They do more than frame his eyes. They provide a mirror – no, a window – into his soul. It's a pair of spectacles that achieve their designed purpose. Two glass lenses bring everything into focus. They show all the things anyone would want to see. And, along with that … they also show the things that the heart would rather not see.
Yes, surely, the glass frames are windows. They are windows left wide open. Some things come out. Mostly tears. As well as choked cries that don't quite make a sound. But, there are things that also come in. Memories of Tokuda, the original owner of these somehow special eyeglasses, drown the current owner's eyes with tears.
Izuku slowly spins the spectacles over, carefully twisting them by their handled hinges. In doing so, he stops staring into the reflective lenses and moves his mind to analyzing the glasses themselves. He had never noticed until now that Tokuda's gifted spectacles have a rustic rim or that they have a matte finish rather than gloss. He admires the structural shape and the circular frames on the front of it.
In a weird way, he feels like he's looking into the reflective lenses of his Spider-Man mask at times. The glasses have that sense of familiarity to them. Except, like Tokuda told him, this is also a differing perspective in that regard. It's one that is not his own but close enough in similarity that he can understand as how Tokuda used to understand. It's all that he has left of the man to keep trying to understand that way, at least. It's what he has as a last connection to bridge what would otherwise be a very big gap from his heart and his eyes.
It's so easy to look at things from the lens of Spidey's mask since those frames had always been his own to begin with. It's simple to see things on a surface level that despite all of his efforts to bring down Kingpin, he has to pay for it in the end when he comes home. But, from these currently held photojournalist's lens… The story is slightly different. He can see more of the good that came from his sacrifice as Izuku Midoriya. He can see that Spider-Man stopped a major issue and helped to avenge Tokuda. That makes things a little better. Just a little.
But when Izuku sets his gifted pair of eyeglasses aside and looks around his room, he's again reminded of not just his own perspective but also his mother's if anybody else's. After last night, he's been officially grounded again. Though there aren't any exits & entrances nailed shut to try and keep him in, he has lost his privileges to do any of his hobbies. As a form of punishment, Inko took away her son's journals so that he can't write any quirk analysis and has limited his access to doing any sort of science experiments. Empty bookshelves and an equally vacant desk space attest to that.
Not being able to develop upgraded web formulas and not being able to work on creating new Spider Tracers makes being confined to his room a heck of a lot more boring if not sheer depressing. He's had all his devices taken from him too, so he can't browse the web or scroll on his phone either. Along with that, all television privileges are also prohibited. He may as well practically be living off the grid currently. He kinda feels like it, scratching under his chin and expecting to find stubble starting to grow there, but chalks that off as his imagination running wild.
Whether he could use his imagination running wild or not is questionable. There's a lot to think about, afterall. What with Nezu's secret corruption being brought to light and how that'll affect U.A or the world in general moving forward can make anyone's mind run a mile a minute. Then there's the concern for his partner in law enforcement and how Naomasa has to handle the aftermath; they talked about how heroes tend to leave the police with the paperwork & cleanup and he feels extra bad about not being able to help now due to being grounded. The least he could have done is sent an explanatory text but he can't even do that without his cellphone. But what makes it easy for his mind to conjure up crazy ideas is the fact that he's been closed off enough from reality to not know what actually is going on out there. The lack of communication limits his knowledge.
Or, so that would have been the case. If his mother didn't decide now of all times to come into his room with a saving grace. She enters with his cellphone in hand, weighing it up and down like it's heavier than a brick instead of a bar of soap. "Your job just called", her tone is tight and what she speaks in regards to anyways is enough to make Izuku jump to attention, "They were asking if you would be able to cover the press conference that the HPSC is holding at U.A today" Yes, truly this is a potential saving grace.
Izuku holds his bated breath. Anxiety and plenty of other emotions swell up within him. He has some hope that his mom will understand that this has to do with his career and will be lenient in that regard. She never could stay mad at him forever. This is his opportunity to stay up to date on how things are developing and to get out ahead on it all as well. But Inko's tone and expression starts to make him rethink that. He's right to rethink because what she says next exhausts all the air out from his mouth that he had been holding in, "I told them no."
Seeing this as totally unfair, Izuku starts to try and argue, "But mom–" The less than considerate glare that Inko tosses at him is enough to make him give up on even trying though. He stops short, shutting his mouth. His efforts had started off sounding like an indigent whine and ended in a squeak anyways that it probably wouldn't have worked very well regardless. If he's going to convince anyone of anything, he has to work on sounding more confident. Though that is difficult to do when in trouble with a parent.
Inko weighs the phone in her hand again after that. Izuku realizes that it's essentially her way of weighing her options. Or, more than likely, she has already made up her mind and is holding things at what is relatively face value. "I told your boss that you aren't allowed out of the house to take pictures", Inko sighs as strongly as she holds the cellphone she used to make that judgment call, "But.. I am willing to let you watch the conference so you are able to write an article on it."
Izuku perks up, grateful for that generosity. His relief overwhelms him that his mom relented on allowing him off the metaphorical leash at least this much. "Alright! Thanks mo–", he believes that this is a good sign things are bound to return to their normal status quo since she's willing to compromise a little. But the boy backs down when receiving a second stare like his mother's very first silencing glare. He rethinks things yet again, realizing that it's not that easy this time around.
"I'm only allowing this once for your job", the boy's mother makes it clear that he is still grounded and certainly still being punished before he can get any other ideas, "You aren't getting back your television privileges" She looks just about as pained as the one she's punishing but doesn't dare to fully back down on this. Inko has come too far and has tried too hard as a widowed single mother to screw this up now.
Even if it sucks for him to be limited by his mom's ruled restrictions, he respects her on them. "O- Okay..", Izuku nods his head as he lets her know that he understands. It doesn't seem like she has yet to completely cool off and forgive him but he still continues to see this as a silver lining since it could be worse. He still believes he has the best mom anyone could ask for.
Since the press conference starts soon, Izuku clambers off his bed so that he can follow his mom to the living room. As he goes, he places his gifted glasses from Tokuda back on his face. They give him another much needed perspective on what it is he should take away from this opportunity as things move forward propositionally.
Camera flashes light up a blue podium before there is even anybody standing behind it. A multitude of microphones are attached to that same shiny stand, but there are about just as many microphones being held out from the front row of people waiting in front of it; they are waiting to see someone speak from behind the stand, very impatiently murmuring all the while. It's a sizable auditorium of reporters, press, paparazzi, etc. Way past the first row, it is like this, row after row. As should be expected of an event orchestrated by and held at U.A; as should be especially expected since this is an event pertaining to the school itself and a scandal that has to do with the school.
The HPSC and the police have put proper security measures into place when taking into account the kind of infamy that comes with U.A. Participants place pocketbooks and bags in trays to be scanned before stepping through security scanners. Armored soldiers stand by with quirk suppressing firearms. Helicopters circle overhead along with news choppers. There's no doubt in anyone's mind that there are snipers stationed in places unseen by the casual observer. But even to the casual observer, the reinforced press conference looks very much like a hostile takeover. As they await to hear information on what's going to happen with U.A, it may very well be exactly as how it looks.
Soon enough, someone does take the stand on the stage. The onlooking crowd increases their volume in commotion before quieting down. It's a reaction that reminds the speaker of when he addresses his students in class. Nevertheless, public speaking has never been Shota Aizawa's strong suit. He uncomfortably tugs at his tightly high strung tie in an attempt to loosen it, his single arm to work with nervously shaking. A dark suit attire and a close shave helped him to clean up nicely but it's not an appearance that he's used to having. His long length of hair that he's so used to letting hang down is now groomed & tied into a low bun at the base of his neck. It's irritating that this may be a look that he'll have to get used to now that Nezu is gone and he's been left to clean things up at U.A.
"Thank you all for coming today", he starts out by giving the usually necessary pleasantries. And then he blanks. When his 'best buddy' Mic suggested drawing up mock flashcards to have talking points, he blew the rambunctious blonde off, but he's now starting to see how that would have benefited him. Aizawa shakes off the sudden but brief stupor before following up with the next appropriate course of action. He backs away from the podium so that he can bow deeply at the waist and apologize to everyone, "On behalf of U.A.. I am very sorry for the betrayal and trouble that we have caused you."
The crowd murmurs while snapping pictures of the moment. Cameras that stream live footage to news stations zoom in on the representative of U.A. It's captivatingly captured from all angles. Aizawa stays bowed for awhile, allowing them to have this for their stories and front page headliners. It's apart of the job that comes with his newly appointed position. The duty of that role makes him inwardly want to recluse but he finds the will to stand as straight & tall as he can instead when finished with the apologetic bow. Tired eyes with extra bags under them than had been there before gaze out at a large mass of people.
"It was unbeknownst to myself and other staff that our previous principal was involved with such illegal activity. If we had known, we wouldn't have gone along with U.A's operations so willingly", he carries on with his statement while also covering for his friends and co-workers – it does help that what he says is relatively the truth – but he also thinks about how there had been occasional signs from Nezu when teachers or faculty were required to turn a blind eye, "Even so.. I take full responsibility for what transpired and will work on what comes with that accountability" Aizawa tilts his chin down, wishing his scarf were there, but hanging his head is essentially a display of respectful apologizing nevertheless.
After the incident at the USJ, Aizawa had eventually started believing he would lose all purpose in his life. The loss of an arm, the time it would take to relearn everything through rehab, and then the Lizard transformation had led him to believe his time as a pro hero is over. No more underground hero work would mean the loss of his license and a whole lifestyle. Nezu's underhandedness had then made him question his future as a teacher at U.A. The Final Exams felt like a sentencing to his fate more than a last chance to reclaim his rights.
But now, he feels he has found himself a new purpose to carry on. It may not be his preferred choice for a future but it's what has been bestowed unto him and he won't turn down the responsibility. The grievances that come with the job are things he'll have to learn to overlook. "Moving forward, all matters disclosed and undisclosed to relating U.A concerns will fall under my supervision. This is because, as a former teaching staff, I have been chosen to replace Nezu as the school's principal", Aizawa announces what was told to him when the news first dropped about Nezu being removed from the principal position due to an arrest being made, "I will be working to better our institution so that we can reclaim your trust and faith in us."
There then comes another round of camera flashes from the audience. There are MANY more camera flashes this time. There is also a lot more commotive shouts than before. People call out to him, most of which asking questions that they want to be answered, but the yells all begin to overlap and quickly lose their intelligibility. It's an overreaction but one to be expected. Aizawa holds up his single hand to try and signal for them to quiet down – it's not like an angry quirk powered red eyed glare will be as effective on them as it is on when he had students to teach – so he waits until the crowd's commotion settles before lowering his hand back down to his waist.
