Even if she had been here once before, Mei's cheek still hurt from smiling so hard when she walked through the gate of U.A. Years of waiting for this day, or this day that would come in a few weeks when she and her boyfriend would begin their school year in the most famous school in Japan. She kept squeezing Takuma's hand in hers as she was barely able to stop herself from bouncing around in sheer excitement.
"Here," the small A.R.K-9 robot sounded out as it handed them both passes. "Please keep it on your person at all times."
"Will do," Takuma replied neutrally. "Thanks."
They started walking again, toward the Development Studio where she had a meeting with destiny.
"Why are you so polite with the robots? They're not Fred'Ricks, you know," she told her boyfriend, who was tense as a spring next to her.
"I'm just edging my bets in case the robot uprising happens in my lifetime," he joked with a half-grin she never failed to find adorable.
There were only a few students outside; most were in the middle of class or racking in more training and study. As her sight-like eyes zoomed kilometers away into one of the grounds used for Hero training, she could see a few students going through some kind of training, walking and running around everywhere as they worked on how to facilitate their movement in a setting that was close to most Japanese city architecture. Did Takuma know how to move like that?
"Say, do you know how to parkour?" she asked him as she leaned further into his arm, looking up at him.
"Yes, it was kind of a necessity growing up," he told her with the same bland tone that she got used to hearing when they were in public.
The Takuma she knew behind closed doors was more expressive, but she could only hope they'd find people with whom he would be confident in sharing that part of him.
"Makes sense," she let out, again reminded of his terrible childhood. "Is it worth it for me to learn?"
"Probably not, it takes a lot of time to learn in any way that matters," he told her, always happy to share information. "The first thing you need to learn is how to fall without hurting yourself, then you just up the speed on anything you do and learn how best to navigate your surroundings. As you can imagine, it's going to leave a lot of bruises."
She wrinkled her nose. "No thanks."
He raised her hand to his lips and laid a kiss on it. She grinned at the gesture and took control to do the same. Then he did it again, which meant she had no choice but to do the same. She felt him shake as he laughed near silently under his breath. She took it as a win.
"And here we are, to the realm of she who maketh the future," he let out in the same parodic tone he used to imitate Fre'Ricks' old tone.
"Yes, I do!" she giggled as she grabbed the costume case from her boyfriend's hand. "Alright, my baby is going to be great, it's going to be amazing."
"It's already great and amazing," her boyfriend stated in full confidence. "And if she's too dumb to understand why, then I'll just have to break her leg."
She giggled the last of her nerves away, as it was time to show what she was made of. She ran her pass in front of the pad, the heavy metal gate moved without a noise. Sounds of metal, shock, and heat greeted her as she made her way inside. Her sight jumped from a circuit board to a computer to a gauntlet to another piece of gear as she took in the sight in front of her. She felt right at home.
"M-Mrs. Hatsume, good morning," Lockluster greeted them. She was wearing a modest civilian attire with a green hoodie; her light green with ocean-blue highlight hair in a bob cut was cut shorter than the last time she saw her.
"Hello!" she replied, as Midnight in her Hero attire next to her customer simply waved her hand.
"'Sup," Takuma said next to her.
"Alright, I have my baby ready, go and try it on!" Mei demanded as she handed the case to Lockluster. "And bring back the cloth with you when you're done, there's a few pieces of design I decided to let up to you."
The way she leaned back told Mei she might have been a bit too forceful while handing the Heroine the case, but she couldn't care as she nearly ran away from her and into one of the privacy rooms where she could change in peace.
"Mei, have mercy on the poor girl," was her boyfriend's way of reminding her to slow down.
She pouted and looked away. She wanted nothing but to go faster. "I'll try."
"That's enough for me," he told her as he wrapped his arm from behind her, allowing her to rest against him.
"I hope you two lovebirds had a good week," Midnight said as she walked toward them. The way she walked, overtly showing her curves, made her hold on Takuma in a possessive fit.
"With her? Always," her boyfriend replied to her pleasure.
"With him? Always," she repeated, making him quiver against her.
No hussy would put herself between her and her boyfriend. To hear her coo over the two of them was... concerning.
"You two are such cuties," the woman said as she looked them up and down. "Besides, I believe one of you is going to be spending time with the Headmaster, am I correct?"
"You are," Takuma replied blankly. "Do you mind dropping the act?"
Mei blinked in confusion, then watched in absolute awe as the lascivious smile and body language changed from a praying panther to a normal woman.
"Ah, I try to have fun where I can. You are a pretty poor sport about it," Midnight said in a tone that was so far removed from the flirty song she was used to hearing, she wondered if she was the same person as a second ago. "Did everything go well with Saya's costume?"
"There wasn't any issue, besides some few bits and bobbles that I am sure Power Loader is going to love using to tear a new one into Overdrive Authority," she revealed with a sadistic smile.
Because Mei had the time to look into the strange piece of tech that she found in Lockluster's costume, this was going to be fun to watch.
"Hikigari should be here soon. One of the first-year gear tests had a catastrophic failure and he had to go oversee the damage," the Heroine told them as Mei frowned.
"What kind of gear?"
"A jetpack."
She hummed and looked to the side, tilting her head in the process. "He misjudged the compressed air outflow into the main fuel tank."
"Something like that. It's Power Loader's expertise more than my own, so you'll have to ask him."
"How did you know?" Takuma asked in her ear.
She started bouncing from left to right in his arms as she answered. "You remember the last time I blew myself up?"
"I do," he replied before looking down at her. "Mistakes are the mother of all invention."
Her words in his mouth never sounded so beautiful. "Stop being cute."
