A bit of language here.
Deku didn't like interrogating like this. He followed the law in numerous instances, but questioning by using Paraly-Stare was more of a Dark Ages strategy. Comic book heroes of the old world used similar methods to inspire fear in their victims to save lives. Some were good at it, but not all of them. Of all of them, Deku was one of the good ones.
Paraly-Stare. This power projected the holder's fear in the form of a wavelength. The more fear he held, the more he could cast. The power could temporarily paralyze someone with a glance, unlike Eraserhead's Erase ability, which required a consistent line of sight. Thankfully, Deku didn't solely use this power to interrogate.
Cutting the power allowed him to create an opening within Ketki's mind. The blitz attack further weakened his defenses, allowing him to use a small amount of Paraly-Stare to freeze him. Once he was frozen, Deku used his gauntlets to keep the fear without using his Quirk. That was the strategy that made Deku feel a little better.
Just a little.
Deku kept his place behind Ketki. A part of his body was in the man's peripheral field of view. "What is your name, sir?"
Ketki gulped. "Senki Ketki, sir..."
Deku nodded. "Who are you working for?"
"T-The Discord Organization."
"How did they hire you?" He's cooperating, but I'm not limiting his Quirk. If he teleports, this interview is over.
Deku slightly tightened his grip on Ketki's head. This action made the teleporting villain gasp. "T-There were these guys. They wore s-s-suits, I think," he continued. "They asked me about my Quirk."
"And you told them you teleport based on an anchor made of your blood, right?" Deku asked.
"Oh, God..." Ketki whispered. "H-How did you...?"
"Because I know you, Senki Ketki. I know about the vial of blood your partners left at the train explosion site. I know what you can do. You're an extraction specialist and could've become a Search and Rescue hero with proper training. Instead, you're taking money from a terrorist organization," Deku said.
"A-A what?!"
"You heard me. By targeting a mode of interstate transportation, you actively engaged in an act of terror. You can save your soul by working with me or damn yourself by protecting the Chaos King. And trust me when I say he won't miss you when you get carted off to prison," the Symbol of Peace continued.
Ketki tried to shift his weight around, but he still felt frozen. "Now...where is he? Where is the kid you kidnapped from the wreckage?" Deku asked.
Ketki felt a cold sweat run down the back of his head. Goosebumps formed as he felt his heart rate pick up. "I...I don't..."
Deku's fingers continued to dig into his scalp. "Choose your words carefully..." he warned.
"I-I swear, I don't know where he is. T-The boss gave us a drop-off point in the city. It was this...a warehouse. We dropped him off, left the area, and then we got paid," Ketki said.
"Where is the warehouse?!" Deku squeezed harder.
"N-NEAR THE PORT OF TOKYO! There are train yards there! No one goes out there anymore, so it was perfect!"
The Symbol growled. "I'm not liking this discussion so far..."
Ketki whimpered. "I want to know about the bomb you used. You snuck by heroes with powerful sensory Quirks," Deku continued.
Ketki was about to respond, but his cell phone started to ring. By the saints...please, don't let it be them...
Deku moved his hand from Ketki's scalp and moved to the table. He reached over, allowing the teleporting villain to glimpse the hero. Deku kept his hood up, and his respirator appeared darker in the shadows. He grabbed the phone and turned to the villain, revealing his glowing blue eyes.
Ketki felt something damp as Deku moved back. If he needed to use the restroom before, he didn't need to.
Deku pressed the phone to Ketki's ear. "Answer it. If you tell them about our discussion or hint at it, you'll pay the consequences," he whispered.
The teleporter nodded as Deku pressed the Answer button. "H-Hello?"
"Ketki! Dammit, man, where you at?!"
Oh, God... "Gelatinous?"
"Well, duh! So where are you? The boss called and said the next part of the job was live. We're already there, but we're waiting on you."
Deku leaned over to Ketki's left side. "W-What's the job again?"
"Seriously? Did you hit your head on something in the shop?"
Ketki chuckled nervously. "Yeah, breaker shorted, and I tripped on something..." He glanced over at where Deku was. He didn't say anything or react by squeezing his head. "I-I'm okay now..."
"You idiot. I guess teleporting is out of the question then?"
Ketki chuckled nervously. "Y-Yeah. Teleporting with a headache is..."
"Risky, got it! It also doesn't help that I don't have your blood. Anyway, it's the kid's mom. Inko Midoriya. She has a mild telepathy Quirk. Guess the boss wants her too," the villain said.
Ketki felt the mood in the room shift. "Um...right. I-I guess you want the van, right? The boss..."
"Yeah, yeah, bring the van. Just FYI, she ain't a looker. Bring a bag or something to cover her face. Still, that payday will be worth it. 'Course, we need to ask for pay per kilo."
A sense of dread washed over Ketki. Goosebumps rushed up the back of his head. Deku's claws dug deeper into his scalp. Is something burning? "N-No kidding?"
The villain laughed. "Yeah, she's something. 'Course, I'd be that big too if I had a kid constantly going crazy with his Quirk. So when are you coming?"
Ketki gulped. "Um...give me 20 minutes. It's late, so there shouldn't be any traffic," he said.
"Sweet. We'll be waiting."
Please don't hang u...he hung up. Ketki's eyes widened when Gelatinous hung up.
"Pay per kilo?" Deku growled.
Ketki gulped. Deku made a 'tut tut' sound as his hand dropped to the back of his head. His claws scraped against his scalp. "Saying something like that about someone's mother? For shame."
"W-Well...it's not like he heard that, right?" Ketki squeaked.
The room felt warmer. "Oh, trust me..."
Deku swept Ketki off his feet while pushing down on his head. The teleporting villain didn't have a chance to react before his forehead slammed into the table. He pulled the villain up and threw him across the shop. The teleporter landed on one of the cars with a groan. "He knows."
Ketki rolled off the car hood and crumpled to the ground. As Deku approached, Ketki's eyes shimmered blue. "Got an anchor..." He muttered.
The Symbol of Peace reached out, but the villain disappeared in a flash of blue. Deku swore as Ketki reappeared and punched him in the face before vanishing. Ketki reappeared in a different location and continued his guerrilla assault.
He dropped enough blood to secure an anchor point. I gave him a slight advantage...
Ketki landed another blow, inching closer to ripping the hood off and revealing his identity. But his advantage means nothing when he's predictable.
As the villain appeared for another strike, Deku reached out and grabbed him by the neck. Ketki's eyes bugged out as he tried kicking Deku. The villain grunted before staring into the hero's eyes. He didn't have Paraly-Stare active, but the hood still cloaked his face in the darkness.
Ketki growled and pulled back, activating his Quirk on the both of them. It felt like Deku had fallen into a hole in the floor before reappearing at one of the walls. The maneuver gave Ketki an opening as he slipped away into another teleport. Deku got to his feet as another punch landed across his cheek.
While he couldn't see him, Danger Sense gave him a small window to predict where he would end up. Ketki wasn't his first guerrilla enemy, and he wouldn't be his last.
Ketki reappeared on his left. Deku smiled as he stepped to the left and swung his arm out. The villain was clothes-lined by his metal gauntlet and landed on the floor. The villain's eyesight was unfocused and shaky as the hooded hero towered over him—his hood revealing an emptiness with a hint of blue leaking from the abyss.
Deku leaned in. "Don't worry, Ketki, your friends will be alright. Of course...insulting someone's mother like that comes with consequences, am I right?"
The villain groaned. "The police will be here soon. In the meantime, a well-deserved rest is just what you need after a long day." Deku growled.
The Teleporting Trickster gulped as Deku's clawed hand loomed over his face. The villain lost consciousness soon after being engulfed in darkness.
It was a long day for Inko Midoriya.
She was close to clocking out at her job at a local hospital, but then the phones started ringing. A train crash along the coastline caused significant damage, and people needed medical treatment. She helped the residents get extra rooms and equipment ready for the flood of patients and prepared for a disaster that rarely happened at her job.
When the patients came in, she got the processes done quickly. People were checked in, doctors and nurses were running through the halls, getting to everybody, and lives were being saved. She would've done more. Thankfully, she was relieved after two more administrative staffers came in. In the middle of the chaos, however, Inko's phone had died.
Usually, a quick charge would've been acceptable, but her car charge cable had fizzled out on her on the way to work. She couldn't grab the cable she had in the hospital, so she resigned to charge when she got home.
Grabbing a quick bite to eat, Inko made her trip home, unaware that several U.A. students were also on the train, including her son and his girlfriend. That very girlfriend tried calling and telling her about what happened to Izuku.
When she got home, Inko switched the lights and plugged her phone in to charge on the table by the door. She put her stuff away and changed into comfortable clothes. Before she could sit down and eat, her phone started pinging like crazy.
Inko checked her notifications. Ten missed calls, and almost all of them were from Uraraka. Some from U.A., including a frantic series of text messages from All Might, pleading with her to answer her phone.
She called Uraraka. The first ring was barely finished before the young gravity girl picked up. "Inko?"
"Ochaco? What happened?"
"Guys, I got her!" Her voice was far away. "Inko, where are you?"
"I just got home. It was busy at the hospital. Did you hear about the train crash?" She asked.
"Inko, please listen carefully. Something happened. We were on that train!"
Inko's stomach dropped. "W-Wha?"
"Me, Izuku, and some of our class. We were on the train, and it wasn't a crash!"
"Izuku...wait, he hasn't texted." Her eyes widened. "MY BABY BOY! WHERE IS HE?! IS HE HURT?!"
She heard a sniffle. Oh no... "H-He was taken. It was a villain attack. Inko, they took him..."
Her stomach turned to ice. "Inko, there are heroes nearby. Get to someplace safe until they can get to you."
Before she could answer, a loud pounding came from the door. "INKO MIDORIYA! WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"
The voice was stern and demanding. She stepped back only to be stopped by her charger cable. "COME ON OUT! WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR SON!"
The phone dropped on the floor. "INKO!" Uraraka called out.
Inko was about to run for the balcony, but the door cracked and fell apart, revealing the villains from the train accident. One of the villains wore a brown coat and hood with chains wrapped around his torso. Padlocks held the chains together. He wore fingerless gloves that were glowing a bright green color.
The giant blob behind him smiled. "Good evening, missy. We're looking for Inko Midoriya. You haven't seen her by any chance, have you?" He asked.
Inko's eyes widened. She was frozen in place. The other villain with large spikes for hands nudged at the hooded villain and waved his arms around. "We're on our own here, Hardwire. Let's grab her and get out of here before the heroes show up," he said.
Hardwire sneered while looking her up and down. "Yeah...a bit chubby for my tastes. Just GET THE BITCH!"
Gelatinous and Hardwire lunged into battle. The mute villain leaped around her, bouncing off the walls before appearing behind her. The blob villain turned his hands into large spiky balls while inching closer. Inko started to panic, but a flash from one of Izuku's notebooks showed her why she kept the chairs out from the tables.
She poured her strength into her telekinesis to grab one of the chairs. Thanks to her hard work and dedication, Inko did some extra Quirk training by moving the furniture around the apartment. Once she got a hold of the chair, she swung her arm, throwing it at Gelatinous. The villain cursed as Inko ran by him.
The young woman stopped before she made it to the door. Mind-Loque stood between her and freedom with his ghostly chain wrapped around his hand. "You ain't leaving without us, missy."
Inko whimpered as Loque approached her. With two villains behind her and another in front, she was confident she wouldn't be safe for a while.
A TAP-TAP-TAP came from the balcony window behind them. The two villains turned to see what it was.
"You guys know you're breaking and entering, right?"
Deku was perched on the balcony, facing into the apartment. He was still wearing his outfit from earlier without Paraly-Stare. The shadow cast over his face only revealed the respirator. A faint shine from his eyes could be seen under the darkness.
The young hero jumped onto the balcony and opened the door. "Ms. Midoriya, you need to get to Ms. Puri's apartment and have her seal the area. I'll let you know when it's safe!" He declared.
Inko gasped. Hardwire snarled, causing arcs of electricity to dance on his spikes. Gelatinous stalked toward the hero. "What fool gives away a hiding space like that? You some kind of rookie?"
Deku didn't respond. Mind-Loque stepped into the apartment with a sneer. "Forget about him, boys. Just grab the whale and..."
As soon as he spoke, the room felt hot. Deku clenched his fists before forming the Claws in his gauntlets. Mind-Loque fired his ghostly chains, missing the hero by a hair. He countered by firing Blackwhip and wrapping around the villain. "Let's step outside for a chat!"
Pulling back with the power of the Eight, Deku flung the villains out of the patio door. Inko ducked under the flying villain and ran out the door. Before she fled, however, she turned back to the hero. Be safe... she thought.
The three villains slammed into a box truck. Gelatinous cushioned the crash for Mind-Loque and Hardwire by using his body. The villains reoriented themselves as Deku landed in front of them.
Hardwire sharpened his spikes on the asphalt. Mind-Loque dusted his cloak before turning to Gelatinous. "Hold him down while I lock him down. Hardwire, get the target and get to safety."
The mute villain nodded. Mind-Loque summoned his ghostly chains. "Let's see what you're made of, brat!"
Deku clenched his fists. Hardwire charged with his spikes poised to strike. He moved to stab, only to miss the hero by a hair. Deku countered with a rising uppercut into the villain's stomach, launching him into the air. As he flew, Gelatinous moved in with his giant fist already flying at him.
The young hero blocked the attack, but the force still sent him into the side of a car. Gelatinous vaulted over the ground and slammed into Deku, pinning him to the car. "I GOT HIM!"
Mind-Loque smiled. "Then get the target, and-"
Suddenly, Gelatinous shrieked. He launched himself off of Deku and swatted at himself. "GET 'EM OFF ME! HELP ME!"
Hardwire picked himself up and stared at his comrade. Invisible spiders? Is this his Quirk? he thought.
"Don't just sit there, you mute bastard! Get the hero!" Mind-Loque screamed.
Hardwire turned to the hero, only to be punched in the face. Mind-Loque fired his ghostly chains at the hero. Deku caught both of them and pulled back, causing the villain to fly toward him. The Symbol of Peace clothes-lined him, knocking him on his back.
Gelatinous, overcoming the invisible spiders, lunged at Deku. "I hate spiders, but I hate you even more!"
Deku turned to the villain. "Interesting...my Quirk made you think there were spiders. I'm gonna need to experiment later," he mused.
"Experiment with this!" The villain punched Deku in the face. The impact caused a shockwave to rumble through the street, but Gelatinous's moment of triumph lasted less than a second.
Deku didn't raise an arm to guard and certainly didn't try to dodge it. Instead, he took the punch head-on. Thanks to Gela's transparent body, Deku flashed the villain with Paraly-Stare before ducking and charging at the villain. He jammed his fist into Gela's stomach, sticking them together.
The villain gasped. "It's time you guys learn The 5 Rules of Fighting Heroes," Deku growled. He planted his feet into a sturdy stance and lifted the villain off the ground. "Rule number 1: Targeting children is forbidden!"
Deku shifted his stance with a mighty stomp and threw Gelatinous into a light pole. He grunted as he slid down and collapsed on the ground. "Rule number 2: Wil-"
Mind-Loque seized his chance to attack by firing a ghostly chain at point-blank range. The chain sank into Deku's forehead, causing him to stumble. Mind-Loque smiled as he clenched his outstretched hand. "You are a very chatty vigilante," he mused. "But no one can resist my chains!"
Hardwire groaned as he picked himself up. His nose was red, and he was dazed from the punch. He focused on the scene in front of him; a smile crept on his face as he saw Deku trapped by Mind-Loque.
Once on his feet, Hardwire charged his spikes. "Take him down and rip that hood off. Vigilantes have it worse than us!" Mind-Loque said.
The mute villain charged in, poised to strike. When he got close, Blackwhip emerged from Deku's back and sent Hardwire flying. The Symbol of Peace smiled as he looked up; his respirator collapsed into the chin brace.
Mind-Loque gasped when he made eye contact with Deku. His eyes were glowing green. "What an interesting twist for you, isn't it?" Deku whispered.
The villain gasped. "Ho-How?"
"You see, you have the power to trap a person's consciousness with your chains for a max of two victims. You succeeded in trapping one consciousness, but I don't have one consciousness..."
His eyes started to glow blue. "I HAVE NINE!"
At his declaration, the ghostly chains shattered, causing an energetic backlash that launched Mind-Loque into a mailbox. The villain groaned as he rubbed his head. He looked up at Deku and gasped.
The Symbol of Peace. The World's Greatest Hero. The Successor to All Might. None of these names applied to the hero stalking toward Mind-Loque. Without the respirator, Deku's sneer was evident, along with Paraly-Stare leaking through the shadow of his hood. The claws of his gauntlets were sharpened to a point.
This is wrong...he ain't no hero, and no vigilante would be this strong without going pro, Mind-Loque thought. I-Is he one of us? A villain??
When he got close enough, Deku continued listing his rules. "Rule number 2: Willfully targeting the innocent will end badly for villains," he said. "Rule number 3-"
Deku tilted his head to the side, dodging a spike from Hardwire. He tried attacking from behind, but his attack earned him an elbow to the stomach. The hero swung his arm, knocking the mute villain back. Deku turned to the villain behind him. "Rule number 3: Fight with honor!" He bellowed.
Mind-Loque had an idea. He was bluffing with that nine-consciousness bullshit. If I double up, he won't be able to break the lock. His mind is strong, but not THAT strong!
The villain hurried to his feet and thrust his arms out. He fired two ghostly chains connecting by a single padlock. Lockdown Level: Alcatraz! You lose, rival!
Mind-Loque didn't expect Deku to dodge at the last second. He also didn't expect the attack to land against Hardwire, locking them together. The mute villain slumped over with wide eyes and a droopy face. In his mind, a thousand steel doors slammed shut. His mind conjured an image of the infamous island prison as the attack sealed his fate.
Mind-Loque flicked his fingers out, attempting to sever the connection, but Deku froze him with Paraly-Stare. The Symbol of Peace grabbed the chains and yanked them back, causing the two villains to fly through the air.
"RULE NUMBER 4!"
As the villains flew back, Deku whipped the chain forward. The sudden change caused the villains to slam each other before being sent forward. "DON'T YOU EVER, EVER!"
The villains slammed into each other again before being sent back. "CALL MY MOTHER A BITCH!"
With his fury, Deku started to whip the villains back and forth, causing bone-crunching pain to erupt between them. He continued to whip them around until he felt they got the message. With one mighty throw, Deku launched the villains into Gelatinous. The chain bound him to the pole while their momentum caused them to spin around until they slammed into each other.
Unfortunately for Hardwire, he involuntarily activated his Quirk with the final hit. Electricity surged through the villains, causing them all to scream. "And rule number 5-"
Deku started panting. "Obey all rules as if Divine Law," he said breathlessly.
Hardwire's electric shock ceased after a few seconds, causing Mind-Loque to slump over. Tha-That's impossible!
The lockdown villain looked up to meet Deku's piercing blue eyes towering over him. The Symbol of Peace reached out with his claws and grabbed the cell phone in his pocket. "H-How did you?"
"Your friend cracked like an egg...of course, you need to know the right amount of pressure to avoid breaking too much of the shell," Deku said.
Deku looked at the cell phone. It was a basic touchscreen pay-per-minute type of phone. It had all of the gizmos and gadgets that a regular cell phone, including a texting app and a GPS.
There was no password, allowing the Symbol of Peace to access the phone quickly. He clicked on the Maps app and searched the recently searched list. There was an address for a warehouse, the Midoriya Residence, and a new address. Deku checked the text message app and found that Mind-Loque received the new address from an unknown number.
Rookie mistake...unless they wanted me to search the phone. The Chaos King likely wanted me to keep playing his sick game. If this was a setup, then the last address is probably a trap...or nothing at all.
Deku turned to Mind-Loque. "Thank you for your cooperation," he said. He turned on his heel and walked away.
The villain couldn't respond. With his Quirk still active and the injuries he sustained, all of his energy was sapped. He hung his head and let sleep take him.
Deku climbed the stairs to the Puri Residence. He lowered his hood, retracted his jaw brace, and slipped off his gauntlets.
The old Puri resident was a friend of the family. She helped him stitch his wounds whenever Bakugo had one of his moods. She gave him fresh clothes, food, and a safe space until his mom returned from work. Thanks to her job, Deku had access to essential first-aid gear, including gauze, rubbing alcohol, bandages, dry wipes, bandaids, and more. He even made a first-aid kit after taking a CPR course online.
When he arrived, Deku knocked three times, paused, and knocked two more times. "Ms. Puri, it's safe to come out now," he called out.
He heard a gasp. "The villains are tied up and waiting for the police to arrive," he said.
Silence met him at the door. He paused for a minute before a smile formed. He could only hope that she didn't forget the password. "Farras, Seri, Fo, Toa."
The sound of energy winding down and locks unlocking caused Deku to stand back. The door swung open, revealing an older woman with a third eye on her forehead and silver hair. Behind her was Inko, peering over the resident's shoulder with wide eyes.
Deku smiled and bowed. "Thank you, Ms. Puri. Every day I am reminded of your kindness and your unwavering strength," he said.
Ms. Puri smiled. She stepped aside, allowing Inko to approach the young hero.
Deku knelt in front of his mother and lifted his head. His emerald eyes shone against hers. She reached out and cupped his cheek. "H-Hisashi?" She muttered.
Deku smiled. "Nope. But I've been told I have his eyes," he whispered.
Inko gasped. "I-Izuku? Is-Is that you?"
Deku nodded. "Don't worry, mom, because I am here."
The Midoriya matriarch lunged out and wrapped her son in a bear hug. The Symbol of Peace returned the hug with a massive smile. He rubbed the center of her back as he continuously whispered, "Everything will be okay" to her.
At least she's safe. Now to find Izuku.
Holy SAINTS! This took a while!
Hi everyone, I want to apologize for taking so long with this update. School ended for me, and work got a little more hectic. My personal and work responsibilities started to pile up, and while that quantity was lower than I expected, the quality made up for the numbers.
With whatever free time I've had, I've been writing this, rewriting this, reading other fics, and getting into new anime. I've Been Killing Slime for 300 Years, Spy x Family, and I've Been Reincarnated as a Slime have been distracting me. I've also started to read some Midoriya Polycule fics, and they've been pretty good. It's interesting what people come up with.
The next chapter will be shorter before getting into the final confrontation
I've also been brainstorming more stories, which isn't good because I want to write those while trying to write this. If there were more of me, that wouldn't be an issue.
Please leave feedback if you can. They help me out a lot.
Until the next!
GO BEYOND!