BEN 10 DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. MY HERO ACADEMIA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. IF MY EXPERIMENT TO CREATE SUPERPOWERS WORKS, I PROMISE TO CALL THEM SOMETHING OTHER THAN QUIRKS.
Time for one of my favorite parts of this story: seeing what the other Rising Stars are up to!
Since the last arc was so short, we're getting another opening, starting… now.
(Polaris—BLUE ENCOUNT, TV version)
The music begins, and Midoriya charges forward, disappearing in a flash of green light, followed by the title. The other Rising Stars run after him, behind the title; once they pass, everything crumbles away to darkness.
When the light returns, the camera zooms out from a glare from Nighteye's glasses. He is sitting at his desk, studying something on his computer. He looks up and sees All Might, only for him to fade and turn into Lemillion, speaking to Deku.
The scene changes rapidly between Genesis, Froppy, Uravity and Nejire-chan with Ryukyu, then Cellophane and Virtus with Ingenium, Triumph with Endeavor, and Alien Queen with Sky Dancer, Red Riot, Suneater and Fat Gum. They all fade and are replaced with Eri, Deku and Uravity; the latter two are holding her tightly, and scream when she is ripped from their arms.
The scene changes again, and the Heroes are charging into battle. The Big Three, adult Heroes, and most of the Rising Stars are fighting most of the Eight Precepts, but Deku is facing Overhaul, while the League of Villains watches from the distance. Deku turns into NRG and unleashes a wave of radiation, which Overhaul dodges. Deku transforms into a beam of green light and races towards Overhaul, who is engulfed in shadow and blood.
There is an explosion of green light, and when it fades, the Rising Stars are standing protectively in front of Eri, bloodied but unbowed as a wave of darkness crashes towards them, and the music cuts out.
My Alien Academia
Chapter 38
Light Casts Shadows
Sero wasn't sure why he was so nervous as he entered Ingenium's Agency; after all, he had already worked under a Pro Hero. Maybe he was anxious because he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of his friend's brother.
"Hey, guys!" Ingenium wasn't wearing his helmet, so his beaming smile was visible. "Sorry I was a little late. You'd think someone with a speed-Quirk would always be on time, but it just seems to run faster than we do!"
"Excellent joke, brother!" Tenya chopped at the air enthusiastically. "As expected of Ingenium!"
That wasn't a joke, it was a pun, Sero thought as he tried not to cringe. Am I going to deal with this the whole time I'm here?
Suddenly, he was less worried about embarrassing himself in front of his friend's brother, and more concerned that he would be embarrassed by his friend's brother.
"All right, boys," Ingenium said cheerfully, "I'm gonna put you through your paces. Tenya, that means just running like normal, but I'm sure your friend will get into the swing of things!"
This time, Sero didn't hold back a groan.
…
Much farther away, two men thought they had caught a serious break; after several days of casing the neighborhood, they had figured out the local Heroes' patrol routes, and had robbed a convenience store. Sure, it wasn't too much money, but it was enough to get by for a few days, and they hadn't even needed to use their Quirks!
"This is great!" one man said gleefully. "We should have tried this years ago!"
"We had money years ago," his partner reminded him. "Come on, let's scram before a Hero shows up!"
"Too late, criminals!"
The men looked up to see a teenage girl hovering above them. Neither of them knew what the swirling lights in her hands could do, and they didn't want to find out. Both drew pistols, only for one to get his weapon knocked out of his hand by a long tongue, while the other had his snatched away by a metal hand connected to a long cable.
"Nice shot, both of you!" Before the men could turn to face the voice from behind them, they felt cold metal around their wrists; another teenage girl had just handcuffed them to each other.
"Thanks, Genesis!" A girl with a pink helmet and a metal arm took the guns and left them floating in the air.
"Very thorough, all of you." A fifth voice made the criminals wince—not only had they been captured in less than a minute, they recognized that last voice. Ryukyu wasn't supposed to patrol this area today, but then again, no one had said anything about her having so much backup, either.
A few minutes later, the criminals were hauled off by a police officer, and Ryukyu's team was soon mobbed by civilians.
"Ryukyu, that was amazing!" one fan gushed.
For her part, the Dragoon Hero shook her head modestly. "Please, I was only supervising today. If anyone deserves praise, it's my interns."
As if a switch had been thrown, all attention was on the teenagers.
"How long have you four been working for Ryukyu?"
"Will she take you on as official Sidekicks?"