"Never," he let out in a whisper that brought a shiver to her skin.
Her last foray into a closer physical relationship had left her wanting for more, and she was never more reminded of that fact than when he held her, feeling his muscle against her skin, his presence. She leaned into him even more as she let herself breathe for now.
"You both make it so hard not to tease you, this is suffering," Midnight groused as she let out a sigh filled with all the weight of the world. "And here is Saya."
"Ohohoh, yes she is," Mei purred at seeing the result of her hard work seated on the Heroine's shoulder.
The overall exterior design was close to the same, fluffy white material that made her look like a sheep as a jacket. This time, however, she had the added bonus of a utility belt and a cowl with cartoonish ram-like horns.
"It's weightless," Saya said in disbelief as she rolled her shoulder and moved around. "How did you manage that?"
Mei jumped from Takuma's arms and bounced toward the Heroine. "With the best material I could get my hands on, this baby will keep you safe and ready for any job you might come across!" she declared with pride as she went into business mode. "With two layers, one made for protection and dissimulation based on the original design, I added a cowl and a utility belt. The belt is self-explanatory, while the cowl is fitted with a few gadgets to help you keep in communication with the built-in communicator—stronger than the earpiece Heroes usually use—due to the ram horns being antennae to better catch signal. You also possess a dial just behind your left ear that you can use to change channels. Of course, it offers protection against fire, smoke, and a diverse range of poison gases based on my own research around the most common encounters of the kind for Heroes," she listed rapid-fire as she pointed out and gave a brief demonstration as she went on with each addition. She opened the jacket, revealing a second layer form-fitted to the first that Saya undoubtedly did not notice. "The jacket is in fact two. Pinch the zipper between two fingers to unlock it in case you need to remove the first layer for whatever reason. The second, dark blue one is specifically geared toward protection and dissimulation. I used a homemade mesh design to replace what those morons made you. It can now carry plates of armor between the seams and actually protect you from knives and Quirks alike, even maybe firearms, but I haven't tested it for that yet. It's less sheepy than the first layer, but you won't have to show it to the world most likely. You can even switch the upper sheep jacket if you like since I made a one-fit-all attachment to make sure you can update your gear on your own or with someone else if you need to," she continued, marvelling at how well her work sat on the girl's frame. Zipping the jacket back up, she pulled it down again, now opening it fully. "I threw away the bra, it was stupid." This made Saya laugh with the ever-creeping blush present. "I decided to go for a form-fitting shirt, helps the skin breathe. The inner pockets of the jacket are of all sizes—first-aid, capture tools, or manacles. You can use them to stock anything you might need on your patrol," she finished, both fists on her hips as she smiled with glee. "So how do you find it?"
Lockluster's eyes grew wide as saucers. "It's... good?"
"And?" she asked again expectantly.
"Thank you?"
"She's asking if you find any discomfort or if there's anything not to your liking about your costume," Takuma sent out from behind her.
"Exactly," Mei agreed quickly as she waited for an answer.
"Everything seems alright..." she said as she started to move. Mei noticed how her neck tensed as she moved, probably expecting the old weight around her neck that caused her trouble. Finding nothing, she relaxed, slowly getting used to the new costume. Her movements grew quicker as she started bouncing from one foot to another, sending jabs and punches in quick succession. Then she bounced from side to side with a growing smile. "It's so light, how did you manage that?" Saya asked with the first sign of joy.
"An expert touch is all you need, and Hatsume Industry has plenty of it!" she declared with a proud grin. "The metal used is extremely light on a surface-to-protection level, but it's still one of the best in the world. You won't find it lacking against anything a standard patrol can throw at you. This baby will keep you safe and sound, trust my word!"
"I see only one problem with this new costume," Midnight said as she inspected it in turn. "You're not showing enough skin."
At this, Saya's face dropped. "Oh... right."
"Would you mind showing me how your Quirk works?" Takuma asked as he walked behind Mei again and wrapped her in his arms. She leaned against him.
"W-Why for?" the Heroine asked.
"My Quirk lets me see how other people's Quirks interact and apply themselves. If you want, I can take a look and help you better understand it," her boyfriend offered with a dull tone.
"He was the one who taught Midoriya how to safely use his Quirk. You can trust him," the older pro said to the younger one.
Saya nodded and took a breath. "My Quirk works by locking someone in place as long as they are attracted to me. That's why I—"
"Went around in half-a-bra," Mei cut her off before biting her tongue.
"Use it on me so I can see it work," her boyfriend said, much to Mei's displeasure. She didn't think of herself as the jealous type, but the thought of him looking at someone else made her feel queasy.
Saya nodded, then frowned, then looked away. "I-I can't."
"Why is that?" Midnight asked.
"He isn't a-attracted to me," she replied, to Mei's glee. She held his arm around her tighter.
"First thing first: I am not attracted to you, true, but that's not the real reason your Quirk doesn't work on me," Takuma explained simply. "You see, my Quirk allows me to feel emotion and use them for many things—reconnaissance, prediction, cold reading, social engineering. But most importantly, it allows me to pinpoint some of the details that most people would miss. Like, for instance, the fact that your Quirk doesn't actually require lust to function."
"How so?" Midnight asked, echoing the same question Mei was about to.
"Let me show you. Mei, do you mind going next to Saya and hugging her?" Takuma asked, and she was more than happy to comply as she skipped forward and hugged the girl, who welcomed the embrace with a shy grin. "Try to use your Quirk again."
Mei watched as Takuma raised his arm and let it drop—he froze in the middle of letting it fall back down.
"It wo-work—"
"Worked like a charm," her boyfriend finished the Heroine's sentence as she choked on air.
