Welcome back to A Hero's Creed! Izuku returns to Japan and the summer camp fast approaches, but there are more monsters in the shadows that sharpen their claws. But first: Reviews!

LEGOBRICK13: I mean, it didn't come that far out of left field. It was hinted with the glowy-glow that Melissa could also use P.O.E.s, but you're going to see how that affects lore drops in the future. Here. *hands over Melissa with a bow.* She's not going to be directly in the story for a long while. Don't do anything I wouldn't do! ...Wait, I plan on traumatizing the characters. Nevermind. Find the grey area between what I would and would not do. That's the best place to operate.

gamelover41592: Thank you.

maxperseus130: I knew about Aita dying as Juno's first test subject, but I haven't played or watched Valhalla to get all that juicy lore. As a result, don't expect every character, even Sages, to have all the information. In this devil's game of death and lies, take everything the characters say with a grain of salt. I mean, even AC has retconned their own lore.

Monkey D, Conan: Remember, I don't intend to speed through this. AC games can span decades of a person's life; heck, we follow Ezio from age 17 to his death at around 70. I'm in no rush to make major changes to Izuku after what has already happened,

Monster King: Thank you.

Noctfoxhero: Izuku can use the Pieces, but he's not ready to wield such power on the regular. And the situation at present is not so dire as to demand it. You'll just have to wait.

Pirohiko-Baltazar: Yes, Mel is going to be an Assassin. She's not just dropping off the face of the earth. I think it's less that most Templars are Instruments and more that Templars are the easiest to switch the loyalties of. Their beliefs line up more with the Instruments, thus are more likely to be swayed.

On to the chapter!

Chapter 39:

Return

"Izu!"

Izuku, wet and slightly bloody, limped toward his mother and classmates. Inko had jumped to her feet at the sight of him, pulling the blanket from her own shoulders to wrap it around her son as soon as he was within range. Her arms followed, hugging the boy close as tears leaked from her eyes. Izuku blinked.

"Hi, Mom," he muttered, his arms limp at his sides. Michael's death had come as such a shock that Izuku was still trying to wrap his head around it. Idly, his eyes roved over the others in the room. Engineers moved through the room, cleaning up the remains of the security robots Momo, Iida, and his mother had fought, while medical staff checked over the others. Iida looked worn out, his legs soaking in an ice water bath, while a much-too-thin Momo dug into a full half a cake, though she did offer him a wave. Three older young adults —a man and two women— stood nearby, giving statements of their actions around the incident.

"Oh, my boy," Inko sniffed. She pushed him back to arm's length, taking in his state. She gasped at the sight of the vertical gash on his temple over his right eye. She grabbed him by the cheeks, angling him so she could make sure it wasn't a threat to his eye. "Izu, what happened to you‽ Who did this‽"

"I…" Izuku choked, tears starting to well in his eyes. "I wasn't good enough, Mom. I couldn't save them…"

Inko had no way of knowing which 'them' he meant, but she had overheard that there were a number of scientists and security currently missing. Motherly concern building within her, she wrapped her son in another hug, certain she wouldn't let him go for a long while.

He wouldn't let go of her, either.

Because of the attack, the I-Expo was cut short. In total, five men were confirmed dead including David Shield's assistant Samuel Abraham, three members of Jungle Law that apparently had a power dispute during the attack, and the man with pink hair Izuku had chased. More worrying were the number of missing. Over three dozen visiting scientists and security seemed to have vanished into thin air along with both David Shield, his daughter Melissa, and the leader of the Villains, the latter three who were pronounced dead by All Might himself, the Hero having witnessed the helicopter they were in being struck by lightning and exploding.

When asked, that was the explanation Izuku latched onto to explain his reaction to Inko. He spun a story to security about playing a game of cat-and-mouse with Swordkill for the majority of the attack and blamed himself for not being able to save anyone. Without any security feed, they were forced to believe him and insisted he go to the local hospital for the night. With the premature end of the I-Expo, Momo insisted they return to Japan as soon as he was discharged the next morning with ten new stitches between his two major cuts.

The ride back was quiet, None of the three passengers wanting to elaborate on anything they witnessed, though Momo did express her relief that Izuku was mostly unharmed from the ordeal. Izuku stayed silent, letting Momo convince herself of something as to why and only offered thanks once she dropped him and Inko back outside their apartment.

That night, Izuku woke to the sound of tapping at his window. He jumped out of bed, instantly falling into a defensive stance only to recognize the hand just beyond the glass. Sighing, the boy walked over and opened the window, a small smile coming to his face when an upside-down Tsuyu lowered herself to see him, her face framed by her waterfall of green hair. Her eyes widened slightly at his new scar.

"Hey," she said. "I heard you got back and wanted to check in on you, ribbit. Word around the den was that something happened."

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Want to talk about it?"

"…Yeah, please."

Tsuyu's face pulled away from the window, opening the space for Izuku to climb out. She was waiting for him on the roof, the same place where they'd talked after his first mission. Unlike then, when the moon had been full, it was now only a little over half, the waning gibbous shining dimly amongst the stars. He settled in beside her, uncaring for the simple, green pajamas he wore. Tsuyu herself was dressed in warm, dark clothing, all the better for sneaking around in the dark of night. She didn't prompt him, not wanting to press if all he needed was someone to be there with him.

"Tsu?" he asked. "Do you know what a Sage is?"

"They're like a reincarnated Isu, ribbit," the girl replied. "Except not really. They're a person whose specific genetic makeup most closely aligns with some Isu, ribbit, giving then the ability to remember that Isu's life. They're very rare. Did you meet one?"

"All Might's friend David Shield was one."

"Was?"

Izuku sighed, starting his story slowly. He spoke of the beauty of I-Island and the Heroes he'd met. He spoke of the Expo and the Gala and of the start of the attack. How he worked with Momo, Iida, and his mother to try to stop the infiltration, and how he came to know that those running the operation were Assassins like them. He talked about joining the Villains, learning of the existence of the Isu lab under them, and what happened within. He spoke of David Shield's sacrifice and all the death he saw, including what he caused by his own hand and Michael Corvain's sacrifice for him. By the time he finished, his throat was dry and his voice hoarse, the moon having shifted considerably across the sky.

"…Wow," Tsuyu blinked, speaking for the first time in over an hour. "You really went through a lot, ribbit."

"Yeah, I guess." He looked away, not wanting to meet her eyes. "Tsu, I don't feel like I was worth it. Michael… just to give me an alibi, he give up his own life. I'm just an Initiate; a full Assassin shouldn't have—"

Tsuyu smacked the back of his head with her tongue, cutting off his words.

"You are worth more than your rank, Izuku," she insisted, setting a hand on his shoulder as he rubbed his abused scalp. "Corvain gave his life because he saw something in you, ribbit. He was passing on his legacy to you because he knew America's Assassins could go on without him. He saw the future, ribbit, the Assassin you can become. His death wasn't your fault."

"But, if I hadn't gotten involved—"

"Then Melissa Shield might be dead," Tsuyu interrupted. "We can't get caught up in what could have been, ribbit. That holds true for Assassins as well as Heroes. What happened happened, and there's no changing that. Be thankful for the life you saved and the Templar plans you helped stop. That, ribbit, is our greatest joy."

"But if I'd been better—"

"Then get better. That's all there is to it, ribbit."

Izuku sighed, falling onto his back and staring at the stars. Tsuyu laid beside him, inching a little closer to use his body heat to fight off the chill in the air. He ran through the evening in his mind, second guessing his every decision. Should he have left Swordkill to his work and returned to the others, fighting the robots for the rest of the mission without getting more involved? Should he have worked harder to not reveal who he was, leaving the group before they reached the roof? So many questions without answers bounced around his head.

"Izuku?" Tsuyu asked, drawing his attention to her. She pointed upward, the boy looking up. "What do you see?"

"The moon?" he answered. "Space? The stars?"

"I once overheard another master's lesson, ribbit. They said that Templar plans are like the stars of a constellation, that each one we snuff out only leads us to another and another because we can never quench the moon. The student disagreed, ribbit. They said that we are the stars in the darkness of a Templar-filled world, and that each star that was lost was continued in the countless others of the same light. Corvain passed his light to you, ribbit, in the hope that you would one day do the same, continuing our fight until it's done. That's what it means to be an Assassin."

"…I'm sorry, Tsu," Izuku muttered. "I'm sitting here complaining about that sudden mission and I never stopped to ask how you're doing. You came to check on me when—"

"It's been hard," she agreed, not wanting him to finish that sentence, "but we lean on each other. Everyone else is there for us and we've got Eri to train now. She and Tsuki have quickly become best friends, ribbit. She called by mom Aunt Beru yesterday. You should come by and see how she's doing later."

"I'll give it a couple days. Mom's never been in the middle of an attack until I-Island. I can't leave her alone right now."

"I get it, ribbit. You have to be there for her. It shouldn't be any other way."

They sat in silence, watching the moon drift across the sky until the first tones of blue started to appear within the inky blackness. Izuku asked her to wait, ducking into the apartment again before quickly returning, offering her a thermos of steaming tea.

"Thanks, Tsu," he said as she accepted the offering. "For coming to check on me."

"We need to stick together, ribbit. As long as we do that, the Creed will never die." She looked to the sky, the sun still a while from breaking the horizon but growing closer with each minute. "I need to get going. I'll see you later, ribbit."

"Yeah," Izuku muttered as the frog-girl took off, easily jumping from roof to roof until she was just a speck in the distance. "See you later, Tsu."

"Haah… haah… haah…" the girl panted, sweat dampening her blue-white hair as she forced her burning legs the last dozen feet to the finish line ahead and the three amphibious siblings there cheering her on. She nearly collapsed to her knees as she reached the end, the strong, lithe arms of the oldest catching her before she could fall, clicking a button on the stopwatch in her hand.

"Easy there, ribbit," the older girl told her. "Breathe deeply. Focus on slowing your heartrate."

"Ok… Big… Sis…" she panted, her breaths already starting to ease even as the burn in her legs settled into an ache.

"That was great, Ri!" the youngest of the siblings grinned, patting the girl on the back. "You beat your time yesterday by almost five seconds, kero!"

"I'm… still… too slow," Eri replied. This was the same course she'd run since beginning her training just under a week ago and she'd already noticed a marked improvement. That was cold comfort, however, since she was still so far behind the others. "You and Same do it in half the time, Tsuki."

"Yeah," Satsuki admitted, dressed in the same white Novice robes as her bother and Eri. They were the same make as the rest of the Assassin robes, slightly weighted but without any of the individual flair and boiled down to the basest components, all so the children in the Brotherhood could get use to fighting and moving in such clothing. The Novice robes got heavier with each size until the Novice in question became an official Recruit, at which point the weight is removed and the Assassin-in-training realizes how fast they are. "But Same and I have been running this course since we knew the word run, kero. We've got a little experience over you, Ri, but you'll catch up soon."

"I think you're making excellent progress, ribbit," Tsuyu offered, dressed in her green-trimmed robes. "A little food and exercise has picked you right up, Eri, and it's only been a week."

"But I need to get better, Big Sis!" Eri insisted. "Overhaul's out there still and I don't want him to…" She trailed off, suddenly feeling like she'd said the wrong thing since it was Overhaul that had killed her father. Tsuyu offered the girl a small smile, getting down on one knee to look the horned child in the eyes while resting a hand on her head.

"Training is a process, ribbit," she said, only a twinge of sorrow in her voice. "Our dad use to say that when I was training at your age. Everyday you wake up a little faster, your mind a little sharper, your body a little stronger, ribbit. You can't swim the ocean in one go or you'll drown, so you start with the pond. And when the pond gets too small, you move to the pool. Then you move to the river. Then you move to the lake. You, Samedare, and Satsuki are still tadpoles in the pond, ribbit, but you'll be swimming in the lake before you know it."

"Is that where Sho swims?" Eri asked, casting a glimpse at the other side of the room. There, in a standard ring of tatami mats, Shota Aizawa was showing Emi Fukukado various strikes and blocks more in line with the Assassins Fist style most of the Brotherhood employed. Emi listened to him with rapt attention, the martial arts he was teaching having been fine-tuned to a lethal, intercepting blade over centuries. Eri still didn't feel comfortable calling them Mom and Dad like Emi wanted her to, but it had only been a week.

"Master Aizawa swims in the ocean, ribbit," Tsuyu said, following through with the analogy. "He holds the second-highest rank in the Brotherhood as a Master Assassin and he's expected to take over the role of Mentor from his father."

"How many ranks are there, Big Sis?"

"Well, ribbit, different branches of the Brotherhood do things slightly differently, but we follow the old Italian system for the most part." Tsuyu studied the children. Satsuki and Eri watched her with their big eyes while Samidare stood with his back to them, his head tilted so one ear was inconspicuously listening even though he pretended to be aloof. "You three are Novices, a sort of unofficial rank since you can't take missions. Once you join the Brotherhood as a proper member, ribbit, you're given the rank of Recruit. There are then seven ranks before you become a proper Assassin and are allowed to operate on your own. If you prove yourself exceptionally capable, you may be promoted to Master Assassin, allowing you to issue missions to others, ribbit. And, of course, each branch has their Mentor over everyone. Samedare, do you remember the seven ranks between Recruit and Assassin, ribbit?"

Samedare huffed, as if his older sister had just asked him to wash the dishes and clean his room.

"After Recruit is Initiate, guo," he said, unable to suppress his own verbal tick from the Quirk he shared with his sisters. "That's your current rank. Then it's Apprentice, Soldier, Disciple, Mercenary, Warrior, and Veteran. Veterans hoping to be promoted to Assassins are put in charge of a difficult mission and evaluated to see if they can operate without oversight, guo."

"Very good, ribbit," the Hero student grinned, ruffling her brother's hair, much to his dismay. "You're so smart, Same!"

"Big Sis!" He did not whine —not in front of Eri— while trying to push her away. "Stop it, guo!"

"So that's what it's like to have siblings," a voice commented, the four turning to see another Initiate in robes trimmed green, though these were of a darker shade than Tsuyu's. Izuku grinned, bags under his eyes barely noticeable. Still, it felt wonderful to have the familiar weight of his hidden blades and swords after so long without. He pulled his hood down, the three children gasping at his new scar. "I always wondered if I'd still be an only child if the past went differently. Hi, Eri. Remember me?"

"You're Big Sis' friend and Sho's student, right? You're, um…" Eri pursed her lips, trying to remember what her caretaker had called the green-haired boy. "Oh! You're Problem Child! The one who keeps getting into bad spots!"

Tsuyu turned away, covering her mouth in an attempt to stifle her giggling ribbits. Izuku sighed, getting down to be face-level with the child.

"My name is Izuku Midoriya," he said. "I'm Tsu's classmate and Master Aizawa's student."

"Oh, what rank are you?" the horned girl asked.

"We were talking about the ranks just before you entered, ribbit," Tsuyu explained.

"I'm an Initiate right now," Izuku said, "but I'm hoping to become an Apprentice soon."

"And when did you join the Brotherhood?"

"I was introduced to the Brotherhood almost 19 months ago, so I've been a member for a little over a year and a half."

"You've been training for that long and you're only an Initiate?"

"It's a little more complicated than that, Eri," Izuku chuckled. "Tsu and I were both made Recruits at the same time even though she grew up in the Brotherhood. You'll be given the chance to become a Recruit when you're about to start high school in eight years."

"High school?" Eri blinked. "Oh, that's where Sho and Emi work!"

"Close enough," the boy grinned.

"Well, Eri," Tsuyu spoke up. "If you have the energy to talk like this, ribbit, then I think you have the energy to run the course again. You too, Tsuki, Same."

"Oh…"

"Kero!"

"Hn."

Each of the children gave their own response, lining up at the starting line that doubled as the finish. The course itself had multiple, intertwining paths running the perimeter of the room, each eyeing the one they were most comfortable with as they planned their route to fix something that tripped them up last time.

"Ready?" Tsuyu asked, pulling up her stopwatch. "Go!"

The children took off, Samedare quickly outpacing the younger girls with his longer legs. He opted for the riskier upper path, jumping to a series of monkey bars at the top of the first climbing wall. The upper path was faster, but losing your footing was a sure way to fall and earn a nasty bruise for the trouble. As Tsuyu expected to happen, Satsuki opted not to get on the upper path there while Eri lagged behind, her eyes blazing with determination.

"They really trust you, Tsu," Izuku commented, watching Samedare chance a leap from one wall to another. He didn't time it quite right, Izuku flinching at his hard landing, but he got right back up. "Are you doing ok?"

"It's hard," the frog-girl admitted. "Eri's presence reminds me that Dad's dead, ribbit, but also that he gave his life for a good cause."

"I know it's been a week, but it can't be easy for you or them."

"Mom's been shouldering most of the burden, even if that means we spend more time around the Den, ribbit. It's fine, though. Eri needs to be here to train and we help look after her when Master Aizawa and Ms. Emi have to make public appearances. Speaking of, Master Aizawa has a mission for you."

"A mission?" the boy blinked. "How soon?"

"I don't know, ribbit. You'll have to ask him."

"Is there anything I can do for you before that?"

"I don't think so. Thanks for the offer, Izuku."

Nodding to her, Izuku made his way over to the adults where Aizawa had his hand wrapped around Emi's, who in turn was holding a small, straight-edge dagger similar to a boxcutter that could be hidden easily.

"—thing about this is its size," Izuku heard him saying. "A blade like this is easily big enough to reach the important veins, but is most useful for debilitating cuts, like for the Achilles or the patellar tendons. One slice and it's over."

"Unless you want to aim between the legs," Izuku offered, earning a side eye from his teacher. Emi cracked a smile. Neither reacted to his new visage. "I mean, you don't even need a weapon for that."

"Thank you for the suggestion, Initiate," Aizawa muttered.

"Happy to help, Master!" Izuku grinned, choosing to ignore the irritation in Aizawa's voice. This only made Emi giggle more. "So, Initiate Asui said you had a mission for me?"

"Yes, and I am not the only one," Aizawa confirmed. "I will be taking you and Keeper with me tomorrow to convince Hitoshi Shinso that our cause is righteous and worthy of the assistance of his Quirk. I expect you to be able to explain to him how to balance schoolwork in the Hero Course with Assassin training. His introduction is your recommendation, after all."

"I understand," the verdet nodded. "And the other mission?"

"Meet Akaguro and Toga here on Wednesday. They will be leading a raid for those of you wishing to rise a rank. I imagine you want to do that before the summer camp starts?"

"Well, it would be nice."

"The mission is optional since they could handle it on their own, but I figured you would like to know. Ah, and Mentor wants to talk to you, too. You're pretty popular this week, Midoriya."

"Is that a good thing?" Izuku chuckled. "I seem to remember Eri thinking my name was Problem Child for some reason just a minute ago. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Master Aizawa?"

Emi burst into laughter. Izuku grinned, slowly coming into his own within the Assassins. He didn't have to hide anything here, and it felt good.

"Go talk to Mentor," Aizawa grunted, less enthused. "You are wasting time here. That's inefficient."

In or out of the robes, Aizawa was Aizawa.

"Yes, sir."

"Ah, Initiate," the man said, stopping Izuku by the door with his words. "You show promise, both as an Assassin and as one of my students. Whatever happened on I-Island, I am glad you made it back safe. Good job."

"Thank you, Master." Izuku made his way out of the room, warmth filling his chest. He headed through the hallways to the central hub, greeting those he saw easily. Mentor had his own office, but everyone knew he preferred to watch those who wanted to train in the communal space. Arriving, Izuku entered without knocking, stepping out onto the landing that overlooked the area below. Oshoto Aizawa watched from his pillow, his black-and-dull-gold robes seeming to absorb the light around him since he was so still. Izuku approached, getting just within his line of sight before sitting, waiting with hands on his knees for the man to acknowledge him.

"Each time we gain a new youngling, I feel a little older," he said after a moment, pulling his eyes from where Keeper and Nascha were sparring. His dark blue eyes turned to Izuku, the boy noting that his pupils were actually two vertical lines beside each other within each eye, like the pause symbol on a remote. "And I feel weaker whenever we lose more than we gain."

Izuku looked down, unable to maintain eye contact. "I'm sorry, Mentor."

"It is sad when I hear our losses, Initiate, but you do not need to apologize to me. At my age, nearly everyone we lose is younger than me. I am a relic of a time before, when less than half the population had Quirks. It is the way of the world for the old generation to fade away, making space for the new. It is then the job of the new generation to decide what to maintain and what to update. Individuals like Melissa Shield are valuable for the future, for we must keep up with the Templars if we hope to maintain our fight."

"You have news about Melissa?" Izuku asked, his head snapping up. "She's alive? And safe?"

"Yes, we received word from America early this morning," Mentor answered. "The loss of Soml and Corvain is unfortunate, but the destruction of the Isu lab underneath and the recruitment of Ms. Shield is an overwhelming success. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Izuku shifted. "I think so, Mentor, but I still feel like I could have done more."

"Then do your best to become a pillar for the next generation. Shota has said he is taking you to a recruitment tomorrow and Wolff enquired into finding a way for you to communicate with Ms. Shield. The key to our success, Initiate, is for you to continue forming bonds with your peers. Through them, you will weather the storms to come."

"But Mentor," Izuku pressed. "Why me? Why have you called me to tell me this?"

The man sighed, watching Izuku fidget for a moment. "Wolff informed me that you showed the ability to use Pieces of Eden. We have not found someone able to do that since the Dawn of Quirks, but relived history showed us that whenever one who can use them appears, are the center of a great upheaval. Altair Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Connor Kenway, Arno Dorian, each of these Assassins played a major role in our war around the world, and each showed the same skills you possess. I foresee great potential in you, boy, but such potential comes with great risk. Tread carefully, Initiate. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Mentor."

"Good. We will inform you when a secure channel has been formed for you to talk with Ms. Shield should you wish to maintain contact."

"I would, Mentor. She lost her dad during that mission and the rest of her life was upended. I want to be there for her, at least a little bit."

"Then we will make it so. Do not let your ability to use the Pieces go to your head. If word of this reaches the Templars, you will be a major target for them. Go train, Initiate. You will need it."

"It's been a while, Sensei," Hitoshi Shinso commented as Aizawa approached him. Though the student was dressed for summer weather, Aizawa wore long sleeves and his signature scarf. They were in a small neighborhood a couple of blocks from Shinso's apartment. "You must be enjoying your break from all those headaches you call students."

"You would think so," the teacher replied with a small smile, leaning against the wall beside the tall boy. "Rather, I have recently come into being something of a father to a little one some friends and I rescued after the finals. She's something of a handful."

"You? A father?" Shinso couldn't help the chuckle. He and Aizawa were like two peas in a pod, so he couldn't imagine the man in any sort of parental role. "Don't tell me you've been changing diapers since I saw you last."

"No, I missed that phase, thank god. She is seven, as far as we can tell, though she's needed crash courses on a few commodities like showers and microwaves." He paused. "Actually, I want you to meet some of the friends I was talking about. Maybe her, too. Unfortunately, there is a pretty serious caveat to meeting them. Tell me, Shinso, do you trust me?"

"I did until you asked," the student joked. Aizawa stared at him, prompting the purple-haired 1-B student to sigh. "I passed my Finals because of your training, Sensei. You're the only reason I'm in the Hero Course at all."

"You earned your position in the Hero Course," Aizawa interrupted. "I might have helped you catch up, but do not sell yourself short. That being said, I want to talk to you about an… extracurricular I would like you to try. Please, follow me."

Aizawa pushed off the wall, Shinso following him as he ducked into an alleyway. With the limited foot traffic on even the closest road, no one would see them here in the shadows. They stopped in the middle beside a dumpster, scaring off a couple stray cats. The teacher turned, staring Shinso in the eye.

"Hitoshi Shinso, what I am about to tell you is fact, but you cannot divulge this information to anyone. Should you reject this offer, you will forget this conversation ever happened and I will never discuss this with you again. However, if you accept what I tell you, you will be inducted into a select group of warriors that has existed and fought for the populous for several millennia, well before the Dawn of Quirks. We have moved through the shadows, defending the free will of humanity as best we could from those who would put themselves above and abuse their power over the people, using whatever methods we needed to. I am a member of this organization, as are a number of Pro Heroes and citizens around the world. If you join us, you will have our entire might behind you for information and training."

"Wha..? Me?" Shinso gawked. "Why would such a group want me?"

"I will not lie, Shinso, your Quirk would be incredibly useful for our cause," Aizawa told him. Shinso's eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not interrupt. "That being said, the training we could offer would go a long way toward making you an effective Hero. This life, however, comes with many dangers and a constant enemy we have crossed blades with since the Middle Ages. This enemy works to institute a system in which they control every aspect of life across the world, claiming to do so for peace. But what is life without the ability to choose who you are?"

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this, Sensei," the student said, his eyes wary.

"Then your instincts are working," the teacher nodded. "These groups have fought since their inception for artifacts of incredible power leftover from a civilization before us. These artifacts could control the bodies of others, call down lightning and fire, split the seas, and even revive the mortally wounded. At least, until the Dawn of Quirks rendered these items of power moot. Our war evolved, and not a moment too soon since we were on our last legs. The Dawn of Quirks revitalized us, bringing us back from the brink. We need people like you, Shinso."

"Who do you fight, Sensei? Who? And Why?"

"This enemy we fight is known as the Knights' Templar. We fight them to maintain humanity's freedom of choice in the eternal hope that we humans will learn our lesson and stop fighting on our own. Peace under another's boot is no peace at all, so we take on the burden we can't ask the masses to bear."

"And who are you, then?"

Aizawa stepped back, balancing with one foot behind the other. He spread his arms to the side, flashing his hidden blades and bowing his head slightly, maintaining eye contact.

"Hitoshi Shinso, I ask you to join the Assassin Brotherhood."

Shinso stared at him slack-jawed. His mouth moved, the student trying to find words, but none appeared. Aizawa retracted his blades after a moment of silence, returning to his regular stance.

"I know this is a major request," he said. "We operate outside the law and getting caught typically results in death or worse, but we are not Villains. The best word is 'vigilantes.' We bring judgement to those for whom the law will never come."

"…This is too much. Is this a joke?"

"What would it take for you to believe me?"

"I… Let me use my Quirk on you, Sensei. I'll ask a few questions."

"That is a fair request," Aizawa conceded. "Very—" He slouched, his eyes loosing their luster as Shinso activated Brainwashing.

"Answer me truthfully. Were you telling the truth?"

"I said what I believe," the man answered.

"What was the name of this civilization you mentioned?"

"The Isu."

"What is the name of the girl you said you saved?"

"Her name is Eri."

"Have you killed people before?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"74 by my own hand." Shinso recoiled, not having expected such a high number.

"Who do I know that are also members of this group?"

"I am not supposed to tell you," Aizawa answered, much to Shinso's surprise. "Never compromise the Brotherhood, even on pain of death."

"But I do know other members of this group besides you?"

"Yes, at least two. Possibly more."

"That's enough." Shinso dismissed his Quirk, allowing Aizawa to straighten and shake the fog from his mind. "I want to meet one of the people I know before I make a decision."

"That is a logical decision. Luckily, I brought one along." Aizawa raised a hand and snapped his fingers, two figures falling from the building behind him to land on either side. The one on his left wore red robes while the one on the right —shorter than the others— wore white trimmed in dark green. Both had their hoods up, covering their faces. They stood from their crouched positions. "Hitoshi Shinso, one of your Assassin classmates."

The one in white raised his hands, pulling the hood back.

"Midoriya‽" Shinso gasped. "What happened to you?"

"Hey, Shinso," Izuku grinned. The shock on his fellow Hero Course student's face was priceless, a strange sense of satisfaction bubbling in his gut. He raised a hand, flashing his own hidden blade. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"You're one of these Assassins?"

"They started training me about a year and a half ago, yeah. Trained me well enough to get into UA's Hero Course despite being Quirkless."

"Quirk—‽ Really?"

"Of the four of us here, none of us have an offensive Quirk," Aizawa explained. "Midoriya is a prime example of where the skills of an Assassin can take you, if you are willing to join our cause. So…" He reached forward, offering a hand. "Are you in, or does Keeper here need to erase your memory?"

Shinso sighed, running a hand through his hair. His eyes moved from Aizawa's hand to Izuku's smile to the still-hooded Keeper. He reached forward slowly, taking the hand.

"I trust you, Sensei," he said. "If you think this is the right path for me, I suppose I can see what it has to offer."

"Shinso," Izuku smiled. "We have a lot to talk about."

Momo didn't know what to make of this foreigner standing in her family's main foyer. Father had told her privately that their agents in America had saved the boy from a burning building and that they had been nursing him back to health. While confused about where this might have taken place, he cut an impressive —if somewhat short— figure. Momo wore her Templar garb and sat at her father's left hand, her mother on his other side. Many others were seated around the table, most of whom had been at her own introduction into the Japanese Rite so many months ago. Death Arms was absent, but both Mt. Lady and Hawks were present along side two other Heroes she did not recognize.

She'd thought her induction at 15 had been impressive, but this boy before them was younger by a year, brown hair flowing from under a tricorn hat and brown eyes studying the group. He was dressed in the same sort of finery, the coattails of a long coat of red and navy falling just past his knees. On his shoulder sat a spectral eagle of wispy blue, its eyes like two dark spots. Burn scars rose from the collar of his shirt, up the right side of his neck, and stopped just shy of his eye, giving him a dangerous air despite his youth. That air was only made more prominent by the katana that hung on his right hip.

"Simon Atsa Simmons-Garcia," her father said, introducing the child to those around the room. "You have relived three different lives in your healing process and have seen what foolish horrors the shadows of our world hide. You have expressed your desire to join our cause. What say you?"

"I thank you for all you have done, Master Yaoyorozu," Simon replied in perfect —if somewhat older— Japanese, a skill he gained from reliving the life of a Templar Samurai from the late 1500's. "I owe you much but admit to personal motivations for pursuing our mutual enemy. You rescued me when the Assassins of Japan absconded with my sister and killed our parents. They have many crimes to answer for."

"And what skills does a mere boy like you—?" Inubis Hyde began. Faster than the CEO could react, he found himself on the sharp end of the boy's left-hand-held sword, Simon's right hand aiming a previously-hidden pistol at his snout and the sharp claws of his Spirit Eagle primped between the Jackal Heteromorph's ears.

"I have relived the lives of an Assassin turncoat who saw the truth, a founding father of my home country who fought the killers to his last breath, and of a noble samurai who slew countless ninja without honor of their own. What need do I have to prove anything to you when the Master trained me himself?"

"You have made your point, Simon," Kanri said, the young teen replacing his weapons and returning to his previous position. Only then did his semi-sentient Quirk take flight, landing on his shoulder once more. "How do you plan to aide our cause?"

"In whatever way you would have me, Master, so long as I may search for my sister in the meantime."

"Well then, I think it's time we introduce you to Japan as a foreign exchange student, but not with such a recognizable name. We cannot have the Assassins learning who you are and eliminating you before we find your sister."

"If you believe that is best."

In a move similar to Momo's own initiation, Kanri raised the hand that held his Templar ring. He touched it, forming an exact —if somewhat smaller— copy with his Quirk: Forgery, and placed the new ring on the table. Okame placed her hand on the wood, her Quirk: Bloom manipulating the wood to push the ring to the other side. Simon plucked it up as soon as he could, eager to finish. One of the businessmen waved his hand, wine flowing from a barrel in the corner to the golden chalices that sat before each Templar.

Kanri stood and took hold of his cup, the rest of those in the room following his lead. He raised his chalice.

"Welcome to the Japanese Rite of the Knights' Templar, Knight Shay Patrick Lee."

Momo raised her cup and drank, welcoming the boy into their midst.

End of Chapter 39

Well that happened! I promised an interim chapter, but we'll end up having two before the summer camp starts. Next chapter will cover this coming mission and how the Templars will hide Simon Atsa Simmons-Garcia in plain sight as Shay Patrick Lee. And, we got to see Tsuyu, her siblings, and Eri! Isn't that child such a cute soon-to-be killer? Adorable!

Coming up: Who might be the target of this promotion mission? What might Melissa have to say about how the Americans do things? How will Shinso take to the ways of the Assassin Brotherhood? What will the Templars ask of Simon and how deadly is he now? Tell me what you think!

Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods