CC-2224, or rather 'Cody' had no idea what he was getting himself into, although he should have expected it the moment whatever in the world had possessed him into thinking that asking Waxer, Boil and Mayhem which intern he should escort would have been a good idea.
Currently he was suffering through that, as the three troublemakers had suggested he along with Mayhem went with Setsuna to where her internship was.
Now, you may ask why the clone, known for much rather wanting to keep a watch on things from UA and lay plans with the teacher faculty, was even doing escorting an intern in the first place. Simple; Nezu had told him it would be good for him to get a bit outside and let some of his brothers handle things back at UA instead, which both would give them better leadership skills and give him some time off from paperwork.
"Why am I here again?" He asked no one specifically, but still got a reply from Mayhem seated next to him.
"Well, in your own words, you said; 'I'm only here to make sure that you two don't turn the entire prefecture upside down' when you arrived." he cackled, while Cody just helmetpalmed in frustration.
Feeling someone smack him on the back, Cody let out a grunt and turned to see the one he was escorting, one Setsuna Tokage who just flashed him a toothy smile which only furthered the bad feeling he had in his gut.
"Oh cheer up a bit, will ya? When was the last time you didn't pull an all nighter with paper work or touched grass?" she asked him, while the freckled clone just gave her a straightlaced look that was somehow conveyed through his helmet.
"It's been approximately two days, eleven hours, twenty eight minutes, forty seconds and counting since I got a full night's sleep." he replied, with Setsuna's smile slowly dropping into a frown.
"First of all; wow, you're punctual and second of all; that can't be good for your health, dude…"
"I am just doing my duty and my part in keeping the school and its student body safe like everyone else. A few sacrifices must be made here and there."
"You are not just 'doing your part', vod… You're overdoing it… Seriously, you need to relax a bit, take a break or a nap, whatever as long as it isn't work related once we arrive and this shift is over, ok?" Mayhem advised in a serious tone that he rarely used.
"I said I'm fine… We should get going, our stop is up now." Cody grumbled, slightly annoyed over how they seemed to nag him. He was just doing his job, and if that required losing sleep, then so be it. He couldn't afford to let any of them down. More than a thousand brothers had already died under his command, and he would be damned if he let anyone else die anytime soon on his watch.
Looking at each other, the Lizard Tail Splitter student and prank loving clone sighed and shook their heads, before following Cody outside and looked around at their surroundings.
The agency wasn't too big, nor was it too small, however it did look more traditional than a lot of the buildings around them, with the trio entering through the main door and were greeted by several sidekicks.
One of them stood in front of them, before gesturing for them to follow her, with the ninja-esque woman leading them to a small hall filled with meditating sidekicks.
Cody sighed a bit as he followed along before an alert from comms sent a sudden spike of fear into his heart.
#RED ALERT! I HAVE A DECEASED-AH! Belay that…-#
Cody didn't hear the rest of the message, nor the reply from U.A. It was as if everything froze. He was flying out of his body, the world spinning around him as a dull ringing began in his ears. His heart was beating in his head as everything just…froze.
He froze.
He could barely hear the voices of Setsuna and Mayhem, before he drew his blaster, turned a perfect 180 degrees on his heel and tried sprinting out of the building, before his two companions grasped him under the arms and dug their heels into the floor.
"Cody! Slow down man! It's a false alarm! You hear?! False alarm!"
"I need to get to Yamanashi this instant! Let go of me, you boneheads!"
"Damn it, Cody! Calm down!"
But he couldn't hear them, his mind already hyperfocusing on the exit and the quickest way to the train station. Meanwhile in the back of his mind, all he could see was a sea of red and white and all he could remember were the sounds of crushed bone, blood splattering on cement and the agonized screams of thousands.
He could feel them tugging at him, trying to take away his rifle and only held it that much tighter.
Finally he felt something pierce his body and the world turned black.
Setsuna grunted as she felt Cody's body practically flop on top of her but was able to hold him up and set him down gently on the ground.
"I apologize, but I did not want him to hurt himself," A calm voice stated before the Ninja Hero: Edgeshot appeared before them.
"It's fine…he needed it. He's been under a lot of stress lately…guess this just triggered something in him."
"His actions remind me of a soldier…more so an officer than enlisted, however."
"He took command of the Vod'e during the USJ. Organized us to take down the Nomu while evacuating students."
"Then I imagine that since many died under his command he feels a misplaced sense of guilt for surviving them. More than likely that manifests itself with actions, sometimes rash ones."
"Right on the money, sir. He also goes several days without sleeping."
"I see… Hmm… We'll have him placed in a room where he can rest, you two however will have to meet me in the briefing room. We will bring him with us on patrols when he's rested properly and has gotten something to eat that isn't rations, if what you've told me about him so far is correct."
Nodding, the duo each put one of Cody's arms around their necks, before they started to follow Edgeshot to a more secluded room, where they put him on a bed and removed the upper part of his armor, before covering him with a blanket.
"That one carries a strong burden."
"He's practically Nezu's right hand at U.A."
"Hmph, that rat certainly knows how to pick his students…very well then, let us continue." Edgeshot said, before they left the room and left the clone to sleep.
Approximately eight hours later
Cody groaned slightly, turning from one side to the other while trying to remember what had happened. Had he fallen asleep? Where was he? What was this warm feeling around his neck? What was the softness that was currently pressing against his arm? And why didn't he feel the weight of his armor?
The last thought made him shoot up immediately to take in his surroundings, or at least try to due to feeling something else weighing him down.
He saw Mayhem and the others pretty much wrapped around him.
A sleep pile.
It was an odd and actually quite somber tradition that began in the Vod'e. Many brothers waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares from the USJ. Nearby brothers would then form sleep piles to help comfort each other throughout the nights.
It had been quite a while since he'd seen one.
'Now that I think about it, how long has it been since I've been in one?' he thought, before hearing a gentle snoring and turned his head to see Setsuna hugging his arm, which in turn also pressed her chest against it.
"Oi… I'm not a plush toy you know…" He grumbled before blinking in shock.
'How did they drag you into this?'
"She's a snarky one, but she's got a good heart."
Cody blinked again as he turned to see Edgeshot at the doorway.
"Sir?"
"You've got quite the responsibility, don't you? Second in command of the Vod'e right after Manda'lor and leader of the U.A. Battalion. That's a lot for someone so young."
"I just do my duty."
"A duty which causes much strain on your mind and your body. I cannot tell you to cease your work. It is not my place," Edgeshot said as he leaned against the door. "However, I can say that if you truly desire to serve your posts then you must find balance between yourself and your work. Only then will you be at your best."
With those final words, Edgeshot left the room.
Cody, still feeling exhausted not only from the day, as short as it was for him, but also the past few weeks, welcomed the sleep.
"Balance, huh?"
The next few days of training were intense but well paced, Edgeshot was a good teacher and made sure to give them the necessary break time to heal and rest.
While out on patrol, the trio were somewhat talking or rather, Mayhem and Setsuna were talking.
Cody was…hanging back a bit.
He couldn't help it, he was an observer, it's what helped him make snap decisions when it came to leading the Vod'e back at U.A.
"Are you alright, Cody?" He heard Edgeshot ask.
"Yes, sir…I'm…I honestly don't know actually," Cody muttered.
"If you need anything, just say it. I try to teach all of my interns to calm down during stressful situations, mainly through meditation."
"Meditation?"
"Indeed. Although it is not for everybody, I have found that taking the time to actually meditate helps me deal with my own turbulent emotions."
"Really? You're so calm, though."
"A product of my diligence. Many believe that meditation is merely sitting still for hours on end, that is but one of the many methods available."
Cody hummed in thought.
"You are more than welcome to join me for my next session."
"I think I'll take you up on that."
"Some also feel like being in a relationship is the best way to calm yourself. Have you… ever thought about getting a romantic partner?" he asked, something which took Cody by surprise.
"W-what? No sir, can't say I have. Besides, I'm too absorbed by my work to even think about that."
"I see."
"Ohoho? We talkin' about romance over here?" Setsuna asked as she basicalæy tiptoed over to Cody and swung her arm around his neck again..
"Not really, just going over different methods of relaxation, meditation, relationships, etc." Cody calmly said, not giving her the satisfaction of seeing him squirm.
He'd seen worse from Midnight's attempts to tease Bly.
How his brother managed to remain stone-faced against the woman's teasing was a mystery to him.
"I wonder how Ori'vod's doing…" Mayhem asked to himself, before he heard something from his wristcomm.
#"Why's the door locked! Lemme out! Lemme out!"# Izuku's voice called out in a near panic while the sound of him trying to force a door open could be heard.
#"Quiet down, brat! Training's just begun!"#
#"Somebody heeeeeellllpppp!"#
"Does that answer your question, Mayhem?"
"I…I'm going to ignore that."
#All units. This is All Might. There is no need to worry, this is just part of Gran Torino's training.#
"Sheesh, he must be scary if he can frighten Parsley like that…" Setsuna said, shuddering a bit at what Izuku was possibly going through.
"I don't want to even imagine."
Later, after finishing their patrol and Edgeshot signing a few autographs, the group would find themselves with the pro hero learning fluid meditation.
"For many with too much energy, or simply a lack of patience, the traditional style of meditation is an impossible task. Fluid meditation however, involves the use of repetitive actions. Sometimes it's something as simple as drawing a circle, over and over again, for others, it involves a daily task like cooking or sewing. For myself, I usually go through my katas, and leet my mind be at peace," Edgeshot said as he slowly went through the motions of a kata.
"The point of meditation is not to immediately think of nothing. But rather, to work yourself to that point."
"Sir?"
"Our lives as heroes are filled with constant turmoil, past decisions and failures, current cases and frustrations, and future hopes and fears."
"Which is why we must focus on one thing at a time. Bring something that you have had in the back of your mind to the forefront, acknowledge that it exists, do not ignore it, and then let it be released from you."
Throughout the entire time, Edgeshot had been going through a complex kata, however even though it was obvious that his mind was on something else, he still performed it perfectly.
"Now…let us begin. I'll start by showing you a simple kata, once you get to the point where you don't have to think about making the next move, you can either decide to try a different one or stick with it. It is entirely the decision of the meditator."
Mayhem had the most difficulty with the meditation, considering he normally was what could be considered hyperactive for a boy his age, Setsuna had some difficulty, but managed to somewhat find a routine after some time, mostly by having small pieces of herself orbit around her main body like small moons, before reattaching one piece and replacing it with another.
Cody however seemed to master one almost instantly, performing several movements that in and of itself looked like a martial arts kata, but slowed down, sometimes making it look like he was performing his own version of Tai Chi.
"Good work, all of you. I can see each of your katas reflect yourselves in some way."
"Thank you, sir."
Cody contemplated the meditation, it was honestly extremely helpful.
Acknowledging his frustration instead of letting it simmer inside of him had done wonders and finally being able to let it go was…relieving.
The next few days, Cody went through kata after kata and bit by bit, it all went flowing away.
#RED ALERT! RED ALERT! HOSU CITY IS UNDER A WIDE SCALE ATTACK!#
And it's back.
#THIS IS U.A. CONFIRM REPORT!"
#THIS IS CT-0120, BOIL! I CONFIRM! We've got multiple fires and explosions in the city, civilians are panicking all over the place and hero's are scrambli- oh no!#
Cody and the others tensed as they heard the cutoff before the radio crackled back to life.
#FALL BACK, FALL BACK! YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT THING!#
#BOIL! WHAT'S GOING ON!?#
#I don't believe it…we've got more Nomu!#
At that, all of them stiffened in shock and fear.
Setsuna hadn't been at the USJ, but she had certainly heard the stories, especially about the monster that was designed to kill All Might and had killed more than a thousand clones too.
Cody froze, his heart roaring in his ears as everything came back.
'Remember,' He heard Edgeshot's voice in the back of his mind. 'A calm mind is not swept by the raging storm but guided through it.
Immediately lifting his comm, Cody's commander instinct kicked in, while also remembering what he had found out about Tenya thanks to the class and teachers.
"Waxer, Boil! Do you hear me?"
#Yes, sir!#
#Aye!#
"I need you two to find Tenya! He might go off the deep end!"
#Roger that!#
#We're on our way!#
Clicking his wrist comm a couple of times, he came into contact with the communications center at U.A.
#Cody! Mand'alor is on the scene and is releasing a company!#
"Patch me to the scene leader as soon as they're ready!"
#Roger that!#
#4477 here! Good to hear from you, commander!#
"Copaani gaan, vod? [Need a hand?]"
#Maybe, I've split the company into four platoons: evacuation, damage control, perimeter and suppressive fire!#
Cody breathed a sigh of relief…it seemed that their training was paying off.
It was exactly what he would do considering the limited resources. Prioritizing the people while making sure new idiots didn't try to get close, vod's old habit of getting close to hero fights was fortunately getting culled due to the fact that he didn't have time to watch them.
That and now he was part of them.
Minimizing damage and providing support to the heroes, sure they were probably stretched a bit thin, but it was the best that they could do with what they have.
The rest of the night, Cody helped coordinate the support and relief efforts, and although he was terrified by the prospect of his brother facing the Hero Killer on his own he had faith.
Izuku hadn't let them down yet.
Sitting down with a sigh and a cup of tea next to him, Cody nearly fell off the chair with how much he sunk into it. The night had been more than hectic, with the Hero Killer proving to be a challenge even for Delta Squad who by many were seen as the best of the best amongst their ranks.
And then! Vod just had to get into trouble again and be a part of a wild chase through the streets with a little girl and apparently a new vehicle.
Yeah, he did not appreciate that call in the middle of the night.
Edgeshot sat next to him with his own cup of tea in hand and Cody quickly sat up a bit more properly.
"Your brother is quite the troublemaker…or should I say trouble finder?"
Cody groaned in exasperation as he let the tea soothe him.
"I honestly don't know at this point…I just know that more trouble is going
to appear in the future, what with the news having caught him defeating Stain."
"Perhaps so, but if what I've heard about Mand'alor and Vod'e is correct so far, then you need not fear. I believe that you will be able to rise up to whatever challenges may arise."
Cody dipped his head in thanks sighed.
"Thank you, sir."
Edgeshot hummed as he took a quick sip.
"You carry much on your shoulders for one so young, one that I expect is not an uncommon trait among your brethren."
Cody chuckled at that.
"Remember, as you continue your duties at U.A., to take time for yourself. You will not be able to help those close to you if you are not at your best."
Cody remained silent for a bit as he contemplated the words and he realized that Edgeshot was right.
"Thank you, Edgeshot."
"You are most welcome, Commander."
Cody then got up and headed out, soon meeting up with Setsuna and the others.
He quickly hugged them, and thanked them for their earlier support before letting them go and moving forward.
After all, there was still plenty of work to do.
But he'd make sure to take some time to himself.