There's a sense of nostalgia that comes from donning new hero gear. There's a familiarity in the feel of it against his skin, not all that different from Piper. But, if Aizawa's surprised at the rate at which Izuku accustoms himself with his suit he doesn't show it. Within the span of a few days, he's already comfortable using it all.
He still has a bit of trouble getting the knives in his boots to come out. But, that's something that can only be fixed with time and practice, and from the look on Aizawa's face the last two days, they're running out of both. It's an ominous feeling. Aizawa hadn't mentioned much about what they'd be doing for his internship just yet, focused more so on preparing Izuku for what's to come. But, by the end of the week, he's being pulled aside once again, Shinsou leaving him with a sly grin and joking salute.
Aizawa leads him to a private meeting room, similar to the one they'd used when the hero first offered to train him. He sits on the seat opposite Izuku, an unreadable expression on his face. "I told you before that we'd be working with a group of heroes. It's time I told you a bit more. Everything I say from here on is classified information. You can't tell anyone about what I'm about to tell you: not classmates, not friends, not family." He waits for Izuku's confirmation, the teen offering a quick, terse nod in understanding. Aizawa sighs. "Nighteye's hero agency is fronting a raid operation on a group of villains next week. Tomorrow is the first formal meeting for it. You'll meet me here and we'll head over from there. You don't need to bring anything, just make sure you're in your school uniform. If anyone asks what we're doing, tell them we're training as part of your internship. Don't mention names or locations either. It could jeopardize the operation if word gets out."
Izuku nods along with each new statement, both nervous and excited for what's to become his first trek into legal heroism. But, there's a sense of unease that settles in the pit of his stomach. Something foreboding that hangs over his head, clings to his skin—it doesn't go away when he leaves for the day, or when he finally crawls into bed.
He chalks it up to unsettled nerves.
That night he's haunted by nightmares he can't remember.
His unease only grows as Aizawa drives them to Nighteye's agency. It's a long trip, but mostly quiet during the ride there, giving Izuku more unwanted time to brew in the feeling. Aizawa offers him a few words about what to expect; explaining that there would also be a few older UA students there participating in their own internships as well.
Nighteye's agency is located in a rather plain building, five stories tall and seemingly too big for how many people he knows the hero has employed on a regular basis. It's quiet when they walk in, a hero he recognizes as Bubble Girl directing them to another floor where the meeting's being held.
Aizawa stops them outside the door to the meeting room. "You ready?" he asks, voice hardly more than a rumble.
"No choice but to be," Izuku huffs, amusement and nerves a swirling cocktail in his gut.
The corner of Aizawa's lip twitches upwards with the beginning of a smile before he wipes it away with a nod and opens the door.
There's far more people than he'd expected. He spots at least five other UA students in the room and even more heroes. He sees Ryukyu, and Snipe, and, Centipeder, and Fatgum and some two dozen others he can't be bothered to recall the names of right now because there, at the front of the room, amidst the chaos, stands Tsukauchi Naomasa.
Izuku hasn't seen much of him since Iida's death, though Reo had reassured him that he'd been healing fine and was already back at work. Izuku's body grinds to a slow halt, cold fear threatening to stall his heart. Because for one long, terrible moment he's certain he's just walked in on a Piper investigation, or worse: a capture operation in its final stages. That Aizawa, somehow having deduced his identity, had led him straight into a trap. He should've known Piper's death wouldn't have been the end of the detective's involvement in his case. Aizawa too had once been a part of the operation to track down Piper, it wouldn't be a stretch to think he'd participate in the investigation following his supposed death. But there's too many people here, too much set up. Perhaps it was all some horribly strange coincidence that Midoriya Izuku was here.
He feels nauseous. His unease grows.
Naomasa says something to Sir Nighteye, inaudible from this distance. The detective is too engrossed with the papers in his hands to notice their entry. Nighteye however, greets Aizawa with a nod of his head.
Nighteye's sudden lack of response is what ultimately gains Naomasa's attention and Izuku can feel the exact moment the detective's eyes land on him, burning into the side of his head as he and Aizawa take their seats. He spares the detective a single glance, a weak smile pulling at his lips. Naomasa's gaze flickers to Aizawa, drawing his own conclusions about Izuku's presence.
