Chapter 92
[Silence]
"You're seriously going to do this?"
"Yes, I am."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Not Even a Man]
It had been a few days since the incident at the warehouse. Vanitas and Tomura were outside of an abandoned hotel, talking about the League's next move. "After what he just did, you're going to grovel to his demands?" The Dark Remnant spoke up.
"I'm not groveling to him." Shigaraki growled. "He's beneath us."
"Then why go to him?" Vanitas questioned.
"I'm going there to propose a joint operation." Tomura explained. "I'll let him think that we're equals for now until we know enough about his branch of yakuza."
"And after that?" The Dark Remnant asked.
"We'll take what's useful, then leave the rest to decay." The League Leader made his intentions clear.
"...Okay." Vanitas conceded, but not without feeling really conflicted, which was still confusing him ever since he eased Toga's pain.
"Good. Because you're coming with me." Tomura said.
"What?" The Dark Remnant was surprised to hear that.
"Insurance, in case the meeting gets dicey." Shigaraki told him. "Quick exit, or a very destructive one."
"I didn't think you could be this smart." Vanitas commented.
"I didn't think you cared." The League Leader retorted.
"I don't." The Dark Remnant replied.
"Hm." Was the only response to that reply. Neither of them could see the other's face right now, but the two young destroyers could somehow just know what the other's expression was as they both watched a car arrive.
The window rolled down and a Shie Hassakai member was in the passenger seat. "The young head is pleased that you accepted his offer to talk. Back seat is ready for you both."
"You told him I was coming with you?" Vanitas asked.
"And he agreed to let me have my insurance." Tomura replied before he opened the door and sat in the car, with the Dark Remnant following his lead. When the door was shut, the car drove off.
[Silence]
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Japan, Sora, Izuku and Mirio were standing outside of a tall building after being on a train for the past hour. "Well, this is it. Sir Nighteye's agency." Togata told Midoriya, who was a nervous wreck at the moment. "Easy man. Take a breath. Try to loosen up. But not too loose, you know? Cause uh, Sir is actually a pretty strict guy."
"I'm fully aware!" Izuku replied. "He's a Hero famous for being demanding on others as well as himself. His gaze is so harsh that it makes me shiver every time I see him on TV. He looks so severe!"
"I'll agree with the part about the gaze." Sora chimed in. "Seeing it first hand, makes EraserHead's glare look like puppy dog eyes."
"That's absolutely true." Mirio confirmed. "But there's a totally different side of him that the press never gets to see." That got Midoriya curious. "If you want to be acknowledged by him, here's a tip. You need to do one important thing at this meeting." He looked at the One For All user and said "You gotta make him laugh. Then he'll totally approve of you."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST U.A. Corridors]
"Oh yeah." Sora remembered that nugget of info, as that was one of his challenges back when he interned with Nighteye.
"Huh?" That just confused Izuku even more. "Uh, wait. Hold on. What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." Togata said point blank as he entered the building with both his underclassmen following behind him. "He seems stern, but he really values humor for some reason. It's like irony or something, I think." As the three went up the stairs, Mirio spoke to Midoriya. "The most I can do is introduce you to him. Sir's the one who will decide if he can use you. I wish I could help more, but that's all I got. From here on, you'll have to figure out how to make Sir acknowledge you yourself."
"I've been meaning to ask." Izuku wondered something. "Why is it you seem to know so much about me, even though we basically just met?"
"What are you talking about? I don't know you at all." Togata replied as the trio reached the floor where Sir's office was located and went down a few halls. "But I do know that you've got a crazy ambitious goal, and you're fighting to turn it into a reality. And wanting to help out someone who is in trouble is basically Heroing 101, am I right?"
"Yeah, it's pretty much just a happy coincidence." Sora confirmed. "Like when Sir gave me the chance to intern because you apparently put in a good word for me."
"Don't sell yourself short, Sora." Mirio replied. "He may have taken you in, but you still had to prove yourself and when push came to shove, you met the challenges head on and nearly beat them all."
"Nearly?" The Keyblade wielder repeated. "I thought I did well on all the tests."
"Mmmmm no." Togata reminded him. "You were below average on the quick treatment test and you sucked at the escape room test."
"Oh yeah." Sora remembered.
"You did great in the combat test and the test to making Sir laugh though." Mirio added. "So like I said, you nearly beat them all."
"Well, better than failing it all." The Keyblade wielder replied.
The three then reached Sir's office and Togata pointed at the closed door in front of them. "Here we are! He's just beyond this door." He told the pair. "If you both want to get stronger, then walk on through!"
Izuku had a serious look on his face, while Sora had a much more genuinely confident look on his face, not needing to feign his confidence like last time, and the two stepped forward and pushed open the door.
[Silence]
About two minutes before that, Bubble Girl was in the office with Sir giving a report. "Let's see. The meeting site was already deserted by the time we got there, but we did find evidence that blood had been wiped off the floor. Due to the massive amount of damage to the building itself, it's safe to presume that some sort of fight went down there. It's most likely the League of Villains, but we're not positive."
"That's enough." Sir spoke up, getting her attention as he stood up from his desk and approached her. "You know, there's no future for a society without both humor and energy."
"Huh? Um, Sir." Bubble Girl got nervous, having a bad feeling about where this was going to go. "The report is really long, so...I was just trying not to mess up." She backed up a bit, but Sir still got closer to her, which started to scare her. "Wait! No! Oh, please don't!"
As Sir did something to her, the door bursted open with the three U.A. kids coming in. "Heyo. I brought Sora and that other first year dude I mentioned yesterday." The two boys were ready for anything...except what they saw happening to Bubble Girl right now.
"HAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"What? The heck!?" The Keyblade wielder was baffled.
"HAHAHAHAAAAA!"
"What kind of place is this!?" Midoriya was also baffled.
"See? This is how loud and energetic you can be." Nighteye told Bubble Girl.
She was strapped to a machine that was continuously tickling her. "OH STOOOOOOOOP! OHHHHHHH PLEEEEEEEASE!" She begged him.
"Mirio, what's going on right now?" Both Izuku and Sora asked.
"That's his sidekick Bubble Girl." He stated. "I guess she didn't make him laugh. Oh, sucks."
Then Sir glared at them, which made Midoriya flinch, but Sora was used to that look and just let out an awkward chuckle. "Uh, hey Sir. I'm back. This time for Work Study."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Threat Incoming]
Nighteye didn't answer, as he was more focused on the new face in the room. "I guess we'll talk in a minute." The Keyblade wielder said as he stepped away from Midoriya.
The glare coming from Sir was a lot for Izuku, but after taking the brunt of the intimidating gaze and only flinching for that brief moment, he collected himself, and prepared to make his case to the former Sidekick of the retired Number One Hero. He put his head down and adjusted his hair, with a determined look on his face, catching Sora and Mirio's attention.
[Silence]
Then once the One For All user was prepared, he stood tall and showed his face to Sir Nighteye. The face that mimicked that of All Might's signature smile and glare. And in a surprising and frankly impossible to explain way, he also mimicked his idol's voice "I'M IZUKU MIDORIYA!"
"Huuuuuuuuh?!" Both Sora and Togata were equally baffled at this display. While Bubble Girl was laughing in the background, as she was still strapped to the machine and being tickled.
As Izuku held that glare on his face, Sir fully turned to him and gave his opinion. "What is this, boy?" He sounded displeased. "Are you ridiculing All Might?"
"Oh, no. He's not funny." Mirio thought to himself.
"This is bad. He looks angry." Sora thought to himself.
"The Nerve." Sir growled as he turned off the tickling machine and started to walk towards Midoriya. "What are you doing with your face? Is this a joke to you?"
"Uh, no. I guess not." Izuku's voice slipped out in that All Might impression.
"You attempted this blasphemous excuse of an impression, on All Might's former Sidekick." He grabbed the boy's face and looked him in the eyes. "All Might's wrinkles aren't like this at all, you fool."
"...What?" Sora was confused, as he noticed Mirio head over towards the tickle machine to get Bubble Girl out of it, prompting him to help her out too, as Nighteye then began to explain his former partner's facial details to his classmate.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Among Kosei]
"In his early days, his crows' feet were 0.6 centimeters long. From the Silver age on, they were 0.8." He pointed out. "These days, even unlicensed merchandise manages to have the correct wrinkles in the correct era. But you don't even know that much?"
"Are you kidding me?" The Keyblade wielder thought to himself. "He's an even bigger All Might fanboy than Izuku? So much so that he knows Yagi's wrinkles at certain points in his career?"
Midoriya however, noticed the extreme abundance of All Might memorabilia, everywhere in the office, including things that even he doesn't have in his room. Sir then let him go and turned around. "I don't care for this one bit. You can see yourself out."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST I've Come]
"The vinegar river incident. Are you not aware of it, sir?" Izuku spoke up, catching the Pro's attention. "A middle schooler, who's Quirk allowed him to change the properties of water, was drowning in a river. But All Might stepped in and saved him. The drowning kid panicked and accidentally turned the river into vinegar, which obviously ended up getting in All Might's eyes. His face looked slightly different from normal after. That smile. Those narrowed eyes. That's the look I chose to impersonate earlier."
[Silence]
Nighteye's expression didn't change, but he did respond. "I know this rescue. Although it took place before I teamed up with him. And I believe they mentioned it briefly on the widely run television special entitled 'A Look Back'."
"Yes! I love that show!" Midoriya geeked out. "I know there weren't any villains involved, so some people think it was a boring save. I'm sure that's why fans don't talk about it that much, but I really like it for some reason! Honestly, I think the best part of the whole thing is the witty response he gave after being thanked by the kid he rescued."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you." Sir spoke up, quoting the response. "My skin feels ten years younger."
Sora then realized something. Could Izuku get approved by just geeking out about All Might with his Sidekick here? As the One For All user spoke up, the Keyblade wielder had hope for his friend. "That's it! It was the perfect one liner!"
"Now I see." Nighteye turned back. "You were just testing me."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST I'll Become a Hero]
"What? Oh, no!" Midoriya replied. "It's just that, since All Might is a teacher at my school, I never really get a chance to geek out about him. I maybe got a little excited."
Sora then decided to chime in. "What about that time you tried giving Aoyama trivia by asking him to give the name of the dog on the road that All Might saved on a live camera shooting for a show?"
"Are you referring to Ponta?" Sir remembered, which made Izuku want to geek out again, as that was correct. "It happened during their live segment for the show 'Passion Planet'. It was briefly brought up during an interview in 'Heroes Monthly' a few months ago."
"YES! YES THAT'S RIGHT!" Midoriya cheered. "You thought that I was the only one who could know that."
"Because you're the only one I know who would know every single detail, even down to the faces that each person made at the moment." The Keyblade wielder responded.
"The Director had an awestruck face as it inspired him to recreate a similar scene later in the TV Show." Nighteye began to explain. "The female lead was busy cooing at the dog, while the owners were profusely thanking All Might. The female owner had tears in her eyes, while the male owner was paying attention to his dog being coddled, looking relieved."
"Yeahyeahyeahyeahyeah!" Izuku geeked out again. "And even though you couldn't see the cameraman's face, you could hear his audible glee and with how the camera was constantly moving..." he got interrupted.
"It was obvious that he was gawking at it all." Sora finished. "I know. I didn't forget after you told me."
Mirio indeed Bubble Girl's restraints and both he and the Keyblade wielder helped her off of the machine. "Mirio, who's that? He's loud." She weakly asked.
"An underclassman at my school." Togata answered.
"One of two, that showed up." Sora told her, getting her to notice him.
"Oh, yeah. Nice to see you again, Sora." She said to him.
"Same here, though I did not expect it to be like that." The Keyblade wielder commented. "Was that the...punishment that you mentioned back when I interned here?"
"Yeah." She confirmed. "It really sucks."
Sora couldn't help but chuckle at that, before he looked at his classmate as he continued to fanboy with Sir Nighteye. He may not have made him laugh, but this was still a good first impression.
[Silence]
Back with the villains, the car had reached its destination, the back garage of a large mansion. Compared to where the League was living, the Shie Hassaikai were practically royalty, which definitely left an impression. Overhaul certainly had resources. Once the car pulled into the garage, the two yakuza members exited the car and opened the back doors for the League members, allowing them to exit the vehicle now. As they did, the Dark Remnant couldn't help but feel someone nearby. Someone feeling very, very negative. So much so that if his mask wasn't covering his face and if his hood wasn't over his head, people would see that he was looking very pleasured right now.
The two yakuza then opened a door that led to the inside of the mansion. "The young head is waiting. Best not to keep him." one of them said. Shigaraki then went inside, while Vanitas followed behind him.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Shie Hassaikai]
As the Villains walked through the mansion, there were obviously sights to behold. The style was of course the traditional japanese style of a mansion. Expensive looking art pieces were hung across the walls. A few tables holding some bonsai trees on them. A few portraits of people, most likely well established Yakuza families and high up members of the Hassaikai.
A few Yakuza gave Tomura and Vanitas some questionable looks, which was to be expected, as Shigaraki was wearing a black cloak with the hood over his head, and the Dark Remnant was wearing his black coat zipped up to the neck, with the hood over his head as well. The two yakuza that were escorting the Villains looked back at the other yakuza members, silently signaling them to not do anything past that.
Soon enough, they stopped in the middle of a hallway and in front of a table that had a potted plant on it. One of the two yakuza escorts moved the pot, and pressed on sections of the table in a certain order, which a clicking sound was heard and the wall opened to reveal a secret passageway that led underground. Now these guys were just showing off.
The four of them entered the underground passage and walked down the gray hallways. The blank walls were a stark contrast to the mansion they were in before. This was clearly where the crime family did their more inconspicuous and illegal work, while also serving as a great escape route if things ever got messy upstairs. Especially since the four of them spent a while down there, taking multiple twists and turns around many corners and intersections in this underground labyrinth.
"I'm curious. How much longer are we going to be walking in circles?" Vanitas asked, keeping his tone neutral, in spite of the fact that he could feel that negative presence even more potently down here, and it was actually starting to intoxicate him with how good it felt.
"Same here. I'd hate to keep your boss waiting." Shigaraki agreed with the Dark Remnant, silently noticing his ally's very subtle change in behavior. Normally, Vanitas would keep quiet unless directly spoken to, or if he objected to an idea that either he or one of the other League members had thought of. He never willingly engages in let alone starts any small talk. Something here most likely got his attention.
"We won't be long." One of the yakuza members stated.
"Just a few more corners to turn around." The other yakuza member said.
"Define a few." The Dark Remnant requested. "Two? Four?"
"Less than 20." The yakuza member remained intentionally vague on the number, as to not give any layout of the labyrinth to the would be allies at the moment.
"Here's hoping we didn't make a wrong turn." Vanitas commented. "This place reeks of dullness, and it's making me want to fall asleep."
"That's what you always say." The League Leader decided to play along with his ally. There's clearly something here that has gotten his attention, and The Dark Remnant is conveying it as subtly as he can to him.
"This place is especially dull though." Vanitas commented, figuring out that Tomura caught on. "At least the house upstairs had style. Here, it's just nothing but gray."
"No point in decorating an underground tunnel when no one's gonna see it." Shigaraki replied, getting the idea that there was something really dark in these tunnels that his ally could feel.
"At least make a sign or something, for the new people that come into the group." The Dark Remnant suggested as they came to a corner and turned left. "Something like, go right at this hall and you'll find the money vault. Take a left then a right at this set of halls to find the locker room. Take two rights and reach the bedrooms, or something."
The dark presence that Vanitas was feeling from someone was in the direction behind them. That's what Tomura got from that. "That would make it pretty easy for Heroes who stumble into this place to find their way around though." He replied.
"Have it be a secret. Like the entrances here." The Dark Remnant responded. "Just press a secret button on the wall and then a section flips and you get a map."
He wants to quietly look around to find the source. That'll be too risky right now. "Maybe if we're accepted, you can bring that idea up to Overhaul next time." Shigaraki told him.
Vanitas agreed that it would be smart to investigate this later. "Yeah. Next time. Even if he says no though, I still think it's a good idea."
"Maybe it is. Maybe you can think of more ideas while you're at it." Tomura agreed. Regardless of whatever permissions they get here, Vanitas will find the source of this darkness, and also find other secrets here too.
[Silence]
The group then saw a door and stopped there. "We've arrived." One of the yakuza members stated. He opened the door and let the pair into a plain office, with little to no decoration in it at all.
Overhaul was sitting behind a small table, wearing a plain suit, but still having his plague doctor mask on. He had two other yakuza members with him in the room. The one on his right was the guy who had addressed the League Leader as 'Face Palm Guy' at the warehouse. He was currently counting cash in his hand. The one on Overhaul's left was the man who had shot Mr. Compress with whatever bullet that disrupted his powers.
"What a boring office." Tomura commented.
"I don't like overly cluttered rooms." The Young Head told him.
"You had us walking in circles underground for 30 minutes." Shigaraki pointed out. "We're not ants. Are all yakuza strongholds like this?"
"We don't know who might be watching us or from where, and not all of our guests have the best intentions." Overhaul told him. "So we have a number of routes leading here, an underground reception room where we can be reasonably sure of our privacy."
"You ever wonder how we survived so long? It's because of little details like that." The yakuza to Overhaul's right spoke up. "Anyway, down to business. Did you really mean what you said on the phone the other day? That you'll join us under the right conditions?" The yakuza to the left of Overhaul moved to behind the seat that Tomura sat on. Vanitas stood next to said yakuza member, feeling oddly annoyed to see this guy again.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Master Criminal]
"Don't start celebrating just yet." The League Leader responded before putting a leg up and setting it on the table like it was a foot rest. "You guys want to capitalize on our reputation. We want to increase our strength. Our needs happen to coincide for the moment."
"Put your foot down." The Young Head told him. "The table will get dirty."
"No, 'please'?" Shigaraki responded. "You really ought to mind your manners. I don't appreciate disrespect." He then got back to the subject at hand. "Now we won't be putting ourselves 'under' you. We'll still be calling our own shots. Got it? Either it's a joint partnership or Vanitas and I walk out the door."
"So those are the conditions?" Overhaul understood.
"One more thing." Tomura said. "That grand plan you mentioned. I'd like to know the details. It's a reasonable request. I need to decide whether it's worth lending you our name. You see..." He reached into his coat.
The yakuza who was next to Vanitas pulled out a gun, but the Dark Remnant immediately took the gun and kicked the man down, before stepping on his chest to keep him down as he struggled. The yakuza that was next to Overhaul leapt forward and a large human arm came out of him, but Vanitas had a silhouette come out and grab the thug and hold him up by the throat. "Yeah. You're not touching him." He casually threatened them both, while having void Gear summoned and pointing it towards Overhaul, who looked indifferent.
"Who...the hell do you think you are, you LITTLE PUNKS!" The yakuza that the silhouette held up spat out.
"Who do you think YOU are?" Shigaraki said, keeping his hand in his jacket pocket for now. "One of your disposable thugs against OUR Hikiishi? The scales are far from even, not to mention Compress' arm. We expect concessions in return for what we lost."
"Kurono, Mimic, both of you stand down." Overhaul instructed them. "He came all this way to make his offer. The least we can do is hear the guy out."
The one known as Kurono stopped struggling, while the one known as Mimic pulled back the human looking arm into his small body. "You stand down too, Vanitas." Tomura told the Dark Remnant. "He invited us into his home. The least we can do is not make a mess." Vanitas stepped off og Kurono and the silhouette that held Mimic dropped him and dissipated.
"By all means, continue." The Young Head notioned for the League Leader to take out whatever was in his coat.
"Like I said before our friends got jumpy, I want details. We can start with this." Shigaraki pulled out the bullet that Vanitas had caught a few days ago. "It's part of the plan right?"
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Tartarus]
Overhaul's gaze very slightly changed. "A strange thing happened to Compress when he was shot with this. He couldn't use his quirk for a while." Tomura explained. "So I'd like to know what this is, and what you're planning to do with it. Tell me."
The Young Head decided to indulge the League Leader. "I'll break the natural order of things. They say All For One ruled by stealing other people's Quirks. I've taken his method and fine tuned it a little. I've already begun spreading my roots across this country. Little by little, piece by piece, we're laying the groundwork for what's to come."
"So you developed something that can temporarily stop someone from using a quirk, and you're selling it to the criminal underworld." Vanitas summarized.
"We're working on a more permanent mixture." Overhaul explained. "But for now, I'll let my consumers get a taste, to get some more interest and investment in this little project."
There was no denying that The Young Head knew what he was doing. Distributing these quirk erasing bullets to his buyers in order to get the word out that there is something that can pose a real threat to any Pro Hero, and for it to be so easy to access. This plan was nearly flawless. It was also going to be a problem for the League if they don't figure out how the bullets are made, or how to counteract the effects, so for now, they have to play nice.
"Considering that you were generous enough to give this information, I can only assume that you're willing to accept the terms of a joint operation." Tomura pointed out.
"So long as it is mutually beneficial for our organizations." Overhaul answered. "You should probably inform your colleagues about this arrangement." Kurono opened the door to the office, signaling that the two would outstay their welcome if they didn't go now. "Keep in touch. I'll let you know when it would be best for us to do business together. Thank you for your time."
"We'll take our leave then." Shigaraki decided to oblige, walking over to Vanitas who just opened up a Dark Corridor for the two to step through, giving Overhaul something to think about.
[Silence]
Back with the Heroes Izuku and Sora explained why they were at Sir Nigheye's agency. "Interesting. You both want to do a work study here because you think that doing so will make you both stronger." The Pro Hero spoke up.
"Yes, Sir!" Midoriya confirmed. "Please let me!"
"We need to draw up a contract for each of you." Sir pointed out.
"Of course! Yes! We each brought one!" Izuku opened up his backpack and began to rummage through it.
"You will not interrupt me while I am speaking to you." Nighteye told the One For All user.
"Sorry, Sir!" Midoriya apologized, before pulling out his contract, while Sora followed up by pulling out his own from his bag.
"Once I stamp these documents, you'll both officially be contracted with my agency for a Work Study."
"Yes, Sir!" Both boys said in unison, while Izuku bowed and Sora stood to attention.
"You both must understand that this will be nothing like the week long Internships that you students take on so casually." The Pro Hero told them both, getting them both to pay attention to his words. "You both must work here for a minimum of four months, and will be paid wages. However your academic responsibilities will likely suffer due to absences that you'll each rack up. Which means that your classmates will pull ahead of you."
"I understand that, but...if I worry about what everyone else is doing, I'll never be number One." Izuku responded.
"And besides. We're training to be Heroes." Sora added. "This will allow us to use that training to help contribute to making the world a happier place." After a brief moment of silence, Sir raised his seal up high, brought it down and slammed on Sora's contract, giving him a stamp of approval. "YES!" The Keyblade wielder cheered.
Sir then repeated the motion, however, instead of slamming it on Midoriya's document, he stamped the table, which confused the two boys. "Um...I think you missed." Izuku said.
"Because I am not approving you." Nighteye told Midoriya as he then continued to repeatedly tap the table with his seal. "I understand how this work would be beneficial to you. But what benefit would YOU bring to MY agency? This office currently runs smoothly, with two sidekicks and one Work Study student already under my employ. Sora has already proven himself capable of being a valuable asset to this agency during his internships, thus earning my approval, but what reason do I have to add YOU on? How can YOU contribute to society? How can YOU be useful to others? In order to be acknowledged, you must be able to answer those questions unequivocally." That got to the One For All user. "All Might showed his worth using power and humor. He gave hope to those who lived in fear of criminals. That's why the people were happy to acknowledge him."
"You're right." Midoriya responded. "I need to find out how I can help the world."
Sora had a feeling that his friend was about to be given a test, and when Sir got out of his chair, that basically confirmed it. "It's time to show me what you would bring to the table. Using actions, not words." Nighteye told Izuku as he held the seal in his fingers. "Three minutes. You have three minutes to try and take this seal from me. If you want to work as a Hero under my guidance, then stamp that contract yourself."
"Wait, what?" Izuku was not sure what the Pro meant by that.
"I'm saying that even though you don't appear to possess a single ounce of humor in your body, I'm still giving you a chance." He then motioned his hand towards the direction of Sora, Mirio and Bubble Girl. "The three of you, go wait outside."
"Sir, yes sir." The three of them said calmly together.
"Once more, with feeling." Nighteye told them.
"YES, SIR!" The three of them saluted before taking their leave.
Once the three of them left the room, Sora spoke up. "Looks like Izuku's getting a test of his own, like I did."
That ended up getting Bubble Girl curious. "Hey, Togata. Did you ever have to do a practical interview like that?"
"Nah." Mirio answered. "Sir asked for me specifically, so I didn't have to jump through hoops or anything."
"What?!" The Keyblade wielder was surprised. "Lucky! He asked for me too, but I still had to do those tests at the internships."
"Jeez, you really are his golden boy. Must be nice." The Sidekick pointed out. As Togata head palmed and laughed at that, she continued to speak. "I can't believe I'm jealous of a highschool kid."
"Oh, man." Mirio said as his laughter died down. "Hope that Midoriya can impress Sir, as hard as that is to do."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST I'm Seriously Going to Crush You]
"Hey, I managed to impress Sir. Izuku will be fine." Sora commented.
"You had a week. He has three minutes." Bubble Girl reminded him.
"Yeah. Those odds are pretty grim." Togata had to agree with her.
"Well, I still have faith. I'd bet on it too." The Keyblade wielder stood firm in his belief in his friend.
Back in the office, Sir gave the conditions to the challenge. "I'll take no offensive measures during this time, and you're welcome to attack me in any manner you desire. Don't concern yourself with what happens to the room. Just come and get it."
As Izuku looked intimidated for a brief moment, he snapped out of it fast and had a determined glare, as he had to get the seal, whether he was ready or not. He activated Full Cowling and pounced forward.
Sir Nighteye then spoke, explaining the details of what happened just before said action was made. "An approach from the front, but it's merely a feint and a failed grab. And then another jump attack, to no avail." As these actions happened, Sir stated that "I can see everything."
Midoriya continued to go for the seal, but Sir continued to avoid the boy with no effort, sidestepping or leaning away from every pounce and dash. Izuku threw his backpack and tried to follow up with that, but ended up hitting the door instead. "Is that all you've got?" Nighteye questioned as he adjusted his glasses. "I thought you were attempting to show me your usefulness. This is a waste of time."
Back outside, the sound of the scuffle could be heard by the other three. "He's really stringing that kid along." Bubble Girl commented.
"I know, right?" Mirio agreed while getting a drink from the vending machine next to the bench that Bubble Girl and Sora were sitting on.
"Sounds like it's serious in there." The Keyblade wielder noted. "Come on, Izuku. You can do it."
Back in the office, more failed attempts were made at grabbing the seal, and Sir narrates upcoming events again. "One minute passes. He backs up briefly, and appears nervous, finally understanding that he can't overcome my Foresight."
[Silence]
As Midoriya tried thinking of how there had to be a weakness to the Quirk, Nighteye spoke up again. "I had high expectations for you, until now. You have the power to become a symbol, but you're mediocre. Meanwhile Villains everywhere are getting restless, and gloom is creeping closer. A pity. All Might chose wrong after all. Mirio should have inherited the power."
"What are you talking about?" Midoriya was confused. "Chose wrong after all?"
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST The Threat Will Go]
"Don't get me wrong. I do love and respect All Might." Sir told him. "But I don't understand why he chose you. How can you succeed him?" As Izuku was processing the information that Togata was a potential successor and why he was not told of this by Toshinori, Nighteye snapped him back to reality. "You think you have time to stand there frozen? Or are you just getting tired, running out of ideas? I was honestly a bit curious when Mirio told me he was going to bring you here to introduce you. But it turns out it was a waste of time. There is a candidate who is far worthier of inheriting One For All than you. I'd even go as far as to say that there are two, both outside of this office. As such, I cannot acknowledge you."
In spite of that demoralizing speech. In spite of Sir saying that Mirio and that even Sora are more worthy than him. He did not crumble under those words. Instead, he chose to remember the words of All Might. The words he said to him when he was deemed worthy by the Number 1 Hero. And with those words in his head, and the memories of the training he went through with him, he kicked it into high gear and pounced from wall to wall to ceiling to wall, continuously picking up speed as he did so. Some of the bookshelves and potter plants were knocked over from the force. "I'm going to take that stamp from you." He told the Pro Hero as he moved about. "I swear. I will make you acknowledge me!"
[Silence]
He made his move, but once again was met with failure as he landed on the floor, next to Sir. "Gran Torino's style. But you're a mere shadow of the original." The Pro pointed out.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Iron Battle]
"For the next hour, provided the conditions are met..." Nighteye said as he continued to easily avoid the speedy Midoriya and his attempts to snatch the seal. "I can see what you'll do, wherever you go. In case you're interested, in two minutes from now, you'll be slumped on the floor with neither the seal nor the contract. You've looked unsure since this trial began. But All Might certainly must have taught you better than that. Fear and indecision are luxuries a top tier Hero cannot afford. Someone who understands that will always act with vision and purpose. You must have been told this countless times. But now, when your training is being put to the test, you choke. You said you would make me acknowledge you, but the more I see, the more convinced I become that you will ultimately fail."
"He said I can do it!" Izuku growled.
"Who said that? One of your little friends? Sora, maybe?" Sir questioned.
"The greatest Hero the world has ever seen!" Midoriya yelled out, as he blitzed behind Nighteye, grabbed a bookshelf and swung it in between the two, flinging the books and papers everywhere in between them. "Sorry! But you did say not to worry about the room, right!?" This was a shot in the dark, but the One For All user could scatter objects at random, so that way he could be overwhelmed by everything around him, while he pounced to get the seal from behind. "Whether you like it or not, I am All Might's successor!" He declared.
Sir avoided him still. "That doesn't alter what I see." he told him.
[Silence]
"Not yet!" Izuku wasn't gonna throw in the towel yet, but he then face planted on the wall, and when he slid to the ground, a trail of blood followed him. "I'm not done."
"It's over." Nighteye told him.
"No it's not!" Midoriya barked back.
"Three minutes have passed." Sir pointed out.
"What?" Izuku was shocked.
"You're All Might's chosen successor?" Nighteye repeated. "It beggars belief. You devised only a single plan, and it failed spectacularly, leaving you worn out."
"I didn't botch this test because I'm tired." Izuku corrected him.
"Then what happened?" Sir questioned him.
"I realized that I was about to step on the poster for All Might's tenth anniversary as a Hero." Midoriya pointed out, as that poster did not have any shoe marks on it. "The one that was never for sale."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST You Can Be A Hero]
When Nighteye noticed that, he then looked at the rest of the All Might memorabilia in the room, and he was surprised to see that in spite of the sporadic and speedy movements that the boy did, he managed to avoid all of those things, keeping them in mint condition. He let out a quiet huff.
The three waiting outside then opened the door, having their arms in the air like a trio on a stage. "And cue our well timed return!" Mirio declared.
"You're done, right, Sir? That loud bang at the end sounded pretty final." Bubble Girl said.
"So, how'd he do?" Sora wondered.
"I'll take the boy, Mirio." Nighteye told him.
"That's awesome!" Togata cheered.
"HA! I knew it!" The Keyblade wielder also cheered.
"What?! I don't understand." Izuku was confused. "I didn't do either of the things you asked me to."
"I told you to take the seal and stamp the contract yourself, but I didn't say you'd be rejected if you failed." Sir pointed out.
"Yeah, but..." The One For All user was still confused.
"Congrats, Midoriya! You pulled it off." Mirio walked over to the boy before turning to Sir. "So, he made you laugh after all."
"I had already decided that I would take you on when I heard you were coming." Nighteye told Izuku as he grabbed the contract from the table and approached him. "I also knew that you weren't entirely lacking skill and intellect, but I still wanted to see it for myself. The Symbol Of Peace is gone, and the people are looking not for a dim light, but a dazzling one. You'll work here alongside professionals, and you will see. Regardless of All Might's mandate, you are not worthy of his power." he dropped the seal in the boy's hand and the contract on the floor in front of him.
Both Sora and Izuku knew what he meant when he said that. He's taking Midoriya on in order to make him give up. While the Keyblade wielder was a bit annoyed at that, and while the One For All user was also aware that this wasn't a good reason to be accepted and would be an unsettling dynamic if he does work here, Midoriya still stamped the contact anyway looked up and declared "I look forward to working with you."
[Silence]
"Then that concludes our business together for today." Sir told him. "However, before you leave, clean up the mess you made."
"Uh...what?" That caught Izuku off guard.
"You didn't think I would have you pick up after yourself?" Nighteye said. "You've got 30 minutes. I'll be waiting outside the office. There's cleaning supplies in the closet door there." He pointed at another door in the office before motioning for the others to follow him. As Sora was about to help his classmate, Sir put a hand on his shoulder. "You're not helping him."
"Uh...yes, Sir." The Keyblade wielder thought it best not to argue with him for now.
[Play FF7 Remake Intermission OST Avalanche HQ Theme]
While Izuku was busy cleaning up the mess he made, Sir decided to speak to the other new Work Study student that was under his employ now. "In spite of the circumstances that led to this reunion. It's nice to see you again, Sora." he had a small smile on his face.
"Oh, well it's good to see you too, Sir." The Keyblade wielder replied. "But, did you really have to go so hard on him?"
"Considering that he plans on becoming Number 1, it's only fitting that I give him a task befitting that ambition." Nighteye replied.
"That's why it was so hard?" Sora questioned, implying that he knew that it was actually just personal bias talking.
"Coming from the boy who needed at least five days to get me to crack a smile." Sir pointed out.
"Hey!" The Keyblade wielder took slight offense to that comment.
"He got you there." Mirio laughed at that exchange.
"At least I make people laugh when I make a pun." Sora retorted.
"Not all the time." Bubble girl told him. "I didn't laugh at that soap joke you made when I called you a sponge during the internships."
"Okay, first off. I'm surprised you remembered that." The Keyblade wielder admitted. "Secondly, I wasn't really trying there."
"Then what counts as you trying?" She wondered, curious about the boy's style of humor.
"This." He bowed right before the three of them, and after a few seconds of remaining still, he tilted his head up. "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaugh." He decided to do the funny face special. His stupid looking smile, followed by the head tilt and then dropping the smile and flopping his head back down.
"Pfffff! HAHAHAHAHA!" Bubble Girl bursted out laughing. "What was that?!"
"HA!" Sora sprung up and pointed at her while addressing Togata. "See?! Funny."
"Not a pun, but I'll give it to you. That was pretty good." Mirio admitted. "Surprised you didn't use it on Sir though."
"It didn't work on me now, and it wouldn't have worked then." Sir told him. "Besides, his goal at that time was to prove that he was worthy of his title, 'The Positive Hero'. A funny face wouldn't have been proof enough."
"Yeah. But apparently, surviving the Hosu incident was though." The Keyblade wielder commented. "Thanks for preparing me for that, by the way." He told Bubble Girl. "Couldn't help but notice that the lessons you taught me right before we went there ended up being really convenient to learn before all that went down."
"Hey, my job was just to teach you medical stuff." Bubble Girl told him. "You just happened to be in the right place to use that knowledge to save lives."
"Still appreciate it though. I gotta thank Centipeder too, when I get the chance." Sora said.
"You are working here now, so you'll get the chance." Sir told him.
"True. Oh man. This is gonna be awesome." Sora got giddy. "I finally get to be a fully fledged Hero here."
"Here?" Mirio heard that. "Were you a Hero somewhere else or something?"
"Eh?" The Keyblade wielder really needs to learn how to say things differently. Time to come up with another excuse. Thankfully he had one. "Uh, well...at I-Island there was this thing that happened at the expo, and I was there, and I helped out with taking on some robots that were hacked and ended up acting like a Hero there."
"Oh, really?" Togata was impressed. "I remember there being an incident at I-Island, but I didn't know you helped deal with it. Nice job, man."
"Well you know, there were a bunch of other Pros there too, including All Might. They'd get all the attention anyway." Sora pointed out.
"True. True." Bubble Girl agreed with that. "Still, nice to hear that you played your part in helping out though."
"Hehe. Thanks." The Keyblade wielder sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
The door to the office opened and out came Izuku. "The office is clean now, Sir!"
After a brief inspection of the office in question, Nighteye, now sporting his classic scowl, spoke to the two first years. "Then I'll see you both tomorrow."
[Silence]
The day then went by and once the two boys made it back to U.A. High, they explained how their day went to any classmates that were curious in the common room of the Dormitory. "You both found an agency for your Work Studies? Congratulations, you two." Ochako said to the pair.
"That's awesome!" Mina was happy for them.
"Indeed." Tenya agreed as he offered a congratulatory handshake. "Well done."
"Thanks, guys." Izuku said as he shook the Class Rep's hand.
"Thank you." Iida told them. "You're both examples to us all."
"I don't know how the rest of us are supposed to compete though." Denki approached them.
"Yeah. You're both gonna be working at Sir Nighteye's agency." Hanta pointed out. "That's seriously amazing."
"And I hear Togata recommended you." Ejiro added.
"And that's not even talking about how Sora was already guaranteed to be accepted, due to his internship with him before going as well as it did." Mezo also added.
"Pretty impressive, guys." Rikido commented.
"Um. Yeah, I guess." Izuku sheepishly replied.
"Oh come on. It's not that impressive." Sora tried to downplay it. "I bet you guys will all find agencies that are just as good as ours."
"Here's hoping." Mashirao appreciated the encouraging words from his classmate.
"The distance between us just keeps getting wider." Shoto commented to Katsuki who simply huffed at that. "We've got to catch up, and soon."
"I wish I had a place picked out." Uraraka said. "The school said that Gunhead hasn't had enough interns, so his agency is a no go."
"I know what you mean." Tsuyu replied. "I wanted to go to Selkie's but that's out too."
"Yeah. So is Fourth Kind." Kirishima pouted. "He doesn't even accept students for Work Studies."
"The teachers sure aren't making it easy for us, are they?" Sero noticed.
"Thanks to all these requirements, a ton of agencies are ruled out right off the bat." Kaminari commented.
"We can't really blame them." Ojiro spoke up. "Unlike the internships, we'll be directly involved, so if anything were to go wrong, then..."
"Then the Pros have to take responsibility for whatever happened." Aizawa finished as he came into the common room.
"Oh, hey, Mr. Aizawa." Denki greeted the Homeroom teacher.
"Only Pros who are the real deal will take on rookies like you guys, knowing the risks involved." Aizawa told them before looking at Fumikage. "Tokoyami. Looks like you got an offer from one of them. Hawks has invited you to work with him in Kyushu."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST U.A. Corridors]
That surprised everyone as Kaminari spoke up. "No way!"
"Dude, he's the Number Three Hero!" Hanta exclaimed. "That's awesome."
"Well, now number two since All Might retired, but still!" Sora pointed out.
"Whoa! Good job!" Sato congratulated his classmate.
"Well, what do you say?" Aizawa needed an answer.
"I respectfully accept." Fumikage told him.
"All right then. I'll make sure you get the relevant paperwork later. Just let me know when you're expected in Kyushu. I can sign off on your absences." The Homeroom teacher told him.
"Congrats, Tokoyami. You psyched?" Mezo asked.
"I am grateful of course." The bird headed boy replied.
"We've really gotta catch up." Todoroki said again.
"Would you stop saying that?!" Bakugo barked at him.
Aizawa then directed his attention to a few other students in the room. "Also, Kirishima. Apparently, Amajiki of the Big Three wants to talk to you about something."
"He wants me?" Ejiro was surprised.
"Uraraka and Asui, you've got your own Big Three summons from Hado." The Homeroom teacher added. "You can track them down sometime tomorrow or whatever. That's all for now."
"Amajiki? That's crazy." Kirishima commented. "I wonder what he wants."
"Considering the timing, it could be about the work study program." Tsu guessed.
"No way!" Ocahko perked up. "That'd be too good to be true, right!?"
"Ohoho!" Sora spoke up. "What did I say just a moment ago?"
"I have to wait until tomorrow?" Ejiro did not have the patience for that. "Nope! I'm going over to the Third Years' dorms right now!"
"I don't think I can wait either." Asui stood up. "Let's go with him."
"Yeah!" Uraraka agreed with that and also stood up.
"Tamaki and Nejire are both in 3-A! Look for that one!" Sora informed the trio that was leaving while he was still sitting on the couch.
"Thanks!" The three said at the same time as they left.
"We've really, really gotta..." Shoto said but got interrupted.
"JUST SHUT UP!" Katsuki exploded.
"Aw man, I'm so jealous of those guys." Denki said.
"We'll just have to work harder." Hanta stated.
Minoru huffed while shamelessly glaring at Ashido's chest. "Who cares about Work Studies anyway? First years like us will just get stuck running errands and doing paperwork all day." He got hit in the eye with a crumpled up ball of paper thrown by Sora, who saw the purple pervert staring at their pink classmate.
"Oh yeah. That's what happened at your internship, huh?" Kaminari remembered.
"Don't remind me of my disgraceful past!" Mineta had a breakdown while everyone laughed at it.
Izuku and Sora both were ready for tomorrow.
Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter. Now that I have my own room again, It makes it easier to write stuff. Anyway, as you can see, I decided to have the Villain and Hero Interviews back to back, for two reasons. One, I wanted them to kind of act like mirrors to eachother, which is something that I actually plan to have as the theme for this ark of MHA. You'll see what I mean when more chapters come out. Aside from that, I'm gonna give another status update on myself and another explanation on why I didn't post sooner. Aside from needing the time to get through all the stuff I dealt with last time I posted on here, I also ended up being in writing moods prior to me making this chapter, but I wasn't in the mood for this or my other fics, so I started writing other stories too, but I haven't posted them yet. I don't really plan to unless they get fully finished, or until I finish one of the stories I already have on here. (I want to only deal with critique and update requests from two stories at a time at most.) So I hope you understand if I'm not as frequent with these fics. Like I said, I'll write when I'm in the mood, and if I'm not, I won't risk making a crap chapter because of a need to be more frequent. I want the best and most authentic experience for my readers and reviewers. With that said, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and until I decide to upload again. ;)