—. My Hero Academia 180 degrees.—
47. Where Bakugo and Midoriya meet Sir Nighteye, Mr. Compress performs for the League of Villains, and Hawks talks with Tokoyami.
Bakugo and Midoriya walked down the hallway of the faculty wing until they stopped in front of All Might's room.
Izuku raised his hand, ready to knock, but before his knuckles could touch the wood, a loud crash from inside made them freeze. It sounded like something—or several things—had fallen to the floor, scattering in sudden chaos.
'Calm down, Sir!' All Might pleaded, his voice slightly agitated.
'How do you expect me to stay calm, All Might?!' a man's voice shot back, filled with indignation. 'That monster used me! He watched us for years through you! Do you have any idea what he could do with all that information?'
'I understand, but...'
'And now you're telling me that the fate of One for All and All for One rests in the hands of two rookie hero aspirants?'
'They...'
Suddenly, the man's voice seemed to calm as he continued, 'No. I already know what you're going to say. And there's no need to speak for them. They're already here.'
The door swung open before they could react. Bakugo and Midoriya stood frozen in the doorway, surprise plastered on their faces, as they met the scrutinizing gaze of a tall, slender man whose gleaming glasses seemed to analyze their every movement.
'I already know you,' Sir Nighteye said with disdain, sparing Midoriya only a brief glance. 'You're that insufferable kid who dared to beat me in that trivia contest years ago... where the prize was a limited-edition All Might poster.'
Midoriya blinked, confused. He brought a hand to his chin, trying to remember that event, but before he could, Nighteye grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside the room, with a visibly irritated Bakugo in tow.
'Don't just stand there like statues. Get in already.'
'Hey!' Bakugo protested, yanking his arm free with a sharp motion.
The man turned toward him, his gaze intense and probing.
'So, you're the ruffian who ended up inheriting One for All,' he murmured, extending a hand toward Bakugo's face. 'Let me take a closer look.'
Without warning, he pried Bakugo's eyelids open with his fingers, forcing him to meet his gaze. Bakugo was paralyzed for an instant, but as soon as he processed what was happening, he struggled like a dog being forced to have its teeth checked.
'Let go of me! You smell like an old man!' Bakugo growled, trying to wrestle free.
'Hold still, ruffian,' Nighteye ordered, unfazed. 'It's more than likely you didn't deserve that great power. The power of All Might.'
Bakugo stopped struggling for a moment, his mind racing: He knows what happened! He must be someone All Might trusts completely! But... why does it feel like he's talking about One for All as if it were his daughter and I stole her from a jealous father? Ridiculous man! Cretin! he kept muttering in his head, trying to resist Nighteye's grip. If he didn't let go that very second, Bakugo was certain he'd shove him away with more force than necessary.
'So... a ridiculous man and a cretin, huh?' Nighteye murmured, finally releasing him.
Midoriya and Bakugo stood frozen again.
'Can... can he read minds?' Midoriya wondered aloud, astonished.
Nighteye let out a dry laugh.
'Ha. If I could do that, do you think I would've let an insufferable know-it-all beat me in a trivia contest when he was four years old?'
Izuku brought his hand to his chin again. That was the second time he had mentioned it. Maybe it was important.
Suddenly, the memory hit him with clarity.
His four-year-old self, sitting across from that man who, now that he thought about it, looked practically the same as he did now. That day, he had won the limited-edition All Might poster after beating him in a trivia contest.
Izuku's face contorted slightly. He just hoped that man never found out that, years later, he had almost thrown that poster away.
'Young Midoriya, young Bakugo,' All Might finally intervened from one of the armchairs in the room. 'Let me introduce you to Sir Nighteye.'
'I think introductions are unnecessary now, don't you think?' Bakugo grumbled, still irritated.
Midoriya, however, reacted immediately.
'Oh! Sir Nighteye? You're...!'
But he trailed off when he noticed how Nighteye crossed his long, thin legs with an inquisitive air.
'Go ahead,' he said, tilting his head with a sarcastic smile. 'Show us how insufferably smart you are. I'm eager to see if you know more about me than I do... just like you did with All Might.'
Midoriya felt inexplicably embarrassed and lowered his gaze.
All Might frowned and looked at his former business partner with disapproval.
'That's enough, Sir.'
'What? I didn't do anything. They started it.'
All Might clenched his teeth, feeling his legendary hero composure falter for a second.
Fans... he thought with resignation.
But that brief distraction almost made him forget the gravity of the matter they were about to discuss.
...
The old theater was shrouded in shadows, its dusty curtain and battered seats only adding to the unsettling atmosphere. In the seventh row, five figures sat in complete silence, their faces barely illuminated by the dim glow of a flickering lamp. Spinner sharpened his claws against the armrest, while Shigaraki scratched the palm of his hand with impatience. Kurogiri, ever stoic, remained upright in his seat, while Dabi sat with his arms crossed, his usual bored expression in place. Toga, however, was busy playing with a Gameboy she had found.
A sharp sound echoed across the stage. Footsteps. A solitary spotlight flickered on, revealing Twice at the center, dressed in his usual suit but with a presenter's bow tied around his neck. Holding a microphone in one hand, he cleared his throat before speaking.
"To begin with, I'll give you all a recap," he announced, pausing dramatically as if expecting a reaction, but the group remained impassive.
"As you all know, we had to scrap the plan that day and abandon our hideout at Endeavor's summer house after what happened with my clone. You know, the one who was supposed to help us but ended up betraying us."
His tone suddenly escalated into a furious shout.
"And you all know how much I hate damn traitors!"
The echo of his voice rumbled through the theater. Dabi scoffed in annoyance, while Spinner clenched his teeth at the feedback from the microphone. Toga, for her part, set the Gameboy aside after losing the game.
Twice took a deep breath and regained his composure.
"Anyway, it's time to move on, and for that, I ask you all to give a warm round of applause to our next act: Mister Compress!"
One of his clones pounded on the keys of an out-of-tune piano, producing a theatrical melody. Three other clones, seated in the front row, started making a ruckus like a rowdy audience, even throwing trash onto the stage.
"You suck!"
"Just hope you're not another damn traitor!"
"Let's give him a chance! He might be a good guy."
Suddenly, a thick cloud of smoke emerged at the center of the stage, spreading like a veil of mystery. The silhouette of a man appeared amidst the mist, his posture elegant and his top hat tilting in a graceful bow. As the smoke dissipated, the light reflected off the gleam of his mask.
"Ah, the tragedy and comedy of our existence!" Mister Compress declared, extending his arms dramatically. "How many times have they seen us fall, only for us to rise again with greater determination?"
His voice resonated with a mix of mockery and charm. Dabi shifted impatiently in his seat, while Toga leaned forward slightly, intrigued.
"Cut to the chase," Shigaraki growled, gripping the armrest of his chair with four fingers. "What do you have for us?"
Mister Compress snapped his fingers, and in an instant, a small sphere appeared in his hand.
"Patience, patience, dear leader," he said with a pleasant tone. "Before we talk business, allow me a small demonstration of how I can contribute to our cause."
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the sphere into the air. As soon as it hit the ground, a flash of light engulfed it, and when the glow faded, several bags of money fell with a satisfying thud.
"Courtesy of our friends at a nearby bank," he announced with a flourishing bow.
One of Twice's clones whistled, impressed.
"A reminder that, even in difficult times, the art of illusionism remains useful."
Shigaraki eyed the loot with little interest, though his eyes betrayed calculated thoughts.
"Fine. A little money never hurts," he murmured. "Though we are not mere thieves."
Mister Compress smiled behind his mask.
"Of course not. You're not thieves, nor kidnappers… and yet, look what I happened to stumble upon."
With a theatrical flourish, he lifted his cape. Instantly, two figures appeared on the stage, seated in chairs with their hands bound and mouths covered.
The blindfolds over the eyes of Rei Todoroki and Toru Hagakure kept them from seeing their surroundings.
Dabi didn't visibly react, but the slight tension in his posture and the subtle twitch of his eyebrows betrayed his reaction. Kurogiri, ever observant, noticed the detail but said nothing.
Mister Compress extended his arms once again, as if presenting the grand revelation of the night.
"Are you all ready for the greatest show in history?"
...
Hawks went over the recording of his encounter with Dabi and Twice for the umpteenth time. His eyes remained fixed on the screen of his computer as he fast-forwarded and rewound the key fragments, focusing especially on two moments: Shoto's fight against Dabi and, shortly after, the appearance of Kurogiri's portal that facilitated their escape.
No matter how much he adjusted the brightness or zoomed in on the image, the view through the portal remained unclear. However, there was one undeniable detail: in the background, a red wall with a frame later matched one of Endeavor's newly acquired properties, with graffiti that read 'League of Villains.' A significant discovery, though still insufficient.
Hawks sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. His clock on the screen read 1:00 a.m., but he ignored the exhaustion and picked up his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found a particular number.
Miles away, in the U.A. dorms, Tokoyami's phone screen lit up with the notification of an incoming message. Dark Shadow stirred restlessly under the sheets from the glow, waking him instantly. Without wasting time, Tokoyami quietly got up, ensuring that Kaminari was still sound asleep, and slipped out of the room.
Just as he finished closing the door carefully, his phone began to vibrate. He answered immediately, keeping his voice to a discreet whisper.
'Yes. I can talk now,' he murmured in his usual tone, though more restrained. He listened carefully to the response on the other end of the line and then nodded. 'Yes, I'll keep you informed about everything. In fact, something strange happened about an hour ago… in the dorm downstairs, in Bakugo and Midoriya's room.'
What Tokoyami didn't notice was that, from his bed, Kaminari had been feigning a deep sleep, keeping his eyes closed, breathing slowly with light snores, and lying in a disheveled position. However, as soon as he heard the names Bakugo and Midoriya, his eyes opened slightly, cautiously.
And he listened carefully.
...
Author's Notes.
Your comments are always welcome! Thank you so much for reading, following, and leaving a like. It always makes me smile :)