Another three days, another chapter because I just have so many ideas and enjoy exploring the greying red-and-blue morality of AC. Also, shoutout to the fact that there's a brand-new AC comic coming out Mondays on the Webtoons app: Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. I stumbled across that last night and thought you all would like to know.

Gamelover41592: The worst burns are the ones that are true.

LEGOBRICK13: Bakugo's going to get his own character arc, and I'm going make you like him, so help me. This is important now... Oh hi, Chekhov. Yeah, he's right here. Oh good, you've got your boxing gloves like I asked...

maxperseus130: You thought those developments were surprising? Oh boy! Still, Bakugo -despite being neither Assassin nor Templar (despite how he would put the ass in Assassin)- will have his own character arc by the end of this book. I'm going to try to make him downright likeable by the end. As for Ibara, this should answer your questions.

Monkey D. Conan: As I've said above, I will make you like Bakugo by the end of this book. I have plans for him.

Movieboy66: You're about to get answers to most of your questions, and all of them by the end of this arc. I promise.

Pirohiko-Baltazar: Funny enough, I had the first half of this chapter written before your review. It should answer all your questions. I did promise during the Sports Festival that her motivations would have to wait. The waiting is over.

Guest: Now where would the tension go if that happened?

Chapter 42:

Second Day Secrets

"I'm here," Momo said, not daring to raise her voice. "You wanted to talk privately?"

Out of the gloom of the forest appeared Ibara Shiozaki, a rosary in her hands as she approached.

"Momo," she said. "You weren't followed?"

"My classmates are still in the baths," the raven-haired student replied. "Why did you call me out here, Bara?"

Shiozaki cast her eyes about, searching for wandering eyes or listening ears. She didn't see anything, so she forged ahead before she could lose her nerve.

"Momo, I beg you," she said. "You have to leave the Templars. Before it gets you killed."

Whatever Momo had expected her cousin to say, it was not that.

"I'm sorry?" the heiress to one of the largest conglomerates in Japan blinked. "Wait, you know? But—"

"I have not been at any of the meetings?" Ibara interrupted, correctly guessing Momo's thought process. It wasn't that hard seeing as they'd practically grown up as siblings rather than cousins. "Of course I have not. I turned down their invitation."

"But why? Bara, I don't understand. Is that why you haven't come to visit? Your parents—"

"They wouldn't listen to my pleading, either," the vine-haired girl sighed, turning away as she whispered a prayer into the rosary she held. "They raised me too well, Momo. When they extended that offer all those months ago, offering me a place at that table, I realized they were too focused on the peace of earth than the peace of heaven. Their mission and all the lives lost chasing it through the years… I simply cannot accept that the Loving God I believe in would agree with their methods."

Momo stepped back as if she'd been slapped. Sure, she knew the story of the Bible and the beliefs of Christians everywhere, but she didn't know if she believed it after everything she'd learned about the Precursors. It just seemed too explainable when the Artifacts became an answer to so many other religions throughout the millennia.

"I…" Momo swallowed, still trying to wrap her mind around her cousin's position. There was so much it explained, but at the same time left so many holes. "You know I can't just leave, Bara. I have to try. I'm doing it to give Kyo a world in which he can thrive."

"What makes you think you'll be the one?" Ibara questioned, her words cutting into Momo's heart. "The Templars have fought the Assassins since they first encountered each other during the Crusades in the 11th century. We are quickly approaching the 23rd, and the Templars are no closer to defeating them."

"We're doing it to make a better world!" Momo defended, trying to ignore the crack in her voice. She flinched. She knew full well her heart wasn't set on the Templars' mission; it was all for Kyoryoku that she'd accepted that ring. "If we can just—"

"Just what?" Ibara turned, her eyes pleading. "Momo, please. I can't watch this fight destroy you. The war between the Assassins and Templars has killed billions already. If you stay on this path, you'll only become another of that number."

"I would give my life to protect Kyoryoku," Momo swore. "It is my duty as a big sister."

"I suppose I will know what you mean soon enough." Ibara turned away, trying to hide a tear in the shadows of the forest.

"Wha…" The heiress blinked. "You mean…"

"Yes, my mother is with child again," the 1-B student replied. "She and Father began trying after I turned down the ring. I ruined their perfect future with you at the head of the table and me sitting at your right hand. They nearly disowned me there and then, but your mother convinced them that maybe I merely needed some more time to think on it. I am thankful for the intervention, but my mind is made up. I want nothing to do with their fight."

"Ibara, please," Momo whispered, stepping forward to wrap her cousin in a hug. The Christian stiffened for a moment before returning the gesture. "I know this fight is hard, but can you really say you don't believe in the goal of peace?"

"Your words cannot convince me, Momo," Ibara whispered. Momo felt tears wet the shoulder of her silken pajamas, but she did not comment on them. "If the Templars' mission was the will of God, they would have succeeded already. Rather, when they were on the cusp of victory, the Divine moved against them and Quirks appeared. The Dawn of Quirks was a sign, cousin. One I refuse to ignore."

"I'm sorry." Momo felt tears of her own prickle the corners of her eyes, her arms holding Ibara that much tighter. "I'm sorry, Bara, but I can't leave. I have to protect my family. I have to make a world where Kyo will be safe."

"The world will never be safe until the end of days," Ibara replied. "Whether it be the Assassins, the Templars, Villains, corrupted Heroes, or even accidents, Satan's hoard will always move through the world to sow discord amongst the children of God. The mission of the Templars is folly, and the mission of the Assassins has shown to be all but protected by God Himself. There is no other explanation for how they have lasted so long against an organization like the Templars, much less been revealed to the world in the digital age."

"Maybe you are right," Momo said. She let go, pushing Ibara to arm's length. "But I was raised to see everything I start to the end. I have to see this fight through."

"Don't you see, Momo? Our parents are casting a die with your life in this war. Kyoryoku is your little brother, but he's also your spare. Your replacement should something happen—"

"What did you just call my brother?" Momo demanded, her voice tense. Ibara took a step back, and only that saved her from falling due to the force of Momo shoving her away. She could not believe Ibara had the gall to call Kyoryoku, her precious little brother, her spare. "How dare you? He is his own person, spare to no one."

"I say that because I know how our parents think, Momo. That is why my mother is with child now, because I refused to take the risk and so they need another."

"I can't believe you would say that, Ibara. They are your parents."

"They are dooming another soul to their endless war. Every generation steps in knowing they will not live to see the end of it, so why do they keep fighting?"

"For the same reason you believe in your so-called God, cousin," Momo said, unable to completely eliminate the hiss in her voice. The look on Ibara's face could not have been more shocked if she found a knife buried in her gut, her eyes widening at the sacrilege. "We are fighting for a purpose higher than ourselves. It is the same thing as becoming a pro Hero, only our purpose is so much more than stopping natural disasters and crooks."

"Your purpose is a pipe dream," Ibara shot back, feeling her own emotions bubble up through the shell of calm Momo's words had cracked. "It is a goal that has dragged too many righteous men and women into the darkness of evil in the name of a temporary peace. God frowns upon your means and your fruits of labor are sour. You will not spare Kyo his fate by being involved with this. You will only pull him into it. This war will get both you and him ki—"

"I cannot listen to this anymore," Momo spat. She turned away, hiding her own tears. "I thought blood used to be thicker than water."

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb," Ibara corrected, her voice strained.

"And you rejected ours in both cases. You've chosen the unseen and the unsure over your family and the people we protect. The only way you could hurt us more is if you joined those killers."

"I would never!" Ibara gasped. "Their purpose is doomed for the same reason yours is. Only by leaving—"

"Goodbye," Momo interrupted, swallowing down a sob. "You've chosen your path and I've chosen mine. You're nothing but a stranger to me now." She stepped away, resting a hand on a tree.

"Stop!" Ibara felt her anger drain away, leaving her empty and desperate. She was panting, trying to hold back her tears. "Please. Even if you forsake me, the Assassins are closer than you think. Our own teachers are at odds with each other, and it runs far deeper than any personal grudge. They are already watching you, Momo. I don't want to see you die. Not like this. That's why you need to get out now while you can. Soon, you'll be fair game to them. They would like nothing more than to see a mind like yours removed."

Momo glanced back, pain in her eyes. "Farewell... Shiozaki."

She left.

Now alone amongst the trees, Ibara fell to her knees. Her tears watered the dirt below as she curled around the rosary she held, whispering her prayers through her pain while she rocked back and forth. She prayed that she'd made the right choice, that by rejecting the Templars' mission, she rejected Satan's ploy to lead her astray. She prayed that she was wrong, that she would not see her family die to the blades of killers. She prayed that her life as a devout Hero would be able to make up for her breaking the commandment to honor her father and mother.

"Please," she hiccupped. "Please, Lord God. Please…"

Little did Ibara Shiozaki know that a pair of eyes watched her cry that night in the darkness. Nor did she know that the owner of those eyes swore to protect her from the war she rejected.

She would be protected at all costs.

The following day...

Izuku nursed another bruise with a wince, the boy holding an icepack to his face with one hand while spooning curry with the other. He wasn't the only one, just about every other student was covered in cuts and bruises from the day's training. Even those who didn't have any physical injuries looked dead on their feet. Ochako's face held a perpetual green tint still —the poor girl having to cover her mouth after each bite to keep it down— while Komori and Yanagi were leaning on each other, snoozing. Rin, Kirishima, Bakugo, and Tetsutetsu all sported pink, raw skin while Jiro —who had her jacks in a bowl of ice water— had to feed Kiminari since he seemed to have forgotten how spoons worked and would only respond to her, his eyes unfocused. Mina was covered in a salve for acid burns, Momo, Sato, and Aoyama were nursing stomachaches, and Pony and Shiozaki were bleeding from their scalps.

"Midori," Toru groaned across from him, her own seemingly-floating icepack pressed against her chest. "You hit like a truck."

"You've got some force in your fists, too, Hagakure," he grunted. The two of them had been paired together in an attempt to improve their respective powers, specifically Toru's stealth and Izuku's tracking in a very serious game of tag, Pixie-Bob reshaping their battlefield every time they finished a round. Izuku's eyes hurt like never before and he finally understood why Aizawa always complained about dry eye. "Also, was that judo?"

"Yeah," she replied. "After Ochako threw me during our finals, Aizawa-sensei recommended hand-to-hand classes after our remedial ones. He specifically recommended karate and judo as linear and circular styles respectively."

"They're paying off already. Ow…" He flinched, his eye falling on the newest student of 1-B sitting at their table, the purple-haired student with a book in his hands as he ate. "1001 Jokes for the Unfunny Jokester by Emi Fukukado?" Izuku read.

"Kan-sensei recommended it," Shinso replied, turning a page. "What do you call 13 pigs with no eyes?"

"Uh, I don't know, Shinso."

"PG-13." Nobody laughed but Tsuburaba blew out a puff of air, almost visibly deflating. "Tsuburaba, eat without your hands."

Instantly, the Solid Air student set aside his spoon and faceplanted into his curry.

Izuku sighed. "Shinso, why?"

"I've been experimenting with my Quirk," the Brainwashing teen replied, not noticing as Tsuyu moved behind him on her way to get seconds. "It turns out I don't need a full response to activate Brainwashing. I only need an audible reaction."

"An audible reaction?" Izuku blinked. "Does that mean Fukidashi is immune to your Quirk since he cannot speak? And does the responsive sound have to be from someone's mouth? Do you have to be able to hear the sound in question? If someone cannot hear you but only seems to respond, would your Quirk still take effect? Do you have to vocalize you command? If you—"

"Those are all good questions, Midoriya," Shinso interrupted. "Unfortunately, I only know that Fukidashi is, actually, immune to my Quirk as far as we can tell. Other than that, everything you just asked needs to be tested."

"And Tsuburaba?" The verdet gestured to Shinso's classmate who was making a mess of himself without hands to eat.

"I get bonus points whenever I catch someone in 1-B off guard with one of my jokes." He waved his hand, dismissing his Quirk.

"Ah dammit, not again," Tsuburaba whined, grabbing his napkin. "That's the third time today, Shinso."

"Not my fault you cringe at bad jokes."

At another table. Tsuyu returned from getting her seconds, sitting down next to Pixie-Bob, Mina, Kirishima, Tetsutetsu, and Tokage.

"Hey, Pixie-Bob," Mina said, the girl leaning forward. "Tell us about your time training. What school did you go to? How did you and the other Pussycats meet? Are there any guys you like?"

"Slow down there, kitten!" the blonde laughed. "Guys I like? I'm still waiting for Mr. Right to come sweep me off my feet."

"Isn't that a Hero in America, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked.

"Oh, spicy!" Mina cheered "International romance!" Pixie-Bob chuckled, rubbing her forehead. Mina forged ahead. "Anyway, tell us what it was like forming your team."

"It's… not as happy a story as you might think," the pro sighed. "See, there were going to be five Pussycats originally. That was the plan up until two weeks before our graduation from Ketsubutsu."

"What happened?" Kirishima asked. "Villain attack?"

"Yeah," Pixie-Bob muttered. "From our fifth member."

"From?" Tokage gasped, her jaw literally falling to the table.

"Let me start at the beginning, okay? Mandalay and I met on the first day of high school and we hit it off instantly. At the same time, in the other class, Tiger and Ragdoll were getting ready to go at each other's throats."

"Tiger I can see," Tetsutetsu commented, glancing back at the aforementioned Heroes where they were eating next to each other, engaged in different conversations. Their decorative tails were just barely touching. "But Ragdoll?"

"I don't know all the details," Pixie-Bob waved off. "All I know is they had a disagreement of some sort that resulted in them hating each other for the whole year. Classes shifted the next year. I ended up with Tiger and Mandalay with Ragdoll. You can imagine the fallout we almost had when the four of us met up at the same time. That's when she intervened."

"She?" Mina pressed.

"Sara Nekoi," the Hero muttered, a mix of emotions clear to hear, not the least of which were anger, melancholy, and regret. Tsuyu pressed her lips together to stifle her surprise. Luckily, the others were too riveted to notice the widening of her eyes. "A straight-A, keep-to-herself kind of student with a cat mutation Quirk. She saw that we couldn't stop Tiger and Ragdoll from growling at each other, so she walked over, grabbed them by the back of their heads, and shoved their lips together. It got awkward when they didn't pull away."

"No!" Mina and Tokage gasped.

"Yep. Just don't tell anyone. They don't really want anyone spreading it around. Soon as the media hears, there could be a stir from Ragdoll's fans. And trust me, she's got a weird cult following." Mina mimed zipping her lips closed. "Good. Well, Sara had her own friend group the stuck with, Mai Yamane and Alice Koishi. You might know one of those people as the Snake Hero: Uwabami."

"I didn't know you graduated with Uwabami!" Tetsutetsu grinned. "Was she just as pretty in a school uni—?" Tokage pushed his face into his curry.

"Yeah," Pixie-Bob sighed. "Sara, Koishi, and Yamane were close. Practically inseparable. We all thought they were gonna to form their own team, but Sara came to us one day our third year and said she'd heard we were gonna work together and wanted in. Apparently, they'd agreed that they wanted to stay friends and were afraid of the statistics that most teams have some kind of fallout within five years. We welcomed her in as the Lucky Cat Hero: Maneki and she suggested the cat theme for all of us. It became our thing.

"And then it happened. No one ever learned the full details of why, but two week before graduation, we heard that Koishi had been stabbed to death protecting Yamane, and that Sara was the one who did it. A manhunt started, looking for answers, and she was labeled a B-rank Villain, but Sara had just… vanished." Pixie-Bob gestured with her hands like a magician showing off the results of their sleight of hand. "Poof. There hasn't been claw or hair of her since. No sightings, no notes, no phone calls, no body, nothing. It's like she fell off the planet. If she's lucky, she got out of the country and started over somewhere else."

"…Wow," Kirishima summarized. "That's crazy."

"You're telling me," Pixie-Bob replied, running a hand through her hair. "All this time later and I still don't really know what happened. Part of me hopes we'll find her to finally get our answers, but another part of me hopes we never do, too scared of what those answers might be."

"Do you think she's dead?" Tetsutetsu asked.

"I've no idea." Pixie-Bob pushed her plate away. "Sorry, I need to step away. Any of you can have that if you want." She stood, taking her leave with a frown.

"Wait!" Mina called, the pro Hero turning around. "I, uh, I wanted to ask you about Kouta before you left. What Bakugo said yesterday was out of line and some of us wanted to know how he's doing."

"Thanks for your concern," Pixie-Bob smiled. "He ran off last night, but Ragdoll was able to keep tabs on his with her Quirk: Search. Mandalay found him throwing water at a tree with his Quirk and far too many potty words. It was the first time any of us had seen him use Water Gun since he came into Mandalay's care. He actually asked her for training. Maybe he just wants to give Bakugo a black eye, but he's finally doing something more than passively watching and moping. It's... nice."

The 1-A students traded looks as the woman left, but Tsuyu's focus wasn't on that. She felt a small frown of her own, the frog-girl hiding it with her chewing. She didn't know Nekoi that well —her parents had been her primary trainers— but she was one of Izuku's first instructors and the one who brought him into the Brotherhood. He would want to hear about this. Luckily, she'd already taken steps to set up a meeting that night.

"Alright," a freshly-bathed Shinso sighed, stepping into the forest as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "Which of you planted this note on me?"

"That'd be me, ribbit," Tsuyu replied, she and Izuku in the trees. Shinso sighed before resigning himself to this late-night rendezvous, climbing a tree of his own. "You weren't followed?"

"I just had to tell the others I needed some air," Shinso shrugged, heaving himself up. His muscles screamed after all their training that day even if he'd reached a new level of strength now that he was receiving training from the Brotherhood. Still, a week was only a week. Tsuyu reached down, catching his arm before the newest Hero student could fall. "Thanks. They were happy to see me go. Getting tired of my jokes anyway."

"They were pretty bad," Izuku commented from his spot nestled in the curve of a tree, almost invisible. "You nearly got me with a few of them. That katana one cut deep."

Tsuyu sighed quietly, covering her eyes.

"Why did you call me out here?" the purple-haired boy questioned, getting comfortable on a wide branch.

"We wanted to check in on you, ribbit," Tsuyu answered. "You're new to the Brotherhood and Master has asked us to help you learn how to balance Hero studies and our… extracurriculars."

"It's… a lot to take in," Shinso muttered. "I mean, a war that's lasted a thousand years? Ancient artifacts of crazy power? How do you handle it so well?"

"I was raised in the life, ribbit," the frog-girl shrugged. "It's hard sometimes. I recently lost my dad on a mission, but I'm thankful no one has pressed the issue for details, ribbit."

"I tell myself it's better everyone else doesn't know," Izuku muttered. "Folks like my mom… the knowledge wouldn't do anything but make her worry. Others like Iida wouldn't see why our mission is so important. They're too attached to this society the Templars have molded to their liking. In trying to stop us, they would pave the way for the Templars to take over."

"So, are you gonna tell us what actually happened at I-Island?" Shinso wondered.

"I'd rather not." Izuku shook his head. "Suffice to say this scar didn't come from Michael Corvain and David Shield didn't die in a helicopter."

"What have I gotten myself into?"

"The most important battle in the world, ribbit," Tsuyu grinned. "Although, it really doesn't work out if you're not careful. You need to be certain you believe in our cause, ribbit. I know it's only been a week, but do you remember the tenets?"

"Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent," Shinso began, counting on his fingers. "Hide in plain sight. Do not compromise the Brotherhood."

"And what do we believe?" Izuku asked.

"That nothing is true and everything is permitted."

"It's pretty freeing, isn't it?" the verdet grinned, leaning back and playing with the dart of his rope-dart.

"I'm still confused, but yeah. It… It's really good to know that all those evil things people have said about me through the years are just rotten opinions because they can't be true, since nothing is true. I still feel almost bad about the 'everything is permitted' part, though."

"It just means that you need to accept the results of your actions, ribbit," Tsuyu offered. "I mean, what's stopping you from robbing a bank?"

"Uh, Heroes?" Shinso blinked. "The law? The promise of punishment? My own moral code?"

"None of that stopped you from accepting Master's offer," the verdette noted. "You can rob a bank, but you'd have to accept the risks and consequences, ribbit. That's how I understand it. You can do anything you want, but you will always reap what you sow, so you have to be careful of what you're willing to take. And sometimes, ribbit, those risks backfire."

"What do you mean?"

"Izuku, you probably aren't going to like this, but I learned something today you might want to know, ribbit. You know, just in case."

"Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling, Tsu?" Izuku muttered, leaning forward.

"Well, apparently Nekoi has a Villain ranking from 12 years ago, ribbit," the frog-girl said, choosing to just rip the bandage off. "That would explain why she lives at the den."

"Nekoi-sensei?" Izuku gasped, trying to keep his voice down. "How?"

"She was going to be a member of the Pussycats, but got caught in the middle of what was probably an assassination gone wrong right before her graduation. Based on that, ribbit, she's probably lived for nothing but the Brotherhood since."

"I guess that's what you mean when you talked about accepting the risk," Shinso breathed.

"Damn," Izuku swore. "I had no idea Nekoi-sensei had formal Hero training."

"Yeah, from Ketsubutsu, apparently," Tsuyu nodded. "She's the one who found you, ribbit, so I thought you'd want to know. Pixie-Bob didn't have the whole story, though. I thought I should tell you so you don't accidentally reveal that you know her."

"Yeah, thanks." Izuku ran a hand through his hair and chuckled. "I don't know why I'm that surprised, really. Nekoi-sensei hates talking about her past. All I really knew was that she didn't tell her family about joining the Brotherhood when she did and didn't have contact with them anymore. I thought that meant they'd died." He sighed. "I can't imagine making my mom go through that. It'd break her."

"What are you going to do, ribbit?"

"I can't tell her," he said with a shake of his head. "Mom didn't even want me being a pro Hero. I can't imagine her reaction to me telling her I've killed people for an endless war."

"You've—?" Shinso gasped. "Already?"

"Ten in total," the verdet muttered. "I know three names. The rest… nothing. It was one of them that gave me this." He gestured to his scar. "She had a Vocal Sword Quirk or something, similar to Fukidashi's Comic, but hers made swords out of country names. Her name was Arya Deshpande. She hit me with a claymore and I just…" Izuku flicked his wrist, launching his rope-dart forward to spear another tree.

"And you, Asui?"

"Three by my own hand," she admitted, "and another two by proxy. Another Recruit and I left two unconscious men in building to be set on fire. The other three happened during my internship with Silkie. Templar drug smugglers were trying to bring in Mexican Poppyfield Trigger and they were three siblings under a Villain. It was them or us and I did what I had to. Thankfully, Sirius is one of us and Silkie knows, so it all got covered up."

"Hey, Shinso?" Izuku asked. "Do you know if you can make people forget certain things with your Quirk?"

"I've… never thought to try. Why? Is there something you want to forget?"

"Nothing like that. It's just something you might want to find out if you can and what the limits are. Trust me, in our line of work, memory manipulation would be very useful."

"Yeah, I'm starting to get that feeling."

"No second thoughts, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked.

"Oh, so many," Shinso muttered with a dry laugh, "but so far, everyone I've talked to really believes they're doing what needs to be done and you all really trust that I can handle the same burden. I've never had anyone believe in me so strongly other than my dad, much less a whole group. You all have chosen to put your trust in me, so I'll put my trust in you."

"Just don't be surprised when you learn who some of the other Assassins are."

"Like who? The Hero Killer?" Shinso laughed. Neither Izuku nor Tsuyu replied, glancing at each other. "Wait, you're kidding!"

"We're glad to have you, Shinso," Izuku promised, chuckling at his friend's baffled expression. "We'll stand with you to the end."

"Have you got anything, Tsukauchi?" All Might demanded, the man leaning against one of the wall within UA. His foot tapped the floor, every ounce of his willpower holding back his strength so he didn't crack the tile. Night had fallen outside, as evidenced by the tired voice of his friend, but All Might was wide awake even after two all-nighters.

"Listen, I've been digging every place that even smelled like it had All for One's scent," the detective on the other side of the line replied. "What's with the sudden rush?"

"I have reason to believe All for One was behind the attack on I-Island," the Hero growled. "That man got David and Melissa killed because I wasn't as thorough as I should have been. Every lead I could find turned up nothing, but I can't let this wait any longer. By the end of this week, I want that man done. I won't let him come after my students."

"Alright, alright," Tsukauchi muttered. "Look, this Dr. Garaki we talked about vanished a couple months ago, right? I've been combing through his messages and found this weird shift about a month before that. He got more… I don't know if 'eccentric' is the right word but seems to be the only one that fits. He also kept a really weird schedule. I've got a program working out what was most likely the path he took when he disappeared, but there's nothing on any cameras anywhere. Like, suspiciously nowhere. It's slow-going."

"Have you got an ETA for that path?"

"If you're willing to take a little risk, I can have it in a couple days. It won't be done for four, otherwise."

"As much as I want to rush it, we need to be sure," All Might grunted. "Send it to me as soon as you've got it. We're going in to apprehend that man come Hell or high water."

"We're all behind you, All Might. Just give us the word."

As the trio of Assassin trainees returned to the dorms —all from different directions and at different times— a pair of eyes watched them from the canopy. As the individual watched, another rose from the darkness beside them.

"What did you learn?" the second asked.

"That they have a lot to learn but are more competent than I thought," the first answered. "Both Midoriya and Asui are bloodied. That surprised me, but Midoriya should have checked his surroundings several times during their talk. If he had, he would have seen me."

"Why don't you approach them?" The second figure turned. "I know you want to. That's why you approached me in the first place."

The first figured sighed. "I have been ordered not to and I can't go against my Mentor's orders. Only if I get caught can I explain myself, and my pride won't let me make it easy." They reached out, setting their hand on their companion's shoulder. "Thank you for joining me, my friend. I know what I'm asking is dangerous."

"You took a risk telling me and it paid off," their companion said. "I believed you, I trusted you, and you trained me in the ways."

"With skills like yours, it was only a matter of time before the Osaka thought to approach you. I just got to you first."

"Did you learn anything else important tonight?"

"Hitoshi Shinso has joined their ranks. And recently, too. Midoriya and Asui have practically been assigned the mission to be his handlers inside of UA. He is still at the rank of Recruit while the other two are newly-promoted Apprentices. Also, the I-Island attack was an Assassin mission Midoriya got swept into, leading me to believe the Americans now have Melissa Shield. Did you get anything of note?"

"Yaoyorozu and Shiozaki had a fallout last night," the second figure said. "Shiozaki was offered a place in the Japanese Rite before the schoolyear and turned it down, citing her religious beliefs."

"A ridiculous and surprising reason, but one less Templar is not something I will frown upon."

"Her choice has caused her relationship with her parents to become strained. She begged Yaoyorozu to leave but said the wrong thing about Yaoyorozu's sibling. Though having rejected their mission, Shiozaki is too sentimental to move against them. Despite the fallout, she still warned Yaoyorozu to be careful, giving her a hint to our teachers' loyalties. Based on her response, Yaoyorozu did not take her seriously."

"You said Shiozaki's religious beliefs were her reason. Did she mention anything specifically?"

"She seems to think that if her Christian God had to choose between the Templars' mission or the Assassins', then the Assassins' continued existence is the proof that God moves against the Templars. She also cited the Dawn of Quirks and the Millennial Resurgence as proof that God moved to save the Assassins despite their methods."

"Well, it's an interesting conclusion if nothing else. Is there more?"

"Shiozaki's choice weighs heavily on her. We'll need to keep an eye on her to ensure that she does not give in and join them or that the Templars move against her to make an example out of her."

The first figure quirked an eyebrow, studying their friend. "I've never heard you sound that way."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." The first figure smirked as their friend. The second pushed them. "Shut up."

"I did not say anything, my friend, but even if Shiozaki is not an enemy, fraternizing with her beyond training and schoolwork is still dangerous."

"She has chosen to forsake the mission of the Templars," the second figure argued. "I can't allow her to get tangled in this war she wants no part of."

"Such wishes are beyond our ability to control. Her family will drag her in, or your protection will."

"If that is the case, then I want her on my side."

"...Fine," the first sighed. "Do what you want. You do not answer to my Mentor, nor do you answer to the Osaka, and I will not stop you if you feel so strongly about this. Everything is permitted, after all."

"I might be new to all this, and maybe I'm being too optimistic, but can you blame me? We are Hero Students."

"That we are, my friend. That we are."

End of Chapter 42

Hot damn, that was a lot of information! Ibara was offered a place in the Templars and turned them down, but her plea to Momo results in hurt feelings! And we get some backstory for Nekoi that was teased way back during Momo's internship! I bet none of you guessed that was coming! Shinso learns more about his fellow Assassin students, but they aren't as careful as they should be. All Might prepares for a raid on All for One, little does he know a fight is not waiting for him, but only more questions!

What will this fallout between Momo and Ibara cause in the long term? What other secrets hide in Nekoi's past and when will they rear their ugly heads? Kouta's found some drive to better himself, but does it come from the best of reasons? Shinso knew he'd be asked to kill eventually, but how will the knowledge of Izuku and Tsuyu's kills affect him? Finally, who is it that's watching from the shadows and what are their goals? Tell me what you think!

Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods