MY HERO ACADEMIA DOESN'T BELONG TO ME. BEN 10 DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. APPARENTLY, MY GENETICS LAB NO LONGER BELONGS TO ME, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT SAYS IT'S 'A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY'. I SAY THEY'RE A BUNCH OF PANSIES.
I want to say something cool right now, but I'm tapped out. I put everything else into this chapter, so on with the show!
My Alien Academia
Chapter 54
Overture
The wheels of bureaucracy might turn slowly at times, Sir Nighteye mused, but when they got up to speed, they delivered impressive results. He was going over the resources allocated for the upcoming operation one last time before he headed home, and it still amazed him how many Heroes, Sidekicks and interns were being assigned to this operation. Most of them still didn't even know what they'd been selected for, which had resulted in no small amount of confusion when many Heroes were being given lighter patrol duties, and replaced with heavier police presence.
The only ones who kept to their regular schedules were the small number of Heroes who had turned traitor and joined the Paranormal Liberation Front. They were being carefully watched, and every precaution was taken to ensure that they were still in the dark.
"Sir?" Bubble Girl poked her head through his door; she was out of her costume, and back to wearing civilian clothes. "Centipeder and I are about to leave. Are you going to close up soon?"
Nighteye raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I was just making sure I knew certain details about my next project."
"Yeah, that super-secret project that you won't tell us about," Bubble Girl half-joked, and then waved. "All right, see you in a few days, Sir! Merry Christmas!"
Nighteye echoed her words, and then leaned back in his seat. Bubble Girl had always been reliable, both in the office and in the field. However, he worried that he might lose her, since she might soon quit out of shame; her brother, after all, was a card-carrying member of the PLF.
Fortunately, his files were all secure in a safe that only he knew existed, and just to be safe, if someone got through the first door, they would only find the dummy-files, leaving the inner safe completely secure.
Difficult though it was, Nighteye pushed aside thoughts of intrigue and betrayal. It was Christmas Eve, and he was going to enjoy what little peace he would have in the near future.
…
"Merry Christmas, Izuku!"
Midoriya grinned at the chorus of voices coming from his phone. "Merry Christmas to you all, too!"
"I wish we could have sent you a present," Jen said. "But, you know, that would have been suspicious."
"It's fine, Jen."
"Not for us!" Ben protested. "Us Tennysons love Christmas, and you're part of the family."
"Th-thanks," Midoriya said with a sniff.
Kevin laughed. "Way to go, old man, you made him cry."
"Stop calling me old!"
"You've got grey hair, you're old. Suck it up, Tennyson."
"Seriously though," Kara said over the sound of Ben and Kevin bickering, "how is everything? This is your first Christmas away from home, right?"
"Y-yeah, but it's fine," Midoriya assured her. "I already spoke to my parents, and my friends and I are having a party downstairs in a little bit."
"Well, don't let us keep you," Gwen cut in, and then paused; a moment later, there was a muffled smack. "If you two don't behave, I'm taping you to a wall and forcing you to watch the Rankin/Bass Christmas movies on repeat!"
Midoriya blinked. "Uh…"
"It's a legitimate threat in this house," Ken explained. "Especially since the Titans and Justice League are having our own holiday party. I've got a betting pool on how many times Jen lures Bonnie under the mistletoe; winner gets almost four hundred dollars."
Midoriya tried not to think about what had happened to Mineta after he'd rigged up some mistletoe attached to a pole on his back. He had meant it as a joke, but when he'd accidentally gotten close to Ashido, Todoroki had dragged the whole thing outside and burned it to cinders. After that, the last time Midoriya had seen Mineta, he'd been taped to the ceiling; that had been four hours ago.
"Wait, are Kevin, Gwen and Julie going to that party?"
"Mostly because we don't have anywhere else to go," Julie said, and Midoriya could almost see her sad shrug. "But we've been training with the Titans for a couple of weeks now, and we're thinking of joining full-time."
"Oh, that's good, right?"
"At least it's better than sitting around and moping," Julie said.
"Wait, Kara, what time is it?" Ben asked in the distance.
"Just… after… oh, no, we're late!"
"Gotta go, kid, Merry Christmas!"
With that, Ben hung up. Midoriya smiled, and wiped away some stray tears; he'd been worried about the three refugees, but at least they were keeping busy, and he trusted Ben's family to help them.
He got up from his chair, but he paused when he saw the picture of a younger Ben Tennyson on his desk. He had only spent one Christmas with Holo-Ben, and it had been early in their friendship. Still, he remembered how the hologram had altered his appearance to match the season, with a Santa suit and matching beard. It had made his mother laugh until she'd cried; looking back, it was probably the first time the Midoriyas had considered the hologram part of the family.
"Sorry you only got a year with us," he said sadly, and patted the picture frame. "But I'll try to live enough for both of us."
With that, he adjusted his outfit and put on his hat. Yaoyorozu had made each member of Class 1-A a green or red Christmas costume, complete with a hat that had something unique to them on it. For Midoriya, his hat was topped by a dial identical to the Omnitrix, and it even spun in place.
He had barely gotten down the stairs when his arms were suddenly full with his girlfriend and pseudo-adopted daughter. Uraraka kissed him on the cheek, while Eri hugged him.
"Happy Easter, Izu!" Eri cheered.
Midoriya tried not to laugh; leading up to Christmas, he and the Rising Stars had done their best to teach Eri about holidays. She'd become so excited by the prospect that she couldn't remember what to say for each one.
"It's 'Merry Christmas', Eri-chan," Uraraka said, and gave the little girl a kiss on her horn.
"Right!" Eri smiled. "Merry Birthday!"
Uraraka squeezed her. "Ooh, you're lucky you're so adorable!"
Midoriya grinned; apparently, in a show of solidarity, all of the Rising Stars, as well as Eri, also wore green outfits. Uraraka's hat was topped by a pink star, while Eri's had a tiny clock that Yaoyorozu had actually created to tick backwards. Yaoyorozu herself had a hat with a tiny book, Asui had a rubber frog, Sero had a tape dispenser, and Iida had a miniature engine that made a revving sound if you shook it. Todoroki had an interesting plastic decoration, made to look like a snowflake in front of a blazing fire. Ashido's had been a surprise—a small cube of acid-proof material, with an ounce of acid sloshing around inside.
The three joined up with the rest of the class, who were all enjoying a banquet of delicious food. Even Bakugo was having a cordial conversation with Kirishima. Apparently, someone had taken pity on Mineta, and rigged up a long straw so that he could drink eggnog from the ceiling, and Dark Shadow occasionally brought him some food.
Eri wriggled out of Uraraka's arms and ran over to Yaoyorozu. "Auntie Momo! Thank you for the costume!"
Yaoyorozu cooed and patted her head. "You're very welcome, Eri-chan."
Eri turned to run over to Sero and Asui, but waved back at her. "Happy Hannukah!"
Uraraka sighed. "At this point, I think she's doing that on purpose."
Yaoyorozu smiled. "If that's the case, I think she's doing well." Her smile grew as she watched Midoriya scoop the little girl up in another hug, and then hand her over to Asui. "Just so you know, I've made arrangements for that Christmas gift for you and Izuku."
Uraraka's face went very red. "R-really?"
"I don't know why you're so embarrassed, it's not like you haven't stayed the night with him before."
Uraraka shushed her, then frantically looked around to see if someone had heard. Judging by the wink from Jiro and the subtle thumbs-up from Shoji, only they had.
"That was a special case, and Eri was there," Uraraka whispered. "This is… different."
Yaoyorozu shrugged. "It's as different as you two want it to be. That's up to you; I'm just making sure you have some time alone."
"Right." Uraraka took a deep breath. "Thanks, Momo."
"Of course." Yaoyorozu gave her a hug. "You two deserve to be happy."
"Aw, that's nice." Both girls jumped and looked up; they glared at Mineta, who was still taped to the ceiling. "What? It's not my fault you two forgot where I was."
Yaoyorozu's eyes narrowed, and one hand started to glow, but Uraraka stopped her.
"He's right, that one was on us." Uraraka looked up at Mineta. "If we let you down, will you promise to behave?"
"Considering how many people have threatened to kill me, I think I will." Mineta's expression turned pleading. "So, can I come down? Please? I kinda need to pee."
Yaoyorozu sighed, and then created a billhook to peel Mineta free; she even placed him on the ground with polite gentleness.
"Thank you!" Mineta bowed, and then dashed off to use the restroom. "Merry Christmas!"
"That's the closest I'll ever come to being nice to him," Yaoyorozu muttered.
Uraraka shrugged. "It is Christmas Eve. Did your heart grow three sizes this day?"
