-22nd April 2XXX-

The soft hum of the air-conditioner was drowned by the tip-tapping of keys being punched by nimble fingers. Sharp green eyes scanned the screen in front of them, making sure every word was spelt correctly and no error left unchecked. With a flick of the wrist, the Enter key was hit and the document was sent. A sigh of relief could be heard as she slumped into the swivel chair that had been her seat for the past 5 hours. She could now rest easy knowing that the legal documentation for her client had been edited to perfection.

Work had always kept her busy. Given her position which pretty much set her office on the 77th floor of the main tower complex, it was part of the whole package. She swung her swivel chair to face the large borderless window of her office to stare at the hustle and bustle of Roma down below.

How beautiful it was to see the lights of automobiles dance in the highways and the clear starry night sky. Then, a soft knock on the door came followed by a meek creak.

"Oh, Miss Una!" said a gentle voice. "Doing overtime again?

She turned and smiled at the middle-aged woman that stood by her door in blue overalls, cleaning cart in tow. "Afraid so, Madam. I've just finished up here so don't you worry. I won't be here to impede your cleaning duties any further!"

"Oh, you're too polite as always, Miss Una!" the cleaner chuckled. "I'm not as important in the grand scheme of things. You help manage the company and go beyond the call of duty! All I do is clean and deliver the offices away from filth."

Both Miss Una and the cleaning lady shared a laugh at that. However, their laughter felt silent as the cleaner uttered a phrase with solemn gravity:

"The sun has fallen."

Miss Una's eyes narrowed, her green pupils glowing a faint emerald as she fixed her glasses. "How?"

"I'm afraid the details were not made clear, Miss Una. All I know is that all heirs had perished and that I'm supposed to hand this to you." The cleaning lady pulled out a crisp red envelope from a pocket in overalls. "Read it once I leave this room. After that, head to the airport."

"Understood," she declared. "May the Lord be merciful."

Giving her a solemn nod, the cleaning lady stepped out of the office and clicked the door shut. She remained motionless until her ears could no longer hear the humble rumble of the cleaning cart before pulling out a lighter from her suit's breast-pocket. It was one made of silver and had a crest of intricate design etched onto its body. It felt heavy in her hands despite being hollow. A brilliant golden flame sparked to life and it engulfed the red envelope in a matter of seconds, leaving behind a fine pile of soot.

May the devil be found and sent back to where he belongs.


-Present Day-

"Oof! I'm s-s-sorry about that!"

The darkened Italian skies changed to that of a bright school corridor with a thump. It was not a painful one, but it was enough to nearly make her lose her footing. Right in the gut too. Suspecting that it was a passing student, she waved it off with a "It's fine." It was an accident and it was somewhat her fault for being too lost in thought to notice. But, the apologies kept coming, becoming a gradual stuttering mess as the kid's head became a green blur with each bow. She had to stifle a giggle at the boy's expense to avoid increasing the intensity of his apologies.

After what seemed to be the tenth rushed 'sorry', the kid dashed off to wherever he was supposed to be going. She then let out a sigh, straightened out her suit and continued upstairs. 'The things I do for the family,' she thought as her brows furrowed. It would have been a lot easier if she could just sneak in and get the information but the damned gang of posers calling themselves 'The League of Villains' just had to attack the school head on and cause them to increase their already-high security. Alternatively, she could also go in loud, but the Family's and her own policies prioritises the guaranteed safety of the innocents. For now, she must meet the school's principal as the meek Makoto Tendo, the stand-in for the representative of the Ministry of Heroic Security who 'suddenly' could not make it today.

Poor guy seemed to have had a bad meal for breakfast. Good thing the newly-employed intern was there…

A small smile crept up as she then approached the principal's office. With a set of three firm knocks, a muffled voice ushered her to enter.

Before her was a tidy Japanese-oriented office complete with a tea set on a small coffee table. Two cups of tea steamed away on its surface, one of them held by a mouse/bear/dog thing wearing a nice suit.

"Have a seat, Miss Tendo," the strangely adorable thing known as Nedzu offered. Getting her mind into the character she created, she acted to be flustered and flopped into the couch opposite it.

"Care for a cup of tea?"

"A-ah, sure!" she replied as she sheepishly took the warm cup from the table. She then took a few sips and set it down on the table along with some compliments for added courtesy.

"Well, glad you liked the tea then because I believe what we'd be discussing might be very dry."

A chuckle echoed in her throat before being strangled as she was not sure if the talking animal was joking. "Of course. We're here to discuss the matters of Quirks, after all. Not much fun to be found there."

Nedzu chuckled before he seated himself to the couch facing her. "I'll agree with you there but as an educator, I find the chance to mould students with potential into functioning members of society with bright futures to be interesting. Here at U.A., we have professional staff who themselves are working heroes and the facilities and connections we have provide the students with the means and opportunities needed to advance forward."

'How professional,' she thought. There was no clear interest in the animal's inflection but that alone was not evidence of his lack genuine passion of the job. Not that she blamed him, government types can be tiring to deal with. It was also not a bad move to try and divert the conversation. While it was not the subtlest of topic changes, she appreciated the attempt. She was here to investigate a request from the school regarding a specific type of Quirk after all and it was rare enough to warrant the attention of the Minister of Heroic Security himself. The rat/cat/bear thing had every right to be wary.

Alas, it would take more than simple diversion to fool an enforcer of the Family. She reciprocated his chuckle with a weak smile and shifted around in her seat. "I-indeed, that is true, Principal Nedzu and there is no doubt in your dedication to the future of these children especially the prestige this school has. However, I do believe that I am here to look into a claim made by your school regarding a student with a Stand." The words, while uttered with a light-hearted, nervous lilt expected of an intern replacement of a member of the ministry, burst the bubble that held back the cold flood of tension, bringing the room to a chill despite it being in the middle of spring.

"Pardon?"

"A-ah, um, a Stand, sir, this meeting was for the student with the Stand, right?"

An involuntary shiver shot down her back as the principal said nothing. The smile remained, his eyes still bright and lively but she could not help but feel that the cute furry animal before her had begun to bare its fangs. It made her think back to her time scoping out the representative's office for information for this meeting. There was a note on his desk that made specific mention of the Stand so she could just form an alibi by claiming that they told her about it for briefing purposes. She was an intern and they need the info to make the job go smoothly.

But, why was she getting the feeling that her cover had been blown? Was it the sudden forwardness about the topic? She could claim anxiety and wave it off. She even made sure to make her voice waver when Nedzu questioned her earlier to appear doubtful.

"A Stand, you say? I'm pretty sure I set this meeting up to discuss security matters of the school regarding the USJ attack." Nedzu, as adorable as he was, never seemed so threatening as he was now. His eyes now seemed cold, his smile one that struck fear. She squirmed in her seat in an attempt to appear flustered.

"U-um, was it a mistake, sir? I'm s-so sorry if it was. I'm a bit new to this and the good man gave me a short debriefing before I came here." She made it a point to let her voice wobble within the limits of believability to emphasise her intended lack of experience.

"Really now?"

"Really."

"Are you sure about that?"

"…"

"Well?"

"…uh...um…yes?"

The clock's soft ticking seemed louder to her as the anxiety induced by the soulless voids staring at her grew. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. This was bad. Did she overlook something? A detail she missed when she was infiltrating the Ministry? Was it the note? Click. A bead of cold sweat rolled down the back of her neck, moistening the chilling metal cylinder that pressed firmly on it. With a playful grin, she let out a soft sigh and placed her hands on her lap. "It was the note, wasn't it?"

"I am afraid so, Miss Tendo." Nedzu then reciprocated her smile with his own, his penetrating gaze seemed to intensify by this development. Like a cog falling into place at just the right spot, at the right time in an elaborate machine. "Now, would you kindly raise your hands so that my colleague there can place you into cuffs?"

The pressure from the barrel of the gun pressed further into her skin. Looks like she would have to go loud after all. "Certainly, Principal Nedzu. However, seeing as how you managed to catch a person like me, a professional in this sort of intelligence gathering among other things, I'm curious. How did you did do it?"

"Well, a good magician never reveals his secrets," the mouse-bear thing taunted. "However, I am willing to let you in on something."

"Oh? And that is?"

A hoarse cough interrupted the two. "Is this going to take long, Nedzu? I've got students to teach in 15 minutes."

"Not to worry, Snipe, just a few sentences."

"Thank you."

Picking up his now lukewarm cup of tea, Nedzu took a sip while never breaking eye contact with this mouse that has fallen into his trap. "Where were we, Miss Tendo?"

"The part where—'

"The part where I was about to explain how I did it, of course! It was quite simple, really. Ever since we found out about this rare ability called a Stand in the possession of one of our students, especially one involved in an incident of significant risk, we have anticipated this possible threat to the student. So, to counteract this, we had already given a warning to the Ministry of Heroic Security to be on the lookout for possible spies."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes but let a small yawn slip through. "Hey, not to be rude or anything but can you cut to the chase? Poor Snipe here is going to late to his own class and I'm nowhere near the penitentiary."

An irritated click of the tongue was heard, eliciting a grin from her. "Fine then," Nedzu relented. "Some people never appreciate a good plan… The note was a ruse and the actual information was with the Minister himself."

"Deputy Minister Josuke Higashikata, I presume?" she asked.

For the first time, the principal of the school narrowed his eyes. "No. The Minister, not Deputy Minister." He was taken aback when she began to chuckle. "What's so funny, Miss Tendo?"

"Oh, nothing really." She stood up and straightened out her suit and tie. "You just looked like you were frozen in place that's all."

"Snipe!" Nedzu called out and moved to stop her. However, he quickly realised that his legs were not responding. In fact, his entire body save for his head could not move. His eyes widened when he saw Snipe frozen into place, his hand still placing the gun where the woman's neck once was. He then felt a jolt down his spine when a gentle gust of wind blew into his ear from behind him. His face tightened; it was the woman.

"Want to know a little secret?" he heard her whisper tenderly. "The student isn't the only one in here with a Stand."

Time appeared to slow down as Nedzu came to a chilling realisation. "No… you're-!"

"Tut tut! Let it stew a bit more in that brilliant head of yours before jumping to conclusions!" she teased. "Instead, how about you reflect on everything you've said in these past few minutes and remember why I'm here."

She was met with silence from him. "What's wrong, Principal? Cat got your tongue?" she said coyly as she wrapped her arms around the immobile mouse-bear thing. Stroking his chin, she brought her free arm closer around his neck, applying gradual pressure. "People say we've all got our vices, right? How about you tell me who this student is or else this 'vice' will clamp down hard, eh?"

Once more, the principal says nothing, his eyes instead watching the clock on the wall.

Snipe, in the meantime, felt helpless. A flick of the wrist and he would get a shot into the suspect. But, now he was a statue doomed to watch his friend being taunted and tormented by her. Every passing second felt like a minute and it seemed like it would never end. Then, he heard her sigh while shrugging her shoulders.

"Guess you're the real deal, huh, Nedzu?" She moved away from the principal and strode towards the door. "Any worthless joke of a hero would have spilled the beans the moment torture seemed imminent. Seriously, everyone knows torture doesn't really work, right? So, I'll leave you two be to thaw."

Before anyone could say anything, however, she suddenly found herself on the steps in the school stairwell, heading downstairs. She nearly fell when she lost her footing due to the sudden nature of it. It also brought her out of her spiel that she was about to deliver to Nedzu, her eyes widening upon realising this. 'This effect, could it be?' she thought as she pulled out an earpiece from her pocket and placed in her ear, pressing a button on it.

"Luca, this is Una," she said, her high heels clacking like an old train as she sped down the staircase.

"This is Luca, anything to report on your investigation in Japan?" replied a gruff voice in the transmission.

"The Devil, Consigliere. The Devil is here."

xxx

"Reporting live from the scene, sirens are blaring everywhere after an explosion broke down the eastern wall of the Yokohama Prefectural Penitentiary. Plumes of smoke still rise from the blast site and it is speculated that among the dozens of escaped convicts are the masterminds behind the recent attacks on U.A High, Shigaraki—"

Bzzt.

He turned away from the darkened screen and picked up the walkie-talkie next to him. Bringing it closer, he turned it on and asked, "Is he alright?"

"He was quiet the whole way through, sir," replied a meek voice. "Other than that, he's alright."

He appeared to ponder this for a moment before responding. "Good. Any sightings of unusual Quirks yet?"

"Uh, I don't follow."

He grumbled a curse under his breath. "The person you sent to check on the school. Has. He. Reported. Back?"

"O-oh…right! Yes, yes, yes, that. Um…not really."

"Why?"

"W-well sir, security's been tightened since then and without Kurogiri, he couldn't bypass it. So, he decided to wait till school's over before releasing a harmless purple gas to scare the students, with the hopes of them activating their Quirks."

"And do pray tell, how exactly is he going to figure who is it? Students would either run or hide and there are several hundred of them." A tired sigh was coming up, but he was too tired to deal with this to even do that.

"…you have a point, sir. A-a-anyway, he hasn't reported anything strange so far. Just some complaints about his watch acting funny."

He sat up in his seat, the pipes protruding from his neck feeling less sore. "Come again?"

"U-uh, nothing really, sir! Just him spouting some nonsense about his watch being a bit faster now. Like he could've sworn the minute hand had moved earlier than usual."

He grinned upon hearing this. "Call him back for now. We have all the information we need," he ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

His low chuckling echoed in the vast room he was in. His suspicions were now confirmed. All he needed to do now was wait till the Sports Festival began.


The amber skies cast an orange glow onto the throngs of students below, casting long shadows onto the dry pavement. However, for class 1-A, the sun would never reach them as they were sheltered by the metal walls of a motorcade of police vans. Each student was placed into the vans based on their place of living for logistical ease. They would drop off the students off at their respective homes.

This was a very confusing moment for all the students involved but they understood why it had to be done: someone had managed to infiltrate the Principal's office and paralysed him. Fortunately, it was not permanent, and he was able to contact the police for this reason. Still, the very thought of a villain going that far into the school compound was a terrifying one. Izuku, on the other hand, was terrified as well but for a different reason. He was terrified by the fact that he did not feel scared by this breach in security.

If anything, he almost welcomed it. Like a powerful king who felt amused by a rogue attempting to stir chaos in his dominion. It was an alien feeling yet it was also natural, and it scared him. He never sought to stand over others like Kacchan did and he was not planning to start now. But, why does it feel so good? When he first felt it when Tsuyu, Kirishima and the rest of those who were in class during lunch break apologised for their words, it disgusted him to no end that he ever derived an energetic high from hearing them apologise in sincerity. The cold indifference he had while he faked a smile did little to help him.

Was this the mindset of the man who singlehandedly controlled the operations of Italy's largest mafia group in late 90s to the early 2000s? He could not help but wonder what horrible deeds he did to dirty his hands in such a business, wonder what he would become should they fuse even further.

A sharp rap on the door and hearing his name being called out, Izuku knew that they had now arrived at his home. He was the only one left in the van by then as the only other person in his area, Kacchan, had already dropped off not too long ago. As he stepped out, he could see the familiar tear-stricken face of his mother.

"Izuku!" she cried as she ran out of the apartment compound to hug him. "I was so worried about you! Oh, my poor Izuku!" She continued to sob even as the police officers present tried to assure her that nothing serious has happened to her son.

Izuku simply smiled, put one arm over his mother's shoulder and walked her back inside. "It's okay, mom. I'm fine." He then gave her a big confident grin.

"So, please don't cry, mom. Because I'm here."

Despite all the doubts that he has had over the changes in him, the fears, the dangers and the anxiety that he has had because of this power called a Stand, for the first time in a long time, he truly felt strong enough to utter those words with conviction.


A/N: Hey guys, KobeNiku here! Sorry for the absurd delay for this new chapter. University happened and I suddenly found myself with work to do. Procrastination too. Again, I apologise for this. Hope this is good enough to keep you going until the next chapter comes around! See you next time!