BEN 10 DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. MY HERO ACADEMIA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. ONCE AGAIN, MY ATTEMPTS TO GAIN SUPERPOWERS HAVE FAILED. AND I'M BANNED FOR LIFE FROM ENTERING ONE PARTICULAR BLOCK IN CHICAGO. NO, I'M NOT SAYING WHY, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL.
If there was a time to be ready, it's now.
My Alien Academia
Chapter 39
Rattle the Sabers
It didn't take long for Class 1-A to realize that almost half their number was acting strangely. There was an odd tension between them, and at first, some worried that the close-knit Dekusquad had had an argument that had somehow pulled in Kirishima. They quickly realized that the opposite was true—the Rising Stars had drawn even closer, almost never leaving each other's side unless they had to.
Jiro had been the first to broach the subject with Yaoyorozu, and wanted to know if there was anything wrong. To everyone's relief, Yaoyorozu had assured her that it had something to do with the work-studies, but they weren't allowed to talk about it. Everyone else assumed it was just the stress of the job and went on with their day.
Only Bakugo didn't bother to care, mostly because he was too busy working on his make-up test for his Provisional License. The stress it caused him made him even less approachable than normal.
Several days after learning about Eri, Ashido was the first to crack when the Rising Stars were visiting the little girl. It took all her willpower not to burst into tears, and settled for hugging Eri for all she was worth.
Eri looked at Midoriya in confusion. "Is Auntie Mina sad?"
Ashido bit her lip to hold back a sob; several weeks ago, Eri had started calling the Rising Stars her aunts and uncles. The only exceptions were Midoriya and Uraraka; to their embarrassment, Sero had joked that she wouldn't call her parents her aunt and uncle.
Midoriya struggled to explain without going into details that might reopen Eri's trauma. "Mina… had a bad time a few days ago. We're still new to being Heroes, so we're not used to some of the bad stuff."
Eri nodded in the understanding way only little children could, and hugged Ashido back. "I'm supposed to do this, right?"
Now it was Uraraka's turn to hold back tears. "Yes, Eri-chan, that's exactly what you should do."
The sweet moment lasted a few more minutes, and then Nezu poked his head into the room. "Excuse me, Midoriya-san? May I speak to you outside for a moment?"
Midoriya stood up, but Eri grabbed his hand with a worried expression. "Don't worry, Eri-chan, I'll be right back."
Eri nodded, but still looked concerned, so Yaoyorozu concentrated and created a coloring book from one arm, and a fresh box of crayons from the other.
"Here you go, Eri-chan! You can show Izuku some new drawings when he comes back."
Eri immediately grabbed the presents and opened them up, and Midoriya mouthed a quick thanks to Yaoyorozu before leaving.
Nezu took him down the hallway to avoid potential eavesdroppers before speaking. "Midoriya-san, I've been made aware of Eri-chan's… past, and how you and your friends will be part of the raid to take those monsters down."
Midoriya wasn't a violent person by nature, but just the thought of Chisaki still made the Omnitrix activate, and he almost turned into Rath out of a desire to punch something. Preferably Chisaki's face.
"Yes, sir."
"I regret to say that I cannot do much to alleviate your anger; in fact, I share it." Nezu paused, and Midoriya figured he was thinking about the scientists who had experimented on him. "However, if it helps, I plan on implementing additional security for Eri-chan until this situation is resolved."
Midoriya blinked. "That… actually does help, Nezu-sensei. Thank you."
Nezu smiled. "Sadly, because of the secretive nature of the upcoming operation, I cannot have more Heroes assigned to her. I did, however, convince the police to send an experienced detective over prior to the raid; he spent much of his career dealing with the Yakuza, and might be able to help Eri-chan remember any useful information."
"But every time Eri thinks about what happened, she starts to panic," Midoriya protested.
"That's true, but Detective Ishigami assured me that he will be as gentle as possible, and if he or whoever is assigned to watch Eri-chan believes she cannot handle it, he will stop." Nezu smiled again. "He said that he's had much practice 'interrogating' his grandchildren when he wants to know who ate the last cookie."
Midoriya chuckled. "He sounds nice. Thanks for this, Nezu-sensei; I think this will make us all feel better."
…
Togata grinned as he blocked a punch from Midoriya. Had this been a real fight, he would have used Permeation, and Midoriya would have turned into one of his aliens, but Nighteye had decided that Midoriya needed a crash course in fighting without any powers. To his credit, Midoriya hadn't complained, and threw himself into training; his form was still a little rough around the edges, but his foundation was solid, and at this point in his education, that was essential.
"Remember to follow through," Togata reminded him. "You can't get discouraged when your first strike doesn't win the fight."
"Right," Midoriya said tightly, then ducked under Togata's guard and threw another punch.
Togata leaned around it, then had to tuck and roll to avoid a kick that would have connected with his head. "Not bad, kid!" He then swept his own leg out to send Midoriya sprawling. "But you've got to watch your opponent's whole body; a slight tension in the legs could signal any number of attacks."
"Got it," Midoriya groaned, and accepted the helping hand Togata offered.
"And remember, just because you've got super-powered a—" Togata paused and looked around. "I mean, super-powered forms doesn't mean you should take any fight lightly. You can never know what Quirk someone might have."
