Chapter 44: Dubious Murder
Bakugo continued to grumble as he cleaned and repaired the ADA's office on the second day of their internships. Why the hell was this supposed to be his first task? At least the copycat bastard was stuck with this, too. Currently, the two were plastering over the bullet holes in the walls. "How did no one get hurt?" Monoma wondered.
"I'm not sure myself. I only saw the immediate aftermath," Atsushi admitted. The white-haired young man had told the two that he wasn't at the Agency when the Port Mafia's Black Lizard squadron raided.
"I got a better question," Bakugo growled. "Why the hell is Squinty-Eyes not helping?" He gestured to the person in question, the young man in the detective getup. He wasn't helping at all, just sitting on a desk holding an empty ramune bottle.
"Hey, Haruno," he called out to the clerk. "A little challenge for you. Do you think you can get the marble out of this bottle?"
"Of course, Ranpo-san," the brown-haired woman gladly took the bottle.
'That's a good question,' Atsushi silently thought.
The sound of glass shattering sounded throughout the office, catching Bakugo, Monoma, and Atsushi's attention. Returning from the kitchen, Haruno presented the marble to Ranpo.
"He's not even helping, yet she did such a simple task for him," Monoma grumbled. Bakugo wanted to blow something up, preferably Ranpo.
"Kunikida-san, isn't Ranpo-san gonna help?" Atsushi asked the spectacled man.
"He can't," Kunikida replied, putting away a phone. "Because Ranpo has been requested to help with a murder case."
"Gotcha!" Ranpo hopped off the desk. "Ah, the police are always so desperate for my help. They can't catch a single criminal without me. Heck, some heroes even need me and my Quirk to find the villains they were chasing!" Ranpo boasted. "My Ultra Deduction is arguable the best power in this agency. Maybe even the whole country. I mean, you lot can't even call yourselves a 'Detective Agency' if it weren't for me, since you have the collective deduction power of a monkey."
Bakugo felt both eyes twitch dangerously as Ranpo continued to talk.
Atsushi stared deadpanned at Ranpo as the detective continued to talk.
Monoma could only look on in surprise, wondering if Ranpo would allow him to copy his Quirk.
"We're all indebted to you, Ranpo," Kunikida said.
"The way you can deduce the truth behind everything once you use Ultra Deduction is so amazing!"
"You're a role model to all of us, Ranpo," Kunikida added.
"Man, it's almost like you're basking in the glory of my Ultra Deduction, huh?"
"Hahaha! That goes without saying!"
Bakugo grounded his teeth at the kind of attention Ranpo was getting.
"Should we be worried?" Atsushi asked Monoma.
"I'm not sure. We're in different classes, thank god," Monoma muttered.
"Hey, kid," Kunikida addressed Atsushi. "We'll handle the rest of the clean-up. You, Monoma, and Bakugo will go with Ranpo," he handed him a paper with an address written on it. "Here's the address. You'll need to take the train to get there."
"We're gonna be the assistants of a great detective?" Monoma asked already sucking up to Ranpo. "What an honor to-"
"Nope, I don't need any assistants," Ranpo bluntly replied, popping Monoma's ego.
"Then why the hell are we going with you?" Bakugo demanded.
"Because I don't know how to take the train."
Bakugo growled as he, Atsushi, Monoma, and Ranpo rode the train to the murder scene, the ADA member admiring the marble all the way. 'How is it possible for someone to not know how to ride the fucking train!?' Bakugo mentally yelled.
Ranpo didn't seem to know how to buy a ticket, how to get through the turn style, or how to figure out which platform to go to, which meant it took longer than necessary to get abroad the train. They even almost missed it. Needless to say, Bakugo and Monoma were not happy about being glorified babysitters. Atsushi seemed to take it in stride, though.
By the time they arrived, police were combing around a beach area along a river, while some others were manning a crane at the river's edge. "You're late, agents," an older man wearing a long dark green coat reprimanded them.
Atsushi hid behind Ranpo while Bakugo and Monoma stood to the side. "Hold on, who're you? Where's Yasui-san?"
"I'm Minoura, I took over from Yasui," the man answered. "This case has been reassigned to our division. So we no longer need you or your agency."
"That's ridiculous!" Ranpo exclaimed. "Everyone knows that difficult cases should be solved by famous detectives, right?"
"Humph. You think I'd rely on some fraudulent detective agency?" Minoura shot back. "Especially since the murder victim was my subordinate."
"What?"
A young officer lifted a sheet, revealing the body. It was a young woman, blood staining her chest.
Atsushi nearly gagged at the sight while Bakugo and Monoma stared in shock. This was the first time the three of them had seen a dead body.
"A woman, huh?" Ranpo took his hat off in respect.
"Yes, sir," a nearby officer said. "Her body was found floating in the river this morning."
"Her name's Yamagiwa," Minoura had a mournful look on his face. "She was shot three times in the chest. We don't know when or where she was killed. We haven't found the bullets since they went through her body."
"Any suspects?" Ranpo asked.
"No idea," Minoura admitted. "It's hard to determine who she last came into contact with. And as far as anyone at the office knew, she wasn't in any form of relationship so it's unlikely to be a jealous lover."
"Very interesting," Ranpo commented as he put his hat back on. "So basically, you don't have any leads, right?"
"All the more reason not to hand this over to some amateurs like you," Minoura growled. "So hurry up and-"
"Hey, the net's caught something!" An officer by the crane yelled.
"They put out a net?" Atsushi asked.
"To prevent evidence from being washed away, we've spread a net in the river for the investigation and-"
"It's a man!"
"A man!?" Minoura gasped.
"A second victim?" Monoma asked.
Everyone rushed over to the crane as it pulled the net out of the water, dragging with it the body of… a very much alive Dazai Osamu.
Atsushi felt an eye twitch as he stared at Dazai with a deadpanned expression.
"Hello, Atsushi!" Dazai cheerfully greeted, not being bothered at all that he was hanging upside down in a net. "This is quite the strange coincidence."
"Don't tell me you jumped into the river to commit suicide again?" Atsushi sighed.
'Again!?' Minoura, Bakugo, and Monoma all thought.
"Don't be silly," Dazai waved his finder. "Committing suicide alone? That's so passé these days. I have made the decision that if I'm going to end everything, it'll be by the side of a beautiful woman! Ah, double suicide has such a lovely ring to it! By comparison, it feels so empty to think about departing from this world all by my lonesome. That's my new plan. I'm looking for a passionate and suicidal woman to die with me!"
"So then why did you end up in the net?" Atsushi asked.
"I was drifting along," Dazai put his hand beneath his chin, striking a pose with a sparkle. "Enjoying the glories river."
"Right…" Atsushi sighed.
"But enough about me? Who are your new friends? And why are you all the way out here?" Dazai asked.
"These are Bakugo and Monoma, the interns from U.A." Atsushi answered.
"Oh right, I nearly forgot."
"As for why we're here, we're with Ranpo-san on a job."
"Oh, a job?" Dazai glanced past Atsushi and saw the body. He gasped in horror, quickly dislodging himself from the net, and ran to the corpse. "No… How on earth did this happen? How did such an exquisite lady lose her life at such a young age…?! How tragic!" Tears began rolling down Dazai's face. "This grief is breaking my heart! Since you were going to die anyway, you could've committed double suicide with me!" Dazai continued to wail, waving his arms frantically.
"Who the hell is your weird friend?" Minoura asked, totally baffled.
"He's a colleague at the agency, and yes he's always like this," Ranpo replied. "He's an enigma even to me."
"This freak is a detective?!" Bakugo gasped. "I don't buy it!"
"However, rest assured, ma belle! The extraordinary famous detective will surely avenge you!" Dazai declared before turning to Ranpo. "Right, Ranpo-san?"
"The's tough to say. I haven't officially gotten the job yet."
