway from the path in front of us."
Endeavour wasn't willing to let the matter go. He was still angry at that quirkless piece of filth for humiliating him when he visited UA last time.
"Why not question him to be sure?" he suggested. "And be a little forceful in methods just to make sure he isn't lying."
The police officials and UA staff groaned in frustration.
"We can't," Midnight said. Before he could ask why she spoke again. "Because Midoriya is still unconscious after suffering from a panic attack today." The stunned silence that followed filled the air with tension. "When he recognised the leader's name, it triggered certain memories that can only be described as traumatic. He is not in the condition to tell you anything."
Endeavour didn't really care whether the brat was traumatised or not, they needed answers and he had them.
"If you wish to discuss Midoriya's time at Hades we shall do so at the end, but now, we need to focus on more important matters," the General Commissioner declared.
Endeavour scowled. The other heroes didn't seem to mind but they did feel sorry for the boy.
"From information, we gathered off of Dabi, we now know a way in, and have a detailed account of some of their members and their quirks," the President announced. The heroes and police officials listened intently. "Following this information, we will conduct a raid on Hades group within four days. Please understand that we need time to prepare everything for this event. They will have the home advantage and multiple ways to keep us out so please bear with us."
As frustrated as they were, they didn't argue. They sat quietly and listened.
Hades Group: Underground Arena
Umi came back and informed them that they (the students) were allowed to look at the fights. Apparently, Shiro thought it was a good idea to prepare them for what was to come.
The underground arena was incredibly large.
It was circular with devices surrounding it to change the environment of the field depending on the fight. The stands were up high, and the arena was held in by a reinforced cage. One would think it was the coliseum from Rome (which wouldn't have been a bad comparison). Currently, there were two individuals fighting inside, Lobo and some random strong guy.
"Hey it's Lobo," Umi said. "He's a strong fighter who's fought and survived in this place for years. He also helps us look after the children."
The students watched in amazement as the one called Lobo dominated his opponent with several punches, kicks and German suplexes. Then, to finish, Lobo performed a powerbomb on his opponent to win the fight.
"He's definitely strong," Shoto murmured.
He would need to be careful when facing him in the future. Katsuki wasn't really interested in Lobo though he did acknowledge him as strong.
"Where's Shiro?" he demanded. "I really want to pummel that bastard for what he did to me."
Umi groaned. This one would be a difficult one.
"Well, you can't. Shiro doesn't fight with," she started.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that Umi," came a voice she knew all too well.
Turning behind her she saw her boss/captor leaning against the wall grinning at her. He then waved cheerfully at her.
"Shiro, what are you doing here?" Umi asked completely baffled at the situation.
"I run this place," he reminded her.
"I know that. It's just, you never check on new arrivals, and you hardly, if ever come down to this area," Umi reasoned.
"True," he acknowledged. "However, I rarely get a bunch this valuable wouldn't you agree. So, I wanted to check them out myself. I also couldn't help but overhear Bakugo here saying he wants to, what's the word, 'pummel' me."
Umi felt her heart sink. This would not end well. No one was ever to threaten Shiro, especially since it would end very badly.
Bakugo brought up his fists, ready for a fight.
Shiro chuckled.
"And I thought, why deny him the opportunity," he said much to everyone's surprise. "So how bout it Bakugo? Think you can take me on by yourself."
"I'll kill you," Katsuki snarled in response.
Shiro smirked. "By all means try, I dare you. Oh, and Umi, this won't be a deathmatch, so you don't have to worry."
"I'm going to send for the medical squad if that's alright," she said nervously.
"Smart choice," Shiro applauded. He turned to face his upcoming opponent. "Now let's get ready, shall we?"
Hades Assassins
Shiro's assassins were ready to head out. The pair were Shino Tenshin and Blade.
"Time to move out," Shino declared in a high yet emotionless voice.
Shino was a young woman close to her thirties with a tall, thin figure. She possessed long snowy white hair and crimson red eyes. She wore a white sleeveless mini dress, white gloves, and high heel boots. Attached to her back was a katana sealed in its sheathe, however, hidden in the rest of her outfit were several shurikens, knives and mist bombs.
"We're supposed to capture Deku, not kill him. I still want to fight him to see how much he's changed if that's alright," Blade said in a rough yet excited voice.
Blade's appearance was completely covered. He wore loose grey robes that made him look like a ninja. He was bald with dark eyes and had several scars over his head and face, which he covered with a jester mask. He was taller than Shino and had a well-built body.
Having said enough, the two moved out towards UA.
Edgeshot
Edgeshot was running late to the meeting, which wasn't a good thing. He got distracted helping someone attacked by a thug.
Suddenly he saw a figure flashing above him onto a high-rise building. The figure stood admiring the view of the city.
"Wait a second, is that?" Edgeshot realised.
When the figure started moving, he did the same. His plans had suddenly changed to something more important.
"What are you doing here? And what are you up to?" he wondered.
Izuku Midoriya
Izuku woke up on a bed in the hospital. He collected his thoughts on why he was there and remembered he'd had a panic attack.
"That was unexpected," he murmured.
He lay back in bed, not falling asleep, but in deep thought.
He remembered everything, or at least most of it.
Shiro.
Hades.
The friends he had made, as well as the enemies.
His deeds.
Her.
"So, what do I do now?" he wondered.
All while he remained blissfully unaware of the danger that approached him.
Hi there. Well, what did you think of that? Oh my God, that was a long chapter. I'm going to be busy with a few things for the next couple of weeks so I thought I may as well give you something to enjoy.
A couple of things I'd like to announce about this arc are:
Izuku's past will be further expanded on. It will also be shown through an entire chapter or two focused on a flashback.
Since this is an original arc there will be a lot of OC's in it, though they won't be as important for the rest of the story.
A couple more quirkless characters will be introduced because I don't want Izuku and Naomasa (who I didn't find out had a quirk until later) to be the only ones. They'll be good for showing the prejudice in society.
Characters such as the Illegals (with two OC's of mine), Gentle Criminal and La Brava, Razor, Stain, Dabi, Gang Orca, and Grand Torino will be making an appearance. I really want them to be in this so I'm going for it.
The League won't really be in it. I showed them in this chapter to show they have not been forgotten about.
That's all. I liked writing this chapter and I hope to have chapter 40 out by the end of the year. Thank you. Please review.