Guild Master here again, again.
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The entire nation of Japan was in an odd state of limbo on a very particular day. At the end of the month of March was when the calm before the storm arose.
A very particular hospital in Japan had quite the reputation in terms of its founder. One quirkless doctor worked until his fingers were to the bone to provide all sorts of effort and relief for his patients. His hospital had been a shining example of what public health should pursue to be in the eyes of the public for many years.
Although his image is nothing but immaculate in the eyes of his peers, the truth had seemingly been far more ugly upon closer inspection. Heroes from all over the nation flocked to the hospital where this man resided.
Asking for the whereabouts of Dr. Garaki throughout the hospital where he worked revealed little about the whereabouts of the man himself. Some staff did assist the hero's search by letting the teams of police to investigate the security footage from earlier that day. Scrubbing through the footage only took minutes before something suspicious came up on the monitors. Trunks out that the good doctor had an impromptu meeting with someone who couldn't be identified from the back of their profile. They wore a gray hoodie with similarly colored pants as they led the doctor through the halls before they suddenly disappeared between one camera and another.
Only one section of the hospital didn't have cameras pointed at it, due to the supposed superstitions of the hospital founder. That one section was none other than the morgue.
Entering the normally empty room revealed a set of doors on the opposite side of the room. These doors were normally locked, in spite of them now being completely free to swing open for anybody even mildly curious to what laid behind them. One such spirit was none other than Mirko, herself. The current number three hero in the entire country.
Her reputation as a hero came from her being a complete battle nut that only sought the most difficult opponents. Many villains underestimated her out of the aspect that she had similarities to a rabbit. A sentiment that quickly dissipated after they met the sheer overwhelming willpower that was Mirko. This ambition of hers would paint her as an enemy that villains would have to prepare for if they were serious enough about their mission. Whoever or whatever stood in her way; not a lot was left to clean up, if you know what I mean.
Charging ahead of the group, Mirko gave pause. Enough so that the other heroes were able to catch up to her. What they saw made it clear why Mirko stopped as well. In front of the advancing party of heroes was a hellish scene of violence, left in the wake of someone that many suspected was already there.
If Bloodsoaked was indeed here, then this mission would be far more complicated that what was first anticipated… By a factor of one hundred.
Earlier
Traversing through the halls of his hospital was the ever respected Dr. Garaki. His stature commanded respect from almost every person within the hospital he built from the ground up. Though he didn't outwardly display it, this sense of superiority felt like heaven for a man as deprived as him. Making his daily route, someone then wrapped their arm around his shoulders as they leaned their weight upon the doctor. He had more than a thought to share with the ignorant individual as they started to act all chummy with the man.
"Garaki! I gotta say, I've been meaning to meet ya! After all…"
There was the sudden chill of murderous intent as the doctor felt the sharpened point of a knife begin to draw blood against his fattened neck.
"You really ought to share your secrets with people who trust this fucking clone of you. What would you say to this, doctor?"
A very sarcastic question in light of the knowledge that this mysterious person possessed. The simple fact that they knew the person walking about the hospital wasn't the real Garaki put him into more than just a compromising position.
If his clone went into a liquid state in the middle of the room, questions would start to circulate about why he suddenly melted out of nowhere. Perhaps even an investigation into the incident would reveal information that the authorities were in possession of.
He had no choice. Dr Garaki played along while still being a hostage to this deranged maniac. Arriving into the morgue, the clone just tried to back away to safety while still playing dumb.
"Okay, we're here. Are w-"
An entire arm went through the clone's head. What Twice created for the Nomu creator instantly started to liquify into a slimy mess onto the floor. Those remains kept sinking into the room's drains as the one who caused the mess started to tear away at their clothing to reveal what was underneath.
In a world as fantastical as this, it shouldn't come as a surprise when the one who snuck into the morgue with a clone of the hospital founder then shed their clothes to reveal a complete set of tactical armor and weapons. All that was left for the individual was for them to dawn the mask that would disguise them completely. A mask that too many already knew of.
Bloodsoaked now entered the field.
Present Time
Seeing all the dead Nomu on the floor didn't make anybody watching feel any better. It didn't help that their remains were strewn about the room they were killed in a fashion that a renowned killer had favored using.
Advancing needed a bit more delicacy on Mirko's part. A delicacy she failed to deliver upon as she charged forward like a bat out of hell to confront the legendary killer.
Little to no opponents in her twenty seven years of living provided the half bunny with any sort of significant challenge. Hearing of bloodsoaked did put the adult in good spirits over when she and him would cross paths for their ultimate battle. Her opportunity came sooner than later as she practically soared past the remains of the Nomu that Bloodsoaked easily killed to confront the evil head on.
Arriving into the room where the mad scientist conducted all of his experiments only lent the hero the final moments of the twisted doctor in his final moments.
"Wh-wait, please! I can do so much more! I-I ca-"
His head then started to spray all over the walls and floor as the one Mirko sought out turned the maniac's head into a scarlet red paste at point blank range. The explosive power of their rifle alone was capable of the same amount of damage without the need of a bullet being propelled by the force of the cartridge. After unloading their remaining ammo of the magazine, Mirko watched as the legendary murderer turned their attention to the next threat. A satisfying click snapped the new load of ammo into place when Bloodsoaked hit the bottom of the box into his rifle.
In his hands was a tool of death. What that tool was meant for would be determined by what the one controlling it dictated as a threat. Turning around revealed the one that was considered to be the most dangerous person in the entire country. Arguments that put him past All for One were still up for debate, though the threat that Bloodsoaked proved to still remain nothing short of world ending.
Being in front of the man himself put into perspective how enormous of a titan he was. Looking at the man felt like looking at a mountain range; like he was an impossible thing that could be removed by human effort alone.
Paranormal Liberation Front Base of Operations
It startled the heroes to see that the ESD were already laying siege on the current base of operation for the Paranormal liberation Front. When confronted with the fact that the operation would be exposed to the public; all the officers already on the scene did was reference the heroes to the already ongoing live broadcast of the operation. The part of the nation that happened upon the news knew about the operation before the heroes that were about to charge into the fortress of evil itself.
Something that would come under scrutiny was how the government sanctioned such an operation without the consent of heroes. Such things were paper thin in how much value they held in the grand scheme of things.
Every visceral detail of how the ESD took down the villain organization illustrated to those at home how brutal the reality of modern war was.
One piece of footage that resonated with a lot of people was that of Twice. His desperate crying led the officers to simply coldly yell at the man to put his hands on his head and get down onto the floor. The siege had men and women that were part of the liberation army be gunned down on live television as Paranormal Liberation Front villains were resisting arrest. It seemed as though only those who openly surrendered were the ones spared from the onslaught of weapon's fire.
That number was miniscule in comparison to those who actively resisted.
One might wonder as to the reason that the ESD were able to start such a brutal operation ahead of the Hero Association. Since the live feed was going to be excessively graphic, the live feed needed at least ten minutes for the censors and editors to prevent certain images from being exposed in full.
This delay in combination with the secrecy of their operations put them just ahead of the heroes.
Outside
"Wh… What is this?! Who's in command, here?!"
Midnight demanded from the ESD officers overseeing the siege that the leading officer make themselves known. From out of a cluster of officers, a man that possessed average height while being suited up in an ESD officer uniform with less equipment strapped to him approached the hero who currently spoke for the heroes that just arrived on the scene.
"I am the commanding officer of this operation. What do you need from me, Midnight?"
"I want some fucking answers! Why the hell are you guys here?! We were to apprehend these villains, not you!"
One of her folded fans was pointed directly at the building in absolute chaos from within.
"We needed to stop them! Not execute them before they can face justice!"
Her anger had been noted, though it left the officer thoroughly unaffected. All he did was speak in a professional tone after removing his gas mask and helmet. His physical appearance had sharp features becoming of a young and strong leader befitting of a man in his position.
"Several hundred heroes were found to be a part of the Liberation Army forces. Divulging information to you would have put too much at risk for them to be informed of our operation. We needed their focuses on you while we could organize and ensure that these terrorists are properly neutralized."
"You mean killed!"
Another hero in the background overhearing the conversation spoke out against this operation. Many others made their opinions vocal as the commanding officer silenced a few of the dissenters with a calm stare that felt like frozen steel against their skin.
"... That is the current scenario, yes. We gave them an opportunity to surrender and come peacefully. We notified them that we were authorized to use lethal force. We even warned them that there was going to be no other opportunity to surrender and come peacefully."
He turned his head back to Midnight, those cold eyes now causing her to feel hesitant to push further against the ESD.
"This is a matter of public safety that exceeds the capacity of society's current heroes. What we have here is a domestic threat which has no remorse for the enemy. They will kill innocent people, destroy livelihoods, risk the collapse of society and its people to get what they want."
The heroes stood in the back, of every experience level and power, slowly came to realize how heavy the atmosphere really felt after taking a few moments to look around.
Off to the side were temporary command centers with dozens of operational specialists operating information critical to the raid. Drones were flying far above with satellite imagery scanning the outer and inner parts of the facility. Their data was so thorough that the ESD could practically see every rat and cockroach scurrying through the walls.
Every single operative had a task assigned to them. All officers dutifully committed to their jobs, even when they were stood off to the side for when they needed to be sent in for backup. Another wave of officers were sent into the fray just then. Coordinated advancement from the top public defense force made the heroic charge made by the heroes earlier like a random stampede of colorfully dressed strangers.
Watching this precisely controlled operation put into perspective how serious of a danger the Paranormal Liberation Front proved to be. These people were here to stop a danger, not put on a show that makes them out to be the good guys.
"You are the heroes, not us. Protecting innocent people is what we do. Looking good while doing so is your job."
Both the commander's mask and helmet were returned to his head. Returning to the station that he left to speak to Midnight, the heroes were then addressed by several other officers about when and where they were needed in the raid. The heroes were only able to follow in tandem as the brutally efficient ESD cleared a path for the heroes to tread on after they deemed it safe enough.
Paranormal Liberation Front Base of Operations
Twice couldn't process what had happened while he tried to leave the room where he was relaxing. Hearing some sort of ruckus downstairs had the villain curious enough to try and see what the commotion was. Halfway towards the door, the double doors were slammed open and off their hinges after the ESD squad used a breaching charge on the hinges.
"ESD! Get down on the ground and put your hands on your head! Any deviation from our instructions will be taken as an act of aggression! You will have no other warnings!"
Their intrusion caused the villain to completely freeze in place. Being in the Paranormal Liberation front finally helped the copying quirk user to find some stability in his life. Having a function and purpose to work towards puts everything in perspective.
For the first time in a long time; he felt at peace.
Being a villain that sought the collapse of modern society dampened the man's self growth by quite a bit. From being a criminal, it was when the consequences of his criminal activities that made him the way he was. Only after robbing, assaulting, and resisting law enforcement did he face the fallout of all his selfish actions. A fallout in the form of the Emergency Security Department.
There was no escape out the front of the building. He could not hear the screams and gunfire that echoed upstairs from the rest of the mansion. Given that the ESD officers were now on the top floor; Twice could see that this was a raid that the liberation forces didn't anticipate.
Options were becoming smaller as the ESD commanded the unresponsive Twice to surrender. Several seconds passed before he simply ripped off his mask out of desperation to let himself out. To use anything and everything to escape this predicament.
"N-"
Not half a second after trying to make clones to block the gunfire, the line of armed ESD officers gunned down Twice where he stood. Most of the bullets found themselves piercing the partially completed clones he created, though a few punctured his torso. His legs and left arm were hit with rifle ammunition and rimmed through enough bones and muscle to bring Twice down to the floor. He pitifully cried out as he tried to get back up.
"Y-you… All you… All you do is just look down on us… W-we matter… We MAT-"
When peering back up towards the officers that shot him, someone he didn't expect to see again now stood in front of him. The light shining past him created a sort of halo effect that gave her a heavenly glow, despite the black oversized sweater she wore. She approached the desperate man trying to crawl towards her and kent down to give Twice a hug.
"Y-you came!"
"... Yeah."
His heart leapt for joy at the prospect of Toga Saving him from this misery. What she said next then slowly started to drain that joy.
"I'm sorry, Twice. I'm sorry I couldn't save you."
Confusion over what she said then started to evaporate when he tried to move his other limbs. A wet splotching noise clued him in that there was more to what had happened just now than he thought.
Turning back at his injured limbs revealed to him that they were no longer injured. Three of his limbs have just melted off. Years of panic and dread that haunted him over the mystery of who he was now ended with the revelation of the truth. Something that he knew to be true in the pit of his stomach.
The original Twice died all those years ago. The only survivor from that massacre between his own clones left only a copy alive.
He was just a clone of the original.
Oddly, he didn't feel shock or fear. All that stress suddenly left without a trace. Twice had never known that someone could feel as calm and serene as he did in his final moments. It left him in tears after being so mentally fatigued for so many years of his life.
"... Those were the kindest words anybody had ever said to me. Thank you, Toga."
Nothing but a thick mush remained of the tormented Twice. Toga herself looked at the remains for a moment before getting up and letting the ESD officers do their work. In the now vacant doorway, a familiar figure came into view. Hawk stood there facing Toga before she just bumped her head against his chest and just stood there, leaning against him. A gentle hand patted the girl on her head as Keigo asked her one simple question.
"Wanna leave?"
Her only response was a pitiful nod he could feel through the shirt of his costume. Both he and Toga walked away from the incident side by side.
Hawk kept quiet after what he heard happened when his dad told her about what would happen to Twice. Why it was also better for the villain to be gone in comparison to him living put Toga in a difficult situation to even argue against Haru.
Several Days Earlier
"Why?! He just wants to be cured! He suffered enough!"
Inside the Nakamura Household, Toga and Haru were discussing his plans for the Paranormal Liberation Front and its members. Learning the basics of the truth put him in a position to at least divulge what else he had planned for the league members there. At least, who he planned to kill.
He finally shared with her that the first to go was to be Twice. In light of his copy abilities and actual contribution to the liberation forces, he was the easiest target to eliminate.
With only a single line of dialogue, Toga got her answer regarding the decision with a holographic display of everything that Haru's organization had on the villain. The words scrolled down to describe basic genial features and personal history. Pre criminal and post criminal reports painted him as a man who did some serious time in the long run. All that then led into the incident that led Twice to break down mentally. Reading further past that then revealed the medical report after he was found tied to a chair without a single clone in sight. Reading it put Toga in a bit of a daze at the awful truth of the matter.
"... One robbery of his put three families into destitution. Two of those families had their mothers kill themselves. I'll spare you the other details."
Haru turned to Toga and just sat next to her with a look of deep seated stress at how painful it was for him to share all this information. Allowing her to know the truth would be necessary if he wanted her to trust him in the end.
"He did a bad thing. What that thing led to only did more harm. He may have had a reason, but what happened, happened. People were hurt. They died because of him. Who he became was the result of decisions he made, not because the world wanted him that way."
Even though she wanted to protest and yell for him to stop talking; there was an uncomfortable amount of truth in what he was saying. Her own life was a testament to that very sentiment. An overlap in her own judgment could have turned her into a criminal herself. It had been Nakamura who made the decision to stop her so that she still was able to do what she did without possessing a criminal record. From him watching over her, she still had the options to still decide who she wanted to be after everything she's done.
All she could do in the face of such overwhelming circumstances was to just curl up into a ball and silently cry for the demise of her comrades. She couldn't stop herself from leaning into the one armed hug that Haru pulled the teenage girl into as he sat next to her. Telling Toga all of this didn't feel good in the least. If he wanted to keep her safe under his protection, this needed to be shared before he could move forward on anything else in the plan.
They sat in silence for a while. A very long while.
Only when Toga asked for a very specific request did the quiet atmosphere end between them. With her wish being his to complete, he got to work to let Toga make her peace with the life she was about to leave behind.