My Hero Academia: The Children of Hope

Summary: In a time of deeply sanctioned heroics, there's nobody better to take up the mantle of 'HEROES' than the next generation. But whilst rejuvenation efforts struggle to preserve the public's trust in a new and improved public safety force, so-called, "Police-Heroes", a new threat looms over Tokyo's underbelly. From seemingly abandoned buildings, a multitude of voices speak out against the impure, echoing out into the streets and alleyways. With malicious methods to their madness, their reach may just extend farther than what anybody thought possible.


Chapter Two
Act I
[Arc 1.1 - Path of Passion]

"The Mark of Death"

SÉZANNE
Chiyoda City, Tokyo
7:01 P.M.

Within the confines of luxury and style had cemented a reputation worth only the highest of recognition - Michelin Stars in two consecutive years since its foundation and a remarkable status amongst fine dining in Asia and the World, SÉZANNE remained a household name to the wealthy with its unforgettable mastery of gastronomic excellence and an exquisite dining experience transcending taste, texture, and presentation.

There was an exclusive allure to the interior and a distinguishable artistic touch to the nature of the shapes that constituted every intricately crafted sculpture lining its walls. Additionally, there was a purposeful emphasis on the placement of the furniture themselves, which extended their forms in conjunction with each other and the invisible path that the staff must take from within the kitchen to the tables, their steps aligning to some unspoken but practiced movement.

An extravagantly dressed woman reached for her diamond studded purse as she tenderly seated herself on a cushion, minding the feathery ivory wings that were folded against her back. She had a somewhat muted expression on her alabaster face, speaking in hushed tones to the device placed against her ear.

"Masashi, darling…"

Her beauty alone could not be ignored by the other entrants as they walked past her - and some may have recognized who she was, yet her sole attention was clearly focused on the man strutting about by the entrance in an elegant ebony suit, demurely observing the conversation regarding issues with their long-awaited reservation. It was rather unfortunate and upsetting that they had been unable to be seated at that moment due to an unexpected change in the schedule moments prior to their arrival.

Akutagawa Estate
7:03 P.M.

"Yes, Mother. Mizuki has already gone to bed."

On the other end of the family phone came the serene voice of a young man as he placed a finger to his lips, a rather soft smile etched on his face at the sight of his younger sister, Mizuki, who had gotten up from her languid position watching J-Pop music videos on the massive couch to attempt to listen in on the conversation. He reiterated that she should stay silent unless she wanted to get reprimanded for staying up later than her bedtime by tapping the seat next to his.

"Your father is currently speaking with SÉZANNE's Manager. Although, as it stands… we may have to cancel our reservation today, set up another appointment, and celebrate our anniversary somewhere else. Masashi, please make sure to give the list of your Shiketsu dormitory essentials to Miss Kome by the end of this week."

"I sent the list to Miss Kome last week, and she's almost done gathering everything I'd need for the school year, Mother." Velvety soft feathers fluttered in response to that frequently repeated reminder, prompting Masashi to recline slowly on the couch. He could sense that there was a vaguely hidden sense of apprehension on his mother's melodious voice.

Mizuki, on the other hand, had gotten hopelessly bored enough to head down the stairs and towards the kitchen to grab a snack or two. When she finally returned with a small snack tray on hand, Masashi immediately walked over to her to help her set it down on the massive oak desk set in front of a gigantic television screen. Without a moment to lose, the younger of the two had quickly opened the snacks left and right to feast in excess, albeit very carefully.

"I am so PROUD of you, Masashi. Your Father is too. So are we with Mizuki's recent Ballet Recital. So wonderful! I couldn't ask for more, and yet you're both reaching higher than I could have imagined. Masashi, you will do amazing! I just kn-"

"Let us leave, Miyuki. To take our business elsewhere."

"Will we not return for a later appointment, dearest?"

The two siblings didn't expect their father's dignified voice to come through, paying attention to what remained of the conversation before their mother bid her oldest goodbye, not once realizing her youngest was listening in diligently to her songs of praise, "I see… Masashi, your Father and I will be having dinner at another establishment. We will see you later, darling. Goodbye, son!"

"Yes, Mother. I'll be expecting you and Father later," The call ended with Masashi's farewell, allowing a proud Mizuki to do as she wished before her parents could come home for the night.

Now that that was said and done, Masashi could return to his thoughts as he had started his ascent to the third floor of their opulent estate.

Soft steps on the velvet floor had found their way towards a beautiful hallway, wings softly flapping to the whim of his hidden sentiments and against average-length light grey locks. Masashi felt an incredible, almost unbearable, sense of pride swelling within his chest, recalling every word of praise his mother had uttered about his achievements thus far. There was no denying his craving for the mountain heap of appreciation and recognition for his numerous accomplishments in his growing years, yet he could also detect a twinge of sadness somehow. He allowed that feeling to simmer and bubble, now finding himself staring at an unrecognizable expression on an otherworldly attractive visage, the swirl of shimmering gold and royal purple narrowing with every splash of water now dripping down his face.

"What are you so miserable about?"

His gaze hardened at the pool of water gushing down the sink, a frustrated hand laced in his hair while simultaneously turning off the faucet. The lights went out in the washroom, followed by the fading shuffle of footsteps as Masashi returned to the second floor to see Miss Kome cleaning his sister's mess on the table, "I see you're still awake, Young Master."

"Yes and thank you for seeing to my needs for this upcoming semester."

Masashi responded gracefully while thanking the woman for aiding him in keeping Mizuki's late-night dessert binges a secret. He wove around her cleaning supplies carefully to reach the set of wide picture windows and a French door that led to a striking balcony over a breathtaking landscape befitting of a house on a hill.

Despite how meticulously guarded his true feelings were on many matters, he knew there was something to be gained from pursuing the beaten down path of heroism - a métier he considered to be personally rewarding as it is extensively disadvantageous. That was part of its charm, symbolizing a metaphorical pilgrimage towards truth, justice, and honor.

Leaning gently towards the balustrade, Masashi's gaze extended beyond the lush gardens and silver arches of a towering gazebo towards an exciting future at Shiketsu High. The cool night breeze swirled softly around him, leaving him in an otherwise silent repose.

"I can't wait."


FamilyMart Convenience Store
Late Evening

"Thank you for shopping at FamilyMart~!"

Behind the counter came a fairly bright and enthusiastic voice, even though, in terms of body language, whoever it was that stated the oh-so-repetitive greeting hadn't bothered to match the tone it was delivered in. The individual in question was an adult woman, whose mannerisms made her age range rather predictable - she was in college, single, and stuck paying off her loans. She groaned, watching the time slowly crawl past seven fifty-nine.

However, Felix knew her as Kimura Kana, the struggling college student.

The soft mutterings she spoke under her breath was easily distinguishable to the eel mutant compared to every other noise he encountered within that limited space. He could tell that it was an agonizing minute and a half for her, so to help minimize her workload, he zoomed past the aisles like a busy shopper, as if eager to grab everything he needed on the list and dash to the counter to check-out, albeit the other way around. He stocked inventory like there was no tomorrow while his senior took care of the cashier-ing duties. It had been that way since he took his spot as part-time sales associate.

"Hey, Felix…"

While working like a well-oiled machine, Felix Costa Prata had been in his own world, recounting that day like it merely happened yesterday or the hour before. From the exact moment his Examinee Number was called all the way to the end of the Practical Section of the exam leading up to the day he received his Acceptance Letter - written to him in Braille, too.

"… elix…"

The young man turned towards the woman's direction as soon as his ears picked up the sound, that white-silvery gaze blankly staring at empty space and simultaneously right through her. It had successfully pulled him out of his daydreams, walking over to his senior coworker. As he approached her with casual ease, he was unaware that it unnerved the woman a little, swerving just enough to avoid knocking over produce and boxes of products still needed to be stocked for the night, which ultimately made her wonder if his disability was merely a facade.

Felix blinked; milky-white eyes stuck in one position staring forward as his short dark hair stuck to his forehead like he had just gotten out of an intense workout session. Given the hard work he had to do from the start of his shift up to that point, it originally came as a surprise to the woman and his other coworkers that he had not once taken a break when it came to finishing the tasks he was assigned for his shifts. It wasn't long before everyone in town knew Felix Costa Prata, the most diligent worker at your local FamilyMart.

Everyone knew the Brazilian foreigner was a busybody, stocking boxes over here and there and never once complaining of how monotonous his work life in Japan as a konbini store sales associate was.

He turned his head, angling his face towards the AC situated at the top corner of the store. He welcomed the cold air hitting his scaly skin, wondering what the woman wanted to discuss with him - was it a change in the shift schedule? Was he supposed to clean the bathroom? What could it be?

"Kimura-san? What's up?"

The woman leaned over the counter, head turning side to side to see if there were any customers present. Since there wasn't any at the moment, she finally got to stretching - as part of her routine, walking out of the cashier counter and slowly approaching an unopened box with foodstuffs that should all be placed in the snack section. She shook her head as she sliced through the heavy-duty tape with her boxcutter.

Unbeknownst to Felix, she was chastising herself for showing unnecessary prejudice towards her younger coworker, especially since she had decided earlier that month to congratulate him on getting accepted to Shiketsu's Pol-Heroics Program.

The young man hadn't expected to "see" her reach inside her work apron to present to him a small, gift-wrapped box. Whatever expression was on her face, Felix wished he could see it.

"Here you go! Congratulations! I figured… uh… since you covered for me so many times that I thought a gift should be in order! I really appreciate your hard work, kiddo!"

Felix reached his arms forward, moving forward excitedly to receive the present, unfortunately and unintentionally knocking over a small stack of cereal boxes and candy gacha packs with the lengthy massive tail that now wrapped itself around his leg to avoid any more mishaps. He immediately apologized for the mess he made, but Kana reassured him that it wasn't a big deal. Still, he had a hard time thinking that was the case, but he let it slide for now. When the clean-up was finished, the woman pulled him aside, begging him to open the gift so that she could see his reaction.

Letting his multitude of emotions settle, Felix gingerly opened the box with his large hands. It was almost comical how small the box was compared to the palms of his hands alone. It made his abnormally tall height even more apparent between him and the average Quirkless person. As soon as the gift wrapper was discarded and Felix had pulled out the gift from its small box container, he squeezed its shape to feel out what it could be.

It was small, soft, and connected to a small, closed hook. It didn't take him long to realize that it was a sort of a plushie keychain!

He couldn't help but smile gratefully at the thought that his senior must have put in a lot of effort to find the right present for him. When he could think of the words to express his gratitude, he cleared his throat, "How cute… What kind of plushie is it, Kimura-san?"

"I-It's supposed to be an eel. I know it's shaped like an egg, and it's orange, but it's a Squeezemallow! Noel the Eel?"

Felix had to straighten himself out, knowing he had a goofy smile on his face. He had heard of the little toy plushies; some were too big to carry, and others so small, you'd be able to fit five if your hand was big enough. Silly him, he had been carried away by the little thing, "I didn't know they modeled one after me."

"Eels are pretty cute animals, so they're bound to be marketable! Well, I'm glad you like it!"

"Yeah, I do. Really 'ppreciate it, Kimura-san."

Once they returned to the cashier for a brief break since there were barely any customers coming in, the woman approached a radio by the cash register, tuning into the news channel. Felix had offered her a Pokari Sweat, chugging down his favorite energy drink as he rang both of their drinks and paid for them with his own cash before Kana could stop him from doing so. She clicked her tongue, ruffling his head of short black hair—

/ Another body has been found dangling on a pole near the Public Safety Commission Headquarters' gates. The victim is of particular interest! Identified to be Minamoto Yashirou, a government official serving at least three decades of his life in all manners of public safety. He was also recently nominated to be a candidate in this upcoming Mayoral election.

Investigators, as of this current moment, have reason to believe that he was targeted by secret organizations who are against the return of the Hero Industry. More details will be revealed as the Police further expand their search into what and who caused this tragedy. We extend our deepest condolences to the Minamoto Family, who lost a husband and a father, a man who served our city diligently and wholeheartedly in pursuit of justice. /

This caused both Felix and Kana to turn to each other in silence. The latter promptly chose to turn off the radio as she embraced herself, fear in her eyes. There was real, unspoken panic in them, and she couldn't help but show it in her shaky voice. Once she had gotten ahold of herself, she muttered almost inaudibly towards her much younger coworker, "Hm… I don't know why a lot of people are ending up dead lately…"

"Kimura-san…" The eel mutant began, his tail pressed up against her leg in worry, "Would you like me to walk you to the station then?"

Kana accepted the offer as soon as it was made, relief present in her features when she looked out the glass windows at the salary men and women walking home that night.

"Thanks. And Sorry for the trouble, kiddo."

"It's nothing."

Felix was aware of her change in tone, giving her a wonky thumbs up in the process, "Just think of this as thank you for the gift!"

While he wished he could ease the discomfort still present in her voice, Felix had to contend with the fact that he couldn't quite see the vast array of emotions sure to be a fleeting presence on her face. If Kana had been the type to hide her emotions well, it dawned on him that that factor alone would most definitely hamper his ability to comfort her - or any other victim he would certainly meet in his Pol-Hero career, for that matter.

It was frustrating. And he didn't like it one bit. No… It was something he should learn to overcome. That's right. It was a challenge he could vault over, and he would do everything in his power to make it happen.

Felix decided that night that he would work towards this limitation as soon as he got home. That was his tomorrow-self's problem. Shaking his head, he walked over towards the aisles to begin another round of inventory restocking.

"Let's get back to work!"


Kaminari Residence
~12:00 A.M.

Kaminari Tama found herself entranced at a certain webpage, where Pro-Hero enthusiasts gathered and recounted their shared experiences of a time in the Golden Age of Heroics. Her skin erupted in goosebumps, which she rubbed away as soon as the initial excitement faded. When she had signed up for entry into this site, it asked her many questions and even required some sort of authorization that she found questionable, but it was all here - a secret, contained archive that detailed a list of the achievements of most Pro-Heroes, especially those who were extremely popular back in the day.

"Woah… Seriously? That's so effing cool! Did I just say effing? Uh… Anyways, what do we have here?"

And sure enough, she found her father's got a few videos from his Pro-Hero career straight out of high school. To think, this could have been her future both made her world spin and dive headfirst into the grave. Sure, she was pretty much setting her path towards Heroics, but the only major difference being society's acceptance of her choice. It wasn't even the same job description, but it was apparently overreaching its current limitations. This made her question what exactly the government thought was the best course of action in public safety. Oh goodness, she should stop thinking about it before it became all she thought about.

"That's actually so… UNFAIR!"

She spun in her gaming chair a couple of times until her blonde hair was a bit of a mess. Jumping to her feet, she almost ran towards her bed, grabbing the hairbrush on her bedside and taking her seat at the edge of her mattress. It hadn't been long enough after carefully brushing the knots on her hair that she was on her feet again, heading towards the organized mess that was three luggages-worth of belongings she'd be lugging around with her to Shiketsu. And the date kept getting closer. She was pretty much at the edge of her seat constantly waiting for the day when she'd be leaving the comfort of her home and making new friends in her new environment.

Once she re-played one of her father's recorded heroic acts to observe in its entirety, she had already been jamming a toothbrush inside her mouth as her free hand sparked electricity without much effort on her part. Bright yellow sparks swirled at the palm of her hand, manifesting an orb so bright it outshined the light in her room only to dissipate when she waved her hand a few times.

She couldn't speak very well with a toothbrush in her mouth, but she felt proud seeing Chargebolt in action. Right when she was to leave her desk to wash off the toothpaste foam, she caught sight of a good deal in her favorite clothing store brand, TwiceReedemed, who catered to a certain goth-punk aesthetic she made her own. She immediately bee-lined for her bathroom, gurgling a whole lot of water and spitting it out in about as quick a time as someone could shove a pack of mochi in their mouth, "WOWOWOW. That's an awesome deal! Gotta tell Ichi-chan about this~!"

She ought to call her friend about the sale going on the site, proceeding to find her friend's contact on LIME after a few swipes up. Strangely, Shinjiru Ichika was not responding to her calls. They were practically joined at the hip and called each other as much as newlyweds would, even late at night.

"Maybe she's busy?"

There was no helping it. If Ichika wouldn't or couldn't respond because of factors outside their friendship, she would opt to send a message instead. She shouldn't assume anything, especially since her best friend had only gotten quieter after they graduated middle school, which came before her acceptance into Shiketsu. She didn't think it was jealousy since her friend wasn't gunning for a school that offered a Pol-Heroics course. Maybe Ichika was probably just as busy with preparations for her upcoming high school term too.

Once she found the words, nimble thumbs hovered over the characters to convey her thoughts. Her yaeba awfully prominent as she bit her lower lip, nervously typing and re-typing certain words to try to text as coherently as possible.

Kaminari Tama:
Can I call—
(*Tama never got to send this particular message…)

Shinjiru Ichika:
Sorry. Busy rn

Kaminari Tama:
No, my bad! I just wanted to call you about a
clothing discount I saw on TwiceReedemed
that you might really jive with!

Link: ~

Shinjiru Ichika:
Oh, yeah! I would

(*Tama noticed that Ichika's speech bubble went on for a while—)

Kaminari Tama:
Uh, everything alright, Ichi-chan?

Shinjiru Ichika:
Ofc, just trying to clean my room rn
Real mess over here

Kaminari Tama:
Are you sure you don't want to talk
about anything that's bothering you
lately?

Shinjiru Ichika:
Huh?
Ta-chan, I don't know what ur talking
abt but ur kinda overthinking things.
I swear on my left leg that I'm
really fine, so please don't get
ahead of yourself. Promise me, 'kay?

Kaminari Tama:
Okay, I promise.

(*Tama sent a picture of a cat with its paws together and sparkles near its cute face.)

Kaminari Tama:
Hey!
We should get together before I move into
Shiketsu?!

Weird. Something was definitely strange about how this conversation was going. Or was she just imagining things?

Heading down the stairs very quietly, Tama traversed the near-darkness, the hallway echoing with her father's loud snoring coming from the master bedroom - her parent's bedroom on the other end of the second floor. She underestimated how loud his snoring could actually get and finally realized why her mother would emerge from the guest bedroom some mornings.

Once she got down to the first floor, where the kitchen was, she finally relented to using her Quirk to light the way. With a glass in hand, she pushed the rim against the dispenser as clear, cold water filled the glass to the brim. She found herself leaning against the fridge, staring at the phone screen for more than a minute. She was definitely worried now, almost dropping the glass of water when an invisible force caught it. Water had spilled on the floor, but the glass itself wasn't shattered.

"Tama, dear?"

Her mother's ghostly skin, pale gray locks, and blue eyes appeared from the darkness, coming from the direction of said guest room located on the first floor. Her odd posture (her hands held up as high as her elbows with her hands draped down) was still a habitual gesture she had to this day, turning her hand over - her pointer finger directing the glass now half-empty to sit right at the tabletop.

A kitchen rag floated between Tama and Kaminari Reiko, the latter smiling as the object began to clean the mess made on the floor like an effect of some supernatural phenomena. Tama, on the other hand, placed her phone down on the table dejectedly. She tried not to take it personally, but she was having trouble doing just that - taking the whole conversation and NOT putting any meaning behind it because she trusted her friend enough!

No, positivity is key. Trust is key. If Ichika wanted to share any troubles within and outside of their friendship, she would. She shouldn't just ask Ichika about her personal life because she assumed things had gone a wrong turn. That's NOT what being a good friend is all about.

She wasn't one to keep things from her parents though, choosing to reveal her worries when it came to Ichika and Ichika's family life and maintaining their friendship when they would be attending different schools. It was a loaded question, but Reiko did her best to alleviate her daughter's worries. All the while, Tama's eyes were almost glued to the last message Ichika would send for a long time after that night.

Kaminari Tama:
We should get together before I move into
Shiketsu?!

Shinjiru Ichika:
(Message Deleted)
Idk if I can yet
I'll let you know tho

Much later that evening, Tama ran her fingers through her soft blonde locks every so often out of boredom, admiring her baby blue nails she got done a few months ago for the graduation ceremony. Logging onto Accord, another popular instant messaging and social platform most teenagers used to communicate with their friends besides LIME, she went through her unread messages. Placing her feet on the chair and sitting like a certain anime character from a popular series involving a notebook and an MC with a God Complex, she craned her neck forward and wondered how she could start off this late-night convo with the user named AWoof712.

AWoof712 had been her online confidant for quite some time now, a keeper of real-life secrets (many of which she often unintentionally shared during deeper conversations about life and societal judgment between them). He - which she only found out was a HE because he used Boku instead of Watashi-pronouns in addition to him having a deep, guttural voice during a call with their mutual friends - was still online.

They've remained quite close for three or so years now. Their first ever "meeting" being at the Pro-Heroics fan server nicknamed An Age's End she chanced upon in her first year of middle school. They might not have known each other in real life, but their friendship runs as deep as the one she has with Kendo Rentaro - her actual childhood friend, who also happened to be in the server with them.

She steeled herself, hoping this would go better than her conversation with Ichika. She began to type on the app on her phone as she got off her computer and headed for her bed, sending a gif of an anime girl waving her hand along with her message.

Yolk33
Hey, dude!

(*Tama sent a gif of an anime girl waving her hand with a smile—)

AWoof712
Huh? Wut you want?

Yolk33
Uh, you said we should meet up in rl to
go see The Black Phone? I can bring my
Plus-One if you bring yours!

AWoof712
I'm lit about to go to bed, Yolk-san…

With a pout, Tama laid on her stomach, her decently toned legs waving about in the air. She fluffed down the lace skirt of her white camisole nightgown, finding herself smiling all of a sudden. Awoof712, from her years of knowing him, seemed to be the type to tease.

Yolk33
Damn, what did I just say about you calling me
with a -san? It makes me feel so old, and it's like
we're not even friends :(

AWoof712
Okay, Yolk. Maybe I should go,
so that someone can watch over u.

And she had been proven right, his comment stabbing right through her very soul. She wasn't that bad. She wasn't running around like an untrained mutt without a leash in public. Some things might fly over her head, sure, but she's not that stupid. Of course, now was the perfect time for payback.

Yolk33
Uncalled for! U meanie! Besides, it's b4 I
go to my dorm for school. Can't you be
nice for once? Why are you being a jerk to me?

AWoof712
Woah. It's a joke, Yolk.
I don't really mean any of that.

Guilt-tripping! And it worked!

Yolk33
Hmph! The Great and Powerful Yolk chooses to
forgive you.

AWoof712
I am in your debt, oh Great
and Powerful Yolk. As for your invite,
I'll go. Send me the deets, and I'll see if
I can reach my friend before the date comes.

Tama rolled over to her back, grinning like an idiot as her unclipped hime bangs partly obstructed her view. She was enjoying this too much, and she chose to ignore the butterflies swirling in her stomach. Besides, texting some of the boys in her class often gave her similar feelings. That's what it was. Nothing more!

Yolk33
Yeah, I'll let you know soon~

AWoof712
Thx. Make sure to get a
good night's sleep.
Night.

Yolk33
Night! U 2!

Sleep soon came for the girl as she turned over to her side, having pulled her pillowy sheets over her slender frame. She was smiling as she dozed off, in relatively high spirits after the exchange between her and AWoof712.

Her pale gray eyes soon fluttered close, followed by the slow dimming of the light coming off her phone's screen - one she was staring at for as long as she could stay awake. Maybe they'd both end up going alone for the movie date, and that made for a very nice dream.


Tokyo Metropolitan Kyushu Hospital
2:43 A.M.

"Yumiya, wake up! I-It's your father…"

In spite of the heightened tensions currently affecting the Todoroki Family and Takami Tomie, Takami Keigo's only living relative, present within that private waiting room, the only youth, who joined their sudden rush to the hospital, slept soundly amongst all the commotion. When her mother's voice came through her drowsy ears, a petite girl with feathery white hair had significant trouble rousing from her position slumped against a semi-comfortable chair.

Todoroki Fuyumi brought her daughter close, fighting back tears and doing her best to maintain a calm composure, which she failed to accomplish altogether. The young girl, having done her best to comfort her mother, felt her hands bawl into fists. A few thoughts ran through her head, her still lethargic fingers placing the thin streak of red from one of her bangs behind her ear in bouts of silent frustration.

How long was she asleep this time? The situation was as high-strung as ever, yet she still managed to sleep so soundly. Honestly, what the hell was wrong with her?

Now was clearly not the time for self-reflection, turning to one of her uncles, Uncle Natsuo, who had such a severe look in his eyes for someone who usually expressed a wide range of emotions so easily. Her Uncle Shoto spoke in hushed tones toward his older brother and father about things she felt she shouldn't know.

Yumiya embraced her mother's weeping form, watching her Grandma Rei do the same for a devastated Grandma Tomie. It was all very hard to watch, and it made her dread what the news could even be. She was enraged, angry at herself for missing such crucial information about her father's condition. Before she could berate herself even further, a doctor and a few nurses came in, asking for a few of Keigo's closest family members to discuss what options were available to the patient before any other procedure was to be done. When her mother and Grandma Tomie both left to meet with the hospital staff, Yumiya had been furiously wiping the tears streaming down her face, running to her Grandma Rei and sobbing like her father had already died. The poor girl didn't know what her father's condition was to its entirety, forcing the crystalline wings floating behind her into disarray - moving according to the way her shoulders heaved in anguish.

"Yumiya… You should cry as much as you want. It's good to let your tears flow."

"M-My dad… I don't want to lose him, Grandma! I want to spend more time with him! I should've spent more time with him! I should've! Mom would be so sad without him… I'd be sad without him–"

"Your father is a strong man, Yumiya… He's fighting death even as we speak… Don't lose hope."

There was nothing else she could do but hope that her father would recover. Grandma was right, but it was hard not to think otherwise. Not when it happened so suddenly, like the worst kind of whiplash imaginable. It got her thinking on the what-ifs and should-haves like it was going to change what had already happened.

Yumiya soon felt her grandmother's soft, wrinkled hands over her face, rubbing small comforting circles over her cheeks. The older woman had been through so much pain, yet she could still give strength to others. The girl couldn't help but bury her face into those loving arms, hoping and praying and wishing for a miracle.

But, this time, she was hell bent on staying awake to catch the next news, however long it took.

Hospital food was decent for its price, Yumiya surmised after having a short meal at the Food Court with her two uncles and grandfather, with Grandpa Eiji spoiling her like most of his grandchildren. Tried as she might to eat, she didn't have much of an appetite. That didn't bother her at all. It was the fact that all three of these men kept a near-silent discussion about something that she felt she was entitled to, and she didn't appreciate the secrecy of it all. Didn't she have a right to know what was really going on? It's about her father, and she deserved that much, right?

Adults will be adults, and adults always knew what was best for their children. Bullshit!

She was already on one long mental tirade, condemning the world for all its injustice while appearing like an innocent, quiet girl incapable of violence or dishing the worst of insults towards others. Todoroki Yumiya was more than the lazy sleepyhead most people thought her to be, and she was aware her family knew better than to underestimate her like this.

"Forget them!"

Yumiya boarded the elevators, pushing on all the buttons for all the floors available from top to bottom in that building. It was childish, yes, but she waited until they got in before rushing out and trapping them at the top floor. Despite how sluggish she was, she ran out of there like a champ.

Once she was separated from her relatives, she looked at the note her Grandma Rei wrote her, which contained the specific floor and building where her father was currently resting. She smiled, following the instructions to a T, which led her to the building across the private family room they were staying at - albeit on a different floor. She stuffed it inside her wide-length pants' pockets, opening her thermostat and sipping relatively hot coffee before continuing on her journey.

"I'm almost there. Brrr…" She shuddered, the transparent, frozen wings behind her emitting an icy mist that made her movements as slow as a snail. She groaned in frustration, grabbing her arm and leaning against the wall for support.

"Damn Quirk…" She hissed as if the cold had become a hot, searing pain coursing through her body, barely able to unscrew the thermostat. She needed this coffee ASAP! But, even she knew her body's limits. It was trying to stabilize her Quirk, tanking her body temperature to recover the ice crystals that she had gotten rid off for quicker movement earlier. She could feel a yawn coming through, "A-Are… you kidding me?"

She was freezing, bringing her closer and closer to sleep when she felt a presence next to her. When she managed to look up, her Uncle Shoto had taken his seat beside her and began to reinforce her wings of ice with a gentle hand all the while warming her hands with his left side. He understood what her intentions were, pouring her a small cup of her coffee.

"Warm up a bit, then I'll walk you to his room."

"T-T-Thank you, Uncle."

Yumiya was extremely grateful, following after her uncle with the warm cup still in her hands. She remained as quiet as her Uncle Shoto, wondering how he had caught up to her so easily. And was Uncle Natsuo and Grandpa Eiji alone together? Those two might end up in a fight sooner or later. Her further thoughts were interrupted by her uncle's hand placing itself on top of her head as he opened the door for her, keeping the room lights off and letting her have a private moment with her father.

The girl didn't know how to approach the bed, and all of the complicated wiring were barely illuminated by the lights from outside the room. She stared at the scene in front of her, listening to the mechanical beeps and clicks from the intubation machine right next to the bed. Her lips quivered as she placed the cup on the bedside table, grabbing tightly onto her father's calloused and heavily bandaged hands.

She hated it, seeing him like this. And truth be told, she didn't see him often. And now, she had to watch him in such a vulnerable state, holding on for dear life. It was just awful.

"Papa…"

...

Todoroki Shoto's eyes were narrowed, a glare in his eyes so dark that it couldn't possibly be fitting of someone who was once a Pro-Hero. He reached deep inside his pockets, extracting a small flip-phone and dialing the only number in its contacts. After a small exchange of words - nearly inaudible - where the cameras in the vicinity wouldn't reach, he proceeded to break the phone in half.

"I'll make them pay."


TOP SECRET - GOLDEN INITIATIVE
SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED

[CLASSIFIED INFORMATION]

Date: 20XX November 20

To: [REDACTED]

From: [REDACTED], Director of Special Projects (R209)
Bureau of Intelligence and Research
The National Public Safety Commision,
Ministry of Defense

Subject: [REDACTED] Report

The facility at Mount Andou remains a top priority to our national security. Recent events surrounding the facility must be remedied immediately.

Handle the first with extreme urgency. A breach of protocol has resulted in the destruction of [REDACTED] and the death [REDACTED]. The Agency must seek and extract [REDACTED] between the beneficiaries and their respective 'keys'. The mission allows for acceptable collateral damage.

Ever since the annihilation of Shigaraki T. and AFO, this study has sparked curiosity among leading scientists as to [REDACTED]. The Agency has maintained complete secrecy surrounding the experiments conducted within the facility [REDACTED]. [REDACTED] survivors, demonstrating massive failures in this particular research. However, they were confident that these shortcomings were instrumental in perfecting [REDACTED].

Even though we have suspected substantial differences [REDACTED], we are certain that [REDACTED] would allow for a better overall outcome in this study. This method is confirmed to be a safer alternative but is expected to produce subtle reactions in the biological systems of the subjects involved during the course of the experiment.

It is also important to note that most of the previous proposals that were disclosed to certain personnel outside of the Agency only contained [REDACTED]. The scientists responsible [REDACTED]. To this date, while the crucial documents have been recovered, we were unable to pinpoint the source [REDACTED].

Valid information is still required to confirm [REDACTED]. Must not allow any other information to be leaked.

Execute orders immediately. A team led by [REDACTED] will be joining you in Tokyo tomorrow.

No action is to be taken in updating the Prime Minister. This information is of a need-to-know basis, and the Prime Minister should not be briefed on the existence of the facility. This must remain a matter for the intelligence services, which have been managing this without interference for decades.

These recent developments are all unquestionably related to increased funding within each research sub-departments. The Agency needs you to address this immediately.

By authority of: [REDACTED]
Signature: [REDACTED]

End of Chapter Two


Note to Readers:

Thanks for reading the story! Lowkey was not in the best mood to write anything for a while, but thanks to my RL friends, I got to finally finish it. Hopefully, it's enjoyable, and that it adds to the plot nicely.

There are NO MORE spots available!

Thank you for all the submissions! As you can see, this is 1/2 introductory chapters. A little insight into the minds and lives of these characters! :)

PLUS ULTRA!

P.S. I forgot to include the PRISM acronym, but 2/2 introductory chapters should explain it. Feel free to kick me if I forget to mention it in the next chapter.