"What? Why?"
"Ask Minoura," Ranpo pointed to the officer next to him.
"We don't need private eyes on this," Minoura replied. "Anyone on my team is better than any detective out there, including you bums."
"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME!?" Bakugo exclaimed.
"Bakugo, calm down!" Atsushi begged. "Besides, I don't think he was talking to you."
"Oh, then let's test that," Ranpo smiled before suddenly pointing to a nearby officer. "You there, what's your name, officer?"
"Me?" The officer quickly did a salute. "I-I am Officer Sugimoto, junior of the murdered Yamagiwa-senpai."
"Well then, Sugimoto-kun," Ranpo patted the officer's shoulder. "Right now you're a famous detective. Try to solve this case in 60 seconds. Ready, set…"
"What?!"
"Go," Ranpo pulled out a pocket watch. "I can easily solve this in under a minute. So if you're as good as Minoura said you are then you should too," Ranpo added, making Minoura growl.
"H-Hold on, no one can solve a case in 60 seconds!" Sugimoto shouted. "That's-!"
"50 seconds left~!" Ranpo said.
"Erm… uh…" Sugimoto appeared to be having a meltdown.
Bakugo grumbled, Sugimoto's muttering reminding him of someone. 'Great, first a White-Haired Deku, now a Police Deku,' the ash-blond thought, referring to Atsushi and Sugimoto respectively.
"Oh, that's right!" Sugimoto suddenly gasped, as if he had an epiphany. "Yamagiwa-senpai was investigating a political corruption case, along with tracking the activities of the Port Mafia."
"The Port Mafia?" Atsushi gasped.
"Now that I think about it, the MO of the murderer is similar to when the Port Mafia does a retribution murder," Sugimoto added. "Maybe the Port Mafia felt she was getting too close and silenced her before-"
"No," Dazai spoke up, cutting Sugimoto off. "The Port Mafia's retaliatory methods are quite specific. They have a signature that's basically their fingerprint. First, the victim is forced onto the ground and made the bite into a stair. Then they stop on the head to shatter the jaw. Finally, as the victim is writhing in pain, they flip them over and shoot them in the chest three times."
Atsushi and Monoma flinched at Dazai's description, while Bakugo stared on in slight shock.
"R-Right, that's how they do it…" Sugimoto admitted.
"This MO was similar to the Mafia's but not exactly the same," Dazai pointed toward the corpse. "Her jaw is still intact, which means…"
"The killer was attempting a coverup!" Minoura realized.
"So she was shot two more times to make it look like a Mafia hit?" Sugimoto asked. "How cruel…"
Bakugo turned to Sugimoto with a glare.
"Beeeep!" Sugimoto jumped at Ranpo's sound effect. "Sorry, time's up! Nice try, officer," Ranpo patted Sugimoto's reassuringly. "Too bad. You've still got a ways to go before your case solving skills match mine. But don't feel too bad, you proved useful. You proved that Minoura's team is inferior to me."
"Cut the crap!" Minoura snapped. "I'm tired of all your jabber. This isn't some crime novel where you can crack hard cases with just deduction. Cases are solved through investigation, interviewing persons of interest, and closely analyzing the crime scene."
"Huh," Ranpo stepped up to Minoura. "You still don't get it, do you? A great detective doesn't do 'investigations'. My Quirk, Ultra Deduction, can instantly identify the killer," Ranpo tapped his head for emphasis. "I can also figure out when and how the murder was committed. But there's more. I can see in my eye's mind how to make the killer confess and where the evidence is to prove our case. It truly is an amazing Quirk."
"I've seen plenty of weird Quirks during my time on the force, some mundane, others downright outlandish," Minoura admitted. "But if you have such a special Quirk then why do my colleagues and I still have a job?"
"My thoughts exactly," Ranpo smiled. "Now we're starting to understand each other, detective."
Minoura clenched his fist in anger. "Why you little…"
"Now, now, calm down," Dazai stepped in between Ranpo and Minoura. "Please excuse Ranpo-san's tactless behavior. He's always like this."