Bubble Girl and another hero slip into the room behind them, Nighteye's gaze flickering to her as they too take their seats at the table. "Now that everyone's here, we'll start the meeting," Nighteye announces, turning to the detective.
Naomasa rolls his shoulders, straightening his posture as he takes the room's attention. His confusion about Izuku's arrival is replaced by something darker, more serious. "My name is Naomasa Tsukauchi. I'm a detective with Musutafu's quirk crimes division," he starts, before taking a short pause, "Over the last eight months I've been working with a team on an investigation into the Shie Hassaikai."
Like the death of a star, the unease he'd been feeling explodes outwards in his chest. The last two words that come out of Naomasa's mouth brings Izuku's world to a standstill, chills racing through him. At those two words, Izuku feels something crack. The unease makes sense now. The dread he'd felt since Aizawa had announced their attendance.
"The Shie Hassaikai," Naomasa repeats, "is one of the last major surviving yakuza groups this side of Japan. They're well known in the area they're based in, but have, from an outsider's point of view, stayed out of any legal trouble."
This wasn't Piper's case like Izuku had originally feared. It was a Piper case. The last major case he'd worked on before his death. With Overhaul. With Eri.
Before the discovery of Piper's death, Giran had sent a letter for him, addressed to Naomasa with all the research and evidence he'd collected on the Shie Hassaikai and other cases he'd worked. He'd handed it over in the hopes it'd reach the hands of someone more capable than Piper. And now, here it was, being handed back to him by the same man he'd given it to.
"If they'd done nothing we wouldn't all be here," one of the other heroes cuts in, clearly annoyed with the pace of the meeting.
Naomasa nods and takes a breath, steadying himself for something. "Due to some outside intel we received, a raid operation was conducted on one of the group's known properties last December. There, we were able to rescue a civilian by the name of Kogane Gizō that was being confined by the group and exploited for his quirk. Some of you may recall this operation as you were a part of it." He briefly looks to Centipeder, giving him some unknown signal.
Centipeder pushes himself up from Nighteye's other side, turning to address those gathered. "According to the investigations we've conducted, the Hassaikai has had extensive contact with outside criminal groups over the past few years, more so since our initial raid than ever before. Their goal appears to be the expansion of the group and the accumulation of funds. Gizō's quirk allows him to turn everyday items into gold. Rescuing him effectively cut off an important source of their income. A few months following this, a secondary raid was carried out on another one of the group's properties, where we were able to capture a few more of the group's members."
"We've known since December about their record of kidnapping people," Rock Lock cuts in, eyes narrowed, "why wait so long between raids to make our move?"
Izuku can feel his fists clench in his lap, muscles tensing. He wants to ask the same question. Has Eri really been with those men for this long? He's not angry with any of the people here. He finds no fault in their shortcomings––only his own. He bites at the insides of his cheeks, shame hot like a branding iron across his chest. Has it really been so long since he last saw her?
"Because they're unlikely to give us another chance," Nighteye replies coldly, stepping in, "They're a cautious group, and after two raid operations they're very aware that we're on their trail. The group has a young leader, but he's meticulous. If we fail to end this with a final, decisive strike, they will not give us another chance."
Izuku can feel fear and shame beginning to choke him, rising up like the sea at high tide. The sun in his chest turns cold.
"He was thorough in severing all ties to any villains we did manage to capture during the raids as well as any of the crimes they were committing in his name," Nighteye continues, "In doing so, he's managed to keep both himself and the Hassaikai itself from facing any legal repercussions. Due to lack of solid evidence against them we've been unable to be rash with our movements."
Centipeder picks back up for him. "The outside intel we received was from the now deceased vigilante, Pied Piper. He provided us with evidence that a young girl named Eri was likely being abused and held captive by the Hassaikai as well as a possible location for where she was being held. This is what further spurred our initial interest in the group. After conducting our own investigation on the matter we rushed to gather a team to conduct a rescue mission on what we assumed was the most likely location. While we were incorrect on this assumption, we did discover Kogane Gizō, whose case let us know that the Hassaikai are not opposed to using civilians for their quirks. This is likely the case for the young girl as well. From Piper's testimony, we were able to learn that her quirk is able to reverse or rewind an individual's body to previous states. In theory, it can be used to heal someone and is what we assume is their motive for keeping her. On top of the missing person cases we've managed to connect to them thus far, it's also suspected that they've begun peddling homebrew quirk-enhancing drugs that were previously only available in the US. It's likely an attempt to earn back some of the money lost to them after Gizō's rescue, but it's clear from some of their purchase history in the last year that this possible drug operation is something they've been planning for a long time. Though we're still somewhat lacking in evidence for this, the implications for all of our other investigations heavily imply its likelihood."
"I'm wary," someone else says, "you're saying you don't have much evidence for what this group has been doing, but with all these heroes here you're clearly ready to make a big move despite it."
Centipeder's eyes narrow. "We may be lacking some proof in relation to their drug operation, but it's still very clear that they're connected to a handful of kidnapping cases even if they've successfully managed to cover their tracks. Not to mention that many of the groups that the Hassaikai have recently been in contact with are known criminal organizations. That alone should be enough for heroes to intervene."
The other hero concedes, raising their hands in a placating manner.
"The drugs the Hassaikai are suspected to be making are incomplete," Naomasa informs the room, "At current, they're incomparable to the ones being passed around the US. Given enough time, however, they could reach full development and wreak havoc across the country. If a young girl's life isn't enough for you––" he finishes coldly, "this should be."
"That's.. not what I was trying to imply, I apologize."
"This was Piper's last wish," Naomasa states firmly, stepping in. He looks between all those gathered. His gaze falls on Izuku for a tenth of a second before zipping away again. "Even if you didn't care for him, even if you have no idea who I'm talking about; he is the reason we're here. He is the one that brought us this information to begin with. There's a little girl out there, waiting for someone to save her. Soon we're going to be doing just that."
"If she's still alive." A quiet falls through the room, all eyes turning towards the source of the voice. Rock Lock leans back in his seat, arms crossed. "I've participated in both raid operations this far, Detective. I'm aware of the messed up shit this group has done. They wouldn't hesitate to kill a kid if it meant covering their tracks. The only evidence we even have of her existence is some grainy security camera footage with eyewitness testimony from a dead vigilante and some vague intel that she was alive several months ago after we captured that other exec in the second raid."
There's a rumble of a black hole in the pit of Izuku's stomach where the supernova has begun to collapse inwards, its gravity dangerous and all-consuming.
"While I might usually be inclined to agree with you," Nighteye steps in, "the reason we discovered the underground compound is the same reason we know that she was alive as of three
days ago." That's enough to shut up any more disgruntled voices amongst the crowd. "This mission is dangerous," he continues, "The Shie Hassaikai is currently one of the more formidable organizations this half of Japan, mainly due to its size and the quirks registered to its executive members. Chisaki Kai is the leader of the group. He has a handful of close followers. These are the villains our main infiltration team will likely be dealing with." He steps to the side, projector flickering to life behind him, flipping slowly through a list of profiles, each with their own description of the individuals: Nemoto Shin, Katsukame Rikiya, Tabe Soramitsu. "Two of these executive members are not listed here. Setsuno Toya, who was captured during the first raid with the help of the vigilante Pied Piper, and Rappa Kendo, a previously undiscovered executive member, was captured during the second raid, leaving us with these eight individuals."
Midoriya's eyes hone in on the profile of Hojo Yū as it appears on the wall, vision tunneling at the sight of the familiar face. Images of shining crystal breaking through his hand come to him unbidden, of bones snapping, of large ruby eyes that have seen too much. There's a rage that burns through him, hot and raw and as painful as an open wound.
The screen changes: Sakaki Deidoro, Irinaka Joi, Kurono Hari, Chisaki Kai.
Izuku's vision turns to static at the edges.
"Chisaki Kai is the leader of this group," Nighteye announces, "His quirk: Overhaul, is the most dangerous of this group, granting him the ability to both dismantle and restore."
