Another couple weeks, another chapter. Hello, all! We're getting close to the end of the internships with next chapter being the final days and the weekend before they return to school, but I think there are a few things to cover before we get to that point. Let me tell you, it's surprisingly hard to balance the way-too-fast MHA timeline with the apparently-years-long timeline of the AC games. But I'm trying, which is why we have mandatory slower and more introspective chapters like this. Some of you expressed love for philosophy? Here! You can have your philosophy! Anyway, on to Reviews:

ace200777: No promises I'm afraid. I still don't know what pairings, if any, will happen in this story. I'm letting the characters take over there and do what feels right. I won't force anything because you can't please everyone.

Gamelover41592: Thank you!

Jerarudo Torinidado: Currently, I do not have any plans to do so because this is not the modern day of the AC games. This version of MHA takes place many, many years after Desmond's life, so also after the lives of Ko Risa, Gavin Banks, Shaun Hastings, Rebecca Crane, and so many others. Such characters might be name-dropped if a reason comes about, but currently there is no reason.

LEGOBRICK13: I know you have bloodlust for the Templars, but let's see if we can twist your emotions and get your tin-foil-hat mode going, shall we? *rubs hands together evilly whilst chuckling ominously in the shadows, recaptured morally-greying!Momo tied to a chair as the Templars indoctrinate her more beside me* WAHAHAHA!

maxperseus130: Thank you for the suggestion and I will keep it in mind going forward. Honestly, yeah, I love the ideological dichotomy of the AC universe and exploring that in the black-and-white MHA universe was my main motivation for turning this plot bunny into a full story. I see what you mean about me kind of pushing Izuku to the side, but I had a kick in the pants about focusing too much on Izuku during the Sports Festival. Point is, there are so many moving parts here that I can't not cover them or you won't know why certain things occur or why certain characters change the way they do beyond Canon. If someone has "one bad day" then I need to show you that one bad day, whether Izuku is involved or not. As long as we're working mostly with characters from the show, I need to give focus to all of them. But yeah, a major factor is the ideology of it all.

mixedfictioner: Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy!

Monkey D. Conan: Well, we get to see a bit of how our opposed cinnamon rolls are handling their individual internships here. I hope it answers some of your questions, but we don't want to answer them all, do we?

Ranger McAleer: Obviously, he'll be able to do it again at some point, he just won't be someone like Ezio who can kill a hundred guards in a day without batting an eye or losing any sleep.

Ricardo Valencia: I'm not planning for anything that dark. At least, not for the foreseeable future, but I did say nobody was truly safe. Trust me, though, I intend for those who fail their missions to have signs beforehand.

Wizardwolf 1020: Well, if the Assassins were on the brink of destruction, we wouldn't have much of a story, would we? I can't see Izuku (at least not this Izuku) picking up a killer's mantle he doesn't have any ties to. Now if Izuku had a story similar to Ezio's with a happy family life shattered by betrayal, maybe, but that's a background for someone else to use if they want. Plus, as I established with the fall of Abstergo, the Templars are not as unified as they were before and, if they were that good at rooting out the Assassins, then they would have done so already. My argument between Desmond's time versus now was that the Assassins then could not compete with the Templars' ever-evolving tech. The Dawn of Quirks, however, stagnated most of the world's technological growth, allowing the Assassins to rebuild and catch up. Does that make sense? I can't explain everything going on in the background and I do ask for a little Suspension of Disbelief, but do assume I have an inkling of what I'm doing, please.

ZonZus: Oh yes, motivations throughout this story are wide and varied, with end goals looking different for a lot of Templars. They might have the largest armies and the most manpower, but that doesn't mean they're all unified, especially not after the fall of Abstergo as a superpower.

That's all for now! On to the chapter!

Chapter 25

Fallout

The world's colors were nothing like they had been 24 hours ago. To Izuku, the world had dimmed. The lights were not as bright, the walls bleaker in their off-white coloring, the shadows darker and longer. It was only muscle memory that got him out of bed and dressed, the teen stepping out of his room in the underground dorms of the Edgeshot Agency. Haya waited for him at the other side of the hall, standing at the base of the stairs that would take them to the atrium where they would start their morning obstacle run.

"Morning, Izuku," Haya greeted him, her hand raised in the same wave that she'd given him every morning since his internship began. "You ready for training today?"

The verdet didn't respond, his eyes set on the ground at their feet.

"I said," the girl emphasized, "Morning, Izuku. You ready for training today?"

The younger student still did not respond. Haya sighed, setting a hand on his shoulder. Izuku flinched.

"Izuku, look at me." He didn't move. "Look at me, Izuku."

Slowly, hesitantly, the boy looked up. His eyes were bloodshot, dark circles prominent underneath. His skin was sallow and pale, making the rings under his eyes all the more obvious. Haya sighed.

"You didn't sleep a wink, did you?" she asked.

Izuku closed his eyes and gave his head a shake. There was no use lying about it when the evidence was there to see. He had dozed off several times in the early hours of the morning after they returned, but each time had ended the same way, with Harau Hyde's dead eyes staring at him or Kuroto Sawa's beaten form telling Izuku it was his fault they couldn't get him out. Multiple times Izuku had run to the toilet to empty the contents of his stomach until there was nothing but bile, and even that had run dry eventually.

Haya bent down slightly, staring deeply into Izuku's empty eyes. He tried to look away, but his fellow intern would not allow that.

"Listen to me. You did nothing wrong last night. Hyde and all his men there were Templars. Not high-ranking ones, but Templars nonetheless. If we hadn't taken them out, they would have gone after our brothers and sisters."

"But Sawa—"

"Was bait in a trap," she interrupted. "They knew we were coming and weren't going to hand him over. There was nothing we could have done. They would have killed him either way. Besides, he knew the risks of this life."

Izuku felt tears build at the corners of his eyes and flow down his cheeks.

"I slowed you down," Izuku whispered, with a hiccup. He looked down again, staring at his hands. They were pink and raw, missing layers from the multiple times he'd washed them last night, but still he could see the blood of his first kill despite having worn gloves and both them and the blood now being long gone. "If it had just been you and Master Kamihara… If I'd been a little bit faster…"

"You can't think like that," Haya said, bringing her knuckles down on Izuku's head with enough force that he had to feel it. He winced, looking up at his senpai. "I can't say what we do is right and I can't say it will get easier, but it is necessary. Some people get used to it, but most everyone else just learns to cope, just like I know you will. It won't be easy."

"How do you do it?" Izuku asked, his lower lip trembling. "How do you deal with the nightmares? The guilt?"

"I think of what they did," Haya answered. "I remind myself of the lives they ruined and what they would have done if I didn't end them." Haya looked away from him, staring at the wall. "My first kill was a drug dealer who liked to kidnap children, get them hooked, and then blackmail their families. I saw pictures of these kids, of what he did to them, and that eased my guilt when I felt my blade sink into Ichiya Korosu's back. Because of what I did two years ago, countless children have been spared what he would have done to them, yet I still felt that pain from taking another's life." She shook her head. "Izuku, I know it hurts. I know nothing will be the same after what happened last night. But I promise, what you need, now more than anything, is to follow the same schedule we did before. Act like everything is normal and, soon enough, it will be."

"But… these feelings… this guilt…"

"I'm not telling you to not feel them. I'm telling you to move. Focus on something else for the time being and confront them when you're ready and the sting isn't so fresh. So you've killed. So what? Everything is permitted, remember? But that comes with the caveat that you need to accept the consequences. You chose to join the Assassins, and more Templars will fall to your blade in time. But you aren't alone, ok? You'll get through this and you have me and Master Kamihara and all the rest of us to help you."

Izuku didn't look convinced. One of his hands held the opposite arm, his knuckles white.

"I get it," Haya whispered, running her fingers through her kohai's hair. Izuku relaxed slightly at the contact. "I know what you're thinking. You're wondering why we can't arrest them and lock them away, right?"

"…Am I that easy to read?" the verdet asked, a sliver of his former self peeking through.

"Only because I've been in your shoes and I asked Master Kamihara that very question. You know what he told me? Evidence gained through illegal means is inadmissible in court, even if it would prove the defendant's guilt." Izuku looked up, eyes wide.

"Wha… Why? If that's proof—?"

"Templars," Haya answered. "As soon as they take control of any court, that's one of the first laws they put into place. That ensures any evidence Assassins get a hold of can't be used to convict them because they know we don't exactly go through the proper channels. It just gives them a legal excuse to throw out any suit that goes against one of their own. Point is, there's no legal way to nail them down when they own the government.

