In the aftermath of the Third World War and the ensuing collapse as a result of the Scalar Event, nearly sixty percent of the Earth's population was lost. Many of these deaths came as a result of the sudden complete collapse of vital infrastructure, whether those be irreplaceable water sources, the destruction of year round farming or even access to basic medical services. In Japan this fact was no different, with only sixty million of the pre-war population's one hundred and thirty million surviving to the end of the year. But even as people struggled with survival in their daily life there was one issue that stood out among the rest. Recordkeeping. In the wake of the disaster nearly every database kept on the population was destroyed, making it impossible to separate those who remained from those who had died. With word of mouth becoming the new source of identities between the people and the government, those who had sought new lives shrunk into the ashes of a reborn Japan. But not everyone who did so had pure intentions in their heart. As for one, the chance for a new identity would serve as the perfect path for a bloody revenge. And eleven years after the disaster…

Open and Shut

Izuku stepped into the building. "Good morning Mr. Midoriya!" The woman at the desk greeted him. "The rest of the task force has already arrived, they're waiting for you in the usual conference room?"

"Am I really that late?" He rubbed the back of his head, and let out a sigh. "I guess I better get going then."
"Of course. Have a good day Mr. Midoriya." She waved at him as he walked away, a spot of happiness in what was essentially one of the most dreary places in the country.

For the last three years, he, and everyone else that had joined the task force, had come to this place for at least one day every week. It was here that they had meetings, often going over the vast piles of information that had been collected and processed to determine what their next target was. More often than not that meant preparations for a raid, whether that be assaulting some recently occupied abandoned building or seizing some politicians personal estate. In either case they knew whether or not the raid would be a success at the first door they kicked down, as those who knew they'd done wrong put up the most resistance. And as for the case they would be discussing today…

"Deku, we were supposed to start fifteen minutes ago. What the hell took you so long?"

"I'm sorry for being late. There was a place that I wanted to visit on my way here."

Tsukauchi, sitting down at the end of the table, scratched the side of his head with a pen. "I suppose it's not too much harm done, now that you're here." After those words Izuku walked over to his chair and sat down, laying the folder he'd been carrying with him on top of the table. In total there were twenty one of them at the table. Seventeen, including himself, were the remaining members of Class 1-A. Two were their former upperclassmen Mirio Togata and Nejire Hado, having been invited to become part of the task force shortly after its formation. The last two were the former police detective, now Captain of the Hero Support Corps, Naomasa Tsukauchi and representative from Mr. Aurdel's personal guard Daitaian Narukojin. The former was a member of the task force due to his previous experience with investigating and tracking down the League of Villains, as well as his ability to coordinate actions between their task force and the Hero Support Corps in order effectively counter the threats they were uprooting. The latter was a member of a task force both because he had experience with organizations hiding in the shadows due to his past occupation as a member of the Shie Hassaikai, as well as the fact that he being on the task force gave Mr. Aurdel an indirect link that would allow him to make decisions even when busy with other matters. "Now that everyone is here, we can officially begin this meeting."

Bakugo dropped his folder onto the table, being the first one to speak. "Then let me start by saying that that last raid was a complete bust! All of the information we had said that those revivalist morons should have been in possession of computers with Garaki's files, but the only thing we found there was a bunch of crazies who attacked us as soon as we kicked in the front door!" He balled up a fist, and slammed the table. "I personally helped the support team search that place from top to bottom, but there was absolutely nothing. None of the suspects have said a word since they were taken in, and on top of that we haven't been able to find anything on them either."

"If they really have no documentation, then that would mark the seventh raid where we've come across the same circumstances," Denki said, leaning on the table.

"We have to acknowledge the problem for what it god damn is. Someone out there IS actively trying to rebuild the League, and they're using the leftover trash to do their dirty work."

"Katsuki," Tsukauchi glared, "You know what they're called, so use the proper name for them."

"Grr… Fine, they're using the 'Persona Sin Vultus.' Frankly I don't care what the hell they should be called, at this point they may as well be trash!" He scowled, "These people have had eleven years to come forward and register to have an identity. If it's been this long and they still haven't done it, then it means they have a reason to hide their identity."

"You can't make such sweeping generalizations!" Ida spoke up, "You know what conditions were like after the country collapsed, most people couldn't even leave the towns that they lived in!"

"Yeah, and maybe I could have accepted that excuse if it was ten years ago. But it's not. Four years after the collapse all major highways were rebuilt. Three more years and most of the connecting roads were finished. And now? You'd be hard pressed to find a town that isn't connected to official infrastructure."

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with Katsuki," Shoto said. "The government has given more than a reasonable amount of time for these people to register their identities. Even if they did have valid reasons like lack of infrastructure or the resources to allow themselves to leave their homes, the appropriate actions have long since been taken by the government to remedy those problems. In fact, I don't think I need to remind everyone that one of the first tasks of the Hero Corps, when it was established, was to essentially scour the countryside for PSVs and bring them in for registration."

"I am aware, but-!"

"There's no 'but' here!" Katsuki shouted, "We need to officially recognize that the people who refuse to register their identity do so because they are deliberately trying to hide."

"And what's wrong with that?" Izuku turned his head towards Ochako, surprised. "I can understand why some people might not want to take part in society. The last time they lived as part of the system they knew, everything around them fell apart. They lost their homes, loved ones… All that they had known. Then we all started trying to rebuild like nothing had ever happened, but I imagine there are some people who can't forget so easily. They don't want to take part in what they see as the same system that failed them. Especially now since there are some people who think that things are worse now than they were before."

"Then what? Do you want people to live in cabins in the middle of nowhere, completely isolated from the rest of the world?"

"I… Well… Sure, if that's what they want!" There was an uneasy quietness after that. Before now, Ochako hadn't been so… vocally oppositional. It made Izuku wonder if something had changed.

Ida let out a sigh, "My thoughts aren't as extreme, but… I have to agree. Not to mention, Katsuki, what exactly would you propose to solve this supposed problem?"

"That's simple," he leaned back, "We label anyone who didn't show up to register their identities as Villains."

The room broke out in commotion.

"You can't just label an entire group of people as Villains!"

"They've had their fair chance to be part of society, if they aren't part of it now then it means that they stand against it."

"And what about all the innocent people who would get labeled Villains as a result?!"

"Innocent people wouldn't have any reason to hide out in the middle of nowhere!"

"Everyone, please!" Tsukauchi stood up and shouted, the room quieting down. "The only reason this task force has been able to perform as it has in the past is because we clearly communicate our thoughts on matters. If we can't do that, then this meeting will be adjourned early and rescheduled for a later time today."

There was more silence. "…I don't like the idea either, but I can understand the reasoning behind what Kacchan was saying."

"Izuku!" Ochako turned towards him, sounding very clearly frustrated.

"If we publicly announce that those who are PSVs will be labeled Villains, and then wait for the news to spread… Those who don't actually seem to cause harm would come in to be registered in the system. It would mean then that anyone who did remain as a PSV really does stand opposed to society, if they're willing to be labeled a Villain." He lowered his head, "I don't support taking such a radical move, though. The purpose of this task force, and what we're trying to do, is to prevent the country from falling apart by division. But if we go out of our way to label an entire group of people as Villains, then that means, before visible divisions even begin, we've drawn the first line in the sand."

"That's not the only thing wrong with that plan," Nejire said, "If anything, the only thing it'll do is make things worse by radicalizing people and driving people to a revived League's ranks."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Katsuki said, gritting his teeth.

"Like Ochako said, there are some people who haven't registered that just want to be left alone by everyone. If we try to threaten their existence and call them evil because of it, what do you think that's going to make them do? They're going to be filled with resentment by the people who called them evil, and they're going to join the only group they see opposed to those people. A revived League. That's not even to mention the people who have already registered but aren't happy with the way things are."

Mashirao raised his hand, "What you're all saying has a point, but… Does the topic of this conversation actually matter?"

They all looked towards him.

"Huh?"

"What the hell do you mean?"

"I mean… If we label all PSVs in the country as Villains, what exactly does that change when it comes to encountering them during raids?" He seemed a little nervous, bringing the point up. "If they're already Villains, it wouldn't change their status. Not to mention, it wouldn't give them an incentive to actually register an identity with the government. Not that it would make a difference even then, as arresting someone with a nearly fresh identity would have the same investigative results as someone with no identity."

"I… Grr…" Katsuki backed into his seat, not really having a retort to what was said.

"He has a point," Daitaian said, "The only real way that labeling all PSVs as Villains could have any value is by utilizing fear tactics and serving as reasonable justification for the government to conduct mass searches across the country to try and find any locations housing them. Not that I think it would be a good idea. The Imperial Guard doesn't exactly have the manpower, given its prior commitments, for such a sweeping action. Nor the Hero Support Corps, I imagine." Tsukauchi shook his head. "Right. Now, if the government wanted to pursue that plan nonetheless it would mean recruiting help from the other branches, and that would put the operation at an exponential chance for failure given the possibility of sympathizers within their ranks. Either way, I agree that it would be counterproductive."

"Then this whole conversation was-"

"Pointless, yes." There were a number of sighs.

Katsuki folded his arms, "Well, regardless. My point still stands. All of these unidentified crazies are becoming a real pain in the ass."

"I don't think there will be much of a solution to them in the future," Tsukauchi shook his head, "I suppose now we should move on to someone else."

"Of course," Momo said, having remained essentially quiet this entire time. "Myself and Tenya have been continued our operations in our respective sections, and for this week, as it has been for several weeks now, there has been very little evidence of corrupt activities within the groups labeled as 'upper strata.'"

"Still nothing? Maybe they're finally learning to play nice," Mirio said.

"I do not believe that is the case," Tenya said, "As such, for the next few months we will be artificially lowering our guard. Our intention is to lull those who would commit acts of corruption into a false sense of security, and allow them the false opportunity to commit their crimes and catch them in the act. Given that we have tried this method in the past, and found success, it may be too much to expect the same results. However this method is certainly worth continually trying."

"I'm still not sure about the efficacy of using entrapment to try and lure out corrupt officials," Shoto said, his arms folded. "Sooner or later they're going to wise up to what you're trying. And because you two, individually, have the largest presence of anyone on the task force it means that you're going to catch flak from them some day or another."

"We're well aware of the risks, however we have taken the necessary precautions to ensure that no harm comes to us regardless of the actions that some people may take."
"That may be so, but you should be more than well aware that all it takes is one slip up for what seems like an impossible situation to turn into a fatal reality."

The meeting continued in a manner like this for what was another hour and a half. Around the table everyone would report on their findings from the previous week in regard to their specific area of operations, share their thoughts on the matter along with what actions they would take next in regard to them and receive feedback from the rest of the task. It was the same with Izuku and Ochako. Though, there was a piece of information that he was initially reluctant to share.

Tsukauchi clasped his hands together, "Everyone, I suppose that now would be a fair time to take a recess. Step out, take a breather and have some refreshments. We'll continue this meeting in twenty minutes." With that everyone picked up their things, stood up from their chairs and walked out of the room.

After initially leaving the conference room, Izuku initially thought that he would have a chance to clear his head and put together his thoughts before they returned. However… "Ow ow ow…" Instead, after leaving the room, Ochako grabbed him and pulled him over to the side.

"What were you doing in there?" She asked, visibly peeved. "When Katsuki was saying what he was saying, I thought you were going to back me up."

"But I did back you up. I said that I couldn't support-"

"Sure you did, but you still tried to dress up what he was saying and have it make sense. We both know that what he was proposing was wrong, and that there's no denying it."

"Yes, I do know that," he lowered his head a little, then raised it again, "But we've had this conversation before. Even if I know that something is wrong, I can't dismiss it just because of that. I have to be able to prove and show to everyone that it's wrong. Otherwise, the same suggestions will get brought up and again. And eventually, some time, they wouldn't be turned down."

"I… I know, it's just…" She turned her head, her arms crossed, "It doesn't sit right with me. The reason why I agreed to be a part of this, despite everything that I had against it, was because I wanted to be able to do what was right. No matter what."

"I know," Izuku put an arm around her, "I know that because I want to do the same. Everyone here wants to do the same. But the trouble is that everyone here is different and has their own ways of wanting to solve things, and we can't look past that if we try to come up with the best solution for the problems in front of us."

For a moment, they stood quietly with each other.

"It looks like you two are getting close to your wits end." Ochako and Izuku both turned their heads, finding Nejire standing nearby.

"No, it's just that-"

She leaned against the wall. "It's alright, you don't need to try and hide it. I'm not going to judge." As she looked at them, Izuku couldn't help but think back to years ago. Nejire, when compared to the rest of those who had joined the task force, had seemingly changed the most over the last eleven years. He still remembered his first impression of her when she had showed up with the rest of UA's Big Three to talk about the work studies. The way she acted made her come off as sort of airheaded and ditzy, asking so many questions about their class without even allowing any of his classmates a chance to answer those same questions. But even so he could tell there was a strength to her, along with a compassion that was what allowed her to really be a part of UA's big three. But after the collapse, and after Amajiki's death at the hands of All For One during the final battle… "I think that if you need to, you should take a vacation."

"A vacation?" He echoed.

"Yeah, a vacation. After all, we've been working practically non-stop for the last three years. I think anyone would understand if you wanted to take a vacation." A vacation…

"You know, I think that might actually be a good idea," Ochako said, turning her head back towards him. "We've been working for so long, and getting frustrated so often. Getting a chance to step away and really clear our heads might be the best thing for us to do, especially within that obsession of yours."

"Obsession?" Nejire raised an eyebrow.

"It's not really an obsession," Midoriya began to say, "It's just that-"

Ochako interrupted him, "Listen, ever since the task force started doing work Izuku has been obsessed with finding that helmet and mask that was stolen three years ago. Whenever we're doing any kind of information gathering he's always looking for anything that might be able to lead him to wherever those things might be. It's not a coincidence that he's brought up multiple times before."

"Really?" She pointed towards him, "Then, would I be right if I guessed that the folder you have with you is filled with some bunch of documents about where they might be next?"

"I…" He lowered his head," Yes, it is."

She shook her head, "Izuku, why the obsession with that thing specifically?"

"It wouldn't really make any sense if I tried to explain. I just sort of have a… hunch."

"A hunch?"

"Yes. I don't feel like things are done with it."

Nejire looked toward Ochako, concern on her face. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Villain who wore that helmet and mask long dead?"

"They are, and I keep trying to tell Izuku that. But he never listens."

He took his arm off Ochako and opened the folder, thumbing through it. "It's not like I don't know that Mustard is dead. After what happened, I know that more than anyone. But it's not about that. Every time I think about those first cases about things from the League of Villains being stolen I can't help but think how strange it is that it was one of the first things that was stolen, before anything else. Not anything relating to Shigaraki, Stain, Dabi or All For One, who were all important to the League. But Mustard's helmet and mask. No matter what way I try to look at it, it doesn't make sense."

Nejire let out a sigh, "It's not going to make sense because it's not supposed to make sense. They're Villains, right? They do things for reasons that no normal person would be able to understand."

"And that's exactly why I want to find it. Right now I don't understand, but I want to understand. People do things for all kinds of complicated reasons. And if I'm just able to get my hands on that helmet, and whoever took it, then I would be able to make sense of it.

She stared for a little, then let out a slight laugh, "Well, now I know for sure that you should take a vacation."

Izuku could only let out an exasperated sigh in response, as if his way of thinking on the matter was being completely ignored. But hearing the point be repeatedly reinforced against him caused him to wonder for a moment… Did his pursuit of whoever had stolen the helmet actually matter? Sure, he wanted to understand why it was stolen. But it was debatable whether or not learning that information would actually do him any good. After all, looking for them was what had partially motivated him for the last three years. It had taken up so many hours of countless nights, pouring over piles of information to find even a single lead in its direction. It could have very well just been a simple coincidence that it was among the first items to be publicly recognized as stolen, and that the person who stole it had no greater reason for doing so. That would mean that all that effort he'd put in, chasing some kind of greater meaning, would have been for absolutely nothing.

And if that were the case, then the best solution to his problem would be to cut his losses now and to just focus on the things that actually matter in his life. Because if he didn't, and he allowed himself to be suck in by this chase, then he would-

"Izuku, are you alright?"

He shook his head, breaking himself out of the variable trance he'd been in. "Sorry, I'm fine. I was just a little carried away while I was thinking about something."

"See? You really do need to take a vacation."

"You know," Ochako said, nudging him, "I think that maybe it would be for the best if we did take a vacation. Even if it did take us away from work for a little it would be good to spend some time together as a family again." Izuku saw Ochako's expression, and instantly he knew how she felt. He was more than partially responsible for the lack of time they'd had together, his obsession being the root cause. In order to prevent repeating the mistakes of the past, those that he'd heard from those involved in One For All, there was only one thing that he could do.

"Alright, you have me convinced."

"Really?"

He looked down at the folder, "Yeah. After I bring up all the stuff that I have in here, I'll tell them that I want someone else to handle whatever decisions they make next in regards to it. Then I'll tell them that we need to take a vacation to refocus ourselves. I can only hope that the others will actually allow us to go on one, especially since I'd be giving them more than enough information to justify launching a raid only to turn around and say that I don't actually want to be involved."

"I think everyone would understand. After all, you heard what Tsukauchi said. The reason that we're all working together is because we're able to communicate with each other, and recognizing the fact that someone needs to take a step back to deal with their own troubles is part of that."

He put on a smile, "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"In that case!" Nejire said, walking over and putting an arm around each of them, "Why don't we start looking for places you could go now? I'm sure that between the three of us, we could find the perfect spot for you to go!" And so, with that, the three of them spent the rest of the recess looking up places for Izuku and his family to go on a vacation. And, in doing so, he felt something that he hadn't felt in quite some time. Peace. It was the kind of peace that, when experienced, would let you know that everything was going to turn out alright. He let that peace wash over him, wanting to hold onto it for every second that it stayed.

Mustard stared down at the laptop in front of her, her hand idly hovering over the trackpad at its base. Years ago she had broken into the home of what was essentially a well off conspiracy theorist out in the outlying parts of Tokyo, having tracked down what she believed to be the very gun that her brother had used in the final moments. Upon breaking in and dealing with the garbage she found she was initially disappointed, only finding four solid disc harddrives labeled 'League of Villains' that she initially considered doing away with. But upon pressing her mark information and taking the time to look into the hard drives, she found that what she now had in her possession was a gold mine. Because what the hard drives actually held was the most important research notes and manuscripts known to man, all from a certain man by the name of Kyudai Garaki. Quirk enhancement, quirk duplication and quirk transplantation… It was an art known only to a number of people that could be counted on one hand, and here she had all of the secrets at her fingertips.

She could hear a squeak as the door to the large apartment opened, light pouring out through the doorway and into the living room. "I'm home!"

She turned her head, "Welcome home dear, how was your meeting today?"

"Oh, same as usual. Mostly a lot of yelling from the usual crowd. Is dinner ready?"

"Of course dear," she cocked her head with a smile, "I made sure to prepare everything just like you wanted before you came in, that way it'd be all hot and ready to eat as soon as you got back."

"I must be the luckiest man in the world!" The door closed and her husband waddled over to the kitchen, she turned her attention back to the laptop in front of her. "You know, the Midoriyas actually followed up on that tip I got from you, turns out you were right. They managed to track down that ugly old mask thing Mustard wore." She clenched her teeth at the remark, but ultimately relaxed herself.

"Really? I figured that what I heard was just some rumor. I never knew that those folks were actually part of the new League of Villains."

There was a click of shoes on a stool, a necessary item given her husband's pathetic stature. Then there was a clink of trays, plates and forks, as he pulled food out of the oven and loaded up his dinner. "Just goes to show you that there are some people you really can't trust. Of course, that doesn't include me. A gentleman like me knows how to treat a woman." A gentleman… Right. She knew that he was cheating on her with another younger woman already, but she didn't particularly care. She didn't actually care for him, and her not barging into his private life provided more than enough incentive for him to not barge in on his. It was fortunate that such a pathetic man had been part of UA.

"Are you all going to launch another raid on them?"

He shoved a fork full of food into his mouth, speaking at the same time. "Yeah, we're planning to launch one on Wednesday. But there's a funny thing. Even though Izuku was the one that presented the rest of information to the rest of the task force he said that he didn't want to take part."

"Didn't want to take part?" She turned her head, interest peaked. "Why's that? Didn't you say before that he was always the one that brought up stuff about that helmet?"

"Yeah, he was," he swallowed the bunch of food in his mouth, then shoved the next portion in. "But I guess Ochako finally convinced him to give up his wild hunt. Probably the best outcome. If I had an obsession like that I think I would go absolutely nuts."

"Yes…" Her mind wandered off. Izuku Midoriya wasn't going to be a part of the raid… At first, she wasn't sure whether it was a good or a bad thing. On the one hand she wanted to cause him as much harm as possible and as soon as possible, to make the man that had ended her brother suffer. On the other hand, she figured that it might be possible that more time was what she needed to make sure her plan for all of them to suffer was just that much more successful.

Her husband wandered nearby, "What'cha reading?"

"Oh, I'm just finishing up some leftover paperwork from the hospital. I wanted to make sure that I had everything done before I came in tomorrow."

"Cute and hardworking, I knew I made the right choice," he walked over and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. The moment he turned she wiped it away, disdain on her face. She'd only have to put up with it for only a little while longer.

The smile returned to her face. Yes, just a little while longer. Then her phantoms would join the board, and Spartan would be forced to step in.

And he would be in her trap.