"Only when he stays three times the distance away."
"Okay, fine, we should change the subject before you get a lump of coal." Uraraka smiled when Jiro started playing some classing Christmas songs, and Eri dragged Midoriya to the center of the room to try and dance. Some of the class laughed, but not to be mean—Midoriya still looked a little embarrassed, so Ashido dragged Todoroki over to dance nearby. "Aw, that's so sweet."
Yaoyorozu had to agree. "Are you having second thoughts about tonight?"
"Nope, not letting myself think about it," Uraraka said firmly. "If I do, I might chicken out."
"You never told my why you're so determined to do this."
Uraraka sighed. "Think about all that's happened this year, Momo. Part of me is terrified that something might happen to one of us before I show Izuku just how much I… I…"
"How much you love him?" Yaoyorozu finished, and gently hugged her again. "I think he already knows."
Uraraka smiled at her, and then at Midoriya, who was now laughing at the antics going on around him. "Yeah, but I still want to show him."
…
Outside the 1-A dorms, All Might watched with narrowed eyes at the partying students. He was simmering with anger; partly at himself for being so distrusting, but mostly at the boy who had them all fooled. All he wanted was to kick in that door and drag Midoriya away from the rest of the students.
I can't, he told himself, not yet. Those children are all convinced that young Midoriya is going to be an amazing Hero. Could any of them be in league with him? I wouldn't put it past those closest to him to be swayed to his cause, and the rest of his class certainly trusts him. Well, except for young Bakugo.
That last thought brought All Might up short. "Young Bakugo, huh?"
As if the universe heard him, the door opened, and Bakugo stomped out. It was cold outside, but it had been a warm winter, so there was no snow, which explained why he wasn't wearing thicker clothing. As soon as Bakugo saw the retired Hero, he stopped.
"All Might? What the hell are you doing here?"
All Might puffed himself up into his muscle form; he wanted to seem more confident, and Bakugo seemed more willing to listen if he looked like the Hero he'd idolized.
"Ah, young Bakugo! I was just taking a walk, getting in a little winter exercise, but I was just thinking about you! Do you have a moment?"
Bakugo glanced back at the dorms, then shrugged. "Yeah, sure. The losers in there are just losing their shit over Eri; only so much of that crap before I get diabetes."
All Might nodded, and made a mental note about Eri; she might be a vital piece in the plan that was slowly taking shape in his mind. "I understand. Even I sometimes need a break from overwhelming positivity. Say, young Bakugo, what are your thoughts on young Midoriya?"
"Huh?" Bakugo scowled. "What do you want to know about Deku?"
All Might waved the question off. "Oh, never mind, I just realized that I probably know more about him than you. However, there is a matter that might occur that has much to do with him, and I was hoping that, should the worst come to pass, you would have my back."
Bakugo raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you need backup?"
All Might paused as he considered how to approach the volatile young man. With a puff of steam, he reverted to his skinny form, and put a hand on Bakugo's shoulder.
"Since I was so injured that I was reduced to this." He leveled a steady gaze at Bakugo. "If things happen as I fear they might, I need someone who isn't quite so… enamored, shall we say, with young Midoriya to stand at my side."
"You think I'm good enough for that?"
Ah, there it is, All Might thought. Young Midoriya has outclassed him so many times, and he's desperate for validation.
"Absolutely," he said, and held out his hand. "Just be ready when I call, young Bakugo."
"You got it, All Might."
…
Later that night, Midoriya was just about to go to sleep when he heard a knock on his door. He opened it, and saw his girlfriend nervously shifting in place.
"Hi, Ochako, what's—"
"I love you," Uraraka blurted out.
In any other situation, Midoriya would have turned into a shocked, blushing mess. Instead, his blood went cold. In that moment, all he could think about was how she had already said those words, in a time that no longer existed.
She had died not long after saying it the first time.
Midoriya opened his mouth to speak; only a sob came out, followed by tears. He reached out with trembling arms; when his hands touched her arms, he first acted like she would shatter, but when she didn't, he held her hard enough to make her ribs groan in protest.
"Izuku? What's wrong?" Of all the reactions Uraraka had expected, this certainly wasn't one of them.
"I don't… I can't…" Midoriya's knees buckled, and Uraraka had to hold him upright. He was biting his lip to keep from screaming, and to Uraraka was shocked to see blood dripping down his chin.
"Shh, shh, it's okay," she said softly. "Let's just go sit down."
Uraraka was strong, but not strong enough to carry her limp boyfriend to his bed, so she quickly applied her Quirk to make him weightless. Once he was settled, she let gravity take its hold on him. She sat next to him, not saying anything—she had no idea what to say. Instead, she just held him in her arms and let him cry his heart out.
"What do you need?" she asked quietly, once his sobbing had ebbed.
"Dunno," Midoriya said, his eyes screwed shut.
"Should I call someone? Aizawa-sensei, maybe?" Aizawa was a Pro Hero who had seen everything, which probably included someone breaking into hysterical tears, so he might know what to do.
Midoriya shook his head.
"Okay, what about Momo?" Yaoyorozu had helped him when he'd started having anxiety during the Sports Festival, so maybe she could help here.
Midoriya shook his head again.
"Well, I could call Mina." Aside from Uraraka herself, Ashido was the most protective of Midoriya, and would do anything to put a smile on his face.
To Uraraka's surprise, Midoriya jerked back like she'd slapped him. His eyes were wide, and he looked on the verge of total panic.
"Okay, okay, not Mina." Uraraka gently pulled Midoriya back into her embrace.
What the heck did Mina do to freak him out this much?
"I…" Midoriya coughed, then rubbed his eyes. "I don't know…"
All right, three words before he stopped.
"It's okay," Uraraka said gently, like she was talking to a spooked animal. "We don't have to talk if you don't want to."
Midoriya nodded shakily and leaned into her; he kept crying, but it wasn't the uncontrollable sobs from a minute ago. It felt like he was just letting it all out now.
Eventually, Midoriya tired himself out, and fell asleep in her arms. Wryly, Uraraka thought that this wasn't how she'd planned this night to go. Instead of something romantic, she was holding her clearly-traumatized boyfriend, whose tears had left her with a soaked shirt.
And the worst part was that she had no idea what would happen next.
…
The other Rising Stars had been fully prepared to tease Uraraka and Midoriya as soon as they saw them the next morning, but those plans were derailed the second the couple came downstairs.
Both of them looked awful, with bags under their eyes that suggested that if they did sleep, it wasn't restful. Uraraka practically snarled at anyone who so much as approached Midoriya, and refused to stay more than a few inches away from him. Only Eri was allowed to get close, and only she was given a smile by either of her pseudo-parents.
If Uraraka was bad, Midoriya was worse; he was trembling, and the slightest unexpected noise made him jump. He looked so fragile, as if the smallest thing would utterly break him. The Omnitrix responded to his emotional state by constantly activating, and he seemed on the verge of turning into an alien and either running away or lashing out.
Obviously, they only stayed downstairs for the first hour of Christmas, and then retreated back to Midoriya's room.
"Hey, Yaomomo?" Yaoyorozu turned when Jiro tapped her arm. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Yaoyorozu glanced at Iida, who nodded; he would look after the others. "Of course."
Jiro took her to the kitchen and made a cup of coffee; Yaoyorozu could tell that she didn't really need the caffeine, and just wanted something to do while gathering her thoughts.
"So, uh, I had some trouble getting to sleep," Jiro began. "I guess I was riding that high from the party, or something. Anyway, I was trying to sleep, and one of my jacks touched the wall, and I heard something weird. It was just for a second, and then I stopped, but I decided to listen in."
"Jiro-chan, you're rambling," Yaoyorozu said as patiently as she could.
"Right, sorry." Jiro looked away. "I plugged my jack into the wall to figure out what the noise was, and, uh… Midoriya was crying."
Yaoyorozu raised an eyebrow. "You know what he sounds like when he cries?"
Jiro mirrored her expression. "Every time you guys watched one of those Marvel movies, he cried during any sad scene. Every. Time. I could hear him anywhere in the dorms."
"I see."
"Listen, I know I'm not close to him, like you guys are, but… is he okay?"
Yaoyorozu closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I honestly don't know."
"Well, I won't tell anyone, but I just wanted you to know that everyone in class is here for him." Jiro shrugged. "I know the Dekusquad is first in line, but the rest of us care, you know?"
Yaoyorozu smiled, even if she was slightly annoyed that people called them the Dekusquad. "I appreciate it, Jiro-chan."
It wasn't until later that Yaoyorozu realized just how much hearing that meant to her. Part of her had always felt a need to help Midoriya, but knowing that everyone was just as willing to be there for him took a weight off her shoulders she hadn't known was there.
…
It took a whole week, but when classes resumed after the new year, Midoriya was back to his old self—or at least he didn't look like he was going to fall apart if someone so much as breathed on him. Uraraka also felt relaxed enough to stray more than a few feet from him, which was a sign to everyone else that they could at least ask Midoriya if he was okay.
"I'm doing better," Midoriya eventually said. "I think I just needed to get it out of my system."
Nobody knew what 'it' was, and Midoriya wasn't forthcoming with details. His classmates eventually decided that it was personal, and left it alone.
Some of his teachers, on the other hand, were a little more involved. They could all see how traumatized he was; as Pro Heroes, they had seen the same expression on many of the people they'd rescued over their careers. It was even worse when it happened to someone as powerful as Midoriya; the last thing they wanted was for someone like him to have a breakdown and lose control. Midnight had suggested to Midoriya that he go see Hound Dog, who was also the school counselor. Midoriya had instead asked to see Nezu; his excuse was that the principal was more acquainted with his history, and might be better at using logic to help him.
Nezu had, of course, taken Midoriya to his office for a long talk. Midoriya never brought up the Crisis, only saying that what he was going through mostly had to do with the Tennysons, and that he'd already spoken to them. Nezu had accepted that, and simply let Midoriya rest in his office for an hour; later, he told the teachers that the boy's issues revolved around the stress of his kidnapping by the League of Villains, and then Eri's kidnapping by the Eight Precepts. He just had a bad week, something all Heroes went through at some point in their careers, and he was already working on strategies to help him the next time it happened. That had satisfied the teachers; even All Might, who had brought up the strongest concerns of someone as powerful as Midoriya going off the deep end, accepted the explanation.
By the time classes were in full swing, it was like the whole episode hadn't happened. The only ones who kept it in the back of their minds were the Rising Stars; they didn't know how to help their friend, but resolved to be there if he ever needed them.
…
The next hiccup in Midoriya's routine came during the middle of class. Aizawa marched into the classroom and straight up to a surprised Present Mic; rather than speak, Aizawa held up his phone to the other Hero and showed him something. Present Mic's ever-present smile vanished, and he looked his friend in the eye.
"You sure? Now?"
"Now." Aizawa turned to the class. "You're all coming with me. You're getting your costumes, and then you're getting on a bus. I know you're confused, but I need you to keep quiet until I say otherwise."
The students nodded; this wasn't their teacher giving them a lesson, but a Pro Hero giving them orders.
Aizawa led them to the locker rooms, where their costume cases were already waiting. The students grabbed them, and headed outside; even Bakugo was subdued as Aizawa shepherded them onto the bus.
"You'll get more details soon, but here's what you need to know," Eraserhead said grimly. "A secret investigation has been underway for months, possibly longer, into a massive organization intent on overthrowing the government. When I say massive, I mean that it could qualify as an army, made up of fanatics, some of whom have spent their whole lives training to use their Quirks to fight and kill. The HPSC has determined where the enemy's main base is, and they've mobilized most of the Heroes in Japan for this operation.
"Most of you will be serving in the rearguard to prevent any enemies from slipping the net, or helping in evacuations, depending on where you're assigned. Some of you, however, have been asked to be part of the main operation." Aizawa locked eyes with Midoriya. "If you don't think you're ready for the high-stakes missions yet, say so, and I'll have you moved to the rear."
Midoriya's gaze was steady, and he kept his mouth shut. He might have had his issues, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from helping where he was needed.
"All right, then you need to know the following: you will not ask questions unless you are specifically allowed to, and you will not make any contact with anyone until the operation is over. Until it's time to move out, or you're told otherwise by me, you will stay put—I don't care if the building catches fire, you don't leave until I say so. Am I understood?"
The students sat up straight. "Yes, sir!"
"Good." Aizawa abruptly slouched and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I won't lie to you, this might be the biggest operation in your careers. In fact, I hope it is, because that means nothing this big will ever happen to you kids. Still, you need to be aware that there are a lot of moving pieces to this mission, and we're just cogs in the machine. There probably won't be time to explain every detail, and there definitely won't be time to hold your hands. Just do what you're told, stay alert, and we'll all get home safe." He looked up at them. "That's my order, as your teacher: stay alive. I'm not burying any of my students."
With that morbid thought, the students stayed silent for the rest of the trip.
…
After two hours of driving, the bus stopped at what could charitably be called the middle of nowhere. Other than a few trees and the road, there was nothing else around; before any of the students could complain, Eraserhead led them to one of the trees and banged his fist against it twice. A moment later, a patch of grass was revealed to be a disguised hatch that opened up, and a familiar face emerged.
"You're right on time," Sir Nighteye said. "Follow me, we have much to discuss."
With more than a little anxiety, the class followed him down a flight of stairs; as soon as the last of them was underground, the hatch closed, and it was like they'd never been there at all.
"This was one of several bunkers constructed during the formation of Hero society as we know it," Nighteye explained as they walked. "They're connected to each other via a series of tunnels. The government commissioned them for Heroes to gather for large-scale deployments. There are no records of their existence, and until yesterday, the only people who knew about them were either in the highest levels of government, or the HPSC, passed down by word of mouth. Now, most Heroes in the country are aware, but will have to sign nondisclosure agreements if they want to keep their jobs."
Midoriya was so fascinated by this revelation that Iida and Ashido had to grab his arms to make sure he didn't fall down the stairs. He wished he had a notebook with him, even if it was unlikely that he'd be able to keep it.
The stairway led to a wide chamber, which was already filled with Heroes and Sidekicks, as well as students—including Class 1-B, along with some from Ketsubutsu and Shiketsu. The Heroes were all in costume, but the students still wore their school uniforms, and had all been herded close to one wall. Midoriya made a rough estimate, and figured at least three hundred people were gathered for this operation, and Nighteye's words from earlier suggested that there were other such locations, perhaps with just as many.
What really bothered Midoriya was how tense everyone was; normally, Heroes liked to project an aura of confidence, even to other Heroes, but there were no smiles today, just grim determination.
"Hey, guys," Tetsutetsu said quietly as the other class walked over. "We figured you'd be part of this, but Vlad King said you'd be taking a different route."
Midoriya wanted to ask if he knew what was going on, but he remembered Eraserhead's warning about asking questions. Instead, he just nodded and kept his eyes on his teacher.
"Attention, everyone," Nighteye said, close to the students. "The Pro Heroes are already aware of the situation, but for the students and most of the Sidekicks, you need to be filled in.
"Some time ago, the Hero Public Safety Commission heard rumors of a secret society with aims to overthrow the government. Their end goal seems to be a kind of Quirk-based Social Darwinism, with those with the most powerful Quirks as the rulers of this country. Obviously, this wasn't something the government wanted to happen, so they dispatched an agent to infiltrate this organization, and lay the groundwork for its defeat.
"Since that time is upon us, I can now reveal that that agent was none other than Hawks."
Midoriya blinked a few times. If that was the case, then several things suddenly made sense—Hawks' refusal to take him on for his first work-study, and his evasiveness about his recent cases. Still, part of him was proud that his mentor was instrumental in such a massive operation.
"Despite being a member of this conspiracy, Hawks was not fully trusted, and was under constant surveillance," Nighteye went on. "As such, it was difficult for him to report to his handlers, and he couldn't be sure who to trust. He eventually reached out to me, and I was able to covertly brief those I trusted. I also worked with the police to root out sympathizers and traitors; this included over thirty Heroes, and nearly twice as many Sidekicks. Once we were sure who was truly on our side, we began creating a plan to take down this 'Meta Liberation Army'. Those of you who know your history might recall that a similar name was used by a man named Destro; until recently, the MLA was led by his distant descendent, codenamed Re-Destro, otherwise known as Yotsubashi Rikiya."
Midoriya was shocked to learn that Heroes had thrown their lot in with insurrectionists, but once he heard the identity of Re-Destro, he felt completely numb. His father's boss was behind this? He had shaken the man's hand, enthusiastically talked about Quirks—he'd started thinking of the man as a friend!
"This was already viewed as a serious threat, but things have taken a turn in recent weeks." Nighteye adjusted his glasses. "The MLA came into conflict with the League of Villains, but it didn't go as expected. The MLA leadership was usurped by the League, and the entire organization was renamed the Paranormal Liberation Front.
"With this change in leadership, the PLF has been undergoing reorganization, and this is where we come in. The enemy has gathered the majority of its strength in one place—more importantly, all of their leaders are together. This is our chance to not only decapitate the entire enemy command structure, but also defeat the whole movement in a single battle. Even better, the battle will take place in the Gunga Mountains, far from civilians or risk of collateral damage. Most of our own forces, codenamed Taskforce Hammer, will be deployed here.
"The other major detachment of Heroes, codenamed Taskforce Scalpel, will be sent to Jaku Hospital, where we have reliable intelligence on the creator of the bioengineered monsters known as Nomu, one Dr. Garaki. Scalpel will evacuate the hospital, engage and destroy any Nomu, and arrest Dr. Garaki. If everything goes according to plan, we will end this threat in a single day.
"I know that some of you have questions, but I'm afraid that we don't have time to address all of your concerns. Please be assured that we have been planning this operation for some time, and our odds of success are high. Just follow your orders, and we'll succeed; get some rest, we move out tomorrow morning. That is all."
Aizawa guided his class to a small area that had been set aside for them, which included cots to sleep on and other amenities. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was enough to get them through the night. The only problem was Midoriya; he was still in shock, and had to be guided to his cot.
"Midoriya, are you all right?" Aizawa asked. "This is about Re-Destro, right?"
"He's my dad's boss," Midoriya said quietly. "He wouldn't… my dad can't be a part of this, can he?"
"He isn't," Aizawa stated with absolute certainty. "We could have had over a hundred more Heroes and Sidekicks as part of this operation, but anyone related to someone else in the PLF was automatically taken off the assignment. If he was part of this, you wouldn't be. If your father is somehow involved, it's likely he's in the dark." He sighed. "Still, don't be surprised if your family is under scrutiny for a while after this."
Midoriya took several deep breaths; he knew that his teacher wouldn't lie about something like this, nor would he sugarcoat it. "Th-thanks, Aizawa-sensei."
"Get some rest," Aizawa suggested. "You'll get your individual assignments soon enough, but save your energy for tomorrow."
As soon as Aizawa walked away to talk to Vlad King, Midoriya found himself engulfed in a bone-cracking hug from his girlfriend.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Not really," Midoriya admitted. "This… I wasn't expecting to deal with big stuff until I was at least finished with high school."
"No kidding!" Ashido said with a pout as she sat across from them. "I mean, yeah, our first year is almost over, but can't we catch a break? This kind of stuff should be spread out over a few years, not a few months!"
Todoroki, who had been about to sit next to her, paused. "Huh. I didn't even think about that. We're almost done with our first year of high school."
"With everything that's been going on, achievements like that feel inconsequential," Yaoyorozu sighed. "I remember how proud my parents were when I finished middle school at the top of my class. If they tried congratulating me about academics now, I think I might be mad at them."
Iida nodded. "Indeed! When this is over, I intend to double down on my studies. It should add some normalcy back to my life."
Asui put Sero between her and Iida's chopping hand. "Ribbit, how about we watch some movies again? We ran out of Marvel stuff."
"Star Wars?" Uraraka offered. "I love those, and I think I can recite them line-for-line."
Sero grinned at her. "Impressive, that is."
The easy conversation had started easing Midoriya's nerves, and he relaxed in Uraraka's arms. "Yeah, that sounds good."
…
All Might was well aware of the upcoming operation, even if he wasn't able to take part. He could still use his muscle form for an hour, but even at his current best, he was at barely twenty percent of what he could have done in his prime.
That was one more reason why he'd volunteered to watch Eri for the day.
"All the other teachers are out in the field today," he'd told Nezu, "and between managing logistics and running the school, you just don't have time to watch young Eri today."
It spoke volumes of how stressed Nezu was that he didn't even think about accepting All Might's offer, and sent him off to Eri's room.
As a teacher, All Might had access to Eri's progress reports, and he was aware of how much control she now had over her Quirk. With everything about to happen, it was now or never.
"Hello, young Eri," he said with a smile.
The little girl looked up from her drawing and waved shyly—it was so adorably innocent that All Might's resolve nearly faltered. "Hi, All Might. Did you see Izu and Chako today? They didn't say goodbye."
The mention of Midoriya banished All Might's reservations. "Unfortunately, something came up that required all the Hero students. They should be back by tomorrow, or the day after."
"Okay." Eri nodded and returned to her drawing; it said something about how much faith she had in her guardians after the Eight Precept raid that she wasn't worried.
All Might let her be as he made some coffee, which gave him time to gather his thoughts. He sat down and took a long sip; for a moment, he pretended that he was just an ordinary man, retired and looking after a little girl that was still recovering from her trauma.
"Say, Eri, may I ask you something?"
"Uh-huh," Eri said, not looking up from her drawing.
"How is your Quirk training coming along? Have you been able to help people yet?" All Might already knew the answer after reading Eri's file, but he wanted to hear from her how she felt about it.
Eri smiled at him. "It's good! I helped a boy who hurt his leg yesterday!"
"That's wonderful to hear." All Might leaned forward. "Would you mind helping someone else today?
Eri blinked. "Who?"
All Might's hand drifted to his side, where his old injury still ached. "Me."
…
Midoriya felt like he was watching the people he loved head off to their doom all over again. After getting his assignment, he saw that most of his classmates would be part of Taskforce Scalpel, and only in a support capacity; their job was to evacuate civilians, which was supposed to be the safest part of the mission.
Maybe it was cynical of him, but Midoriya didn't believe any mission was truly 'safe' anymore.
Of all his fellow students, only Ashido and Sero were joining him in Taskforce Hammer. Apparently, their fight against Mustard during the training camp incident had gotten them noticed, and the terrain in the mountains was similar.
At least Ashido and Sero only had to worry about catching any enemies that tried escaping the battle. If things went well, they wouldn't need to do anything but keep watch. For his part, Midoriya was joining the first wave; after his fights against Overhaul and the talking Nomu, it was decided that he had the skill and power to be thrown into the deep end.
He took solace in knowing that he wasn't the only first-year student on the front lines; Yoarashi Inasa of Shiketsu was also there. Between the two of them, their role was just to clear away as many of the basic soldiers as they could; after that, they would provide backup to any Heroes that looked like they were in trouble.
Midoriya tried to focus on what he was going to do, and not worry himself sick about his friends. It was more difficult than he wished it was.
"Stay safe," he said, after giving Uraraka a hug.
"We'll do our best," she promised, and kissed him on the cheek. "When we get back to school, let's watch those movies."
"Definitely." Midoriya looked at the rest of his class and smiled. "Watch out for each other."
To his surprise, Bakugo was the first to respond. "Yeah, like I'm gonna let anyone die on my watch, Deku. No future top Hero would have that shit on his record."
Despite everything, Midoriya chuckled. "I'll hold you to that."
A hand landed on Midoriya's shoulder, and he jumped; he looked up at Sir Nighteye, who nodded at him. "As much as I wish you didn't need to be part of this operation, Midoriya-san, we must move out."
"R-right." Still, Midoriya gave his friends one more smile. "See you later."
I know this was a shorter chapter, but this really was a big setup for all the intense stuff that's about to happen. Honestly, if I started writing the next stage right now, this chapter would probably never end.
As far as I'm aware, Bubble Girl does not have a sibling, and is in no way connected to the PLF. I just threw that in there because I wanted to.
Also, how many of you thought that Uraraka and Midoriya were going to sleep together in this chapter? Well, you were wrong! Instead, have Midoriya having a PTSD flashback. In all seriousness, trauma can be triggered by even the simplest word or phrase, so be understanding to those who suffer from PTSD.
All Might is being sneaky. I like to imagine that when he uses his brain, it's really scary, like when Superman outsmarts the bad guys. Except in this case, it's a hyper-paranoid All Might who thinks Midoriya is the spawn of Satan.
What's a phrase that isn't 'Avengers Assemble' that I can use? Because that's basically what's happening here.
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, in both eBook and physical format. I'm getting closer to finishing the sequel, so if you haven't read the first one yet, now's a good time.
Another way you can help me is by donating to my P-atreon (link in my profile). Money is tight right now, and I'm trying to get more hours at one of my jobs, which means less time for writing. If every person who reads my stories donated at the minimum tier, I'd be able to write every single day, which means more chapters every week!
Speaking of my patrons, I'd like to thank the following now:
Serious Muffins: Nimrod009, Aaron Meek, Matthias Matanovic, Red Bard, Lokthar, Hakuryuken, Anders Lyngbye, Kristen Tyler, Patryk kawalec
Incredible Muffins: RaptorusMaximus, Crazyman844, CherryGoesBoom
Ultra Muffins: RangersRoll
Next Chapter: Garaki checks in on his masterpiece, and the Heroes begin their operation…
Plus Muffin!