"Before the Dawn of Quirks, when the Assassins were at our weakest in centuries, we were trying to work within morals. Corporate espionage, hacking, through what police weren't controlled, but it was like trying to beat the Templars at their own game while most of us followed the rules. We couldn't do it, but we were given a second chance. The Dawn ended our darkest hour, and we returned to our roots, remembering lessons learned at a time when the Assassins' mission was still successful. Our lethal means… we literally don't have any other option to stop them."

"…Oh," Izuku muttered, and really that was all there was to say on the matter.

"Feeling a little better?" the third-year asked. Izuku sniffed, drying his tears with a sleeve.

"Th-Thank you, Haya-senpai," he said. "I think I needed to hear that. I don't think I'll be normal for a while, but it's just something I need to accept."

"That's right," Haya nodded. "Come on. Let's run the course and get our blood moving. Master's only got us for another couple days and you still have yet to tag me in any of our spars."

"Hey!" Izuku called after her as Haya ducked up the stairs, her laughter carrying through the air. "You have two years over me! That's not fair!"

Accepting the challenge, Izuku chased after Haya, pushing all other thoughts away for a later time. He knew, now, that what they did might not be right, but it was necessary, and he could never ask another person to take on a burden he would not. For the sakes of everyone with clean hands, Izuku would stain his own, for that is what heroes did.

They carried the world's burdens so others did not have to.

Iida sat in the desk chair, Airjet leaning over his shoulder as they both stared at the computer sitting before them. A video played, shaky and somewhat grainy on account of the phone it was filmed on, but the video itself was only one of a compilation. Each had shown the same scene (or some part of the string of actions) from a different angle, a chase between Endeavor's Flaming Sidekickers and an individual in what appeared to be a school uniform under a blue jacket with the hood up.

Some of the videos had had audio and some had not, but the equipment the chased possessed was not that of your standard high schooler. On top of that, Burnin' had referred to the girl —Iida was decently certain they had been chasing a teenaged female in the footage considering the style of imitated uniform— as a murderer. These videos had come out in conjunction with the announcement of the death of Native following the Modus Operandi if the Hero Killer. The last video showed Burnin' punching a wall (something against every heroic protocol, Iida noted), suggesting their query escaped.

"So, what do you think?" Airjet questioned. "Do you think that's one of your Assassins?"

"I cannot be certain," the student replied, rewinding the video in search for a specific frame. "I believe so, however. Near the end, Burnin' refers to the girl as an 'assassin' but I do not know if she meant for it to be a title or a simple label. Still, assassination and murder, though similar in outcome, are different in motive and most executions. Assuming there is a connection between the Flaming Sidekickers' pursuit of this individual and the death of Native, we can conclude that she is the assumed killer. If so, then the results and the methods heavily imply training from the Hero Killer, not simple imitation."

Airjet blinked. "You know, you could have just said, 'not sure, but Burnin' seems to think so.'"

"But that was not my thought process."

Airjet sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Tenya, you need to chill. This pursuit of yours is turning into an obsession."

"I cannot relax," the student replied, rewinding the video again, looking for a single frame that would show the girl's face. Upon not finding anything in the first half of the video, he started moving farther back. "There is a conspiracy threaded through all of Japan and I cannot leave it alone now that I am aware. People are dying, Airjet-sensei. What sort of Hero would I be if I left this alone?"

Airjet reached down, prying Iida's fingers from the computer mouse. This caused the video to shift, coming to stop on a frame with the Flaming Sidekickers' backs to the camera. In the dark alleyway beyond, several shapes could just barely be made out, each in a robe of similar style to each other but of different, muted colors. The Sidekicks' bodies hid those on the pavement, but two figures situated above them on a fire escape were all but clear in the shadows.

"I'm not asking you to stop, Tenya," the pro said. "I'm saying you can't let this consume you. This is why your brother recommended you intern with me. Injustices happen yet the world continues to turn and no one person will ever be able to undo everything."

"But we can try!" Iida insisted. "We can reveal this to others. Those that are trustworthy can work together to bring these killers to the light." He glanced at the screen, the second viewing revealing details he had not seen the first time. He pointed to the corner of the screen. "Look! That image there, it shows the girl alongside a man matching Tensei's description of the Hero Killer. That should confirm it!"

Airjet frowned, giving his head a light shake. "I does seem to give some validation to your theory, but you're lucky I wasn't one of these Assassins or Templars, Tenya," he told the student. "If I was, it would have been easy for me to arrange an accident to kill or cripple you."

"But—!" Iida gasped. "You are a pro Hero! No Hero would ever—!"

"The world isn't black and white," Airjet interrupted. "Did you know that 27% of robberies today happen because the perp can't afford to pay? Many things can drive a man to so-called villainy, not internal choice alone. Similarly, history has a pattern of people in power learning to abuse it, and pro Heroes are no exception to this. Such cases aren't made public unless they end a Hero's career, lest the people lose faith in us, but they do exist."

"Why would you bring up such examples?"

"I'm just saying you can't jump into this assuming the worst until you uncover this hidden history your brother mentioned. No one man can fix the world. Not if the problem has persisted for as long as they say it has."

"No one has fixed the world, yet," Iida retorted, standing. "Perhaps you are right, Airjet-sensei, but I simply refuse to believe such a pessimistic idea. I have faith that the world can change, but it will not do so on its own. My brother always said, 'I will be that change I wish to see' and now I will take up his mantel and change what he cannot anymore, but I must become stronger to do that."

"Do you understand the scope of this goal you're setting?" his mentor questioned. "It can be argued that no one has ever succeeded, and that all who came close died in the attempt. By all odds, all you'll do is make yourself a martyr."

"I don't care. This apparent shadow war has ruined enough lives, my brother's included."

"You'll need a lot of power and influence to achieve this new, impossible dream of yours, Tenya. And you'll need to not be corrupted by the power going to your head. Plus, you'll be all but declaring war on two hidden organizations with centuries of history. In the best case, I think it's a pipe dream that will kill you in the end."

"I don't care," Iida repeated, clenching a fist. He turned his eyes to Airjet. "It might take my lifetime, but I'm going to change the world. I will bring the darkness into the light and dig the corruption out of Hero society. I will do it, in life or in death. I don't care what it takes."

Airjet cracked a smirk.

"Well then," he said. "I guess we need to get back to your training since you're so fired up. Gotta make sure you can survive all the trouble you'll be getting into, right? We'll start with your physical form like we always have, then we'll move into info gathering. You'll need that if you want to figure out who's trustworthy." A glint came to Airjet's eye, sending a shiver down Iida's spine. "I think I'll call up my father. He's got a few training methods I'd like to brush up on."

She was covered in sweat, her clothing clinging to her body as each breath she took felt labored. Training with her new mentor — a smalltime Hero by the name of RunRun— was still proving to push her to her limits despite RunRun's relative obscurity. Relative obscurity was exactly what the student had looked for, but the pro Hero was still a pro and was pushing her student to her limit every day. She limped to her stuff, taking the offered few minutes the pro had given her to catch her breath and check her phone and rub some pain out of her scalp.

Missed call: Daddy (1)

"RunRun-Sensei," the student called. "I need to make a call."

"We don't have time for that," the pro said. "Have you got a reason?"

"It shouldn't take too long, but I missed a call from my father. He never calls unless it's urgent. I'm scared something's happened."

"Well, alright," RunRun acquiesced. "Let me know if it's something serious. We're making great progress and I'd rather not lose you before the end of the week."

"Thank you, Sensei." The student stepped away from the Hero's dojo, dialing up the number and listening to the ringing as she held the phone to her ear.

The phone clicked.

["Hello, sweetheart."]

["Hi, Dad! You called? You don't usually call. Did something happen?"]

["I'm afraid so."] His voice took an edge. ["One of your grandparents' ancient friends made an unsanctioned trip from the home we so graciously built them."]

["Is everyone ok? I know how… rowdy Grandmother and Grandfather's old friends can be."]

["We lost some manpower, but that's not the real problem. This… friend… was a little clumsy and messed up your grandfather's favorite walking stick."]

["Really?"] the student gasped. ["Is Grandfather ok?"]

["He is in good spirits despite the complications that have come about. Your grandmother is taking it worse than he is."]

["What complications?"]

