God, I just can't stop. I read and re-read your reviews and it just drives me forward. I'll need to focus the rest of this week on my One Piece story since Saturday is my two-week deadline, but first: A Hero's Creed, again, because her muse is singing and because I live my life by the phrase "Nothing is True."

Responses to reviews:

Alastor Grimm-Rose: I mean, I wasn't exactly trying that hard to hide it.

Gamelover41592: I hope you aren't worn out with talks, because this chapter and the next have several, rather important ones.

LEGOBRICK13: As ThanosGaming mentioned, the Templars have a history of betrayal, and AfO did say not all of his pawns know each other. There are Templars out there who don't know about AfO and really believe they're working for the good of the world. With regards to Momo, you should like this chapter. As for your last thought, how best do you enforce your will over someone else? You take away their power. And what is his ultimate goal? Yeah, I've had that planned since the start.

Monkey D. Conan: Naturally, she will. To be fair, there are Assassins who turned their back on the Creed, too. Some of the most dangerous Templars in history were former Assassins, Al Mualim, Shay Cormack, and Haytham Kenway for instance, so it's not impossible. If they love Izuku that much... well, there's always brainwashing. :P

Shadowwolf1997: When I mixed the worlds, I considered which villains had enough similarities or motivations that they could be in the Brotherhood, and he was the first one to come to mind. Naturally, another had to follow in his wake. I don't know that much about his Canon backstory, though, except that there were heroes (like Miruko if memory serves) who were willing to testify on his behalf. In that case, perhaps she brought him into the life?

ThanosGaming (guest): Well, those who get away with betrayal don't tend to let it get out, so it's not like it's common knowledge. They would have only heard stories of those who tried to betray them and failed, because the victor writes the history books. While Altair did, I don't think Ezio had an ex-Templar lover, though he came close. One lover's late husband was a Templar (she had him murdered) and another ex-Templar tried to seduce Ezio in AC: Brotherhood (in the Da Vinci side quest) for some personal revenge against the Borgia, but he didn't go through with it. Just talked her up, took her painting, and left.

ZonZus: I haven't played AC: Rogue (I'm still working my way through AC: III), so I didn't know the original Colonial Brotherhood was so corrupt, but it's not like that's the first time (a-la the end of Altair's story as seen in AC: Revelations). Momo, though, is an interesting case. She's been raised by Templars to use her birthright influence "for the greater good" not knowing of the Order and lives in a society where an idolized group of superpowered people are literally ranked on their altruism. The foundations of hero work have draws in both ways of thinking as well, so she's getting a view of the world neither of her parents have. Even if she wants to turn her back on the Templars in time, would she be able to do the same to her family? Her brother?

Anyway, that's enough of that. On to the chapter!

Chapter 9:

The Lion's Den

Izuku was discharged from the hospital Sunday night, the staff all but ushering him and his mother out the door before her tears flooded the building. It took the whole car ride to reassure her that he was fully healed, though everywhere on the arm where his muscles had been decayed was a shade of pink lighter than the rest of his skin, the doctors having said it would remain that way for a while if not his entire life. Izuku was fine with this; it was covered easily enough and he had full function back, so he could resume his hero and Assassin training. There was a note on his desk when he returned home, dismissing him from coming to the den that night and to await further instructions from Aizawa the next day.

He hoped Monday would be peaceful, but it was loud from the start.

"So you came back, you damn nerd!" He jumped at the sound of his childhood bully, the blond getting up from his seat as Izuku stepped into the room. "I heard you went and got your fuckin' arm practically ripped off. You were the only one of us to get hurt. You know what that means?" He paused as if he were going to let the verdet answer. "It means you're the weakest one here. You're a fuckin' loser still and you have no damn place at UA, so—"

A hand landed on Bakugo's shoulder, the fingers digging into his trapezius. The hand in question belonged to Rikido Sato, boy standing alongside Momo, Ochako, Iida, Kaminari, and Tokoyami.

"The fuck do you extras want?"

"I surmise that we collectively do not care for your vulgar words nor your cantankerous tone," the bird-headed student said. "Especially when it was Midoriya's actions and orders that prevented further harm from befalling our classmates and teachers."

"He's right," Ochako agreed. "That guy with the hands could've killed Sato, Yaomomo, or me and Izuku stopped him! That's more than you can say!"

"You don't know what you're talking about, Round Face," Bakugo growled. "This damn nerd hasn't done a single productive thing in his goddamn life! Even his Quirk is useless!"

"You say that, yet Midoriya finds himself in the same class and hero course that you do," Momo pointed out. "One could interpret that two ways. Either Midoriya possesses far more talent than you give him credit for, or your lackluster skills and attitude lower you to the same level you attribute to him. Which is correct?"

"Considering they allowed entrance to a vagabond like you, I'm sorry to say I don't know the proper answer," Iida added.

"Shut the fuck up with your fancy speech, Ponytail, Glasses! No one gives a shit about what you rich fucks think!"

"Bakugo," Izuku muttered, his words like a gunshot through silence. "You can insult me all you want because I couldn't care less what you say about me, but I refuse to listen to you say such things to my friends."

"Friends?" the blond laughed. "You don't have friends, Deku. At best, you'll only have people that pity you."

"I'm his friend!" Ochako stated. "Iida, too!"

"I would like to consider myself Midoriya's friend as well," Momo said.

"I'm inclined to agree," Tokoyami muttered.

"Yeah, Midoriya's awesome!" Kaminari grinned. Sato simply nodded.

"Deku," Bakugo began, his voice dropping into a slower tone. "Doesn't. Have. Friends."

"Perhaps it's time you take a step back and reconsider what you think is true, Bakugo." The blond turned, his red eyes meeting Izuku's unwavering green. "You might think I don't have friends, that I'm just a worthless Deku, but that's not true anymore. The fact is that I earned my place here just like everyone else whether you like it or not, so get over yourself, you pompous, arrogant, angry, egotistical baby."

Bakugo's eyes narrowed, small explosions popping over his palms, but he didn't say anything more. Shoving Sato's hand off his shoulder, he stomped his way to his desk. Izuku let out a breath of relief, his shoulders relaxing.

"You need to report this bullying," Momo told him. "Such actions go against UA's policies. At minimum, we can have him switched with someone in 1-B. To remove him from your surroundings would benefit you, mentally at least if not physically."

"No, it's ok," Izuku insisted. "I'm used to it. And after the training I got to help me get into UA, I can give as much as I get if I want."

"I applaud you for being able to stand up to him."

"Say, Izuku," Ochako began. "You mentioned training just now. What kind? I mean, I don't know what kind of training leads to whatever thinking you did to beat the zero-pointer."

"Oh, I met some people that saw potential in me," the verdet answered, rubbing the back of his head. Momo's eyes widened a little, the girl leaning in slightly. "See, I was trying to train on my own when this woman saw me. She said I was doing everything wrong and that I'd never get into a hero school that way, so she showed me the gym where she worked out. After that, I had a whole host of trainers to help me with skills for Quirkless fighting."

"But you are not Quirkless," Momo blinked.

"I was a late bloomer, but Empathetic Eye doesn't alter my body in any way. I can't make things like you can or pick up cars like Uraraka, so I needed to find something else."

"Man, that sounds like it would've been really helpful," the brunette pouted. "I wish I'd had a group to help me train. I barely squeaked by with my Quirk and your help."

"Is this group where you drew inspiration for your weapon?" Momo questioned.

"What weapon?" Izuku tried to deflect. "If you mean my bo or rope-dart—"

"The one you had on your arm," the class president clarified, giving him no wiggle room. "We had to remove it to bandage your arm after you passed out. I've never seen such a thing before."

"O-Oh," the boy stuttered. "That's… Uh…"

"Everyone sit down and shut up."

Izuku rushed to his seat, sending a silent thank you for Aizawa's interruption of the conversation. Momo moved to her own seat, her lips pursed. She studied Izuku out of the corner of her eye, the boy releasing a breath to himself. His words and actions only reassured her theory that Izuku was hiding something. That he and their teacher were connected.

There was still the possibility that it was all a coincidence, but her parents always told her coincidences are simply conspiracies yet uncovered.

"Good morning, class," Aizawa yawned, the man still wearing an eyepatch over his left eye. His arm, which had been broken in the attack, was already healed. Other than the patch, he seemed recovered. "I know the attack was nerve-wracking and I'm sure several of you will have nightmares about it for a good while. To that end, our school counselor Hound Dog wishes to..." —He sighed, reading a note in his hand— "throw you a bone in that his door is always open. Anything you tell him will remain confidential. Still, life goes on and you are approaching a turning point in your hero training. Can anyone guess what it is?"

"Oh, me!" Mina called, her hand raised. Aizawa gestured to her. "Are we starting a class on super moves?"

"Not yet," their teacher answered. "That will be covered in Fundamental Heroics later in the school year. Asui?"

"Are we returning to the USJ to do our rescue training, ribbit?"

"I'm afraid the USJ is being rebuilt and renovated to ensure what happened on Friday never happens again, so it will be out of commission for some time. Iida?"

"It is almost time for the UA Sports Festival, sir!"

"That's exactly it," Aizawa nodded. "The UA Sports Festival is your chance as hero students to get pros to notice you. If you make an impression on them, they just might take you under their wing and nurture your potential in an internship. Whom you intern with will shape your fighting style and hero career. Not only that, but it is the most-watched sporting event in Japan, if not the world, rivaling the pre-Quirk Olympics. Are there any questions?"

"If I remember correctly, we won't be allowed to use our costumes," Izuku began, his hand raised. "Is there a way for us to bring our tools into the games?"

"Because you need them, weakling," Bakugo huffed.

"There are forms you can fill out to be approved for certain equipment," Aizawa answered. "They are kept with the support class since they use them the most. You have one week to get those in before the festival. Anyone else? No? Good. Get out your homework that's due today. I hope you've finished it."

"Midoriya," Momo said, raising her voice a little to be heard over the shuffling of their classmates as the final bell released them from school. Izuku looked up at her from his bag, his head tilted a little. "Do you have some time to talk?"

He didn't answer immediately, his eyes darting to something behind her back. He blinked twice.

"I guess," Izuku answered slowly, turning his eyes back to her. "I'll need to check the train schedule for the next one available, but I can make it work. Why?"

"If transportation is a concern, I can provide such to get you home. I simply want to pick your brain about my Quirk."

"Oh," Izuku blinked again. "Yeah, I can do that. I just have to text my mom that I'll be back a little late."

"Ah, of course." Izuku pulled out his phone, quickly typing. His phone beeped after only a few seconds, the boy putting his phone back in his pocket.

"So…" he muttered. "Where do you want to talk?"

"I know this delightful little restaurant we can go to," Momo offered. "I'm inviting you out of the blue, so I'll cover the cost if that's ok?"

"No, that's fine. We can go wherever you want."

Izuku slung his backpack over his shoulder and followed Momo through the halls. He was silent, Momo on her own call giving him time to think. By the time they reached the gate, there was a limo waiting for them. Izuku paused, eyes wide, as Momo didn't miss a beat. A chauffeur opened the door for her with a bow.

"Are you coming, Midoriya?" Momo's words knocked Izuku out of his awe, the boy hurrying forward. The chauffeur, a man with tusks and pitch-black eyes, studied him with a frown. Even so, the man didn't say anything as a nervous Izuku climbed into the back of the limo. Momo sat atop a plush couch set into the far wall, a bottle of sparkling spring water on ice within arm's reach. The ceiling and floor had an almost stain-glass appearance, save that the latter was carpet, and there was a division between them and the driver. The tusked chauffeur closed the door behind him, Izuku mentally equating the act to locking him in a jail cell. Swallowing, he sat on the couch across from the Templars' daughter. The darkened window to the driver slid aside.

"Your destination, ma'am?"

"La Croix de la Sagesse, please," Momo answered.

"Very well, ma'am. The closet has what you asked for, though options were limited with the short notice. My apologies."

"Not a problem. Thank you." The window slid shut, the limo starting to move. Izuku leaned forward.

"There's a closet?" he asked quietly, as if worried the question would get him kicked out.

"Of course," his classmate responded, opening a hidden wall panel to reveal racks filled with clothing. One side held dresses of all kinds while the other boasted suits. Suits in his size, Izuku realized. When had she bought those? When had she gotten his sizes? "We can't simply show up in our school uniforms, even those for a prestigious institution like UA."

"I thought you said we were going to a 'little restaurant'?"

"We are," Momo said, studying the dresses she had in the closet. "La Croix de la Sagesse only serves ten tables at any moment. In fact, they only have ten tables. Luckily, my family maintains a constant reservation over one." She tsked at a black number that looked like it cost more that Izuku's entire apartment building. Apparently deciding it was the color and not the design that she did not like, Momo easily recreated the dress using her Quirk, only in red. Izuku stared at her, gob smacked at how casual she seemed. She looked up from the dress she'd made, her head tilting. "Is something the matter, Midoriya?"

"N-No," the secret Assassin Recruit stuttered. "It's just… I knew you were rich; I just didn't know how rich."

"Well, we are rather well-off," Momo agreed. She walked to the back of the limo, a cloth dropping from the ceiling to hide her. The ruffling of clothing reached Izuku's ears, causing a crimson blush to cover his face. Momo continued to talk, unfazed. "The Yaoyorozu Group was started by my great-grandfather shortly after the stabilization of the Dawn of Quirks. He embraced those with powers despite not having his own, making many prominent connections that made the company successful, and my grandfather and father carried on his legacy. I hope to honor this, though I believe I will abdicate my title as heiress to my brother in lieu of being a hero. It would be too difficult to maintain the company and properly serve my duty as a professional hero."

"You have a brother?" Izuku questioned.

"I suppose I haven't mentioned him to our classmates since the topic of siblings has never come up. His name is Kyoryoku, but I call him Kyo. He's eight." The cloth rose, Momo now wearing the red dress with her uniform draped over her arm. It was fancy, showing off her long legs and arms while also boasting a moderate plunge in the front. All in all, it showed less skin than her hero costume, but that didn't matter to the verdet. She'd also let her hair down. "You have not chosen a suit yet?"

"I've… never worn one before," Izuku admitted. Momo's eyes widened.

"…Oh," she said, as if the thought had never occurred to her. She set her school uniform aside and strode to the closet, shifting through the suits while muttering to herself about color coordination. "I trust you know how to tie a tie considering our uniform has one."

"Yeah?"

"Good." She turned, thrusting a black suit, red tie, and white button-up into his hand and gestured to the changing area. "Everything else should be rather intuitive."

La Croix de la Sagesse was a Templar front, and it only took Izuku one look to confirm that.

The restaurant's name was written in fancy, cursive script over a shield with the Mark of Cain. The building itself was stylized like a small castle in gothic architecture, the windows stained glass of Christian images and the roof dotted with small spires. Izuku nervously adjusted his tie, his eyes darting around the area. He blinked, activating his Eagle Vision, and what he saw dropped a stone in his gut.

Every person save Momo glowed red, indicating that not only did they know about the Assassins and Templars, but they also had a chosen side in the conflict. Momo, ignorant to the churning of her classmate's stomach, walked to the door where a tux-dressed man bowed to her. Setting his mouth in a fake smile, Izuku hurried after her.

"Welcome, Ms. Yaoyorozu," the maître d' greeted. "Your favorite peach cognac and a tray of bruschetta is already waiting for you at your table. Shall I page your family?"

"There's no need for that," Momo responded, a small amount of relief passing through Izuku. "This is just a simple discussion with an intelligent, observant classmate about Quirk possibilities."

"I see. May I have a name for the guest log?"

"Izuku Midoriya."

"Very good, ma'am."

'It's official,' Izuku mentally lamented. 'I'm literally on a Templar list.'

"Come along, Midoriya."

Releasing a shaky breath, the Assassin Recruit followed her into the metaphorical lion's den. The tie felt like a noose around his neck, every worker testing his ability to maintain his calm façade. Momo led him to a table at the back, two glasses of red liquid already on the table. She sat easily in a high-backed chair, taking her glass in one hand is sipping its contents with a satisfied hum. Izuku tried to mirror her, feeling like a robot or a scarecrow, distinctly out of place.

"If you're worried about the cognac, don't be," Momo informed him. "This is a special, non-alcoholic brand."

Her words did nothing to calm his nerves.

"You, ah…" Izuku tried, his mouth dry. He tested his drink, the taste of peach washing over his tongue. "You wanted to talk about your Quirk?"

"Yes, I did," Momo nodded, her eyes looking over the menu in her hand. It was decorated in gold leaf, a Mark of Cain in the upper corner. Izuku knew this because there was a similar one the table before him. "As I've mentioned, my Quirk is called Creation. It allows me to create objects by transmuting my body's lipids, but the stipulation is that I must know the chemical makeup and structural fundamentals of the object in question."

"You're body's lipids?" Izuku questioned, his brows furrowing. "Are you sure?"

The question brought Momo up short, the girl's eyes rising from the menu to her dinner guest.

"I was until a moment ago. Why?"

"Well…" Izuku tilted his head, considering his words. "To be frank, you don't have the lipids to pull off what I've seen you do if that's true."

Confusion flashed across Momo's face, the buxom student setting her menu on the table. Her full focus was on Izuku.

"Explain."

Izuku shifted in his seat. He suddenly wished the cognac was alcoholic, if for no other reason than to have so-called liquid courage in arm's reach. "It's just… during Aizawa-sensei's tests, I saw you make skates, a bicycle, a mechanical compressor, a pole-vaulting pole, and a whole cannon. It's possible you could have made almost all of that with your lipids alone, but the cannon would've weighed more than you do. On top of that, you had no visual change from anything you created. If you were converting only your lipids into items, your… uhh…" Izuku trailed off, his cheeks coloring. Lipids were stored in fat cells and Momo only had a few, very prominent fat stores. Admitting to noticing that they had no change from the use of her Quirk was not something Izuku could admit to without also admitting that he'd noticed them.

Not like they were easy to miss, but still!

"Hmm," Momo hummed, nursing her drink. "Perhaps it has been too long since I went to see a Quirk specialist. To think that something so simple would pass under the noses of my family for so long. What do you suspect to be the true method of my Creation?"

"Well… You're probably transmuting the air around you," Izuku answered. "I can't be 100% sure. It's fully possibly that your lipids are used as a framework of some sort. Let me guess, the more complicated something is mechanically, the more it tires you out?"

"That's true."

"Then the most likely explanation is that you're using your lipids to make the outline of each piece you create and the air around you is transmuted into what amounts to the filling. The more small parts something has, the more framework you need to make."

Momo considered these words, silence descending over the table. A waiter walked over to them, Izuku's eyes racking over his form for signs of hidden weapons. He found nothing, but that didn't mean they didn't exist.

"Pardon, ma'am, sir," he said. "May I take your order?"

"I'll have my usual," Momo answered, distracted. The waiter nodded, turning is judgmental eye on Izuku.

"And you?"

"Ah…" he coughed, having not looked at the words on the menu once. "Please bring me whatever Ms. Yaoyorozu's father usually gets."

"Are you certain, Midoriya?" Momo asked. "I don't remember telling you what my father orders."

"I mean, everything's a risk, right?" he responded. "That's what makes life worth living."

The waiter quirked an eyebrow, but Momo nodded with a small grin. She took his menu, handing both to the worker who accepted them and left.

"We only just ordered and you've already outdone a renowned Quirkologist. Were you not already in UA's hero course, I would have recommended cultivating that talent of yours." She extended her empty glass to the side, a waitress Izuku had not seen approach refilling it.

"Thanks?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought I was Quirkless for a long time, so analyzing them became something of a hobby. Now that I'm a hero student, I'm wondering if I should focus on weaponizing it to help take down villains or if I should use it to uplift fellow heroes."

"I think you can do both," the raven-haired girl said, a glimmer in her eye. "Speaking of weaponizing, you never answered my query this morning about how you trained to achieve admission into UA."

"What's there to say?" Izuku muttered with an awkward chuckle. He reached for one of the bruschetta in the center of the table. "I called it a gym, but I guess it's more like a loose collection of adrenaline junkies. My sensei saw me training on a local beach and told me moving exercises would do me better than just squats and push-ups."

"Moving exercises?"

"Running," Izuku clarified. "Rock climbing. Parkour. Swimming. Rucking. That sort of thing. Climbing and parkour in particular worked both my body and my mind. I had to learn how to think on the fly; it's a skill that's served me well ever since."

"Clearly." Momo gave a brilliant smile. "I'd like to meet your trainers, Midoriya. They did exceptional work with you considering your Quirk is so… passive."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," he replied. "My sensei… None of them are really well off. For them, exercise and running is how they work out the stresses of life because they can't afford much else. And, before you say anything, they hate charity. They've made a balanced system and to get in, you need to be invited."

"…I see." Momo sighed. The waiter from before stepped up to their table, placing trays before them. For Momo, she had a plate of Coq Au Vin, chicken and mushrooms braised in red wine, lardons, and garlic. Izuku received a large, medium-done steak with a garlic parmesan cream sauce topped with a single four-leaf clover. Despite the churning of his nerves, his stomach rumbled as the smells hit his nose. He blushed, Momo giggling into her napkin. The waiter sent another look Izuku's direction, but Momo shooed him away.

"So, your teachers," she prompted, gracefully cutting her chicken into bite-sized pieces. "Were they the ones that made your weapons?"

"Sort-of," Izuku lied. He lowered his voice to a whisper, "You're asking about my bracer, I guess?"

"Why are we whispering now?" she asked. "But yes, I am."

"It's just, I didn't exactly get… permission from them to use their idea." Another fib passed his lips, but Izuku was too nervous discussing his hidden blade in a Templar restaurant to consider how he was lying to a classmate. "Sometimes while climbing or free-running, we'll use hooks to help pull us up if we can't quite reach the next ledge. I adapted the idea and tried to fit it into my…" He blushed, feeling childish. "My… ninja… theme…"

Saying his cover story for his costume's looks aloud like this was so embarrassing. Momo stared at him, the edges of her lips quirking upward. She giggled, her mirth building to a full laugh. Izuku dropped his head into his hands, silently telling himself that all the embarrassment was worth it to uphold the Tenets.

'Do not compromise the Brotherhood. Do not compromise the Brotherhood. Do not compromise the Brotherhood or death will be a mercy.'

Needing something to do, he tucked into his steak, his eyes widening after the first bite. It's flavors danced over his tongue, his stomach rumbling again. Momo watched him as he dug into his steak.

"Midoriya?" she began after a while. "Why did you choose to be a pro hero?"

"Ultimately, for my mom," Izuku answered easily. "It's always been my dream since I was little. I'd watch All Might's debut video over and over again, even after they thought I was Quirkless. I loved heroes because it was like they could do anything, and they chose to bring hope to and protect the people. That's what I want to do as a hero: bring hope to people with none and inspire those who think they can't. I mean, like you said, my Quirk is passive. I'll practically be a Quirkless hero."

"So, do you think that humanity is safer when they have someone guiding and stabilizing them? Be that heroes or otherwise?"

That was a loaded question. To the average person, it may have seemed asinine, but he knew better. This was her parents' influence talking.

'She's not a Templar yet,' he reminded himself, forming his answer. He closed his eyes. "Safer? Maybe they are, but I don't think that's what's best for humanity in the long run."

"I don't understand." Momo furrowed her eyebrows as Izuku grinned, remembering his own use of that response when he met Nekoi-sensei, Keeper-sensei, and Mentor for the first time. "Do you not think safety and stability is good for the people?"

"That's not what I said," Izuku replied. "Sure, one good king or two can lead their country to peace and prosperity, but it only takes one bad, weak, or selfish king to undo all the hard work of his forefathers. The only leaders who really know what the little people need are leaders who were once little people themselves. At the same time, the job of a leader is to empower those under them, so that they are not dependent on anything. By making one's underlings self-sufficient, the whole is more efficient. Which is more fruitful in the long run, a six apple saplings in the shade of their parent or three saplings planted away from their parent?"

"Well…" Momo pursed her lips, Izuku suddenly aware of her shiny lip gloss. "In the short term, only one apple tree is bearing fruit, but its shade stifles the growth of those under it. They won't grow until the parent dies, and even then they'll fight for nutrients. In contrast, the three trees have no obstructions, and thus grow unhindered. They will flourish better than the six planted close together."

"That's why I think voting-based systems have become more popular than monarchies and dictatorships," Izuku nodded. "People flourish when given the freedom to grow. Our roles as heroes… It's our job, literally, to save people in danger, to make the populous feel safe, and to capture villains, but we should inspire people while doing so. To motivate them to reach for their own dreams. We need to show that anything they want, they can get it if they work hard enough."

"I think that's a wonderful mentality, but at what point does freedom fail? By leaving the people to fend for themselves totally, you have those who fail to make it or 'bad apples,' so to speak. Those who become villains out of will or necessity. Would it not be better to find them before any innocents are hurt or worse?"

"And what? Imprison them for something they haven't done yet? If I could get rid of crime, I would, Yaoyorozu, but when the innocent are punished for their safety, I imagine all you get is resentment. In that setting, it's possible that a new breed of villain is born, one who fights for what they think is right. You get vigilantes. At worst, they become the new heroes of the people, and that brings revolution."

The pair lapsed into silence, both thinking on what the other had said. Momo thought about how much power Izuku laid with freedom while Izuku hoped that his words could divert her from the Templar ideals he knew had been planted in her subconscious. The silence lasted through the end of their main course, the waiter bringing each a gelato topped with chocolate syrup, a cherry, and what Izuku suspected was gold shavings. Momo's eyes brightened when dessert arrived, the girl digging into it with a gusto Izuku had not expected from her.

No check ever came.

Momo cleaned her lips with her napkin, hiding a giggle at the chocolate sauce that had found a place at the corner of Izuku's mouth. She set the napkin down, offering her companion a smile.

"You've been lovely company."

"Thanks, Yaoyo—"

"Momo," she interrupted. "You can call me Momo, if you want."

"O-Oh, ok… Momo." Another blush crawled upward from Izuku's neck. "Th-Then I guess you can use m-my given name, too."

"You have my gratitude, Izuku." She stood. "As thanks for your insight into my Quirk and your honesty, I'd like you to keep the suit, though I'd like to do more. I was planning to give it to you anyway."

"Are you sure?" Izuku asked, his meal sitting heavily in his gut at the mention of honesty. "This thing must cost a fortune."

"I insist. Call it compensation for the short notice. Come, I'll give you a ride home. We better get to our homework before it gets too late."

"Yeah. Right."

Relief flooded his mind as the two exited the restaurant, the boy certain that the workers, whether they suspected him of something or not, would not attack him with his classmate so close. They stepped outside, the sun farther across the sky but not yet changing it from its beautiful blue. His eyes caught sight of a man in red, a baseball cap hiding his hair. As his eyes met the man's, he winked, holding up his phone.

The Brotherhood now knew about La Croix de la Sagesse if they hadn't known about it before, and Keeper had come when he'd activated the tracker on his phone. It was nice to know he'd had the overview, even if he was certain Master Aizawa was going to chew him out for his recklessness later.

He only hoped he'd planted the seeds of doubt before Momo was too far gone.

End of Chapter 9

And so we get a glimpse into Momo's thoughts. She's been raised by Templars to direct the masses, but it takes a certain amount of care for someone like Momo to become a pro hero, an altruism her parents don't have. Even if she wants to reject the Templars upon learning of them, could she reject her family? Now that they're on a first-name basis, would Izuku be able to stand by if Momo becomes a target? What are your theories about the American woman Tsuyu helped save? All in all,

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-SwordOfTheGods