Midoriya's right hand drifted to the crisscrossing scars on his left arm. "Right."
Togata elbowed him. "Okay, training's over for today. Grab your costume; maybe a patrol will clear your head a bit."
…
"I'm glad you finally saw reason," Chisaki said genially. "I know we got off to a rocky start, but I'm sure working together will smooth things out."
Shigaraki nodded. "That's what I told my people. They weren't happy, but they're loyal, and they trust me to see the bigger picture. Besides, I figured that little skirmish will show all our underlings that neither side should be messed with lightly."
Chisaki leaned back in his chair. "So, you can make rational decisions."
Shigaraki shrugged, the perfect picture of contrition. "I haven't been in command as long as you. I'm bound to make mistakes every so often. Now, what do you need for me to hold up my end of the bargain?"
"For now, I need some extra muscle, and numbers, to beef up my security." Chisaki laced his fingers together. "I want Twice, Nine, Chimera and Slice. In return, you'll have full access to my Trigger stores, financial backing, and premium access to my secret weapon… when it's completed."
To his credit, Shigaraki seriously considered what Chisaki was offering. "You want most of my heaviest hitters? Are you trying to call down every Hero in Japan? I'll lend you some of Twice's clones; it's the next best thing, and they can make extras of anyone you need, as long as he remembers how to make them. I'll also loan out Slice, and Toga."
Chisaki frowned behind his mask. "Toga? That girl with the blood fetish?"
"She's one of my best operatives, and she works best from the shadows. I thought you'd approve."
"Fine, fine; just be sure that Twice can make a clone of Kurogiri. I may need his portals as a contingency."
"Sounds good." Shigaraki had no worries that Kurogiri would betray him; clone or not, his loyalty was absolute. "If you need extra backup, we're a portal away, but if you do make that call, I want something extra in return."
Chisaki shrugged. "That depends on what you want."
"Just information; I know you Yakuza types have connections to a lot of the older cops, so if they learn anything regarding the League and pass it to you, I want you to send it my way."
"That's reasonable." Chisaki stood, and Shigaraki mimicked him. "Have your people meet mine here tomorrow."
Shigaraki waited until Chisaki was gone, and then allowed himself a smile. He and Nine had discussed Chisaki's behavior before the meeting, and had agreed that mirroring the man would keep him from getting too suspicious. It had taken him considerable effort not to just lunge forward and disintegrate Chisaki's face, but he had reminded himself that the Eight Precepts' leader had plenty of human shields, and Chisaki himself could kill him faster than Decay would destroy him.
So, Shigaraki settled for paving the way for the Heroes to do the work for him. A little infiltration here, a little sabotage there—he preferred the direct approach, but he'd long since learned to do whatever was necessary to achieve a goal.
All For One would have approved of this operation; it forced Shigaraki to learn patience, to let his enemies and rivals fight it out with minimal effort on his part, and to savor the victory when it came.
"Tell Team Spark to settle in," he instructed Kurogiri as he walked through a portal. "And let Team Dragon know that they'll be burning the house down very soon."
…
Sir Nighteye resisted the urge to sigh; he hid it well, but even he had a limit to how much bureaucracy he could handle in a single day, and since he was taking the lead in a joint operation between the police and more than a dozen Hero Agencies… well, there was a lot of red tape.
"I know that look," Gran Torino said as he hobbled into the office—deliberately, because Nighteye knew damn well the old man pretended to be decrepit as a bad joke. "Paperwork finally weighing you down?"
"If you ever bothered to fill out your own, you would know," Nighteye said testily. "And this is only half of the workload; Centipeder is handling anything that doesn't require my direct approval."
Gran Torino scoffed. "Back in my day, we only needed a few signatures, and that was after the crisis was averted."
"Back in 'your day', Heroes were outnumbered by powerful Villains almost ten to one," Nighteye snapped. "The crises have slowed down enough for the bureaucracy to finally catch up."
"Eh, that's your problem, not mine." Gran Torino hopped onto a chair and held out a file. "My contacts got back to me; the details are all in there, but I can give you the short version. Putting it simply, the League has made contact with the Eight Precepts."
Nighteye's reaction was to adjust his glasses. "That is potentially catastrophic. Do we know how the meeting went?"
"Badly. Fatalities on both sides." Gran Torino idly fiddled with his cane. "Thing is, the underworld chatter is making it seem like they're talking again. They might have decided to bury the hatchet and make a deal."
"Then whatever they are collaborating on is serious, even if it has nothing to do with the Quirk-destroying bullets." Nighteye finally accepted the file. "The psychological analyses on both Shigaraki and Chisaki suggest that neither wants to work with a potential rival. Either they have come to an understanding, or one is simply using the other until it is no longer profitable."
"I hate it when the Villains use their heads," Gran Torino grumbled. "Give me street crime any day; those punks are too stupid to find their own asses with a map."
"Charming." Nighteye's phone beeped, and he glanced at it. "Mirio and Midoriya will be back from their patrol momentarily. Either leave, or do your best not to corrupt them."
Gran Torino grinned. "I make no promises. Your golden boy already treats me like I'm his grandpa, so I can get away with anything."
While Nighteye silently lamented ever introducing his protégé to the crazy old man, the door slid open, and the interns walked in.
"We're back, Sir!" Togata exclaimed loudly. "Everything was quiet on our route; no civilians in need, no Villain activity!"
"Good to hear," Nighteye said. "The last thing we need before a major operation is a brawl right outside our headquarters." He paused. "Oh, Midoriya-san, this is Gran Torino; he was All Might's instructor during his first year at UA, and close friend of All Might's predecessor, Shimura Nana."
Midoriya blinked rapidly, and then bowed. "It's an honor to meet you, sir!"
Gran Torino slowly walked forward, his expression stony. "Ah, the respect you show is appreciated, young man, and I shall endeavor to give all the wisdom I have gained in my—hrk!"
And the other shoe drops, Nighteye thought as Gran Torino dropped his cane, grabbed his chest, and fell to the ground.
"Oh, my heart!" the old man wheezed. "It hurts, it hurts!"
Midoriya began to panic. "Ah! What do we do? Should we call an ambulance? Wait, I'll turn into Shocksquatch, maybe I can defibrillate his heart, or—"
Gran Torino's pained wheezing turned to hysterical laughter. "Oh, that was better than I could have hoped for! Kid, your face just made this whole shtick worth that online acting class."
Now it was Togata's turn to laugh. "That's hilarious! That was better than when we first met and you were laying on top of a puddle of ketchup!"
Midoriya was just confused. "W-what?"
Nighteye sighed. "Gran Torino is fond of practical jokes that involve his age. If he ever starts acting like a senile old man, ignore him, he's just doing it to annoy you." He sighed again. "Despite his antics, he is extremely competent; when he's serious, you should pay attention to what he says."
Gran Torino dusted himself off and gently smacked Midoriya on the thigh—the highest part he could reach without needing to jump. "Relax, kid, I'm just yankin' your chain. I heard you were upset about what that punk Chisaki did to the girl, so I thought I'd mess with you a little."
Nighteye watched as Midoriya's expression briefly turned thunderous, but then he took several deep breaths to calm down. Nighteye silently approved; even if Midoriya's emotional state was fragile, he still maintained the presence of mind to use breathing techniques. He idly wondered where he'd learned such a useful thing at his age.
"With all due respect, sir, I'll feel better when Chisaki isn't a threat to anyone," Midoriya said through clenched teeth.
Gran Torino huffed a short laugh. "Yeah, you and everyone else on this raid, especially when they find out what that bastard did to the girl." He glanced at Nighteye. "You're telling 'em today, right?"
"Correct." Nighteye leaned back in his chair. "The official briefing will happen in two hours, and assignments will be handed out an hour later, once everyone has had a chance to process the information."
Midoriya tilted his head. "Assignments?"
"If this raid is to be successful, we need to be absolutely sure that, one, the entire leadership of the Eight Precepts is in one location, and two, that we are not walking into a trap." Nighteye locked eyes with Midoriya. "Remember that you only have a Provisional License. Do not speak unless directly addressed, and with my permission."
Midoriya nodded tightly. "Yes, sir."
"Good. You have two hours to prepare; your friends will be here before then, so your job is to keep your fellow interns occupied until the meeting begins." Nighteye went back to his desk. "Dismissed."
…
Despite being told over and over how Quirks could easily be used to hurt people, Yaoyorozu had never truly considered how her own powers might be applied in a more lethal setting. That changed after Midoriya had told them about Chisaki and Eri; since then, her mind had been filled with thoughts of how she might put a more permanent end to that monster. By the time she arrived at Nighteye's Agency, she had come up with over eighty scenarios involving things she could make.
Number 47 involved bear traps, dental drills, and a wood chipper. That one was her favorite.
She wasn't the only one seriously wondering how they might kill Chisaki. She had spotted Iida looking up just how much force one of his kicks needed to snap a human neck, and Ashido had been overheard muttering about how she would melt Chisaki from the feet up as slowly as possible.
It was Uraraka that scared her the most, though; after Midoriya had told them everything—that wouldn't traumatize them, at any rate—Uraraka had gone oddly calm whenever Chisaki was brought up. Yaoyorozu was honestly worried that Uraraka had decided that she actually would kill Chisaki, if given the opportunity. For everyone else, she was mostly convinced that they were all venting, and wouldn't cross that line.
Mostly. Several hours before heading to Ryukyu's Agency, she had woken up in a fit of giggles after dreaming about Scenario 47.
"Hey, guys," Midoriya said as the interns walked through the door. "How are you doing?"
"I think we all needed to get that anger out of our systems," Ashido said, answering for all of them. "I feel better than I did a couple days ago."
"Sorry about that." Midoriya hung his head. "I didn't know any other time to tell you."
Ashido was first to hug him. "Hey, it's okay, Midori; we'd be more mad if you didn't say anything."
Uraraka gently nudged Ashido out of the way so that she could hug her boyfriend. "Izuku, we love Eri-chan just as much as you; telling us was the right thing to do, even if it made us… upset."
Midoriya leaned into her embrace. "Thanks."
Despite what she knew was coming, Yaoyorozu couldn't help but smile; seeing those two show affection for each other never failed to warm her heart.
