SUMMARY: Katsuki's training with the Osaka branch agents begins and he gets to meet the agents working there. There's also trouble brewing in Osaka and he may get caught in it!

Snake in the grass

Katsuki maintained eye contact with Uchida as they waited for the others to join them in the briefing room. The man stared right back at him, unblinking and face devoid of emotion. Uchida seemed to be a serious man. From their short interaction since their first meeting, Katsuki decided that he didn't like the man. His presence set off his internal alarm, he couldn't help but feel guarded and alert around him. Uchida was always stoic and when he spoke, he somehow said things that annoyed him with his monotonous tone. Katsuki hated how the man seemed to revel in making him feel uncomfortable around him.

Kubo, on the other hand, was the total opposite of his senior. While Uchida was quiet, serious and reserved, Kubo was loud, chatty and animated. The younger agent was busying himself with paperwork, typing madly on his laptop. He looked tired but he's still annoyingly perky in the morning. The man looked up when the door swung open. He beamed at his colleagues, "G'morning ladies!"

"Good morning! I bought some cupcakes!" said Utsushimi cheerfully as she showed them the takeaway box she brought with her.

"I got some coffee! And hot cocoa for you, Bakugo-kun!" said Ito. She was a tan-skinned woman with pale blonde hair that was in a pixie cut. Her eyes were wide and magenta with speckles of orange. There were six paper cups floating around her. She handed the paper cup in her hand to Katsuki. He took a cautious sniff and was surprised at a familiar scent. The woman smiled at him, "We heard you like your cocoa with a sprinkle of chilli flakes and you prefer your drink unsweetened."

"Chilli flakes?" asked Kubo, perplexed.

Katsuki nodded, "Thanks. Who told you?"

Ito grinned, "Got my info from Ishikawa-senpai."

Katsuki wondered if Hawks told Ishikawa about his preferences. It's not surprising though since the winged hero likes to talk about him, as Ishikawa had mentioned many times. The thought of his winged friend made him uneasy and he forced his mind to not think about him. He took a careful sip and was pleased it was to his liking. He resumed his glaring contest with Uchida when their eyes met.

Ito plucked one of the floating cups from the air and handed it to the man as she passed by. Uchida didn't break eye contact with Katsuki as he accepted the cup with a thank you and then took a sip of his coffee. She glanced between the two as she approached her other senior.

Kubo accepted his cup and held it as if it was sacred. He smiled at Ito, "Thanks, Ito-chan! Yer a lifesaver!"

She smiled at him, "You're welcome! Say, what's up with those two?"

"Oh, don't mind them," said the man with a light chuckle, "They've been glaring at each other for some time now."

"Hey, where's Susumu-kun?" asked Utsushimi when she noticed her junior was missing from the group.

Kubo shrugged, "He probably fell asleep in the break room."

Ito sighed, "I'll go get him."

"No need," said Uchida as he pulled his cell phone out and dialled a number, "Susumu, get your ass in the briefing room ASAP."

"Will the boss be joining us, senpai?" asked Kubo as he took a quick glance at the clock.

"He will," replied the other man curtly.

The door suddenly swung open, bouncing off the wall with a bang, startling everyone except for Uchida who didn't react at all. A dishevelled bespectacled man stood at the door. He adjusted his crooked glasses on his nose and ran a hand through his messy wavy brown locks, "Sorry I'm late!"

"Ah, it's alright Susumu-kun," said Utsushimi.

Katsuki noticed the man's hands were shaking when he accepted the cup of coffee from Ito. He eyed the man curiously. He figured out the others' quirk but not his, yet. The man hurried to Kubo's side when his senior waved him over, "Susumu-kun, did you have time to recover? I kinda need your help going through these folders while I finish up my report."

"Yes, sir," said Susumu.

Katsuki watched in fascination as the man seemed to glow and then split into three. The two doppelgangers took a seat and started going through the folders. The original, he assumed, was holding his cup of coffee and took a long swig from it. Then the man started going through a folder with great attention. His eyes scanning the texts swiftly.

"What time will Imawa-san join us, Uchida-san?" asked Utsushimi.

"Soon."

"Gee, that's helpful," said Ito with an eye roll.

"He still has a few things to discuss with the police. He'll be here as soon as he's done," said Uchida as his eyes shifted to Katsuki who bristled at the attention.

"Huh? Why is he with the police? Did I miss something?" asked Susumu, his eyes wide.

"Our little trainee encountered a villain last night."

"EHH?!"

Katsuki cringed at the loud cry coming from Ito and Susumu, and his clones. They immediately crowded around him, asking if he's alright and what happened. Katsuki's back was pressed against the wall as he tried to get away from them. His hands were beginning to get warm and there was the smell of burnt caramel. The two agents flinched when his hands began crackling with small explosions.

Kubo pulled his juniors away by the back of their collars, "Whoa! Whoa! Back off y'all! Bakugou-kun's alright and well."

Katsuki released a sigh of relief and sent Kubo a grateful look. The man gave him an apologetic smile and began to reprimand his juniors about personal space and reminded them what they've discussed during their briefing about the boy. The two young agents bowed their heads and apologized quietly. Katsuki wiped his hands on his pants and muttered, "That's okay."

"Did they manage to catch him?" asked Utsushimi, her brows knitted together in worry.

Uchida shook his head, "He escaped. No one was able to spot him."

"You think he's the guy we're looking for?" asked Ito as she worried her bottom lips, a nervous habit.

"Maybe. They spotted him down at the docks, as our intel had informed us, and chased him all the way into the city. We still don't have the full details on his quirk though."

"He managed to deactivate the quirk restraining gloves, so maybe something similar to EMP?" said Kubo thoughtfully.

Katsuki rubbed his hands together, feeling the ghost of an electrical shock on his hands from last night, "I don't think it's EMP. He short-circuited them with an electrical current."

"Speed and electrification? Is it possible that this guy has two quirks?" asked Susumu.

Uchida frowned and rubbed his chin in thought, "No, it has to be just one that is versatile."

"But yer really something, Bakugou-kun. Ya stood yer ground against him and didn't get a scratch on ya!" said Kubo as he patted the boy's back.

"Really?" asked Ito.

"Amazing!" said Susumu and his clones.

"He's just lucky," said Uchida. The corner of the man's lips pulled up in a smirk and Katsuki sent him an annoyed glare.

The door opened and everyone's attention fell on the elderly man who just arrived. The man, who Katsuki remembered as Imawa, walked in and took a seat at the head of the long table. Everyone moved to take a seat and the room fell silent. Katsuki took a seat beside Kubo.

Imawa cleared his throat, "I apologize for my tardiness. As you may have known, I had to be down at the station to discuss with the police about what happened last night."

Katsuki tensed when he felt the man's eyes landed on him. He couldn't see his eyes because of the sunglasses but he could feel the man's eyes boring into him. Imawa clasped his hands together on the table, "The heroes and police will handle the villain situation. We will continue with our task in training young Bakugo. He may not be targeted by the villain but I want everyone to keep an eye out. Bakugou must not be left unguarded, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" said the agents.

"Good, we will have a few officers over in the afternoon. They'll help us protect Bakugo from any danger while he is here. Susumu."

The young agent and his clones straightened in their seats, "Sir?"

"Work with Uchida, you two run a background check on the officers who will be coming in today," said Imawa as he handed a folder to Uchida who sat nearby.

Uchida bowed, "Yes, sir."

Imawa turned his attention to Kubo, "Kubo and Utsushimi, collect the surveillance footage from last night and analyze it. Share what you found with us at four in the afternoon today."

"Leave it to us!" said Kubo with a smile.

"Ito."

"Y-yes?" the woman squeaked nervously.

"You'll work with me today. We only have three days left to train Bakugo. Bring in the papers down to the training hall in ten minutes."

"Yes, sir."

"Alright. You know what to do. Keep your pagers on you. You are dismissed."

Everyone got to their feet and started leaving the room. Katsuki remained seated, unsure of what to do or where to go. He stood up when Imawa motioned for him to follow the man, "Come with me."

Katsuki followed him to the elevator. He stood quietly beside the elderly man who was just a good three inches taller than him. Imawa stood straight with his hands behind him, "May I ask you a few questions, lad?"

