Welcome back to A Hero's Creed: Brotherhood! We can finally start moving into the work-study arc, but things will be totally different this time around with no Shie Hassaikai to deal with. Not only that, we have another chapter or two before they really start seeing as All Might is still working and Villain activity is not on the rise. Now then, let's see what you all had to say about the last chapter:
Gamelover41592: Thank you.
LEGOBRICK13: Yeah, I wasn't exactly subtle with leading up to Dabi's reveal. Anyway, back to the main story!
Monkey D. Conan: I know right? What a ripoff! Anyway, the Hisha will eventually have a major part to play, so I have to set them up early. My plan is for this "book" to cover past Canon seeing as the LoV isn't around to cause their all-out war. (And really, relying on first-year students to fight their war? Where are the second- and third-years at least?)
Monster King: Will do!
Movieboy66: Right now, the Hisha aren't quite big enough to spread their resources, thus all working in the same building. We'll see them grow in time. And, believe you me, Yonjo being the figurehead was planned with his introduction and will be interesting moving forward.
Shadowwolf1997: I'm glad to see you enjoyed it! The Hisha will be infrequent but important characters for this "book" moving forward.
stevenpiskunov2: Yes. Melissa is stationed in America doing her own training, but she'll be back eventually. Maybe not this book, but she'll return.
zakan: Yes, Mama Midnight is an OC, but I feel that such a parent would explain a lot about her character.
Chapter 52:
Unwanted Attention
"To those who passed the Licensing Exam, good job," Aizawa began as soon as the bell rang, the man studying his students as most of them sat up a little straighter. "A passing rate of 80% is something any normal Hero Course would not scoff at, but" —their teacher leaned his weight on his podium— "that is sad for UA."
"Is not!" Kirishima denied. "You said most UA classes totally fail their first Licensing Exams! That so many of us passed should be a good thing!"
"We should not settle for 'good'," Aizawa replied. "You are students of UA; you should be nothing but great. That being said, you all have one month before your work-studies or make-up classes begin. Do not delay since you have to find that with your own connections. You must complete a total of 18 weeks' —nearly four-and-a-half months'— work under Heroes in work-studies before your graduation and only the coming three weeks is scheduled time during this school year, of which you will also receive in your second and third years, totaling nine weeks."
"That's half of our required time," Kaminari calculated. "I guess that means we need to cover the other half on our own."
"Well assessed, Kaminari," their teacher nodded.
"What about the students who did not pass?" Pony questioned, her hand raised despite having not waited to be called on.
"They will have a late start and will have to catch up with longer summer work-studies later. As soon as they can complete their remedial test, they will be assigned a pre-approved Hero and begin their work-study immediately."
"Oh, good," Sato sighed. "At least we get a little experience."
"Most students do their first work-study with the Hero they interned with," Aizawa continued, "so I would contact them as soon as you can. If they cannot support you, it would be unheroic to not help you find another that could. That said, it is better to not wait until the last minute lest you have the rug pulled out from under you. And those of you who did internships with teachers, that will not be available this time. In addition, your work-studies need to be noted and approved by the school. Speaking of… Midoriya?"
"Yes?" Izuku questioned, a hitch in his voice at being called out.
"The letter you asked us to send has received an answer. Principal Nezu wants to make sure you know what you'd be getting into before officially accepting anything."
"I understand, sir."
Izuku half expected Bakugo to demand an explanation, but the usually-bombastic blond was strangely silent.
"Good," Aizawa nodded. "Now then, I want you all to spend the rest of Homeroom making a list of your first choices for Hero work-studies as well as at least two back-up options and how you would contact them. Use this time to draft a letter detailing what you hope to learn from the Heroes in question. Begin. Midoriya, to the principal's office."
Izuku stood and shuffled out the door, nearly certain there were three pairs of eyes on his back.
The trip to Nezu's office wasn't a long one, the principal's office being located on the first floor with the first-year classrooms on account of the Quirked animal's diminutive stature and short legs. He knocked on the door as he arrived, a name placard stylized to look like a white mouse proclaiming the room 'PRINCIPAL NEZU'S OFFICE :3'.
"Come in!" Izuku opened the door, finding Nezu sitting in his specially-made seat while typing at his computer with his paws. The sentient animal glanced over and, when he recognized Izuku, pushed away his keyboard. "Ah, Midoriya. Come in, come in! Sit down. It seems we have some items of interest to discuss."
"That's what Aizawa-sensei said," Izuku agreed, closing the door and taking one of the two chairs on the opposite side of Nezu's desk. His office was a little smaller than the average in the building, everything sized for the rat-bear-dog-whatever in such a way that made the average human feel a little confined. Izuku couldn't image how All Might must feel when he needed to be stuffed into the room, especially with others. Perhaps they had a special room for larger meetings?
Shaking away the thoughts, Izuku took in the rest of the room. There was a bookshelf on one side of the room, a wheeled ladder secured to it so the short principal could reach all the books without needing to find someone taller. Three filing cabinets stood on the opposite side of the room, only a few steps away from the desk. Next to that sat a coffee table with all the items necessary for tea and coffee, though Izuku knew the principal preferred the former. The rest of the room was a simple blue-grey.
"Tea or coffee?" the principal asked, hopping out of his chair and making his way to the table.
"Whatever you're having, sir. I don't need anything special."
"Very well." The animal poured two cups of tea and returned to the desk. He placed the cups on the desk before having to jump into his chair and getting resituated. He passed Izuku one of the cups. "I'll admit, I was a tad surprised when you asked us to send that letter. Switching Heroes between the internship and the work-study is not unheard of, but doing so even before taking the exam? Were you simply that confident you would pass?"
"It would either pay off or be worthless," Izuku shrugged. "I didn't see any detriment in the attempt."
"I see," the so-called Rat nodded. "A calculated decision without a downside. Of course, you are aware of what you have asked for, yes?"
"Of course. I want to do my work-study under Mirko."
"Why?"
Izuku suspected Nezu already had a pretty clear idea of his reasons considering how smart the animal was and what he suspected the creature knew based on some of Aizawa's comments, but the principal had still asked him a question, even if it was probably redundant.
"Well, my Quirk isn't that powerful," Izuku began, explaining his public reasonings. "If I want to make it as a Hero, then I need to be able to keep up physically without any help. I learned a lot about agencies, law, and tactics under Master Edgeshot during my internship, but the work-studies are supposed to be a lot more involved. Actually facing down Villains and working together in real cases rather than just observing. If I want any chance of building the muscle and stamina to keep up with my peers, I'll need a serious boot camp from someone who specializes in physicality without direct Quirk involvement. The two I thought of right away were All Might and Mirko, but my body type doesn't match with All Might's and it's heavily speculated he has some form of super strength Quirk. As a Hero, I'll need to be more like Mirko whose Rabbit Quirk doesn't directly affect her ability other than a slight boost to her legs and excellent hearing. It helps that she sent me an internship offer before, too."
Nezu waited until Izuku took a sip of his tea. "Yes, I'm sure it was that offer and not the fact that you are both Assassins."
Izuku choked on his drink, the teen sputtering and coughing as it went down the wrong way. Nezu sat there with a smirk on his muzzle, clearly enjoying himself like the arson outside a fire.
"I-I don't know what… what you're t-talking about," Izuku sputtered through his coughing fit.
"Oh?" Nezu enquired, steepling his little paw nubbins. "You shouldn't lie to me, Midoriya. I know everything that happens within my school and attempting to prolong this ineffective farce could be detrimental to your academic record."
Izuku didn't say anything as he recovered, his mouth pressed into a thin line. Nezu leaned back, swirling his tea.
"I know all about this little war of yours, Midoriya," Nezu continued. "I've been aware of it for some time now. I was suspicion of your allegiances since your performance in the entrance exam and certain with your stunt in the cafeteria when those vultures known as the media invaded the campus. I also suspect that you have killed before. During your internship, yes? I deduced it based on your body language when you returned."
The student swallowed heavily. "Am… Am I expelled?"
"Expelled?" Nezu laughed. "By the animal kingdom, no! I would need to also expel Tsuyu Asui, Hiryu Rin, Hitoshi Shinso, and a number of others if that were the case. Why, we would even lose one of our so-called Big Three."
The students sputtered. "H-How do you—?"
"You just confirmed my suspicions. Thank you." Izuku slumped over, placing his face in a hand. Nezu laughed at him. "You needn't worry, Midoriya. I have no role nor stake in your shadowy battle than as a sideline observer. As long as none of your operations take place on school grounds nor do you directly target any of your teachers or fellow students, I will not interfere."
"I… didn't think you would speak about it so openly, Principal."
"Do not forget, I am not human," Nezu reminded him, holding up the nubbin equivalent of a pointer finger. "I do not have the same morals and ethics as most of your species. As such, I have no part or opinion in your actions beyond your studies, especially if they are not tied back to my school. Honestly, everything I do is for my own amusement. Watching you shadowy students try to dance around each other is very entertaining for me."
"I guess that makes sense," Izuku muttered. "I'd never thought about it. I mean, Aizawa-sensei said something about you knowing, but I didn't know any of the details."
"Well, I just wanted to ensure my track record of finding the Assassins and Templars among the newer students remained flawless while I had you in my office. As for you, you are aware what sort of training hell awaits you under Mirko's care, yes?"
"I know it will be painful," the student nodded. "I need to do it, though. Compared to others like Iida and shoji or those with powerful Quirks like Bakugo or Shoto, I have to work with what I'm given if I want to keep up. Even Aizawa-sensei can get away with a little less thanks to his Erasure, even if he needs to work a little harder to deal with dangerous Mutant-type Quirks. That means I have to train my body to its limits and beyond. I'll never be a powerhouse like All Might, but that's not what I'm trained to be, anyway."
"It is good to see you are being realistic and pragmatic, Midoriya," Nezu nodded. "Very well. I have no qualms with approving your work-study under Mirko." He pulled out a red rubber stamp and pressed an APPROVED onto a page before him. "Please, do survive."
"My time has not yet come, Principal Nezu," Izuku smiled, accepting the page and the response Mirko had sent. A brief glance down confirmed that said response was short and to the point, reading 'Get your ass here ASAP, runt!' "There is too much that I need to do."
"Do not kill any of your classmates and we will have no problems," the principal agreed. "Work-studies begin in one month. Enjoy your time."
-AHC-
Friday
"Izuku, may I have a word with you?"
The verdet looked up from his lunch, blinking at the buxom figure standing beside his table. His eyes turned from Momo to the others whom he was sitting with, Tsuyu, Ochako, Iida, Tokoyami, and their senior Yuyu Haya whom they had been asking for details about what work-studies were like. She'd already accepted Edgeshot's offer from the end of her and Izuku's time during their internship that year and it would complete her required time for graduation.
"Uh, sure?" Izuku blinked. "What's up?"
"Not here," Momo said. "I fear this is a bit more of a… er, representative matter. I do not want to interrupt our classmates' lunch."
"Oh, yeah, ok." Izuku stood, giving Tsuyu a pointed look as he very clearly grabbed his pudding cup and put it in his bag so the frog-girl wouldn't steal it again. The older student at their table sent a subtle side-eye at the Templar heiress that no one else noticed.
Momo led Izuku to one of the lesser-used stairwells, the verdet tilting his head in confusion as he had not expected such a place to be Momo's choice for representative decisions. Sure, the chances of anyone coming here and interrupting their discussion were slim during lunch, but it was an odd choice.
Momo wasn't looking at him, the girl placing a hand on her chest and breathing deeply. If Izuku didn't know any better, he would think she was nervous about something.
"Izuku," the girl began, still not looking at him. "This… might be hard for you to hear, but just know I am trying to protect you."
"Protect me?" the boy blinked. "Momo, I thought this was about our class duties. What are you talking about?"
The Templar turned, staring her classmate in the eye. She took another deep breath.
"I have reason to believe that those who trained you for UA are not who they claim to be. All the evidence points to them being a clan of Villains."
Izuku blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. "…What?"
"Please, Izuku, hear me out," Momo insisted, forging ahead. She'd planned her words since the summer camp and was all but certain she could pull her intelligent Vice-Rep from the maw of the Assassins before they sunk their teeth in too deep. "I was made aware of an order of sorts that has existed for some time. It was one of their members that murdered my paternal grandparents when I was a baby. This order, I fear they are the ones who trained you. I think they are trying to groom you into joining their ranks of assassins and serial killers."
Izuku could feel his heart threatening to burst out of his throat. How much did Momo know? Did she suspect that it was too late? He needed to divert this conversation or find some lie that would assuage her fears, but nothing would come to him in the moment. He needed to stall so he could plan.
"I, uh… I don't understand, Momo. Where is this coming from?"
"I suppose it was a variety of factors that started coming together when I learned the details of my grandparents' murder. This group loathes and detests people with power, money, and influence like my family; that is why I was made aware of their existence. They are known to hide in the crowds and shadows, striking when least expected. I worry that by training you, they feel they can make you indebted to them, getting you to perform more and more questionable acts until you are in too deep and become one of them."
"You're not making any sense—"
"It was the bracer you had during the USJ attack," Momo explained, Izuku fighting the urge to let his eyes widen. Instead, he let one eyebrow raise, hoping to project confusion rather than worry. "Such blades are an uncommon staple of this group's arsenal in eastern countries. They are trained heavily in climbing and parkour for ease of infiltration and escape, the main form of training you have received from these people."
"Momo, you're scaring me."
"You should be scared of these people," the heiress insisted. "They're everywhere, trying to leave the world in chaos. They stand against those who try to lead the world to peace and prosperity. You need to get away from them for your own sake, though I worry that may be easier said than done considering our teacher is a member of this group."
She knew far too much. He needed to dissuade her and convince the heiress she was incorrect. Unfortunately, Aizawa was a known variable protected only by his job as a UA teacher. That left him with one option: convincing her he had no knowledge of the battle. As such, he did the one thing he could.
He chuckled, Izuku letting it build in such a way that it sounded more genuine. He couldn't let her hear his worry, the boy clutching his stomach with one hand as he leaned on the wall with the other. He let his laugh die with a wheeze.
"You almost had me for a second there, Momo," he said, wiping a fake tear to cover his pinched expression. "Really, though? Aizawa-sensei a serial killer? Who's next? Vlad King? Maybe Snipe? Oh, I know! They're also grooming Hagakure because she's invisible like a ninja! Or maybe Tokage because she can be multiple places at once?"
"I'm serious, Izuku!" Momo insisted, stomping a foot on the tile. "I'm worried about you! These people lure others like you into the darkness with promises of help only for their life to trap you! I don't want to see you become a Villain!"
"And I won't," Izuku replied, his gut clenching as he remembered I-Island. "I've wanted to be a Hero for as long as I can remember."
"You don't know how manipulative these people can be," the young woman said, her voice almost a whisper.
"How about this?" Izuku tried. "I'll keep an eye on my running buddies. If I see anything illegal, I'll tell you right away, ok?"
Momo's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Promise?"
Izuku reached forward, grabbing Momo's hands in what he hoped what a reassuring hold.
"Promise," he lied, staring her dead in the eye.
"Then… I am sorry for interrupting your lunch. Please excuse me." Momo took her hands back and stepped away, disappearing into the halls. Izuku watched her go. Only when he was certain she would not turn around did he let himself relax, slumping against the wall.
"Damn, that was too close," he muttered.
"So you were lying."
Izuku jumped, his wrist flicking on reflex without a hidden blade to activate. He spun, looking at the stairs where Kyoka Jiro stared down at him. Her jacks waved, suggesting she heard far too much.
"Oh shit."
-AHC-
Kyoka couldn't get a hold of Death Arms to save her life. At first, at the start of the week when she sent her first email, she'd chalked it up to a busy schedule and was resigned to wait. When no answer came by Wednesday, she'd sent the email again and, again, received the standard 'your message has been received' response. When she'd finally connected to the one friend she'd made among Death Arms' Sidekicks, she'd been told they didn't know where he was and things were starting to fall apart without their boss. Which led her here, knocking on the slightly-ajar door to Aizawa's office.
"Yes?" the tired voice of her Homeroom teacher sighed, the man looking up from the paperwork on his desk. Very rarely did they ever see him in his yellow sleeping bag anymore, though Jiro could make out its bundle in the corner of the room. "Ah, Jiro. Come in. What do you need?"
"I can't reach Death Arms," she said, sitting in the chair across from Aizawa. "I did my internship with his agency, which made him my first choice for my work-study. Unfortunately, he seems to be MIA at the moment."
"Yes, I suppose that could be a problem," Aizawa nodded. He turned to his computer, typing something quickly. "Looks like he's been off the grid since the start of the summer."
"Could something have happened to him?"
"It's possible," the teacher agreed. "I suppose this means you need another Hero to do your work-study with?"
"I guess so…" Kyoka couldn't help the shiver that went up her spine at the cavalier way Aizawa brushed off another Hero's disappearance.
"Normally, I would say speaking to your classmates would be the best way to find another work-study, but…" He trailed off, reading something on his computer. He sighed. "What sort of Hero would you like to do your work-study with?"
"Do you know any sound-based Heroes my Quirk could work well with?"
Aizawa thought for a moment, a hand on his chin. "I can think of a couple. Would you prefer battle, support, or underground?"
"I don't know."
"Mm." Aizawa sifted through some digital files. He clicked a button, a printer in the corner revving up as it began to print something. He stretched —refusing to get out of his chair— and snatched the page as soon as it finished. "Here. Have you heard of Scale Run?"
"You know Scale Run‽" Kyoka gasped, jumping to her feet and snatching the page. On it was printed an email and paging address as well as a building address. Scale Run was a Hero whose various scales made different sounds that had different effects depending which ones and how many were hit. She was also one of the top percussionists in Japan with a Hero band called [Longarm Law] comprised of her and her Sidekicks. "How‽"
"I saved her life back near the start of her career," Aizawa waved off. "Haven't talked to her directly in years, but she still sends me Christmas cards and CDs despite knowing I don't care for such."
"This is amazing! Thank you, Aizawa-sensei!"
"Yeah, don't mention it," the teacher sighed, rubbing an ear. "You've already lost a week. Go draft an email that will catch her attention. If you don't hurry, you will miss your chance."
"I will!" Kyoka moved to the door before pausing. "Thanks again!"
The musically-inclined student practically skipped through the halls, her mind awhirl with what she'd put in that email and ideas of what she might learn under Scale Run. Maybe she'd even let her play background in a [Longarm Law] song if she could show off her guitar skills
"—the bracer you had during the USJ attack."
Kyoka stopped, her advanced hearing picking up the sound of Momo's muffled voice through the closest doorway, an entrance to a stairwell. She stepped closer, idly plugging one of her jacks into the door.
"Such blades are an uncommon staple of this group's arsenal in eastern countries. They are trained heavily in climbing and parkour for ease of infiltration and escape, the main form of training you have received from these people."
"Momo, you're scaring me."
That was Izuku's voice, Kyoka realized. What were they talking about? Usually, Kyoka would walk away and allow them their privacy, but this didn't sound like some sort of love confession.
"You should be scared of these people," she could hear Momo say. "They're everywhere, trying to leave the world in chaos. They stand against those who try to lead the world to peace and prosperity. You need to get away from them for your own sake, though I worry that may be easier said than done considering our teacher is a member of this group."
Kyoka felt her muscles tense. She didn't know what they were talking about, but any group that did what Momo claimed could only be an organized Villain syndicate, or at least some form of anarchists. The following insinuation that they had trained a classmate and had the allegiance of one of their teachers only further confused the punkish girl.
And then Izuku chuckled, his tambor building into a laugh, but there was something off about it to Kyoka. Her hearing was much more finely tuned than her classmates' and she could tell this was not genuine. She'd heard Izuku laugh before and this laugh he was giving now was forced. It was a good imitation, though. Far too good.
"You almost had me there, Momo," Izuku said as his fake laugh died. "Really, though? Aizawa-sensei, a serial killer?" Kyoka's eyes widened. "Who's next? Vlad King? Maybe Snipe? Oh, I know! They're also grooming Hagakure because she's invisible like a ninja! Or maybe Tokage because she can be multiple places at once?"
"I'm serious, Izuku!" Kyoka heard Momo stomp on the floor. "I'm worried about you. These people lure others like you into the darkness with promises of help only for their life to trap you! I don't want to see you become a Villain!"
"And I won't." There it was again, that clenched tambor hidden in Izuku's voice. "I've wanted to be a Hero for as long as I can remember."
"You don't know how manipulative these people can be."
"How about this? I'll keep an eye on my running buddies. If I see anything illegal, I'll tell you right away, ok?"
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Then… I am sorry for interrupting your lunch. Please excuse me." Kyoka heard Momo take her leave, the door below closing as the recommendation student left. Izuku sighed as she did, Kyoka silently entering the stairwell one level higher.
"Damn, that was too close," the boy muttered to himself. Kyoka leaned over the railing, studying her class's Vice-Rep.
"So you were lying."
Izuku jumped at her words, spinning to look up at her. He swallowed heavily, wide, green eyes staring at her akin to a deer in the headlights of a truck.
"Oh shit."
"Midoriya? What was that?"
"J-Jiro! I-It's really rude t-to eavesdrop like that!"
"You were lying to her," Kyoka said, waving her jacks. "I could hear it. You knew exactly what Yaomomo was talking about."
"Jiro—"
"What are you involved with, Midoriya? Are you…?" Her voice dropped to a horrified whisper. She took a step back. "Are you a Villain in disguise?"
"Jiro, please—!"
She turned, unsure she would be able to handle whatever Izuku would tell her. A sound caused her to glance back, just barely catching the end of Izuku jumping off the wall and hooking his fingers on the upper steps. He swung with impossible dexterity, all but flipping upward to catch up with Kyoka. Fear and adrenaline flooded her system at his sudden movements.
She ran.
-AHC-
"Fuck!" Izuku swore, wobbling a little in his perched position on the top of the stairwell railing as Kyoka burst through the door. He'd never imagined one of his classmates would overhear anything like the conversation Momo had sprung on him, but this was the situation he needed to deal with now. "Jiro, let me explain!"
He could tell she didn't have a clear idea where she was running to since she moved away from the teachers' offices, which made the chase easier as indecision slowed her down. He also knew he was just faster than she was. Kyoka was a mid-to-long range fighter whose battle prowess was Quirk-based and greatly increased by her support gear. Without it, she didn't stand a chance against a close-quarters combatant like Izuku. He reached her at the end of the hall as she paused briefly to decide to turn right or left.
Izuku tackled her, one hand finding her mouth as the other moved to both restrain her arms and snag her jacks, holding both with his pinky finger. She struggled, but her slim figure did not have near as much muscle mass as Izuku's frame.
He'd need to tell her to rely on her Quirk less. It was a glaring weakness she had.
"Jiro, I can explain," he hissed in her ear. "Just know for now that I am not a Villain, ok? I'm going to carry you to the roof and explain."
"Mmphf!"
Lifting her so her feet could not touch the floor —and muttering apologies the whole while— Izuku dragged her back to the stairwell. He activated his Eagle Vision, confirming there was no one between them and roof, before pulling her up the stairs.
The short trip felt like an eternity. His hand holding her arms and jacks shook as Kyoka tried to use her Quirk in an attempt to free herself, but Izuku withstood the reverberations of her pounding heart. Without her support gear and unable to plug her jacks into something, her Quirk was ineffective, if a little painful. He finally shoved his back against the door to the roof, ignoring the sign that said the roof was off-limits.
The top of the building was devoid of both people and furniture, chain-link fencing running the perimeter as grey clouds threatened rain above. Izuku pulled her away from the door before stopping in the middle of the rooftop.
"I'm going to put you down," he said, making sure he was between her and the door. "Please, let me explain before you do anything rash."
Slowly, ensuring she could tell his every action, Izuku set her feet on the roof and let go. Kyoka spun, her jacks aimed at him as the male student raised his hands in surrender.
"Midoriya, what the hell‽"
"I'm sorry," he said again. "I couldn't have you running off to talk to one of the staff about what you heard. This is a really sensitive issue."
"Sensitive‽ Midoriya, Yaomomo made it sound like you were trained by Villains!"
"No, I was trained by Vigilantes," he shot back before he could stop himself, the verdet flinching as he caught himself. He rubbed the back of his neck before flinching at the pin-and-needles feeling leftover in his hand by Kyoka's Quirk. "Shit, that was not the best way to start."
"What‽"
"Damn, I wish we had a pamphlet for this," he muttered, his voice so low that anyone else would have missed it. "Just… give me a moment, Jiro. I need to send a message."
"What, to have me killed?"
"Of course not! You're an innocent! We—! I need to just stop talking…"
"No, let's just stand here in silence!" Kyoka growled. "That's a great way to explain!"
"Look, Momo and I… we're on opposite sides of a battle that has been going on for over two millennia. If she were to know I was aware, my life would fall apart. Well, more than it already tries to." He sighed, his phone beeping once as he sent a message. "How much did you hear?"
"She mentioned the USJ attack."
"Ok," Izuku nodded, running through the conversation in his head. "Ok, I can salvage this. Alright!" Izuku sucked in a breath, psyching himself up. "Jiro, what I am going to tell you cannot be spread around. If this information gets out to the wider public, we could have a full-scale civil war on our hands, ok?"
Kyoka swallowed thickly, nodding carefully.
"That said, we can have your memory erased if you want. You can forget all about this. Honestly, sometimes I wish I'd taken that option." He rubbed his neck again. "Anyway, Momo and her family are members of an ancient order of knights hellbent on bringing about a world utopia. One problem to that, they have to be in control and anyone who disagrees has to die for their beloved dream of peace. They are the Knights' Templar."
"And you all?" the punk girl questioned.
"We've been their direct enemies since the sides encountered each other during the Crusades in the Middle East. I don't know the details of our origins —Egyptian, I think, but don't quote me on that— but we oppose the Templars for a dream that humanity can move past violence by choice. A peace brought about by war and fear is nothing but tyranny. And when tyrants rule, the innocent suffer. We are the shadow that rips tyrants from their thrones. Our reputation is meant to keep the powerful honest and humble, lest we come for them next. With the Templars organizing stuff, though, it's not as effective as we would like and we have to be more… direct."
"What is your group called, Midoriya?" Kyoka demanded, noting how Izuku tried to do everything but name them.
"We are the Brotherhood of Assassins, ribbit."
Kyoka spun, her eyes widening as she saw Tsuyu climbing the fence. The frog-girl didn't seem bothered in the slightest, easily using her tongue to reach the roof where she landed without a sound. She stood, making eye contact with Kyoka before her eyes moved to Izuku.
"Izuku, you suck at the whole 'hide in plain sight' thing."
"Tsu, I swear I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble finds me."
"Maybe you have a bad luck Quirk, ribbit."
"If I didn't have Eagle Vision, I would agree with you. My luck sucks."
"Wait wait wait," Jiro muttered. "Tsu, you… You know about this?"
"I was born into the Brotherhood," the verdette nodded. "Izuku and I are the Brotherhood's newest links to UA. We really do want to be Heroes, ribbit, but we cannot let the Templars do whatever they want when they control the courts. Too many suffer at their hands and we are the only ones who can punish them."
"B-But the law—"
"Is slow and can be bought," Izuku said. Tsuyu moved to stand beside him rather than trap Kyoka between them. "Evidence gained illegally is inadmissible in court, plus they have plants in most police departments. True justice is too slow to catch everyone, especially a group as organized, wealthy, and powerful as the Templars."
"We alone stand defiant against their tyranny, ribbit," Tsuyu nodded. "We alone accept the darkness of the world so others may enjoy the light."
"Are… Are you just going to gloss over calling yourselves assassins‽" Kyoka demanded. The green-haired students glanced at each other.
"We tried going mostly clean at the turn of the millennia right before the Dawn of Quirks, ribbit," Tsuyu began. "Corporate espionage, hacking for evidence, that sort of thing. That went terribly, ribbit. The Templars took over almost every country in the world within a decade and their hit squads started hunting what Assassins remained like game animals. A solar flare almost destroyed the world, ribbit, but one of ours went back to our roots. He used Templar technology to relive his ancestors' lives to find the key to saving the world, at the cost of his own life. After that, we had to go back, ribbit. Our methods got more… direct, like they used to be."
"You're killers," Kyoka said. "You murder people."
"Murder is such an ugly word," Izuku grumbled, wringing his hands.
"Actually, murder implies emotional connection, ribbit," Tsuyu commented. "We are Assassins. We target those who would use their power to control the masses for their own gain. Those for whom the law will not come."
"Whatever you call it, it's still illegal!" Jiro said.
"It's the only way," Tsuyu shot back. "To those who have too many connections, ribbit, death is the only punishment they cannot escape."
"Are you… Are you going to kill Yaomomo?"
"No," Izuku shook his head. "We are forbidden by the principal from targeting any of our classmates or teachers."
"The principal knows‽"
"Maybe I should just stop talking…"
"You do have a tendency to put your foot in your mouth, Izuku, ribbit."
As the Assassins bantered, Kyoka was left with a reeling mind. It was so much information all at once, most of it she couldn't comprehend. She'd seen the heroic hearts both Izuku and Tsuyu possessed; suddenly learning they were both members of a murderous organization just didn't click.
"…Why?" she finally whispered, the pair going silent as her question. "Why? Tsu— Asui said she was born into it, but why you, Midoriya?"
"Because…" Izuku sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "Because they were the only ones who ever believed in me. When I was introduced to the Brotherhood, I was a scrawny weakling whose only role in the world was as Bakugo's punching bag. Everyone thought I was Quirkless, so they let it happen, even when he told me to take a swan dive out the window and pray I'd have a Quirk in the next life. Then I was attacked by a Templar Villain, a sludge man who wanted to use me as a meat puppet and disguise. The woman who would become one of my trainers saved me and the rest, as they say, is history."
"We aren't evil," Tsuyu put in, striking while the iron was hot. "Our methods aren't exactly good either, but the world isn't black-and-white like Hero society makes it look, ribbit. We aren't Heroes and Villains or cops and crooks. There is nothing but shades of grey. We do what we must to preserve this delicate balance, ribbit, to let the people have their freedom of choice without the Templars' boot on their necks."
"I… I don't know what to say," Kyoka breathed.
"Please, don't say anything," Izuku requested. "We could have your memory wiped, but thinking about it, that isn't feasible."
"Why not, ribbit?" his fellow Apprentice blinked, turning an eye on her fellow green-head.
"Jiro's hearing is just too good. We're lucky it took this long before she heard something, and that only happened because Momo tried to confront me with her suspicions."
"That's what she wanted, ribbit?"
"Honestly, that explains a lot," Kyoka commented. "I knew there was something weird going on between you two. I've known since the study party as Yaomomo's."
"That long?" Izuku gasped.
"I could hear the two of you on the rooftops when we arrived, but I thought it was some sort of secret romance you didn't want anyone to know about. This? This is far beyond anything I imagined."
"It's not a pretty story," the male agreed, running a hand through his hair. "Look. We can't —won't— force you to join us, Jiro, but we can't let you just run around with this information."
"Then…" She swallowed, taking a step back. "W-What are you going to do?"
"We'll tell Mentor and Master Aizawa, and I'll take whatever punishment I've earned by screwing up this badly."
"To be fair, ribbit," Tsuyu croaked, "Yaoyorozu did spring that on you and Kyoka has better hearing than the average person. It was a unique set of circumstances."
"Great!" Izuku rolled his eyes. "That downgrades everything from a 'wish I were dead' training to a 'can't walk' training."
"Then Aizawa-sensei really is a member of this cu… of this Brotherhood?" Kyoka amended.
"He is," Izuku confirmed. "I imagine he'll be the primary person to keep an eye on you, along with Tsu and me while you're in school. If word gets out, though, and we trace it back to you, the Brotherhood will have your head no matter what we say." He sighed, idly rubbing his facial scar. "Shit, Master Aizawa's gonna tease me about this."
"You are his Problem Child, ribbit," Tsuyu chuckled. She turned to Kyoka, her mirth draining away in an instant. Hardened eyes stared into Kyoka's soul. "I trust we can count on your discretion, Kyoka? If for no other reason than fear of what repercussions would await both you and society, ribbit?"
"I… Yeah," the punk girl replied, rubbing her arms as a shiver ran down her spine. "Since… Since I know about this now, can I… can I talk to you two or Aizawa-sensei about it?
"We probably won't be able to answer most of your questions, ribbit, but sure." Tsuyu offered a hand. "Kyoka, you're now a Brotherhood informant, whether you like it or not."
Taking the hand, Kyoka cursed her enhanced hearing. On the other hand, all this made her upcoming work-study seem so much simpler.
"Good," Tsuyu nodded, turning to the door. "Come on, ribbit, we still have a couple minutes of lunch left. We should tell Master Aizawa now while he doesn't have time to give us a lecture. And Izuku?"
"Yes, Tsu?"
"You owe me your pudding, ribbit."
"What? Why?"
"For dragging your ass out of the fire… Problem Child."
"Oh, not you, too! Eri still calls me that!"
Kyoka watched the pair walk away, bantering with each other like any other students in the school. She played with the hem of her skirt, still trying to understand everything. With her mind still overwhelmed, she decided to shove everything away for later and focus on the present.
And that meant getting back to class.
End of Chapter 52
Oh no! The principal teases Izuku about his sins to confirm his theories! Momo decides it's time to press her suspicions and Izuku doesn't seem to believe her! Kyoka goes to sort out her work-study problem only to find herself in the middle of world-changing information! What will our intrepid heroic Assassins do now that their classmate is an information risk? One thing is for sure: Nezu must find all this very entertaining!
Read and Review!
-SwordOfTheGods