"Hey, where'd the Pros go?" Kirishima asked, breaking up the moment. "I swear they were right behind us."
"They went to discuss logistics with Sir Nighteye," Iida reported. "Ingenium informed me that we will not be in our costumes during the meeting, since we are not going into an active situation."
Ashido pouted. "Aw, I like wearing my costume! It makes me feel cute."
"You're already cute," Todoroki pointed out.
Ashido stuck her tongue out at him. "That's not going to work on me, buster."
"How about a date after the raid? Dinner and a movie?"
"That works, but only if our resident lovebirds join us." Ashido winked at Midoriya and Uraraka, then grinned at Sero. "You can't come until you confess your undying love for Tsu."
Without missing a beat, Sero turned to Asui. "Want to get some coffee sometime?"
Asui didn't even blink. "I'd like that, ribbit. We can go after we're done with Chisaki."
Ashido looked between them, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You two were planning this, weren't you? You were just waiting for the perfect moment to spring it on me."
Sero grinned at her. "You'll get nothing out of me."
"He asked me out last week," Asui said blandly. "It was in the library."
"Did you kiss him?" Ashido pouted when Asui and Sero refused to make eye-contact. "You did! You kissed, and I missed it! Oh, that's not fair!"
Yaoyorozu giggled, but stopped when Ashido turned her attention to her. "Don't even think about it, Mina. Unlike everyone else, I prefer to keep my love life, or lack thereof, to myself."
"You know she just sees that as a challenge, right?" Todoroki asked.
"Plus, if you don't have a date, you can't join the rest of us for date night," Uraraka joked. "Don't you like us?"
"Your pouting only works on Izuku," Yaoyorozu said calmly.
"Then why are you blushing?" Ashido teased.
Todoroki came to her rescue. "Endeavor is one room away. The temperature of every room within fifty feet of him goes up by ten degrees. That's why I set the thermostat so low at my house."
Kirishima had been watching the entire conversation, completely fascinated, and turned to the Big Three. "Are they always like this?"
Togata nodded. "When they're not planning on kicking Yakuza butt, all the time." His phone beeped, and he pulled it out of his pocket. "Looks like the briefing is going to start soon. We'd better get in there before all the good seats are taken."
…
Aside from the Heroes with interns, over twenty other Agencies were represented in the briefing, along with a detective with a thinning hairline. Counting the interns and Sidekicks, as many as seventy Heroes were going to be present for the raid, and that was before taking the police into account.
"Greetings," Nighteye said from his seat. "You have all been asked to join this operation because you either have extensive experience dealing with street crime, or dealt with cases involving Trigger. This drug, which has been plaguing Japan for nearly a year, can be traced almost entirely to one organization—the Eight Precepts of Death, a Yakuza group that has recently been regaining strength."
Rock Lock, a dark-skinned man with green-and-yellow costume featuring locks, leaned forward. "The Yakuza? I thought those guys went extinct years ago."
"Most did," Nighteye confirmed. "However, several groups went underground, and have been biding their time. The Eight Precepts are notable for three things—their Trigger production, the number of individuals with powerful Quirks, and now, a new drug that can temporarily disable the Quirk factor entirely."
That last piece of information caused a ripple of murmurs from the Heroes not in the know. Sky Dancer stood up and nodded.
"It's true," she said. "My intern was hit by this Quirk-erasing bullet; not only could she not use her Quirk, it even undid the secondary mutations it gave her."
"According to my sources," Nighteye continued, "the Eight Precepts are attempting to make the effect of these bullets permanent. If that happens, it could mean the end of Hero society as we know it. Any criminal with enough money could purchase these bullets, and render a Hero powerless. Without Heroes to keep them in check, any criminal could use their Quirk freely, with no one able to stop them." He held up a hand to halt the rising anxiety. "Fortunately, the source of the bullets has been removed from the Eight Precepts' control, so it is highly unlikely that they have a completed version."
Endeavor crossed his arms. "And what is this source?"
Nighteye gestured to Midoriya. "Tell them what happened."
Midoriya took a deep breath and stood. Remember, this is for Eri; don't mess up. "Several months ago, Uraraka Ochako and I encountered a young girl named Eri. She was running away from a man later identified as a member of the Eight Precepts. We realized she was in danger, and were forced to use our Quirks to subdue the man."
Nighteye nodded and waited for Midoriya to sit down. "The bullets were made from the girl's genetic material. Her Quirk allows her to rewind time around a living thing; the Eight Precepts modified that to target only the part of our DNA that controls Quirk development. In essence, the bullets rewind our Quirks to before they existed."
Ingenium abruptly stood up. "What exactly did they do to this girl?"
Nighteye glanced at the interns; this was their chance to leave, and they knew it, but they remained in their chairs. Nighteye went into the full, gory details about Chisaki's Quirk, and how he harvested the genetic material from Eri. By the time he was done, even Ryukyu and Endeavor were unsettled, and several younger Heroes looked ready to throw up.
"Chisaki Kai is dangerous," Nighteye went on, "not just because of his Quirk, but also his utter lack of empathy. No method of execution is too brutal, no torture too extreme; he will do anything if it means reaching his goal. If we are to stop him, we must be as thorough as he is evil."
The detective stepped forward. "We've been scouting out Eight Precepts bases for months, in preparation for a raid like this. You'll all be divided into teams; your first task will be to investigate each site for Trigger-manufacturing facilities, as well as anything that might be connected to the Quirk-erasing bullets. When the raid commences, those same teams will lead units from the police to take down each base simultaneously. Those not assigned surveillance duties will be part of the main assault on the Eight Precepts' headquarters. Endeavor and Ryukyu will be part of that group, though Nighteye will maintain command over Hero operations for the duration of the raid."
Rock Lock scowled. "If we know all this, why don't we just take them down today?"
"Because we don't want some branch of the Eight Precepts to escape in the chaos," Endeavor said brusquely. "This is our chance to completely destroy this organization, and it must be done right."
"What about the girl?" Fat Gum asked. "If she's so important to Chisaki, what steps are being taken to keep her out of his hands?"
Nighteye adjusted his glasses. "Fortunately, Midoriya-san and Uraraka-san took care of that before we even realized the girl's importance. She is being cared for at UA, and has round-the-clock security. Few outside this room know even that much, and fewer still know exactly where she is."
"And not even the Eight Precepts are crazy enough to try to break into UA," Ingenium added.
"Another reason we are not commencing the raid immediately is because of Chisaki's lieutenants." Nighteye pressed a button on his tablet, and a projector showed images of ten masked men on the wall behind him. Two were placed above the other eight, and a picture of Chisaki hovered over them. "There are two top advisors for Chisaki, followed by the ones known as the Eight Expendables. All of them are merciless killers, and their Quirks range from difficult to outright lethal. You will be provided with dossiers on all of them, in case they show up at different locations, though I suspect that they will be at the main base."
The detective stood up again. "I feel I must remind you that nothing said here is to be shared with anyone not connected to this case. If we don't keep a tight lid on this, the Eight Precepts could vanish before we get them, and then we're right back to square one."
That got grim nods throughout the room; even the newest Heroes were aware of how these investigations went.
"We'll begin our preliminary operations tomorrow," Nighteye said. "Head back to your Agencies, gather whatever personnel and gear you may need, and be ready. Once the surveillance has been completed, you may be called in at any time."
…
"I don't like these guys," Sero said later that night, as the Rising Stars—plus Kirishima—studied the dossiers in Yaoyorozu's room.
"Which?" Asui asked.
"All of them." Sero pointed to a picture of a muscular man with wild hair. "This guy, for example. First of all, I didn't even know underground Quirk-fights were a thing, and this guy killed over thirty people during these."
"Kendo Rappa," Midoriya muttered, not looking up from the dossier he was focused on. "Quirk: Strong Shoulder. Lets him throw punches with superhuman strength and speed. Probably go for his legs, get him off-balance, then knock him out with blows to the head. Stay away from his arms. Ochako, Mina or Tenya would do best against him; I'd also suggest Shoto, but he'd be needed for other fights."
Ashido put Todoroki between her and her 'twin'. "He just gave out a decent battle plan while studying someone else. Is anyone else a little freaked out by that?"
"You've known him longer than me," Todoroki said, "I'm surprised you're not used to it. Hey, Izuku, who's the best matchup for Setsuno?"
Midoriya still didn't look up at the picture of a blonde-haired man in a mask. "Setsuno Toya. Quirk: Larceny. He can take anything his target has in their hands and draw them to his own, but it's limited to items that can be easily held in one hand, and he has to be able to see the item in question. The best people to go against him would be either Hanta or Shoto. I would also say Tsu, but his file says he's good with a sword, which makes using her tongue too much of a risk. If it comes to close-quarters combat, Kirishima should take him."
"With pleasure," Kirishima said, and crashed his fists together.
"What about you?" Yaoyorozu asked.
Midoriya finally looked up and held out the Omnitrix. "He might be able to take the watch out of me, even if I'm transformed. If that happens, I'm as good as dead."
There was a pause as the others grimly took that in.
"Okay, we take down Setsuno first, right?" Ashido tapped her chin. "I wonder if I could get away with throwing acid in his eyes."
Surprisingly, Iida didn't immediately reprimand her; instead, he looked thoughtful. "As long as you do not inflict permanent damage, it would be very easy to argue for that use of force. After all, he is a known killer, while you are a first-year student. I am sure that other interns have done worse and still became full Heroes."
"Speaking of killers, something has been bothering me." Yaoyorozu pointed at Rappa's file. "We know these people are guilty of many crimes, so why haven't they been arrested before now?"
"Probably because they haven't done anything but be Chisaki's bodyguards since joining the Eight Precepts," Midoriya said. "And it's pointless to go after a few lieutenants if we can't take down the entire organization."
Uraraka groaned. "Great, it's like the Winter Soldier movie."
Ashido gave her a look. "Kind of, but not really? First of all, we don't have to deal with traitors."
"Good point."
"And there aren't giant airships that can kill millions of people in a day," Sero added.
"Okay, I get it."
Midoriya bumped his shoulder against hers. "And none of us are super-soldiers or spies."
Uraraka glared at him. "I. Get. It."
Kirishima cackled. "I know you guys like to have fun, but it's hilarious watching you up close."
"Thanks?" Sero glanced at the other Rising Stars uncertainly, but only got shrugs in return.
Unseen by all of them, Iida breathed a sigh of relief; he had been silently fretting that his friends were on the verge of completely losing it when it came to the Eight Precepts, but seeing them laugh and joke like normal was a good sign.
I hope the Villains are as relaxed as we are, he thought. That way, they will not see us coming.
…
"Welcome to our headquarters," Chisaki said genially. "I'm glad you all saw reason and decided to join us."
Slice crossed her arms. "We're here because our leader told us to. So long as the League benefits from this alliance, I see no reason to go against his orders."
Chisaki shrugged. "I can respect that. Still, I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I'm hoping we'll get past that."
Toga glared at him. "If by 'wrong foot', you mean killing Magne…"
Again, Chisaki shrugged. "I suppose I should apologize for that, but he did attack me first."
"You mean she attacked you," a Twice clone said.
"Yeah!" The other clone pointed at Chisaki. "She identified as a woman, so show some respect!"
"You should be the ones showing respect," Irinaka Joi said from within the tiny puppet he used as a body. "You're in our house, so be a little polite."
Chisaki held up a hand, and the Eight Precepts' manager settled down. "Like I said, let's move on. We just have a few questions for you."
Another man, wearing a dark cloak, beak-shaped mask and wide-brimmed hat stepped forward. "What is your Quirk?"
"My Quirk is also the name I go by," Slice said, drawing surprised glances from her comrades. "I use my hair to cut through almost any material, and I can fire individual strands, or even small tufts like bullets, though they lose penetrating power after a short distance." She blinked, and then clapped her hand over her mouth. "What the hell did you just do!? I couldn't stop myself from speaking!"
"And your Quirk?" Nemoto Shin asked Toga.
"It's called Transform," she replied. "I can turn into anyone, as long as I drink their blood. The more I drink, the longer I can stay in that form, and I can layer the transformations. It gets really uncomfortable if I do that, especially if I'm wearing clothes when I use my Quirk, so I usually take them off, first." She glared daggers at Nemoto. "Do that again, and I'll cut your eyes out."
If Nemoto was at all threatened, he didn't show it as he turned to one of the clones. "What is your Quirk?"
"It's called Double," the clone said, while the other facepalmed. "I can make a perfect copy of anything, as long as I know its exact dimensions and physical characteristics. I also have to know how it works, if it's not a living thing. For people, it's a bit easier, especially if I know them personally. I can make two copies at any one time, and I can't make more until one is destroyed. The first thing I make is less durable than the original, and if I make a second copy, it's even more fragile. Oh, and the clones can perfectly replicate their originals' Quirks, so I can make an army of myself in just a few minutes."
The second clone stared at him. "You are an idiot."
"We're the same person, so what does that make you?"
"An idiot who didn't just explain his Quirk at the drop of a hat."
"Shut up!"
"You shut up!"
"Both of you, stop," Slice ordered, and the two clones obeyed instantly. "All right, Overhaul, you got the information you wanted. Anything else?"
"Just one more question." Chisaki nodded at Nemoto, who addressed the entire team.
"Did Shigaraki order you to betray us?"
…
"All I want you to do is get in their good graces," Shigaraki said, just after organizing the team. "After that, do whatever you want to do, whenever you think is the best time."
…
"No," all four said at once.
Chisaki nodded. "Good enough for me. Welcome aboard."
Slice regained her composure first. "So, what do you need us to do?"
"When the time is right, I'll need you for extra security." Chisaki stood up, as did his advisors and the Expendables. "Until then, stay inside. You're a bit too public for my taste, and we're not ready for that kind of exposure."
"Ugh, that's so lame!" Toga whined.
"I don't suppose we could have something to read while we wait?" Slice asked.
One Twice nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, like some manga!"
"Or some porn," the other added, then flinched when the rest of the team glared at him. "What? I'm an adult! And you can't give me that look, me, we're the same person!"
"Yeah, but I didn't say anything, did I?"
Chisaki rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Irinaka, see to their arrangements. I have to get ready for the next stage."
"Of course, sir." Irinaka bowed, and then turned to the League members once his boss was gone. "It's a good thing Nemoto here made you tell the truth. If the boss had suspected you even a little, you'd be dead. Remember that—the Eight Precepts doesn't take kindly to disrespect, or to betrayal."
"Good to know," Slice said, and leaned over the tiny puppet. "Just so we're clear, the League also looks down on traitors. We take loyalty to our own very seriously, and only the orders of Shigaraki kept us from declaring war on you all. Oh, and one other thing?" Irinaka felt something tap his puppet's shoulder, and saw that a tendril of Slice's hair had snuck around him. "I don't like disgusting little maggots speaking to me as if they're my superior. Remember that when you start to act tough."
…
The next two days were some of the longest of Midoriya's life. When he wasn't preparing for the raid on the Eight Precepts, he was doing homework; the stress made it difficult to sleep, so he spent long hours exercising. It was the same for his friends, who sent texts or emails to their mentors twice a day, asking for updates.
While there wasn't much to say about the main Yakuza base, the reports on the secondary locations were somewhat reassuring. There were no signs of the chemicals needed for Trigger production, nor the Eight Precepts' leadership; every hour, more and more locations were crossed off the list. It was all but certain that the main base was going to be the primary target, but Nighteye was nothing if not thorough.
The only thing that really worried Midoriya was that the Heroes might think that the raid was too dangerous for interns and bench them right before things happened. That was unthinkable to Midoriya; if he couldn't take down Chisaki himself, he wanted to be there to watch it happen.
Finally, at almost two in the morning, he was woken up by an alarm on his phone. It was a simple message from Nighteye:
Come to the Agency. We are moving in soon.
Midoriya was out of bed, dressed and at the bottom of the stairs faster than he'd ever moved in his life. He nearly crashed into Uraraka, who was anxiously rubbing her metal arm.
"You ready?" Midoriya asked.
Uraraka nodded and took his hand. "Ready."
By the time the interns got to Nighteye's Agency, the entire complement of Heroes was present. The students briefly stayed together, until they realized that it was probably a better idea to stay with their mentors.
"A wise precaution to get into your costume," Nighteye said. "Heroes should always be prepared in advance whenever possible."
Midoriya tugged at his sleeve self-consciously; Togata had been the one to tell the Rising Stars to get into costume, so he deserved the credit.
The detective from the briefing stepped before the crowd. "Attention, Heroes! As of now, we have confirmed that the Eight Precepts' main headquarters does indeed house their entire leadership. I was told that I would have the search warrant in my hand in two hours, so that's how long you have to get ready. If there is anyone you need to speak to before then, now is the time."
Midoriya turned to his mentor. "What is he talking about? Isn't everyone here?"
Nighteye adjusted his glasses. "In situations like these, it helps some Heroes to speak to loved ones, just in case… just in case the worst should happen."
Midoriya paled. "I see. Sir… can I make a phone call?"
He got a brief nod, and even a look of understanding. "Make it quick, in case the warrant arrives early. And do not speak of any details of the operation."
"Yes, sir." Midoriya headed for a quiet corner of the room; along the way, he noticed most of his friends had already pulled out their phones.
His mother answered his call after only two rings. "Izuku, is everything okay? It's very early, and we spoke yesterday."
"I'm fine, Mom," Izuku promised. "Sir Nighteye just has me about to do some Hero work that I've never done before, and I'm a little nervous. He said it was a good idea to call family before an operation, if it helps."
"Well, that was nice of him to let you do that," Inko said brightly. "And don't worry about being nervous. You're new at being a Hero, but I know what you're capable of. Just remember what you've learned at school, and listen to your mentor."
"Right; thanks, Mom."
"Izuku? I just want to let you know how proud I am of the man you're becoming. And I know that Ben would be just as proud."
Izuku took off his visor to wipe his stinging eyes. "Th-thanks."
"So, whatever it is you're going to do today, just remember that I believe in you—so does your father, and all your friends, so you should believe in yourself."
"I will, Mom." Izuku smiled; some of the anger that had been building up all week had been replaced with a calm confidence. "I think I needed to hear that."
"It's the secret second Quirk most mothers have: giving good advice to our children." Inko laughed. "Okay, honey, I'm going to work soon, but is there anything else you need?"
"No, I'm okay." Izuku glanced at Nighteye, who quickly tapped his watch. "I need to go too; love you, Mom."
"I love you too, Izuku."
Deku hung up and put his visor back on, just as Nighteye and Endeavor approached.
"Endeavor made a suggestion," Nighteye said, "one that I am inclined to accept."
"Your Quirk makes you uniquely suited to almost any situation," Endeavor said without preamble. "And, as the mission today could change rapidly, I want you and the other interns to act as a quick-reaction force. You will be granted some autonomy during the operation, though only when I or Sir Nighteye say so."
Deku nodded, even as Nighteye had more to add. "Lemillion and Nezu have both informed me of your tactical abilities. As such, you will be in command of this squad."
Deku blinked. "M-me? Really?"
Nighteye looked uncomfortable for a moment. "I would have preferred Lemillion be in charge, but he insisted that it was difficult enough focusing on his own abilities, much less commanding others. Your team will likely only be dealing with cleanup, but it would be irresponsible of me not to at least inform you of the possibilities."
Deku was still processing that when the older Heroes walked away, and he jumped when Lemillion and Nejire-chan each hugged one of his arms.
"Team leader, huh?" Lemillion grinned. "You know, Heroes only give leadership roles to their Sidekicks when they're ready to open up their own Agencies."
Nejire-chan gasped. "No way! Does that mean Izu-kun's gonna have an Agency before he even graduates? That's so cool!"
While his friends teased Deku, Suneater rolled his eyes. "Well, at least they're keeping him from being too upset."
Red Riot glanced his way. "I know it's been bad for the last few days, but I thought he was handling it."
Suneater shrugged. "They get upset when he's upset."
"Ah, I get it." Red Riot nodded sagely. "Now we just need to take down the bad guys, and everything will be okay!"
"Somehow, I doubt it'll be that easy…"
…
"Ishigami-san, it's so nice to finally meet you," Nezu said as he waved his guest inside.
Detective Ishigami was solidly-built for a man his age, with only a few wrinkles and grey hairs. Few people would have guessed that he was over sixty years old, yet still active in the police force.
"Likewise, Nezu-san," Ishigami said in a voice that was unusually soft for a man who looked like a hard-boiled detective. "Honestly, with your track record, I'm annoyed that the force doesn't ask for your help solving crimes more often."
"They did, once," Nezu said, and led the man to the teacher's lounge. "I ended up doing their job a little too well, so I'm only asked to consult when the police have no other options."
Ishigami winced. "Yeah, some cops don't like it when Heroes get the job done better than they can."
"Not you?"
"Nah, Heroes made it so that I lived long enough to actually have grandkids." Ishigami shrugged. "Speaking of children, I was hoping I could speak to the girl—Eri, was it?"
"Yes, though I do want to confirm something." Nezu paused at the door. "You only want to ask some general questions today?"
"Of course; I want her to get used to me before I bring up past trauma during my questioning." Ishigami smiled kindly. "I don't know what kind of information she has on the Eight Precepts, or even if she has anything at all, but every little bit helps to build a better case to lock 'em up forever."
"She doesn't need to appear in court?"
Ishigami shook his head. "Not if I have anything to say about it."
"That's good to hear; Eri-chan barely tolerates one or two strangers at a time, much less a full courtroom." Nezu slid open the door. "Hello, Eri-chan! And thank you for watching her, All Might."
Ishigami poked his head into the room before he could stop himself. "All Might? Wow, I never thought I'd get to meet you today."
All Might put down his coffee and rose; he still wore an oversized suit, a habit he had yet to break. "You're the detective Nezu was bringing in, right? Always a pleasure to meet the police."
"Unless we're issuing parking tickets, right?" Ishigami grinned. "We get complaints from Hero Agencies about tickets all the time. Some of them think we do it out of spite."
"Wait, you don't?" All Might laughed at his own joke, then grabbed a tissue to wipe away a dribble of blood. "Eri-chan, this man is here to speak to you. Is that okay?"
Eri, who had been drawing up until a few minutes earlier, now cautiously poked her head out from behind All Might's legs. "Um… okay."
Ishigami smiled and waited for All Might to move before kneeling in front of the girl and held out his hand. "Hello, young lady."
It all happened an instant too fast for the Heroes to react in time. They saw the empty needle slide out from Ishigami's sleeve and fall to the floor, just as he touched Eri's hand. There was a flash of red light, and Eri was replaced by a stack of wooden planks.
By the time Eraserhead and Hound Dog, who had been watching the campus security feeds, got to the lounge, All Might had transformed and pinned Ishigami to the wall with one meaty fist.
"What did you do!?" All Might roared. "Where is Eri!?"
Nezu was staring at the pile of wood. "I read his file. His Quirk is called Blood-Mark; it allows him to swap something he's touching with anything he's left his blood on. Normally, he has to be able to see both objects at once, and it doesn't work on living things, but with Trigger…"
Eraserhead activated his own Quirk, catching All Might in his gaze and forcing him back into his skinny form. Eraserhead pushed the retired Hero out of the way and grabbed Ishigami.
"He won't be using that to escape now." Eraserhead tightened his grip. "Explain yourself."
"I fulfilled my objective," Ishigami said, his voice tired and sad. "I surrender."
"There's only one reason he'd go after Eri-chan," Nezu realized. "He's working for the Yakuza. All Might, call Nighteye immediately."
All Might grabbed his phone and hurriedly dialed his former Sidekick. This was no longer just a raid.
It was now a rescue mission.
What, you thought this would be a simple fight? Of course not, nothing ever goes to plan. Now, why did Ishigami work for the Eight Precepts? You'll have to wait until later to find out.
Speaking of which, my favorite scenes to write were the ones involving the League (especially the stuff with Twice, and Slice threatening Irinaka), and the scene with Ishigami. No idea why, but it was just fun.
I will try to update sooner than later, but there may be a delay on the next chapter. I have less than six weeks to find an apartment, or I'm on the street. Fortunately, working two jobs has earned me enough to afford a small place with a roommate, but unfortunately, I live in California, where rent prices are ridiculous, even when split between people.
If you'd like to help me not be homeless, you have a couple of options to do so. First, you can buy 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. I'm doing my best to finish the sequel, but, you know… life is getting in the way, and it sucks.
Another way you can help is by donating on P-atreon (link in my profile). If all of you donate on even the lowest tier, I could afford a nicer apartment, even with California prices, and thus have a relaxing place to write uninterrupted for hours at a time. And remember, top-tier patrons get a free PDF of my book, and early access to chapters!
Speaking of my patrons, I'd like to thank them here:
Serious Muffins: Nimrod009, Anders Lyngbye, Matthias Matanovic, John Collins, Red Bard, Aaron Meek, killroy225, Lokthar, DrkShdw
Incredible Muffins: RaptorusMaximus, michaelb958, Crazyman844, Ben Stueckle
Ultra Muffins: RangersRoll, Adam Costello
Next Chapter: The race is on! The Heroes chase after Chisaki for justice, while the Rising Stars try to save someone they love…
Plus Muffin!
