The Musutafu Police Precinct had an eerie silence hanging in the air tonight, sending shivers down Shota's spine. The absence of any criminals currently being processed could mean a few things. Either there had been no crime committed at all that day, which seemed highly unlikely. Or, the crimes committed were so intense that every available officer was still out there trying to nab the culprits, which Shota would have definitely heard about by now. Or, the more plausible explanation, Tsukauchi was once again absent and the rest of the officers were slacking off without his watchful eye.
No matter the reason, it didn't reflect well on the precinct's efficiency, which was precisely why Shota had decided to pay a visit. Coming up with a fictional "Amata case," he had approached the desk sergeant at the front entrance with the fabricated investigation in order to gauge their reaction.
Their nonchalant response of "Oh sure, go right ahead," meant one of two things: Either the desk sergeant blindly trusted the word of a hero, which was a bad sign because who knows, they could have been a shapeshifter; or they simply didn't give a damn and were oblivious to any glaring issues. That suited Shota just fine for his current task - bugging the station - but it also spoke volumes about the system. Troubling, indeed, but Aizawa wasn't exactly in the business of spearheading social change.
Shota had discovered that the young Detective Omasuba had been one of the three assigned to the Dakamoto case, as well as the attack against him at UA. The other two officers, after a lacklustre investigation, had immediately been reassigned elsewhere. As a result, she became his prime "target" for the evening. What intrigued him most about this up-and-coming detective was her involvement in a plethora of minor arrests and convictions - possibly explaining why she was the one who first put him on Mayhem's trail. It was as if she had been slaying level 1 slimes and managed to reach the third job before leaving the starting town.
That wasn't the usual path most detectives took, and it immediately stood out to Shota. The best-case scenario was that she was a driven rookie, determined to prove herself after graduating, and had managed to impress the right people. The worst-case scenario, though, was that she had been intentionally fast-tracked, possibly for the same reason he was investigating. As much as he wanted to believe otherwise, Mayhem had a point - there was an increasing likelihood that someone connected to the killings was operating from within the police station.
As Aizawa ventured deeper into the precinct, he scanned the surroundings for the perfect opportunity to set his plan in motion. Luckily for him, the Musutafu station had separate offices for detectives working on murder investigations, rather than the open "bullpen" approach. The reason behind it was quite interesting, he thought. In the past, there were instances where criminals with eidetic memory or heightened hearing quirks intentionally got themselves arrested to eavesdrop on sensitive information. It became less common over time, but for a while, professional criminals made a lucrative business out of it. Little did they know back then that their practices would play right into his hands for this particular operation.
Approaching his target's office, he noticed a simple piece of lined paper taped to the door with the word "OMASUBA" written on it. Quite logical, he thought. With the number of cases being dropped without Tsukauchi's involvement, Omasuba would probably relocate by the end of the week. Aizawa lightly tapped the door and waited for a response before slowly pushing it open. The dimly lit room came to life as motion detector lights flickered on, revealing stacks of files scattered on the desk. It was then he recalled Omasuba mentioning her preference for working on paper during their last encounter. Upon reflection, that seemed very suspicious of her.
Shota fished the tiny bug he was planning to affix to the computer from his pocket, a curious device attached to his trousers that allowed him to carry small objects. The bug was also quite effective. It was paper-thin, difficult to detect, and could wirelessly transmit data using… Magnets, or something? It was above his pay grade and below his interests. With steady hands, he discreetly affixed the bug to the back of the computer. All that was left to do now was wait for the connection to be established.
His heart skipped a beat upon hearing footsteps approaching the office door. Momentary worry gripped him, but he swiftly regained his composure, knowing he had to act fast. In times like these, the most logical course of action was to act like you belong. Before Omasuba could enter the room, Aizawa had smoothly settled himself into the desk chair, appearing completely at ease as he perused the first case file he had picked up.
"Oh! Eraserhead, what a pleasant surprise!" Omasuba exclaimed, a hint of shock in her voice as her unruly hair threatened to obstruct her vision, as always. "Can I help you with something?"
"I'm investigating these..." Aizawa glanced down at the case file in his hand, "public indecency charges." He frowned at the concerningly graphic image on the page. …Who even took this picture? No, that didn't matter, try not to think about it too much.
Omasuba casually brushed the hair out of her eyes and leaned against the doorframe, raising both eyebrows. "Oh, hehe," she said, moving her hair behind her ear. "I see how it is. Eraserhead, it's okay, you don't have to lie to me."
"I'm sorry?" Aizawa replied, with a touch of genuine confusion.
"You're here to see me again, aren't you?" She confidently walked into the office, dropping her purse on the floor. "I won't deny that I've had similar thoughts about you a few times. But you can't hide this kind of thing from me. I am a detective, you know," she said with a mischievous expression.
Aizawa glanced at his smartwatch, noting that it was 77% connected. Not much time left, but he needed to buy himself a little more.
"Detective Omasuba, I-"
"Please, call me Kiko," Omasuba insisted, clumsily leaning over with her elbows on the desk and one leg kicked up behind her.
"...Detective Omasuba," he continued, trying to regain his composure. "I really am here for a case file. I noticed your office door was open, so I took the liberty of—"
"Oh, Eraserhead!" In one smooth motion, she cleared the desk of papers and started climbing on top of it, getting dangerously close to him. "We're both adults here. Let's act like adults!"
Aizawa slyly glanced at his watch once more... 99%... Come on, come on, come on! Why did the last percent always take the longest?!
"The, uh, the case is, uh, it's the, uh," He was stuttering!? What is he, 13 years old?! Just then, he felt his watch subtly vibrate, indicating the file transfer had completed. "I have to go."
Omasuba had never seen someone leave a room so quickly before. "Oh, poo," she said to herself, disappointed.
—
Class 1-H bombarded Izuku with questions about his injury as soon as they saw him in the workshop. Thankfully, due to the swift intervention of Recovery Girl, he managed to get away with wearing wrist braces instead of having both arms in casts. It was much easier to explain two injured wrists rather than two snapped arms, and at least this way he could still move his fingers a little. The moment Hana entered the room and laid eyes on him, she let out a piercing scream, shouted, "What happened?!" in utter horror, and rushed over to him without a moment's hesitation. The other students expressed their concern in their own, more subdued ways.
Kazutani was the most composed. "Hey, what happened? How did you injure yourself?" he inquired, his serious expression softened by genuine worry. He didn't bother beating around the bush; it just wasn't his style.
Oh, crap, right, he actually needed to come up with an excuse. "Well, you see…" Izuku began, desperately racking his brains for a believable story.
"Izuku saved my life!" Mei suddenly blurted out.
"What?!" Izuku's eyes widened in concern, unsure where this story was heading. "No, I didn't. I didn't do that!"
"No need to be modest, Izuku. The people deserve to know," Mei insisted.
Kuri Kuri's small mouth opened just a little wider, his black eyes shimmering. "Wow... What happened, Hatsume?"
"There I was," Oh great, she's in full storytelling mode, "a poor, defenceless girl on a treacherous journey to the train station." She placed one hand on her forehead and dramatically extended the other in front of her.
"I had just finished work on my latest baby, the super-duper speed shoes, and was ready to test them out. But little did I know… danger was afoot."
Hana gasped and put a hand up to her mouth.
"A group of dastardly villains had been following me, waiting to strike!" She punctuated her words with wild gesticulations. "They wanted to steal my babies and use them for evil schemes." She paused for dramatic effect, then continued. "As I was about to board the train… They surrounded me. They had knives! Guns! One guy had a backpack flamethrower! I was done for…"
"Then what happened?" Kuri asked, wide-eyed, (or at least as wide as his eyes could get).
She sniffled and wiped a fake tear away. "That's when Izuku appeared. He saw me in trouble and rushed in to help! He fought off the villains with nothing but his bare hands!" Mei started punching the air and miming kicks, "He was throwing them around like ragdolls! One of the villains said 'get the girl!' and Izuku locked eyes with him, spat out his toothpick, and said 'not today'"
Izuku tried his best to bury himself in his collar until this was over.
"He even caught a bullet in his teeth and spat it back at the shooter! He was unstoppable!" She made a fist. "But then! One of the villains managed to grab his arm and twist it behind his back! Izuku SCREAMED IN PAIN! But he refused to give up!"
Yamashita started munching on some popcorn she'd gotten from somewhere.
"Using his free arm, he delivered a powerful elbow strike to the villain's face! But it was too late... his arm was broken." Mei took a dramatic pause. "That's when the villain with the flamethrower lunged at me!"
"Wow! Izuku, you're a real hero!" Hana beamed.
Just then, Power Loader entered the room and casually approached the group of students. "Whatever Hatsume is telling you, it didn't happen. Midoriya was assisting me in the workshop when a metal support beam fell on his arms."
Hana's smile faded as she heard the 'truth'. "Oh... Well, I'm sure if Mei really did get attacked by villains, you would have done all those heroic things anyway!"
"Um, thanks, Akari," Izuku responded, a bit bewildered, before turning to Mei and whispering, "I caught a bullet in my teeth?"
"What? Are you saying you wouldn't catch a bullet in your teeth if I were in danger? I thought we were friends."
To regain the attention of Class 1-H, Power Loader forcefully slammed a yardstick onto his desk, producing a sharp bang! The entire class jumped, with Kuri even retreating into his chestnut shell.
"Alright! First order of business today," Power Loader declared, his voice commanding the room's attention. "Class 1-A will be coming in during the day to collect any support gear you've created for them. They won't be able to use it for the sports festival like you guys, but we've been asked to assist them in getting familiar with the new gear before classes resume later this week."
Mei leaned over to Izuku and whispered, "Did you manage to make something for Komori?"
He grimaced slightly, hesitating before replying, "Yeah, sort of..."
Power Loader continued, "You still have the next few days to work on your support gear for the festival. However, if you're satisfied with what you have, feel free to use these workshop sessions to focus on your other assignments." With that, he reclined in his desk chair, propping his feet up on the desk, and pulled out a newspaper from seemingly thin air.
As anticipated, the Class 1-A students gradually made their way into the workshop throughout the day to collect their eagerly awaited gadgets and gizmos. Iida couldn't contain his excitement as he received Yamashita's jump-thrust boots, while Uraraka was practically beaming with joy when Mei presented her with the grappling tethers.
Izuku's creations, on the other hand, were a bit more understated. He had designed lightweight portable speakers for Jiro that could double as blunt weapons, and a quick-release wrist-mounted ammo belt for Kodai. The latter allowed her to rapidly fire projectiles that would graze her hand, activating her quirk. A satisfied smile and nod from Kodai indicated the success of the invention.
Izuku's heart raced more than he would have liked when Komori finally arrived to collect her new gear.
"Hi," she greeted, her hair completely obscuring her eyes. "Are you Midoriyashroom?"
Oh my God, they only just met and she gave him a nickname. "Yes! Yes, hello, that's me! I have a gift!" He struggled to lift a wooden crate onto the desk, but Komori kindly stepped in to help.
She cracked open the crate and peered inside. Izuku tried to gauge her reaction, but her hair made it difficult to see her eyes.
"...Are they shoes, shroom?" she asked.
"Um... y-yeah, I thought since your quirk is nature-related, there wasn't much tech I could incorporate that would be better than your water sprays. So, I thought maybe your costume wasn't as suited for close combat. Not that there's anything wrong with your costume! I actually love it, and you look great - I mean, it works great, and you also look great, and..."
Komori simply looked at him and then back down at the shoes.
"They're um... made of lightweight steel, and I added the spikes because, well, spikes look cool, I guess. I apologise if they're a bit big, but I wanted them to be as strong as possible in case you ever, you know, need to kick someone..."
Her expression remained inscrutable for what felt like an eternity to Izuku... until a broad smile spread across her face as she pulled the spiked steel combat boots out of the box. "They're incredible!"
"They are?!" Izuku exclaimed in surprise.
"They are?" echoed Mei, who had been eavesdropping.
"Oh my shroom, YES! How did you know I'm into industrial metal?! Just imagine these in the pit! These are the best things you could have made!" To Izuku's complete astonishment, she enveloped him in a tight hug. It crushed his arms a little, but he wasn't about to complain!
Komori released him after a few seconds, "Thank you so much, shroom! You're the best!"
Izuku's face started to heat up again, "I'm glad you like me–I mean like them!"
"I can't wait to try these out," she said with a sinister giggle, seizing the box and dashing off to her own class, leaving Izuku at a loss for words.
"Wow, Izuku, you really made an impression on her," Mei teased, nudging him with her elbow. "I think she likes you."
"I-I didn't know what to say," Izuku stammered. "She's... She's nice, friendly, and... and..."
"And she hugged you!" Mei continued to tease. "Ooooh, Izuku's got a girlfriiiiend!"
As if choreographed, everyone else in the room chorused "Ooooooh!" simultaneously, including Todoroki, who was there getting a new jacket from Kazutani, even though he had no idea why he joined in.
—
"Well then!" Principal Nezu exclaimed, hopping onto the meeting table with a grin. "Let's begin with a warm welcome to the newest addition to our wild bunch!"
Izuku smiled nervously at the gathering of pro heroes seated around him. It was his first-ever meeting with them since discovering the secrets of All Might's quirk, and boy, was he feeling the pressure this time! For once, the nerves seemed completely justified.
"Thank you all for having me," he said, offering a small bow from his chair. Most of the heroes around the table returned the gesture, but Sir Nighteye remained still, with his fingers crossed in front of his mouth, while Midnight wore a look of utter concern.
"Darling! What happened?!" she yelled, eyeing the braces on Izuku's arms.
For a moment, Izuku considered going along with Mei's tale of incredible heroism, but Recovery Girl spoke up on his behalf.
"It was a mishap in the workshop. Believe me, I've given Higari quite the lecture!" She waved her cane in the air for emphasis.
"Well, we all wish you a speedy recovery, Young Midoriya," Yagi expressed. "Oh! But won't this mean you'll have to miss the sports festival? That's a real shame…"
"It's okay, really. I didn't expect to get very far anyway. Besides, there will be other opportunities to get scouted by support companies!" Izuku replied, trying to sound optimistic. Truth be told, skipping the festival would make things so much easier for him as he familiarised himself with his new quirk. And it would give him time to adjust to the idea of more people knowing about it. Revealing his quirk to the entire school all at once would be overwhelming, he thought.
"Do not fret, Mr. Midoriya! As the principal of this fine establishment, I can offer the solution!" Nezu chimed in. "Chiyo, how long until our friend is back in fighting shape?"
"Thursday at the latest, two days after the festival," Recovery Girl responded.
Gleefully, Nezu produced a large metal remote control with a big red button in the centre and pushed it with a click. A muffled explosion could be heard in the distance. The looks of shock and horror on the faces of the other heroes were delightful to him.
"Oh dear! It appears there has been a structural issue on the west wall of the stadium. Tut tut, how unfortunate; the festival will have to be postponed for at least two days," Nezu declared, leaning back in his chair while ignoring Izuku's sounds of protest. "Now, onto the matter at hand!"
Shaking away the shock of Nezu apparently having explosives ready to go at the stadium, Yagi attempted to refocus the meeting. "R-right, first things first, and we all agree on this," he gestured to the rest of the team, "Young Midoriya, would you be willing to shoulder the burdens and responsibilities of One For All and become the next symbol of peace?"
"Nah, I'm good."
"Oh…" Yagi answered, a little disappointed. Well, you win some, you lose some.
For the first time during that day's meeting, Sir Nighteye spoke up. "In that case, do you have any ideas for suitable candidates?"
Izuku lit up at the opportunity. Despite his current state, he clumsily emptied the contents of his backpack onto the table, revealing a series of notebooks.
Midnight picked up one of the books and read the title aloud, "Izuku's Weird Dream Journal?"
"Well, I didn't want anyone reading them, and there's nothing worse than hearing about other people's weird dreams," he answered seriously.
"Yes, that makes sense." The others chorused in agreement.
"The way I understand it," Izuku began, "Is that One For All needs to be given to someone who can withstand the physical strain but also exhibits the ideals of true heroism. You need somebody strong yet selfless. Right?"
"You're quite correct, Young Midoriya," Yagi remarked, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "One For All does require someone with both immense strength and a heroic spirit to bear its power. You believe there are students in our midst who possess these qualities?"
Izuku nodded, "Absolutely. I first compiled a list of candidates from the first-year heroics courses based on their strength. They're in the notebook you have, Miss Midnight."
Midnight flipped to the correct page and laid it out for the others to see. "Oh my, you're quite the artist!" She said, referring to the sketches inside.
"Oh um, thank you. If we go by sheer strength, the best candidates are Mezo Shoji and Rikido Sato. They have the best chances of controlling the raw power."
"A six-armed Texas smash…" Yagi remarked thoughtfully.
"But it got me thinking…" Izuku continued, "I was considering whether strength alone is limiting us. After all, muscle can be gained. So, I think the best course of action is to look at people's personalities rather than their physical attributes. Um, that's all listed in the other notebook."
This book was closest to Nighteye, who flipped through to the right page.
"I've compiled a list of every student from classes 1A and 1B based on my observations during training exercises. There are pros and cons, anything I could determine from their personalities, and ways in which their quirks might be affected by One For All."
Nighteye pushed his glasses up his nose. "You believe their current quirks may be strengthened as well?"
"Well, it's just a theory, but it would make some sense, right? I think it's worth considering because there's a chance you could um… make someone too powerful."
Nezu nodded. "It would be rather difficult to be a hero if one punch levelled an entire city!"
"So," Izuku continued, a little surprised at himself for how well his 'pitch-meeting' persona had lasted, "On the next page, you'll find a list of four students who I think could make suitable candidates."
Nighteye turned the page and rotated the book for the others to see, and Yagi read the names aloud.
"Eijiro Kirishima, Hiryu Rin, Ochaco Ururaka, Mashirao Ojiro."
Pointing to the bottom of the page, Midnight remarked, "Is this another name that has been crossed out?"
"Oh, um, yeah, it was just a thought, but I'm not sure if she would-"
"I think I can make it out," she said, squinting. "...Mei Hatsume?"
"L-like I said, just a thought I had!"
"These are good options," Yagi said, "thank you for the work, Young Midoriya."
Sir Nighteye held up a finger. "You have forgotten one possible candidate. Why did you not include Mirio Togata? Was there an aspect of his personality you found unappealing?"
Izuku just shrugged. "I don't know who that is, sorry. I can do some research though!"
"Please do."
"Well then!" Nezu piped up, "A productive meeting indeed! Now, if that will be all, shall we adjourn for the evening?"
"Oh, actually, Principal Nezu?" Izuku asked, "Could I see Deku? I wanted to say hello."
"I'm afraid not, my dear student. Our little friend Deku is in Ectoplasm's care, I believe they are wingmanning!"
—
Meanwhile, across the city in a fancy nightclub, Ectoplasm downs a shot of whiskey at the bar while Deku sits across from him. "You got this, buddy! Go get 'em, tiger!"
Ectoplasm grunts in agreement and heads over to the dance floor.
Good luck, Ectoplasm!
