(A/N: Sorry for the late update! Work last week had me hella busy, but this update is longer than usual! :D
Formatting reminder:
"Hitoshi using his Quirk." (with or without impressions)
"Hitoshi doing an impression without using his Quirk."
"Speech over a sound system."
Oh and um...I'm sorry...good luck with this chapter.)
...
Everything was going according to plan. Wolfram had initially been skeptical of the legitimacy of this job when he had first been contacted about it. What kind of fool would attempt to infiltrate an island with a security system to rival Tartarus? However, as his client explained their plan it had seemed less and less like a fool's errand.
An inside contact would help them get past security and would ensure that their equipment would make it through customs. Separate transactions to mislead authorities. Their party of seven as well as a hand full of underlings arrived early in the day blending in with the other tourists visiting the island. No one the wiser that Villains were in their presence.
As arranged, they checked in with their mysterious partner via phone who elected to use a voice changer. A pathetic attempt at anonymity as Wolfram had a good guess as to who it was but no matter. The goods were to arrive at 3pm at Gate 66. In the interim, they explored some of the island getting a lay of the land as well as observing the Heroes who they would have to subdue later. From the looks of it they were a bunch of small fries that they would have no issues with detaining.
Right on time, the goods arrived and they were ready to start implementing their plans. The guard there had been easy to restrain and everything was going smoothly. Well, there was one bump in the road. According to their contact, All Might for some reason decided to show up. How annoying. But again, no matter. They could handle him as well as the others, no problem.
Infiltrating the Center Tower as time grew closer to their takeover had been laughably easy. The people on this island were like babes in the wood. So innocent and trusting that everything was alright. All because they were living somewhere considered untouchable. How naïve. With the right contacts and motivations, anything was possible. It also helped that they had the backing of the Number One Villain who was more than happy to humiliate an associate of All Might's.
It's going to be so satisfying to wipe that obnoxious smile off his smug face.
His men were already upstairs subduing the guards and taking control of the security system. Once they did, he would have total control over the entire island. Then every single one of them would be his hostage to threaten as he well pleased. The amount of power he would have over so many lives was going to be such a thrill.
All that was left was to wait for the reception to start and their plan could officially commence. He and his minions were all dressed for the part and it was going to be fun playing 'fake' Villain. Wolfram couldn't wait to savor the look of betrayal once he revealed his true plans tonight. To not actually help this poor famous scientist recover his work to better the world and instead take him and his device for himself. Something that could amplify Quirks like that was going to make him a pretty penny.
The time drew near and they prepared themselves to begin. At the sound of the insipid Number One Hero's voice giving a pompous speech, his minions from above gave the signal. An emergency message began to announce that a bomb threat was received.
"I-Island will be placed in high-alert mode. Your safety is our top priority. All residents and tourists are to return to their lodgings as soon as possible. Anyone remaining outside after ten minutes will be in violation of the law and detained."
Oh, they'll be detained alright, Wolfram thought with a smirk behind his metal mask as the building was being sealed off trapping everyone inside. Let the fun begin.
His men entered the reception with guns raised and the crowd gasped and screamed in fearful surprise. Oh, how he loved the sound of it all. Even with all the Heroes, they would do best to quickly realize that the security system was under his control.
Time for a demonstration.
...
Little did the Villain know that things were actually no longer going according to his plan. A group that had been sent up the tower before the attack began had reached their goal thanks to an employee's only express elevator. They were led by Present Mic and Hound Dog who were technically last-minute guests of Izuku's and hadn't been seen at the party yet so therefore wouldn't be missed. With them were their students as well as Melissa who had insisted on tagging along in the case they would need help with the security system. Which was very likely and out of all of them she would be the most familiar with it.
Jirou and Hound Dog were guiding their way listening for any upcoming threats while Mei helped look ahead thanks to her Zoom Quirk. The rest were providing a protective barrier around their civilian, Melissa, as well as the most important person to their plan. Izuku himself was doing his best to quietly encourage and coach Hitoshi on exactly what he was going to need to do.
Brainwashing was going to be key to their plan. They needed to take back control of the security room without the Villains downstairs knowing. Thankfully one of the babies Mei had decided to have on her person to show off at the party was a smaller collapsible version of Hitoshi's voice-altering mask. It was something she had been working on as a present for him after Izuku had let slip about his birthday. Of course, she was going to make him a perfectly practical baby to carry with him on the go.
I still need to get Hitoshi a gift too, but that's a future Izuku problem.
Right now, they were a little busy at the moment.
The timing of her having the mask with her in this kind of situation was perfect. With forethought or not be damned. It was almost like a plot device or something in a story of their lives. Thanks for that, Mei-chan! It would greatly help them pull off their retaking of the security system. Though Izuku had no doubt that Hitoshi could have done just as well without it considering how much he has been practicing his mimicry. This way just made it easier as Support Items were supposed to do.
When they finally got to the control room, an island wide announcement was being broadcasted and the building shut itself off from the world. Izuku and Hitoshi were situated near the front of the group. The young Hero Hoax was working quickly to mimic the voice of who sounded like the leader monologuing downstairs. While fellow young Hero Edge was recording the voices of the other Villains for him to copy later over the coms. Brainwashing didn't work through sound systems but Hitoshi could do more than just that.
It was as a live video of civilians being held hostage by security robots that they started their plan.
"What is going on up here?" Hoax called out in the voice of the leader mixed with his Quirk.
The four Villains in the room quickly turned to him in surprise with various outcries of 'boss' or 'Wolfram'. In an instant, the young Hero took control of their minds making them go slack jawed and become nonresponsive. Kaminari then stepped forward to play his part and knocked the brainwashed Villains out with a shock of his electricity.
With the help of Momo and Melissa combined, they worked together to quickly apprehended each one with Quirk suppressing cuffs that the creation girl made from specs provided by the young scientist. Once done, the Pro Heroes took control of watching over them with help of a few others so the next part of their plan could be implemented.
Melissa expertly took back control of the security system as her hands glided over the console with ease. However, she didn't fully reverse everything the Villains had done. Instead, she kept the building sealed off to trap the bad men inside. Then for outside, she cut the video feed of the streets in a way that looked like a glitch before reverting the exterior security robots off high alert. She also had a message sent out to only the outside on smaller screens and personal devices informing civilians what was really going on. Not all the details of course but enough for them to know this was an emergency. They could see people quickly running to their homes to stay safe from the Villains.
Back to downstairs, they got their first glimpse of the leader on the surveillance screens. A tall man with dark brown shoulder length hair wearing a black colored battle suit and an off-white trench coat. On his face was a mask of twisted metal leading Izuku to guess that it could have something to do with his Quirk. Either that or he's just trying to be 'metal' with his nefarious fashion choice.
The Villain, Wolfram they figured judging by what the minions had said, was monologuing still. Wow, how cliché. Still, it gave them time for Hitoshi to copy the voice of the henchman who had been messing around with the security system before from Izuku's recording. Just in time too as the Villain leader took notice of the 'glitch' and called in for an update.
"What's going on up there?" Wolfram demanded to know.
Izuku had to suppress a snort because it was almost exactly how Hitoshi had sounded just a few moments ago.
"Nothing," Hoax replied, doing his best to match the tone and speech pattern of the new Villain he was playing. "I ran into a pesky bug in the system but easily bypassed it."
"Good, now do it," Wolfram ordered though what exactly they didn't know leading to a moment of silence. Awkward for them and irritating to Wolfram as he then snarled, "Well?"
Hitoshi and Izuku exchanged looks with Melissa who gave an unsure shrug.
"We're trying, boss," the brainwasher said to stall, not sure what else to say.
"Then try harder!" Wolfram demanded, turning away from the crowd growing frustrated as he was being made a fool. "We need those emergency restraining devices to incapacitate the Heroes."
The last part he hissed out in a whisper though the others would hear about it anyway. Izuku informed the Heroes down below using his own com system along with his suspicions of the man's Quirk. Mei had taken a picture of all his schematics when she had helped him remake his gear and so Momo was able to make a copy with her Quirk for him. The subtle nod from All Might on the screen told them he heard them loud and clear.
Izuku signed to Hitoshi his next plan as he whispered to Melissa, "Can you turn them on but not actually activate them? Or make it look like they failed or something?"
The blonde girl eagerly nodded and did her magic on the control panel. Down below small holes opened up along the floor of the reception hall and strips of blue material shot out of them restraining the Heroes. Wolfram grinned pleased to see his plan working only for the blue strips to sputter out and disappear.
"What is it this time?!" the Villain snapped in anger.
"They glitched out on us, boss," Hitoshi replied, reading what Izuku wanted him to say through sign. "I can't get them to come back on."
Wolfram cursed loudly hundreds of floors down before growling, "What do you mean they glitched out? Are you that incompetent? Get them back on right NOW!"
The angered leader was starting to remind Izuku of a child throwing a temper tantrum. Which also reminded him of Shigaraki who he did not want to think about right now. Instead, he focused on Melissa who was 'fixing' the capture devices by turning them on and off intermittently. The blue strips would emerge only to 'glitch' out again and again.
They knew they couldn't play around with them forever or else the Villains could snap and become more violent. But they only had to wait long enough for the island's security personnel to gather outside of the reception hall. From the control room, they could see everything that was happening and control most of the situation. The only wild cards were the Villains themselves.
Thankfully just as the pissed off leader seemed about desperate enough to grab a hostage, the rescue party was in position. Izuku quickly informed All Might who bellowed for everyone to get down as security stormed the room. Everyone but the Villains ducked down to the ground and scrambled out of the way as best they could as the gunmen were overwhelmed.
From both sides the Villains were attacked. Armed security from the hall and the Heroes from within the room. The infiltrators put up a fight but one by one they were taken down. All that remained was the leader who was keeping everyone at bay flinging metal-infused attacks with no care who they hit. Civilians were screaming as other Heroes and security were doing their best to quickly escort them out of the room to safety.
The only one able to get close to Wolfram was All Might. The room was as cleared out as it could be when he worked his way punching through columns and rows of metal. The Villain was fueled by anger and just kept shooting more metal attacks at the Number One Hero. It did not deter the buff blonde who locked fists with Wolfram and pushed his limits to take the evil man down.
From the looks of it, Wolfram actually had two Quirks as his body started to glow red hot. He was even able to stand up against All Might's overwhelming strength for a time. The onslaught of metal assaults had damaged the sound system so they couldn't hear whatever Wolfram was saying to the Symbol of Peace. Well except for Izuku who still could through his ear piece but no one else did and that was probably for the best. Because Wolfram revealed a disturbing element of their plan that made both him and the Number One Hero's grimace.
All For One was involved and the backer of their plan.
Why? Why was he always in the mix somehow? The one to first create One For All, the secret leader of the League of Villains, and the creator of the Noumu. Now this on top of that? What did All For One not have his hands in? Izuku would very much like to never meet the boogey man of the underworld because he was a whole new level of evil. The thought of even being in the same room as All For One made him shudder and wish his parents was right there to hold him and make him feel safe from the world.
However, the gifted Quirk from All For One seemed to be taking a toll on the Villain. He was losing strength and was eventually knocked out by All Might. The red glow disappeared as Wolfram laid on the ground unconscious, his body appearing thinner than it had before. Izuku figured that the Quirk must have augmented his strength by perhaps consuming his muscle mass.
All in all, the opening reception had been a mess, but it could have been a whole lot worse. Some people did get hurt but all would make a full recovery. And all of the guards who had been incapacitated had been found and released. Casualties had been kept to a minimum and David Shield's research was still safe. He as well as his assistant Sam were taken into custody to question them on the plot.
David went quietly already having accepted his fate. He had been surprised to see they had actually been real Villains with real guns. Sam had assured him it would all be fake but it seemed he had lied. It made him wonder what else his long-time assistant had lied about. Was he actually trying to help him get his research back or did he have other motives?
The professor turned to see Sam giving more of a fight. Demanding to know why they were taking him and making a fuss when they restrained him. He was clearly angry about all this but only time would tell as to why exactly. That their plan failed and they didn't retrieve his research? Or whatever possible hidden plan he had didn't happen as expected? David didn't like to think ill of others and hoped it was the former but there was a fear in the back of his head that thought it was more likely the latter. That he had been betrayed by someone he thought of as a friend.
In the end, the Villains were captured, civilians rescued, research kept safe, and the Heroes and island security personnel secured the peace once more. The reception hall was a wreck but the cleanup was left alone to be dealt with tomorrow. Those that were injured were attended to by medical staff and those involved with the rescue gave statements before being released.
The opening of the I-Expo the next day was to be delayed as construction and cleanup crews attended to the wreckage from the attack. While at the same time the public were to be informed of what exactly transpired that night with reassurances that everything was under control. It was also why they would be commencing with the I-Expo despite the Villain attack. To assure the people of I-Island that everything was going to be alright.
It was similar to when UA had still held the Sports Festival after the attack at the USJ. To reassure the population that everyone was fine and they had the situation under control. Going back to routine to comfort the masses and bringing the world back to normal. Not that everything was entirely back to how it was with new security implemented and slight changes to schedules and procedures.
The same would be for I-Island. No longer could the citizens think that their own little man-made world was impenetrable. I-Island was not the perfect protective bubble as they had thought. There were issues and weaknesses that could be exploited and taken advantage of like tonight. However, like the USJ, they could definitely learn from what happened and do what they could to prevent it from being repeated in the future.
There were a lot of similarities between the attack of I-Island and the USJ. Villains infiltrating a place no one expected them to do so. Said Villains attacking for their own selfish reasons and not caring who got hurt along the way. Izuku also played a similar role in the rescue of controlling things from a control room with the help of his friends. Tonight ended up with Izuku's original plans of a carefree time with his friends once again being thwarted by the violent whims of another.
Seriously, what gives with my life?
To be completely honest, Izuku already had enough of I-Island and wanted to go home. It had only been one day and he missed his mother so much right now. He could really use her cooking to help calm him down after this whole mess of a trip. At least he had the comforting cuddles of Shouto once they went to bed that night in their shared room with Hitoshi pointedly ignoring their cuteness.
He guessed visiting the expo would keep him distracted for the rest of the time they stayed there. But this place was now tainted by yet another Villain encounter in his life. Seriously what was up with that? It was like drama followed him everywhere he went. Maybe that was his Quirk. Attracting all kinds of danger that put him in the thick of it.
Now that would suck as a Quirk. The complete opposite of a Quirk that gave you good luck. Izuku thought that if such a Quirk did exist, he would probably call it Murphy's Law. Because the adage of 'anything that can go wrong will go wrong' seemed perfect for it. Especially since it seemed to keep happening at the 'worst possible time' over and over again.