"How did—did you—I didn't re-release you yet?!" the girl asked in disbelief as Mei let her go.
"I had to train myself to meditate constantly to deal with the flow of information. Desire, the element you need for your Quirk to work, is part of the emotional spectrum—a spectrum that I taught myself how to read and ignore just to function in society," her boyfriend revealed with a cheeky grin. "Your Quirk backpacks on Desire to hold your target, but a strong enough mind can free itself from your shackles. I wouldn't call myself an expert in many things, but mental Quirks? That I can."
"You are just full of surprises," Midnight let out with a keen look of interest that Mei did not like.
"What's the difference between lust and desire? A-Aren't they the same?" Lockluster asked.
"Lust is just that—lust. It's an intense desire. And given how your Quirk works, it's not surprising your Quirk counselor got them confused," her boyfriend revealed as Mei made her way back to him and took her place by his side, in his arms. "Desire is more of a catch-all term—it can be physical, or for status, or anything really. Since I'm not attracted to you in any way, your Quirk didn't work on me. But since you had Mei hanging off you, my desire to have her close to me instead of you allowed your Quirk to act where it would have failed otherwise," her boyfriend revealed candidly. Mei blushed and looked away from Midnight, who was looking at her with a knowing grin. "You don't actually need to show any skin to use your Quirk. Your teachers were just bad."
"So if, say, she was in a relationship with Hawks, for example, her Quirk would work on those who are jealous of her?" the pro on staff asked for clarification.
"In theory, yes—but only if it comes from a place where they wish to be in her position, or even to be her," Takuma clarified. "You could start wearing the latest fashion, maybe spread a few rumors that'll have the kind of criminals you encounter most hungry for a piece of you. The sky is the ceiling. With a Quirk tied to desire, there are many angles you could go for that don't involve going into danger with only half a bra."
"You really don't like that bra," Mei stated pointlessly.
"That thing is the work of the devil," Takuma groaned.
"Well, in that case, I'm glad to have taken her as my sidekick," Midnight revealed, to their collective surprise. "We're going to have a lot of fun making sure her Quirk works on anyone she encounters," she added, purring the last part and making Lockluster blush an even deeper crimson as she looked away.
"You took a sidekick?" Takuma asked, then glanced at the door in hopes of seeing Power Loader. A look at the clock told him her session with Nedzu would start soon. "He'll be here in thirty seconds," he added in her ear, and she nodded, brimming with excitement.
"I did. Lockluster's Quirk makes her perfect for my agency—especially now that we have a better understanding of how it works," the pro revealed with a grin. "You know, there are a lot of people who'd pay my yearly salary for the kind of insight you just gave."
"Heh, pass. It's nothing Midoriya couldn't do if she'd gone to him for answers, and he can do it without feeling like he's going through a blender," her boyfriend replied with a sigh. "At least there aren't too many people around."
Mei caught the wince both women shared.
"You don't feel any desire toward me, then?" Lockluster asked shyly, much to her annoyance. "Sorry, it's just... I rarely meet anyone I can't use my Quirk on."
"Yes. To be fair, you're in direct competition with my girlfriend, who is the most beautiful girl in the world—and she's also standing right next to me," Takuma stated as he held Mei a bit tighter. She tried her best to keep her composure, but a blush still crept across her cheeks.
She loved how utterly direct he was with his love.
"Have you seen her?" he asked, as if preaching to the blind. "Isn't she adorable?" he added, poking her cheek. "I just think she's neat."
"Stop it," she demanded with a giggle, just as she turned to see Power Loader enter the room.
"This day can't get any worse," the Support Course teacher groaned as he made a beeline toward them.
"Famous last words," Takuma drawled behind her.
"So, how is it?" her future teacher asked, turning to Lockluster.
"I d-don't see any issues. It's comfortable to we-wear, and I can mo-move around more than I used to," Saya listed as Power Loader nodded.
"Alright, go change, and I'll go over the costume now. If it's up to my standards, you can bring it to your next patrol," the pro told her as the girl nodded and headed out. "As for you—what did you find?"
"They bugged her costume!" Mei exclaimed as she bounced in her boyfriend's arms.
Her future teacher went completely still. "...What?" he asked in a low tone that she knew meant nothing good for whoever was responsible.
Good.
Mei grabbed the bag Takuma handed her and offered it to the pro. "In here, you'll find everything I took off her costume. From useless pieces of steel to a small sound-capture device that recorded everything she ever said."
"That doesn't seem very legal," Takuma stated as Midnight stepped closer.
"It isn't," Power Loader confirmed grimly. "I assume you already have a report on what you found?"
"I do!" Mei confirmed brightly, retrieving the file she'd placed in the bag. "Here—you'll find a list of every mistake made during the costume's creation, a list of useless parts that were either left unfinished or poorly made, and finally, everything I recovered from the recording device."
She spoke with excitement as her future teacher took both the file and the bag from her hands.
"We're going to have to get Nedzu on this. We can't allow anyone else to get ideas like that," Midnight said as Power Loader nodded beside her. "We'll wait for you to double-check her work before we inform Saya."
"Yes, better be sure," the male pro agreed.
"Oh shit," she heard her boyfriend mutter. She turned and noticed his grave expression."I explained my Quirk to her… those bastards were listening, I bet."
"Between privacy issues and a breach of opsec, heads are going to roll when this gets out," the ginger-haired pro said. "I'm getting on it now. I'll work on the costume after."
Mei nodded. She understood the need to prioritize the potential spying on Heroes she'd encountered during what she mentally referred to as her baby-making session.