"I understand that there may be concerns about my qualifications for the position, but rest assured that the HPSC has overtaken the school board and will be overseeing matters alongside myself" Aizawa figures that now is as good a time as any to share the rest of the information he has been authorized to give, "U.A's current students will continue their education up until their graduation under the circumstances of this decision. All licensure will be accepted and treated as official with the HPSC's supervision. It's until after this four year preceding that the future of U.A as an educational institution will be redetermined", he also figures this is a good shift of attention away from just himself as the newly appointed principal.
It had been expected by the general public that U.A would be forced to close and cease all teaching practices. Taking into account the in-progress curriculum and how transferring into an alternative hero school would affect students, especially those in their final year of studies, it was determined that a temporary continued education study would be best for the future of heroes. The Hero Public Safety Commission was not willing to compromise what would deter prospective heroes entering the workforce. The proposed time frame for temporary continued study will also serve as a reasonable duration for legal transactions to decide whether U.A's lessons will remain in full effect or if it will shut down after that period of time.
When it came to replacing Nezu with an interim principal, the HPSC had originally wanted to go with All Might. The symbol of peace would make for the perfect publicity stunt. However, All Might had only way too recently begun teaching at U.A that the promotional position wouldn't work on paper. Other options were limiting considering Midnight's Rated R background and Present Mic's vocalness. Nobody wanted to put Hound Dog in a public role since it was deemed too close in relation to Nezu being an animal by nature. Recovery Girl being solely the school nurse made her underqualified and nobody thought it would be a good look for the 'villain' principal replacement to wield guns like Snipe does. After funneling through reasons why Cementoss, Power Loader, and other teachers wouldn't make for a good fit … all that was left was Shota Aizawa. On the condition that Aizawa retires as Eraserhead and make his appearance more 'friendly' to the public, they had it all figured out. Aizawa went along with it since he himself felt partially responsible for Nezu's actions, in a typical brooding nightly hero fashion.
Damage control on a fundamental level is easy for the HPSC to handle. It was made easier by limiting Nezu's heinous acts made public to only the criminal operations as Kingpin. Everything regarding Ochaco Uraraka and the Zero Pointer malfunction during the Entrance Exam or other school incidents that may have been covered up or swept under the rug were kept from becoming public knowledge. U.A as an institution was necessary to keep around whereas Nezu as a scapegoat was considered acceptable. The former principal is being transported to the max security prison called Tartarus as the press conference takes place. This was decided as the best course of action by the HPSC.
All that being taken into account, only one final component was required to quell the public's response to such a scandal within the hero industry. The HPSC needed a figurehead to place upfront as a shining example of heroism. And there was nobody deemed better suited other than the one responsible for bringing Nezu's corruption to light in the first place. The official report for what happened the night of the Kingpin's arrest is that Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa acted alone. As such, Naomasa receives all of the full credit and has been brought before the public for the press conference alongside Aizawa.
"And now.. Our recently appointed CAPTAIN of the police force .. Tsukauchi Naomasa!", an announcement is made to introduce the law enforcer onto the stage. He humbly joins Aizawa by the podium in front of flashing cameras and running recorders. It's an introduction met by a round of applause. Officer Sansa Tamakawa wasn't kidding about that potential promotion when he said one could be around the corner; the loyal co-worker is caught whistling amongst the crowd to express encouragement. Naomasa bashfully looks away, embarrassed since he was merely a detective only hours ago.
"For his hard work that went towards exposing the truth about former principal Nezu, there is nobody better suited for Police Captain" Naomasa wishes he could deny all of those claims. Even if he needs to keep it under wraps that Spider-Man had aided him, he wishes he could at the very least credit the investigative work that Taneo Tokuda put into the case rather than stealing all of the glory for himself. The truth of the matter is that he feels he didn't do much of anything at all. "Captain Naomasa, if you would, we'd like you to share a few words!" To make matters worse, he's in no way prepared to speak publicly about it.
"Captain, huh? That's a title that will take some getting used to..", his nervous chuckle is followed by a chorus of amused chuckles from the crowd; but he looks out past them and at the video cameras when thinking about the people he wants to most speak to about this, "I'm sure I've made my sister very proud. Even if she won't admit it!" Another round of laughter follows that statement. "But more importantly.. I want to thank a very special young man for supporting me as well. He knows exactly who he is and what he did to help."
The crowd simmers down on that one, quietly confused. Naomasa doesn't care. That address wasn't for them. It was for Spider-Man. And so is this part, "But.. We have much more to do. Nezu was not the end. Like villains, there are always more criminals. Like weeds, they replace whoever gets pulled up. I'm sure while we see this as an opportunity to make good significant change in the community, those sinister forces are seeing this as their opportunity to shift dynamics as well" It's a bit better disguised, this part, since Tamakawa and other fellow members of the police force believe that their captain is talking to them instead. Even a few heroes think this is directed towards them personally.
But what was said, and this next part, is a warning to Spider-Man in particular. Captain Tsukauchi Naomasa looks into the cameras as he tells his partner in crime fighting, "It's up to us now .. to take on whoever comes next."
Sake swirls in a stemware glass goblet, the orange liquid swishing side to side just short of spilling over the cup's rimming. It's a sweet & savory drink that Rikiya Yotsubashi periodically takes small sips from. The corrupt businessman does so absentmindedly whilst watching U.A's live streamed press conference from a deluxe wide flat screen television. Up in his own ivory tower, topped by a personally fitted office, he sets his sights from the electronic device to the broad window that overlooks Japan. As the recently appointed police captain had stated, there are sinister forces seeking to seize control of the criminal operations left behind by Nezu. Yotsubashi is one of those corrupted factors in the equation that looks to take control of the opportunity that's been presented.
With his free hand, he fishes out his cellphone from his pressed pants. The man's thumb quickly taps at the device's screen so that it dials one of his many contacts within the news industry. He who controls the media controls the world and all that… A small smile graces his lips before he wets them with another sip of sake. He feels confident that he's got a leg up on the other competition in this regard. If he can get ahead on the flow of information that's coming in, then it's merely a matter of steering the way that intel flows. As such, it's only obvious that he would be the next in line to receive the title of Kingpin. He's even got the whole 'Big Man' thing covered with his quirk should things become a little stressful in regards to taking on that position.
It takes a few rings but his contact eventually picks up. She's likely on site covering U.A's press conference at this very moment that they are bound to speak, so he doesn't press her about making him wait for an answer. He instead says, "I'm expecting you to have a curious case to share about this recent development", since it's the woman's curious nature in publishing that he is looking to lean on reliably. Chitose Kizuki is not only his connection to the media, but she serves him as a Meta Liberation Army sympathizer. He has come to trust her as a valuable resource when it comes to gathering such resourceful information.
She lightly laughs off Yotsubashi's mild joke about her curiosity before responding, "Absolutely! I'm already working an angle on getting exclusives with Captain Naomasa and Principal Aizawa!" The prospective crimelord finds it good to know that he'll have those interviews to go off of when things are pertaining to U.A and the police force. However, there's also the HPSC to be concerned about. As though she read his mind, Kizuki mentions The Commission as well, "I've still been yet to find anybody from the Hero Public Safety Commission who is willing to sit down and have a chat though."
Yotsubashi hums into his glass goblet while still holding it to his lips. It's within a range of his pointed nose that he can smell the sake that swishes around within it. "Be sure that you don't leave without getting at least one of your questions answered, my dear.." He sets his drink aside, no longer satisfied with the lack of tang to its taste. His voice has a bitter bite that the beverage does not while lacking something such as salt.
Kizuki's response does well to better his mood though, as soon as she says, "I never do!" It's a reminder that she is loyal and dedicated to his cause. It's a promise that he can count on her to keep. And because of that, he can smooth out the stress that exhibits itself in both wrinkles on his suit and along his face. He can find some sort of relaxing relief thanks to her saying, "You can count on me!"
"Of course I can", Yotsubashi lets his ally know that she's appreciated before ending the call. It's important to maintain relationships with associates when in this line of work. One can never have too many friends when there are always so many enemies to be had. It's ideal to keep whoever he can on his side before the time comes to try and win over the other organizations.
When looking out his office window and taking in the vast expanse of Japan, he sees not only a window to opportunity, but an opening to a hell that waits down below. There is bound to be a power grab for the position that is now waiting to be filled. Yotsubashi knows he won't be the only one making an attempt to claim that spot and knows there will without a doubt be a good amount of competitors. What was once a controlled systemic order of chaos will now until the next organizer comes along fall into simply just chaos. It's a thought more intoxicating than his drink was.
Who wants to oppose him and who may be willing to join him remains to be discovered. All he knows is that the time for liberation is soon at hand. Destro's will is bound to be fulfilled through him and can be achieved much sooner with the resources that being the new Kingpin of crime are able to provide. It's a perfect facade much like his businessman lifestyle with Detnerat. It's the type of role that allows him to manipulate matters from the shadows while all the while still being able to do as he pleases within the spotlight.
Yotsubashi clasps his hands behind his back as he observes the city traffic outside his window. It's a typical civilian display of behavior that he watches. It's an oblivious world that he views from his dark quarters.
Underneath the hustle & bustle of Japan resides the remnants of the Yakuza. A secret operation is right beneath everyone's noses; it's one that traverses in tunnels like ants building a collective colony. There had once been a time, during an older generational era, that this crime syndicate ruled from the surface. As a past of tradition in time faded, a more rapid future came about. It was a future far too fast moving for their age old ways. However, that is the thing about maintaining tradition. History can go out of style but has a way of repeating itself in what cannot ever be changed. These are the teachings that Silvermane has sought to instill in the Yakuza Clan so that it may last until a moment of being able to have its revival. He believes that time for resurgence is now. With Nezu's exposure as The Big Man and Kingpin's removal, the chance for the Yakuza to reclaim the rightful seat above all crime in Japan is here.
There's one small concern with that. Whereas historical teachings and lessons can be preserved, the Senseis and the Grand Elders cannot survive the test of time. Silvermane remains as the last of his kind. Having aged from then to now, he saw firsthand what the Yakuza was and what it should still be. Kai Chisaki is meant to replace him so that the Yakuza can keep up with the rapid future that has been overtaken by the youth of this generation. But Silvermane sees that Chisaki doesn't have the same self preservation that he does about their clan's practices. And he himself is not ready to let go of his control nor the doctrine that he fought to keep just yet. Youth comes with aspirations and there are bound to be aspirational leaders grasping at the Kingpin's vacant position. At his age, he may still have aspirations for the future of the Yakuza, but he does not have the vigor to fight for it with those that are healthy in their wealth.
Years worth of what the Yakuza gathered in yen to facilitate their operations had been also utilized as a resource to seek medical solutions for his health. There are surgeries and quirks that can prolong aging but anything short of immortality is far from the confines of legality. Of course, a crime syndicate has no qualms about taking illegal measures of action. It took arranged quirk marriages and forsaking that of his own family, but he had finally managed to find himself a solution. Silvermane's very own granddaughter has a quirk capable of rewinding just about anything. Chisaki had wanted to weaponize this power but Silvermane's long term goal was to utilize it as a means of survival for himself. He would use his granddaughter to rewind his age and return himself to his youthful former glory. All ailments and disease would be erased along with his joint aches and he'd be more than spry enough to lead the Yakuza from the light rather than biding time in the dark. It makes for the perfect plan. It's one worth waiting to take full effect.
But again. There comes concerns with this course of action and planning. It's a concern of time, as often all these concerns always are. Silvermane's granddaughter is still only a child. She has yet to learn how to control her quirk. The rewind effect has erased test subjects out of existence. Until the girl gets a handle on her power, it's a risky operation. But now, Silvermane feels he has run out of time. Chisaki and the Yakuza itself may look to overthrow him. Seeing the same opportunity he does to climb to the surface will lead them to taking ambitious actions without him if he's not careful. He can't afford to be patient with his time anymore now that the Kingpin is gone. If he's to remain in his position of power and move forward with his intentions for the future of his clan, then he will need to take action now rather than later. Silvermane plans on using his granddaughter to return his youth to him, but that plan must be enacted as soon as possible rather than later.
Currently, Silvermane sits with his granddaughter in one of the Yakuza's medical bays, silently stroking her matching silver locks of hair. Whereas his grays developed from age, hers are a natural colorization. He smooths out the lengthy strands, pushing them aside so that they don't cover the tiny horn that protrudes from her forehead. The touch and the act itself may seem affectionate and he'll admit to caring somewhat for his own blood related family but he is more-so fixated on the power that can be drawn from the miniature spike than anything else. The doctors have chipped and chizeled fragments from it to experiment and it always has a knack for growing back. The idea is that if the girl can't control her power herself then they may be able to utilize elements of her quirk factor themselves.
"Thank you for being brave, sweetheart.." He looks at his saving grace the way a doting grandfather might. It helps him to play the part a little better. In wanting to preserve her future as much as he does the Yakuza, he has downright refused Chisaki's suggestions to use flesh fragments instead; Chisaki wanted to shred her down atom by atom for research & extensive study, but he was not willing to risk the reliance on someone else's quirk, as that would take more than any overridden concern for his granddaughter's health or safety.
"Can I really help fix you, grandpa?" The small child looks up at him with watery eyes and pouty lips. If his heart weren't so worn from years of being numbed, the cuteness may have had an actual affect on him. But Silvermane has sentenced men, women, and children alike to death. So, he remains unphased. Nonetheless, the elder Yakuza leader smiles at his granddaughter reassuringly and nods as he continues petting her atop her little head.
"Yes, Eri.." His own eyes dazzle as they stare at the shiny horn which can grant him his eternal youth, those worn aged eyes watering only at the seams. He vows what he knows for an absolute certainty when it comes to reinstating the Yakuza and himself as the one that will lead the Yakuza evermore, "You can fix everything."
The world may have required fixing, but the question that was sought after instead was whether or not the people in it needed fixing. As the High Evolutionary, The Curator had sought high evolution indeed. Nezu was the first successful experiment in that aspirational conquest. A raccoon with similar results had also managed to bore proof in the conducted research from them. As such, it was a goal that never quite got shelved, because it was far too supported by the evidential existence of Nezu. Animals and humans alike in their evolutionary cycle with the X Factor Gene had resulted in quirks. What could bridge the gap in transference was left to his vices. The High Evolutionary, and now The Curator, had made it his life's work.
Nezu, having developed an intellect of its own, came to a different conclusion. The extremities of experimentation required to succeed in high evolution were not worth the final results in the animal's mind. It was angered and wanted revenge. Ironically, that vengeance blinded it to the fact that using humans like Shota Aizawa to perform experiments of its own with cross species genetics was very much hypocritical. But this double standard served as a means to an end. Nezu manipulated not just bodies and gene pools, but minds as well. The ultimate revenge in all species that would ultimately lead to a final revenge against its creator that spurred on this rage to begin with led to now.
Both villains are being transported to the max security prison called Tartarus. There, they will be unable to carry out any more of the activity that could have succeeded in either of their goals. Instead, they will be forced to imagine what was set in motion by their shortcoming aspirations from the confines of their cells. Both festering hatred and a paradoxical evolution are at hand, born from each of them but not nurtured by anything other than nature now exists. It makes them each giddy as much as it does make them woeful that they will not be able to partake in what comes of it all.
Apart of this ever evolving societal and yet cancerous growth is another element called evil. Evil strikes where bad resides. Which is why the security transportation trucks are blown off course by explosions in the roads. The vehicles are tipped over and crash. It's way out from the city as well, where nobody can interfere or witness the exact evil that carries this deed out. Nobody but those within the vehicles that are labeled villains themselves see who it is that comes bearing the true title of villain.
Reinforced blast doors wither away like dried paper and not steel constructs. A young man with blue hair and scarred lips reaches out with the same destructive hands that caused those doors to break down. He reaches for the High Evolutionary first, eradicating the man. And then the incarnation of evil turns towards Nezu with an equally destructive intent. Nezu looks on without horror, but rather an acceptance. This was always where things were bound to be headed. So long as the High Evolutionary died first, this had always been apart of the plan.
Tomura Shigaraki pauses when seeing Nezu. A fuzzy creature that he's about to kill with his five finger contact quirk flashes through his mind. He once had a pet. It too was held by his destructive hands before being returned to dust. Love that's been done away with and replaced by hatred in a similar state of appearance is not lost to irony. But like love was wiped away, Tomura Shigaraki is left to wonder what will be left without his own hatred. When he grabs ahold of Nezu, it's without hatred that he kills the creature. But there is a sense of duty.
There is a duty leftover by what's been done away with here. A spot needs filling. And like his master before him had been Demon Lord ruling from the shadows, he himself now sees what can be done as Kingpin. Before being able to destroy something, he must first assume control of it. Running things can mean maintaining them or running them into the ground. The ground where dust is buried over is exactly where he intends to take everyone. And the deaths here with nothing leftover of the previous rulers is a message to attest to that.
Inko hardly has any strength left in her hand, and is unable to use any of it that's required to turn the next page over. But, with trembling fingers, she somehow manages to muster up enough strength anyways, and does get to the next part of the scrapbook. Flipping through old photos of when she first married Hisashi and then they had Izuku has sapped everything left from her energy. It was taking alot already to be so hard on her son but seeing how happy they were back then is enough to soften her up into being done in.
Tears were to be expected but she has to close the book and set it aside as to not ruin any of the pages or photos with any falling droplets. Wondering where things changed or where they all went wrong makes her quietly cry. Without his father, and now after the loss of Tokuda, Izuku has been gradually growing more and more distant. She can understand that and why he's unable to come to her about how he's feeling. She just can't bear to be unable to do anything to help regardless of that being the case. Katsudon dinners and All Might themed gifts just don't cut it anymore the way they used to when Izuku was little.
As she contemplates whether she had been too hard on her son and what she should do moving forward, the source of her rumination comes out of his bedroom. He pokes his head out first, like he's scared of being caught for sneaking a peek outside of his confined quarters. But when he sees Inko in tears all alone in the living room, the mama's boy throws all caution to the wind and joins her on the couch. He has an easier time of being able to comfort her. All it takes is a hug. A nice long hug.
Inko hugs him back. She stays that way for a while, just simply holding him. Truth be told, she doesn't ever want to let him go. Disobedience and sneakiness aside, she just simply is scared of losing him too. Inko knows how overbearing and protective she can be – Hisashi had told her so many times before when he was still alive, as well as the neighbors next door like Mitsuki, or even Tokuda as well – but it can't be helped that she feels this way as a mother and with the loss of her husband to boot as an added addition nowadays.
"I'm sorry for making you upset, mom.." Izuku accepts responsibility for his part in making her feel this way with how he's been behaving as of late. He's such a kind and considerate boy that she's sure this has been hurting him as much as it has her. It was never his responsibility before for her feelings no matter what he might have to say about it but Inko appreciates it nevertheless.
"Sshh.. I'm the one who's sorry, Izuku.. It wasn't fair of me to put this all on you", now it's her turn as the adult – and more importantly, his mother – to apologize and take responsibility herself. She pulls back from their hug so that she can get a good look at his face again. Maybe she had just been overreacting or maybe the bruising has healed quicker than normal, but the injuries aren't as bad as they were previously. "Just.. Be more careful of yourself", the widowed woman looks him over and hopes all of the other wounds are coming along as nicely in her son's recovery, "I can't stand to think of losing you to recklessness."
Izuku looks away from her, unable to meet her gaze. He's constantly being reckless as Spider-Man. And no matter if he told her the truth, there'd be no changing that. As it stands, Inko believes it's merely his pursuit of Spider-Man to take photos that puts him in harm's way. She had been worried about his well being before when it came to following hero fights for his quirk analysis hobby that had been predating photography as a gig, but that had at least came along with crowd controlled police barriers and heroes protecting the onlooking audience. This vigilante business is a whole other story.
"I'm sorry, mom.." It's all Izuku can say – since, like Shinso, there's no way for him to offer anything else to make it all better – he can only keep apologizing to her, "I'm so sorry.." It might never be enough no matter how many times he says it. But he continues to say so anyways.
"Izuku..", Inko gently cups the area under her son's chin so that she can redirect his gaze to meet her own. The boy's eyes water as they look at his mother's own tearful stare. "Maybe..", she hesitates as she starts to make a suggestion; it feels like she's trampling on his hopes and dreams all over again for the sake of herself that she can't help but feel guilty when asking him, "Maybe you should consider taking a break from all of this Spider-Man stuff? Just for awhile?"
She can see the way his eyes shudder with the rest of his body. It's exactly like the day he was diagnosed as quirkless. He had asked her if he could still be a hero and she said no. It's not like she's telling him now not to be a photojournalist. She's proud of him for finding a new passion. She truly genuinely is. It's just that she didn't expect this job opportunity to be so dangerous. Inko wants to support her son and not tell him to give up on what he's decided to pursue as a career. So she suggests taking a break. A vacation.
Izuku's mind becomes hazy. It's a cloud of confusion wafting all around him as he tries to steady his breathing. His mom has no way of knowing he's Spider-Man. She's suggesting he give up photojournalism for awhile. But he takes it the other way. He thinks about giving up on being Spider-Man. So many times he's wanted to. But as though he had actually ever considered it, the thought of taking a break to see what that'd be like hadn't fully crossed his mind. It seems to him like an easy solution to his problems. A trial run. A test.
"Okay, mom.." He feels he owes it to her as much as he does himself to try. "I'll take a break for awhile", saying it aloud feels so liberating already. He feels himself smiling, even if it is a small one.
Inko smiles in return, relieved with that answer. "I'm so glad", she sighs as she fishes out her son's cellphone to hand it back to him, "Because you have a chance to make the most of a break like that" Izuku looks at her strangely so she explains, "Imagine my surprise when a nice girl called to offer you a trip to I-Island."
"WHAT?!", but that explanation is the furthest thing from an explanation to him right about now. That he got a phone call from a GIRL shocks him. That it was to invite him to I-Island as well… Izuku absentmindedly rubs the top of his left hand. He recalls a painful memory. The irony of returning to where it all started… He remembers the spider bite during a field trip there that gave him his powers.
Inko notes her son's surprise and starts looking at him suspiciously, "She said her name is Toru Hagakure. Why weren't you going to tell me about your girlfriend?"
Izuku turns a shade of red so bright that he looks like a freckled tomato when combining his face with his hair. "Sh- SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND", he blurts out a panicked response as sweat pours out of him.
Inko tuts, not sure whether she believes that or not. After all of the lies and secrets, she isn't sure what to believe. But.. The weird thing is she still trusts her son regardless. So she relents, "I wasn't going to let you go originally. Part of your punishment and all. But if you're serious about taking a break then I thought it would be good for you to get away from this all."
"I'm..", Izuku takes a moment to actually take this all in and think. Spider-Man taking a vacation seems unprecedented. But he DID just bring down Nezu's operation as the Kingpin… The alternative is staying here and being grounded, which could mean Spider-Man is restricted from doing anything activity wise anyways. Then there's the matter of returning to I-Island. After all these years, he never thought he'd revisit the place that gave him the burden of being Spider-Man. Whether he wants to or not is lost to him. But it may give him the clarity that he needs as well. Izuku thinks about the fact that this is being presented to him by Hagakure of all people and determines there's only one thing he can do about it, "I'm pretty sure I should call and find out first if this is still an option."
"Okay, dear" Inko nods as she stands up to leave the room and give him his privacy. Ah, she isn't kidding anybody. Even without his enhanced sense of surroundings, Izuku knows that his mom is going to be eavesdropping from outside the room. ESPECIALLY since it's a girl that he'll be on the phone with. Plus, she's already suspicious enough of his behavior to actually warrant the spying at this point.
He shakes his head as he dials Hagakure back. He expects to get her voicemail but is surprised when she actually answers. Though things start to make a little more sense when she actually explains what it's all about, "U.A is rewarding those of us who passed the Final Exams with I-Island tickets! We're each allowed a single plus one to bring as a guest and I thought of you. I figured I owed it to you after our talk."
Izuku takes that as a sign that this is what he needs to figure out his fate as Spider-Man. It's like the universe is sending him a sign as clear as day! Literally! "Ah, what the heck – Why not?", he agrees to go along for the trip for the sake of finding himself again.
"And when I was cornered by Hound Dog, I found deep within myself a reason to keep fighting! I wanted everyone to see me more than ever, and so I started to SHINE!", Hagakure explains how it is that she managed to scrape by and pass her Final Exam while walking with Izuku to the airport.
Izuku nods along, enthusiastically listening and scribbling notes in a spare quirk analysis journal. "That makes sense! You're invisible because you reflect light, I'm guessing!" He makes a new hypothesis about Hagakure's quirk based on her story from her practical exam.
Which she confirms by making her typically transparent skin twinkle against the sun's bright beams, "Yeah! It was like discovering my quirk all over again!" She giggles with glee for the first time in a long time since what happened to Ojiro. As she laughs, the light makes the outlines of her face ever apparent as a smile.
Seeing the way the light quite literally illuminates her beauty makes Izuku admire Hagakure with a wide eyed stare. "You're so pretty..", his thoughts audibly slip out before he can think better of himself. Hagakure does a doubletake and he himself burns as bright as her (only colored differently as red). Thinking about what his mom called her, he starts to stammer, "I- I mean- !"
Hagakure hides her face despite it returning to a completely invisible state. "Th- Thanks", she whispers out an embarrassed expression of appreciation. It's not often a girl with a quirk like hers gets called pretty, afterall.
After that, the two of them continue their stroll in awkward silence. It would have had the time to become uncomfortable if not for being disrupted by loud shouts from up ahead. When the duo reach U.A's reserved runway, they're joining other U.A students and their guests.
Amongst some of the folks idling around are Itsuka Kendo – and the source of all the ruckus they heard – Katsuki Bakugo. Kendo has her arms crossed while saying, "If you're asking for a guest pass.. I'm not giving you one."
To which Bakugo blows up and tells her, "I don't need your fucking handouts!" He looks insulted that she would even suggest that's why he's present with her despite failing his part of the Final Exam they did together.
"Then what is it you want?", Kendo uncrosses her arms while quirking an eyebrow. She had thought maybe he was hoping to mooch off of her and tag along but is now curious as to why he'd go out of his way to come here otherwise.
The usually explosive personality that the blonde has simmers down and he starts to become surprisingly nervous. He avoids making eye contact with the girl and blushes just the tiniest amount that one might expect him to make a love confession. Instead what he murmurs out is, "How did you get your power?"
Kendo reels, absolutely not expecting that question from the boy. She wonders if he's somehow figured out she got One For All from All Might. He did happen to witness her additional quirks awakening afterall. "Wh- What do you mean?", but she has to stall and act ignorant if she's going to play it safe.
Bakugo grinds his teeth together, annoyed that she isn't answering his question outright. "I mean how did you get so much stronger than me that you were able to go toe to toe with All Might and I wasn't?!", the truth is he's still trying to understand his weakness while being unable to acknowledge others as stronger than himself but Kendo perceives his interrogationally confrontational questions as him being suspicious about her power.
"I.. Uh..", she nervously looks around to see there are way too many other people in hearing proximity to have such a conversation about her gifted quirk. The girl starts to sweat when she sees Bakugo is running low on patience while waiting for an answer from her.
But fortunately for her – and unfortunately for Izuku – Bakugo sets his sights on another person to direct his anger towards. "Eh?! What are YOU doing here?!", he abandons his conversation with Kendo to stomp aggressively at Izuku.
"A- Ah!", Izuku doesn't need his Spider-Sense to make his body reflexively steer clear of the explosive blonde bully. "I, uh, I was invited–" He feels bad shifting the blame and attention onto Hagakure so he stops himself short before invoking Bakugo's wrath on her.
Turns out he doesn't need to say anything though, since she volunteers the information. "He's my guest to I-Island, you jerk!" Hagakure places herself protectively in front of Izuku, much to Bakugo's disdain.
"Tch! Of course a low ranker like you would associate with a weakling like him", Bakugo dismisses the transgression when seeing he's caught the attention of everybody else by confronting the nerd. Leaving the loser and his invisible friend alone is fine by him. He's wasted enough of his time already. He whirls back in Kendo's direction to say, "You still owe me an explanation when you get back!", before storming off.
Kendo sweatdrops before wiping it clear from her forehead. Once Bakugo is through harassing her and Izuku, she registers that Izuku is there at all. Not only that, but he's there because Hagakure brought him as a guest. She feels jealousy and other buried feelings swelling up within her.
The ginger girl winds up exchanging a glance with Jirou. The two of them share a mutual look before they each realize something. Jirou is staring at Hagakure and her guest with a hint of anger too. Jirou feeling jealous over Izuku is a strange development. Both girls wind up searching their inner most feelings, finding themselves confused and conflicted about the latest addition to their trip.
As they figure out how this will affect their seating arrangements, the last members of their party arrive. Denki Kaminari and his plus one are just about as much of a surprise. "Sorry we're late", the scarred blonde grins as he puts an arm around his new friend's shoulders.
"Shinso?!", Izuku is shocked to see the fellow Gen Ed student. Along with Kaminari no less. That they could get along and bond over their mutual hatred for Spider-Man starts to scare him.
Especially when Shinso shows a shit eating grin much like Kaminari's and says, "You're not the only one with friends in the Hero Course anymore."
Per Tomura Shigaraki's orders, Electro is working an angle to get closer to Hitoshi Shinso. Whether the villains will succeed in winning his favor or not remains to be seen.
AUTHOR NOTES
Oh yeah, it's all coming together~
More on why I chose I-Island to be the place that Izuku got his spider bitten transmission of powers next chapter!
Till then, I'll get to addressing those reviews of yours, dear readers!
SonicMax, I agree so wholeheartedly that I even included essentially that same sentiment in this chapter's writing. If Inko is this worried about Izuku already, just imagine if she were to know about his crimefighting as a vigilante. Heh .. maybe one of these chapters you won't have to imagine anymore.
Glad you liked the Kingpin reveal, theMAX360! Hope you like some of what else is yet to come!
Oh-ho, CapoPerk, there's so much going on with the villain side of things and there's only bound to be more activity in the next chapter!
I love ya Pikapowerz but you gotta chill on the self advertising cause I can't have others getting ideas and also advertising and I can't play favorites just letting you get away with it either.
Last but not least, I've been contemplating the romance aspect of this story as of late. It's always been my intent to portray Spidey's rough love life with those teenage drama fundamentals pitched in, and that's still very much going to be the case. However, I won't be making this into a harem any time soon either. Whereas I enjoy teasing & hinting at ships, I do want to decide on a definitive relationship. I'm bound to introduce Melissa Shield with this I-Island arc and have plans for how that's gonna play out, as well as another potential love interest being introduced soon, but the toss up for long term relationship potential is between Kyoka Jirou & Itsuka Kendo currently with Toru Hagakure being a potential player now as well. Cast your votes, readers, while you still can!
~Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood author!