"Weren't you all at the UA Sports Festival?"
"Are you single?"
Genesis went a little red-faced when a girl about her age asked her that last question, while Uravity and Nejire-chan laughed.
"Um, in order, I had my first internship with Ryukyu over two months ago, I would like that, we were, and I'd rather not say."
"Well done," Ryukyu muttered to her, then turned to the crowd. "All right, please give us some space. I'm trying to teach these young ladies to be the very best Heroes they can be."
The civilians reluctantly went about their business, and the five-girl team continued their impromptu patrol.
"How come I had to answer those questions?" Genesis asked.
"Because we drew straws, ribbit," Froppy reminded her. "I have to answer the next round."
Nejire-chan shared a quick low-five with Uravity. "And we don't have to do it at all until tomorrow! Yay!"
"I thought you would like getting interviewed," Genesis commented.
"Well, yeah, when the questions are nice," Nejire-chan said with uncharacteristic cynicism. "But people asking about my personal life? No thanks."
Uravity was thankful of her helmet's tinted faceplate; it let her look around without being noticed before speaking again. "Hey, speaking of which, how are you and Tamaki? Didn't you want to go on a double-date with me and Deku-kun?"
Nejire-chan's eyes sparkled. "Right, I still do! Maybe during the work-study, if we're not too tired, but definitely after!"
Ryukyu smiled fondly at her oldest intern, then cut in. "Remember to keep the volume of personal discussions low, girls; that sort of information can be used to hurt you if the wrong person hears it." She paused. "Though I am curious, Nejire-chan; when did you and Amajiki start dating?"
Nejire-chan blushed, and then began one of her favorite topics—talking.
…
Triumph narrowed his eyes as he unleashed a torrent of fire; his target, a humanoid dummy, was incinerated, but no one was happy with the result.
"The blast radius is still too large," Endeavor grunted. "And the pressure wave alone will cause damage to anyone nearby. If the target has a hostage, you need pinpoint precision." The man paused. "However, you are getting closer. Another week of intensive training, and I'll consider teaching you the basics of Flashfire."
Triumph didn't let his excitement show; the Flashfire technique was the basis for all of Endeavor's best moves, and it had been something he had willingly asked his father to teach him. Of course, that had meant even more grueling training, on top of the patrols he was scheduled for.
"Heh, I'm almost jealous." One of Endeavor's Sidekicks, a woman with green fire for hair with the Hero name of Burnin, handed Triumph a towel. "I've wanted to learn the boss' moves for years, but he's even more of a slave driver with you than he is with us."
Instead of accepting the towel, Triumph briefly coated himself in the thinnest sheen of ice. His sweat froze and dropped away like shards of glass. It looked impressive, and had the added benefit of both cleaning off his sweat and cooling down after using so much fire.
"Showoff," Burnin accused, though her wide smile never faded; it reminded Triumph of Ashido's smile, but the Sidekick's was fiercer, more aggressive, and just a little mean.
"Endeavor wants me to focus on my fire; just because I've been training with only my ice until recently doesn't mean I should neglect it now."
Burnin shrugged. "Eh, not my problem. By the way, the boss wanted me to remind you that you might get pulled out of classes at any time over the next couple of weeks."
"That's outside of the patrol schedule."
"Yeah, but he's working a case with a few other Agencies; if things escalate, he'll need all hands on deck."
For all his issues with Endeavor, Triumph couldn't help but be intrigued; it was rare for Endeavor to work with other Agencies, so whatever was happening could be big.
Maybe it'll be a chance for me to test out my new moves, he thought. If that happens, it'll be worth working for the bastard.
…
Alien Queen couldn't help but grin as she followed Sky Dancer through the Tokyo streets. True, she had gone on patrol with her before, but this felt bigger, more official, especially when other Heroes they occasionally met waved at her.
When Sky Dancer had accepted her for a work-study, she had been almost as excited as the student. Apparently, this was the first time she'd had a work-study student; most interns saw her Agency as a mere stepping-stone, but work-studies implied a more serious commitment.
"All right, just another couple of blocks, and then we'll find a place to eat," Sky Dancer said, then looked at her phone. "You know, if I remember his schedule, a friend of mine should be coming through here soon, and last time I checked, he's got a UA student as an intern or something… oh! There he is."
Alien Queen peered around her mentor, and her eyes went wide. Fat Gum was a popular Hero, and had a friendly appearance—he was almost as wide as he was tall, with a yellow hoodie and black mask over his eyes that almost reached his perpetual smile. Standing next to him was both Suneater, and Red Riot, who seemed just as surprised to see her.
"Hey, guys!" Alien Queen waved at her friends.
"Hey, yourself," Red Riot said with a grin, while Suneater just waved halfheartedly.
"I thought you only had one intern, FG," Sky Dancer said as she skipped a few inches above the sidewalk to high-five the other Hero.
"Yeah, but Red Riot here talked Suneater into bringing him to me for a shot." Fat Gum smiled at her, and then Alien Queen. "This isn't intern season; did you actually get a work-study? Oh, man, we haven't actually chatted in ages! Come on, I'll treat you all to lunch, and then we can finish this patrol together."
"Free lunch?" Alien Queen pumped a fist. "Count me in!"
"Hell yeah!" Red Riot mimicked her, and then dragged Suneater behind him. "Come on, let's eat!"
Suneater whimpered. "Why am I the only person here who isn't high-energy?"
…
That evening, as Midoriya and Togata waited for the car that would take them back to UA, the former was on his phone. Instead of All Might's face as his avatar, it had been replaced with a picture of the Omnitrix dial.
Dial: Hey, guys. How was your first day?
Comet: Fun, but I'm so tired. Why did you change your picture, Deku-kun? Also, why not just ask us when you got back to school?
Dial: It just felt right, I guess? And I thought I should ask before I fall asleep. Sir Nighteye didn't have me do anything outside today, but he gave me so much to think about.
Togata looked over Midoriya's shoulder. "Oh, you're talking to the others? Tell them I said hi!"
Dial: Mirio says hi.
Frog: Hi, Mirio, ribbit.
"Tsu says hi."
Tape: ^, minus the ribbit.
Frog: Coward.
Tape: I just don't want to lose my mind!
Glasses: Hello!
Book: Tsu, behave. And today was indeed exhausting. Thank you for asking before we all become irritable, Izuku.
Snowflake: Guys, has anyone heard from Mina? She was supposed to be back before us, but I'm at the dorms now, and she's not here.
Snowflake: Wait, Aizawa is here. I'll ask him now.
Togata tapped Midoriya on the shoulder. "Everything okay? You got all tense."
Midoriya bit his lip. "Mina isn't at the dorms yet, and Shoto is worried."
"Huh. Okay, Tamaki was complaining that she was bugging him earlier, let me see if he knows." Togata pulled out his own phone to ask his friend; it took several minutes for Amajiki to reply, and as Togata read the extremely long text, his eyebrows rose dramatically.
At the same time, Midoriya's phone buzzed.
Snowflake: shes at the hospital talk later
Snowflake: Aizawa says shell be back in an hour
Snowflake: says its not serious
Togata looked over Midoriya's shoulder again. "Okay, you know that much. Tamaki just gave me some details."
Midoriya took several deep breaths. "Well, what happened!?"
…
Four Hours Earlier
"How did you even eat that much?" Alien Queen asked her mentor. "You put away more than Momo after she makes a cannon!"
Sky Dancer grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment. See, Heroes on patrol usually don't get to eat very often—"
"—unless you're lucky and it has something to do with your Quirk!" Fat Gum cut in.
"Or that. But for the rest of us mortals, we might go twelve or more hours without something to eat, so we need to stock up on the calories while we can. Even if I don't burn it all off during work, I usually like to wind down with a long dance routine at my Agency, or at home. It's good exercise, and it's fun!"
"I just convert it all into muscle by using my Quirk a few dozen times," Red Riot, who had eaten more than the other two students combined, boasted. "That and a good workout a couple times a week, and I'm set!"
Suneater shrugged. "Most of what I eat goes into my Quirk, so I don't have to worry about overeating."
Alien Queen bit her lip. Note to self, if I have to eat that much, spend more time dancing like Sky Dancer.
"Hey!" A shout from across the street made the Heroes turn; they saw a police officer chasing after a large group of men. "Stop them! They're drug dealers!"
"Come on!" one man called back. "We're just tryin' to make a livin'!
"Take 'em down!" Fat Gum ordered; he was still smiling, but there was a seriousness to his tone that made his interns immediately move.
"Remember, this is a work-study," Sky Dancer said as she and Alien Queen joined them. "You have permission to do whatever is necessary to safely stop those criminals."
"Yes, ma'am!" A moment later, Alien Queen skated forward on a trail of her weakest acid and kicked one man in the head.
Sky Dancer skipped overhead and dropped onto another, then lashed out with a fist to a third's temple, knocking him out instantly.
The rest were taken down by Fat Gum and Suneater, and a small crowd quickly gathered to cheer the Heroes on.
"That was so cool!" Red Riot said to Alien Queen. "You moved so fast, it was over before I could even do anything!"
Alien Queen could see that he was mostly happy for her, but he was still a little disappointed. "Hey, I was training a lot with Sky Dancer, but also Midori and Mirio. I might not be as good as them, but I think my reflexes are pretty good now."
Red Riot nodded, mostly to himself. "Yeah, I've been focusing on defense, so I guess the next step is working on my speed."
"That's the spirit!" Alien Queen playfully elbowed him. "Maybe you'll get fast enough to not need to take so many hits."
"It would be cool not to get my costume repaired all the time," Red Riot said ruefully. "How come you don't have any problems?"
Alien Queen gestured to her costume. "Acid-proof material. I actually custom-order a lot of my clothes made from stuff like that."
"Really? I didn't know that."
"My sweat is kinda acidic, so I have to—look out!"
She saw the glint of metal in the cheering crowd, held in the hands of a scruffy-looking man. She heard the roar of the gun, but she was already moving. Her decision was based on instinct; Suneater was closest, so she tackled him to the ground. Fast though she was, she wasn't faster than a bullet, and she felt something hit her shoulder.
It doesn't hurt that much, she thought, even as the crowd screamed and ran. Shouldn't it hurt more? Am I in shock?
As it turned out, she hadn't been hit by a real bullet; instead, she pulled a small red projectile with a needle on one end out of her shoulder. It was then that she felt an itch, but not on her skin; rather, it felt like it was in her very blood.
Then she looked at her hands; with horrified fascination, she watched as her pink skin became pale, and there was a sharp pain in her scalp as her horns retracted into her skull with a sickening tearing sound.
The pain and shock made her sink to her knees; she barely felt Sky Dancer's arms around her shoulder as the older woman tried to keep her upright.
"Alien Queen? Alien Queen! Ashido, can you hear me?"
For a moment, Red Riot and Suneater were rooted in place as their friend went from completely pink to a pale-skinned brunette. Then, Red Riot growled.
"You son of a—" he cut himself off as he ran after the shooter. "Get back here!"
"Red Riot, wait!" Fat Gum shook his head, then turned to Suneater. "Stay here with Sky Dancer, explain the situation to the paramedics; I'll go after Red."
Fat Gum was many things, but fast wasn't one of them. By the time he caught up with Red Riot, the student had visibly changed; his body had Hardened so much that he looked more like a demon that someone had roughly carved out of stone, and was steadily marching through an obscene amount of blades shooting out of a scrawny man's body. Then, with a bellowing war cry, Red Riot smashed the man into the ground; even from some distance away, Fat Gum saw a handful of teeth go flying.
"Nice work, Red," Fat Gum said as he jogged over. "I think he's down."
"Yeah." With a creaking sound, Red Riot deactivated his Quirk and looked at his mentor. "How's Ashido? Is she okay?"
Fat Gum heard the sound of sirens. "The paramedics should be looking at her now. Come on, let's make sure this guy gets his own private ride to the hospital."
"Careful," Red Riot warned. "He injected himself with something, it made his Quirk super-powered."
Fat Gum frowned as he picked the man up. "Sounds like Trigger; nasty stuff, but it'll wear off in a few minutes. I'll just give him a big ol' hug while he gets it out of his system."
True to his word, Fat Gum held the man against his belly, letting him sink into his fat. He felt blades poke him, but his Quirk let him absorb the attack with little more than a tickle. Fat Gum chuckled to himself; he never got tired of street thugs who thought they could hurt him with conventional attacks.
By the time they got back to the others, the police were loading up the other criminals; however, much to their concern, Alien Queen was going into an ambulance.
"How's she doing?" Fat Gum asked as he handed over the last criminal.
"They took her vitals," Sky Dancer said, her neutral tone telling everything Fat Gum needed to know about her state of mind. "She was okay on that front, but her Quirk is gone—and so is everything related to it. They're taking her to the hospital to make sure it isn't permanent."
"I'll go with her," Red Riot volunteered, but Sky Dancer shook her head.
"That's nice of you, but I'm her mentor; I'll do it. Besides, you need to stay with Fat and tell the police everything you saw. You'll also need to write an official report later, but Fat can help you with that."
"Sure, saddle me with more paperwork," Fat Gum joked, but then he got serious and patted his friend on the shoulder. "You'd better get going. Let us know when she recovers, yeah?"
Sky Dancer's smile was patently false. "Only if you don't eat your phone."
"One time, and you never let me forget it!"
Twenty minutes passed in a blur for the students as they answered the police officers' questions about the incident. Suneater had been through it all before, but even he looked exhausted by the end.
"I never knew being a Hero could be this stressful," Red Riot said as he sat down on a bench. "I had less trouble fighting that guy with the Trigger!"
"Speaking of which, that has me worried." Fat Gum idly chewed on a candy bar as he thought. "Trigger-related incidents are on the rise, which makes things a whole lot more dangerous, both for cops and Heroes."
"How come?" Red Riot looked confused. "Sure, that guy I fought was strong, but I still took him down."
"Because you had a Quirk that could withstand his," Suneater said, even though he didn't look in his direction. "If someone like Sky Dancer had taken a hit from that guy, she could have been hospitalized, or worse."
"And Trigger doesn't just make you stronger," Fat Gum added, "it gives you a serious high. Quirks can be dangerous as it is, but when the person using that Quirk becomes stronger and loses their self-control? That's a disaster waiting to happen. We're lucky that we haven't had a serious incident yet.
"What really worries me is this new drug, the one they shot into Alien Queen. Quirk-suppressing tech has been around for a long time, but it's one of the most heavily-guarded secrets. If some drug lord figured out how to replicate it, or even make it permanent…" Fat Gum looked worried. "We could be facing a serious problem."
…
Now
"Anyway, I was fine after an hour," Ashido said with a wide smile. "They kept me at the hospital for a little while longer, but I'm back to my regular pink self!"
What she didn't mention was how her scalp had burst with twin fountains of blood when her horns had sprouted again. Her friends had been worried enough as it was.
"We're just glad you're okay," Yaoyorozu said as she handed the other Rising Stars cups of tea.
"Yeah." Todoroki had yet to let go of his girlfriend, who could still feel him trembling. "Yeah, we're really glad."
Ashido gave him a quick kiss. "By the way, Sky Dancer said that we're gonna get pulled into some big drug-busting operation before my work-study is over, so that'll be exciting."
"Ribbit, Ryukyu told us that we were requested for something involving Trigger." Asui tapped her chin. "Does that mean we'll team up?"
"It might not be just you," Iida said, and shared a knowing look with Sero. "Ingenium also received a team-up request; he mentioned that it was from Sir Nighteye."
Todoroki finally brought his head up from Ashido's shoulder. "Endeavor mentioned a team-up with Ryukyu—part of a wider operation."
The Rising Stars looked at each other with growing excitement, but also anxiety. Hero team-ups usually included only a small number of Agencies; five or more was extremely rare, especially with two from the Top 10.
Still, it was the first chance the Rising Stars had to all work with each other in the field, something they had all wanted at one point or another.
"Okay, there's a lot of heavy hitters getting pulled into this," Sero said. "What's so big that it needs this kind of firepower?"
Midoriya was wondering the same thing. Nighteye had told him that the case he'd be a part of was high-risk, but he was worried that the people he cared for most—people who were as good as family to him—would get pulled into the danger with him.
They're going to be fine, he swore to himself. No one is going to die. I won't let it happen.
…
"Quite brilliant." Shigaraki rarely heard such praise from the Doctor, even if it was grudging. "I'd never considered this route before; my research has always been the improving of Quirks, not their deletion."
"Do we need to be worried?"
"I doubt it, so long as you keep these yakuza from using them on you. However, I suggest you do everything in your power to destroy these weapons."
Shigaraki raised an eyebrow. "And why shouldn't I just let these Yakuza fight the Heroes for a while? Maybe they can depower a few of them for us."
"Simple—because these bullets' effects are only temporary. I would guess that the Eight Precepts haven't perfected the technology yet."
Shigaraki had only asked the question out of curiosity; even if the anti-Quirk bullets weren't a threat, he would destroy everything Overhaul had on principle.
"Consider it done, Doctor. I already have a plan."
"That's excellent. Let me know if you require anything from me."
"I will, but I don't think it'll be necessary." Shigaraki glanced over at the rest of the League. "I have everything I need."
"You sure you don't want us to just go in there and tear them apart?" Dabi asked. "They're a bunch of thugs."
"Maybe, but those bullets of theirs are a problem." Shigaraki grinned behind the hand on his face. "I'd rather let the Heroes do the heavy lifting for us, and we can swoop in and claim what's ours. Just in case, though, here's what I need from you all…"
…
The next day, Nighteye was waiting patiently in his office as Midoriya and Togata entered. "Good, you're right on time. Sit down, there are some matters to discuss before I let you out on patrol."
The two students obeyed, their backs ramrod-straight, though Togata kept up his bright smile.
"You know about the incident in Tokyo last night," Nighteye stated, rather than asked. "The Quirk-suppressing bullet, and the association with Trigger. I planned on filling you in on the details at a later date, but events are now in motion, and you need to be prepared, especially with new evidence that has come to light.
"First, Trigger is produced by several criminal organizations, but over ninety percent of it is created and distributed by a single group—the yakuza known as the Eight Precepts of Death." Nighteye turned his tablet around to show a picture of a man with a bird-themed mask. "This is their current leader, Chisaki Kai, also known as Overhaul."
Togata raised his hand. "Sir, if we know who he is, why hasn't he been arrested yet?"
"Truthfully, it was because the police wanted a rock-solid case against him, and it's only recently that enough evidence has come forth to connect the Trigger to the Eight Precepts. Additionally, Chisaki's Quirk is exceptionally dangerous." There was the briefest flash of amusement in Nighteye's expression when Midoriya pulled out a notebook. "His Quirk, also called Overhaul, lets him deconstruct and reconstruct anything he touches. He can kill you in an instant, then resurrect you just as quickly. That, combined with his utter disdain for human life, means that any attempt to detain him will result in casualties, unless handled with utmost care."
Midoriya looked up. "That's why so many Hero Agencies are being asked to team up with yours!"
Nighteye nodded in approval. "Yes. Chisaki also has several individuals with powerful Quirks at his disposal, and both the police and Heroes are receiving files on them, so that we can be prepared during the raid."
"Sir, you mentioned new evidence." Togata leaned forward. "I assume it's important enough to tell us?"
Nighteye nodded again. "Yes. However, before I say anything, I want a solemn oath from you, Midoriya-san." Nighteye stared into Midoriya's eyes. "I want your word that you will not fly off the handle. If you cannot remain in control, I will remove you from this case. Is that understood?"
If he's singling me out like this, he knows it's going to make me upset. Still, Midoriya nodded; during his lessons, he had been told more than once that, as a Hero, he would almost certainly see things that would give him nightmares.
"I promise."
"Good." Nighteye brought up another file on his tablet, which included the odd bullet that had hit Ashido. "The Quirk-suppressing bullet. The police examined the chemical makeup of what was inside, and found that it was organic—specifically, it came from a person."
Midoriya frowned. "Did they weaponize someone else's Quirk?"
"In a way; in fact, we already know who it is, since their DNA was put into the system a few months ago." Nighteye paused, as if preparing himself, and pushed another button.
Midoriya felt his stomach drop when the tablet showed a picture of Eri.
"The DNA matches the girl you rescued. We have deduced that Chisaki was the one holding her, and was converting an element of her Quirk to rewind the Quirks of others. It seems that the bullets produced thus far are flawed, and can only temporarily delete a Quirk, but I believe that Chisaki plans to create a permanent version."
Midoriya only barely heard the man's words; his mind was focused on Eri, and the many scars she bore. Pieces clicked into place; whatever Chisaki had done to get Eri's DNA had not been gentle, and had left the girl scarred in body, mind and spirit.
He's the one who hurt her.
Midoriya had never truly hated anyone before; even Bakugo at his worst had only made him angry for a few minutes. However, Chisaki Kai was the first person Midoriya had ever actually wanted to kill.
It wouldn't be hard, he realized. Burn him to ash with Heatblast, freeze him solid with Articguana and shatter him into a million pieces, possess him with Ghostfreak and walk him into traffic—
"Midoriya!" Nighteye's raised voice brought him back to the present; he looked down and saw that the Omnitrix's sheathe had activated.
"S-sorry," he mumbled, and the Omnitrix deactivated.
"I understand that you are upset," Nighteye said. "Chisaki is a monster, and nothing would make me happier than to see him locked in a cage for the rest of his life. However, we must act as the law dictates; to do otherwise would make us Vigilantes, and we would be just as guilty in the eyes of the law."
"That doesn't mean we have to like it," Togata added. "Trust me, we've all been there at some point—Heroes and police both. You'll feel better once Chisaki is behind bars."
Midoriya doubted that; he would probably only feel better once Chisaki was in the ground.
Nighteye studied the younger student for a moment, then continued. "It will take some time for the police and various Hero Agencies to be prepared for the upcoming raid. We also need to confirm where the Trigger is being manufactured; I have some suspicions, but in order to be absolutely sure, we will be investigating all known Eight Precepts bases. Until then, you will continue your training." He paused. "Additionally, you are not allowed to discuss anything you've learned today with anyone not associated with the investigation."
This time, Midoriya had no problem agreeing with that, since everyone he wanted to talk to were already involved. He also wanted to reassure himself that Eri was okay.
…
That evening, Togata made sure to walk Midoriya to his dorm; like the younger student, he had been exposed to all the gory details Nighteye had on Eri's case, and it sickened him. He had seen bad things before, but the repeated torture and exploitation of a little girl was more than enough to turn his stomach.
Togata was a good person, but even he couldn't help but imagine putting his fist into Chisaki's face. With One For All at full power.
"You good, Freshman?" he asked, just before they reached the dorm.
Midoriya gave him an uncharacteristic glare. "What do you think?"
"I meant, are you good to keep going on this case?" Togata patted him on the shoulder. "Seriously, I've never worked on something this bad, and you got tossed into the deep end in your first year. If you want to take a step back, let me take the lead…"
To his credit, Midoriya actually thought about it. "No. No, I want to do this. I won't be able to sleep well while Eri and… and that man are both breathing free air."
Togata smiled. "Well, let's hurry up and catch him so that you can get a good night's sleep." He turned away. "Goodnight, Izuku; try not to keep everyone up too late."
Midoriya nodded, then entered the dorm; most of his class was milling about, either doing homework, or chatting about their work-studies. Of the Rising Stars, only Uraraka, Sero and Iida were present.
"Deku-kun!" Uraraka ran up and hugged him. "Welcome back!"
Her first clue that something was wrong was how hard Midoriya hugged her back; it was desperate, like she was the only lifeline keeping him from sinking into the abyss.
"Deku-kun, did something happen?"
"Tell the others to meet in Momo's room," he whispered. "You need to know about this. Get Kirishima, too, he's involved."
It took only a few minutes to find and gather everyone, and by the time they assembled, they could tell that Midoriya was not doing well. For the Rising Stars, they hadn't seen him that apprehensive about telling them something since the first time he returned from seeing Ben Tennyson.
Yaoyorozu gently put her hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "Izuku, what's wrong?"
Midoriya took several deep, shuddering breaths, and then began to speak. He couldn't bring himself to repeat the gory details, but he gave them the basics—that they were all part of the taskforce to bring down the Eight Precepts, the connection to Trigger and the anti-Quirk bullet, but more importantly, about Chisaki and Eri.
Even without the details, knowing who had hurt Eri was enough to make even masters of self-control like Todoroki and Asui see red. All the Rising Stars loved that little girl, and she had won over almost everyone else in the dorm as well, so Kirishima looked ready to storm the Eight Precepts' base himself.
"We need to be prepared," Iida said quietly. "I am certain that our mentors will push us physically, but we should make plans. Contingencies."
Yaoyorozu nodded. "I agree. If Sir Nighteye has been investigating these… people… then it's likely that he has files that would help us."
It took Midoriya a moment to respond; he had been lost in the memories of what Nighteye had told him, and Uraraka was making it worse by nearly crushing his hand with her metal one. Like her boyfriend, she loved Eri like a little sister or a daughter, and was imagining all the pain she wanted to inflict on Chisaki.
"I think you're right," Midoriya said. "I'll ask next time I'm at his Agency."
By this point, Ashido had brought her legs up to her chest, and had been staring blankly at her knees. "H-hey, Midori? About what happened to… to Eri."
Midoriya tensed, and Uraraka scowled. "What about it?"
"You didn't tell us everything, right? It was… worse than you made it out to be."
"I did," Midoriya confirmed. "Trust me, you don't want to know everything."
Ashido winced. "That bad?"
Midoriya thought back to Eri's scars, and what he now knew of Chisaki's Quirk. "Worse."
Sero grinned; it was wild and fierce, and wouldn't have been out of place on Bakugo. "So, we're crushing these guys, right? I mean, if we get a chance, we go for it?"
"Absolutely." Everyone jumped at the steel in Midoriya's voice. "And we're going to do it right—as a team."
"Exactly, ribbit." Asui had a menacing glint in her eyes, which were at odds with her otherwise-blank features. "We all hold Chisaki down and take turns beating him into paste… as a team."
There were some weak chuckles, but none of them had anything more to add, and after a couple minutes, they headed to their own rooms. Uraraka would have held onto Midoriya's arm as long as possible—she didn't want to seem clingy, but after the horrors Midoriya had hinted at, she needed something to steady herself—but Kirishima coughed to get their attention.
"Hey, Uraraka, can I borrow your boyfriend for a minute? I just want to say something."
Uraraka managed a weak smile. "Is this one of those 'man to man' things?"
Kirishima laughed. "Kinda."
"All right." Uraraka gave Midoriya a quick kiss. "Goodnight, Deku-kun; see you tomorrow."
Midoriya waited until his girlfriend rounded the corner. "What's up, Kirishima?"
"Well…" Kirishima hesitated. "I know I'm not like the others—I'm not as close to you as they are, I mean. But I'm thankful that you told me all that now, instead of whenever we get briefed. You didn't need to include me like that, so, thanks."
Midoriya shuffled in place. "N-no problem, it was the r-right thing to do. Besides, you really stepped up when Mina was in trouble, so bringing you in made sense, I guess."
Kirishima laughed again. "Does that make me part of the Dekusquad?"
"The what?"
…
Far away from the prying eyes of Heroes, the League of Villains had come to a decision. Or, rather, Shigaraki had come to a decision, and it just so happened to be one that the entire League supported.
"We're destroying them," Shigaraki said. He leaned back in his raggedy chair as if it was a throne. "I don't care if they end up in jail or in the ground, but the Eight Precepts is going to burn."
Nine shrugged. "If we get drawn into a major battle, we'll have to contend with the Heroes as well. Those thugs might be trash, but they have numbers that can tie us down."
Chimera jerked a thumb at Twice. "We've got numbers too."
"Not happening," Shigaraki said firmly. "The Heroes know about Twice; they get one whiff of him, and half of Japan will come crashing down on us. Regardless of what happens, he's the shield that keeps us safe if we have to retreat."
Twice puffed out his chest. "You can count on me, Shigaraki! None of you are going to get caught so long as I'm here!"
Toga scowled. "If we're not going to fight, how are we gonna avenge Magne?"
Shigaraki grinned at her. "You know, I found a new appreciation for a certain feature in some games—when two enemies are busy fighting each other. Even if they don't kill each other, they'll be weakened, and during the fight, I can study their moves for the next encounter. Knowledge is power, right? Well, I plan on being very powerful."
First off, Tensei seems like the kind of guy who would use puns a lot. Don't know why, I just have that in my head. We've all had that friend who had an embarrassing relative, and Tensei is it in this story.
And we get a look at what the Quirk-destroying bullets can do, but to Ashido instead. I was curious about how it would affect someone whose Quirk permanently changed their appearance; in this case, it made her completely human.
Finally, our heroes learn about what happened to Eri. Consider Overhaul's days numbered. Honestly, I'm surprised that more high-profile Heroes weren't brought in for the canon raid; between a drug that supercharges Quirks and a weapon that erases them, that should have warranted a massive mobilization. So, yeah, in this story, there are even more Heroes charging in.
As always, please consider buying my book, Alpha Sanction, by Josh Gottlieb. You can find it on my website (link in my profile), or on Amazon as an eBook or physical copy. Sales make me happy, and every little bit of cash that goes into my pocket helps me with apartment-hunting.
Another way you can help keep me from being homeless is by donating on my P-atreon page (link in my profile). If I make enough by donations, maybe I won't have to work two jobs, which means I'll be able to write more than a few hours a week. Also, I'll be able to buy food; you know, the lesser of two rewards.
Speaking of people who donate, I'd like to thank them now:
Serious Muffins: Nimrod009, Anders Lyngbye, Matthias Matanovic, John Collins, Red Bard, Aaron Meek, Shaolin Khalil, killroy225, Lokthar, DrkShdw
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Next Chapter: Heroes and Villains alike prepare for battle, while the Eight Precepts make plans of their own…
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