It was the crack of dawn when the first slivers of sunlight appeared over the horizon. The winds gently billowed outside, casting an eerie song through the rustling leaves, and the branches danced alongside the eerie melody. In the Langstroms' apartment, Kirk and Francine lay in their bed. Francine was unaware of the darkness looming outside, her worries nothing more than a whisper in the dreamscape. Kirk, however, wasn't so comfortable; the darkness seemed to slip through the cracks of the windows and doors and began invading his mind, filling him with agony and despair. He tossed and turned in his covers and sheets wildly before waking up with short gasps and a bead of sweat all over his forehead.
Kirk gripped the bed sheets tightly, sweat seeping through his fingers and saturating the mattress beneath him. He turned his gaze toward his wife, who lay peacefully on their bed like she was nestled in a cloud, her night mask shielding her from the anxiety that twisted inside him. When he finally got out from under the covers, the harsh chill of the air hit his pale skin, followed by the thin beams of light that pierced through the small gaps in the curtains, illuminating the floor around his feet. Slipping on his slippers, he made his way to the kitchen, careful not to make a sound, and poured himself a glass of water. His hands and knees trembled as he filled the glass, but the rush of cool water offered a momentary reprieve from his thirst.
The transience he gets from the water leaves him no more content than when he was asleep. The same vivid image plagued Kirk's mind; the beast burst into the room before devouring Izuku in a vicious, one-sided bloodbath. The nightmare had burnt itself into his eyelids so that whenever he closed his eyes, he would see Izuku's verdant hair stained with his crimson ichor. For weeks on end, Kirk had attempted to brew a cure for Izuku, but with each step forward, he took three backwards. It was an inescapable cycle of torment that seemed to be his dole. Looking at the glass in his hand reminded him all too much of his failure to develop a stable antidote for Izuku, and his rage boiled to the point where he couldn't take it anymore and threw the glass as hard as he could against the wall, shattering it on impact.
Every failed equation to a possible antidote seemed to run around his head for a moment. Kirk clutched his head and closed his eyes as he felt the numbers and letters dance around his mind, mocking him. A tremor began developing through his body, wanting to break out as the equations ridiculed him. Each failed calculation seemed to strike him harder than any fist could deliver; it all swelled to an incomprehensible cacophony hell-bent on driving Kirk over the edge. Time stood still, leaving Kirk to be enraptured by his darkest thoughts, to see Izuku become a voracious and vicious beast. It pained him to entertain such a thought, but he couldn't get rid of it.
The bedroom door creaked open just as Kirk was on the verge of surrendering to his doubts and fears. Peeking out, hair tousled and a night mask perched precariously, was Francine. "Kirk, is everything alright?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep and her body still heavy from the haze of slumber. "I heard a noise, and I—" Her words trailed off as her gaze settled on Kirk. He trembled violently, his body shaking as if caught in a blender's whirling blades. A surge of anxiety welled up in Francine's chest as she hurried to her husband's side. "Kirk, what's going on?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
Kirk had been open about his feelings regarding Midoriya's condition, but confiding in Francine about his struggles felt nearly impossible at that moment. He was teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown, overwhelmed by the weight of his emotions. Just as he was poised to succumb to despair, Francine's touch provided a warmth that enveloped him, grounding his turbulent thoughts. Her love was a lifeline, preventing him from collapsing in a wave of tears that threatened to overwhelm him. After learning that Izuku had transformed into the Man-Bat, Kirk's once-fulfilling purpose slowly disintegrated, leaving him feeling lost and adrift.
He wanted to lie and tell her everything was fine even though it wasn't. Francine locked eyes with his, her gaze heavy with woe and asked, "What's wrong? You can tell me." She reassured Kirk, her soft voice carrying a consoling passion. "The… Equations…" Kirk admitted in a defeated tone as though he had just returned from a traumatic battle. "What about them?" Francine inquired, her tone apprehensive and careful not to pry into something too deep. "I-I feel like a fraud." He added with little context, only serving to confuse Francine. "You're not a fraud," Francine said, her tone reassuring and without hesitation. She had no idea what Kirk meant by it, but for now, she would simply comfort him.
