Another few days, another chapter. I really need to get back into the groove for Coby's Choice, but having just completed the main story for AC3, I can't help the ideas swimming in my head. That and all the reviews this story is getting.

Gamelover41592: l(;-P)

Johnny02: That's right. Hmmm indeed.

LEGOBRICK13: I'm glad you enjoyed that little bit of comedy; I love when you only get to hear half of a conversation. You're right, though. They should have taken advantage of Izuku's analytical skills in Canon, but they did not, and so FF is here to show what could have been. Also, don't you dare tone down your visual/visceral reactions. I enjoy them.

Monkey D. Conan: Well, this is sort of another transition chapter considering the Sports Festival is introduced two weeks before hit happens, but we're then given a time jump. When I've set up things to happen soon, I can't just wait two weeks so they happen at the same time, so it all has to happen before. Inko and Okame being friends...? Maybe, but I don't know if such a thing would have a happy ending.

realjoehundredaire: That seems like a weird thing to pray for.

Shadowwolf1997: I've actually been sprinkling such teachings throughout the chapters. Many of the lessons Assassins like Nekoi give to Izuku during his training are lifted from or paraphrased from the games. The first example that comes to mind is the talk about guilt in chapter... 3? Nekoi says "You cannot force teaching onto the people, they must be willing to learn." That's from a short speech Ezio made in Brotherhood after saving Good Ol' Leo DV from some mathematical cult. So yes, there are written records of their teachings. You don't need to apologize for digging into the worldbuilding; it's a factor of writing one can never stop improving in.

SPeCTeR-ll7: You can ask, Shoto, but you won't get an answer right away. That is what the clues point to... but maybe that's just what I want you to think. [Que evil laugh] [Laugh gets interrupted by coughing fit]

ZonZus: I'd never thought about it that way, but you'll right. Looking at it from that point, Izuku and Momo are the two 1-A students that have the purest reasons for becoming pro heroes, Izuku because Nice-Protag Syndrome and Momo because she really doesn't need the money in any way. Too back for her her family in this universe is supportive for different reasons. As for Death Arms, you may relax. I have something special planned for him in the far future.

Chapter 11:

Izuku's Mission

"That's all for today," Midnight said, clicking off a projector showing the pre-Quirk superhero media that they had been comparing to modern-day art for Art History. She'd been explaining how many heroes, intentionally or otherwise, draw inspiration from such things for their hero costumes and why they work. "Remember everyone, the Sports Festival is just under two weeks away. Talk to Aizawa if you want to schedule extra training sessions. The teachers are also open if you feel like one of us can help you more than the others, but you'll need your Homeroom teacher's permission before talking to us since we have other classes to prep. If a support item comes to you in one of your wild teenage fantasies, take it to the support course and they'll be happy to talk details. Now, go have a good lunch."

"Man, my brain is mush," Kaminari whined, leaning backwards with a sigh. "Why do we gotta analyze these old, fake heroes like Captain America or Ultraman? I mean, the first one isn't even from Japan."

"The point, Charge Dolt," Jiro said, jabbing him in the side of the head with one of her jacks, "is for us to see how their outfits complemented their powers and how their utilities helped them beat stronger foes. That's the kind of stuff that can save our lives in the field."

"Not only that, but these lessons also play into marketing," Shoji commented. "Yes, heroes put their lives on the line to save people, but it's still a job. If we want to go pro and not become an Eternal Sidekick, then we need to market ourselves to make a living through sponsorship deals and advertisements."

"It's kinda like being a movie star, but more dangerous," Uraraka thought aloud. "At least this way we're making a difference for people and not just providing entertainment."

"You all are in a race for second," Aoyama commented, striking a pose as sparkles danced around him. "Obviously—"

"The Hell do you extras want?" The class turned at the sound of Bakugo's voice, the blond staring past the door he'd just slammed open. "Get the fuck outta my way!"

"So, this is the fabled hero course?" the tired voice responded. "I didn't think you all were a bunch of jerks."

"Don't lump us in with him!" Sato advised from deeper in the classroom. "Bakugo's a special case!"

Grabbing his backpack, Izuku moved to see who was speaking. A crowd blocked the hallway, at the front of which was a boy with wild, purple hair and a frown. Mineta stood in the crowd, taking the distraction of everyone studying 1-A to try to peek up one girl's skirt.

"Bakugo," Izuku muttered. "Do not pick fights with other classes."

"Yeah?" the explosive teen demanded. "Or what, Deku? Who's gonna stop me? You and your weak-ass Quirk? What are you gonna do, stare me to death?"

"Then as the class' Vice Rep, I will report you to Aizawa-sensei for breaking UA's policies on bullying and aggression. There have been no incidents so far because you have not outright injured anyone and no one has reported you, but that can change. I trust that UA takes bullying more seriously than Aldera did. We all know he won't hesitate to kick you out like he did Mineta."

"Hey!" the short boy in question cried with indignance, giving away his position. The student he'd been all but under screeched, kicking him away.

"The fabled 1-A," a voice drawled, a blond boy with straight hair swept to the right pushing his way to the front of the crowd. "So these are the glory hogs who plan to lead the country? You certainly don't look like you live up to the hype."

"And who the fuck are you?" Bakugo demanded.

"Neito Monoma," the boy answered. "I'm here to tell you that class 1-B isn't going to let you arrogant blowhards continue to steal all the limelight. We will become the pillars society stands on, not you."

"It sounds like you're declaring war or something," Mina blinked.

"That's exactly what I'm—" He was cut off by a giant fist to the back of the head, a redheaded girl Izuku recognized as the 1-B Class Representative Itsuka Kendo grabbing him by the scruff of the neck as he tried to get his bearings back.

"I'm sorry about him, Midoriya," she apologized with a bow. "Monoma's… competitive."

"That's fine," Izuku insisted before looking at the group of students. "Listen, most of you all are from the gen ed course, right?" There was a general murmur of confirmation, the purple-haired boy nodding. "Cool. So you might not know this, but there's an open seat in our class, so one of you can take it with a serious showing in the coming festival."

"Really?" the boy asked.

"No!" Mineta denied. "I've been training since that stupid teacher kicked me out! I don't care what it takes, I'm taking that seat back! I'll make Aizawa rue the day he tried to remove me!"

"You'll have your chance, Mineta," Izuku said, "but this goes out to every gen ed student here. If you want that last spot, then you have to prove you're worthy of it. Do your best in the Sports Festival and make the people notice you. Now, if you all will excuse us, we need to get to lunch."

It was Friday night, Izuku and Tsuyu standing before Aizawa in their Assassin robes. The man in black looked at them with tired eyes.

"Tomorrow will be a special day," he told them. "We will hold an advancement ceremony for all the recruits ready to receive their next rank and I have put forward both of your names. There is, however, one hiccup. Recruit Midoriya, you have not yet taken part in an official mission like Recruit Asui has. Tonight, we will rectify that. Recruit Asui, you may choose to come along or remain here and train with Master Usagiyama."

"I would like to attend the mission, Master, ribbit," the girl answered and a small bow.

"Very well, but remember this mission is for Midoriya's experience. Now, I'll brief you two on our assignment. Our main priority is to infiltrate the warehouse of a Templar middleman who is dealing in Trigger, a drug that is used to increase the power of Quirks. We have reason to believe that the Templars are behind its creation. Even if they are not, they are still using it for their own ends. We are to assassinate both the Templar selling Trigger and a gunman he has been selling it to. This gunman has been hired to inject civilians with Trigger to make them go berserk, allowing Templar heroes in the area to subdue them and increase their influence."

"So the Templars are using this drug to increase the societal sway of their heroes?" Izuku summarized.

"Correct, Recruit," Aizawa nodded. "Master Akaguro and his trainee got this information from an independent investigation of their own and will be in the area for our raid."

"Ribbit," Tsuyu croaked. "You mentioned a main priority. Does that main we have secondary objectives, ribbit?"

"Yes," the Master Assassin nodded. "Once we have confirmed the deaths of both the dealer and the gunman, we will search the warehouse for any documents or evidence of a greater conspiracy. Akaguro suspects there is something larger at work here and Mentor trusts his gut. Our targets' names are Tomino Zi and Rima Dota. They shouldn't have any guards but be ready of or them anyway. Questions?" Izuku and Tsuyu shook their heads. "Good. We leave now."

A quick stop to the Portal Room put them out in the middle of a hollow billboard, Aizawa pushing open a fake back to give them entrance to a rooftop. Master Akaguro was waiting there, the female Assassin that had guarded Izuku in the hospital at his side. The three newcomers dropped to the roof from the sign, Tsuyu closing the hidden door as she did.

"Good to see you back in one piece, Recruit," Akaguro said as they approached. "You ready for your first mission?"

"Probably not," Izuku admitted, "but it sounds like we can prevent a lot of destruction with this mission, so we shouldn't waste time."

"That's the right thing to say," Akaguro nodded. "Alright, Zi's warehouse is just up ahead. Himi confirmed that Dota's gonna pick up another order of Trigger Bullets, but it ain't the normal kind of Trigger. The stuff in these is Ideo Trigger."

"What's the difference?" Tsuyu questioned, swallowing her instinctive ribbit.

"The normal stuff is pretty weak, made from bad ingredients, and can be, in the worst circumstances, addictive, but it leaves the user in control," the female Assassin answered. "This Ideo stuff has the right uppers in it to make the user go nuts. That's why the Templars are making bullets out of it; they need someone with a powerful Quirk to go on a rampage so their foot soldier heroes can subdue them. Thing is, those uppers are hard to get in Japan —I've tried to get them— so we think they're getting shipped from somewhere else. Don't know where yet, but we hope tonight's raid will change that."

"We need to get going," Aizawa insisted, his eyes on the setting sun. "Lead the way to the warehouse."

Akaguro nodded, the man turning about-face and taking off. The Assassin he'd trained followed him closely, prompting Aizawa, Tsuyu, and Izuku to give chase. The first alley they jumped sent the familiar thrum of adrenaline through Izuku's blood, his eyes dilating as an unconscious smile stretched over his face. Yes, he was on his way to watch two men be killed for their loyalties and sins by vigilantes whose order he'd joined, but the rush of running, of the feeling of equality with the rest of this superpowered populous, was addictive.

He broke away from the group, diverting slightly to the right to jump onto and off of a pile of discarded pallets. The extra height gave him the area he needed to flip with his next jump. He landed with a roll, the tumbling and the feel of the roof's inconsistencies against his back only served to increase his joy.

Tsuyu chuckled at his display, the girl rolling into a handstand that she pushed out of, the frog-girl doing her own flip-and-a-half to the next building, a grin wide enough that even Izuku could see it on her usually-unexpressive face.

"Recruits," Aizawa snapped. "This is not the time for such frivolous displays. It would do us no good to be seen."

"Sorry, Master," the students said, though they were still smiling. As if to set a bad example, Akaguro's apprentice performed her own no-handed cartwheel over the next gap. Aizawa sighed.

"We're here," Akaguro grunted, slowing to a stop at the edge of what seemed like a random building. He stepped over to the right side, staring down at what Izuku had thought was an open area. Rather than ground or pavement, Izuku saw the top of a squat warehouse two storied smaller than the building the Assassins and recruits were standing on. It's roof was a shiny, ridged metal reflecting the setting sun's reds, oranges, and yellows. The sliding door to the warehouse was open, a seedy-looking balding man standing in the doorway. His head was on a swivel. Constantly turning from one side to another.

"Do we know how long until this gunman shows up?" Izuku whispered.

"They stagger their times," the blonde Assassin replied. "It's common practice in the underworld to make it harder for police to catch them without a lot of work."

"Recruit Midoriya, this mission is for your benefit and experience," Aizawa commented. "Go scout the area but stay on the rooftops."

