Favored Tool

by CoughingGenie

When a tool finds a purpose. OC. Empathy Quirk.

73. Chapter 73

"Welcome to Vegas."

Izuku heard his words, but they didn't make any sense. The neon lights of the thousands of signs he could see along the street, skyscrapers larger than he had ever seen before. And most of all, the people. Quirks were used for everything, from simple flight to pyrotechnics and illusions to advertise a product. In a single second, he took it all in.

"We're not in Japan anymore," he blandly said, with a hint of hysteria at the end.

"No, we're not," Takuma grunted as he walked next to him. "So, where to?"

Laughter bubbled out of him as he took in the sight again. "How did we get here so quickly?"

"The place we came from is a hub. You can get to it from a few points, but it allows us to get out pretty much anywhere," his friend let out. "Space isn't a problem for whoever is in charge, and so it allows Lindy to have more reach than she could ever hope for if she decided to set up shop in Japan."

"And so we landed in the United States of America... just like that," Izuku stated.

Of course, he knew teleportation Quirks were prized for a reason. The ability to move around the world or even inside a country or city was worth its weight in gold. Heroes with such Quirks usually worked with the World Heroes Association to move quickly in case of crises. Even Nedzu had made a request for a teleportation Quirk but had been blocked by the H.S.P.C., which had vetoed the demand. The U.A. and H.S.P.C. cold war was not something he had expected, but the more he learned about what they were up to, the more he understood why Nedzu disliked the institution. And the fact that Takuma was on the same wavelength only made him want to learn more about what was truly happening under the hood of Japan's heroic community.

Jinerva, Lindy. And now the H.S.P.C. Izuku felt like he was playing catch-up. His entire view of how the world worked had been turned on its head in less than an hour, and he didn't know what to do now... besides learning more. He still understood little of what he had seen.

"Again, we're on the clock. Where to?" Takuma demanded again, looking at him for an answer.

Izuku quickly grabbed the file he had in his hand and re-read it. The landing point they were right next to led to a warehouse behind a parking lot, which would be one of the three points where the kid could be.

"This way," he said as he started to walk toward the warehouse. "There isn't much information to go on with this j-job," he added, cursing his stutter for coming back.

A woman with alabaster wings flew above the main road with a placard advertising what seemed to be a hemorrhoid cream. Izuku knew the U.S. was more liberal with the use of Quirks in public, but the sheer amount of Quirks in use in front of him wasn't something he was used to.

"It's more than enough if you know what you're doing," Takuma grunted, his head on a swivel as he followed Izuku one step behind. "When we get there, you're in charge. Think of me as a tool. I can scout, I can fight, but you're the one getting tested here. Whatever happens is on you."

Izuku nodded, slowly becoming aware that his friend was still angry about his earlier comment, when his fury had won over his sense.

So what's it going to be, Takuma? Are you going to let that kid die?

He felt a cold sweat at the memory of the glare Takuma had sent his way. He didn't think his intense friend would let another comment like that fly without some repercussions. And to be fair, Izuku could understand. From what he had heard, Takuma had already done his fair share of lifesaving, and even if the heat of the moment had pushed him to speak that way, he didn't believe Takuma would let anyone die on his watch, kid or not.

Nedzu's words, spoken in one of their study sessions, came back to him. "One of the worst mistakes anyone can make while trying to reach a goal is to hesitate. Be decisive—do or do not. Any middle ground only increases the risk of failure."

So, with great effort, Izuku forced himself to forget about the thousands of lights and neon signs around him, the many Quirks on display that would have had him salivating like a starving man in front of a meal under any other conditions. He had a job to do—a life to save. Inhale. Exhale. Focus.

"Can you feel anyone yet?" he asked Takuma, who nodded.

"Two. Safehouse," Takuma replied in a clipped tone.

"What does 'safehouse' mean?" Izuku asked for clarification.

"You'll have to tear the door off its hinges," his taller friend clarified with what Izuku felt was the first hint of disappointment.

He ignored it for now, focusing on the file that he then hid in his hoodie's center pocket before walking to the back of the building—an old shop that looked boarded up and forgotten about, so close to the main road that led to Vegas's bustling nightlife. He was glad it was nearly nighttime. He knocked on the door.

"Really?" Takuma questioned, his tone full of disbelief behind him.

Before he could answer, heavy footsteps stopped just in front of the door.

{"Who's is it?"}

The English was broken, or Izuku needed to study more. Whatever the reason, Izuku called upon One For All and kicked the door off its hinges with a 5% kick. The heavy metal door flew off, knocking the man behind it away as he jumped inside, taking in the small rundown room with a couch, TV, two doors, and a moldy kitchen.

{"WHAT THE—?!"} a voice shouted from another room as a man appeared, a gun in hand.

Izuku blinked. It was pointed in his direction.

POP

Nothing. The gun was still pointed toward him, yet nothing hit him. The man was now simply stock-still in front of him.

"That was probably the worst raid I've ever been part of," Takuma commented behind him as he lowered the handgun that Izuku only now noticed was in his hand. "Different country, different laws. Guns are like Tic Tacs here—keep that in mind," continued his gun-wielding friend with an ever-growing aura of disappointment.

Izuku also noted how little noise his friend's new handgun made.

A groan came from behind as the man thrown aside by the door got back to his feet. His clothes were rough, patchy, and worn. Black skin, shaved head, white beard, and cruel eyes.

{"You fuck with the wrong criminals, kids,"} the man seethed in English as he inhaled and—

POP

Stopped, as Takuma shot again.

"Sure, leave them the fucking initiative," he groused as he holstered his gun again. "Do you have anything besides crashing the fucking front door?" he asked with a condescending tone.

Izuku focused away from the crushing shame of this joke of a plan. Guns would be a problem for the next place they would hit. For now, Izuku took an interest in their two still opponents.

"You shot them with stun rounds?" he asked for clarification.

"The effect lasts between two to fifteen minutes, depending on the target," Takuma informed him as he took a seat on the couch. "So, what's next, mister doormuncher?"

Izuku took in the sight of the man with the gun. He looked younger, more panicked. Izuku walked closer, ripped the gun from his hand, and twisted it into a shape that couldn't be used again. Then, with three percent of One For All, he punched him in the face. It broke the stun, and he fell on his back.

"Ow," the man said, cradling his nose.

"Did you just try to knock him out?" Takuma asked.

Izuku didn't answer.

{"Where's Taylor?!"} he shouted, making the man back away until his back hit the wall.

{"Who the fuck is that?!"} the man replied in fright, looking at the crackling green electricity coursing through Izuku.

"Asking the riff-raff for information? That's a bold move, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off," Takuma drawled behind him as Izuku heard him light a cigarette.

Why was he even asking him for information? What did he have to gain? This place didn't look much like a safehouse, and he couldn't imagine anyone storing anything of worth here. The shame of just going in guns blazing without even an idea of what to do after the smash the door part crept back in. He should have thought more about what he was here to do—this situation was stupid.

{"Where's your boss?"} Izuku asked again, his voice low.

{"The warehouse next to the pawn shop!"} the man replied quickly.

{"Thank you."} Izuku said, hoping to sound reassuring.

"Oh sure, thank the fucking criminal—maybe you can have tea with them next. I'm sure it'll go great," Takuma drawled from behind him. "You're lucky this one is new. He doesn't seem to know his little friend over here is already planning to skin him for being a snitch."

The criminal underworld's rules weren't something Izuku fully understood, but if the guy was new, maybe there was a way to help him out of this path. And the warehouse next to the pawnshop was definitely in the file Lindy had given him.

{"Leave."}

The man didn't hesitate. He jumped to his feet and bolted out the door.

Izuku turned and met Takuma's full-on stare of disappointment and disbelief.

"I expected nothing, but holy shit—this is becoming one of the worst jobs I've ever been on. Do you expect him not to warn his friends that we're coming? And not deal with the kid first?"

Izuku inhaled sharply and moved past the comment.

"Do you have anything to knock him out?"

"I do."

Takuma stood up, grabbed a whiskey bottle from the table, and cracked it against the side of the man's skull. A disgusting, meaty thunk echoed through the room as the man slumped to the floor.

"So, what's next?"

Izuku left the safehouse and stepped onto the street, breaking into a jog toward the warehouse the man had pointed them to. Takuma followed behind, a cigarette between his lips. Whatever comment he had in store waited until they reached the next safehouse, where Izuku stopped in a secluded alleyway, ensuring there was little chance of being seen.

"How many?" he asked.

"Eight," Takuma replied as Izuku glanced around, noticing an emergency ladder attached to one of the walls.

"Can you tell if the boss is in there?"

"I think so. Telekinesis—five-meter range, I think," Takuma listed off without any emotion in his voice.

"Can you feel Taylor?"

Takuma inhaled fully, finishing off the last dreg of his cigarette before replying. "No."

"If we use the ladder, do you think there'll be a way to enter from the top?" Izuku asked again, this time making full use of his friend's knowledge and scouting abilities.

"Yes."

"Do you recommend it?"

"As a general rule of thumb, always go high if you can," Takuma clarified, still waiting for his marching orders.

"We'll go from the top and try to sneak up on them from there," Izuku decided, activating One For All at 2%—just enough to reach the first step of the ladder and pull himself up to the roof.

Takuma, next to him, simply climbed the bare-faced wall in half the time it took Izuku to reach the roof.

Again, when Izuku finally got up, he was greeted by Takuma's disappointed stare, waiting for him. Again.

"When seconds matter, heroes are only minutes away," Takuma grunted. "In your case, it's more like an hour."

There wasn't any time to regret his choices. He could probably fill an entire notebook with the mistakes he had made in such a short amount of time, but that would have to wait. Refocusing, he took in their surroundings.

One door led into the building. A large window set into the floor let light inside. He walked closer, testing the roof's stability before peering through the window.

Boxes, tables with scattered items—though the distance made it hard to tell exactly what. He counted seven people, most seated, playing cards or smoking something that released a red, acrid smoke every time they exhaled.

"I have seven. Your count?" he asked Takuma, who hadn't moved closer—either because of poor eyesight or because he didn't need to, relying on his Quirk instead.

"Seven. One missing," his friend confirmed, his dull eyes unreadable. "No one else inside so far."

"Is there a possibility you can't feel him?" Izuku wondered, preferring to ask questions now rather than act rashly like before.

"Asleep or knocked out."

"Aren't those the same?" Izuku asked again.

"If I'm closer, I can sometimes feel someone sleeping. If they're knocked out, I wouldn't sense them even if they were right next to me. Head injuries fuck with my Quirk big time," Takuma replied, surprising Izuku with how much he was willing to share.

He supposed he shouldn't have been. Takuma had practically offered himself as a scout for this mission. As long as they were on the job, he would share whatever information was relevant to completing it. He was pragmatic like that.

Peeking over the window again, Izuku took in the entire room. A catwalk. An open area with only boxes for cover. He spotted a door leading outside and another leading straight underground, dimly lit by a flickering, nearly nonexistent light.

"Catwalk, stairs. They're smoking something that releases a red smoke every time they exhale," he listed, knowing Takuma relied on his Quirk rather than sight. He hoped the information would be useful to him.

A sharp hiss made Izuku turn. Takuma had a deep frown on his face.

"Bone Dust," he muttered, voice thick with disgust. "Dulls pain and turns adrenaline into endorphins. They're getting ready for a fight. Higher risk of psychosis and stroke. Sometimes makes people turn into cannibals. I do not recommend."

Izuku snorted at the matter-of-fact statement. "Yeah, let's not."

Takuma shook his head. "It's going to be harder when it's in the air, it's heavy and can stay in one place for a good hour or so when dissipating. If we get inside, we'll turn into junkies in three breaths."

The news was sobering. "Can we cover our nose and mouth?"

His friend shrugged. "Bone Dust is heavy, it should do the trick. Eyes shouldn't be a problem unless someone bleeds or spits in your eye, so be careful."

Izuku nodded as he grabbed his shirt to tear a part of it when Takuma grabbed his wrist. "Don't be stupid," he told him as he grabbed a small red pouch hanging around his belt under his shirt.

A first-aid kit. From it, he pulled two standard masks and some gauze that he used to pad them some more before making sure everything would hold up together with a generous amount of medical tape. Then he did it again.

"Here, it should work better than your shirt," he said as he handed him one of them.

He took it, and this time he noticed the lack of disappointment in his tone.

'So he's only commenting on my mistake,' he realized.

He had noticed Takuma's quips were always directed at something he was failing at. Here, he could have commented on his lack of preparation but hadn't. Which meant, as far as he was concerned, every comment was directly a result of his failure to act to his standard. It was sobering. It made him want to be better.

"We don't need to fight... do you think we have a chance of sneaking in closer?" Izuku asked.

Takuma nodded as they both set their masks around their necks, ready to be used. "People rarely look up, and random thugs aren't the most alert bunch."

He took it as a yes and walked closer to the door that led inside. He tried the door slowly, noticing it was locked from the inside. "It's locked."

"Pry the door open slowly with your Quirk. I'll warn you if anybody notices the noise."

Izuku nodded as he did. Percent by percent, One For All coursed through him as he kept pulling on the handle, then on the door itself. The steel bent slowly as he exerted himself, steady not to risk making too much noise. The metal bent and creaked for a long second until finally the chain snapped. He stilled and turned to look at Takuma.

"All clear," his friend said.

"Then forward," Izuku stated as he walked inside the warehouse.

The stairs led to a room that overlooked the entire single large room with the criminals inside. He walked inside and peeked from the window. He could see them clearer than when he was on the roof. Men and women, bald all of them, with tattoos and weapons. Guns and rifles, he couldn't name any, having close to no knowledge of any of them. The red smoke was thick and heavy in the air, everyone was smoking, and he was glad to see how the smoke stayed low to the ground. He noticed a door that led to a set of stairs that led deeper underground. It was the only door that didn't lead to the outside.

'We need to go and get a closer look,' he thought as he took a look at the broken door that led to the catwalk. On either side of the supervisor room, no ladder on either side, so they would need to jump. This would make noise, and the small amount of music wouldn't hide the noise of the fall, he doubted it.

Izuku hesitated to speak, didn't have much of a plan as to how to reach the lower level without raising suspicion. He could see on one catwalk a hole where once a ladder used to be. No other stairs or ladder was here. He turned to look at Takuma and pointed out the hole, and his friend nodded and followed him along the catwalk as they left the secrecy of the room.

He stepped onto the steel floor of the catwalk and immediately regretted it. It was loud. Not loud enough to be noticeable yet, but this single step forced him to reevaluate his choice. Another, more careful this time, pushed him toward pushing forward. Izuku's steps were loud, and even if he managed to stifle the noise, he doubted they both would be silent enough to remain unnoticed.

He was about to signal Takuma to turn back when he saw him simply walk right by him. Izuku, who was right next to him, didn't hear even a breath as his taller friend walked without a single noise toward the hole. He felt like an elephant in a china shop. Compared to him, it was like he was walking with a boombox on his shoulder. He started to push ahead again, trying his best to slow the noise his footsteps made as he followed behind his friend, slowing his breathing and focusing his every thought on reducing the amount of noise each step was making.

'Stealth training, I need to add that to the list of things I need to learn,' he thought as he realized full well he would be caught the second he tried to use All Mi—his Quirk to power himself.

Crouched in front of the hole, Takuma was peering under and shook his head before looking at him. Then he started moving his hand.

{'High drop, can manage?'} he signed as Izuku struggled to remember the J.L.S. he had learned, years ago when the thought of Kaachan going deaf had made him look for that particular skill.

He had to take a second to remember the words, and still, he wasn't entirely sure he would be able to sign anything understandable. A look down gave him his answer. {'Can manage, noisy.'}

Takuma nodded and then tapped on his wrist then foot with his hand. {'Grab, slow.'} he signed again before he grabbed the side of the hole and let himself fall. He hung with one hand holding on as he invited him to take his hand. Izuku took a step closer and slowly lowered himself, grabbing his hand at the last second. Then grabbing on his feet again to lower himself more, then with one more look down, he dropped. The music could have been nonexistent as he tried to muffle the shock of his feet on the ground. It sounded like thunder to him, a breath, then one more. Nothing changed, the voices didn't stop, the music either.

Izuku let out a breath right as his friend landed next to him. He felt the air move, but nothing—not a noise—would have warned him he was right next to him if he didn't already know. He was like a ghost.

{'Where?'} he signed again, and this time Izuku had to take a look around. The place was cluttered, and he could see a path that led straight toward it.

{'Right, music'} he signed back. The right path was longer, but the boombox would hide his steps, and the light was lacking compared to the left path, which was more illuminated.

They would enter the area thick with red mist, so they both put on their masks.

Takuma nodded, sending a wink his way, which Izuku took as having taken the right path. He started to move, his shoe making the rough floor creak like sand was stuck under his shoe. The voices of the men and women were enough to drown out the noise, and the music was an added bonus. It took them a minute, moving behind crate after crate, making sure no one looked their way when they walked through stretches that weren't as much hidden. Izuku was focused on not being caught, and it paid off as they made it right next to the door. The only problem left was that it was in the open, and he doubted he would manage to reach it without grabbing someone's attention.

{" THE FUCK ?! "} the roar made Izuku flinch and lower himself to the ground. The thick mist of red dust covered his view slightly, but he didn't miss the knife going through a man's throat as the smaller woman holding it pushed the man to the ground and kept stabbing as other members joined in.

He saw the blood, the gurgling half-pained cry that failed to leave the man's mouth. He wanted to puke.

But he was grabbed, and Takuma pulled him toward the door, where they descended the stairs two by two as even more violence started upstairs. Screams and pained moans reached him until they reached the door that Takuma flung open and then closed behind them. He noticed how his friend twitched, as if an unseen hand made him flinch. It had taken him a long time to notice, but his friend sometimes flinched from the pain he felt—only when it was a harsh one. And right now, he was twitching, his muscles flexing as the pain of the people tearing each other apart upstairs reached him.

"I'm sorry," Izuku said as he took off the mask.

"Don't be. I knew what I was getting into," he replied with a lazy wave of his hand as he did the same. "I've got three other contacts, no Taylor so far."

Wanting to focus on anything else than the spray of blood that was replaying in his mind, Izuku took a good look around him. The place was different. They had left a crumbling warehouse, and now the walls were white and the surrounding area clean and organized as the single alleyway led farther, deeper underground.

"This isn't a normal basement, there's something going on here," he let out, a look toward Takuma for confirmation.

"It is. The air is too clean, and you won't catch any of the fuckers upstairs cleaning," Takuma readily agreed to his relief. "There might be a third party in play, but we won't know until we get more information."

Izuku nodded. It made sense, and he had come to the same conclusion. Someone else was here; he just couldn't see who and for what.

"We keep moving. Do you have a read on the three?" he asked as he started to walk toward the heavy door down below.

"Yeah, give me a minute," Takuma replied in a pained exhale that made Izuku wince in sympathy. "Those bastards are pretty far; it's hard to get a good read, but not impossible."

As they walked, he couldn't help but think things had been going pretty well so far.

'Think, then act,' he repeated to himself.

Going in guns blazing had been a terrible idea—born from his need to do something, anything to get to Taylor. He would not help anyone by rushing in like that.

A short walk later, they reached the heavy-duty door. The handle was a single push bar.

"I don't sense anyone inside the room, but keep your guard up. There might be some people that can escape my Quirk," Takuma informed him as he waited for him.

"Ready."

"Ready."

Izuku pushed the door open, and the aseptic air grew even more powerful as he caught sight in front of him: a lab.

"Shit," was all Takuma said as they walked in. "This is a trigger operation."

"Trigger, like the Quirk-boosting drug?" Izuku asked as he walked closer to one vial full of the black liquid.

"Yes, but this stuff is different from the cheap copy we can find in Japan," Takuma informed him as he walked closer and grabbed a vial, looking at it closely. "Longer effect, stronger boost. Higher emotional imbalance too, but that's to be expected. This stuff is worth a fortune, and the lab twice more."

"So the gang is just a front for another group making drugs?" Izuku asked, still unused to the criminal world.

"It's not that strange. More than one organization uses random gangs to hide their operation," Takuma informed him, putting the glass vial back down. "This job is far out of your pay-grade."

"I'm not leaving until I find Taylor," Izuku stated, knowing full well where this was going.

"I wouldn't expect anything different from you, but that's not the problem." Takuma sighed as he turned fully toward him. "If we keep going, you're going to be on the shit-list of some pretty powerful people, and trust me, they always manage to get their pound of flesh one way or another. There's no shame in backing out now."

Izuku thought about it. "If they're so powerful, why are you here?"

His dark-haired friend chuckled darkly. "Because I'm on so many lists, what's one more?" he replied with a shrug and a small grin. "You still have an out. Be a hero, a clean slate. Smile for the camera and whatever else you want. You don't have to do this."

"Be a Hero, a clean slate." Izuku wanted the former with everything he had. But if being a Hero required letting children get kidnapped and turning his back on those in need, then the latter just... wasn't worth his time.

"I'm staying," he stated, his back straight and gaze set.

"Good," his friend replied with the first hint of a smile as he turned. "We have another door further ahead. The three are in it, far back. Two chemists and a guard."

Izuku thought he saw a flash of respect in his eyes before he turned away. He didn't know if it was just wishful thinking, but it was good to have earned that much from him.

The situation had undoubtedly changed as Takuma took the lead for the first time. Izuku knew better than to challenge this change of plan. Even if he wanted nothing more than to wash away the sting of his earlier mistake with a success, going against his friend in this moment wouldn't lead to anything good. He trusted his judgment, and he felt like there was a reason Takuma decided to take the lead.

Izuku noticed the door was locked behind a digipad. He watched as Takuma simply entered the six-word combination before slowly pushing the door open and inviting him to follow.

'I thought he could only glean information from multiple interactions,' he wondered, following him as he thought about how much his friend had truly revealed about his Quirk.

Takuma was secretive, lying about his Quirk made sense. Izuku had many theories, but one was that he could, in fact, see more than he was letting on. Emotion and Thought were his guesses. Data on the subject of Empathy was sparse, and none even got close to what he did with his. Focusing back on the matter at hand, he followed Takuma forward into the room. Farther in, three people were discussing around a meal. There were tanks after tanks of black liquid, tables, files, chemistry materials, and finally, what grabbed Izuku's attention.

Taylor, and two others. Naked and masked as they floated inside tanks of dull black and gray liquid.

With a hand to his shoulder, Takuma pushed him into a squat. His hand moved quickly as Izuku tried his best to follow.

{'Purple Weak, Blue Tough, Gun Danger'} he signed before inviting him to take a look at the trio.

Peeking his head over the top, Izuku finally took a look at the three in the room. One woman with long purple hair, a white coat, and an exhausted-looking face. She was younger than the other two. A man with bright blue hair, older, and also wearing a lab coat, was listening patiently as the woman explained something he was too far to make sense of. The last member was a man with a military haircut. He wore a plate carrier, combat pants, and what Izuku thought a soldier would carry. His hand rested against the rifle hanging from his chest due to the bandolier.

{'I gun, hold back white coat?'} Izuku missed most of the sign, but understood the gist of what his friend was trying to say. He gave him a nod as he pointed toward the side of the room while Takuma moved to the other. {'Move slow, if caught go. '}

{'Ready?'} Izuku signed.

A thumbs-up followed by a chopping motion toward the three. Izuku started to waddle forward, slowly making his way, using the table covered in glass beakers, burners, and more files covered in scribbles.

{"...Going pretty well. The next batch will produce the result needed to keep the operation going. After that, we'll probably be reassigned to the team working on the gas,"} Izuku heard as he kept crawling closer. {"I wish those idiots upstairs would have found us more suitable subjects. It would have made our job easier."}

{"It's already a miracle those 'people' didn't manage to tear each other apart. Let's not ask them much more than that," the younger woman stated with disgust.}

{"Moving back to Europe will be a nice change of pace. I heard the lab there—"}

Izuku's foot hit a trash can. The trio's eyes bore into him with surprise. One For All roared in his blood as he took a single jump to close the distance between his two opponents, trusting Takuma to take care of the guard that was slowly raising the gun in his direction.

POP.

A shot. The guard had ducked a second before and now was turning on his feet, aiming his rifle toward where Takuma was. He unloaded two quick shots that had his friend ducking for cover before popping back up and shooting two more times toward the guard, who hit the deck and started unloading his rifle into his friend's cover.

Izuku focused back on his own fight as more shots rang inside the room. He reached the scientist and punched the woman once in the gut, folding her in two with three percent of One For All right before he tried to do the same to the man. His fist collided with a shimmering pink aura that blocked the hit, pushing him back into a table where many black vials lay.

{"Who—"} the older man started to say as Izuku closed in again, jumping and kneeing him in the gut without effect. {"Fucking—"}

The man angled his palm toward him and released a blast that threw Izuku back into a table. Jumping back on his feet, he took a quick look around. Takuma was engaged in close quarters with the guard, fighting with a knife as the man was backpedaling desperately, trying to reach for his sidearm as his friend all but forced him to defend himself or get injured. Focusing back on his own opponent, he made sure the woman was still out before jumping back in. The blue-haired man was reaching for something inside a drawer, and Izuku knew letting him act would be a mistake. So he bullrushed him and tried to bowl him over to no effect as the pinkish aura again rose to protect him.

'Pink aura, forcefield? No, it's different,' he thought quickly as the man pulled a dart gun from the drawer and shot right at him. Bringing One For All to the maximum he could manage, the world slowed around him. No—not slower, he could think faster. Five percent wasn't a noticeable amount in most cases, but it gave him time to get used to the change in thinking speed. He was still lumbering with his maximum, but he could manage for one simple task.

The dart fired, one by one, six in total. His hand moved, his mind fixated on the simple task of catching the darts, which allowed him to see and react quickly enough to each. Six shots. When Izuku opened his hand and let them fall to the ground, six darts hit the floor.

{"Oh, bullshit..."} the man let out.

Izuku was busy thinking back on the two times he'd hit him and remembering the feeling of the aura against his knuckles. He clearly remembered touching the cloth under it before it solidified enough to stop his punch.

Which meant…

Izuku walked up to him and grabbed both wrists. The aura lit up before disappearing. Protection relying on momentum, he realized as he clenched his hand, and the man screamed before kneeling in front of him.

{"I give, I give!"} the man said as he threw himself to the ground.

Looking around, Izuku noticed a roll of tape and used it to quickly tie the two scientists before raising his head to look toward Takuma, who ruthlessly cracked the guard's head against the wall until he went limp. To his horror, he noticed a hole in Takuma's hoodie.

"Did you get shot?!"

"Yes and no," his friend replied as he lowered his collar to reveal a metallic plate. "Part of my Hero costume. I was wondering if I could wear it under normal clothes and not get detected. Saved me."

"I saw him duck under your bullet—how did he do that?" Izuku asked again between sighs of relief.

"Precognition Quirk. I think he can only see a few seconds into the future," Takuma informed him as he pulled the unconscious man closer to the others. "He dodged my bullet. Lucky for me, I can do the same."

"You can dodge bullets? How?!"

"The more trained my opponent is, the easier it is for me to feel what they're doing. I can feel where they intend to shoot and move out of the way in time, if they're a good shot. And if they aren't," he said the last word as he tapped his chest with a fist. "I get tapped. Lucky for me, she used the best material she could get her hands on, though I'm not sure she expected it to be able to handle high-caliber rifle shots. I sure didn't."

Izuku looked at the hole that would have gone through a lung and another that would have gone right to the liver. He felt sick, now imagining what would have happened if Takuma hadn't been so over-prepared. What he would have told Mei if he had been shot, if he had died. Looking around, he noticed the three bodies still floating in their tanks—the three they had just taken down, with the guard slowly leaking blood from his ear and nose.

The flash of blood earlier replayed in his mind.

We shouldn't be here. He realized, as the enormity of what he was doing caught up to him.

"We need to go," he let out, sick to his stomach. "How do we free them?"

"They have an emergency release valve. Grab some coats from the rack," Takuma ordered as he moved toward the tanks. Izuku did just that, grabbing the biggest white coat they had and coming back to his friend, who lowered the first switch that emptied the tank in five seconds before the door popped open, releasing the fifteen-year-old girl with sparkling gems haphazardly spread around the skin on her body.

"Cover her. Try and not get the liquid on your skin. Move her to the center of the room."

She was light, even without One For All. But he laid her gently on the ground. Then it was Taylor's turn, and finally another boy whose lower body consisted of twice the number of appendages.

"Get the three close to one another," Takuma said as he laid the boy down in the coat before going to where Izuku had found the coat. "Get the card ready."

He took the card between his teeth as he moved the last boy next to the other two victims. The coat was a mess, he was a mess, as his clothes were now stained with whatever was in the tank. But the three were breathing. The crash of glass made him turn on his feet, and he watched as Takuma filled a large bag with everything he could get his hands on—files, glass vials with triggers—and then moved back to the first room. He came back a minute later with his bag filled to the brim with the small glass vials of triggers they had found.

"Why are you taking them?" Izuku wondered.

"You can do a lot of good if you get it into the right hands. Our respective bosses will explain, don't worry," Takuma informed him as he walked back into the room and then right next to him. "Now we go home. Rip the card in half and throw it on the ground between us," his friend demanded as he grabbed his handgun and changed the magazine.

Izuku grabbed the card between his teeth, and with more effort than he expected, ripped it in half. Voices were heard, and footsteps became louder as someone shouted somewhere in the facility. He threw the card on the ground, just as Takuma raised his handgun and shot. The flash of light took them, and the heat of the fire spread into the air. And then they were gone.

"What did you do?" Izuku asked, the moment replaying in his mind.

"Shot the main air intake pipe," his friend replied with a shrug. "Fire-shriek round. Hot and noisy. Won't go out for a while. They might make it out in time."

"So you killed them," Izuku stated blandly, his brain refusing to catch up with the last moment of their mission.

"They can save them, or they can save the lab equipment," Takuma sighed. "They just need to have their priorities straight." He added with a small grin, "And even if they don't, I don't care."

'But I do,' Izuku thought as the weight settled in his chest again. 'This isn't right.'

Those people might be dead, and even if he could understand why Takuma had done it, he couldn't agree with it. He would look for the news in this area later on, hopefully, everyone would have made it out. He didn't want to think about them not making it.

Looking around, he noticed they were back in a low-lit warehouse with the short, volcanic-skinned butler.

"Welcome back," came the voice of… Kaserdieth, if he remembered correctly.

"Job done," Takuma informed the shorter mutant as he pointed to the three unconscious teenagers.

"I will have them seen immediately," the older, volcanic-skinned mutant stated. "But before that…"

Izuku watched as Kaserdieth raised his hand, and a wave of heat crashed onto both of them. He watched as all the liquid staining his clothes and some of his skin was simply boiled out of existence, leaving only an orange glow that slowly faded away.

"Thanks, Kas."

"Always a pleasure. I believe the Lady awaits your return."

Izuku felt the heavy slap on his back bring him out of his thoughts as he was forced to walk, trying not to be bowled over.

"Congratulations on your first rescue. Don't do it again," Takuma told him with a chuckle as Izuku tried his best not to wince.

He glanced back at the three teenagers being levitated away. "Are they going to be okay?"

Takuma gave him a reassuring nod. "Linda invested a lot into medical facilities; she's the best in Jinerva. She might not be on the level of the most renowned hospitals in the world, but I'd bet she could give some a run for their money in many departments. Trigger is tricky, but if they can do anything to reverse what they've done to the kids, they will." He gave Izuku a lighter tap on the shoulder. "You saved three lives today. You did good."

"It doesn't feel like it," Izuku replied, unsure of how he felt about everything that had happened. "I feel like I should be doing more, but I have a hard time even understanding what that 'more' should look like."

Takuma stopped walking. "You know, it's fucking hard to like you sometimes."

Izuku's stomach dropped as he stopped and slowly turned. He could already imagine the fury on Takuma's face, but he didn't quite expect the open sadness on his friend's features.

"Recovery jobs, like the one we just did, are rarely successful. Nobody even bothers to take them," Takuma told him, his voice slow and controlled. "For a while, I kept going. So many jobs, so many kids. I never got to bring one back." His voice wavered with more emotion than Izuku had ever remembered hearing from him. "And then you walk in here, jump feet first into my kind of bullshit, and you manage to pick the one fucking mission where the kid can be saved. What a fucking joke."

The chuckle that followed felt like ice running through Izuku's veins. It was a miserable sound, full of pain. "And then you complain and think you aren't doing enough. I wouldn't have taken that job if it wasn't to show you that your fucking hope and 'can-do' attitude is worse than jack shit in here. And you're just lucky enough to prove me wrong." He let out a sad chuckle. "Don't worry about doing more. You're already doing more than most. Just keep going with the basics, and the rest will come in time."

Takuma turned and walked forward, passing through the double doors and leaving Izuku with his thoughts—the myriad of feelings about everything he'd just learned and experienced. So much he'd seen, so much he couldn't even imagine. He still lacked the complete picture of what was happening in the Eteromorph world. He still didn't understand how the underworld worked, not enough to do something about it. He felt... unprepared. Naive. Inexperienced.

He had rushed to the site of the mission without a plan that went further than just "make it as you go." It wouldn't have gone anywhere without Takuma. For all of Izuku's failures, his friend had been there to catch him every time, guiding him, helping him learn from his mistakes, even until the very end.

Takuma was strong enough for both of them, compensating for Izuku's mistakes on the field. Mistakes he could have prevented if he had taken the time to think before acting. Izuku wanted to speak to All Might, to ask him how he dealt with failure—failure so profound that Izuku could barely push himself to walk forward and face his friend, who seemed so far above him. It felt like looking at the sun… or the moon. The moon suited him better.

For now, Izuku would keep going until he could see his mentor again.

And so he did. Walking through the double doors into a familiar scene.

"I'm going to need all the C4 you have," Takuma demanded from Linda, as Izuku stood wide-eyed, still processing. "And even more ammo for that rifle."

He chuckled nervously at what he was hearing.

"That I can do. Anything else?" Linda asked, poking at Takuma's chest where the bullet hole tore through the fabric. "Whoever made this did a great job. If they want a commission, send them my way, would you?"

"She sure did," Takuma replied. "I'll also need every bit of information you can grab on Overdrive Authority." He nodded before looking in Izuku's direction. "Now, for the new addition to our little family, how about you bring us a go-bag for him, on his account of course."

"A go-bag?" Izuku wondered out loud. "In case I need to run away?"

"Pretty much." Linda sent him a glance as she moved to grab some of the things she kept on hand.

"A good bag is worth its weight in gold," Takuma continued, his face returning to its usual impassive expression. "Pockets and hidden compartments help if you need to move things a cop wouldn't look kindly upon. It can be used in many ways, but the ones Linda sells are more of a catch-all kit if you end up in trouble."

"First aid, knife, change of clothes, facemask that can throw off facial recognition, and many other nice little tools if you need to move fast," Linda added, her voice carrying the weight of experience.

"You won't find anything particularly illegal in it," Takuma warned. "But I wouldn't recommend grabbing anything from Linda's trove. It's more trouble than it's worth for you."

"That still leaves you with about one million five hundred thousand yen to play with," Takuma added, turning his attention back to Izuku.

One million five hundred thousand yen.

"What am I supposed to do with all that?" Izuku couldn't help but ask as he received the heavy canvas bag.

"Not much, recovery jobs are the worst paid by far," his friend told him. "Taking the money is a bad idea unless you're willing to filter it out with small purchases over the next few months. Any big purchases will have the cops looking over your shoulder wondering where you got the money, so don't bother."

"I wouldn't even know what to do with it. I can pass on it for now," Izuku said, unsure what to ask for. "Do you have anything else you'd recommend I go for?"

"Not really," his friend replied, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Most of the specialized stuff is way out of your field, so you wouldn't get much use out of it. Honestly, keep the money with Linda for now. Maybe you can make use of it later."

"My accounts are well-kept," Linda chimed in, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at both of them.

"Anyway, do you have it?"

"Right here," Linda said, handing over a thick file. "The last ranking to date and every new villain on the market, with updates on the older ones."

Izuku's eyes lasered in on the file. "What ranking?"

"The F.A.F.O. ranking of the worst heroes to face for villains and high-level criminals," Takuma explained with a grin as he handed Izuku the file. "The heroes' popularity contest is nice and all, but criminals have their own ranking for the people on the other side of the law. Ours is more aimed at making sure you know when to fight or when to run."

Izuku grabbed the file and opened the first page. It was for All Might. A single word: Surrender. He turned the page, and this time it was for Endeavor. The file outlined his patrol area, strength, speed, and theories around his ability to react based on his distance from events. It listed his connections and allies, including sidekicks to watch out for. The lower part of the page had a quick explanation of his super-move and how to counter or dodge it.

Izuku frowned. "Half of this is wrong. Not wrong, outdated. Endeavor's Hell-Spider can reach a wide area, not just fifteen meters in front of him. Whoever wrote this greatly underestimated his speed. Trying to make him overheat is a good idea on paper, but his agency employs many fire-themed sidekicks, and some of them are pretty good at cooling him down. The theory around fighting him is based on so many assumptions and guesses it's not even worth reading!" Izuku nearly shouted at the end, frustrated by how off the information was. He turned the page. "Mirko's fighting style is based mostly on her legs, yes, but she can punch too. The file states to focus solely on her footwork, disregarding the fact that Mirko is known for competing with only her hands. I'm not reading this. This is stupid."

Izuku closed the file and handed it back to Takuma, who was staring at him with wide eyes. Izuku felt his face flush with embarrassment for letting his mouth run like that.

To his relief, Takuma quietly laughed. "Man, I'm glad you're not the one writing this."

"I could get you a shot if you want to add some data to—"

"No thanks," Izuku interrupted, feeling only mildly sorry for cutting her off.

But after more than one exchange with Nezu on the subject, Izuku was starting to understand how truly terrible it would be if his breakdowns ended up in the wrong hands. The F.A.F.O. was probably the worst place where they could end up now that he thought about it.

"Wise choice," Takuma chuckled again. "So any new faces I need to know about or stay clear of?" he added, looking at the other file, which contained information on villains.

"Not much," Linda said. "The underworld's been calm lately. Except for the Hydra taking his place on the board, that is."

Izuku watched Takuma stiffen. "Fucking how?!" his friend shouted in an aggravated tone.

"He caught a big fish. Killed a Chapter Master of the Creature Rejection Clan and brought her corpse to the Board. He wasn't to be trifled with before, but that was just enough to get the local gang to fold under him and force the other members of the board to allow him a seat," Linda explained, watching Takuma's face fall. "Funnily enough, he claimed to be allied to The Chemist."

"Who's The Chemist?" Izuku asked, unsure of what was going on or who they were talking about.

"The Chemist is a villain who's been working against many of the worst groups in Japan for decades now. If he'd ever been caught, he'd probably be one of the last SS ranked villains left in Japan," Linda explained. "With that last stunt, he's got a favor to call in with one of the newest powers in Japan. Rumor has it he already has most of the members of the board by the balls."

"So he's influential. How bad is he?" Izuku wondered, filing the name under those he would need to research.

"It depends. Do you consider torture a bad thing?" Takuma asked with a heavy sigh.

"Yes," Izuku replied, unsure of what his friend was implying.

"Then he's probably one of the worst," Takuma said. "Torture, murder—most of it done to other known criminals or villains. We're lucky The Chemist has never taken an interest in civilians or heroes, because he tends to leave a bloody trail everywhere he goes. He's known for dealing in influence and getting some of the biggest names in the underworld under his power. When The Chemist makes a move, it's never good news... even if it explains some things that have happened."

Izuku frowned, then was struck by a thought. "Wait, that night?!"

"Yeah, that would explain why everything went to shit so quickly," his friend sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Any other names we need to worry about?"

"Not much. Everything's in the file I gave you," Linda replied.

Izuku glanced at the thick file, reluctantly admitting that it was pretty extensive. "Could I ask for a copy?"

"No can do," the giant acquaintance replied with a wink. "Those files are for trusted eyes only, and even then, I'm pushing it by giving it to him," she added, tilting her head toward Takuma. "We can work out a deal after you complete a few more jobs."

Izuku nodded, but he was certain he wouldn't take another job. He knew he could do a lot of good with recovery work like Takuma used to, but this wasn't the way he wanted to go about it. He needed to be a hero first, and then maybe use Linda as a gateway into the underworld to gather information. She seemed nice enough, and Takuma trusted her, so that was a plus. He'd need more information down the line.

"Oh, also," Takuma suddenly said, as if just remembering something, "as soon as she's out of jobs, send Skitter my way. I have a job for her."

"Will do."

"Oh, and before I forget, we snuck some high-quality trigger for you." Takuma seemingly remembered as he dropped a bag filled with files and vials. "And the file on the scientist working with the kids. Turns out it was a trigger operation run under another gang's name."

"Holy hell, that's a nice haul," Linda said, peering into the bag. "There's enough here to lessen the strain on my supply for a year."

Izuku sighed. To him, trigger was just a drug that needed to be taken off the street, but to them, it was something different altogether. "What do you use it for?"

Linda turned her head toward him with a beaming smile. "Some mutants have trouble with their Quirk. Trigger, despite the downside, helps them live a better life," she explained with genuine warmth. "Some mutants have strong mutations that entirely change how their bodies work. Think of it like someone with an engine for a heart—you won't find many surgeons who can work on them due to the uniqueness of their mutations. Trigger can help with this. It's not a fix, but if they imbibe in it long enough, it gives them more time to find a solution."

"Think of it as medical marijuana," Takuma added, which explained a lot about why trigger was so precious.

"Another thing I didn't know about," Izuku muttered. "The internet isn't as much of a trove of information as it used to be."

"That's why I don't use it," Takuma added. "Every piece of information on it has been filtered through so many quirks, you can't trust its origin or veracity."

"And that's why we exist!" Linda said with a beaming smile. "Information brokers live and die by the quality of their network. With the police and heroes snooping everywhere, we had to change how we did things. These days, you can't even trust a home network with sensitive information without having your door broken down the next day. Why do you think we're still using paper when everything else would be easier?"

"Technopaths are the worst," Takuma said with a sigh. "Never trust anything you see on a screen—it's the work of the devil!"

Izuku chuckled at his friend's antics. "I'll keep that in mind."

"So, ever heard of an organization named Humarise?" Takuma asked as he looked over the file.

"Haven't heard of them before. You want me to look into it?" Linda offered.

"Nah, just spread the word that those guys are working on trigger and don't mind using children for their experiments, and that should sort itself out," Takuma said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Or maybe Istil here could ask his teacher to look into it."

"I could give the file to Nezu, but I'd have a hard time explaining where I got it—"

"WAIT WHAT?!" Linda shrieked, her eyes wide with pure, unadulterated fear. "You're Nezu's apprentice?!"

"Ye-Yes?" Izuku let out slowly, looking at Takuma for clarification.

Takuma sighed. "Calm down, Linda. I wouldn't have brought him here if the rat had any chance of taking an interest in you," he reassured the spider-woman. "Hell, I brought him here to help you both in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked, still unsure of what his friend had in mind.

"Yes, explain, now," Linda demanded, her hands shaking in fear.

"First, through you, a trusted and well-established information broker, he gets access to a network that ranges deep enough to give him an understanding of what lies hidden beneath the surface of our society," Takuma explained, which Izuku could agree with. He had learned a lot since he first entered this place, but he knew he still knew nothing in the grand scheme of things. "And on your end, Linda, you get into the good graces of the rat's protégé, who can trust you with information and gear when things go south," he continued. "Both of you have everything to gain by working together, and I wouldn't have come here if I thought you wouldn't be able to work something out."

Izuku wondered how often Takuma acted in ways that seemed straightforward and ended up being ten layers deep in truth. Izuku had come to him for answers about the mutant community, and here he was brokering a sort of agreement with a woman who had reach in the criminal community. He didn't know how to feel about that.

"I'm not going on another mission anytime soon; I don't see how I could help her," Izuku stated.

"He has a point," the house-sized woman agreed.

Takuma sighed. "How many villains are still out there today?"

"Around a hundred A-ranked villains. Less than ten S or above," Linda informed him.

"And of all those villains, how many are known to the Heroes?" Takuma asked again as he looked at his friend.

"Half in the A rank," Linda stated, to Izuku's surprise. "Only two in the Super category."

'So there's ten Super-villains in Japan, and we know of only two of them?' he thought with a sinking feeling in his gut. 'I need to tell Nezu about it... or not, he probably already knows.'

"Now imagine you have an analyst on hand who used to work with very little and still managed to check out a logical and well-thought-out breakdown of someone's Quirk, psyche, and potential," Takuma listed as he looked at both of them. "He won't work on Heroes, but he can certainly work on Villains."

"You want me to break down Villain Quirks?" Izuku worded out, trying to shake the nerves. "I'm not going to help them terrorize more people."

"The goal won't be to help them, but to make them easier to take down," Takuma corrected. "And that way, Linda gets an analyst who can work on troublemakers in the underworld who know how to stay hidden, but you will also learn about said troublemakers before they make their debut."

"I can see it," Linda said next to him. "I would need to see some of your work, but if you're as good as you seem to be, we can work something out."

'That way, I could start gathering information on the Villains that have been escaping everyone's notice,' Izuku thought as he saw the logic behind the partnership.

"I won't work on a Hero, never," he stated, looking at Linda straight in the eyes.

"Deal."

He nodded, and Takuma sighed. "Now kiss."

"Maybe next time," Linda giggled. "So anyway, anything else you need before you nearly get me killed by the rat god?"

"I need you to start looking for an A.I. core, the more advanced, the better," Takuma let out with a sigh. "I know someone who can make good use of it, don't hesitate to use most of my account if you need to. How much am I at, by the way?"

"Two hundred and two million yen," Linda informed them, as Izuku choked on his saliva.

Takuma only blinked. "Alright, I'm also going to ask for a summary of how many missions I went on, because what the actual fuck."

"Yeah, brain mush, go whoosh," Linda joked as she started looking around for even more files.

"Fucking memory, how the hell did I manage that?" his friend groused as he took a seat, a cigarette already to his lips.

"Why is she so scared of Nezu?" Izuku asked.

"Why aren't you?" Takuma shot back between smoky breaths. "There's a reason U.A. has never been threatened, and the rat is that reason. Anyone that even thinks of crossing him ends up in jail at best, or in many little pieces sent through the mail to anyone that knew them."

He blinked owlishly at what he heard. "I-That's—"

"Of course, it might not be true. Nezu is a nightmare with a shadow larger than even All Might in the criminal world. You don't cross the rat, or the rat is going to cross you off the list," Takuma let out with a dry chuckle that he realized was mixed with some fear. "All Might is The Symbol of Peace; wherever he goes, villains fall. But that makes him predictable. The best way to deal with him is simply not to bring attention to yourself. That's how the entire criminal landscape is still standing to this day. They just have to be less visible than other criminals. Nezu is different; he has the knowledge and the reach to act, and when he does, you don't have a warning of an eight-foot-tall beefcake shouting, 'Have no fear, I am here.' If Nezu wants you gone, you'll be gone, and sooner than it takes you to say 'Smash.'" his friend explained.

Izuku could see it. All Might could rarely go anywhere without an army of journalists following him or tracking his position through social media. Besides raids, which were strictly under orders not to be recorded, there was little his mentor could do without having a camera pointed in his direction. Most of his training on the beach had been hidden by the trash with very few people around, but by the end, All Might had to start using his skinny form to be able to teach him without risking being swarmed by the public. Nezu didn't have this problem. His reputation, something Izuku had greatly underestimated, was enough to protect U.A. and keep the underworld in check.

There were an estimated thousand S-ranked Villains around the world. Japan only having ten of those was the result of his mentor's hard work and dedication to his duty. If what Takuma was telling him was true, then those few left were smart enough to stay off the Heroes' radar and act in the shadows. And he could see his teacher taking charge in the world of intrigue that was the underworld.

Izuku felt like he was slowly piecing together what was truly going on.

Takuma had told Nezu about his notebook all those months ago when he broke into Alderaa and uncovered the Quirk supremacist group's actions. This allowed him to start learning under one of the greatest minds in the world.

Takuma had offered him a way to discover a safe way to use his Quirk, even to his own detriment.

Takuma had acted in a way to keep him safe, even from the thoughts that still plagued him to this day.

Takuma taught him to think about his Quirk—not All Might's, but his own. To think of it as an extension of himself rather than something that still belonged to his mentor.

Takuma showed him what a leader should be when he took control of the situation with the imprisoned woman.

And today, he took a simple request to learn more about the Etheromorph community and turned it into a foray into the underworld, where, more than learning their plight, he could find a way to reach those places so far removed from the limelight that he doubted any Heroes, besides those already deeply ingrained in the community, could reach.

In short, Takuma was giving him access to places All Might couldn't reach. With the knowledge of his studies with Nezu, he was slowly uncovering the investigation process and the rules Heroes played by. Takuma showed him the people who lived there, how they lived and breathed in places that Izuku's imagination would have only been able to conjure as a pit of despair. They were people—simply people. And Takuma wanted him to know that.

"Takuma... are you trying to make me a better Hero than All Might?" he asked slowly, as his friend sent a blank look his way.

Takuma smiled, the first genuine and earnest smile he had seen from him without Mei being in the room. "Shoot for the moon; that way, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars," he replied cryptically. "A better Hero than All Might might be a stretch."

His cryptic reply made his eyes sting with unshed tears. "You really think I can do it? Be better than All Might?"

His friend finished his cigarette and put it out in a cup on the table next to him. "I don't think you can do it. I know it," his friend replied, to his surprise, as he stood up and walked closer to him. "And if I'm honest, I need you to. The next Number One Hero needs to be better, smarter, stronger. Everything All Might was, and much more. A lot of people got left behind in this world. I am one of those people, so I should know. The Symbol of Peace failed me, but I'm in the minority—those too far gone for a smile and a punch to save." His friend chuckled sadly as he took another long look at him. "And if you're trained by him and his own teacher, then I want to make sure that when you reach for the moon, no one gets left behind this time."

Izuku's tear ran down his cheek as Takuma turned and started fiddling with their bags. It felt like how he had felt all those months ago when All Might himself had told him he could be a Hero. But this, this was different. His friend, who had been in pain for so long and had hurt himself so much to help him, was looking up to him for one thing: to be the best Hero he could be. This meant that for the first time, Izuku knew what to do to help him. He needed to bring those like him something that they had lost along the way.

'I need to learn everything I can, work harder than anyone else,' he thought as he felt something in him slot into place as he came to a realization. 'Being a Hero isn't enough. I need to become a symbol.'

"Anyway, I have a girlfriend to watch over and a hole to patch in my clothes. If there's nothing else you need, I think now is the time to go," Takuma offered over his shoulder as he packed the weapons and ammo in his own bag.

Linda came back with another set of files she gave to Takuma. "Here, a summary of those missions you went on while you were out of it."

"Thanks," his friend answered. "By the way, do you mind getting the drug back?"

"Sure thing, I'm probably going to burn it anyway. I'll write off the cost on your still-kicking fund," Linda stated, which made his friend grin.

"Could I request any information you can give me about the criminal organizations active in Japan?" Izuku asked, and when he saw the face on Linda, he knew he needed to amend his request. "I don't want to know about their leader or their members. I at least want to know who they are aligned with: Mutant, human, Quirk supremacist, or Quirkless."

Linda hummed lowly. "That kind of information is too sensitive for someone that just came here. Sorry."

"Tell you what, I'll make that request," Takuma offered with a serious expression. "But before I let you see it, I'm going to hide any information that is too dangerous for you to know just yet. That way, you can learn how our world works without risking leaking sensitive information by mistake and being murdered in your sleep. Deal?"

"Deal," Izuku replied, knowing that even if it wasn't quite what he wanted, he couldn't get better.

For now.

"Give me the information on burner sheets," Takuma asked, and feeling his question, he turned his head toward Izuku and answered. "Special paper that burns easily. Don't even need more than a little bit of friction to light it. It burns in a flash and leaves no trace behind."

"I'll drop it off later. Right now, I have a meeting to go to, so if you two don't mind," Linda stated as she looked at the clock ticking in the room.

"We'll be going. Give me one of your cards so you know where to drop off your stuff," Takuma demanded as Linda was already handing him a card.

"And for the record, I'm glad to see you alive, you little shit. Next time you disappear, I'm going to be mad," she threatened jokingly, as Takuma shook his head with a smile.

"I'll try not to lose another fight that'll break my mind anytime soon," his friend replied.

"Ready to go, Izu?"

He was. After grabbing the bag Linda had given him, he said, "I'm ready to go."

"See ya!"

"See you soon."

Linda threw another card onto the floor, and they both moved back to the room they had started their journey from.

"Welcome back," the teenager said as he entered the room. "Will you need anything else?"

"No, we're good."

"Thank you for coming," the boy said as he pointed and escorted them out.

The cold air was refreshing as Izuku took a few seconds to calm down after the day he had.

"That was a lot; take your time," Takuma told him as they started to walk toward the train station.

"There's really nothing. No whistle, no countdown. When things happen, it happens without warning, every time," he let out aimlessly, trying to digest some part of what happened today. "There's no countdown in real life."

"It's good you learned this so soon. The world won't wait for you, and it's not kind enough to give you a warning," his friend offered. "Keep your head on a swivel, plan, prepare, strategize."

"Luck is when opportunity meets preparation," he stated, recalling one of the many pieces of wisdom from Nezu. "I think I want to start being lucky."

Takuma chuckled lightly with what Izuku felt was another genuine smile he rarely saw from his friend. "Good man, I'll bring you Linda's gift when I get it. Later then."

Izuku nodded downward, and his friend did the same as he walked away, grabbing the train that would bring him back to Mei. He waited another few minutes before catching his own train toward his home. A blink, and he was home. Everything felt like a blur as he reached his room and sat at his desk. He grabbed his notebook, the one he was working on in hopes of helping the Heroes at U.A. as best he could. But he put it back down, reaching for another, a blank one that he hadn't yet had time to fill with thoughts and theory.

The front page was empty. He felt like it should stay that way. He opened it and laid down his pen. The code he had devised with Nezu was fresh in his mind as he started to write.

To reach farther than even All Might... Izuku had a lot of work to do.