She felt a presence behind her, and arms wrapped around her again—this time not in a comforting way. "Was it on during… our talk?" he asked, his voice sickly and nearly frightened.
"No," she told him, turning around to meet his eyes directly."It needs movement to charge the battery, and since it was so small, it couldn't have lasted more than ten minutes after she took off the costume. We're safe on that front."
The full-body sigh of relief he let out was heart-breaking. "You should've told me," he said. There was no judgment in his tone, yet Mei felt it anyway.
"Sorry. I didn't think about it," she replied with a wince.
The kiss on her brow was soft and grounding. "No worries. Just try and keep me updated when spy stuff is going on, okay?"
"I will," she promised, and the small grin he gave her made it all worth it.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She grabbed it and unlocked it to see the message.
Fur-ry: Our session begins in five minutes.
"Who is it?" her boyfriend asked.
"Nedzu. He's reminding me our session starts in five."
"Wait a damn minute!" her future teacher exclaimed. "You're joining Izuku's study sessions under Nedzu?!"
"I am," she confirmed with a smile, watching his face drop.
"Oh god, not another one."
"Don't be so dramatic. We had a good life," Midnight sighed as she patted him on the back.
"Go on, then. I'll deal with what you brought me today, and we'll handle your part of the deal tomorrow."
"Alright," she replied, a bit disappointed not to get started on Takuma's lower costume section.
"Let's not keep them waiting," Takuma said as he led her toward the door. "Oh, and where can I find you later? I wanted to spar, if you're up for it."
"You'll find me on Ground Delta. I'm supervising a training session there in fifteen minutes," Midnight told him as they walked away—finally leaving the development studio behind.
"Welp, looks like I'm not the only one doing some extracurricular activities," Takuma drawled with a grin as they walked hand-in-hand through the halls of U.A. "So, how does it feel to be doing counter-espionage before your first official day in the Support Course?"
Mei blinked.
"Oh wow… I never even thought of it like that," she said, realization settling in. "Oh well, if it helps me make even better babies, it's worth it."
She heard him chuckle and leaned into his arm more as they made their way to the principal's office in a comfortable silence. That silence lasted exactly until she met the eyes of her very best friend.
"Izu!" she shouted, waving quickly as her green-themed best friend turned toward her.
"Hello, you two," he said as she hugged him.
"Sup," Takuma said next to her. "Alright, I'll leave you to it. Don't take over the world without me," he added, giving Mei one last peck on the cheek before walking away.
It truly took all their willpower not to be all over each other—more than they already were.
"Where's he going?" Izu asked as he watched Takuma walk off—and she totally did not look at his ass. Nope. Not even a little.
"Just looking around to get familiar with the place," Takuma called over his shoulder. "Send me a message when you're done!" he added just before taking a turn and disappearing from sight.
"He seems in a good mood today… or is it just me?" Izuku asked beside her.
She hummed as she thought about it. "I'd say he's doing fine, given the circumstances. I don't think he enjoys being here, but since we're going to spend the next three years at U.A., he might've decided to just get used to the place first."
"Is that why he came with you?"
"I think so. Or maybe he just wanted to fight Midnight for some reason," she offered aimlessly, and her best friend nodded.
"Probably because of the whip," Izuku said, making Mei raise a quizzical eyebrow.
"It's not a normal whip. She can throw an Etheromorph four times her weight around like it's nothing—it was impressive to watch."
"I guess," Mei murmured, starting to feel the nerves creep in at the thought of meeting—and learning under—the most intelligent being in Japan. "Wait, what do you mean her whip is—"
The door opened suddenly, making Mei jump.
"Come on in. I've just finished the last call of the day," Nedzu said, inviting them in.
And finally, Mei could put a face to the voice of U.A.'s headmaster.
"Good morning, sir!" Izuku greeted enthusiastically as Mei followed close behind.
"You look like an oversized plushie," she blurted out, eyes scanning the glossy fur, wide face, and cute ears.
"Mei!" her best friend said, his tone full of disappointment that made her stomach sink.
"I'm sorry, it slipped out!" she quickly offered, waving her hands.
To her relief, Nedzu chuckled, sipping from his tea. "Do not worry—I take it as a compliment. You'd be surprised how much care goes into maintaining such a lustrous coat."
Mei sighed internally in relief, nodded in greeting, and took a seat next to Izuku.
"I hope you both had a productive weekend," Nedzu offered as he set the teacup back down on his desk. "Today will be a little different from our usual sessions. First, I'll need to catch Mrs. Hatsume up on our current work. But that is not the entire reason for today's change of pace."
"Did something come up?" Izu asked, then quickly glanced at Mei and explained, "Sometimes Nedzu gets cases and uses them to teach me how to analyze them."
She nodded—made sense. Learning from an actual Hero, especially this one, would help Izuku develop his instincts.
"It is, in part, the reason. You see, I have been working on a case for some time now—and I wasn't willing to share it until Mrs. Hatsume was present," the headmaster revealed, his voice calm and measured.
Mei narrowed her eyes. "And why is that?" she asked, now unsure whether coming to the rat for knowledge had been such a good idea.
"Because I believe it would be in poor taste to work on a case involving one Takuma Takuma without his closest person present to argue in his defense," Nedzu said evenly.
And now she understood why he'd been so keen to take her in.
"Why?" her best friend asked, just as she opened her mouth to do the same.
"Because there are… many important elements in your friend's past that leave me perplexed as to how I should act regarding him." She wasn't sure if she heard the sigh in his voice or imagined it. "Think of this as an exercise in the theory of the criminal underworld—and trust. At no point during this exercise will I ask for, or expect, any information you are privy to."
That last part, at least, was relieving.
"There are things I won't tell you. Not without his say-so," Mei said firmly, her eyes narrowing just a little.
"I-I've already said too much," Izuku murmured beside her.
Mei's head whipped toward him, eyes narrowing even more.
He looked away, and right then and there, she knew—She was going to have some very strong words with him later.
"So, to allow you two to see the situation from my perspective, let's start at the beginning," Nedzu said in a chipper tone as he opened one of the files on his desk. A quick glance with her Zoom lens showed the name: Takuma. "The Suiketsu Orphanage is the first place where someone named Takuma, with black hair and a matching build, was officially recorded," the headmaster added as he handed over a printed file.
They both leaned forward. Mei recognized the younger features instantly.
"It's him," Izuku confirmed. "You already knew when we met... the first time?"
"I did," the furred mammal admitted, as Mei already began to feel the weight of it. "The first time I met both Midoriya and Takuma, I asked the officer in charge of the Aldera case to inquire about Takuma's whereabouts—before his Etheromorph incident. As you'll see, this boy has left quite a trail behind him."
'Takuma's paranoia is certainly earned,' she thought grimly, flipping through the file.
"His file is still marked as Quirkless, pending an awakening," she noted aloud, and Izuku nodded beside her.
"They never got the chance to update it," he added grimly.
They both looked to Nedzu for answers.
"Takuma—named Suzenitsu at the time—spent two years in that orphanage. The few reports we were able to access describe a closed-off but studious child. Beyond his reserved nature toward caretakers and other children, the only notable detail was the presence of multiple scars along his legs, reportedly the result of a villain attack." That last bit earned a sigh from Izuku.
Mei already knew about the scars. Seeing them had made her heart ache every time.
"At the time, no villain attack destructive enough to level a building was recorded in that area," Nedzu went on. "Despite dust samples and lacerations suggesting he was telling the truth, no further evidence surfaced to support or solve his case. And with no family found through DNA testing, Takuma became a ward of the state—without much further inquiry into how he got there."
So far, this lined up with what she already knew.
"He had to walk to a police station to get help," Mei said through clenched teeth. "No one stopped. No one helped him. He nearly died right then and there because no one gave a damn."
She felt both pairs of eyes on her but didn't say more. The thought of how helpless and alone he must have felt made her want to smash something.
"Ah yes... The public's tendency to wait for Heroes, even when civilian intervention would suffice, has sadly only worsened over the years," Nedzu said, his voice heavier now.
"Nobody helped him?" Izuku asked, almost needing to hear it again.
"He passed out right after reaching the station," Mei confirmed, noticing how tense Izuku had become.
Nedzu took a thoughtful sip of his tea before continuing. "This next portion is less about Takuma himself and more about the incident that led to the orphanage's closure. After the first death was reported, a Pro Hero was dispatched to investigate. Unfortunately, that Hero only had time to call for reinforcements before succumbing to a Quirk-based attack—one we still haven't been able to identify."
Mei's heart cracked at the words.
"The attack affected over three hundred people within a wide radius, many of whom died in the following days and weeks. The damage was irreparable."
Three hundred…She knew Takuma had only ever mentioned about half of them.
They don't know it wasn't a villain attack.
They don't know it was him.
They can't know.
Takuma had awakened—a Quirk so powerful and wild it had killed nearly everyone around him before he had a chance to understand what was happening.
She covered her face with her hand, overwhelmed.
Izu's hand on her shoulder startled her, but she turned and gave him a soft smile, reassuring him even through her own pain.
When she looked back, Nedzu's expression was one of concern.
"Mrs. Hatsume," he said gently, "I understand this is not what you were expecting from today's session. If you'd like, we can stop and move on to more pleasant subjects."
He moved to close the file.
"No. Let's keep going," she said after a deep sigh. "Just… try not to bring it up when he's around. It's not something he's ready to talk about. Not even with me."
The oversized plushie nodded solemnly, and Mei leaned back in her chair, collecting herself.
"Duly noted," Nedzu said. "After this event, we found no trace of him—from age six to eleven. And the next record we do have... is not from Japan."
He pushed a piece of paper toward them.
Again she looked it over, right as her eyes glazed over at reading the letter.
"Unknown male, dangerous and armed. Wanted for acts of terrorism and attempted murder against officials of the World Heroes Association and French administration. Ranked as an SS Villain in Europe?!"
Izuku's voice kept rising until he read the last bit of the file.
"How?!" he nearly shouted as he looked at her. "Did you know?"
"No, I heard him say something once about the French, but he seemed more confused than anything," she let out, remembering a weird interaction she'd had with him.
"Maybe he doesn't remember?" Izuku offered, and she nodded—then realized only now that Nedzu was still in the room with them.
"Takuma has memory issues. He doesn't remember parts of his life," she said, more in an attempt to keep the rat from digging further into her boyfriend's past than he already had.
"The last two years are especially blurry," Izuku added, to her frustration.
"I see. I'll keep that in mind," the headmaster replied with a small, pleasant smile that Mei could not see through.
"As for the rest of the case, it was sealed after the incident and only accessible to the highest-ranking members of the World Heroes Association—of which I am one!" the furred mammal added with a joyous tone, which made her giggle under her breath.
"From what I managed to gather, multiple reports either paint Takuma as a wanton murderer or an insane child—but the truth is far different. Members of the French branch of the W.H.A. kidnapped children from Japan and tried to force them into service. Takuma was one of them."
"They tried to make child soldiers," Izuku stated rather than asked. "I can see why he earned an SS rank."