"Yes, Master," the boy bowed, already studying the layout. The warehouse's entrance was connected to an alley just barely wide enough for a pickup truck. Considering this was a back alley, there must be another entrance accessible to larger delivery trucks.

He could jump the alley with a running start but doing such risked detection from the man below, so Izuku opted for a more roundabout path. He found one to the left, the entrance of the alley opening to a sidewalk with a powerline a building down. He jumped to this next building and ran, hopping to the top of the line's pole. His fingers groped the wood below, keeping his feet planted as he recovered his balance.

Izuku could feel the eyes of his superiors on him. Refusing to let nervousness break his cool, Izuku balanced himself on the powerline, his arms slightly raised to catch him if he fell. It only took a few seconds before he was in range, the boy jumping to the next roof.

He released a breath with sturdy concrete now under his feet once more. The warehouse sat next door, Izuku now able to study its side. There were no windows, the only opening a metal door with a handle. There was, however, a sunroof on the far side of the warehouse by the main road. Casting his eyes about to confirm that there was no one nearby, Izuku hopped onto the warehouse, lowering his stance to disperse any force that would make a sound as he landed.

"He's on the warehouse," Akaguro commented, Aizawa with his face in his hands next to him.

"I like this one," the blonde Assassin chuckled.

"Of course you would, Himi."

Back with Izuku, he snuck over the metal roof, his padded shoes muffling his footsteps. A quick look over the edge confirmed that the opposite side was like the one he'd seen before and that there was another opening on the main front of the warehouse. That opening was blocked by a garage door, presumably for much larger shipments. The sunroof was slanted with an angle at the top, each side in line with the rest of the roof. Rafters crisscrossed the area directly below the glass. The warehouse floor below held several boxes, but the most important piece Izuku could see was a chemistry rig in the corner.

Izuku retraced his steps, returning to his teacher's side.

"The only viable entrance is through the sunroof," he said. "All the other entrances are on the ground floor and come with increased chances of being seen. There are no windows. The sunroof way drops straight into the rafters. Normally, this would be a risk putting our shadows on the floor, but the setting sun negates that, especially if we get out of the light quick enough."

"That is acceptable." Aizawa sighed, "though I would have rather you not take the risk of jumping onto the metal roof. Still, it appears we don't have another choice. Anything else?"

"There's a chemistry rig in the far lefthand corner. The center of the warehouse is a veritable labyrinth of boxes that we could make use of, but there's always the risk of being seen that way, so the rafters are probably our best bet. I couldn't see anymore than that without getting inside."

"Very well," the Master Assassin said. "We will take that route once the second target arrives."

The shadows lengthened with the setting of the sun, the group waiting nearly ten minutes with no other changes save the man below getting more and more nervous.

He relaxed a moment before Aizawa silently pointed to a man in black walking down the narrow street. He had white hair under a black baseball cap, two sheep horns rising from above his long, furry ears. He was carrying a black suitcase.

"Quirk: Sheep," Aizawa muttered. "That confirms it; he's Rima Dota."

Below, the other man who must be Tomino Zi ushered Dota into the warehouse, hissing something as he did. Dota hissed something back, the warehouse door closing behind him.

"Move out, everyone," Akaguro ordered. "Jump to the adjacent buildings and meet at the sunroof."

They did as ordered, Izuku leaping to the building to the warehouse's right. He didn't quite reach the roof, having to hook his fingers onto a windowsill on the top level and climbing the rest of the way. He arrived at the skylight just behind the blonde Assassin, the group of five looking down into the warehouse.

Within, Zi and Dota walked through the shadows, heading for a set of stairs. Akaguro's apprentice pulled a device from within her robes, extending one part of it before sticking it to the skylight. It whirled as she drew a circle with the extension, pulling up the device with a perfect circle of glass stuck to it.

"Aright, everyone in," she grinned, slipping into the hole first. Tsuyu went next, Izuku following their lead. His fingers hooked onto the beam, the Assassin Recruit quickly pulling himself into the wedge connecting the beam to the ceiling before jumping to another nearby, clearing the area for the next person. Aizawa was the last to drop in, the pro hero holding a finger to his lips. He pointed to a door on a second-level balcony, the room beyond having a window on either side of the door. Both were covered with blinds.