Katsuki hesitated for a moment, "Sure."

"Why do you want to be a hero?"

"I want to be like All Might. Someone who saves people by winning against villains! Someone who can bring peace!"

Imawa hummed in thought. He then asked, "What keeps you going?"

Katsuki blinked, "What do you mean?"

"I've read your file. You have frequent appointments with Mishima-san. You are young but troubled with past trauma, fear and insecurities. So, how do you keep yourself going forward? What keeps you from breaking?"

Katsuki could feel his heart began to race with anxiety. He clenched his fists tightly, "I have to be number one."

"Everyone wants to be number one."

"I… I have to…" the blond paused and inhaled deeply, "I have to prove them wrong."

"Who?" asked Imawa as he raised a brow.

Katsuki glared at the floor, " Everyone. Everyone who thinks I'm not hero material. Everyone who believed that I'll end up being a bad guy."

"Do you think you'll be a bad guy?"

"No way!" cried Katsuki as he turned to the man, "There's no way I'll be a villain!"

Imawa nodded, "Good. Show me your conviction in your training."

Katsuki stumbled out of the elevator as the man gave him a gentle push. He realized the floor they were on was dark with only a few dimmed lights lighting the way. He turned to the elder agent curiously.

Imawa's hand raised to pull his sunglasses off his face, "My eyes are very sensitive to light so this floor is specially crafted for me."

The boy felt a shiver ran down his spine when Imawa opened his eyes to reveal black eyes. There was no white showing at all. Imawa smiled, "Disconcerting, aren't they?"

"They're creepy… but kinda cool."

The man laughed, "No one has told me that my eyes are 'cool'. You're the first, young lad!" He started walking, "Come with me, I'll explain your training along the way."

The teenager followed the man down the long and quiet hallway. He tried to relax but couldn't as the dimmed hallway brought back memories of a dark alleyway with a man standing at the entrance, needles between his fingers. His dark emotionless eyes boring into him. Katsuki shut his eyes and quietly started the breathing exercise that Mishima had taught him. Once he calmed down, he opened his eyes.

"As I've mentioned yesterday, your training here with us will focus on the mind. We are going to put you through a lot of pressure for your remaining days here and you are to complete the tasks given to you. You will not be returning to your hotel for the next two days for this exercise. I have sent an e-mail to your father to inform your parents."

Katsuki nodded in understanding. He tensed when the man placed a hand on his shoulder, "My quirk is Insomnia. I will deprive you of sleep for 3 nights."

The blond bit the insides of his cheek, he didn't like that. He hates how lack of sleep makes him feel shitty and he couldn't perform well. He's had his moments where he had trouble sleeping and it was a struggle to get through the days. He exhaled slowly, "Alright. What are my tasks?"

"First, I would like you to answer some questions that we'll use as the control data. They'll be a mix of decision making and problem-solving questions… and there will be fifty questions. You will take the same test on the last day of your trial."

Katsuki held back a groan at the information, "So you want to see how well I perform when I'm sleep deprived?"

"Yes. Heroes will have a case where they will be forced to stay awake until their mission is accomplished or until the villain has been taken care of. Most people start to show cognitive impairment when they don't sleep for 24-hours but we want our heroes to be able to make the right decisions even when they didn't get a wink for at least 72-hours. It'll be tough, you being young, but this is why we're doing this. You will have the same training next year if you still fail to get at least eighty points in your final assessment. A majority of our agents fail to function once they hit 48-hours of wakefulness."

Katsuki rubbed his neck nervously, "What's your best record?"

Imawa smiled. He expected this, having heard how the boy likes to have a target so he could aim for it, or go further. He tilted his head up slightly to look at the ceiling, "I can't reveal any information about the heroes but our best record among the agents is Uchida's. He was able to score eighty-five points in his final assessment after 72-hours of sleep deprivation."

The two finally stopped in front of a door. Imawa swiped his card and the little light on the door turned green, indicating it's unlocked. He opened the door and guided Katsuki in, "There's also a practical test which you will do after completing the written assessment. I will explain further after you're done with that. Have a seat young man. Ito should be here soon."

Katsuki took a seat at the only desk available in the room. It was bare except for the lone pair of desk and chair. He leaned back in his seat and stuffed his hands in his pants pockets as he eyed Imawa who stood by the door. The man cleared his throat, "While we wait, I'll explain what you'll be experiencing during your sleep-deprived days. The first 24 hours, you'll experience drowsiness, irritability, difficulties in concentrating, short term memory problems, reduced coordination, impaired judgement and some muscle tensions."

"By 48 hours, your cognitive performance worsens and you'll experience extreme fatigue. And by 72 hours, you'll experience severe concentration issues, hallucinations, paranoia, depressed moods, extreme difficulty in multitasking and increased heart rate. If we sense that it's going to be dangerous, due to your… volatile quirk, we will end the exercise early. I'll have Nemuii put you to sleep immediately."

"Nemuii?"

"Nemuii Kei is one of my subordinates. His quirk can put anyone to sleep immediately."

"Like Midnight's?"

"Similar, though her quirk relies on her scent, Nemuii's rely on sound. He's a tad late today, probably catching on some sleep after working the night shift."

The door swished open and Ito walked in with a large manila folder, "Sorry I'm late, Imawa-san! I have the documents!"

The elderly agent nodded and motioned for her to hand him the folder. He took out some papers and brought it to Katsuki, "This is your test paper. I'll give you an hour to go through them but if you completed before the time runs out, we can proceed with the next task."

Katsuki nodded and stared at the paper as they were laid down in front of him. Imawa took out a pen from his inner pocket and placed it next to the test paper, "Ready?"

"Yeah."

Susumu sipped at his coffee loudly and didn't notice the death glares sent his way from his irritated senior. His clones worked as swiftly as they could to go through the data on the screens and the folders. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly and pinched his nose, "These officers seem to check out. Nothing suspicious about them."

Uchida huffed, "Go through the files one more time. We have to make sure we're not missing anything."

"Yes, sir," replied the young agent tiredly. He held back a yawn as he opened a folder.

"I'll let you take your nap after you're done, so stay sharp."

Susumu gave him a tired smile, "Aye, aye!"

Uchida returned to his task, frowning slightly as he read through the files he had in front of him. He quietly took a sip from his own cup. He eyed Susumu's clones and then his gaze drifted back to the 'original' one. It's almost two months since the younger man started working with them and he's honestly glad they have him since they're very understaffed. His quirk comes in handy although at the cost of the young agent's well being. Once his clones are dismissed, he would be knocked out at the accumulated mental and physical fatigue from all the clones.

They worked in silence for another hour until Uchida snapped his folder shut and placed it on his pile, "Alright, anything to report?"

"No, sir," replied Susumu and his clones unison.

Uchida got up from his seat, "Noted. I'll go report to Imawa-san. Why don't you go take some shut-eye in the break room?"

"Thank you, senpai."

Uchida watched in amusement as the clones picked up Susumu and carried him out. He smoothed down his coat and shirt and ran a hand through his hair before he took his leave and headed straight for the elevator. When the doors opened, he tensed. He narrowed his eyes at the other man, "Detective Tanuma? Who gave you access to this elevator?"

The man in the elevator smiled calmly, "Oh, I might have taken the wrong one."

Uchida entered the elevator and pressed the Level 1 button, "We don't usually allow outsiders, even the police, to roam around freely. We have classified data on the upper floors. And you should get a pass from reception before you can have access to go around."

Tanuma scratched his chin and chuckled, "Well, the lady at the desk was preoccupied and I needed to see Imawa-san as soon as possible about a case I'm investigating."

Uchida crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall, "The drug trafficking case? We're still preparing the documents from last night's incident. It'll be sent over as soon as it's ready."

"I'm actually investigating something else."

"Really?"

"I can't give out the details since this is something that Imawa-san and I need to discuss in private. He'll share with you if he feels you need to know. Don't feel excluded, Uchida-san."

"I'm not-"

Tanuma started laughing, "I was kidding. Lighten up!"

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Both men stepped out and Uchida led the detective to the reception desk. The young woman at the desk was trying to appear small as her desk was surrounded by a small group of people who seemed to be reporters. He bristled when he heard Tanuma chuckle beside him, "Reporters. They're like hungry vultures once they caught wind of rumours."

Uchida straightened his back and approached the crowd, "What is going on here, Hajime-san?"

The receptionist squeaked, "U-Uchida-san! Th-these people won't leave! I tried to ask them to leave but they won't listen to meeeeee!"

One of the reporters turned her attention to the agent, "Are you one of the staff working here? We have some questions about last night's incident!"

Uchida raised a brow, "And what incident was that?"

Another reporter spoke up, "About a villain who kidnapped a young boy!"

"There's no such incident."

"But there was a witness! They said they saw the police escorting a young boy out of a building and heard them saying about a villain on the run!"

Uchida cursed under his breath and glanced at Tanuma who had a serious look on his face. The detective stepped forward, "I'm Detective Tanuma and I assure you that there was no such incident. It must've been a misunderstanding."

"Detective?"

"Then why are you here, detective?"

"Oh, I'm here to discuss an on-going investigation which is classified. So, can everyone please take their leave and stop hawking over this poor lady."

"You must be hiding something from us!" said one of the reporters loudly.

"I assure you, we're not hiding anything except for classified information at the moment," said Tanuma calmly.

"Now, please leave the building," said Uchida sternly.

"I'm not going anywhere until I get my story! The truth must be told!"

Tanuma sighed, "So, he's one of those reporters. So troublesome."

"Oh, my gosh! Is that All Might?!" cried a voice outside.

"All Might?!" asked a reporter with wide eyes.

"All Might's here?!" asked another excitedly.

Everyone's attention immediately turned to the commotion outside. The reporters scrambled outside, each one not wanting to miss an opportunity to meet with Japan's Number One Hero. The gates slammed shut behind them, keeping them outside the agency's building.

Uchida turned to Utsushimi who was grinning triumphantly at her successful diversion. She waved her hand and whatever illusion she had on those reporters were dismissed. She placed her hands on her hips and sighed, "I saw them on the CCTVs. Hajime-chan, you need to call for back-up if you can't handle the situation."

"I-I'm sorry."

"And you let this man get into an elevator," said Uchida accusingly as he pointed a thumb at Tanuma.

"I'm sorry!"

"Ya'll need to chill and stop bullyin' Hajime-san!" said Kubo as he approached the desk.

"Don't you guys have security?" asked Tanuma as he looked around.

Uchida huffed and crossed his arms, "We have two. Where's Okada? It's his shift right now."

"H-he went out to investigate a disturbance nearly an hour ago."

The stern agent scowled, "A disturbance?"

"Might be caused by those reporters," Kubo mused.

"Well, they were here when I came by at around eleven-thirty," said Tanuma.

"Kubo, Utsushimi, go find him."

"On it!" said Kubo as he and the illusionist went out to find their missing man. Uchida pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Hajime-san, give Detective Tanuma a visitor's pass."

"O-okay."

Tanuma stuck his hands into his coat pockets. He glanced at Uchida, "Looks like it's going to be a hectic day for you guys today."

Ito put down the papers and stared at Katsuki with amazement, "A perfect score. N-no one had a perfect score on the written test before! Not even Uchida-senpai!"

Katsuki felt pride swell in his chest. Take that you snobby bastard! He raised his chin slightly, "It wasn't that hard."

"Well then, it seems we have to review those assessment papers for the next batch," said Imawa with a hint of amusement in his voice. He patted Katsuki on the shoulder, "Well done, lad. Now, it's time for the physical test."

"What's it gonna be like?" asked Katsuki.

"An obstacle run and then a ten minutes spar with Kubo. He's the only one who could handle your quirk."

Katsuki was interested, "An obstacle run, huh?"

"Come with me. Ito, you'll man the control room. You can see better from there in case things go awry."

"Yes, sir!" said the woman as she got to her feet and quickly exited the room.

Katsuki followed the elderly man out of the room and headed for the door at the end of the hallway, straight across the elevators which dinged. The two paused to see who had arrived. It was Uchida and a man in a dark grey suit. Imawa swiped his card on the door's security scanner and then gently pushed Katsuki toward the unlocked door, "Why don't you wait inside? I'll be with you shortly."

"Okay," said Katsuki as he opened the door, he glanced at the man with Uchida curiously as Imawa approached them. He heard the elderly agent greet him before the door clicked shut behind him, "Detective Tanuma! What brings you here?"

"I wanted to discuss with you about that case," said Tanuma as he glanced at the door that just clicked shut.

"Oh, perhaps over lunch? I have a trainee to attend to at the moment."

Tanuma raised a brow curiously, "That kid? He looks younger than your usual trainees..."

"Ah, yes. He's a promising candidate. It wouldn't take long. Give us an hour and I'll meet you in my office. Uchida, why don't you show him around?"

"But there's nothing-"

"The library or filing room 1 should be alright. Detective Tanuma may be able to find the information he needs there."

"Understood. Follow me."

Tanuma glanced over his shoulder as he heard the beep from the card scanner. When he entered the elevator after Uchida, he finally spoke, "Didn't know you guys take kids in your training program. I thought you guys only take older kids? Like fifteen or sixteen? He looks like he just got into middle high."

"As Imawa-san had said, the boy is a promising candidate. We have permission from his parents and they believe he could grow to be a powerful hero if he trains with us. They believe we can provide a safe space for him to grow and use his quirk freely."

"Huh, is he the kid with the explosion quirk?"

Uchida frowned, "I never mentioned his quirk."

"I heard words from last night about a boy having an encounter with a villain… has a temper and hands spark like fireworks."

The younger man sighed, "Maybe I should give you a smack."

Tanuma raised his hands, "Whoa! Whoa! You don't have to do that! I know your quirk and I know how vindictive you are! My apologies for stepping over a sensitive topic right there."

"His presence here was supposed to be a secret and so does his training. We don't want any media to make unnecessary rumours about the agency."

Tanuma sighed and stuck his hands into his pockets, he fiddled with his lighter in one of his pockets, "The commissions getting a lot of pressure from the public, huh?"

"With the surge of crime and villain activities, the public is restless. They want to feel safe but they can't. There's always something going on in every city all across Japan. We lost many heroes over the years and the number of good heroes is depleting. And then All Might goes off the radar for a few years now…" Uchida scowled.

The elevator door swung open and he led the detective toward filing room 1, "Hawks is focused on stabilizing Fukuoka right now and going up the ranks and other young, fresh out of the academy heroes are doing their best too but the result is still not outstanding enough to reassure the public. We need to reassure them by grooming promising heroes who can provide that sense of peace and safety."

Tanuma nodded, "The police is working hard to help keep the peace as well."

"And we appreciate your hard work… but the public eyes are focussed on heroes. We can't have them know that we have a young candidate in our program right now. The media would love to stir up drama over that."

"I have a question about the commission's Hero Program… what's the youngest age you guys have taken in?"

"I cannot reveal that information, detective. Besides, I myself am not aware."

Tanuma hummed, "Alright, I won't poke further."

An hour later, Imawa entered his office. Tanuma was lounging on the couch, head tilted back and eyes closed. Imawa closed and locked the door behind him, "I'm sorry you had to wait, Tanuma-san."

Tanuma opened his eyes and sat up straight, "It's alright, I get to take a few minutes nap."

Imawa smiled and took a seat across the man, "So, what do you wish to discuss?"

"I need to know if anyone else lost their quirk."

Imawa frowned, "I did some digging, and found quite a number of… survivors. Each of them encountered a strange man before they were attacked and their quirks… taken."

"Did any of them have a description of this man?"

"He seems to be a man of status, or that he has a taste of a higher class. He wears a black suit and he has… incredible strength and speed. As if he has-"

"Multiple quirks?"

Imawa nodded, "Yes."

"So this must be the same guy who attacked O'Clock…" said Tanuma quietly.

"How is he? I heard he went underground."

Tanuma sighed and scratched his head, "Yeah. He's firm on doing all the dirty works for us. You know how strong his sense of righteousness is… he wouldn't rest as long as there's evil out there."

"What he's doing is illegal but we need someone to go where we can't. When was your last contact?"

"About two weeks ago. He got some lead about the trigger trade and he's checking on it now. His info about the hidden routes were right. The places we checked did have some clues of the drugs being manufactured and trafficked. And we recently found out that the culprit does not discriminate his victims. He's probably testing the drugs on unsuspecting civilians and gathering data."

Imawa sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "This is troublesome."

"Have you decided to share this with anyone else in the agency?"

"I have a few people in mind but… I still think there's a mole in the agency.

Tanuma glared at the floor and nodded, "And the force."

"Somehow, someone is alerting the villains of our plans. They manage to slip away every time…"

"There's this young detective. He and his sister have a unique quirk. They're literally lie detectors. Think they'll work well with us?"

"Let's observe them for a while. When the time is right, we'll recruit them for our internal investigation."

"Alright. Oh, I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Is Uchida trustworthy?"

"I trust him."

Uchida turned off the sink and stared at his reflection. Water was dripping down his chin onto the sink. There was a flicker in the corner of his eyes. He glared at the reflection of a dark figure standing in the corner, "You're not supposed to be here."

" Ah, but I love the thrill of being in enemy territory," said the figure smoothly.

Uchida used a paper towel to dry his face, "What do you want?"

" Master is interested in the boy ."

The agent paused, brows knitting together in confusion, "What boy?"

" The one with explosive hands ."

Uchida frowned, "You can't. Someone will be suspicious if you try to get him while he's here. Besides, the heroes and the police are still on high alert, searching for you."

The shadow chuckled, " Fine. Give me what you know of him and I'll find a way to get him. "

"Usual place and time."

The shadow flickered and vanished. Uchida turned around to stare at the corner where the shadow stood moments ago. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "Damn it."

A/N: The title for this chapter was initially named "Black Eyes" but I changed it because of how I ended the chapter.

Is Uchida a traitor? What do you think?

I haven't properly caught up with the latest chapters of the manga and I believe I saw some spoilers while browsing the net? But maybe those were just theoretical fanarts for angst reasons? Oh well, but I want to write this one scene that glimpses into a future war with the villains in my next chapter before I catch up with the latest chapter of the manga! So, please nothing spoilery in the comments until I posted chapter 17!

Oh and Detective Tanuma is a character from the BNHA: Vigilantes series. He's investigating who stole O'Clock's quirk and the trigger distribution route.

OC Profile

Name: Ito Hanako (the kanji for 'I' means this and the 'to' mean wisteria and the kanji for 'Hanako' means flower child)
Age: 22 years old
Quirk: Telekinesis
Quirk Description: She can move things telekinetically but she needs to look at the object before she could move them with her mind
Character Description:Ito may look boyish but she's easily startled and can be timid around her superiors. She gets along with Utsushimi and they like to go out together on their off days. She doesn't have any younger siblings and only has three older brothers who work with the police. She likes children and she has the instinct to want to bond with anyone younger than her.

Name: Utsushimi Kanna (the kanji for 'Utsushi' means existing, reality and the 'mi' means seeing, appearance and the kanji for 'Kanna' means bookmark, greens)
Age: 25 years old
Quirk: Illusion
Quirk Description: Like a number of her family members, she can create illusions with water vapour or mist
Character Description: I intended to make her Camie's aunt, thus the similar surname. Kanna has a sweet tooth and she has a carefree personality. She gets concerned over the people around her easily and she embraced the elder sister image for her juniors. She is very close with Ito and she worries over Nemuii and Susumu over their lack of sleep.

Name: Susumu Hifumi (the kanji for 'Susumu' means advancement and 'Hifumi' means one, two, three)
Age: 22 years old
Quirk: Triple
Quirk Description: He can create up to three clones of himself and each clone can work independently and relay information to him telepathically. When he dismissed his clones, he would usually suffer a great mental, emotional and physical fatigue that was a combination of his and his clones
Character Description: Susumu is always tired. All he needs is a looooong sleep but he can't because he needs to work. His clones come in handy for the Osaka branch as they are short-staffed. Uchida took advantage of his quirk and made him do a lot of paperwork to get things done as soon as possible. Susumu is terrified of Uchida but admires him as well. He gets along well with Kubo and Ito and he harbours a huge crush on Utsushimi. It's pretty common to find him sleeping in the breakroom, along with another sleep-deprived agent named Nemuii Kei. They're practically nap buddies!