Mei blinked in surprise. She would have expected a more naive reaction from her best friend, yet here he was already seeing the situation from her boyfriend's perspective. Good.
"Indeed. I have access to a report that paints an interesting picture of the event. Takuma escaped from the facility he was held in, then proceeded to free other Japanese residents and worked out a plan to strike at the French embassy of the W.H.A. with multiple car bombs. Hostages were taken, and only when an unnamed Hero acceded to his demand of contacting the Japanese embassy did the situation change. Arrests were made, corruption was uncovered, and the victims of this abuse of power were repatriated to Japan. Thus, the situation was brought to a close," Nedzu revealed as Mei's mouth hit the floor.
"Quite a scene, wouldn't you agree?"
"Do you think he remembers doing that?" Izu asked her.
"I'm not... sure," she let out. She didn't know what to say to that.
She knew her boyfriend's dislike of Heroes was earned, but she didn't expect it to manifest in high-stakes terrorism in Europe.
"Wait, is he still marked as a Villain?"
"No. The Villain rank was frozen after the corruption was unearthed," Nedzu revealed, which was a relief.
"Though I have to say, Takuma will find it exceedingly hard to travel to Europe. A frozen rank is very different from one that was removed, and he will be put under harsh scrutiny during his stay."
She could live with that, and in the worst case, she could still find a way to go around the problem.
"I knew Takuma had a harsh life, but I didn't expect something... to this level," Izu said, and she could only nod.
She knew about the homelessness, the constant need to be on the move to flee from the latest Villain hunting him. Maybe she'd push her baby-making tech into harsher territory—if the W.H.A. came to take another stab at her boyfriend, she needed to be ready.
"And this was the last place Takuma was seen before the incident in which Mrs. Hatsume took part," Nedzu added, to her surprise.
"Officially, of course. Tracking Takuma's whereabouts has been a surprising challenge that unearthed quite a bit of interesting history."
"Because this wasn't interesting until now?" Mei asked, half in surprise, half in fright of what came next.
"It is, because you see, there are some things even a high-ranking member of the W.H.A. doesn't have access to. And a sponsored profile in their database is one of them," Nedzu revealed as he handed them a third sheet.
"Takuma, Takuma. Do not approach, do not interact. This individual is under the consideration of an X-rated rank and should not under any circumstance be harassed, detained, or fought. Please notify the W.H.A. of any endeavor tied to this individual," Mei read as her mouth dried up.
"What does an X-rank mean?"
She hated how small her voice sounded. She knew it couldn't mean anything good.
"An X-rank means that an individual's Quirk is too powerful to be dealt with by normal means, and therefore they are allowed to act without any repercussions under any country part of the World Heroes Association," Nedzu explained, as she saw Izuku sit straight in his seat.
"Gran Torino told me about it. An X-rank is given only when the Association believes there is no one who can effectively deal with a potential Villain," her best friend revealed. "They don't think All Might would win if he were to fight him."
"Yes. Though you need to understand, as rare as they are, some individuals with an X-rank can also be people with Villainous tendencies that are too useful to the W.H.A. to be dealt with the normal way—which would raise many other questions about his past."
The thought was sobering. She could see it now. How strong her boyfriend could be if he let loose with his Quirk. Yet she couldn't quite associate the image of an X-rated Villain with the boy who would fall asleep in her arms the second she brushed his hair to the side. The latter part of the rat's infodump made more sense.
"This rank hasn't been given by the Association, however, so it has no real weight to it," the rat corrected. "But by the Hero in charge, which remains unknown to me still."
"Why can't you contact them?" Mei asked, trying to regain some composure.
"The process to access the file of S-ranked and above Villains who are under the care of another Hero, which I might add is from another country, is subject to so much red tape that it is sadly nearly impossible to access such a file, and the reasons why Takuma would be subjected to an X-rank," the oversized plush told them with obvious frustration.
"Do you know who it can be?" Izuku asked her, and she froze.
"I—I'm not sure," she replied, as her best friend winced with a guilty look.
"Let's not turn this session into an interrogation. This next part will raise enough questions as it is," Nedzu cut in before Mei could fumble into a lie.
"R-right, sorry, Mei."
"It's okay," she said, more interested in what the headmaster would say next than in her best friend's apology.
Star and Stripe was an easy guess. Mei doubted most heroes had the credibility to give an X-Rank and have it followed by the W.H.A. without some serious pull. She didn't even know X-Rank existed until now. It was terrifying that it even did.
"For this part, we are going to need to look from the other side of the law. Takuma has done an incredible job of hiding his footprint, and it's only under careful investigation that I managed to uncover part of his past, ranging from petty criminality to assault, vigilantism, and even more," Nedzu revealed to her horror as he handed them both another file. "Here is the list of the many crimes that Takuma would be accused of if he hadn't done such an exceedingly good job at hiding his presence, until recently."
"Theft, burglary, vandalism, trespassing, arson, identity theft, disturbing the peace, possession of controlled substances, assault, battery, racketeering, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, intimidation, witness tampering, gang-related behavior, attempted murder, murder, assassination..." Izuku listed, his voice dropping to a whisper when he reached the last three. "Did he really do all this?"
"Allegedly. It is exceedingly hard to prove due to the web of deceit and misdirection that he has woven for years, but so far, it is what I believe is the most likely list of his crimes—non-exhaustive, of course," Nedzu stated with a grave tone.
"They've been after him for years, it was self-defense," Mei seethed, staring at the headmaster.
"I know," Nedzu replied in a jovial tone.
"What?" Izuku and Mei both said at the same time.
The headmaster opened another file, this one far more detailed than the previous ones. "I believe I have an understanding as to why Takuma had to resort to such definitive action," he told them as he handed over another sheet of paper.
Mei zoomed in and read aloud, "Eight-year-old boy, Volatile mental Quirk, known for living with a small group of other children, dark hair, mole to the side of the mouth. Name: Takuma Suzenitsu. Price: Fifteen million yen."
"Even then," Izuku sighed. "And it's only the first one."
Mei read over each bounty one by one until she reached the last one. "Takuma Takuma, Volatile mental Quirk. Price: Seven hundred million yen," she read, seeing the accompanying image of her boyfriend taken straight from the video someone had recorded during his fight with the multi-armed Etheromorph.
'I'm not sure he's going to be happy about this new record,' she thought as she let herself fall back in her seat.
"Is this a normal amount for a bounty?" Izuku questioned.
"An irregular amount," Nedzu explained. "Anything above two hundred million is rare. Five hundred million is not unheard of, but seven hundred million is, on the other hand, one of a kind. It's third only to two bounties placed on Pro-Heroes."
"Which ones?" Mei asked, standing up straight.
"All Might and one of my staff members, Eraserhead," he revealed, as Mei looked at Izuku.
"Wait, he was the scruffy guy with Midnight, right?" she questioned. Nedzu nodded enthusiastically.
He didn't look like much, sure, he was a Hero, but she wouldn't have thought he'd be one of the highest bounty holders in the school.
"So Takuma was being hunted since he was eight years old," Izuku muttered, starting to ramble at high speed. "Even if I don't like that he had to take a life, it kind of makes sense."
"How so?" Nedzu asked, with a spark of interest in his eyes.
Mei also wanted to know where he was going with this.
"If Takuma was being hunted from such an early age, then he must have tried to ask for help at some point. A Hero makes sense, and given how much he dislikes even the idea of them, it must have gone very wrong," Izuku listed, and Mei followed along. "And if the law can't help him, then he had only two choices: get caught or fight back somehow." Her best friend was listing everything correctly so far. "His group must have been part of why he survived. He managed to make connections and learn how to plan and interact with the underworld. Criminal activities aside, this must have been a fountain of knowledge, working with gangs and criminals to learn the ropes. And while doing so, he must have had to make tough choices while being hunted."
"Yes, this is one of the many reasons that I am inclined to give Takuma the benefit of the doubt," Nedzu revealed, and Mei let out a sigh of relief.
"Who updated the bounty?" Izuku asked.
"Multiple gangs, though I already took action to rectify this state of affairs," the headmaster informed them as Mei's eyes grew wide. "As of weeks ago, all bounties have been revoked, and the affiliated organizations have been warned not to overstep the boundaries of their station."
"You were the one to remove the bounty?" Mei asked, beginning to smile.
This was just another reason for her to learn under him. If he was already protecting Takuma from the shadows, then she knew she could trust him.
"Yes, the last one was more problematic, but it was swiftly dealt with nonetheless," Nedzu revealed as Mei dug into her memory.
"The Quirkish, right?"
The furred mammal nodded.
"Could..." Izuku started to say before looking at her, then back at his teacher. "Could All For One be behind the first bounties?"
'A Villain name,' was her first thought.
"Who is that?" she demanded, looking at her best friend for answers.
"This information is classified, but given Midoriya's circumstances, I would authorize him to share these details with you if he so wishes," Nedzu stated as Izuku nodded.
"You remember All Might's wound?" he asked, and Mei nodded. "He was the one who gave it to him. From what Gran Torino told me, he was the last great Villain All Might fought before Japan was well and truly safe."
"But why would he put a bounty on Takuma's head?" Mei pressed, wanting an answer.
"You remember Takuma's grandmother, Nana Shimura?" Izuku asked.
"I do."
"He was the one who killed her," Izuku revealed, as Mei's heart dropped. "And given that he was killed only six years ago—"
"He might have tried to finish the job, by taking care of her family," she let out with a sick feeling. "I guess now we know why he woke up in a torn-down house," she added in a small voice. "I hope he suffered."
"We need to be better than them," Izuku countered, letting his own brand of optimism shine through. "But I'm happy he can't hurt him anymore."
It made Mei feel ashamed to have voiced her thoughts. But she wasn't about to take them back. If that man was behind some of her boyfriend's suffering, then there was only one thing she could feel toward him:
'Good riddance.'
But still, there was a question she couldn't help but ask.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked Nedzu as she looked over his features, the same jovial smile that never left his face. "Why are you doing so much to protect him?"
"My reasons are many, but my answer will be simple," the headmaster stated as he grabbed another sheet of paper.
"Matsua and Nidayo Uteka," Nedzu said as he simply handed them a student file. "Matsua is part of the General Course, and her brother is a student at another school. Both were reported missing after their father failed to repay a debt. The debt was passed onto his children after his death."
"They killed him," Izuku said. Nedzu nodded.
"They were forced to hide when the criminals went to collect. I was personally searching for them with little result when they managed to reach U.A and have since then been offered protection and housing until the situation around the debt was cleared," the rat continued, his voice tinged with sarcasm when he said 'cleared.' "For you see, my student and her brother had taken refuge in a Creature Rejection Clan safehouse. This organization is known for pulling desperate individuals into their ranks. I was surprised to learn that an unknown individual had taken care of their caretaker and given them enough money to reach U.A in a timely manner."
"You think Takuma did it," Izuku stated as he looked over the file.
Mei knew he did. They were the kids he had talked about then.
"I believe he did in fact help them, and that's why I have elected to give Takuma the benefit of the doubt, even knowing some of his allegiances are more than troubling," Nedzu said, turning his seat toward the wall, where a screen popped out with a soft wiring sound she could barely hear.
'Too much tension on the cable.'
A video began to play. It showed a dimly lit house, covered in blood and corpses. Most of the gore was blurred, but it still made Mei feel sick. Then she saw someone enter, wearing the upper part of the jacket she had made for him.
"That's Takuma," Izuku started to say when another figure followed behind him.
Izuku fell silent as Mei tightened her grip on her armchair. She watched as Takuma started walking, looking around. Then the second individual's blade shot out and went for his back, blocked only by her costume. She had to remind herself to breathe—sure, she knew that night had been rough on him; she had seen the results.
Her shock-maul flew into the air, words were exchanged, a pause. Then his knife was at Takuma's throat, right as he spoke, right as the sound came back on.
"Q.L.F." her boyfriend said, and the assailant froze.
She felt dizzy simply watching. "W-What's the Q.L.F.?" she asked to steady herself and not focus too much on the blade at Takuma's neck.
"The Quirkless Liberation Front," Nedzu answered, "a terrorist organization known for assassination attempts all over the globe. They train some of the best Quirkless assassins to this day, some who put even their Quirked counterparts to shame."
Her boyfriend's voice came back on the speaker. "I see Old Beard still trains the best of the best. But you might want to work on hiding your Quirklessness better."
"He's Quirkless?" Izuku let out, his voice filled with disbelief. Mei grabbed his hand. "And he managed to sneak up on him?"
"You can train yourself for many things, and it seems that Takuma's mental sonar has its own faults," Nedzu commented before taking a sip from his tea.
"Who's Old Beard?" Mei asked, as the name sounded like a Villain name.
"S-ranked Villain: Old Beard. His Quirk status is unknown, but he is behind most of the action of the Q.L.F., a powerful tactician and trainer. Without him, the organization wouldn't be half as problematic as it is today."
"How do you know O.B.?" a voice rang, far younger than Mei was comfortable with.
"He trained me, the one kneepad is a dead giveaway," Takuma answered.
Mei was glad to see the blade leave the side of her boyfriend's neck, a sigh of relief escaping her as she had to fight herself not to leave and make sure he was okay.
"How do you know about the Q.L.F.?" the younger boy asked.
"I was offered a place, I declined, but I'd like to believe O.B. still thinks of me fondly."
"Why didn't you join?" the younger boy's voice was laced with hatred Mei could feel through the screen.
"I'm not Quirkless, even though I wish I was," Takuma said. Again, she squeezed Izuku's hand as she felt him tense.
"What's your Quirk?"
"I feel the pain of everyone around me. I can deal with the Quirky just fine, but in the long run, I'd be a liability more than an asset. So I turned down the offer."
"We'll fix you, one day, Mundum reparare."
"Libere vivere, Tell O.B. Takuma is still kicking, and he still owes me a sandwich."
"To repair the world and live free." Mei let out, the words sinking into her thoughts.
"You can understand Latin?" Izuku asked, giving her a questioning look.
"I was bored," she explained as she let herself sink back into her chair. "So there are Quirkless assassins running around, Takuma has been trained in some ways by their leader who is also an S-ranked Villain who had a hand in the assassination of politicians. And that's not even taking into account all the other things he's had going on around him—the Hero on his case in the World Heroes Association and any other gang he's dealt with in the past." She stared at the headmaster again. "I still don't understand why you protect him, there's more than enough for you to put him behind bars, even with the alleged charges against him."
"It's because Takuma protected the student from U.A.," Izuku replied. Mei understood that, but it wasn't enough.
"It is one of the reasons why I decided against levying charges against Takuma, yes," Nedzu explained, finishing his tea. "I value the life and safety of my students far more than the letter of the law."
"So that's it, you owed him one, and now?" Mei pressed, still searching for a deeper answer.
"Now I wish to offer a boy who has lived a troubled life a chance to be better than his circumstances made him," Nedzu answered with a sad smile. "His life, his Quirk, and even his family name made him a target. I wish to show him there is a place for those of us with a tortured past to grow, change, learn, and live." The headmaster revealed, his eyes showing a hint of pain. "I want to repay him for saving the life of my student by offering him a chance. It is up to him, as it is to you two, to do whatever you wish with that chance."
"Takuma has a perspective we lack," Izuku added. "He sees things not from the standpoint of Heroes and Villains, but from one earned through interacting with... those who are forgotten." He brought up even more questions as to what he meant. "He's shown me some of it, I don't think I'm done digesting what he's shown me, but the perspective he gave me isn't something I could have attained on my own. Even after knowing him for months, I sometimes wonder if we're even friends. But even if we aren't, he's shown me that he cares—more than he lets on. When he makes it in, he will be able to help even more people than he already has, and I refuse to let him do it alone."
Mei winced when Izuku mentioned he wasn't sure if they were friends. Takuma picked and chose who he was close to, and she hadn't quite managed to have them spend quality time together. The latter part of Izuku's sentence reassured her a little.
"Then only time will tell," Nedzu said. "Until then, how about we return to our usual study?" he offered with a manic cackle. "I have a target that I believe both of you will love learning from while tearing them down at the seams."
"Which one?" Mei asked, still unsure how things would go.
"The Quirkist organization that has been behind Takuma's bounty annulled it, but some are still bent on bringing Takuma in chains back into the darkness. I believe you two will enjoy making sure they don't succeed."
Mei blinked. "Oh, that I am," she purred, as Izuku cackled next to her.
"You're going to fit right in," he said, his hand in front of his mouth to hide his laughter.
She did, very much so.