However, Izuku would push forward despite all the drama in his life. He had a goal and was determined to reach it with his own strength and the support of the people who cared about him. And so, he chose to stop thinking about what happened and snuggled further into Shouto's side. His friend held him closer in his slumber and together they slept through the night. Surely nothing more could go wrong that night...
...right?
...
Inko was worried about Izuku, but then again, she was always worried about him. He was her son, her baby boy. How could she not worry about him? Her only child growing up having to deal with the prejudice of others for something he couldn't control. He still pushed himself though, ignoring all who looked down on him, and kept moving forward towards the future he desired. It was honestly inspiring and she was so proud of him.
But that didn't stop her from worrying. Again, how could she not? Izuku kept running into Villains and he hasn't even graduated yet. It had even started before attending UA with the Sludge Villain that attacked her son over a year ago. Then there was the USJ, Hosu, and now the incident at the mall. He did make it out alive every time, but the repeated encounters were putting a strain on her heart.
At least he was far away from the Villains of Japan being off on I-Island somewhere on the open ocean. Protected as best they could for now until he was moved onto UA campus. Which honestly made her sad to not have Izuku at home with her, but if it would keep him safe then she would endure it. They could still call and text same as they did with Hisashi. It would just be sad to no longer be with each other in person as often.
That was okay though. Inko knew he would have to move out eventually making his own way out in the world. She just didn't expect it to be so soon. He was still in high school and she didn't think he would move out until at least college age. That she had a few more years to spend with her boy.
Unfortunately, Villains kept finding him. Or was it him who found them? Either way, Izuku's safety was more important to her than the fact she would miss him and he would miss her. They would make do as they have with Hisashi all these years since he was injured when Izuku was ten. Phone calls, text messages, and emails would have to do.
It had been lonely the night Izuku had left with his friends to stay at UA before heading off to I-Island. But she at least had comfort that he was under the protective watch of Aizawa and his friends. They wouldn't let anything happen to her son. His safety was of top importance and she knew they would keep him safe.
It had been strange the next day to be escorted to work by her personal detail. They were under orders to keep watch over her just in case anyone from the League tried to approach their apartment or her workplace. Not that they knew if Shigaraki would know where they lived or where she worked, but it was better safe than sorry especially with a Warp Quirk in play. There wasn't much they could do against a power like that but they would do their best to keep watch.
Work was normal and before long Inko was escorted back home and was left alone in her apartment. The added security gave her a sense of safety but it was still eerie being alone. So, in order to stave off her nerves, Inko put on some music and began to make dinner for herself. Cooking always helped her calm down after a long day.
After looking through her pantry, she decided to cook up some miso marinated salmon with a side of fried rice and a small salad. Taking her time, the mother gathered her ingredients and began to make the marinade. Once that was prepared, she started on the fish removing any bones and scales before placing the finished pieces into the marinade and setting it aside.
She prepped the oven to heat up before gathering what she needed for the fried rice. The day-old cooked rice she had left over was warming up in the microwave as she cut up green onions and sliced ham. She also pulled out some left-over corn and peas to add as well. The eggs were cooked to fluffy perfection and then set aside. Then the rice, meat, and veggies were added to the pan until a good char could be seen. She added the eggs back in and thoroughly mixed the fried rice with soy sauce and seasonings.
By that time the oven was ready and the salmon marinaded long enough. After putting the fish in to bake, she turned off the heat on the stove before covering the rice to keep it warm. Inko then worked on the salad. A simple side dish of lettuce, cucumber, corn, tomatoes, and a topping of seaweed. Then she pulled out a bottle of Japanese-style dressing to pour once everything was ready.
With the salad done, she was almost finished with dinner and started to prepare the table. For one, she had to remind herself as she was alone tonight. A single plate, a glass of green tea, and a set of chopsticks set on a holder so as not to touch the table. The salad and dressing followed then came the fried rice in a serving bowl. The oven was turned off before she removed the fish with an oven-mitted hand and placed the cooked salmon on her waiting plate with a spatula.
"Something smells good," a gruff voice suddenly called out.
Inko spun around and dropped the spatula at the sight before her. A strange man was in her home and she hadn't heard him until now. Not over the music playing and all of her cooking. How did he get in? None of the alarms had gone off of someone entering the apartment without permission.
She gasped as she suddenly remembered the warned of Warp Quirk.
The short woman stared up terrified at the man before her. He was almost as tall as Hisashi but with blonde hair instead of black. He wore black boots, black pants, and a dark red tank top that showed off his very buff muscles.
"My eyes are up here," the man snarked with a smirk. "Well, eye anyway."
The reason for the correction was obvious. One eye was sharp, black, and filled with cruelty. The other was just…gone. Replaced by a prosthetic that sat amongst a jagged scar that ran down his face from hairline to his upper lip. The mixture of his appearance and the evil aura emanating from the man filled Inko with fear.
"W-who are you?" the mother asked shakily as she took a step back. "Why are you in my house?"
The man grinned at her obvious fear as she tried to subtly get to one of the hidden emergency alert buttons.
"I'm looking for someone," he sneered, reveling in her terror. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find some kid named Midoriya Izuku, would ya?"
"Izu…," Inko gasped, the question stopping her in her tracks in shock, but only for a second as her mama bear mode activated. "What do you want with my son?"
She glared at the man and continued her secret mission to call for help.
"Oh so you're the brat's mom, huh?" the man said snidely. "Where is he?"
"H-he's not here," the mother answered since it was true but she still stuttered in fear. Besides, even if he was here, it wasn't like she would tell this monster of a man before her.
"I call bullshit," the man growled in annoyance. He glanced around the room before spotting the dinner for one. "But then again…"
Having momentarily lost interest in her, the clearly dangerous man that wanted her son for some reason went over to the table. His distracted focus allowed her to shoot over to the closest alert button and press it. She only hoped they would get up there in time. As she did so, the man picked up one of the pieces of miso salmon and shoved the whole thing in his mouth.
"Mmm!" he uttered as he chewed before swallowing. "Just like mother used to make. She's dead now though, I think. Dunno. Having seen her in years."
The man licked his fingers clean before grabbing the tea to wash down his stolen food. But apparently the fish was all he had been interested in as he turned back to the terrified mother.
"Name's Muscular," the man introduced himself with a smug tone. "Shigaraki sent me to pick up the brat and get out of here. Kind of a boring mission really. I'd rather go out and fight someone to the death, but noooo~, I have to go on a gods damn 'escort mission' as Handsy called it. At least it would get him to shut the fuck up about his precious 'admin' or whatever."
His words shot a shiver down Inko's spine. This man wanted her son and was sent here by Shigaraki. The same Villain who had held her son hostage very recently and the reason he wasn't here right now. Who had sent this man who would rather be out killing people than here. Meaning a willing murderer was in her house standing before her asking for her son.
Please get here soon!
"But it turns out the brat isn't even here!" the Villain complained with a scowl. Only for it to morph into a feral grin. "Well, this doesn't have to be a complete waste of my time."
His cruel eyes, one real one not, focused solely on her. Inko gulped.
"Before I go, why don't we have a little fun…"
As he prepared to swing a closed fist at her, Inko on instinct flung the still warm pan in her hand at her attacker who swatted it away as if it was an insignificant little bug. She tried again using her Quirk to pull the spatula she had dropped and threw that too only to get the same result. It was soon clear how Muscular got his name as his muscles started to grow past his skin. A sight that Inko knew would have fascinated Izuku if only the man wasn't attacking his mother right now.
His expanding muscles apparently increased his speed as well as his strength. Muscular rushed her and punched her in the stomach. The hit sent her flying across the room and she hit the wall hard. He stalked over to her while grinning like a hyena and kicked her when she tried to crawl away.
"What? No fight in you?" the Villain sneered down at her. "That was your intention, right? To fight me? But where is that now, hmm?"
His taunts fanned the flames of her fear as she tried to get away from him. She shakily scrambled to her feet and stumbled as she tried to keep her distance from Muscular who lazily followed her with a feral grin. Inko couldn't hear the frantic knocks coming from the front door as she screamed while the man laughed as he lunged for her once more.
...
Keigo was reveling at the feeling of the wind winding through his crimson red feathers and golden blonde hair as he soared through the sky when he got the call. An emergency alert of a suspected assault in progress in an apartment near his location. With practiced easy, he changed his direction with a twist of his wings and flew towards the area at full speed.
He didn't necessarily know what to expect when he had arrived. To be honest he didn't know the area all that well as his usual patrol route was in a different city. But there was a raised alert for this area due to a high-level Villain threat though as to who was involved exactly he didn't know. He had more taken this shift to get some time away from the Hero Commission than anything else. But…could this be related to that or was it a separate incident?
When he arrived on scene, he found police officers pounding on a door as he touched down lightly on the landing. From inside, he could hear the sounds of a struggle with harsh words muffled by the closed door. Immediately he took over the situation and waved the officers back as well as ordered them to call for back up. He sent one of his feathers through the mail slot as another worked on picking the lock. What he heard was…disturbing. Even for him and all the things he's seen and done under the service of the Hero Commission.
There were the screams of a woman and the joyous laughter of a man. Domestic violence perhaps? Keigo willed his feather picking the lock to work faster as the sounds of the fight inside were growing more concerning. Objects were being tossed around and he could hear the eerie sound of flesh hitting flesh. But what worried him most was the cries of the woman that were growing fewer and far between.
"Come on, fight me!" the Villain bellowed from within. "Make this waste of my time worth it. If I can't take the brat then you can at least entertain me before I leave."
So, there were potentially only two involved but there was interest in a third. Though if this was supposed to be 'entertainment' to the attacker, they needed to get in there asap. With a click of the door unlocking, the Hero and officers rushed inside. They were met with the sight of a tall muscular blonde man as he punched a short and very battered green haired woman sending her flying across the room. Her head made contact with the wall on impact and she fell unconscious to the floor.
Muscular clicked his tongue in annoyance at the sight of reinforcements. He reluctantly let Kurogiri know to open a portal not liking the sour taste of having to retreat. He hated to step away from a fight before they finished but at least he had some fun. The violent man didn't know if he had killed the bitch mother of the brat but she looked as good as where she was slumped on the floor.
"Who are you and why did you attack this woman?" Hawks demanded to know as he bristled his feathers up to appear more intimidating. The officers stood ready to act behind him.
"Ha! Wouldn't you like to know, birdbrain!" the Villain sneered with a barked laugh. "None of your gods damn business, Hero. I hate to fight and run, but…"
A warp gate opened behind him in the middle of the apartment and there was nothing they could do to stop him. All Hawks managed was to shoot out a single red feather as the Villain disappeared through the misty portal before the officers and Hero could get to him. They cursed at the attacker's escape only to gasp at the horrific sight of Inko. She was clearly injured covered in cuts and contusions as she laid on the ground in a growing pool of her own blood.
"Quick, call an ambulance!" Hawks ordered as one of the officers rushed over to the hurt woman.
Their partner called in the situation only to get confirmation that one was already enroute and would be there very soon. It was then Keigo learned that this apartment was hooked up with a special security system connected to the Commission's emergency response service. Leading him to draw conclusions that perhaps this actually was connected to the high-level threat.
"Why is this apartment equipped with this level of security?" Hawks inquired sternly to one officer as the other was still assessing the woman as they waited for the paramedics to arrive. They seemed reluctant to answer but wilted under the glare of the Number Three Hero.
"This is the home of Midoriya Izuku, sir," they reluctantly replied. "He is under threat of Shigaraki Tomura of the League of Villains."
Midoriya Izuku…where have I heard that name before?, Keigo thought as he pulled up a program on his phone to access the cameras he took notice of around the apartment.
The video feed gave him front row seats to what happened behind the closed door as they had tried to come in. The words that came from the Villain, naming himself Muscular, were chilling. But seeing this unassuming woman stand up to such an intimidating figure was strangely impressive in a way. Attempting to defend herself despite being outmatched by the cruel muscled man.
It was then the paramedics arrived and took over the care of the injured woman. The officer stepped aside so that they could carefully transfer her to a portable gurney and made as quick of work as they could getting her downstairs on her way to the hospital. By that time, more officers and detectives arrived to begin processing the scene.
Keigo felt in the way especially with his large wings so he pulled them close as he moved to leave and wait outside to give his statement. However, he was pulled to a stop as a number of things hanging on the hall wall caught his attention. Still trying his best to not be in the way, he stepped closer to examine them.
So this is Midoriya Izuku, huh?
A set of three framed pieces depicting different accomplishments of the boy's life. Because it was clear that was what these three celebrated. An article about a cleaned beach, the proud collage of a first-place win of the UA Sports Festival, and finally the capturing of the Hero Killer in Hosu. All while Quirkless and clearly kicking ass.
Impressive.
Now, Keigo kept up with the news and had heard of the boy before, but to be honest, he hadn't paid much attention to all the hubbub about it. He didn't see any issue with someone like him working towards being a Pro Hero. If that was his prerogative then go for it. At least he had more choice than Keigo had growing up.
Well, that wasn't necessarily true. In a sense anyway. Keigo was fine with being a Hero though he would admit his training was…unconventional. Not that he could tell anyone about it and who would believe him anyway. This was the Hero Commission after all. Who hadn't seemed to have any interest in this Quirkless kid which was another reason Hawks hadn't put much effort into knowing who he was.
But now he thinks he possibly should. There were beginnings of talks about a potential new assignment from the Commission in regards to the League. Infiltration and information. And for some reason this kid had caught the attention of the supposed leader? Hawks had a gut feeling he should meet the kid at least. See for himself why Shigaraki Tomura was interested in Midoriya Izuku.
"Hawks," a man called out dressed in a suit and trench coat. He removed his hat as he approached. "Detective Tsukauchi. Are you ready to give your statement as to what happened here?"
Keigo turned to face him being mindful of his wings as others bustled around them. Tsukauchi must have noticed as he gave a directing nod before leading them both outside. They exited the apartment and stepped to the side out of the way. There were officers addressing curious neighbors as crime scene technicians were hard at work.
"I was in the area because of the high alert, but I didn't expect to get involved," Keigo confessed as the detective took notes. "What's with this Midoriya Izuku? Must be something else for all this fuss."
Tsukauchi gave him an assessing look at his phrasing. Keigo didn't mean to be, well, mean or anything. Nor did he want to make too much of a fuss himself. Appearing neutral for as long as possible was a skill he had learned over the years among the other interpersonal ones drilled into him. The Hero Commission was a battlefield of politics where strong opinions one way or another would just cause more problems than needed. Plus, acting like Switzerland, you could learn more about other people's opinions without influencing them. Then once he knew, he could tailor his own to match and subsequently get more information.
People love to talk when they think they're among friends.
"Midoriya has had a…complicated life," Tsukauchi answered cryptically. "Including the interest of Shigaraki Tomura. He's currently somewhere safe and we hoped more security and surveillance would be sufficient in the mean time before better arrangements could be made."
"Apparently not," the winged Hero commented, earning a solemn nod from the detective. "I saw the footage of what happened in there. It's not pretty. The attacker mentioned he was there for Midoriya Izuku but since he wasn't here decided to attack who I'm assuming is his mother."
"We were afraid of a kidnapping attempt," Tsukauchi sighed. So much for letting him 'think about it'. "Once we've assessed the situation, I'll inform those involved with his case and we'll go forward from here."
They stood there for a moment watching the others work. Bags of evidence and reports being written. A scene they've both seen numerous times but it felt different this time. Keigo hadn't even met the kid, yet he found himself worried for the Quirkless teen anyway. Getting booed at the end of the Sports Festival, the whole deal with Hosu, and now this?
Kid's got it rough, Keigo thought as he wondered what other 'complications' the boy had in his life.
"I got a feather through," Keigo offered as a silver lining. Well, sort of. "Can't feel it anymore but I heard a snippet or two that might interest you."
Tsukauchi gave an intrigued hum.
"Station?"
The winged Hero nodded in reply and once again the detective led the way.
...
As news of the attack rushed through the grapevine, those who heard it and knew the woman involved were devastated. Tsukauchi still couldn't believe the hardships the Midoriyas kept going through. Aizawa feared for the mother of his student and hoped her fierce will was enough to pull her through. Nezu worried for his personal student and immediately sent a message to the Heroes keeping watch over him on I-Island though he didn't get a reply until the next morning. Shuuzenji, while she never met the woman and only her son, had quickly grabbed her go-bag and raced to the hospital to see what she could do. Even the Bakugous were concerned for her health having been informed as they were one of her emergency contacts.
Katsuki himself was worried for the well being of the woman he considered family and silently accepted the hugs from his parents as they sought comfort from each other in this tough time. He wanted to fight it, but there was nothing he could do to stop the hot tears running down his face. His mother pulled him closer and he gripped her tight not wanting to ever let her go. Sure, they had their issues but he knew he loved her all the same.
They were all concerned that Inko was hurt but they knew she was also tough. She may appear meek however underneath her unassuming features was a fierce mama bear. Ready to strike out and protect what was hers. Right now, the future seemed bleak but they still held hope that it would all turn out alright. All they could do was help as best they could and wait and see if she would pull through.
None of them the wiser of the attack being thwarted out at sea at the same time.
...
Tomura was pissed when Muscular came back empty handed. Well, mostly other than the blood he was scuffing all over the floor. But there was no sight of the admin and he was regaled with his underling's complaining again about how boring it was.
"Those damn Heroes always have to ruin my fun," the muscle head complained like a whiny dickhead. "The brat wasn't even there and I didn't get to finish off that bitch either with that wing fucker showing up. Though I gotta say she was a real spitfire having the nerve to stand up to me."
The sneer on his fucked-up face was disgusting and the decayer rolled his eyes.
"I ordered you to get the admin and bring him back," Tomura snapped in annoyance.
"And I told you he wasn't fucking there," Muscular growled in response. "Wish he were so you'd stop pining for the little twerp. It's why I suggested it in the first place."
Alright, fine, sure he did. Tomura was not used to having to wait for things. Sensei always said he was allowed to have whatever he wanted. To destroy what he hated and take what he liked. It had been only more recently that the need for patience was added. The USJ had admittedly been not the best plan and Hosu had been on a whim. Even the encounter at the mall had been by chance.
Yes, Tomura had told Midoriya to think about it, but waiting was so boring. The 'will he, won't he' was driving him nuts. It took so long for him to actually meet the admin and now he had to wait for him to join them? Ugh, it was exhausting his limited to non-existent patience. Which led to his 'pining'.
"Shut the hell up, crusty," Muscular griped in frustration. "If you want your little boyfriend so bad, why don't you take his ass and bring him here?"
Boyfriend? No fucking way. He wasn't into twinks. Though not having to wait sounded nice.
"What a great idea?" Tomura grinned maliciously. "Muscular…I have a task for you. A very important escort mission."
"Eh, what the hell," Muscular said with a shrug. "At least it's something to do."
While it had sounded like a satisfying plan, taking the admin now, only for it to once again fall through. Midoriya wasn't there and the young leader had no idea where else to look. Guess he would have to think of a new plan to bring the admin into their party. Try and try again as Sensei said.
"Whatever," Tomura said dismissively.
"Now what?" the musclehead asked like an idiot.
"I don't know," the young leader waved him off annoyed. "Go fight a Noumu for all I care."
"Fuck yeah," Muscular responded, pounding a fist into his other hand. "One thing going for those genetic freakshows, they put up a good fight."
Tomura just rolled his eyes behind Father at the other Villain's pathological enthusiasm to fight. Though he did have sort of a point, the Noumu were good for fighting. It did help that the majority of them had regeneration Quirks among the others. The same could be said about Muscular who could also put up a fight but other than that he had been a bit of a disappointment so far. His yammering about fighting and blood were annoying as shit and this failure was as well. The others he's collected seemed more competent and to use their heads while this guy was all muscle and no brain. Well, if it didn't work out, Sensei could at least do something with his Quirk. Now that would make a terrifying Noumu.
It was then that something caught his eye. As Muscular turned to leave, a flash of red captured his attention. It was different from the splashes of blood on the muscle man's clothes. Not dark soaked into cloth in indistinct patterns, but rather bright red and a quite defined shape. Red eyes long used to searching for hidden easter eggs couldn't have possibly missed it.
The single red feather that had been pinned into Muscular's clothes became dislodged as he walked away. It floated down to the ground among the scuff marks his bloody boots left behind. Ignoring the blood, Tomura walked over and reached down picking the feather up with two fingers. He stood up and examined it in the dim light of the bar.
It looked like a normal feather but he suspected otherwise. Things Muscular said like 'Hero' and 'wing fucker' made him suspicious that there was more to it. The young leader's mind ran through the list of Heroes he knew with wings and quickly landed on Hawks the Number Three Hero. Known for his red wings, speed, and laid-back nature. Tomura didn't know everything about his Quirk or if his feathers could do anything other than what he's seen. Not to mention they were a good distance away from the Midoriya apartment.
Better safe than sorry, right?
"Nice try, Hero," Tomura jeered before he decayed the feather in his hand.
The dust fell to the ground making more of a mess among the blood. He then turned to leave for his room with no more thought to it leaving Kurogiri to clean it up as always. There was much to plan since this one had fallen through. Tomura would need to figure out when the admin would be the most vulnerable. Then once he did, the League of Villains would strike.
You'll be joining us soon, Admin Midoriya.
...
All For One had mixed emotions of what had happened. Well, that is from what he could actually feel for anyone. He had been informed as Hisashi of the state of his wife. To say that he was surprised would be an understatement. He had no idea young Tomura had planned to send someone after his family. Most likely to take Izuku in he could easily guess. Not a terrible idea though certainly not the way All For One would go about bringing in his son.
Tomura had chosen to send Muscular to collect the boy. Clearly a man who didn't hold back and attacked his wife with no qualms. All For One felt for Inko and some part of him hoped she pulled through. She was a part of Izuku's life though he found himself wondering if her loss would help steer his son to his side. Only time would tell so he would let that situation be as he showed his 'support' for his wife.
All For One didn't know what his son was doing at the moment. Somewhere out at sea at an unknown location for his safety due to encountering Tomura at a mall. Another incident he had not known about until afterwards. He had been informed of his son being taken somewhere to be safe but wasn't told anything else for his protection. Though that didn't prevent the man from knowing exactly where Izuku was at any given moment.
You see, the father had among his collection a Quirk that allowed him to track those closest to him. And seeing as they shared blood, he could easily trace his son's whereabouts effortlessly. The Quirk didn't show him what his target was doing, only where they were enough for the faceless man with the ability to give exact coordinates to Kurogiri at a moment's notice. A most certainly useful ability if deemed necessary to protect, or even collect, his son. Unfortunately, he couldn't use that same Quirk to also track where One For All was as each new user masked what traces were left of his brother within the stolen power.
Oh well. It makes the chase more challenging at least.
Wherever exactly his son was, All For One was almost glad Izuku hadn't been home for this abduction fiasco. He knew his child wouldn't have stood aside or gone quietly. Not with his mother threatened by such a man. It could have very well been Izuku instead of Inko currently hospitalized. If that were to ever happened, there would be…words. Well really only one word and that word is death. No one was to hurt his son.
No. One.
Muscular was a decent addition to the League of Villains his ward had created. This batch was certainly better than the mob of lower-class criminals he had for the USJ invasion. Though for this particular violent man, All For One had an expectation for Tomura to keep Muscular on a tight leash going forward. He was intense and cruel all of which made him a good 'tank' as his ward would say. However, the augmented muscled man who was obsessed with murder had no sense of restraint. Tomura needed to keep him in line and to let him know his place in the League.
And if not, he would.
If anything, out of this misadventure, the father found some motivation. He liked the idea of Izuku finally joining him. It had been the plan all along and it was about time they went forward with it. The boy has had plenty of time to play Hero and now it was time for him to join the family business. But to do it properly would need planning.
With Inko hurt, this could be the perfect opportunity to bring Izuku in, but All For One would have to wait to hear what her condition actually was. He also had some preparations to make so his son felt welcome with them. He should also take inventory of his Quirks to see which would benefit the boy the most. A Quirk was what every Quirkless person wanted in his experience. He was sure Izuku would be ecstatic to be given one of his very own.
For now, he would plan and wait to see how this would all unfold. While wondering how Izuku would take the news about his mother. The fact that a member of the League was responsible would certainly sour his willingness to join them. If All For One had to get rid of Muscular in order for his son to come to him then so be it. In the end, the father wanted his son by his side where he belonged.
The apple should not fall far from the tree.
...
(A/N: Again...I'm so sorry...poor poor Inko.)
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