Mode of Action
Over at UA Nezu was busily looking over the files and articles on the missing heroes. The police had made no developments in the whereabouts of Mortar and the missing supers from America were hardly being investigated at all; no doubt in part to the government's proclamation. The mouse principal shook his head as he looked at other world news events from the states which showed crime was showing to be reaching concerning levels. Matters involved kidnappings, robberies, murders and even the rare cases of villainy (this Screenslaver character appeared in several papers).
'You would think the banning of heroes and quirk use would result in a rise of villains activity.' Nezu thought before noticing an article on a villain being shot dead by police. 'Then again, America's gun laws are a lot less restrictive than Japan's. This can't go on. The people deserve the choice to use their quirks within reason and for good causes; not suppress them like a disease. All those seasoned and young lives wishing to use their powers to help others but not being able to just breaks my heart. I only wish there was something I could do to help them.' But as he continued to browse the various papers he stopped at one he'd sourced from America, displaying an article which discussed a hero rights activist.
The page showed the image of a brown-haired man in a suit, by name of Winston Deavor. The man was one of the dual owners of DEVTECH; a telecommunications company that produced many screen-based devices worldwide. Winston himself however was also a verbal supporter of supers and his recent petition for the government to overturn the programme had been rejected.
"Hmmm." Nezu rubbed his furry chin. It seemed that Mr Deavor had a rather large presence in his country and though thousands of people stood behind his cause, it lacked an important factor: example.
Nezu picked up his phone and put in a call. "DEVTECH reception, how may I help you?" a voice said.
"Hello. I would like to speak to Mr Deavor about a proposition I think he might like." The mouse waited for about a minute before another voice spoke to him.
"This is Winston Deavor. Who's calling?"
"Mr Deavor. You probably don't know me, but my name is Nezu and I'm the principal of UA Academy."
"UA?! The number one hero high school in Japan?!" Winston asked in astonishment.
"Ah, so you've heard of us. Excellent."
"Well, Mr Nezu, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"You see, Mr Deavor, I happened to come across the article about your petition to relegalize heroes and quirks use in America."
"Oh, you saw that, huh?" Winston grumbled. "Not one of my proudest moments, I should say, considering the outcome."
"Oh no, Mr Deavor, on the contrary; you should be most proud of your attempt because had you not done so, I wouldn't be speaking to you right now." Nezu countered. "As the proprietor of this school, it is my duty as a hero to encourage and guide these young individuals so that they may use their quirks for the good of the country and by extension the world."
"You're preaching to the choir there, Mr Nezu." Winston agreed. "I may not have been lucky enough to be born with a quirk, but you heroes have always inspired me aim high and work hard to what I set my mind to. That's how my sister and I raised our Father's company to new heights."
"Go beyond, Plus Ultra, that's our motto." Nezu smiled. "Here's the situation, Mr Deavor; this ridiculous law against your country's heroes has frustrated me to no end as I thought there was nothing I could do to help. But upon reading about you, I believe I've thought of a way to assist your cause and give all the children of America the choice to use their quirks to shape their destinies."
"Well you've certainly got my attention. What did you have in mind?" Winston asked, his voice growing with excitement.
"While your petition was a valiant attempt, it lacked an important element."
"And that element would be…?"
"Example, Mr Deavor."
"Example?"
"Yes. If you want your government to repeal the law and reinstate heroes then you need examples to convince them to do so. Luckily for you, I have plenty of fine upcoming heroes right here in my school. My first years in particular have been growing and developing their quirks and identities as heroes very well. What better way to show the government the importance of heroes and the opportunities it presents than with a group of up and coming youngsters?"
"I get it. And by using heroes from another country I can show the top brass that hero work can be done without being detrimental to the country. It's brilliant! I only wish I could find some representatives of my own. I can think of several American heroes who'd make a good argument for the movement, if I could only find them. I know the government will probably counter with your heroes not being comparable to the USA's."
"That is true, though I'm sure we can find a way to work around that factor. See if there are any people you know who might have connections that could assist you and I in turn shall do my part to help as well. I'll send you a list of the students for you to look over and you can update me on any further developments."
"I can't even begin to thank you for this, Mr Nezu! I honestly didn't think an opportunity such as this would happen." Winston cheered. "This just may be the start of restoring America's place in the United Nations of Heroes."
"I believe so too, Mr Deavor. Know that I do this for both the heroes of your country and those yet to come. Good day." Nezu smiled before hanging up and sighing contently.
XXX
After the successful completion of his mission, Bob returned home to his family with a spring in his step and a brimming bank account; Mirage hadn't been exaggerating about his payment. If he kept it up with these new missions, he'd reach his goal in no time. But first, he needed to get back into shape. Though he did beat the Omnidroid, his cardio and back injury were clear signs that he wasn't up to standard. So for the next few weeks, whenever he 'went to work' he actually went to a local railway yard to lose weight by either towing, lifting or even juggling train cars. It was a gruelling workout (and several times he was nearly spotted) but it paid off as he was soon back to a level waistline (for a man his age that is).
But that's not all. His new pay allowed him to provide more for his family, starting with replacing his old crummy car with a new black one somewhat reminiscent of his old super vehicle; he even had enough to buy a new car for Helen which greatly surprised her. And on top of it all, now that he was no longer being mentally drained by the toll of his old job, he was able to dedicate more time to his family; helping around the house; spending time with his kids and of course loving his wife.
But then one morning, as he was looking over his suit, he found a gaping hole in one of the arms, leftover from his battle with the Omnidroid. He could hardly undertake any future assignments with a torn costume, but who could help him with such an issue? Bob thought for a moment until a certain name came to mind.
"Hurry, honey! You'll be late for work!" He heard Helen calling him before he hastily packed up his costume. He only hoped the person he was thinking of would be able and or willing to help him. After kissing his wife goodbye he drove for an hour or two before reaching an abstract mansion on a hill, guarded by a laser wall gate. As he pulled up to it he pressed an intercom which turned on to display a guard.
"You have an appointment?" he asked to which Bob replied.
"I'm an old friend. I just wanted to..."
"All visitors are required to make a reser-"
"Hey, get back to work! Go check the electric fence or something!" before the man could finish his sentence a short woman with black hair and large glasses suddenly ran into the frame to usher him out in a fuss. This energetic woman was Edna Mode: world-renowned fashionista and (formerly American exclusive) hero costume designer.
(A.N. The character you've all been waiting for)
"What is it? Who are you? What do you want?" she approached the camera with only the top half of her face showing as Bob lowered his sunglasses to identify himself. "My God, you've gotten fat. Come in, Come, come!" she said opening the gate to him." After letting him in, Bob walked alongside the short designer as the two conversed.
"Yes, things are going quite well. Quite well. My God, no complaints. But, you know, it is not the same. Not the same at all." Edna muttered. "Nowhere near as many orders as I used to get. Had to start taking non-hero projects to make ends meet."
'She's a millionaire. What ends need to be met?' Bob thought in disbelief. "Weren't you just in the news? Some show in Prayge...Prague?"
"Milan, darling. Milan." Edna corrected as they entered one of the main branches of the mansion, which looked more like the foyer of a gallery ro museum than a home room.
"Supermodels. HA! Nothing super about them." Edna scoffed with disgust. "Spoiled, stupid, little stick figures with poofy lips who think only about themselves. FEH! I used to design for gods!" The fashionista stared grandly up at a large golden statue/fountain before sighing.
"But it seems my legacy has faded along with the gods themselves. Yes, I rarely fly overseas for a collaboration and any orders I receive exclusively from heroes are usually check overs. It's all they're allowed to ask of me with this damn law in place. Tch! If I had my way, I'd craft suits that would shake the world." She longed as a few strands of glowing thread emerged from her fingertips before restricting.
"But perhaps you come with a challenge, eh? I was surprised to get your call." She said with growing excitement.
"E, I just need a patch job." Bob said handing Edna his old suit as she inspected it.
"Hmm. This is megamesh. Outmoded, but very sturdy and you've torn right through it! What have you been doing, Robert? Moonlighting hero work?" She asked suspiciously as Bob answered awkwardly.
"Must have happened a long time ago." Edna didn't appear to believe it though.
"I see. This is a hobo suit, darling. Oh, you can't be seen in this! I won't allow it! Fifteen years ago, maybe, but now?" She said discarding the old suit in a nearby bin.
"What do you mean? You designed it." Bob questioned as Edna waved her hand, sitting herself in a chair.
"I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now. You need a new suit. That much is certain."
"A new suit? Where the heck am I gonna get a new suit?"
"You can't! It's impossible! I'm far too busy. So ask me now, before I again become sane." She said rapidly, turning away in false refusal. Bob could hardly believe his ears. Was she seriously offering to go over the government's head?
"Wait...you want to make me...a suit?" He asked to confirm to which Edna replied with a grin. "But the law."
"You push too hard, darling! But I accept. Orders are one thing. Requests are another." She pulled out a sketch pad and pen as her creative mind went to work instantly. "It will be bold. Dramatic!"
"Yeah." Bob smiled.
"Heroic!"
"Yeah, something classic, like uh- how about Toshi?! Oh! He had a great look! Oh, the cape and the boots-"
"No capes!" Edna snapped, tossing a paper ball to his head.
"Isn't that my decision?"
"Do you remember Thunderhead?" Edna peered over her sketch pad. "Tall, storm powers. Nice man. Good with kids."
"Listen, E-" Bob tried to say before Edna interrupted.
"November 15th of '58. All was well, another day saved when his cape snagged on a missile fin."
"Thunderhead was not the brightest bolt-"
"Stratogale! April 23rd, '57. She caught in a jet turbine." Edna gave another fatal wardrobe malfunction.
"E, you can't generalize about these things."
"Meta Man, Express elevator! Dynaguy, snagged on takeoff! Splashdown, sucked into a vortex! NO CAPES! Who do you think stopped Toshinori from wearing capes? Himself?! Of course not! You and I both known how reckless he was so someone had to get the message through his thick skull. Now, go on. Your new suit will be finished before your next assignment." She stated as she began to ascend a flight of glass steps, presumably to her studio.
"You know I'm retired from hero work."
"So you say, Robert. Yet, here you are."
"E, I only need a patch job. For sentimental reasons." Edna sighed begrudgingly as it seemed Bob wasn't going to drop the charade in front of her.
"Fine.I will also fix the hobo suit." She said taking the costume from Bob's outstretched hand.
"You're the best of the best, E." He called after her as she continued up the stairs.
"Yes, I know, darling, I know."
XXX
Meanwhile, back in Japan, a week had passed since Nezu had spoken to Winston Deavor on supporting his passion project. And it was at this time that the mouse hero received an update from the business tycoon.
The message informed Nezu that Winston had shared the information with his mentor, Rick Dicker (A.N. Coincidence? I think NOT!) and the government agent agreed with him on Nezu's advice. Below the message was a video call link and the request to contact him again as soon as possible.
Currently, the principal was sitting at his desk about to make the call. Additionally, since the matter involved his students, Aizawa had also been asked to attend the meeting, the man himself standing beside Nezu as the mouse clicked the link. A call window opened up as the phone icon onscreen began to ring until eventually the image of Winston Deavor appeared on the monitor.
"Principal Nezu, great to be speaking with you again." The man smiled.
"Likewise, Mr Deavor. I would like to introduce you to Shota Aizawa, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A."
"Eraserhead." Winston identified the stone-faced hero with an ecstatic grin. "You have quite the reputation from what I've researched on Japan's supers."
"Then you know how seriously I take matters concerning hero work. Especially when it involves my students." Aizawa answered dryly. His tone did put Winston off somewhat, but the man kept his cool as he explained the situation.
"Here's the deal, gentlemen. If we're going to convince the government to reestablish supers in both work and education, we need representatives for both parties. Thanks to you, Nezu, we have the perfect candidates in Mr Aizawa's class."
"And the pro-heroes?" Aizawa asked expectantly.
"That's still a work in progress with the relocation programme keeping their identities secret, but don't worry. Once Dicker picks his way through all that red tape he should be able to get me clearance to approach some of America's top supers. But for now, we're going to start with the kids. That'll help ease the brass' fears on training children to be heroes before we work our way up to the adults."
"So how are my students supposed to help your cause?" Aizawa inquired.
"Here's what I'm thinking. We send your class to a small town in one of the states and have them set up their own mini-agency. They can aid the citizens with any problems they'd be allowed to help with; lost children, snatched bags, cats in trees, etcetera-etcetera."
"Friendly neighbourhood heroes." Nezu quipped.
"Bingo! The kids can show the people how good-natured, helpful and caring heroes can be. And because they're students, them doing a good job will show that hero work is a legitimate field of study that young supers should be allowed to pursue if they wish to."
"What do you think, Aizawa?" Nezu asked the eraser hero whose face remained unchanged from its stoic expression.
"Doesn't sound like anything they can't handle. Will there be any American children with quirks involved?"
"As of now, no. For the same reason I don't have results for the Pro hero side of the project. But if your class do a good job, the government might loosen the restraints and allow some volunteers from the homeland. That, of course, will only increase the cause's influence and improve the results."
"And how long would it take to get the clearance for this project?"
"Well given the mild nature of the project the class will be involved in, it shouldn't take to long. I have pretty good connections after all. Give it a month or so and everything should be golden. Plus that gives you time to give your students the rundown."
"As long as it doesn't end with them getting shipped to Guantanamo Bay for being themselves."
"Whoa! There is no way in hell I'll let that happen. No antihero government dogs are gonna get your class detained! Not while I'm here!" Winston proclaimed.
"I was joking." Aizawa replied with his unintentionally creepy grin. Winston tugged his collar awkwardly before clearing his throat.
"So I'm assuming we're in agreement on this?"
"Absolutely. You can count on our support, Mr Deavor." Nezu smiled. "And don't worry. Getting clearance for my students to visit America shouldn't be a problem on my end."
"Excellent. In that case, I'll keep you posted on updates and where to rendezvous with me when the time comes. See ya." Winston bid the heroes good day before hanging up.
"Well then. We'd better get to work, Aizawa. I'll begin on getting the students clearance for departure while you inform them of the project. Let's call it extracurricular."
"Agreed." Aizawa nodded before exiting. After making another call to theHero Public Safety Commission, Nezu then proceeded to leave the building as he went to meet with them to discuss his plan, unaware that he was being followed by a familiar short-haired man who brought a finger to an earpiece he was wearing.
"Sir. I think I've found something our new client will be interested in hearing." Illusion grinned.
XXX
Meanwhile, Aizawa made his way to homeroom class to fill the students of 1-A in on the project they'd potentially be participating in.
"Ok, class, listen up. There's something you need to be filled in on." He said to the young heroes in training. "Over the past week, the Principal has been in contact with a tycoon in America by the name of Winston Deavor."
"One of the CEOs of DEVTECH?!" Momo Yaoyorozu said astonished. "My family have done business with that company a few times."
"Hey, yeah. I have one of their phones." Denki Kaminari mentioned showing off said device while a few other class members muttered in agreement with him, holding devices of their own.
"They are one of the most prestigious telecommunication companies in the world," Iida spoke. "But why would Principal Nezu make contact with them, Mr Aizawa?" he then asked the teacher who replied.
"Well it turns out that Mr Deavor is also a moderate who publicly opposes the American government's ban on heroes and quirk usage." the class were visibly surprised by this detail. "He tried petitioning them to rescind the law but was rejected."
"Tch! I'm not surprised." Bakugou scoffed. "That country's run by idiots who don't understand heroes at all. Sure am glad I was born in Japan."
"Bakugou, you know that's not all there is to it." Shoto Todoroki debated.
"Shut up, Icyhot, I know the history! They only did what they did cause they couldn't handle having more quirkless people than any other country! A bunch of jealous losers throw tantrums over a few broken buildings and they fold like a damn house of cards! I shit you not! Some nobody actually sued a Pro for stopping him from offing himself!"
"That's enough, Bakugou." Aizawa glared. "As I was saying, after reading about Mr Deavor's cause the Principal decided to contact him to offer his assistance. After providing him with information on all of you, Mr Deavor came up with a plan that could possibly convince the government to reconsider the law."
"You mean this guy wants us to help him legalise heroes in America again?" Kirishima asked with a grin.
"Essentially, yes. He has a plan in the works for Pro heroes in America as well but believes covering both sides of the hero system is the most surefire way of overturning the law. If the project succeeds it would mean a new dawn for quirk users in the USA."
"And we'd be a major cause behind it." Izuku murmured, bewildered by the scale of the possibility. "Can you imagine how many famous American Supers would be able to come out of hiding again?"
"Supers?" Ochaco queried.
"Oh, it's what they call heroes in America."
"Sacre bleu! We would be a leading cause in la révolution!" Yuga Aoyama proclaimed dramatically.
"So how exactly are we involved? Will we be assisting the police in stopping crimes? Ribbit." Tsu asked with a finger to her chin.
"Not exactly. You'll be setting up your own pseudo hero agency in a small town to provide service to the citizens. Stuff like finding missing belongings; assisting the elderly; making repairs; rescuing pets or helping children who've lost their parents. All without the involvement of the police."
"Are you shitting me?!" Bakugou roared. "That's not hero work, that's community service!"
"Kacchan, even minor deeds are worth doing if it helps make others happy." Izuku rebuked.
"Precisely, Midoriya." Aizawa nodded. "The most important duty you'll have in this project is establishing trust and appreciation with the community. By doing so you'll not only ease the fears and doubts any quirkless citizens may have against heroes, but you'll also be showing how quirks, in general, can be more beneficial to society than detrimental. Some of you might not see this as hero work compared to what you know or have experienced, but basic tasks can lead to significant changes if done well."
"Our small ripples could grow into mighty waves." Fumikage Tokoyami conveyed.
"So how long would we be working there?" Kyoka Jirou asked.
"That detail is yet to be decided. "Aizawa replied. "Mr Deavor and Principal Nezu are both still in the task of getting clearance for the project. I only wanted to inform you of it now so that you'd be prepared should the government allow it to be carried out."
"Well I hope they say yes! I've always wanted to go to America!" Mina Ashido hoped gleefully.
"Just don't get your hopes up too high. I don't want this distracting any of you from your studies. Speaking of which we're having a pop quiz today." Aizawa announced, inwardly smiling at the united groans from most of the class.
XXX
A month went by before Bob was contacted again by Mirage. As Helen was putting away the day's ironing she noticed something stuck to one of her husband's dress shirts. She reached out a plucked off what appeared to be a single silvery hair. Where could it have come from? Her thoughts were interrupted however by the phone ringing. She went to pick up the one in their bedroom before Bob's voice sounded from his study.
"I got it, I got it! Don't worry, honey, I got it!" He said before answering his own. "Hello?"
"We have a new assignment for you," Mirage answered. Unbeknownst to her and Bob, however, Helen pressed the receiver on the other landline allowing her to listen in on the conversation.
"How soon can you get here?" She heard a woman's voice on the other end followed by her husband's.
"I'll leave tomorrow morning."
"See you there."
"Goodbye." Helen felt her breath hitch. Who was Bob speaking with? Was she from Unicare? What was she calling Bob in for? There was only one way to find out. Making her way to the study she met Bob outside just as he was opening the door, taking the man by surprise.
"Who was that, honey? The, uh, office?" She asked innocently to which Bob replied.
"Another conference. Short notice, but you know...duty calls." He inched his way past her with an awkward chuckle. Something about his tone didn't sit right with Helen. It was just another conference. So why did he sound like Dash whenever he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar (She had her ways of catching him).
She wandered into his study, looking about the place until she noticed his desk drawer was slightly open. Unable to fight her curiosity, she opened it and saw the lockbox he'd been setting money aside in for the kids' college funds. At least that's what she'd believed until she saw the post-it on top that read 'New Life.' Her eye's widened slightly as her mind began spinning. What did he mean by a 'New Life'? Was the money not for what he said it was? What other purposes could he possibly have for storing it away? That mixed with her memories of the hair, the voice and how Bob had somehow overcome his frustration since he first left bore a terrible thought.
Could her husband truly be...? No. He couldn't, he wouldn't. She was the only one for him, she knew this. So why couldn't she rid herself of this churning in her gut? It was still there the next morning when Helen went to see him off as he got into his car.
"Bob?" She asked somewhat timidly.
"Yeah, what's up, honey?" He asked back, adjusting his mirror, unable to see his wife doing her best to push down the bad thoughts she'd been having.
"Ha-have a great trip." She leaned down to his level, a nervous smile on her face.
"Thanks, sweetie. I'll call you when I get there."
"I love you. So much." Helen said with utmost sincerity as Bob turned to face her and lift his shades.
"I love you too." He smiled and gave her a kiss before driving off. Helen did feel somewhat relieved, but the fear wasn't completely gone. Hopefully, it wouldn't turn out to be justified.
XXX
Back in Japan, Izuku and friends were buzzing with excitement, as a few days ago Aizawa informed them that Nezu and Winston had managed to get the clearance they needed to carry out the project. They hadn't been given all the details yet but that didn't bother the students as they were happy enough knowing that they would be playing a vital role in what was quite literally the chance of a lifetime.
Izuku himself was making his way to the dorms to begin packing when he was stopped in the hallway by a familiar face.
"Young Midoriya!" All Might greeted him with a smile. "I heard the news from the faculty. Congratulations to you all."
"Thanks, All Might. I'm still getting over the shock to be honest." Izuku grinned.
"I can imagine why. It's not every day students are presented with such opportunity, let alone first years. On top of everything else you and your friends have been through you're sure to go down as the most out there band of greenhorns in the history of this school." All Might laughed.
"Can't argue with that." Izuku agreed before he frowned slightly. "I'm not gonna lie, All Might. I'm pretty nervous about this. I mean this isn't just some extracurricular activity. The future of all American heroes old and young are riding on this project and we're carrying half of it."
All Might matched his frown as he looked out the window, his hands in his pockets.
"Indeed, it is a lot of pressure. And for some that can be the greatest form of motivation." He turned his gaze back to Izuku. "But I'm sure you realise that you're not alone in this. It carries a great weight, yes, but it's not one you need carry with just yourself."
Izuku smiled understandingly.
"Yeah. This time it's a weight all my friends share with me."
"Exactly. And with them by your side there's nothing you can't accomplish if you all set your minds to it because if there's one thing I've learned about you kids over the year I've known you, it's that you'll never turn back no matter the struggles. It's that determination that will make each and every one of you great heroes that will surely inspire the next generation just as I and the rest of your mentors inspired you all."
Izuku smiled thankfully for his mentor's words before he was pulled into a hug by All Might who patted his back.
"Good luck, Izuku. We're behind you all the way." The boy bit back his tears as he returned the hug.
"I'll tell the others what you told me, All Might. I'm sure a lot of them are nervous too."
"At least not to the point of spraying waterfalls from their eyes, right?" All Might joked earning a laugh from Izuku before the boy carried on his way, waving goodbye to the retired hero.
'I wonder if he'll see you and your family again, Bob? It sure would be nice for one of your old friends to reunite with you.'
XXX
After being flown in Bob was welcomed back to the island by Mirage as he was taken to the main facility via a rail-mounted pod which travelled along a track through the jungle and up a secret waterfall before arriving at the guest suite.
"You'll be briefed on your assignment in the conference room at two. D Wing, room A-113." Mirage informed him.
"2:00. Got it."
"See you there." The woman smiled as she watched Mr Incredible enter his room before taking the pod to another location where she was greeted by Syndrome. "He's settled in."
"Excellent, Mirage, thank you." The villain grinned. "And Illusion has just reported in on his recon mission in Japan. It looks like Mickey Mouse has got the green light for those kids to help Deavor on his little clubhouse project in the States. I imagine that interests you, Shigaraki."
He turned his head to the decay villain who was draped in a nearby chair with his legs crossed.
"Indeed. Those brats have been thorns in my side for too long. They'll be perfect for your side of our agreement. I help you kill Incredible. You help me kill them." Mirage appeared horrified at the idea but neither Shigaraki nor Syndrome seemed to notice as the latter replied.
"Of course, of course. I know how to make sure they'll be taking a little detour on their field trip. Will you be joining me in my attack on our special guest?"
Shigaraki shook his head.
"No. Incredible is your enemy so you'll have the honour. I'll just assign a couple of my team assist you, but you get to land the finishing blow."
"Sweet. Then I guess it's showtime." Syndrome grinned wickedly.
XXX
"I know this isn't a vacation or anything, but is anyone else hoping this Deavor guy will send us to New York?" Kaminari asked, shutting his suitcase as he along with the rest of Class 1A were finishing their packing. Indeed, just as Syndrome said, Winston had succeeded in getting permission from the American government to run his 'Jr Super Squad' as he called it. And in turn, Nezu had got the whole class clearance to travel to the USA for the project.
"I'll admit I have always wanted to go there so I'll be crossing my fingers for it." Mezo Shoji agreed, summoning several hands from his tentacles to perform the gesture multiple times.
"I hope it's near a beach. Then we'd have somewhere to relax after work." Toru Hagakure wished, the invisible girl bouncing on her heels excitedly.
"I'm more excited about the treats they've got. I hear USA candy is among the sweetest there is. Sure will be useful for my quirk." Rikido Sato grinned.
"Regardless of where we're going, I wonder if we'll get to meet any American Pros if the project succeeds?" Shoto wondered.
"Hey yeah! Some of the greatest heroes in the world came from America before the law was put into place." Izuku said. "They say Mr Incredible rivalled All Might back in his golden age. And then there's Frozone- Oh! Also Fironic!; I wonder how their quirks would compare to yours, Todoroki? I mean they are older than us, but they've also been out of work for fifteen years supposedly without practice. What would that kind of restriction do to a hero? Could you even..." The others looked at Izuku Awkwardly as he went off on one of his muttering sprees to which Ochaco shook her head with a smile as she snapped her fingers in front of his face.
"Deku, you're doing it again." She giggled as Izuku blushed embarrassingly, rubbing the back of his head.
"He's right though. The USA is filled with amazing supermen. And superwomen~." Minoru Mineta, the class pervert, grinned lecherously. "If there's any super I wanna meet it's Elastigirl. Voted number one hottest hero in America three times running. So sexy~!" He drooled over a magazine he was holding which displayed a picture of the stretchy hero herself from back in her glory days. The class were mostly disturbed by the belonging though some of the boys did blush at the image.
"How old is that thing?" Mashirao Ojiro asked rhetorically.
"And where in Japan did you get- NO! No, I don't wanna know!" Momo shook her head while covering her ears.
At that moment Aizawa entered the lounge followed by a strapping young man with blonde hair who was holding Eri's hand. This was the third year student, Mirio Togata.
"Are you all packed? If not you're getting left behind cause we're going." He said before turning his head to Mirio.
"Thanks again for agreeing to look after Eri while we're gone."
"No problem, Mr Aizawa, it's my pleasure." Mirio grinned with a thumbs up as he looked down at Eri.
"Do you want to say bye to everyone before they leave, Eri? And wish them luck on their mission?" He smiled as he let go of her hand so that the little girl could run up to hug Izuku.
"I'll miss you, Deku." She sniffled as the boy returned her hug.
"Hey, what's with the he waterworks?" he asked softly. "We'll be back before you can say candy apples."
"And we'll make sure to call every week to tell all we've been up to." Ochaco promised.
"Yes, maintaining contact with friends and family is a healthy habit during long trips." Iida nodded.
"Speak for yourself, Four Eyes." Bakugou snarked. "I for one am glad to be going away from home for a while. That way I won't have to deal with its my Old Lady breathing down my neck."
"Outrageous! One should never speak ill of their mother, Bakugou!" Iida scolded as Bakugou smirked. "Did you ever stop to think she only scolds you because she cares about your wellbeing?!"
"You've got that right, Iida. My Mom couldn't stop crying when I gave her the news." Izuku chuckled. "She'll probably be expecting me to call every day." He joked.
"If you're all done chatting, we''re leaving now." Aizawa said impatiently as he lead the class out of the dorms, Eri and Mirio waving them goodbye.
After boarding the school bus, they swiftly made their way to the airport where a large jet was waiting for them.
"Ah you're hear!" The pilot greeted them from the boarding stairs. "And not a moment too soon. Is everyone here and accounted for?"
"Yes, everyone's present." Aizawa confirmed.
"Then we're ready for departure. If you'll all please take your seats we can take off immediately." The pilot saluted the heroes as they boarded the plane. The man watched them pass by before making his way to the cockpit, his back hiding an evil smile.
"Time for takeoff?" His copilot asked him.
"Yes. So let's not keep our bosses waiting." The man said as he sat down, removing his hat to reveal his short black hair. Illusion chuckled to himself as he set the plane for takeoff, while his copilot turned out to be none other than Kurogiri. And lying between the two villains was the lifeless body of the true pilot.
XXX
Back in America Helen was busying herself with the housework (mainly to take her mind off the thoughts she'd been having) when her vacuuming eventually lead her to Bob's study. After letting herself in to clean the area she stopped to glance at her husband's old super suit before turning back to her work.
She doubled back however when she noticed something off about the costume. Walking over to the case she stared closely at the suit until she gasped upon seeing a stitch on one of the sleeves. Her eyes narrowed as she recognised the patch job.
"Edna."
It seemed the situation with Bob was getting fisher by the minute. Picking up her phone Helen dialled the fashionista's number and waited.
"I'd like to speak with Edna." She said when the other end picked up.
"This is Edna." The woman herself answered.
"E? This is Helen."
"Helen who?"
"Helen Parr? You know..." She inhaled before reluctantly identifying herself. "Elastigirl."
"DAHHHHLIIING!" Helen juggled and dropped the phone from the shock as Edna exclaimed joyfully. "It's been such a long time after all these years! So long!"
"Yes, yes It's been a while. Listen, there's only one person Bob would trust to patch his supersuit and that's you, E."
"Yes, yes-yes-yes. Marvelous, isn't it? Much better than those horrible pajamas he used to wear." Edna replied who was casually swivelling in a lounge chair in front of a large fish tank.
"Huh?"
"They are all finished. When are you coming to see?"
"Much better?" Helen muttered under her breath confused. "Look, I'm calling about-"
"Don't make me beg, darling. I won't do it, you know." Edna chuckled.
"Beg?" Helen said puzzled before continuing to try and get her message across.
"Uh, no. I'm calling about suit. Ab-about Bob's suit! I'm calling about Bob's suit!" She stressed.
"You come in one hour, darling. I insist, okay? Okay. Goodbye." Edna said before hanging up leaving Helen even more confused than she'd been before. Just what was going on?
XXX
Back on the island however, Syndrome was about to spring his trap as Bob was making his way to the meeting room for his supposed assignment briefing. Upon entering the room he was confused to find it empty, save for a long table with rows of chairs on either side. Chalking the absence of other sup to being early, Bob sat himself down and waited, drumming his fingers on the table. He casually looked up at the clock above the doorframe to see it was now two o'clock.
But before he had time to wonder where everyone was the back wall of the room suddenly slid away revealing...the Omnidroid?! No, this one was different. It was nearly ten times the size of the one he'd fought and it's visor was a sinister red instead of cyan. The killer robot reached into the room and seized Mr Incredible in its claw before tossing him out of the building and into the jungle strong hero landed with a thud before he heard a voice coming from the machine.
"It's bigger!" Bob didn't have time to think as the Omnidroid snatched him up and flung him again. "It's badder!" The robot stomped toward him as he tried to get away. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's too much for Mr. Incredible!" But the Omnidroid was too quick as it grabbed once more only this time it spun two of its claws and brought them in to either side of his throat about to decapitate the hero. But just as they were millimetres away from his neck, the tentacles stopped moving, keeping the rotating blades within a hair's breadth of killing him as the source of the voice revealed himself.
"Whoa! Whoa! It's finally ready!" Syndrome cheered as he flew into the scene on a pair of rocket powered boots and landed atop the Omnidroid's head. He pressed a couple of buttons on his right glove causing the claws to stop spinning while the one holding Bob lifted him closer to face the villain.
"You know, I went through quite a few supers to get it worthy to fight you, but man, it wasn't good enough!" He said jauntily. "After you trashed the last one, I had to make some major modifications. Sure it was difficult, but you are worth it."
"I mean, after all... I am your biggest fan." His voice lowered to a indicative droll as Mr Incredible recognised the man he was at the mercy of. It was none other than...
"Buddy?" He murmured in disbelief. The name struck a nerve as Syndrome angrily pressed a few buttons.
"My name is not... BUDDY!" He roared as the Omnidroid threw his captive against the ground whilst he hovered down to join him.
"And it's not lncrediBoy either! That ship has sailed. All I wanted was to help you. I only wanted to help! And what did you say to me?!"
~Fly home, Buddy. I work alone.~
Those words echoed in Syndrome's memory as he recalled the anger and rejection he felt after that night. How after returning to his childhood home to glare at the display of Mr Incredible memorabilia he'd amassed over the years as he'd angrily hurled a large framed picture of the Number One American Hero away like trash.
"It tore me apart. But I learned an important lesson: You can't count on anyone. Especially your heroes." He spat venomously at Bob who was leaning against a rock, out of breath and in pain from the beating he'd taken.
"I was wrong to treat you that way. I'm sorry!" He apologised only for Syndrome to roll his eyes.
"See? Now you respect me, because I'm a threat. That's the way it works." Mr Incredible, hurriedly thinking of a way out, spotted a log a few feet away from where he was standing. he began to slowly inch towards it as Syndrome continued to talk.
"Turns out there's a lot of people, whole countries who want respect. And they will pay through the nose to get it. How do you think I got rich? I invented weapons. And now I have a weapon only I can defeat. And when I unleash it, I'll get-" He was interrupted by Bob throwing the log at him, forcing him to duck. But before the hero could strike back Syndrome froze him with the same glowing beam he'd used on Shigaraki.
"You sly dog! You got me monologuing! I can't believe it." He laughed as he swung Mr Incredible around a few times before slamming him against the rock.
"It's cool, huh? Zero-point energy. Yeah, I saved the best inventions for myself."
The villain then zapped him again with the ZPE and threw him straight up before freezing him again in midair.
"Am I good enough now?!" he mocked the hero, throwing him back and forth like a ragdoll. "Who's super NOW?! I'm Syndrome! Your nemesis and e-!" as the villain made a grandiose gesture with his arm, he forgot to turn the ZPE off causing him to inadvertently fling Mr Incredible far off into the distance.
"Oh, brilliant." He muttered sarcastically before speaking into a communicator. "He's flying in your direction. Don't let him escape, I'm on my way." He instructed to whoever was on the other end before taking off into the air.
Bob found himself landing in a river after his flight came to an abrupt end. The strong hero gasped as he broke the surface of the rapids and fought against the current to reach the nearest rock. His mind was asunder as reality dawned on him. The entire thing had been a trap and he'd fallen for it, hook line and sinker. And to think the one behind it all was the boy who'd once desired nothing more than to be a hero himself.
The thoughts weighed so heavily on his mind, that he didn't question the small hand that was reaching out to him, offering to pull him from the river. He took the outstretched appendage and using his own strength pulled himself up onto the rock.
"Thank you...for the assist." He panted before a scream tore itself from his throat as a stabbing pain pierced the top of his hand, forcing him to look up into the crazed eyes of a blonde teenage girl wearing a black mask lined with pipes over her mouth as well as a second mask around her neck styled with a grin of sharp metal teeth. Her hand was gripping one of what appeared to several large syringes, the needle of which was sticking in the top of his hand.
"You're welcome. Golly those are some massive muscles you've got there, Mister. Not as big as Muscular's but still pretty big. Bet they need lots and lots of blood." She giggled, her voice dripping with a sinsiter hunger as Mr incredible watched in horror as his own blood began to flow into the syringe.
"Suck~suck~suck~!" The girl drooled, her face blushing before Bob managed to snap back to his senses and threw a punch at her sending her flying back and ripping the needle out of his hand. The wound was minuscule, but Mr Incredible still instinctively clutched his hand, more out of fear of what this insane girl had just done to him. She laughed madly as she sat up shrugging off whatever injury he may have caused her with a roll of her neck, sighing as her bones bones popped.
"WOW! You punch as hard as Izuku, Mister! Though I doubt you look as a good as he does all cut up." She tittered.
'Izuku?' Bob repeated the name in his head. She couldn't possibly mean the same boy he was thinking of. But he had no time to dwell on it as the girl lunged, drawing a pair of large knives and slashing wildly at him. Mr Incredible dodged the bladed attacks as he backed away from the river toward the jungle. But moments later the girl stopped attacking as Mr Incredible felt another presence behind him.
"Boo." The hero had no time to dodge as a cloud of blue fire struck him in the back, blasting him across the ground. As he slid to a halt, Bob was surprised to find that aside from a few small burns on his face, the rest of his body was virtually unscathed. It had to be because of his suit? Could Edna have made it fireproof? He looked up from the ground to see his second attacker was a young man with black hair and covered in burn scars. He sucked his teeth in annoyance of his attack doing no damage.
"Damn. I figured a blast like that would be enough to incapacitate him. Looks like I'll have to turn up the heat." He grinned wickedly as the blonde girl stepped up beside him.
"Careful now, Dabi. Remember, Syndrome's the one who gets to kill him."
"Then maybe you should be more careful where you stick him with its those knives, Toga." Dabi answered back as Mr Incredible picked himself up. Just how many villains were on this island?
The moment was interrupted however by the arrival of Syndrome. Thinking fast, Bob rushed towards the edge of the river which ended in a waterfall. Both Syndrome and Dabi took shots at him but missed as Mr incredible dove off the cliff into the bade below.
"Is he dead?" Toga wondered staring down over the edge curiously.
"No, it's unlikely a fall like that would kill him." Dabi doubted.
"Then let's fix that, shall we?" Syndrome smirked as he pulled a small white stick with a circular end out of his right gauntlet. "Try this one on for size, big boy."
He spoke darkly, pressing the tip of the strange item causing it to flash with a beeping red light before he dropped it to the base of the waterfall. Below the surface, Bob spotted the object as it sank in front of his face. Having past experience with small, flashing beeping items, he instantly realised it was a bomb and began to swim away from it towards a tunnel in the bedrock.
The second the bomb touched a rock it detonated with an enormous explosion, sending out a blast of water so great it not only reached the top of the falls where the villains were standing but also sent Bob flying through the tunnel and launching him into an air pocket surrounded by a small cave system.
Gasping for air, the hero raised his head and leaped back in fright as he found himself face to face with a skeleton. After calming down from the shock, he slowly approached the dead remains as he noticed it was wearing a familiar visored helmet. Rubbing some grime off the top of it he saw it was inscribed with an insignia: GB.
"Gazerbeam." He identified his old super friend in shock. So this is what had happened to him after he went missing. He did recall Syndrome mentioning he'd pitted the Omnidroid against several supers before targeting him. Just how many heroes had he killed? And what part did these other villains play in it all?
As he lay back in the cave to recover his strength, he noticed that something was off about the stalagmites and stalactites. Their formation seemed unnatural, as though they had been cut short at certain points or angles. Looking back at Gazerbeam's skeleton, his thoughts clicked as he followed the direction of the dead super's gaze to see that a message had indeed been carved into the rocks by his quirk.
"'Kronos?'" He read out the single word etched across the cave when he heard a sound approaching. Seconds later a hovering probe emerged from the underwater tunnel as it scanned the cave and then glided over to Gazerbeam's skeleton to scan it as well before beeping and turning back towards the tunnel, completely unaware that Bob had been hiding behind the corpse the whole time.
Back on the surface Syndrome and the others patiently waited as the probe flew back up to them before slotting itself into Syndrome's left gauntlet and delivered its report.
"Life readings negative. Mr. Incredible terminated." With a satisfied smile Syndrome turned about and walked away.
"Awwww! It's over already? I wanted to play with him some more." Toga whined.
"So now what?" Dabi asked Syndrome.
"Now, I'll fulfill my end of the deal. So don't you worry, Toga. The fun's just starting." He said with an evil laugh.
XXX
And right he was, as not far from the island the plane carrying Class 1A and piloted by Illusion and Kurogiri was making its way toward the villain's headquarters. They'd been flying for about five hours since they left Japan and most of the students were either sleeping, talking amongst themselves or watching whatever was available on the built in TVs.
"How much longer until we reach America?" Hanta Sero asked.
"Not for another ten hours I'd estimate." Iida calculated. "Though it varies depending on the state we'll be travelling to."
The tape hero seemed confused by this though as he spoke.
"But then...what's that?" He pointed out the window. The passengers on his side of the plane looked out to see the island coming into view.
"An island? Are we passing Hawaii?" Mina wondered.
"No. I've been to Hawaii and that is definitely not it." Momo denied.
"Doesn't look like any island I've ever seen on a map." Aizawa said suspiciously. Now he wasn't someone who'd travelled the world, but he knew his geography.
"Hey, we're getting closer to it. It feels like we're going down. I thought this was a nonstop flight." Koji Koda shyly spoke in a rare instance. That didn't sit well with Aizawa. This was indeed scheduled to be a nonstop flight, so why were they beginning to land?
"Mr Aizawa?" Kirishima asked.
"All of you stay seated. I'm just going to speak with the pilot." The man said as he made his way to the front of the plane before he knocked.
"Is this our refuelling stop?" He asked calmly as Illusion's voice sounded from behind the door.
"Yes, Sir. It shouldn't take long once we've landed." Aizawa's eyes narrowed, but he had to be certain of his suspicions.
"Then shouldn't the steward be serving our meal for the evening at this point?" He asked expectantly. When Illusion replied he caught an air of nervousness in his voice.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Sir. It seems the food is a little behind schedule. Please return to your seat and we'll be with you shortly." His suspicions were confirmed. The flight had been hijacked.
"Pilot. There was no evening meal scheduled for this flight." He said said, tugging at his combat scarf. "And it was also confirmed to be nonstop. So why don't you tell me where you're taking me and my class?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Sir. Please remain sea-" the man was cut short as Aizawa slammed his body into the door.
"Mr Aizawa, what's going on?!" Iida asked.
"We're off course! Someone's hijacked the plane and they're taking us to that island!" Aizawa informed the students. Izuku and Ochaco looked at each other fearfully as the latter spoke up.
"Hijacked?! You mean by terrorists?!"
"I don't know but we need to regain control of the plane." Aizawa gritted his teeth as he continued to try and break the door down. At that moment the plane swayed form side to side causing some of the students to fall over, Aizawa trying to keep his balance.
"Those bastards. Do they have any idea who theyre dealing with?" Bakugou snarled, sparks forming in his open palm.
"Sir, allow me." Shoto suggested as he placed his hand on the door causing ice to form around the hinges until with a shar kick the door fell away and several of the students screamed when they saw the pilot's dead body lying between the villains who looked back at the group.
"Kurogiri!" Aizawa recognised the warp villain who looked at Illusion.
"I believe it's time to abandon ship." He said before forming a portal which swallowed Illusion before he could speak.
"Don't worry, it's on autopilot so just sit back and fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a rough landing." He said simiserly to the group before disappearing himself leaving the teacher and students alone on the plane which was now picking up speed and heading straight for the island.
"What are we gonna do?!" Mineta panicked. "I don't wanna die in a plane crash! I'm supposed to pass away in away in my sleep betwixt the bosom of my future wife!"
"Does anyone know how to fly?!" Kaminari asked desperately.
"For once I wish Hatsume was here." Iida muttered as he saw Aizawa sit himself in the pilot seat before pounding his fist on the dashboard angrily. "Sir?"
"The villains opened the fuel hatch. If we turn the plane back on course we'll run out of fuel and crash before we reach mainland, but at this speed we're going to hit the island."
Iida's glasses glinted as he pushed them up before taking the copilot's seat.
"Mr Aizawa. I may not be a pilot, but I do know engines. The best thing we can do now is slow the plane's landing."
"Then let's hear it, Iida." As the engine hero assisted Aizawa, Momo, being the assistant class rep, turned to face the others.
"Everyone! We're making an emergency landing! All of you return to your seats and buckle in!" The others did as she said whilst Aizawa and Iida worked together to glide the plane towards the island.
As they drew closer, Aizawa called back to the students as they were about to hit the jungle canopy.
"Everyone hold on!"
Many of the students thre fearful glances at one another, Izuku holding his hand out to Ochaco who held it tightly in her own. With that the plane began to plough through the trees, tearing holes along the hull and destroying the engines as everyone gripped their seats for dear life.
Eventually the plane came to grinding halt, broken and busted. Nobody made a sound until the he silence was broken by the oxygen masks falling from the ceiling.
"Well those were a little slow." Jirou muttered as Aizawa looked back at them.
"Is everyone alright?" His students nodded and or spoke back to confirm. "Good. Then let's get out of here." He said as he opened the emergency exit causing it's inflatable slide to inflate before instructing the children to exit the plane, going last himself to join them.
"Where the hell are we?" Bakugo asked as Shoto set about extinguishing any fires that had formed on the plane or surrounding area.
"I don't know. But I do know we aren't getting out the way we came in." Aizawa muttered throwing a glance at the wreck. "And I also know the League of Villains are behind this."
"Why am I not surprised?" Kirishima scowled.
"So what do we do?" Mina asked looking at her phone. "I'm not getting any reception." The others checked their phones to find they were the same.
"We find a means of contacting help and confirming our location." Aizawa replied as he began to walk away from the crash site. "Stay close to me."
The others, though still in shock form what had transpired followed after their teacher while on a nearby branch one of Syndrome's spy birds was watching them.
"How's that for a haul?" The villain himself said from the monitor room as he turned to Shigaraki who chuckled back.
"It seems I was right to ally with you, Syndrome. this is going to be very fun indeed."
To be continued...
Finally, the setup is complete and our heroes are ready to cross paths in the next chapter. And now to address a couple of things.
First off, as some of you mentioned Kurogiri shouldn't be with the League at this point as he was captured after the Overhaul incident. I'm aware of that but there's a point in the story where I need Kurogiri as no other character can make what I have planned possible otherwise. Consider it a slight creative liberty.
And secondly, yes, Winston's project for the kids is pretty much what they did in the Heroes Rising movie; going to a small location to offer their services without assistance from Pros or the police. I felt a programme like that would be fitting for Winston's plan as it not only reestablishes trust in heroes but shows that teaching it children is a genuine beneficial education. So with the kids on one side and Elastigirl's mission for the Pros it'll cover both sides of hero society when we get to the Incredibles 2 point in the story.
Until then, thanks for your continued patience and support. Please review, fave and follow.
Also shoutouts to my good friend Hotspot-the-626th for beta reading the chapter. Thanks a lot.
My Hero Academia belong to Kōhei Horikoshi
The Incredibles belongs to Brad Bird