Akaguro pointed at the blonde before pointing at the chemistry rig in the corner. The Assassin nodded, flipping away silently. Aizawa gestured for the recruits to follow him, the man hopping his way through the rafters. They ended their short trek by the balcony where the teacher indicated a halt. Again, he pointed, Izuku following the gesture with his eyes. Below, fingers poked through the blinds, bending them so someone could peek out over the warehouse. Worried, Izuku also inspected the warehouse, but the female Assassin was nowhere to be seen. The person in the room retreated.

"Midoriya," Aizawa muttered. "Get down there and try to eavesdrop on their conversation and confirm they're using Trigger. Do nothing else."

"Yes, Master."

Given an immediate goal, Izuku leapt from the rafters to the reinforced wall, climbing downward toward the door. When he was right above it, he dropped, bending his knees to disperse the impact as he'd been trained to. He leaned against the door carefully, pressing his ear into it.

"—nother order?" he heard a voice ask with a small bleat. "Where this time?"

"Musutafu," another voice answered. "Peg someone with a smaller quirk that's not so immediately dangerous. This client feels like that last few have been too high-profile with their destruction."

"Got it. I know just the guy, a small-time crook. He stiffed me on a payment when I took out his rival, so Trigger in his veins won't be too surprising to the police."

Izuku waved behind his back, giving a thumbs-up in confirmation that these guys were their targets. A second later, Aizawa landed next to him. He gestured for Izuku to back away from the door before pulling a throwing knife from his robes. Izuku backed away, giving the Master Assassin the space he needed to kick the door in. It slammed open with a bang, the two men inside jumping at the sound. Aizawa threw the blade, lodging it in the shoulder of the man to the right. Another knife mirrored the first, rendering both of Zi's arms useless.

The sheep-horned man, Dota, drew a pistol, forcing Izuku and Aizawa to vacate the doorway, the Assassins shoving their backs into the wall on either side.

"Shit, Assassins!" Zi cried. "Get them!"

"I expect a bonus for this!" Dota replied, charging out the door. His arm shot to the side, grabbing Izuku's and dragging the boy over the railing. The wind whistled in Izuku's ears. The Quirkless recruit twisted but it wasn't quite enough, the corner of a box digging into his side while Dota crashed through one head-first. Izuku hit the ground hard, thankful for the training he'd had. Without it, such a fall would've broken a lot of bones. Still, it hurt, the boy rolling onto his side before climbing into his feet. He pressed himself into the boxes nearby, poking his head up only to immediately put it back down, gunfire echoing through the warehouse, the top of the box turning to splinters.

"Come out, you little bastard!" Dota yelled before more gunfire echoed. "There's more of them, Zi! I'm getting out of here!"

He ran, Izuku poking his head up only to see Master Akaguro fall on the gunman. He hit the ground with a wump, all falling still.

"I've got Zi," Aizawa announced from the balcony, Akaguro standing from the corpse on the floor. "Everyone to the office."

Izuku swallowed the bile in his throat, climbing the boxes to jump to the balcony, swinging himself over the railing. Tsuyu, Akaguro, and the female Assassin landing at his sides. Tomino Zi stat in his chair, Aizawa's hookblade at his throat and the knives still in his shoulders.

"Fuck," the man cursed as the rest of the Assassins made themselves known. Aizawa pushed the blade a little closer and reached into the man's shirt with his free hand, pulling out a necklace with the Templar symbol. "Five of you? Really? Dota!"

"He's dead," Akaguro said, cutting off the man's feeble hope. "Recruits, search the office. Himi, get the drugs."

"Yes, Master," Izuku and Tsuyu replied, the two turning the office upside down. The one called Himi moved to the briefcase on the desk, popping it open. Inside were several tiny blue pellets, each about the side of a marble. Izuku activated his Eagle Vision, two things in the room turning gold. The first was a filing cabinet in the corner, the other a square on the opposite wall. He tapped Tsuyu's shoulder and pointed to the cabinet while he made his way to the wall.

The square looked like any other part of the wall, the paneling made of old wood, but a few seconds of searching brought his eye to a knot big enough to put a finger in. He did so, dragging the square open to reveal a safe with a fingerprint and eye scanner.

"Good luck getting that open, you damn killers," Zi spat, his saliva landing on Akaguro's shoe as that was the only one he could reach. The spit sizzled, forcing Akaguro to hop away and pull his shoe off. "It's bolted down and top-of-the-line, too heavy to move. It's staying put whether you kill me or not. Try to force it open and it'll explode. And if you want to try anything with me, I'll give you my Acid Spit."

"Oh dear," the one called Himi muttered. "If only one of us had a Quirk that could perfectly mimic someone else. Oh wait, we do." She walked up next to Aizawa, keeping herself where Zi could not reach her. She drew a syringe and jammed it into the back of his arm, drawing blood. Zi cursed. She only needed a little, the hole left behind when she removed the syringe putting out a line of crimson.

Giving the Acid Spit Templar a wide berth, Himi made her way to Izuku's side and drank the blood. Something like another layer of skin grew over her body and robes, the Assassin copying even Zi's clothing as she became him.

"What‽" the original demanded, struggling for only a second before Aizawa reminded him that his had a blade to his throat, a trail of blood running down his neck. He watched, powerless, as Himi used his form to open the safe and draw out the files within.

"Would you look at this?" Himi purred, her fleshy disguise sloughing off her body. "Looks like this guy's benefactors had him working on an aerosol version of Ideo Trigger. Planning on going for widespread chaos over the child's play you have been?"

"I have nothing to say to someone as sick as you," Zi growled. Izuku glanced into the safe, finding another item. He reached in, pulling out a necklace with a pendant etched with a sort of cross under three lines arrayed in a semicircle. The right half of the cross was in splinters.

"Anyone recognize this?" he asked. No one answered. "Great."

"I've got monetary statements and bank info," Tsuyu announced, thumbing through the cabinet. "Dota isn't his only client; he's got a list a foot long including gangs and a few doctors, ri…" She coughed. "Let's see… Riverwater, Shie Hassaikai, Akatsuki, Golden Peak, one Doctor G. Looks like anyone who's someone in the underworld that's not one of ours was buying Trigger or its ingredients from this guy except the League of Villains. I'm guessing these records were so he had the leverage to ensure no one turned on him. Hoping for a plea deal if you got arrested?"

"You might get me, Assassins, but you'll never get us all," Zi snarled. "The Templars will never die. It's human nature to want to be controlled and to be violent. Only those who can reject that will rise above, those better than others. No matter how many shepherds you kill, another will rise out of the flock to lead them until you fail. You wolves can keep killing forever, but you'll never change anything. You're fight is a losing battle and all you're doing is making it longer, like you always have."

"Tell us what this symbol means," Akaguro demanded. Zi responded by spitting on Aizawa's blade, but nothing happened, the Assassin's eyes behind him glowing red. "I'll asked again. What is this symbol?"

"Fuck you, that's what." Zi threw himself forward, killing himself with the blade at his throat. He rolled to the floor, red pouring from his neck. He grinned weakly, red covering his teeth as his acidic saliva started eating away at the new hole, his own body apparently not immune to his Quirk. The light in his eyes dimmed and disappeared.

"Mission accomplished, I guess," Aizawa sighed as Izuku turned his head away, that bile rising in his throat again. "Grab everything you can and smash everything you can't. We move out when you're done."

"Yes, Master."

Izuku felt sick.

Aizawa had dismissed them, giving the two hero students and Assassin recruits time to recover from the mission before the ceremony the next night, but that didn't help with the images that kept replaying in Izuku's mind's eye or the way that the bruise on his side twinged every time he moved. Over and over, every time he saw a bright red like his sneakers or the cap of a pen, he saw the blood spilling from Tomino Zi's throat, the man giving his gruesome, final smile as he denied the Assassins whatever knowledge he had had.

Guilt churned in his gut, his mind questioning every decision he made during the mission. He knew it was going to happen —they were there to kill Zi and Dota after all— but Izuku still felt like it had been his own hand that had taken the man's life.

Something tapped against his bedroom window, breaking Izuku from his thoughts. He turned, wondering if he'd misheard only for a finger to appear at the top corner, tapping the glass again. Cautious, Izuku made his way to the window and tapped a response. Tsuyu's upside-down head lowered outside.

"Tsuyu?" he questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk, ribbit. Meet me on the roof?"

"Ah… sure."

Carefully, quietly, Izuku opened the window and crawled out. He climbed the wall, easily reaching the roof since he lived on the top floor. Tsuyu was there waiting for him, offering the boy a hand for the final step up. She pulled him along, setting him down where the two of them had a clear view of the half-moon. Tsuyu sat beside him, the two staring at the moon above. Stars twinkled in the night, their calm serenity at odds with Izuku's emotions.

"…Did I do something wrong?" Izuku asked after a minute of silence. Tsuyu turned her wide eyes on him. "It hurts, Tsuyu. I can't sleep. I don't have an appetite. Everything reminds me of what it was like watching him die. Mom knows something's up, but I can't tell her anything."

"It's stress, Izuku," Tsuyu said, setting a hand on his arm. "I know how you feel, but you can't let that feeling take over your life. I can't say watching people die ever gets easier, ribbit, but we have to remember why we fight."

"And why is that?" the boy demanded, tears prickling the corners of his eyes. "Is what he said right? Are we fighting and killing for nothing other than to extend the battle? Why the Hell—?"

Tsuyu smacked him.

"You can't think like that," she said, Izuku slowly turning back to look at her as a hand rose to cradle his stinging cheek. "Maybe he was right, ribbit. Maybe the Templars will win in the end, but do you want to see that happen in your lifetime? Do you want your kids to grow up in a world where the Templars control everything? When the people no longer have free will, ribbit, then they will have nothing. Is that a world you want to see created?"

Izuku sat there, silent, and Tsuyu turned away from him. Her eyes went to the moon above.

"Do the ends justify the means?" she asked. "It's a question that makes hypocrites out of us, ribbit. At what point are the means no longer justified? Heroes are known to kill villains when lives are immediately on the line, ribbit. When not doing so will result in the deaths of innocents. We try to do the same thing, but we're looking at the long term. When we believe taking out one Templar will save a hundred people, we put our individuality to the side to become a blade in the crowd…" She paused. "Have you heard about Nascha?"

"That's the American woman staying at the den," Izuku answered. "I heard you and Yuifum rescued her while I was in the hospital."

"Yeah, ribbit. We replaced her with one of the security guards we knocked out despite knowing the Masters would set the warehouse on fire, ribbit. Does that make me or Yuifum a bad person?"

"I… I don't think so," Izuku whispered. "You saved her life."

"You don't know that." Tsuyu shook her said. "We don't know why the Templars wanted her, ribbit, only that the odds were that she wouldn't have wanted to be there. When Master Aizawa and I were explaining the Brotherhood to her, he said that we do what we do to so the world has time. So they can find peace without a gun to the back and a knife at the throat, ribbit, but aren't we the same way? The only difference is who we aim the knife at.

"The Templars think they know what's best for the world and, rather than explaining that to the masses where others can argue, ribbit, they try to force the people to comply. They're scared, Izuku. Scared of a world where they have power over no one but themselves, ribbit. Scared of a life where they might not get what they want. They're scared of us, ribbit, but not enough to stop. Their fear turns into hatred. Mom and dad have told me stories of Templar fanatics who blame us for the world's problems, saying that if only the Templars ruled the world, ribbit, then they could solve them all. But they don't know that. They can't."

"But we can't either," Izuku said.

"No," Tsuyu agreed, "but that doesn't mean they're right."

"Nothing is true." Tsuyu nodded at his words. She leaned back, staring up at the night sky,

"I like to think of the world like the ocean, and every person is a fish, ribbit. The Templars look at the whole ocean and decide that balancing the ecosystem is their job. They want to play god, controlling every little detail. In watching the whole, they miss everything, ribbit. They miss the beauty of nature, the lives of the fish, of evolution taking its course, ribbit, but nature always wins in the end. Nothing lasts forever, Izuku, and the same is true for the Assassins and the Templars. Our fight might never end until there is no one left, ribbit, but I think it's still worth fighting. We attack in the darkness to serve the light. We throw away ourselves to serve those who would forsake us. We are…?"

"Assassins," Izuku finished with a sigh. He rubbed his arms, realizing how cold the night had gotten. "Thanks, Tsu. I was in a bad place and needed to hear that."

"You… called me Tsu, ribbit," the frog-girl blinked.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean—"

"No, it's ok," Tsuyu insisted, giving him a smile. "I'm glad, ribbit. Listen, if you ever need to talk about this, I'm here. Me and Master Aizawa and Keeper and any other Assassin. Ask and we'll help remind you why our mission is so important, ribbit. Ok?"

"Ok," Izuku nodded. "Are you sure you're fine in this cold?"

"I'll build up some heat on the way back home," she waved off. "In fact, I should get going. It's getting pretty late and if I don't move around soon, I'll go into brumation, ribbit."

"Alright." He blinked. "Oh, I know! Wait here for just a minute." He moved to the edge of the roof, easily dropping down and scurrying into the window. Tsuyu waited for the allotted time, boy coming back with a travel cup in hand. "I made you some tea to warm you up. We can't have you passing out on your way back."

"Thank you, Izuku," Tsuyu said, accepting the cup. She took a quick sip, the hot liquid filling her with warmth. "Ribbit, I guess I'll see you tomorrow for the ceremony?"

"Of course. See you then, Tsu."

She nodded, staying long enough to watch Izuku crawl back into his home. A small smile came to her face at the knowledge that she had made a difference for him. That even as an Assassin, she could also be a hero to the people she knew.

Aizawa sat in the den's library, the pendent Izuku had found during the raid sitting on the table before him. Books littered the desk, each page opened to a symbol the Templars had used at some point or another in the past, but none of them matched the one on the pendant and the time was nearing midnight. He sighed, rubbing his eyes as his dry eye reared its ugly head. He wished for a nap at the least.

"Pardon, Master," an Assassin said, stepping into the room with a knock. Aizawa raised his head, tired eyes boring into the man who didn't so much as move. "I have some news for you. It's… not good."

"Rarely is anything," Aizawa muttered with a shake of his head. "Can it wait until the morning?"

"It's from America."

"Damn. Hand it over."

Silently, the Assassin laid a folder on the desk amidst the records Aizawa had been going through. The folder contained two reports, one in English and the other that same report translated into Japanese. A picture of Nascha was clipped to the top of the English report.

"Oh, that's not a good sign," the teacher said, his eyes scanning the report. It seemed to be everything the American Brotherhood could get from the Cell of the area and their police contacts about the incident. He cursed.

The picture it painted was not pretty to say the least.

"Has Mentor seen this?" Aizawa questioned.

"Yes," the Assassin nodded. "He's the one that informed me of your whereabouts and told me to get this to you."

"Uh, fine. Thank you. You may go." The Assassin bowed and left, leaving Aizawa to stew in his thoughts. He'd need to plan quickly, though he wasn't looking forward to the fallout this information would have on Nascha Garcia when she learned of it.

After all, who would respond positively when told their parents were murdered and their brother was now a captive of the Templars, all because they wanted you?

End of Chapter 11

Next chapter should start the Sports Festival, but so many other things are brewing in the background. How does Trigger play into this war? What groups are the Templars puppeteering and which groups are all-in, so to speak? How has this mission affected Izuku and how will it change his perspective? And lastly, What will Nascha do when she learns of the fate of her family? I want to hear your thoughts!

Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods