Another week had passed and I had spent it working on the puzzle and training. The stim would now keep you alive for three and a half minutes, I was making progress but not enough...Everyone knew about it now and more and more Jacks were starting to see the stims as the actual plan, while anything the ace's did were more so a plan b. I had gone from a leader to a full blown savior, because truthfully if LOGIC was able to have one for all I was confident that we'd be able to do anything by force, and that was only if one of us had it… I could only imagine if everyone had access to it. It was true that they didn't know all the details but they knew what the end result would do, "Turn them into superman.". And it was up to me to see it done. This hero however, Iris, was becoming a problem. He had considerable wealth and pull in the community of heroes, and he was hell bent on revenge. While I hadn't been on any of the missions I did hear about how he'd always be there to thwart our plans...which only made the Ace's think it was more imperative that I continue my work as opposed to helping them on their missions. Due to the fact this hero was so powerful and had a...personal drive to stop us, I continued to train with the metal rod. It took all week and a few teleportation's to better ground to test them, but I had successfully created two super moves with the guidance of Yamiaka. The first move was an offensive move, it would take about twenty percent of my energy. I'd slam the bottom of the rod into the ground and use both hands to channel energy into it, causing a small earthquake while simultaneously throwing everything around me into a tornado while also being able to throw objects at a target if desired. As for the other move it was a more defensive ability, I'd slam the bottom of my staff into the ground again and form a giant dome around myself, it was large and could easily protect me, the ace's and the jacks to cover an escape, however to use either of these moves required my full focus. I've been told by Uncle Kiyaka that nothing has been said on the news about Kirishima's kidnapping other than he's been rescued, I assumed that any information they gained from him was kept secret from the public...that was fine. They still didn't know where home base was, and if the stims worked it wouldn't matter what they knew. Yamiaka has been more...worried for me. He can sense the considerable stress coming from this whole situation among others, the twins now know about Izuku and me. Omiora and Ugoka revealed what they knew when they asked them. While they didn't know about Izuku's quirk they still knew of his existence, I'd rather that not be the case. Ugoka had been more stressed lately, the guilt was getting to him. This Iris was really getting in the way of things.
"Kyokia.". I heard over the pager that was used by LOGIC members to contact me, it was Ugoka, his tone was serious. "I need you in the conference room.". Only time I was ever called to the conference room was to give my opinion on a plan of theirs, so I got up prepared to do that. When I teleported back to my room I heard arguing in the conference room. "This is a terrible Idea!" Uta said to someone as I opened my door. "Yet it's something I need to do, you'll be fine without me." Ugoka said presumably in response to her. "Whats going on?" I asked them all. Ugoka, Omiora, Uta, Hatsu and Seishika were present. "There was a...complication, in their last mission." Seishika explained. "Ugoka was given a note by Iris...You'll want to read it.". "He didn't attack you on sight?" I asked Ugoka. "We'd gotten what we went for, after Fukisha used an emp on it to prevent the note from being tracked we brought it back. Take it." I used my quirk to bring it to me and heard Uta say "Ugoka we need everyone we can to get this dirt on him, we're so close!". I temporarily ignored them as I read the letter. "Murderer, I'd arrange a meeting. An acquaintance of mine would very much like to speak to your "Leader", and wants to bargain on keeping a secret.". Izuku...He still was worried I'd tell anyone? That was useful. "Meet me at the ruins of your old gang's headquarters tonight, it'll be secluded enough.". "Kyokia surely you don't agree with this? It's obviously a trap." Uta said expectantly. "Trap or not I still must go, as must Kyokia."Ugoka stated, this presented an opportunity, perhaps I could gain leverage on Izuku "It's most certainly a trap." I chimed in, everyone was looking at me, if Iris was bringing students as opposed to heroes...I doubted what he wanted to do was legal. "If my suspicions are correct Ugoka Iris doesn't plan to let you walk out of the trap alive.". "Y'all really considering this?" Hatsu asked Ugoka and I. "We got the coordinates, we got the plans...we know for a fact the evidence is in that vault we should just follow that." I gave Ugoka a confused look, Omiora answered for him. "We've been following a politician, we have dirt on a few but we know he has a piece of...evidence that would lose him his job and in return give him jail time. If we can get that we'll have a powerful asset." That made sense, and while I agreed that we should have all our firepower on trying to get that "evidence" we could spare Ugoka and I. "It's decided, we will go." I declared. "We'll see what they want, and if we can gain leverage on this "acquaintance.". " I could feel the unasked question in the room, and everyone knew it wouldn't be answered. They wanted to know who the acquaintance of Iris was.
Uta flung her arms in defeat. "Fine, well your meeting is soon so you'd better go.". The others left the room, leaving Ugoka, Seishika and I alone. "Seishika." Ugoka started. "My old headquarters is near the highway running out of Musutafu, bring us there.". "Sir, what's your plan?" Yamiaka asked me. "Why, to bargain of course." I muttered. "Besides if this Iris isn't there to ruin the evidence gathering that's a bonus.". I heard a portal open. "Come on kid, let's go." Ugoka said. I grabbed my clicker and Seishika threw me a canister. Ugoka and I walked through and found ourselves a ways away from the highway, an open field surrounded us and a building in shambles resided in the distance. Ugoka asked. "Who's the acquaintance?". Seeing as he'd see him there anyway, I saw no reason to hide it. "It's Izuku." I explained as we walked. Ugoka gave me a surprised look for a second, but it quickly faded. "I see...it's this way." I followed him to the building, or what was left of it seeing as it was left in ruins. As I followed him I wondered how Izuku kept getting to these, surely his teachers kept an eye on him. I eventually decided that it was none of my business how his teachers failed to keep him from dangerous situations. "This used to be a convenience store." Ugoka reminisced. "Me and my gang moved in once it was closed down, long time ago.". We waited for a while, Ugoka asked. "That rod got any punch to it?" I looked at the metal rod I held and said. "If need be, yeah.". "Good." Ugoka replied. "We'll likely need it.". "Strong survival instincts." I heard a voice from outside. In walked three figures, two of them I recognized as Izuku and Kirishima...there was no mention of three people here. The third figure didn't have a costume on, I assumed it was Iris. "How wonderful." I said addressing Izuku. "Did you bring Bakugo too? Perhaps the rest of your class?". "Bakugo would probably kill you at this point." Kirishima responded. "We're not here for that, and like I said...it's personal now.". I rolled my eyes at the two of them. "Well, was there ever a plan to bargain, or are you simply here to trap us?". "Definitely a trap." Iris said in response, I looked at Izuku and heard Yamiaka say "He's right there sir...this is your chance to capture him." I thought it over for a second, perhaps time would convince him to relent his quirk, but I didn't know if anything could contain his raw strength. "Don't even think about it." Kirishima said. "Izuku won't be experiencing any of your hospitality any time soon.". Kirishima apparently knew what I was planning. "So why bring Kirishima?" I asked Iris. "I'd hate to walk in on a fair fight." He said, how utterly heroic. "Kyo we're here to take you in." Izuku finally said. "Please...just don't fight it.".
I laughed aloud at this, surprising Izuku and it appeared to anger Kirishima. "Oh Izuku please don't tell me you believe that.". "What's that supposed to mean?" Kirishima asked confrontationally. "You really think Iris would have chosen Kirishima for that job?" I said as I gestured at Iris. "He'd simply get a fellow "hero" for that." Then something clicked. "You...don't know their history...do you?" I asked Kirishima and Izuku, pointing between Iris and Ugoka, who hadn't broken eye contact this entire time. "What?" Izuku asked me. "Izuku Iris didn't choose Kirishima because he wanted to bring me and Ugoka in alive.". Izuku looked up at Iris while Kirishima kept his eye on me. "Is that true?". "Sorry kid." Iris replied to Izuku. "Your friend can live, but Ugoka dies tonight." Izuku and Kirishima gave Iris a surprised look as Ugoka and him got into battle poses. "Oh Izuku...you place your trust in the wrong people." I said as I entered my own. Iris's eyes glowed red as he looked at me, I felt tingly and mentally prepared myself for whatever was about to happen. As Iris and Ugoka charged at each other I heard Kirishima yell "Last chance Kyokia! Give up so we can stop them from killing each other!". "Ugoka can take care of himself.". I said as the two of them approached me, ready to fight. I prepared myself as well but I stopped as I heard Ugoka say "No! I won't let you trick me!" I looked at him and saw his eyes glowed red, I had no Idea what was happening to him but he was still fighting Iris. I looked back at the other two and let out a large gasp, even taking a step back. The two of them were minorly surprised but kept moving towards me, but I wasn't interested in them...I was interested in who was behind them. "His eyes…" Kirishima said, though I wasn't interested who it was directed to. Behind them there was a woman, a woman I knew to be dead but she was there…". "M-mother?" I finally said, confusion completely taking me over. I could feel tears in my eye's, and I saw that Izuku stopped in shock once he heard what I said. There my mother stood, outside the building, she smiled at me and then started to run away. "No! Don't leave!" I shouted. Izuku and Kirishima tried to block me as I rushed to her but I sent a rush of telekinetic energy at them, knocking them back. They stood in the way of me and my mother.
I chased her down the field, I knew Izuku and Kirishima were behind me but I didn't care. None of this made sense, I knew she was dead...there was something terribly wrong but I didn't care, it was like something was stopping me from caring. "Come back!" I yelled as I propelled myself into the air, but even as I flew she was just out of my reach. Yamiaka appeared and said. "Sir please! You have to-". "Shut up!" I said to him harshly. She was right there, I couldn't tear myself away from her...it was like I was in a trance. Eventually my mother stopped and another figure appeared next to her, it was Mugiti. I teared up even more. "Mugiti!" I yelled in agony and relief. They waited for me to arrive, I was almost there, I had my family back, all I could feel was anticipation, the warmth of my mothers embrace. But once I reached them, they disappeared. I frantically looked around. "No...no, no!" I shouted as I looked around, searching for something that wasn't there. "Come back! Don't leave me!". I continued to look around, I was panicking but I was slowly calming down. "...please…" But it was no use, the only people there were Kirishima and Izuku, looking at me. I snapped out of it, I had no idea the quirk was so powerful. "That was terrible…" I said as I looked at them. "That was a line even I wouldn't cross!" I was angry at them now, they were with Iris and Iris put me through that. "Kyo I-". "Shut up!" I yelled at Izuku as I threw chunks of earth at him and Kirishima. The two of them came rushing at me, I used the rod to summon small bursts at them, they dodged them however and continued. I threw a chunk of ground at Kirishima, he hardened himself and plowed through it, so I in turn threw Izuku at Kirishima which resulted in the two of them tumbling over. I decided that it would be better to fight alongside Ugoka and as they got up I started to fly back toward the building so we could regroup, we'd stand together on this.
As I flew I looked back to see something very unexpected, Izuku threw Kirishima at me. I formed a barrier and Kirishima crashed into it, Izuku was almost here so I threw Kirishima back at Izuku. After that I continued flying over to Ugoka, though a hole in the roof I could see he was still in combat with Iris who had daggers in his eyes. I landed on the roof and pulled Ugoka up to me, giving us a second to breathe. "It appears we've come here for nothing…" I said to Ugoka. "We came here for a fight." He responded. Izuku and Kirishima jumped on top of the building shortly after Iris did from inside. "Some hero he is." I said to Izuku as I gestured to Iris. "Aren't heroes supposed to be...what's the word? Merciful?". The three of them started to charge at Ugoka and I, Ugoka activated his shield and I threw chunks of the roof at the three of them. Iris was fast, it didn't take long for him to make it to me but before he could land a hit Ugoka grabbed him. Kirishima and Izuku were now close to me as well, Izuku went in for a punch so I charged up my rod and practically sent him flying once it connected. "Izuku!" Kirishima yelled in a slight panic as he rushed over to Izuku. Ugoka struck Iris who stumbled due to it, I took this as an opportunity and picked him up, then threw him at Kirishima. As they got up I heard Ugoka say. "Now's our chance, we have to get out of here!". I nodded my head and ordered. "Activate the portal.". "No!" Iris shouted as he made his way to us. It would be hard to pull this off with three of them attacking us at once. "Ugoka hold on." I grabbed us both and flew us to the ground, once we were down Ugoka threw down the canister, I used my quirk to click the button and slammed my staff into the ground. "Time to give this a shot." I said as I started to channel my offensive attack. The ground around me started to break as chunks flew out and swirled in a small tornado, as fast as Iris was he couldn't dodge through the sheer intensity of it. "Damn it!" He shouted in frustration as he realized this. "I got this!" Kirishima declared. I knew exactly what he was going to do, I was unsure if my attack would be able to stop him in that monstrous state, Luckily the portal opened. "Go!" I yelled to Ugoka. "Hurry your ass up kid!" Ugoka said as he stood by the portal. I propelled myself to the portal and Ugoka jumped into it. Once we were on the other side I slammed my hand on the ground, I was furious. "That man is a monster." I concluded. Ugoka gave a sad nod and Seishika bit his lip, picking up on the fact that the meeting did not go well. I raised myself up with one balled up fist and dusted my coat off. "I'm not getting side tracked again...I'll be in my lab." I explained, Ugoka gave an understanding nod, I felt the need to reassure him. "...I'm not mad at you Ugoka." I explained. "I'm mad that we were unprepared, we can't take risks like that again." I then teleported and sat in front of the puzzle, I'd been stalling long enough and the fact that we'd gone to that meeting and gotten absolutely no payoff was going to take a chunk out of morale. I let out a frustrated yell…I felt like that was all I ever felt anymore, frustration and depression. But my feelings didn't matter, the aces and jacks were relying on me to get this done…once we had the stim and the quirk, we'd win…and no one in LOGIC would be oppressed anymore…that's all that really kept me going anymore. "I'll see this thing done." I muttered in dull anger and rising desperation. "If it's the last thing I do…".