A colossal weight pressed against Kirk's chest, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. "I am a fraud. I'm the one responsible for all of this." He said, venting his frustrations and inner turmoil. Neither Kirk nor Francine wanted any of this to happen; they wanted to escape the troubles that plagued their lives in Gotham, yet it seems they brought them with them to Japan. "Sometimes… Sometimes, I feel like nothing ever changes. I'm stuck in a repeated cycle of the same things happening to me." Kirk admitted honestly, and Francine couldn't help but agree with him. Despite being thousands of miles away from Gotham, its curse still lingered around them.
"I… I know what it's like to soar through the sky, have the strength of ten men, and be capable of anything… But Izuku…" Kirk spoke with a dreaded familiarity that Francine was dismayed to hear. Neither of them was new to the idea of having exceptional power, but Izuku was. Something insidious that once resided within Kirk now haunted Izuku, an all-encompassing darkness shrouding Izuku as it once shrouded Kirk and Francine, their entire livelihoods almost uprooted before their eyes. At one point, I ended up running away from the darkness within, yet he was powerless without help from others. He remembered how, despite the ever-consuming darkness, there was a feeling of unadulterated ecstasy that filled him.
That feeling of losing himself to the animosity that dwelled deep inside him without the fear of reprisal. But for Izuku, this was no addiction. This was a curse. Something that left him unable to comprehend the horrors that lie within him fully. Francine was unsure how to continue. Kirk was on the cusp of a full mental breakdown, and she struggled to come to terms with the events that had transpired. By absconding Izuku, all they were doing was masking their tracks to hide the fact that they were somewhat responsible for making him a monster. They couldn't live with themselves knowing that Izuku was suffering because of them and knowing how they were powerless to help him.
Coming to Japan, the Langstroms had hoped they could start a new life away from the sinister and oppressive atmosphere of Gotham City, and when they met Izuku, he seemed to give them the hope they sought. He was a light at the end of the tunnel that could lead them to a new understanding of life. What they saw in Izuku were pieces of themselves when they were younger. He had an affinity for knowledge and education, spunk and grit, and above all else, he had passion. But that had all but gone after he became the Man-Bat; unfettered darkness now engulfed the verdant-haired boy, an inescapable labyrinth that bedevilled his delicate mind.
"When was the last time you heard Izuku so enraptured by something new he's learned and immediately start rambling on while writing it down in his notebook?" Kirk asked, his voice weak and throaty. To be honest, Francine couldn't remember the last time the boy would immediately jot down the information in a notebook, his hand so fast that the pen in it was a blur. It was almost an art form that she could watch for hours before he would ramble on for minutes on end about his theories and hypotheses, either about quirks that he observed during the day or from the bat's behaviours in the labs suggesting things they probably wouldn't have thought of alone.
In just one month, the colourful illustrations of heroes that Izuku admired and the detailed visuals of Chiroptera that he observed through the lab began to shift. Izuku had gotten protective over his artwork as of late, which troubled Francine. She only glanced at a couple of images in Izuku's books, but she could tell something was amiss. Whenever Izuku left his book unattended or was unaware of Francine's presence, she would take a peek at whatever he was drawing. Several images she saw looked like the scribblings of a madman, with the only consistency between any of them being that they depicted a devilish and draconic figure.
"It… It just isn't right! He shouldn't suffer for my actions!" Kirk said, his voice carrying an air of gravitas. Unable to take any more of her husband's mental torture and senseless self-loathing, she grabbed his cheeks and forced him to turn his head to look directly into her eyes so she could say, "It's not your fault! It was out of your control!" She reminded him, "You need to accept that if you want any chance moving forward." Kirk placed his hands on hers and removed them from his face. "I… I know." For a few minutes, there was a silence so powerful that it saturated the room. "It's just so damn hard to forgive myself!" Kirk said, whispering under his breath. "I don't care what I have to do to cure Izuku; I'll go to the ends of the Earth if I have to!"
"I understand where you're coming from, but we need to take our time with this. Rushing won't help us make any progress!" Francine's voice resonated with palpable frustration, betraying her deep investment in Izuku's plight. "You don't see it, Francine. If I can't find a way to help Izuku, I'll feel like a complete failure – not just as a scientist but as a mentor, too." Kirk's emotions finally surged, and he broke down in front of Francine; he wept a tide down his face. Francine could feel the weight of Kirk's anguish as she, too, grappled with the pain of watching Izuku struggle. It was a heavy burden, and she felt a sense of responsibility weighing on her as well.
