Midoriya sat across from Yu like before. The textile machine was working away, stitching together the body of her new costume. He was working on something new. He initially stirred a viscous, bubbly liquid in a small dish before pouring into a mold of some kind. To the left of him, there was an assortment of doodads. One seemed to be strapless goggles, but it had stylized frames and those said frames had a bunch of wires hooked into them. They also seemed to have a shutter-like quality to them. To his right, there was a length of fabric with two open holes along its centerline, and there were some circular devices that looked like cuffs.

"What's that?" asked Yu.

"A mask."

She tilted her head. "You gonna run that by me?"

"I'm still working on it," he said with a shrug. "I know how to use the machine to make costumes. This is… a proof of concept." He waved the fabric in front of her. "That's why I'm using this random bit of whatever. It's about as stretchy as the actual material of your costume, so it should work for now."

"Why the mask?"

He teetered his head. "An exposed face can be dangerous. It could hang it around your neck, so you can pull it over your face when you need to."

"What about my normal mask?" she asked.

"The domino mask is thin enough to where you might be able to wear it under this comfortably."

"And the horns?"

"See, think of this… fire mask as sort of an open top balaclava or cowl. It's gonna be cut along your hairline so you can keep your hair loose. Your domino-and-horn combo is akin to a goggles or glasses situation now." He began to demonstrate with the fabric. "I'm gonna leave a cut for your ears and just above those holes are gonna be these clamps." He lifted those cuffs–clamps into view. "I'm gonna put sensors on these and the horns, so when they get closer, they'll lock on."

"Just proof of concept?"

"I also know that the machine is slower than a snail riding a turtle." He picked out a roll of sewing measuring tape from his apron. "Now, if I may, I need to figure out your head… size is for this."

She nodded as she scooted away from the table. "Good thing I got my hair in a bun." He pulled his stool over to her before setting his open notebook on the table.

"Pardon me." He then started with measuring the circumference of her cranium.

After he marked the number down, she closed her eyes as the tape wrapped over them. "You know, a mask could mess with my make up."

"If you wear the mask all the time, you wouldn't have to wear any make up," he offered as he adjusted the tape to her nose.

"Hm…" She hummed, "That does sound tempting…" Then the tape came over her chin. "Can–"

Midoriya gave a scolding, "Ah!"

"Sor–" Yu decided it was best to keep quiet and allowed the tape to pull tight again.

"Okay." He started measuring the length from the top of her head to the tip of her chin. "What did you want to say?"

Yu said, "You're pretty professional."

"Thanks?" Midoriya started over to his part of the table with the measurements in hand.

"I just have to admit I wasn't expecting it when I picked up an intern." Yu leaned on the table, propping up her chin in her palm. "I was half sure I'd end up with some fanboy, nipping at my heels." She chuckled, "Look at you, measuring my head like it's nothing. Someone else might talk about how pretty I am, how silky my hair is, or how soft my skin looks."

"That's…" He shuddered, "That's just gross."

"Why do you think I wear gloves?" She recalled, "I had enough of folk shaking my hand and going 'Ugh, so soft' right next to me! I'm pretty sure I saw someone lick their hand after I shook it!"

Another shudder followed, "Note to self: all future costumes come with mandatory gloves."

"Good take from that. I like that," she laughed. "Anyway… you haven't been like that at all. You're just a… good, genuine kid."

"It was a compliment…" she thought. A truth she had come to and thought would get something positive out of Midoriya. "But…" When her eyes met his, she could see a myriad of things crossing his mind. Eventually his eyes dipped from hers, lowering to the table before him. His jaw tightened and his nose scrunched up. He then shook his head and let out a long breath.

"I haven't been that genuine," he muttered.

Then he tensed up, like in that way, "-when you regret something you said… when you wish you just didn't say anything in the first place…" She lifted her head - her confusion written on her face. "Wait…?" she pondered. "What the fuck…!?"

Internally, she was pulling out her hair. "How did I fuck this up…!? It was a compliment…!" She leaned forward, pointing her finger. "Wait, are you, like, secretly a fanboy of mine or something?"

He looked at her - confusion on his face. "W-What? No."

"No, because what we were talking about and–"

Midoriya shook his head. "No! I mean… it isn't…" His face was turning red. "No, I didn't mean it like that."

"Okay… alright, good." Yu let out a sigh of relief. "You gotta pay attention to the context of your conversations."

She could practically see the steam rising from his head. "Yea–Yeah, you're right… You're right."

"So, you are genuine in the way I was talking about, right?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah… Yeah, I gu–I am…"

Yu relaxed in her seat. "Alright, good."

Midoriya seemed to finally deflate. "Sorry."

"You're fine – just surprised me is all."

There was a bout of silence between them before he spoke up. "I just, uh… I don't know… I just, um… I guess I'm just not good with compliments sometimes…" He fidgeted with the bits and bobs in front of him.

Yu teetered her head before rubbing the back of her neck. "Alright, well… If it helps, compliments aren't really about you. They're how other people feel about you - not what you think about yourself." She shook her head. "There have been times where a little girl runs up to me and says 'I'm her Hero'. On some of those days, I think that I don't deserve to be called that. Do you think I look that girl in the eye and say, 'no, I'm not'?"

Midoriya slowly nodded, "Of course not…"

"It's not about you," she said. "I think you're a good kid."

Midoriya blinked at her. His mouth shifted as his eyes and nose seemed to redden for a moment. Then, the textile printer dinged and it caused them both to turn to it. When Yu turned back, Midoriya had a small smile and he patted the table before standing up and walking over to the machine.

He was quiet for a moment, tapping on the screen, before peeking over his shoulder. "Thanks."

Yu smiled, "You're welcome." Her smile started to turn into a confident smirk. "Was that a good talk…? Woo…! Good talk…!"

He took the tan-colored base of her costume out of the machine, hanging over his arm. "Okay… Uh…" His head teetered, "We should see about the size, but probably can't use a locker room…" He scratched his cheek. "Um… If none of the Support Course students are in, we can probably use the bathroom nearby, if you're okay with that."

"I'm sure a place like this keeps a clean bathroom," said Yu as she stood up from her stool. "Keep an eye on the door?"

Midoriya nodded, "Yeah, I can do that." He led her to the door. "Follow me."

-XXX-

Denki stepped back through the doorway to the Operation Center – apartment place… thing, closing the door to the bathroom behind him. He apologized to the officers he bumped into before retaking his seat. "Jeez…" His hands rubbed against his legs. "I have no idea what to do with myself…"

A muscular officer with the head of a gargoyle spoke into a receiver. "Hori?"

[In position, LT,] was the response.

"Ingenium, Bigshot?"

[Ready and waiting,] replied Bigshot.

"Overwatch? Any exterior movement?"

She responded, [There is a nest of rats near the south exit.]

"Are there any humanoid movements?" he corrected.

[No.]

The Lieutenant turned to the officer at his side. "Anything?"

The blond-haired woman with goat eyes was meddling with a camera that was aimed out of the blocked window. "Nothing, sir."

"That's the third thermal camera…" muttered the Lieutenant.

"Yuuki?" offered the man who drove Denki here, Akira.

Yuuki's jaw shifted, "Hm…" He shook his head. "There hasn't been any movement for hours…" His gaze leveled at the screens before him. "Starting to think…" He trailed off.

"Sir?" questioned the officer in a mask.

"He sounds kinda different…" thought Denki.

"Nothing." Yuuki lifted the receiver. "Be advised: we still do not have eyes on the QCC's interior."

[Faulty equipment?] questioned Bigshot.

Yuuki was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Yes."

[We're good without,] said Ingenium. [There's no mistaking this QCC with an apartment building. It's practically a warehouse. We should expect more of an open floor than segmented rooms.]

[Or cages.] added Bigshot.

Yuuki rubbed his chin. "We have a SAT in the wings, just in case."

[That'll do.]

"Captain, received?" offered Yuuki.

The Captain responded, [Heard. Engine's hot.]

"That's everything…" was muttered away from the radio. "Alright." He cleared his throat. "All agents, we're moving for entry." He commanded, "Hori, please escort our guests to their table."

"Yes, sir!"

-XXX-

The ADV bumped and shook as it blazed down the road. Its sirens were left silent for the short portion of road it needed to cross. The passenger portion of the vehicle began to turn. Where it once matched the length of the truck in parallel, it was now becoming perpendicular. Once their box hissed and locked into place, Ingenium took his place at its very back, positioning himself in a runner's stance. His arms' exhausts were aimed at the flat wall behind him as Itaru took the space between Ingenium and the exit.

He kneeled, pressing his knuckles against the flat floor under him. "One." He felt the blood in his body burn, pulsing from his heart and to his extremities. "Two." His blood roared to his hands and feet, pooling and causing the exposed skin of his fingers to turn red. "Three." The heat began to glow in his veins. "Four." The veins in his eyes began to brighten and glow. "Kinetic Blood… Level Four…"

Officer Hori's voice came over the speaker system. [Reaching target zone in 3… 2…] The giant metal door before them hissed and roared as they swung open. [1!]

Itaru's body roared as his blood shot to his extremities, dispersing into the ground below him. "Wrecking Ball!"

As he flew out the ADV and towards the passing QCC, he heard Ingenium shout behind him. "Engine Burst: 50%!"

As Itaru's blood pulsed over his body, it reached his head, chest, and shoulders. His blood's kinetic energy clashed against the weakened dry wall and rotting wood. His round body ripped through the walls, sending him into the building. He knew that Ingenium was swiftly launching in behind as he crashed into the cracked concrete floor, rendering it into powder.

Itaru jumped onto his feet, taking in the northern end of the interior, as Ingeium's greaves screeched across the floor behind him. The sight made Ingenium's description of a warehouse almost completely apt. However, there were clear signs of someone living there: sleeping bags, stained mattresses, a burnt barrel, and abandoned packets/packages of food. His eyes focused on what seemed to be offices–or rather, 'rooms' along the far wall.

"Empty…" muttered Ingenium.

Itaru rolled his shoulder. "You got rooms on your side?"

"Far end," replied Ingenium. "If there's anyone in here, come out with your hands up!" was shouted as they parted.

Itaru moved towards his set of rooms. "Is there anyone here?" He pumped his fists, stepping towards the broken doors to the rooms. "Kinetic Blood: Level Two…" His fists began to glow as his blood warmed. "Broadside Cannons…"

"We're not interested in squatters or runaways!" shouted Ingenium.

Itaru went from room to room, finding stained floors and assortments of abandoned items from toys to toothbrushes. Though, he found himself particularly staring at what seemed to be empty gas canisters for a nonexistent fire stove and the shells of old plastic phones. The walls were covered in graffiti and there was a bathroom that he wasn't going to keep in mind whatsoever. Eventually, he was stepping across the empty main floor to meet Ingenium again.

"Not much here," said Itaru. "Some of the trash here is pretty recent, though, so the Hero Killer could've been here."

Ingenium shook his head. "The Hero Killer's been a solo act for the last forty victims. There's too much here for one person."

"Yeah, it does seem like a group might've been here. Did the path of that van align with the Hero Killer's movement?"

"Only between the police station near Shiketsu and here in Hosu City."

Itaru shrugged, "Hosu City being more like a copycat than the real deal."

"More of a fan than a copycat. Too showy for him," said Ingenium.

"Too showy… Right…" murmured Itaru.

"What?"

"Found a couple of gas canisters and maybe some electronics."

Ingenium stepped forward. "You don't think…"

"Maybe, but…" He shook his head. "We should call the police in and let them take it from here."

Ingenium considered for a moment before nodding, "Agreed." He tapped the side of his helmet. "Lieutenant Yuuki, you can call off SAT and bring in CSU." His head tilted, confused. "Lieutenant?"

Itaru brought his hand to his ear, tapping on his earpiece. "Hello?" When he heard nothing in return, he tried, "Overwatch? Captain? Anybody?"

"Anything?"

"Just static…"

-XXX-

[Ingenium and Bigshot have been successfully deployed!]

The 'police officer' reached over to the radio, [Sir? Sir, do you read me?], taking its volume dial in hand and turning it to zero. Then he took his cap from his head, setting it on the table. He then reached into his windbreaker and pulled a blue marble free. In a quick flash, it turned from that into a strange white mask. Once the mask was set over his face, he twisted the knife in Lieutenant Yuuki's armpit, forcing the man to contort towards him. Once in arms' reach, he turned the Lieutenant towards his officers, stepping behind him and taking the man's throat into his free hand.

"Now that we're free of distractions, we can talk." He looked over the officers before him – their guns and batons free from their belts and in their hands. "This knife is in a very precarious position. It sits on a very important vein, and if it is removed, Mr. Yuuki here will bleed to death faster than you can squeeze the triggers on all your little guns."

Denki stood there, behind all of them. His jaw hung slack and his shoulders tensed. "Him…" he recalled. "That knife… It came from a marble like his mask…" A sickness plunged into his stomach as he felt his face go pale. "Did I… hand him that…? Was that what I gave him…?"

"Let him go!"

"As much as I may like to, I cannot," he stated. "Though, allow me to be clear, I am not interested in him, nor any of you."

"If that's the case–"

He turned to Akira. "I'm not letting him go." He shook his head. "As much as I'd hate to allow an innocent man to die, my goal is more important than one man, but not an entire room of police officers." He released the man's throat. "I give you my word that Lieutenant Yuuki will live so long as everyone in this room departs, especially the boy."

Denki's mouth opened and closed. "I… I-I…" He shook his head vehemently as his hands balled into fists. "I'm not going anywhere!"

Yuuki met Denki's eyes. "Charge–" He flinched as the villain pressed on the knife. "Ah!"

"Shush." He adjusted his mask, wiping its surface. "Agh… That's… very fair, I suppose. Okay… allow me to adjust." His fingers shifted, pulling another marble from nowhere. In an instant, it became an old gray cellphone. "This is a…" He trailed off before saying, "Well, why don't you say it?"

The villain held the device before Yuuki, showing him its small screen. "A detonator?"

The man waved his phone. "It's not a very impressive bomb, but it will be an effective one nevertheless."

Yuuki's hand grabbed the villain's forearm, "The QCC! The Heroes!", but was quickly silenced as the knife plunged deeper. Blood began to dip past soaked cloth and through fingers, tapping against the tiled ground.

"Shut," growled the villain. "Move that arm again and you will die. And that bomb goes off before I hit the ground." He groaned, waving his head. "Ugh… I hate this… So damn messy… We were meant to simply leave, but…" He chuckled, "It just had to be Ingenium in town…"

"The Hero Killer…" muttered Denki.

"Ah…" The villain's head rocked back, laughing, "Ah, yes! Of course you would put it together… The Shiketsu boy…" His head shifted towards his radio. "Hm… If none of you will cooperate…"

[If anyone can read this, we're leaving the QCC and heading back to Operations!]

"In the nick of time," he chuckled. He told Yuuki, whose face was beginning to turn pale. "The receiver, pick it up, and be a dear, hold the button down for me." His head tilted towards the injured arm. "I can make that an order if that's what you'd like." Yuuki took up the receiver, pulling it up. "Good boy." Once the button was held down, the villain cooed, "Hello, hello~."

[Finally someone,] said Bigshot.

[Who are we speaking to? Where's Lieutenant Yuuki?] questioned Ingenium.

"I'm the man with the gun or knife, in this case." His head teetered, "You see, Mr. Yuuki is in a predicament. If he moves or does anything else I don't like, I pull this knife I have in his arm out and he bleeds to death before you can get him to the nearest hospital."

[What do you want?] asked Ingenium.

"I want all of these other police officers including SAT, your little flying companion, and the boy to leave. You and Bigshot get to stay where you are."

[I want to speak with the Lieutenant,] said Ingenium.

The villain's head teetered, "Very well."

Through labored breaths and winces of pain, he said, "He has a bomb, sir."

There was silence. [We'll deal with that later,] assured Ingenium. [Are you okay?]

Yuuki grunted, "I've been better, sir."

The villain tapped on the pommel of the knife with his pinky. "That's enough." He spoke to the receiver. "My demands, Ingenium?"

[Do as he asks. Don't bother saying anything, the button isn't being held down.]

Yuuki gritted his teeth. "Go."

One officer opened their mouths. "Yu–"

"Get the hell out of here!" roared Yuuki.

Each officer shared looks – a silent conversation between all of them: a nudge with a gun or with their eyes or chin. They weighed their options. What would happen if they got shot off? Would the mask get in the way? Block the bullet? They couldn't aim anywhere else since the villain was completely hidden behind the Lieutenant. Trying to hit the knife or the arm holding it could give the villain a chance to pull it free and kill Yuuki. The other arm held the detonator and hitting it could cause the villain to set that bomb off or give him a chance with the knife.

Each officer slowly lowered with arms, and began to back away towards the door. "I…" The only one who didn't was Denki. "Could I have known…?"

"You too, kid…" panted Yuuki.

"And walk far," added the villain. "These cameras you've set up for me should make you all very honest with me."

"Come on, Bolt," said Akira, forcefully.

Denki looked to the Lieutenant. "I…"

"It's okay," offered Yuuki.

"I… I'm…" He felt his breath hitch in his throat. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. "You'll get out of this, okay?" He started to back towards the doorway. "I will see you after this!"

Yuuki… smiled, "Sure, kid."

He felt a hand tug on his arm. "Come on!"

Denki couldn't look away. "If I look away…" As he backed out the door, it felt like his eyes were taking in every detail of Lieutenant Yuuki. "If I look away, he'll just kill him…" He could see the doorway as he backed into the hallway. "I can't…" Eventually, he was pulled into the hallway; almost dragged down the stairs.

"We're leaving," said Akira.

"We can't just leave him…"

Akira shook his head. "We have to…"

Denki came to a stop at the landing below. "But… there has to be something we can do…"

"There's nothing we can do."

"Come on! You can't just be okay with leaving him like this!" cried Denki.

Akira turned to him, shouting, "OF COURSE, I'M NOT!" His jaw and hands were shaking. "But…" He shook his head. "We… We have to leave it to the Heroes now…" He started towards the front door. "Now, come on." After they crossed the ground floor, each officer began to file out of the front door of the apartment building.

Denki found himself slowing to a stop just outside the door. His fists tightened, turning his knuckles white. His quickened breath began to steady as he felt electricity spark under his shirt. As a deep breath came in, he muttered, "I'm a Hero, too…", before rushing after Akira.

-\ XXX /-

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Maybe I'll just use emoticons instead of notes...

Thank you for reading and criticize away!

Update Window: October 20th - 31st

Intended Due Date: October 20th - 25th