Izuku's breath catches in his throat, frozen at the sight of the man on screen. The dark, feathery hair, the golden eyes, the gilded mask. Izuku's terror beseeches him to run, to cower, to pull away, to stay out of reach.
"A quirk that can both destroy and heal."
Izuku can feel the phantom brush of fingers against his. He remembers coming undone. He remembers dying. This was the man that'd killed him. This was the man that had taken Eri. This was the man who had taken her childhood, her innocence, her sense of self-preservation. She'd walked away from Izuku, had chosen to go back to protect him.
He feels terror. He feels rage.
Aizawa spares him an unreadable glance; studying the harsh line of his clenched fists, the white of his knuckles. He can sense the boy's fear.
"The mission," Nighteye states, "is to retrieve the girl, Eri, and capture all members of the Shie Hassaikai. Rescuing the girl is our top priority, but failing to capture Overhaul or any of his men could prove detrimental to her future safety."
Izuku takes a breath, as shaky and shallow as it is, and he holds it. With it he reigns in his emotions, tucks them in a box out of reach because he has to. Because the more they speak the more those words fester in his heart, in his head.
He has to pretend right now: that he knows nothing, that he hasn't borne witness to these crimes firsthand, that he has not died. That he has never been anyone more than the Eclipse Hero: Red Sun.
He takes another breath. He has to focus, for Eri's sake.
"As you're now aware, we've had operatives in the field doing groundwork and research into the Hassaikai," Naomasa informs them, "In that time we amassed a sizable amount of data on the
leader and members of the group. After locating their main base we discovered the existence of undocumented, underground facilities within use under it. We'll be conducting a raid operation on this base as well as a handful of other properties." The projector flickers behind him, showing the overview of a sprawling traditional Japanese compound. It makes him wonder why it'd taken so long to track down in the first place. "No matter what property you end up assigned to we'll all be moving at the same time. It's important that these raids are carried out simultaneously to give them no time to cover their tracks. We're still waiting on warrants for several of the properties, but we're aiming for July 30th as our date. That means we have a little over a week from now to finish our preparations. From here we'll be talking roles and assigned locations; Bubble Girl will start handing out location-specific packets for everyone to study on what to expect and who you're likely to encounter–"
Izuku holds the packet in his hands, reading Overhaul's profile over and over again. There's a picture of him printed on the front, a man he thought he'd only ever see again in his nightmares. He finds his eyes lingering there, vision going blurry where he finds himself disconnecting. He fights the feeling, forcing himself to turn the page. He studies the next person's face, memorizes their description, their quirk.
There's a voice to his left. "Eraser, can I speak with you for a moment?" Izuku turns to see Naomasa. He and Izuku share a brief nod with one another before he turns back to the hero.
Aizawa must pick up on some unspoken instruction as he pushes himself out of his seat. He glances at Izuku. "I'll be back."
Izuku takes a breath; lets his eyes fall closed. He lets the vast emptiness lull him. He opens his eyes again and watches the universe unfold before him—the heroes milling about the room, having conversations, planning, plotting, all for the sake of the girl Izuku failed to save.
There would be no more failure. This time he would succeed, they would succeed. Because Izuku wasn't alone anymore, because there were people at his back supporting him, supporting his cause. And finally, finally, he could rely on them, no holds barred.
It was a peculiar feeling to say the least; reassuring; nerve-wracking.
When he gets home he'll tell Reo everything, confidential or not. Because Reo had been the first to support him—had been the first to stand at his back and say 'you can do this, I've got you'. Because Reo was his best friend—because Reo was more than that.
He buckles down on reading. They're not allowed to take the packets home so he'll memorize the content before Aizawa finds him again and explains it's time to leave.
"So they brought you in to counteract any of the quirk-enhancing drugs, right?" Izuku asks quietly. He keeps his eyes straight, watching the road.
Aizawa does the same. "Most likely."
Midoriya makes a short hum in acknowledgment.
There's another beat of silence. "There's still time to back out," Aizawa offers, "We can wait awhile, do a proper internship. You may've agreed to this earlier, but now that you're aware of just how dangerous this raid will be––"
"I'll do it," Izuku states, "After hearing all that..." He swallows harshly, fists clenching in his lap where the emotions he'd shoved down earlier make their way back. "How could I possibly––" He can feel himself choking up and cuts himself off, head bowing over his lap. He takes a steadying breath.
Aizawa spares him a glance from the corner of his eye. "How could I possibly–"
How could I possibly stand–
"–give up here?"
–to fail her again?
Aizawa sighs, long and heavy; the barest hint of a smile on his lips. "If you're sure you're up for it,
I'll trust you."
Reo's face visibly drops when he tells him the news.
Izuku had expected it. It doesn't, however, make it any easier to witness. "Hey," he murmurs, gently taking Reo's hands in his when the older teen takes an unsteady seat on the bed. "It'll be okay this time. We'll be safe."
"My uncle too?" he asks.
Izuku only nods.
There's a shaky sigh. "I just..." he trails off, "I thought–"
Izuku picks up for him. "I know."
"I thought we were done with this," Reo murmurs.
Green searches for amber, finding nothing. "Things will be different this time." "...Will they?" The question is a quiet one.
But, there's determination in Izuku's eyes, fiery where he's had nothing but time to think of the consequences of failure. "I'm not alone anymore. You should've seen how many heroes there were!" He lets out a soft laugh. "Piper–" his voice takes a softer note, "Piper was independent, and stubborn, and pushed himself beyond his limits and his resources and his time. Red Sun—Red Sun is not Piper."
There's a quiet pause. "But Midoriya Izuku.. is still Midoriya Izuku," Reo whispers.
Silence follows his words and Izuku's grip on Reo's hands tightens reassuringly. "...The Midoriya Izuku you met on that fire escape isn't the one you know now," he breathes. "You... are the reason Red Sun exists." He gives the words a moment to sink in as Reo peeks up at him, eyes raw like open wounds, like festering secrets that can't be told. Reo still thinks he's the only one to know. "...I told my therapist—about Piper," Izuku confesses suddenly.
Reo's eyes widen, searching for answers. "What," he asks in disbelief.
"He's a good man," Izuku reassures him quickly, "It wasn't right to make you carry so much of my burden by yourself. I could always go to you, but you had no one to go to. He knows it's in the past. He won't tell anyone. I trust him with that."
"But—" Reo tries again, desperate for some sort of understanding.
"He won't," Izuku repeats, "He hasn't."
Reo's mouth opens and closes, searching for words. "When did you tell him?" he finishes lamely.
"After Stain," Izuku replies. "I didn't tell you this to worry you. It's just... an apology—a promise, that I'll do better in the future, that I am doing better." He scrubs at his eyes. "Reo, without you, there would be no Piper. No Red Sun. No Midoriya Izuku. You made me into the person I am now. You saved me––taught me, more than anyone else in this life ever will. How to cherish myself, how to take care of myself, how to love myself in the same way you love me. You were the first person to tell me I could be a hero, knowing that I was quirkless, knowing who I was. You were the first person to believe in me. Before there was anyone else, there was you," Izuku croaks, swallowing harshly where he can feel his emotions building up. "There's always been you."
Reo watches him without words, silent where he's searching Izuku's eyes for something.
"I learned the hard way that in saving others, you could destroy someone else. But this time—this time I'll be with some of the best heroes in Japan. And... and we're finally gonna save that girl, Reo. We'll do it; this time for sure."
"You saved me too, you know?" Reo murmurs, "In your own way," there's a half-chuckle. "I trust you, Izuku. But... you understand, right?" he asks, voice dropping a decibel.
"Better than anyone," Izuku breathes.
Reo pulls him into a hug, holding tight. "You have to be careful, both you and my uncle."
"I'll keep my eye on him."
Reo lets out a heavy sigh, shoulders drooping. He pulls away, looking at Izuku. "You can't die."
"I won't."
"You can't," Reo pleads again. Burning amber and shining emerald. The universe sways beneath them, heavy with the burden of past sins and broken promises.
Izuku would not break another.
He bumps his head against Reo's, eyes fluttering shut. "I promise."