["His life support is failing,"] the voice on the other side said. ["The unexpected visit damaged its power source. It has six months' power at best, but he's already showing signs. Mother says this is forcing us to move our timetable up since she doesn't have the necessary technology to repair it. We don't have any more time to wait. Especially if something else unforeseen is hiding around the corner."]

["So does that mean—?"]

["Yes, sweetheart. I'm coming to visit. How does this weekend sound?"]

"Eeeee!" the student squealed, causing RunRun to look her way. She apologized quickly, getting herself under control. ["My internship ends on Saturday. How about you pick me up and I can take you on a tour the next day? I'll show you everything there is to see."]

["Everything?"]

["Everything,"] the student nodded. ["Bentham says he's found a lot of interesting things since he got here. He's promised a Jeopardy-worthy gamut of trivia if you're up for it once you've finished your business."]

["I look forward to it. I will see you later, sweetheart. Work hard until then. Make the family proud."]

["Oh! Hold on. I've learned a little more about Midoriya you might find interesting. He never knew his father —lost to a business fire, apparently— and has only his mother. No grandparents, aunts, or uncles, so no cousins, either. Mother never remarried, so no siblings. I don't want to play that card, but if we need to, that seems like a pretty big weakness if he moves against us."]

["That is a major weakness,"] the man on the other side of the call agreed. ["Good work, sweetheart."]

["Speaking of, what about Mom? Will she be coming in, too?"]

["She wants to take the chance to visit her mother, so I'm afraid she won't be around for our time together."] The student let out a sigh. ["That said, I think she mentioned having a daughter she hadn't seen in a while that also deserves a visit. I might have to get back to work quickly, but your mother should be able to hang around for a few more days."]

["Yes!"] the girl cheered. RunRun sent her a quirked eyebrow. "Sorry, sorry! I'll finish up." She turned back to her call. ["Sensei's calling me back since you've already got the situation under control. I'll see you soon, yeah?"]

["Yeah. See you soon."]

A grin split the student's face. After all, it had been a long while since she'd seen her father in the field and the look on a certain someone's face when they finished their mission would be a priceless memory.

"Well, you're not half bad for the training you've had," Uwabami said, sauntering to where Momo stood on the other side of her office. Momo turned as she approached, her lips slightly pinched. "There are plenty of wiles you aren't using to their maximum yet, but that's understandable. Still, remember to pout your lips a little more and the proper way to bat your eyelashes."

"Like this?" Momo bat her eyelashes, moving her lower lip so it was a touch more prominent.

"Better," the blonde replied, "but I can see that you're trying. Still, you should be able to fool anyone your own age, which was our target for the end of the week. Loath as I am to admit it, your youth affords you an air of innocence that I no longer have. This innocence is your greatest addition, but it's also a limiter."

"What do you mean, Uwabami-sensei?" Momo blinked, dropping the pout while turning to fully face the woman.

"You are in a delicate time of your life," the pro Hero explained. "You are on the verge of adulthood, but not yet there. Your male peers are becoming the ravenous animals all men are in their later teens and manipulating them with what I've taught you should be easy. But, dearest Momo, your wiles would only work on the worst kinds of adults right now. This limits your usefulness to the cause somewhat."

"Th-The worst kind…?" the student echoed. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, you are too pure for this world," Uwabami cooed, pulling Momo's face into her chest. Momo struggled, but with her vision obscured, she did not see the way the snake-themed pro licked her lips. She released the girl, allowing the ravenette to breathe. "No upstanding citizen would fall to your wiles simply because of your age. The stigma that would bring on them would be worse than just about anything else. Such people, if arrested, are treated as scum even by other prisoners. No, at this point, you can only affect your fellow students."

"Then why teach me all these things?" Momo questioned. "If I can't use this, I could have spent my time studying or learning about the Assassins and the Isu."

"What we started here is the beginning of a long process," Uwabami replied, her voice carrying an underlying hiss. "These things I am teaching you now will serve you well throughout your entire life. It will keep you alive so you can learn about those fools and the dead at your leisure. Is that not what you wanted?"

"Well, you kind of decided on this training for me," Momo responded, tilting her head. "I would rather have focused on making my Creation faster."

"And yet you have already adapted to this. Your hips swing more when you walk, your glances look more mischievous, and you have begun unconsciously falling into the stances when you are idle." Uwabami gestured to her student. Without Momo noticing, she had shifted so her thighs were lightly pressed together, one foot ahead of the other. One hand brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, her head tilted, while the other forearm rested just above her stomach. "Even if you do not yet understand how useful this art is, your body shows that you are a natural. And I've seen you keep that grace of yours while sparring with sweet little Kendo. If you can learn to see what you're already doing and capitalize on that, then no boy in your class will ever be able to stand up to you. Well, unless they just aren't interested in women, but we have others in the order for such purposes."

"Is all this manipulation truly necessary?" Momo asked. "Twisting men to do this, convincing them to do that, when will we find peace so that none of this need happen?"

Uwabami laughed, fully and deeply, harder than she'd laughed in a long time. Momo's expression soured, her eyelids drooping a little as her lips turned down into a frown. Uwabami looked up. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Why would I not be?"

"Oh Momo, I knew you were innocent, but I didn't think you were so naïve. It seems your parents coddled you too much."

"I was not coddled."

"But you were," Uwabami rebuffed. "Peace is only an armistice in an endless war."

"Thucydides' trap," Momo muttered.

"Ah, so you do know." The pro Hero smiled. "Yes, our war truly is endless, and will be so until we wipe out the Assassins, but peace itself for the masses is not something that can maintain itself. No one choses peace for the sake of peace; they choose peace because they fear war more than they want what they would gain from it. The peace you want is a constant process, shadowy manipulations ensuring that anyone who would have war because they want something they cannot have are dealt with quietly. We who stand at the top with the people's eyes on us need to be sure they grow fat and lazy so that they do not desire what war could bring them. When no one desires power they do not have, when they are too comfortable to move against those they may disagree with, when opinions lose the conviction that can override the fear of war, only then will we find true peace."

"No," Momo denied, shaking her head. "No, that cannot be so. People are far too unique for that."

"Unique," Uwabami echoed, rolling her eyes. "Every person is just like everyone else. The only difference between you and some lower-middle-class girl is luck. Any girl can be born beautiful, but you were born into money and prestige. That is why the Templar dream falls to your shoulders. God, luck, destiny, whatever you want to call it has put you in a position to lead the masses however you see fit, Momo Yaoyorozu. If you want peace, then you need to remove anything that would ruin that peace. And, tell me, what force has constantly ruined peace for us?"

"The… Assassins," Momo answered, hesitantly. She still did not know why such an organization moved against them, only that they did. "But I don't understand. You say their convictions in their opinions override their fear of war. Why? Why do they move against us when all we want is peace?"

"They are indoctrinated," Uwabami began. "Their ideas are repeated in an echo chamber until they cannot see a world in which they are wrong. They are told, time and time and time again, that we Templars have the worst ideas for humanity. They think our leadership is corrosive for the people. I do not know why they would think that, though I suppose we do have a bad apple or two in our history, maybe a plan gone wrong here and there, but it's not like they are flawless when every member of their little cult is a killer." The pro took Momo by the hand, leading her to a glass wall. She spun her student around, directing her face to look out over the city. It was dark, the buildings and streets alive with light in the starless night.

"This is the image of a people who do not know the horrors of war," Uwabami continued, the ends of her nails touching Momo's cheeks while the girl's chin rested in her palm. "They are fat and happy, worried only about what they will cook for dinner, what they will spend their allowance on, what new promotional merch their favorite Hero will drop next. This dynamic of Heroes and Villains has turned war for them into entertainment they do not need to be a part of."

"B-But then," Momo began, finding it a little difficult to speak with Uwabami's hand on her chin. "If they are numb to war, doesn't that make it more likely for them to not fear it?"

"We have simply changed the definition," the snake-like pro replied. "We have turned this ideal of Heroes into an endless goal. They see us as the cream of the crop. The best of the best where so many others failed. How many take the UA entrance exam only to be relegated to General Studies? In this way, the masses are demoralized. 'Only Villains can fight against Heroes,' they think. 'And the Heroes constantly win. Why would I risk anything in a fight I cannot win against figures I trust?' The people stay in their safe, happy, little bubble, and so we maintain peace."

"That's…" Momo swallowed. "That's not what I want."

"Isn't it?" Uwabami's breath was hot against the girl's ear. "We give the people an ideal to stive for. They can never beat us, but they want to be like us. That brings the useful right to us and filters out the chaff. The weak, the useless, the ones who contribute nothing to society, they fall into villainy and find a purpose."

"What purpose could villainy have?"

"To become examples, of course. They show the people what would happen if they ever turn against us, providing just one more fear of war to overcome whatever convictions the people's differing opinions may have."

"But then… The Assassins…"

"Villains, all of them," Uwabami snarled. She released Momo and turned, her footfalls heavier than usual. The pro came to a stop before a small collection of photos, her small hand rising to brush against the frame of one. It held a single picture, three individuals within. Momo craned her neck to see it clearly.

The one on the left was clearly Uwabami herself, younger by several years. If she had to guess, Momo would believe this was a photo from shortly before or after the pro's graduation. There were two other women beside her, the same age and dressed in the same uniforms, though Momo could not place from which Hero school they were from.

One, the one in the center, had curly, pink hair, closed eyes with matching eyebrows that fanned out past the limits of her face, and a smile that showed off serrated teeth. The one on the other side had silver hair that seemed to almost shine, cat ears poking up from the top of her head, and green eyes with slitted pupils. All three in the picture were laughing together, their arms interlaced behind the rosette, but Uwabami's face held a frown on the verge of a scowl as she looked.

"The Assassins say they care for the people, but they have no emotions," the pro hissed, her own yellow, slitted eyes narrowing. "They try to justify their actions with honeyed words about free will, but their excuses bring nothing but pain as they betray their closest friends for disagreeing with them about the value of what they call human rights. The safety of the majority should mean more than any one individual. Safety, not rights. Is that not the Heroes' way? Do we not put our lives on the line so others need not? But no, the Assassins don't care. They might pretend like it, but they never have."

"Were you…?" Momo didn't know what to say. Clearly, Uwabami's speech was founded in some very painful memories and, considering Momo could not identify two of the three students in the photo, something must have happened. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The pro was quiet for a long time.

"Uwa—"

"Training is over for tonight," the woman said, still staring at the picture. "I still have you for one more night yet, but I want you to spend the rest of our time together thinking on what I have said. But allow me ask you one more thing."

"What is it, Sensei?"

"Which do you value more, Momo Yaoyorozu? Peace or friendship? How much are you willing to give up for the sake of your dream?"

"I…" Momo swallowed. Uwabami did not turn around, prompting the ravenette to move to the door as quietly as she could. It closed with a soft thump, leaving the blonde alone in her office.

Now alone, she raised a hand and caressed the glass-covered photo, her fingers tracing over the face of the cat-eared girl. Her frown softened into one of self-loathing, a stone dropping in her gut. The snakes growing upon her head drooped, hissing quiet lamentations and words of comfort into their mistress' ears.

"I know you're still out there," she whispered to the picture. "Do you regret what you did? Do you, too, still long for the happiness you destroyed? I haven't seen you since that day in the rain, but maybe that's for the best. If we were ever to meet again, I don't know if I could do what needs to be done."

She chuckled, a rueful, sardonic laugh coming free as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"All these years and I still can't get over you. I wonder, do you still remember me? Do you still think about what we had until that day? Do you think about what you gave up in the name of your so-called free will?"

Leaning against the door, just outside the room, Momo felt her own cheeks dampen at the broken voice of the usually-confident pro. Her hands pressed against her lips, ensuring no sound came out that would tip off her teacher to the student's eavesdropping. Uwabami's voice hitched with held-back tears.

"Do you regret it too, Sara?"

End of Chapter 25

Well, that turned more emotional than I thought it would, but not every Templar is a heartless scumbag. I mean, that's not usually what the games tell us, but in a world where the "good guys" are split between Assassins, Templars, and those who don't know, you can't just lump everyone you don't like into one category and call them evil. I mean, the majority of Haytham Kenway's plans were to calm the Revolutionary War before it broke everything, but Conner really didn't want to listen. Izuku seems to have recovered somewhat, but what ramifications will this trauma have on his character? What will Tenya do moving forward to achieve his impossible dream? What will the spy's weekend excursion entail? What happened to Uwabami in her past for her to hate the Assassins so much? How will her words affect Momo? Tell me what you think!

Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods