Midoriya grumbled to himself as he made his way through an underground labyrinth. With every turn, he could feel himself growing more and more annoyed. The reason for his annoyance wasn't just because of the endless and unnecessarily complex layout, but also because he had been called in on his day off. His "friend", Kai Chisaki, had called him in because he had some sort of assignment. Normally, Midoriya would have told him to shove it, but his comment about gramps left him with no choice.
When Midoriya finally reached the room he was looking for, he found Kai sitting on the couch with his right hand man, Kurono, standing behind him. Midoriya narrowed his eyes as he approached them.
"What's with the new look Kai?"
Kai leaned back as he interlocked his fingers. "I go by Overhaul now."
Midoriya raised an eye at him. "Call yourself whatever you want. Now what's with the new look?"
Kai sighed as he leaned forward. "I thought it would be fitting since I'm now the new leader of the Shie Hassaikai."
Midoriya looked him over again. Kai usually wore an all black outfit consisting of pants and dress shirt with a skinny, gray tie, along with his black face mask and white gloves. His new look kept the base, but he added in a dark olive green bomber jacket that had a thick purple collar. He also switched out his black face mask for a magenta plague mask with gold accents.
"I think your fashion sense needs work. Now what's this about you being the new boss? Last I checked, gramps hasn't kicked the bucket."
Kai motioned for Midoriya to sit down, which Midoriya reluctantly did. "Pops is in a coma, so until he's better I'm acting head."
"You're a scientist, why don't you just use your quirk and fix what's wrong?"
"I told Pops that I was going to bring the Yakuza back to glory, once I've done that I'll fix him."
Midoriya sent a glare at Kai and Kurono. "Don't tell me this has to do with your grand master plan."
Kai returned the glare. "And what if it does?"
Midoriya sighed as he relaxed into his chair. "Because it's crazy: you want to use a little girl's blood to fund an entire drug monopoly. We both know gramps wouldn't allow that."
"Pops isn't in charge now, I am, so I'm going to put this plan into motion. We've already started testing the drug and soon we'll be able to distribute the samples to get people interested. Once that happens we can sell the full product as well as a cure- the Yakuza will once again rule the underworld."
"You're gonna get everyone killed, or sent to jail."
Kai shook his head. "As long as everyone does their part right, there will be no issues."
"And what exactly is my part? I'm guessing it's safe to assume that's the 'important job' you have for me."
Kai leaned in slightly. "There's two things I need you to do. The first is to fulfill your role as one of the Eight Bullets."
Midoriya sighed. "What exactly does that involve?"
"Your side hobby will come in handy for this, we need supporters and avenues for creating and dispensing the drug."
Midoriya sucked his teeth as he listened to Kai's first job. Even though he couldn't see it because of the mask, he knew there was a shit eating grin under it.
"Alright, then what's the second job?"
Kai's tone turned even more serious as he sat upright. "I want you to watch over Eri from now on."
"…You want me to babysit?"
"Not exactly, I just want you to make sure she's happy and stays out of trouble."
"Not happening."
Kai narrowed his eyes, clearly upset. "This isn't a suggestion."
"Look Kai-"
"Overhaul."
"Whatever. The reason it's not happening is: I live in Tokyo. I'm not taking the train here everyday to babysit and I'm sure as hell not moving in here. I already have connections and a job over there."
"I can see where you're coming from, but I need someone I can trust to look after her. We've had to clean up too many bloodstains recently."
"Then why not use Kurono, he's here every day?"
"Kurono will be busy helping me with the drug; therefore he won't have time for that."
"And you think I do? Gramps gave me permission to find out who killed my parents. Just because he's in a coma now doesn't mean you can change that."
"That's true, the boss rules stay in effect until he dies. As long as his heart beats you're able to search, so how about we come to a compromise."
"… I had a feeling you would say that."
"It's the only way we can come to an agreement."
"Fine, just tell me your idea already."
"You can stay In Tokyo, but your schedule changes from a few times a week on week off. I think that's fair and it gives you more time to chase down leads."
"I'll need a flat to stay in. I'm not staying at the compound."
"Alright, but don't expect a penthouse and you're furnishing it yourself, also you're responsible for finding someone to watch Eri while you're gone."
"I can work with that."
"Then have we come to an agreement?"
"Actually one more thing. Are you done experimenting on her?"
"More or less, all I need now are blood samples."
"Alright, then I want you to leave all decisions regarding Eri to me. I'll draw the blood for you, but I want you to stop treating her like a lab rat."
"That's acceptable, but what do you mean by all decisions?"
"I want her to be able to enjoy life a little instead of being locked inside that room forever."
"Denied, if she gets seen, people might start asking questions and that will ruin the entire plan."
"She's a person, if she's unhappy her health will deteriorate and that could stall your plan."
Kai flexed his hand. "I can always fix that."
Midoriya opened his hand and a fireball danced on his palm. "You already agreed to stop treating her as a lab rat."
Kurono leaned over to whisper in Kai's ear. "I don't think it's such a bad idea Overhaul, her being happy would make a lot of things smoother. Besides, if anyone starts asking questions, Phoenix is more than capable of putting an end to them."
Kai sighed and relaxed his hand. "Fine, but she can't leave unless you're supervising her and she has to be back before dark."
The fireball dissipated from Midoriya's hand as he closed it. "I can work with that."
"Good, so we have a deal?"
"Well there's one more thing I need from you."
Kai groaned at his words. "What now?"
"I want you to heal her arms and legs. You made those scars so fix them."
Kai narrowed his eyes. "And why should I do that?"
"That girl is terrified of you, if you heal her arms and legs it shows her you're not all bad. It would also make it easier for her to cooperate when I take her blood."
Kai sighed and interlocked his fingers again. "Fine, I'll heal her, but you know you've been making a lot of demands and this deal is very much favoring you. I'll need you to do something for me in return."
"Then when your drug reaches the trial phase I'll personally help test it."
Kai nodded. "Very well, I'll accept that."
Midoriya reached out his hand. "Then it's a deal."
Kai reciprocated the gesture and shook Midoriya's hand. "We have a deal. I'll have a place for you by Saturday, so don't be still have someone looking after her for now so you have time to find someone."
Midoriya stood up and started to leave the room. "I'll explain everything to Eri, then I'm leaving and those scars better be gone by Sunday."
Before Midoriya could open the door Kai called out to him. "You know, you seem awfully concerned for a little girl you know very little about. I can't help but wonder what's going through your mind."
Midoriya gripped the handle, but didn't open it. "Her and I have a few things in common, so I can't help but sympathize with her."
"Don't let that sympathy become a weak point for you."
Midoriya didn't answer him as he left, he was done with Kai for the day. His nails dug into the palms of his hands as he made his way to Eri's room. Talking with Kai always agitated him and it wasn't just because of his attitude. Kai's eyes pissed Midoriya off more than anything. Every time he saw those golden eyes he remembered the day his parents died and became filled with anger. It took a long time before Midoriya was able to have an actual conversation with Kai, but that didn't mean he enjoyed them.
By the time Midoriya made it to Eri's room he had calmed down. He never had many interactions with the young girl so he wasn't sure how she would react, but he didn't really have a choice. He sighed before slowly opening the door.
"Hey Eri, are you awake?"
The room was dark, only a small light illuminated it kept it from being swallowed by darkness. In the center of the room was a twin bed that had an odd sized lump in the center that was covered by blankets. Midoriya shook his head as he leaned against the inside of the door.
After a few minutes the lump began to move before throwing off the blankets. Midoriya wasn't surprised that she had pretended to be asleep hoping it would get her out of potential tests. Thankfully he wasn't here for that and even if he was her trick wouldn't have worked.
Eri jumped slightly when she saw Midoriya leaning against the door. Midoriya laughed, finding her shocked expression amusing.
"Hey Eri, I have some news for you."
Eri's hands clenched as she looked to bed. "Is… is it time?"
Midoriya shook his head. "You can relax, I'm not going to do anything to you- in fact no one is going to do anything like that to you again."
Eri looked up even more surprised. "Huh?"
"Kai put me in charge of you, so I told him he has to stop doing experiments on you. He'll still need blood samples from time to time, but I put an end to the worst part."
For an instant her face seemed to brighten before immediately going back to downcast.
"So now what do I do?"
Midoriya shrugged as he opened the door to leave. "I've got no clue, I'll be back Sunday."
Midoriya left the room before Eri could say or ask anything else. He was done for the day and wanted to get home as soon as possible. The trip here had taxed him more than he had expected, and all he wanted to do was sleep. As he made his way through the labyrinth again, his phone went off. He didn't recognize the number, but he had a good idea of who it could be.
Kendo: "Hey it's Kendo, did you make it to Osaka safely?"
Midoriya shook his head as he read the text, it had been awhile since someone had asked if he had made it anywhere safely.
Midoriya: "Yeah, I'm actually about to head back now."
Kendo: "Already!? Didn't you just get there!?"
Midoriya: "Yeah, but I'm done so there's no point in staying longer."
Kendo: "Oh, well is your grandpa doing alright?"
Midoriya looked at his phone confused for a minute before realizing the misunderstanding.
Midoriya: "He's in a coma at the moment, also he's not really my grandpa. He's more of a mentor but he's older so I just call him gramps."
Kendo: "That's terrible, do they know if he's going to be alright?"
Midoriya: "He'll be fine, he's a fighter."
Kendo: "That's good to hear."
Kendo: "So, I have an odd question?"
Midoriya: "What's up?"
Kendo: "Do you know how to fight?"
'How did I end up here?'
Midoriya found himself sprawled out on a padded floor, drenched in sweat. The day before, Kendo had asked him if he wanted to help her with some sparring. He had agreed, thinking it would be an easy way to clear his head, but that was before he found out that she was trained in multiple forms of martial arts. As he stared at the ceiling contemplating his decisions, he heard footsteps approaching him.
"You alright down there?"
"I am perfectly fine, I'm just doing some star stretches."
"Sure you are- try not to stretch too much."
Midoriya quickly sat up and sent a glare at Kendo, who was smiling confidently as she held two bottles of water in her hands.
"How are you not sweating, like at all? We've been at this for almost an hour."
She tossed him a bottle of water and took a drink of her own. "It's a women's trade secret."
Midoriya rolled his eyes as he stood up. "Whatever, so why did you want to spar with me?"
Kendo put her hands on her hips and looked at Midoriya annoyed. "I told you, I wanted to get practice against someone that is good at street fighting."
"Well I never said I was good."
"Trust me, you were plenty good. You honestly surprised me with how well you did."
"It didn't feel like it, but thanks."
The two of them continued to drink their waters while enjoying their break. Neither of them spoke to the other since they didn't know what to say. After a few minutes Kendo began to stretch again.
"Ready for another round?"
Midoriya checked his phone, it was a little after three. He took a moment to think before nodding. "Yeah, I have time for one more, but I'll have to go after that."
"Seriously, do you have a hot date or something?"
"Not exactly, but I am meeting up with some people tonight."
"Wow, you really do stay busy."
"It's better than being bored, now let's do this."
Kendo smirked, as she tossed her water to the side and got into her fighting stance. "Let's make this last one a good one."
Midoriya stood up and nodded as he adopted his fighting stance. "First to get knocked down, and no quirks, right?"
"Sounds good to me."
The two locked eyes and the room was filled with the intensity of two warriors. Midoriya was the first to make a move, he had learned from their first bout that it was a bad idea to rush her so he approached her cautiously. As he drew closer, he quickly stepped back as Kendo rushed him. The entire time they had been sparring, she had never made the first move, and the smirk on her face told him that she already had the upper hand.
Kendos punch had gone straight for Midoriya's stomach, but he managed to dodge thanks to his step back. Midoriya tried to knock her off balance with a leg sweep, but she easily jumped over it. They both separated to get their footings back.
"So, you finally decided to throw the first punch?"
"I can do more than fight defensively."
Again, Kendo rushed Midoriya, sending multiple punches towards his stomach. The speed for her punches was nothing crazy, but each one carried a significant amount of power behind it. If he wasn't careful- one misstep and he'd be on the ground. He was able to sidestep the first, but the second just barely grazed him, which caused him to momentarily lose his footing.
Kendo saw her opening and tried to finish it, but Midoriya was able to recover in time to deliver an uppercut into her gut. She gasped for a breath while staggering backwards. Seeing her reeling from his punch, Midoriya kept the pressure up with combinations of jabs and kicks.
Even in her staggered state, Kendo was able to block or dodge most of them, thanks to her years of training; although that didn't change the fact that she was being overwhelmed. With every punch and kick Midoriya threw, her reactions grew slower so more and more began to connect. Even though things weren't looking good for her, she kept her eyes focused on his movements looking for an opening.
Once Midoriya felt as if he had worn her down enough, he quickly changed his stance to deliver a devastating roundhouse kick as the final blow. It was a finisher one of Ken's friends had taught him and it never failed him. Even though Midoriya felt his kick connect, he was in a state of disbelief.
Kendo had blocked the roundhouse with her left arm.
She quickly wrapped her arm around his leg and used her other leg to grab him by the shirt. Since he was only using one leg, his balance wasn't good and Kendo used that to her advantage to throw him.
The sound of a body hitting the floor and shirt ripping filled the room. It was shortly followed by the sounds of panting. Midoriya was face first on the ground, and Kendo was hunched over trying to catch her breath.
Even though she was short of breath, Kendo was quick to check on Midoriya. "Are you… alright? I didn't … throw you too hard did I?"
A muffled voice came from the floor as Midoriya gave her a thumbs up. "Nope, it was just the right amount. How did you know I was going for a roundhouse to finish it?"
"You changed your stance. The only time you did that was when you were going for that kick."
"Of course you noticed that."
Kendo sighed before lying down on the ground as well. "You know you might have been onto something with these star stretches."
"I know right. "
The two of them lied there while catching their breath. It wasn't until Midoriya finally sat up that he noticed what had happened during the fight.
"How am I supposed to go out like this?"
Kendo sat up confused. "Like what?"
Midoriya turned around holding up the collar of his t-shirt that had clearly been stretched out. "I can't go out wearing this?"
Kendo covered her mouth embarrassed with what she did. "Oh God, I'm so sorry- I wasn't thinking when I threw you."
Midoriya sighed, still holding his collar up. "It's not your fault, it just comes with sparring."
"Still it's not really appropriate for you to go out like that."
"Yeah, hopefully there's a hotel close by so I can shower and change."
Kendo nodded along. "Yeah hopefully… wait… did you just say so you could change?"
Midoriya looked at her confused. "… Yeah."
"So you brought a change of clothes with you?"
"Yeah, I did say I was going out after this."
Kendo pinched the bridge of her nose while shaking her head. "Midoriya, just shower and change here then. There's no need to go to some hotel and waste money."
Midoriya looked at her slightly surprised. "Are you sure that's ok?"
"I wouldn't have offered it if it wasn't."
Midoriya grabbed his bag and followed Kendo. The entire time, he clutched the collar of his shirt, holding it tight to his body. As Kendo showed him to the shower, she couldn't help but notice his mannerisms.
'Is he insecure about his body?'
After a quick shower and change, Midoriya felt refreshed, all the exhaustion from sparring had been washed away. As he walked out, he found Kendo preparing a couple drinks, and her father sitting on the couch. He turned around giving a smile
"Midoriya, do you have a hot date tonight?"
Midoriya sighed as he shook his head. "So that's where she gets it from."
Itsuo gave him a confused look. "Where she gets what?"
"It's nothing, thanks for letting me use your shower."
"It's no problem at all, if anything I should be thanking you for helping Itsuka train for UA."
Midoriya looked at him confused before turning to Kendo who was staring at the floor.
"You know that was the first I heard about UA. I was told it was just to get practice against someone who knows how to street fight."
Itsuo looked at his daughter in confusion. "Itsuka, why didn't you tell him it was to help prepare you for the UA entrance exam?"
Kendo was still staring at the floor while twirling her hair. "You know this floor really looks like a floor."
Midoriya laughed while shaking his head. "I'm sure she has her reasons, but I really should be going."
Itsuo waved a hand in the air as he turned back around. "Alright, stay safe."
Kendo quickly sat down the drinks she had made. "I'll show you out."
As soon as the two of them were outside Kendo bowed to Midoriya. "I'm sorry for not telling you about UA. A lot of people tell me it's a long shot because of my quirk and I didn't want that to be on my mind all day."
Midoriya was stunned by her action, he wasn't upset that she didn't tell him the full reason at all. "Hey, it's alright, I get it, so there's no need to apologize."
"Huh?" Kendo looked up at him surprised. "Seriously?"
"Yeah! No harm no foul?"
She quickly straightened up and began to fidget with her hair again. "Can we pretend that didn't happen?"
"Nope."
Kendo pouted at Midoriya who was giving her a cheesy smile.
"So you're aiming for the Hero course?"
"Yeah I am and I don't want to hea-"
"That's great, I'm sure you can do it."
Kendo stopped and looked at him completely stunned. "What?"
"I think you'll be a great hero."
Kendo's cheeks turned slightly pink at his words. It was the first time someone other than her parents or close friends said that she could do it with such confidence. Even though she knew she should have just taken his compliment and run with it, she couldn't help but push more.
"Even with my quirk?"
Midoriya tilted his head slightly confused. "I don't see why that would cause any issues. Sure it's not flashy, but what's important is if it can get the job done."
Kendo smiled softly. "Thanks Midoriya, that means a lot."
Midoriya found the warmth of her smile and slight pink tone of her cheeks cute. He had known she was beautiful, that much was obvious, but the cute side of her was something else. Having had his fill, he tried to leave but she stopped him again.
"Hey Midoriya, would you maybe be able to help me out again this weekend?"
Midoriya shook his head. "Sorry, I have to find stuff for my apartment."
Kendos eyes widened before narrowing. "By your apartment, you mean the one you live in with your parents, right?"
Midoriya shook his head again. "No, this is for my apartment in Osaka."
Kendo smiled shyly. "Oh I guess that makes sense…wait, are you moving to Osaka!?"
Midoriya scratched his cheek while looking away. "I guess you could say that."
Kendos jaw dropped in disbelief. "But what about my bike!? You're supposed to be my mechanic!"
"I'm not moving there permanently, I'm just going to be staying there for a week at a time for the foreseeable future. It's a lot easier than commuting every single day."
Kendo bit her thumb as she looked away. "I guess that makes sense… is it because of what happened to your mentor?"
Midoriya looked up into the sky. "I guess you could say that?"
Kendo looked down, not sure what to say next. The only reason she had asked him over was because her dad had suggested it would be helpful. She barely knew Midoriya and she wasn't even sure if they could be called friends yet, but still a part of her felt like she should be there if he needed her.
"Hey Kendo, are you good with kids?"
Kendo looked confused, his questions had caught her completely off guard since it had been so different from what they had been talking about previously.
"I guess so, I mean I did babysit a few times to make some extra money at one point. Why do you ask?"
"I'm going to be helping take care of my niece, so I hoped you might have some pointers."
Kendo put a finger to her chin. "Hmm well what does she like to do for fun?"
"No clue."
"What about her favorite show?"
"No idea."
"Does she have any hobbies?"
"Does hiding under the blankets count?"
"Do you know anything about her?"
"She might be five or six."
Kendo narrowed her eyes on Midoriya. "You're a great uncle."
Midoriya shrugged. "I try."
Rolling her eyes, Kendo shook her head. "… Clearly."
"So, do you have any advice?"
Kendo sighed before looking at him. "Honestly you should just get to know her first. She probably is nervous since she knows nothing about you as well, so building some trust will go a long way."
Midoriya looked down at his phone before staring off into space as he thought about what she had said. It was all basic and straightforward things that he had assumed he should do, but it was still helpful to confirm he had the right idea. He looked at his phone before looking at Kendo who gave him a nod.
"What's up?"
"Hey there kiddo, I just got the ok from the clients so tonight is a go. Please don't be late to our meeting spot. You really don't want to piss off these people."
"Don't worry, I'm on my way there now."
"Already? Do you know how early it is?"
"Yeah, I'm in Chiba right now with a friend."
"Oh, this wouldn't happen to be a friend of the lady variety would it?"
"Does it matter?"
"I guess not, but I'd recommend you be careful. You don't want to drag anyone down with you."
"I always am."
"That's what I like to hear! Alright I'll see you soon."
Midoriya put his phone away with a determined smile, he was confident these people would help him find who he was looking for. As Midoriya looked up he noticed something wrong with Kendo's face.
"What's with that smile?"
Kendo quickly shook her head and smacked her face. "Nope everything is fine."
'So I guess we are friends.'
Midoriya shrugged. "Well I gotta go, I'll be out of town till next Sunday."
"Alright, stay safe."
Midoriya gave her a smile. "How about we go for a ride when I get back, as a way to make up for not being able to help you this weekend?"
"Can we do some sparring first?"
Midoriya laughed as he turned around. "Sure, why not."
"Sounds good to me, I'll see you later Midoriya."
He raised a hand as he walked off. "See ya, Kendo."
As Kendo walked back to her house she couldn't help but smile. She wasn't sure why she was so happy, but she was. Once she was back inside a realization came to her.
'Wait, how early is he going to come over? We'd spar here then take the train back to Tokyo then I'd have to take another train back… I guess it's fine, we can figure it out then.'
The sun had set, but one would hardly notice while walking down the streets of Yokohama. With all the lights from shops and billboards you would only know the difference when you looked into the sky. Midoriya was one of the few people that probably noticed that the sun had gone down, since he was staring up at the sky.
"Wow kiddo, you look like you're ready for a fight."
Midoriya looked to the side and saw the man he had been waiting for. "It never hurts to be prepared."
The comment made to Midoriya wasn't far off the mark. Black techwear pants with orange straps, a black t-shirt, an orange hoodie left halfway zipped up, orange high tops, and a black face mask.
The man gave a knowing smile to Midoriya. "I see you've gone with orange tonight."
It was true, whenever Midoriya went out as Phoenix, he would color coordinate his outfits for his desired flames. The reason wasn't because different flames had different abilities, it was purely aesthetic. He had come up with the idea when he first saw a lighter that produced a green flame.
Midoriya shrugged as he pulled out a lighter, he sparked a flame and it was pure orange. "It just felt right, but why are you surprised? You did help get all this."
"Oh that takes me back. I can't believe that it's that hard to find quality colored contacts."
It was true, when Midoriya first decided to take on the name Phoenix, Giren had helped him get everything he needed. The boss of the Shie Hassaikai was the one who had introduced Midoriya to him, and ever since then they had done business together.
"That's enough reminiscing, let's get going."
Giren smiled. "Of course."
The two of them made their way through the busy streets as discreetly as possible. Since one of them was a wanted criminal and the other a criminal broker, they wanted as little attention as possible on them. After a few minutes, the two of them were standing in front of what looked to be an abandoned bar. Before they opened the door, Midoriya pulled out his lighter. As an orange flame ignited, he took his free hand to grab some of the flame and put it over his mask- making it look as if the mask itself was on fire.
Midoriya gave Giren a nod, letting him know he was ready. Giren knocked on the door three times and waited for the sounds of the door to unlock. Slowly, the door opened- revealing two people inside, one was behind the bar and the other was sitting on a stool.
"Hey guys, I brought someone you're going to like."
The man sitting on the stool turned in his still towards the door. "This one better not be a waste of time."
Giren smirked. "Trust me, he's not. Come on in, kiddo."
Midoriya made his way inside and finally got a good look at the two people inside. The man sitting in the stool was lanky and was covered in hands. His raspy voice was unnerving.
The one standing behind the bar was made of a purple and black mist. He looked as if he carried himself with dignity, it was an odd concept for a villain.
The one sitting on the chair narrowed his eyes. "What's your name?"
Midoriya raised an eye for a moment before returning to his neutral expression. "Usually people give their names first, but you can just call me Phoenix."
The bartender's eyes widened. "You don't mean that Phoenix do you?"
"Yeah, I'm that Phoenix."
The man on the chair started to scratch his neck. "Ahh, I don't care about that. I want to know your real name."
Midoriya narrowed his eyes. "Midoriya, that's all you get."
The man gripped his glass, turning it to dust, before raising a hand towards Midoriya. "Then I don't need you."
Midoriya flexed his hand and an orange flame conjured into his hand. "I'd choose your next actions carefully."
The two were staring each other down, ready to attack. Just before they lunged at each other, a staticky voice came from the TV in the corner of the room.
"Calm down Tomura, there's no need to be so hasty."
"But, Master?"
The voice completely ignored his plea. "Kurogiri, would you mind doing the introductions?"
The purple mist politely bowed towards the TV. "Of course sir. I am Kurogiri, I help oversee our group so it runs smoothly." He gestured towards the one in the stool. "This is Tomura Shigaraki, he is the leader of our group."
The voice came again from the TV. "Thank you. Now, Phoenix, I'm curious as to why you'd be interested in joining a group that's just starting?"
Midoriya looked at Giren who gave him a nod. "I'm looking for the person that killed my parents, and I heard you have ears everywhere."
"Interesting, but tell me why do you think we'd be able to help you find that information?"
"For the past eight years I haven't been around the nicest of people so I've heard plenty of stories. All the older men would always talk about a man who ruled the underworld. He was able to find out anything just by asking a few people. Most people my age think that man was just a legend or at least six feet under by now, but when I was told someone here had connections- I decided to take a gamble. If it turns out I was wrong- I can always try again, and if I'm right then all this will come to an end."
Tomura scoffed. "That's ridiculous, you expect us to just give you information."
Midoriya's eyes narrowed again. "I don't expect it for free. Think of it as compensation, surely you don't expect me to put my life on the line for free."
Tomura sent another glare at Midoriya. "Why you-"
"Enough Tomura, what he is asking for is quite fair."
Tomura sighed before turning back to the bar. "Fine."
"So Phoenix, I'm curious. Who exactly did you hear those stories from?"
"The Boss."
"Very interesting. Tomura, I highly recommend you take him on. He will be an irreplaceable asset."
Tomura grumbled to himself. "Fine, you're in."
"Very good. Now Phoenix, tell me, who do you want me to get information on?"
"The quirk researcher Hisashi Midoriya and his wife Inko Midoriya."
The room went silent before a laugh came from the TV. "Hahahahaha, this is very interesting. Doctor, apparently this young man is the son of one of your students."
Midoriya's eyes widened in disbelief. 'Do these people know my parents? Does that mean they know me? Do I know them?'
"Alright, Phoenix, I'll do some digging, but you won't get anything until you've produced results."
"Understood."
"Also if things come up empty, then there's nothing I can do about that."
"If you are the one from those stories, I'm sure that won't happen."
"Hahaha very well. Kurogiri, please handle the rest. I'm sure there will be some issues due to other commitments, but we should be able to work around those."
"Of course sir."
"If things go well I'm sure we'll both be able to benefit from this."
That was the last thing the voice from the TV said while Midoriya was there. The rest of the time, Midoriya and Kurogiri discussed forms of contact and the goals of the organization. The entire time Midoriya hid a smile underneath his mask of flames.