Curing Izuku poses significant challenges, and even if achieved, it remains uncertain whether the Man-Bat will vanish entirely. The Man-Bat is pure id. It's who we all are when you strip away our basic civilities and niceties; the Man-Bat embodies the raw, unfiltered essence of human nature, stripped of civility and restraint. It's akin to being black-out drunk when the mind just switches off, but the body is still functioning, walking, and talking. That's who the Man-Bat is. When the subconscious took over the duties of the conscious mind, it would skulk in the back of Izuku's head, it was an inescapable animosity that would prowl his subconscious mind. Izuku would be left without so much as a way to uphold his own against the animalistic nature that consumed him.
"When I look at Izuku, I see so much of myself in him. I've done a million stupid things, and I've said a billion foolish things. I can't stand to see him suffer much more of my arrogance." Francine gently pulled her husband into her warm embrace to soothe his worried soul and ebb away his visions of vicarious agony for a brief period. "It's alright, it's okay. You're not a monster; you just made a few mistakes, is all." She needed to help Kirk fight off what was inside his head and dispel the agony that haunted his spirit. He's lonely and lost in pain. Her lips quivered in anticipation of her words as a single tear escaped her eye, flowing down her cheek.
Francine took hold of Kirk's arms, urging him to lock eyes with her. "I understand that you're worried people will only see the tragedy of what happened and not your true intentions…" she paused, searching for the right phrasing. "That the dark legacy of the Man-Bat's actions will overshadow the good you were trying to accomplish…" Her calm demeanour held an undercurrent of reassurance. "You're fundamentally a good person, and you're the only one who can help Izuku." She gazed intently at Kirk, hoping her words could break through his despair. "Am I a good person… or have I lost my mind?" Kirk replied, his voice heavy with uncertainty. "The boundary between sanity and madness feels so fragile—I've crossed it so many times that I'm not sure there's a way back."
Shivers ran up and down her spine when he said that. Tensions escalated, with each moment evoking a greater sense of melancholy that built itself into a monument to Kirk's woes. Motes of Kirk's spirit wavered as weak as a flame entangled in a draught. Struggling to have her husband understand what she had to say, Francine realised that a different approach was necessary. "You're not a madman, Kirk, and I can prove it!" Kirk tilted his head to Francine in confusion. "What are you talking about?" He asked with a look of concern spreading across his face. "Would a madman be staying up every night to find a cure for someone else?" Her tone was brimming with a deep-rooted reverence for her husband.
"Yes, you made mistakes in the past, but what matters is that you learn from them. You've always had the propensity to do the right thing, and I know you'll make the right choice." There was a rich lode of stern reassurance mixed in with Francine's usual caring demeanour when she spoke. She hoped that her words could puncture the barrier of the neverending habitual dolour that plagued his psyche, preventing it from seeing past his failings and devising a remedy for Izuku. Kirk was unsure how to respond to Francine's light speech with words, and frankly, he didn't want to. Despite everything Francine Had said up to this point, it never made him feel any better about the situation; he felt nothing but guilt whenever he saw Izuku, knowing he was at fault for Izuku becoming the Man-Bat.
As Francine waited for Kirk's response, there was a firm knocking on their apartment door that intruded upon their moment. The knock repeated. Kirk looked at the door, then at Francine and back to the door, where a 3rd knock happened. Kirk slowly made his way off the floor and sauntered over to the door. When he opened the door, he half-expected Izuku to be on the other side; instead, standing in the doorway was a tall man with a neutral expression. He had short, black hair and somewhat rectangular black eyes. He sported a tan overcoat and matching hat, underneath which he wore a black suit, a green tie at his neck, black slacks, and matching dress shoes.
"Good morning. I am Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. Are you Mr and Mrs Langstrom?" The man asked, his voice stern yet earnest and his inflection dry as a bone. Kirk was hesitant about the transition between the question and Kirk's answer. Finally, he answered, "Y-yes, sir. Is there something wrong?" The Detective's face remained neutral as he spoke, "No, not at all, Mr Langstrom. I'm just here to ask you a few questions." Tsukauchi walked a little closer to the door, looking at Kirk expectantly. He realised what the man wanted and opened the door, gesturing for him to come inside. "Thank you, Mr Langstrom." Upon entering the apartment, he laid eyes on Francine, who wore a simple nightgown. "I take it that you're Mrs Langstrom, correct?" He quizzed, with a voice filled with mischievous energy. "Why yes."
Tsukauchi, done with the introductions, pulled out a notepad and pen. "Now I just need to know about how you got out of the MGRI building a few weeks ago and if you saw someone who broke in during the fire." Kirk and Francine froze up, not knowing what to do next. "O-of course Mr Tsukauchi." Kirk said nervously. A feeling of dread surged throughout his body, and when he turned to his wife, he could tell just by the look in her eyes that she felt the same rising feeling coursing through her. If either of them made any kind of mistake, Tsukauchi would be sure to find out about their involvement with the Man-Bat one way or another.
Naomasa Tsukauchi, also known as the True Man and for good reason too, his Quirk, Truth, allowed him to know if someone was lying. A rather simple Quirk that might not be particularly flashy compared to others, but it was perfect for his job as a detective. However, it didn't make his job any easier. His quirk only allowed him to know if someone was lying or not, and even then, he wouldn't know what kind of lie it was without further interrogation. With each passing year, respect for the police dwindled along with their numbers, making it harder to do any real investigative work, especially when the legal restrictions regarding Quirks could only be used by licensed heroes, who were the only people who could use their Quirks out in the open making it nearly impossible for Tsukauchi to use his Quirk without a warrant.
Despite this hindrance, Tsukauchi never let it get in the way of his work. Even without his Quirk, Tsukauchi was still an exceptional detective in his dying profession. He could deduce when someone was lying to him after just a few minutes of talking. He was sent to deal with the Langstroms after finding some holes in their story of escaping the burning MGRI building. He was given the address of their apartment and got his formal introduction to the couple. Walking into the interior of their apartment, he noticed it had a 1940s aesthetic so close to the actual period that he felt as though he just stepped through a portal in time. Everything was functional and designed with practicality and purpose in mind while also buoyant with inviting pastel colours and forms that reflected the post-war hope of the mid-1940s.
Stepping into the kitchen with the Langstroms, Tsukauchi stopped in his tracks when he saw a cabinet lined with trophies and awards for their scientific accomplishments. He took a long look at them, inspecting every corner and angle of the trophies. From Nobel Prizes to a Guggenheim Fellowship, the cabinet was littered with awards for both of the Langstroms. Observing the awards closer, he could barely make out a fine coating of accumulated dust. "Would you like a glass of water, Mr Tsukauchi?" Francine asked politely. "No thanks," Tsukauchi replied. He didn't want to burden either of them much and wanted them to get on with their day without him annoying them.
They made their way over to the kitchen table. It looked reliable and sturdy despite its diminutive size. Tsukauchi did not doubt in his mind that the table could hold someone of All Might's build and not break under his weight. Taking his seat on the gaudy chairs, Tsukauchi could see the Langstroms were visibly distraught; he hypothesised that it might have something to do with whoever broke into the flaming MGRI, but he wouldn't know for certain until he asked some questions. There was an uncomfortable silence brewing between the transience from the trophy case to sitting down. It only lasted for a few seconds, but time didn't seem to make sense at the moment as it felt like they were sitting at the table for days.
"Ok," Tsukauchi said as he clapped his hands to break the uncomfortable silence, "I've got a few questions to ask about what happened around three weeks ago at MGRI with whoever broke in during the rescue operation. Sound good?" He asked, his voice quick yet firm and carrying a powerful conviction. "Of course," Kirk answered with an uncertain tone in his voice. "Good then. Now, my first question is, what were you doing before the incident of the fire?" Tsukauchi inquired, his voice calm and his posture relaxed yet firm and confident. He hoped that it would be able to calm their nerves so they could converse more efficiently.
"Well, you see…" Kirk began to sweat profusely as the room around him shifted and pulsated like living tissue. "We were attending to the chiropt—err, I mean bats—and making sure they were all in their appropriate cages before we left home for the night," he explained, trying to reveal as much as he could without compromising Izuku's therianthropic secret or his involvement in it. "I see. Would you mind telling me what you do with these bats?" Tsukauchi asked, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity buried beneath a heavy layer of professionalism. "Unfortunately, I can't, Mr. Tsukauchi. My wife and I are under a strict NDA with Wayne Enterprises, so we can't disclose that information now," Kirk replied apologetically, though a small part of him felt otherwise.
Tsukauchi noticed Kirk's hands fidgeting – a subconscious motion at odds with his calm voice. It wasn't proof of a lie, but it was a thread to follow. Kirk was sweating more than a pig in a summer heatwave as he continued to ask questions. "Is there anyone else who has access to the MGRI building?" Tsukauchi continued, "Uh, yes, my Father-In-Law, Dr March, but we haven't seen him since I was recovering in the hospital." Tsukauchi scribbled down the information when the words left Kirk's mouth. "Do you have any idea where he might be?" He quizzed Kirk as he pointed the rubber end of the pencil towards him. "I'm afraid not, Mr Tsukauchi. My father hasn't contacted us for a while now, and we're getting quite worried," Francine spoke, her voice fraught with a desperate longing to know he was ok.
"Dr March, I've heard of him. Didn't he write that book about powers outside of Quirks? What was it again?" Tsukauchi stumbled over his words as he tried searching the crevices of his mind for the answer. "Beyond Quirks: The Chimera Code," Kirk answered reluctantly as shame spread throughout his features. There was a moment of dead silence that pervaded the room. It stayed like that for seconds before Tsukauchi began to speak again, "You said you had a falling out with Dr March. May I inquire why?" Another momentary silence advanced through the room as Kirk had to think of something. "Again, our NDA can't reveal too much information, but I will say that it was a disagreement of egos."
"Alright, that eliminates many of my other questions, so I'll focus on the ones that remain," Tsukauchi said with a slight smirk spreading across his lips. "During the fire, Kamui Woods claimed to have seen a large black silhouette dive bomb through the roof of the building. Did either of you happen to see the intruder?" Tsukauchi's questions were becoming increasingly difficult for the couple to handle. "No, I didn't see anything because I was knocked unconscious after the Sludge Villain used that boy's Quirk to blow up the surrounding areas, including MGRI," Francine told the detective, offering a half-truth.
"Noted. How about you, Kirk? Did you happen to see the assailant who dropped in? Did you notice any memorable features?" Tsukauchi questioned, his tone carrying a significant weight of anticipation as he awaited Kirk's response. "No, sir. I think I would know if I saw anyone during the fire," Kirk replied. Tsukauchi had heard that same excuse multiple times from people who were threatened to remain silent or had something important to hide. "Are you quite certain you didn't see someone or something? Perhaps something with bat-like features?" A hint of annoyance crept into Tsukauchi's voice as he asked Kirk, simmering just beneath the surface.
"Mr Tsukauchi, the fire was massive. Are you sure that Kamui Woods didn't just mistake the smoke and debris for something else?" Kirk deflected too late, and it was enough to arouse Tsukauchi and his suspicions. He peered owlishly into Kirk's soul as he gauged with his intuition whether he was telling the truth or lying through his teeth. Kirk was pretty good at covering his tracks when he needed to, but now he was in a situation where he wasn't the one who needed to cover up his tracks and was up against someone who was quickly picking up on his tricks. Tsukauchi's face went from dangerously curious to a neutral expression rather quickly.
"You know, Dr Langstrom, you've got quite the history. Your work in genetic engineering is cutting-edge, but it's also controversial." Tsukauchi stated, his tone calm but sharp as a blade that easily sliced through the Langstroms' already weak confidence. They didn't respond and just listened to what Tsukauchi had to say. "And I find it funny how just as we start seeing reports of a creature terrorising the Musutafu about a month ago, you both showed up at that time. Care to explain?" Tsukauchi's tone carried an accusatory weight to it as he furrowed his brows at the Langstroms as he started putting pieces together.
Kirk was growing frustrated but managed to keep his composure. "What are you implying, Mr. Tsukauchi?" His voice held a subtle rage bubbling in his throat, akin to lava. "All I'm saying is that it's questionable for someone as awarded as you two to suddenly show up here," Tsukauchi replied, his tone becoming more irritable. Kirk didn't like where the conversation was heading. He clenched his fists in anger, his knuckles turning white. "Sir, our relocation was facilitated through Wayne Enterprises for business purposes, and as part of our NDA, we cannot provide you with any further information," Kirk grunted through clenched teeth.
The atmosphere in the room between Kirk and Tsukauchi was palpable, to say the least. Tsukauchi was getting tired of being subtle and decided to go for a more blunt approach. "You know, I'm starting to think that the two of you have something to do with the Man-Bat." He claimed, his voice brimming with conviction, "What, you can't be serious? Were scientists, what would we have to gain from working with a villain?" Kirk queried; he couldn't fathom what Tsukauchi was saying. "I don't know. Why don't you tell me, Dr Langstrom?" Tsukauchi was getting increasingly exasperated; each time he got one step closer, he took three steps back.
"Whenever I ask you a question, your NDA seems to always protect your work. Don't you think that's a bit suspicious? So you can either answer my questions or you can be charged with obstruction of justice. Your choice." Tsukauchi didn't give them much of a choice, and he didn't phrase it as one either; it was more like a threat. Kirk was more enraged now than ever, but the one thing he felt more than rage was fear. Fear of what would happen to him, to Francine and to Izuku. He couldn't let them down, not now, not ever. Kirk needed to think of something to stave off Tsukauchi and his questions; he needed to concoct a lie and fast.
Francine couldn't believe what Detective Tsukauchi was saying. She knew he had no substantial evidence and was just making assumptions, but that didn't change the fact that they were so close to being found out. This was dangerous. Kirk didn't help the matter; his facial expressions kept changing, from the bleeding rage of a Komodo Dragon ready to attack to a hysterical breakdown that would leave him on the verge of tears. Which way on the pendulum of Kirk's emotions would sway? Francine didn't dare to find out for herself; she was caught in the middle of the crossfire between her husband and the Detective.
The air around her grew volatile, and if she didn't calm the two down, Kirk would surely be sent to prison. "Mr Tsukauchi, there must be some sort of misunderstanding. We wouldn't be working with or for a criminal. We're scientists. We can help you!" She said, trying to relieve the room of the rising pressure. Tsukauchi takes a minute to recompose himself, and Kirk's anger melts away. "I'm sorry, Ms Langstrom. Come again, please?" There was a modicum of confusion in Tsukauchi's voice as he asked. "Our work specialises in the behaviour of bats. If the villain is a bat, maybe we can help you." Kirk caught on to Francine's plan and promptly joined her.
"Y-Yes, we can help you. Do you have anything belonging to the Man-Bat? W-We could potentially figure out more specific characteristics." Kirk said, his voice far happier and livelier than before. Tsukauchi stood silent as the jarring emotional and tonal whiplash he had just experienced firsthand settled in. He was unprepared for such an abrupt change in mood. "I-I'm sorry, this is just getting out of hand," Tsukauchi exclaimed as he tried to regain his footing. "Excuse me if this seems quite unorthodox. What the hell is going on now?" Tsukauchi was dumbfounded and at a complete loss for words.
"I'm sorry, Mr Tsukauchi, I was just trying to calm the situation down so fast that I must have gotten ahead of myself by offering our assistance." Francine tried to explain, but her voice was racked with nervousness as she continued to speak. "Listen, I know we got off on the wrong foot or, rather, you and my husband, but if you trust us, we can help you." Tsukauchi was sceptical, to put it lightly; he and Kirk had just been arguing for a minute or two, and now they had completely changed their attitude. There hadn't been a single lead for him to follow, and he questioned whether he should trust the Langstroms or not. On one hand, they were respected scientists in their fields and could be of great importance if he had their help.
On the other hand, Kirk and Francine are quite secretive about their work, and he doubts their veracity. He sat in his chair, thinking about the prospects and consequences, before standing up. Kirk and Francine looked visibly tense as they hung onto Tsukauchi's answer. Their hearts raced deep in their chests in flawless synchronisation as the suspense slowly ate away at them. It was with a heavy heart that Tsukauchi said, "I'll… Think about it." With that, he put on his hat and strolled towards their door. "I apologise for the accusations, Mr Langstrom." As he grabbed the door handle, he said, "I'm also sorry for my behaviour." Kirk added with a tired voice.
Leaving the apartment, Tsukauchi postulated about accepting the Langstroms' help. They were unquestionably redoubtable people who'd help someone, even if they didn't ask for it. Still, it didn't help that they were too enigmatic for their own good, and that could be detrimental to not only this case but to everyone around them. Though they seemed to be the only people who could help him in this case, it would be an incredible gamble that could put people's lives on the line. Tsukauchi was uncertain about whether he should take that risk or not; he didn't trust the Langstroms. Even without his quirk, there was something deep down inside him telling him to be distrustful of them.