"What can I say? My personal motto is: 'All's well that's well for me!'"
'What kind of motto is that?' Both Atsushi and Monoma thought.
For reference, Atsushi's motto is: 'What's better than being alive?'
Monoma's motto: 'Be sure to upstage the lead role.'
Bakugo's motto: 'Be the strongest hero!'
Dazai's motto: 'Have a pure, cheerful, and energetic suicide.'
"You just won't stop bragging about your Quirk, huh?" Minoura scoffed. "I've seen plenty of people who were full of themselves because they thought their Quirks were the best thing ever. Let me tell you, those people are always among the first to die. But we might as well see what it can do."
"Really?" Ranpo smiled. "So I'm on the case now? You could've just asked nicely when I first got here."
"Too bad you got a lot more confidence than experienced," Minoura laughed. "You realize there's no hard evidence, right? Do you want me to count to 60 for ya?"
Ranpo smirked. "I won't need that long."
"Atsushi, Monoma, Bakugo, watch carefully," Dazai whispered to the three. "You're about to see the power that's the backbone of the Armed Detective Agency."
Ranpo then pulled out a pair of glasses, to the confusion of the boys.
"What's with the glasses?" Monoma asked.
"From what I heard, Ranpo-san needs to wear those glasses in order to use his Quirk," Dazai answered.
"That's a strange requirement for a Quirk," Atsushi commented.
Ranpo put on the glasses, and for a moment nothing happened. "…I see," he muttered, opening his brown eyes.
"You know who the culprit is?" Minoura asked skeptically.
"Of course!" Ranpo declared. "In fact, the culprit is right here…" Ranpo pointed a finger at Sugimoto.
"Eh…?" Sugimoto gapped.
Minoura started laughing. "Pahahahah! Is your Quirk like Ms. Jokes?! Because that's hilarious! Sugimoto is my subordinate on the force!"
"Sugimoto is the one who killed her," Ranpo repeated.
"Ridiculous!" Minoura snapped. "Even if he was the killer, why would he return to the scene of the crime?!"
"That's precisely why he's here," Ranpo stated, turning to Minoura. "He wants to stay close to the investigation, and don't forget that my Quirk can also tell me where to find the evidence to prove it," Ranpo toured back to Sugimoto. "Let's see your gun."
"You can't be serious!" Sugimoto responded. "I can't hand my firearm over to a civilian. They would take my badge away!"
"Oh yeah?" Bakugo spoke up, still glaring at Sugimoto. "Then why did you say she was shot two more times?"
Sugimoto notably flinched while Minoura looked at Bakugo in surprise before he gradually turned to glare at Sugimoto. "That's a good question. Why say something so specific, Sugimoto? Do you know details about Yamagiwa's murder? Show us your gun, now!"
Sugimoto stood still, his face unreadable.
"Even in a large city like Yokohama, it's not easy to acquire government-issued ammunition, let alone a government-issued weapon," Ranpo said. "Right now his mind's racing, trying to explain the absence of the three bullets he's used."
"Sugimoto, I want to believe you're not the killer! Show us the gun so we can get this over with!" Minoura demanded, almost pleading.
After a few more seconds, Sugimoto sighed and removed the gun from his holster, and aimed it at Ranpo.
"Sugimoto! Are you crazy!" Minoura yelled. "Don't do it!"
*BANG!*
The gun was fired, but harmless Ito the air. In a split second, Bakugo had tackled Sugimoto to the ground, pinning him. "Nice try, you bastard!" Bakugo growled as the others officers gathered around.
"Let me go!" Sugimoto begged. "This has nothing to do with me!"
"There's no use trying to run," Ranpo walked up and knelt down next to Sugimoto. "I've already detained that the murder took place early yesterday morning at the abandoned shipyard upstream, 140 meters from here."
Sugimoto's eyes widened in shock. "H-How did you…?"
"If we go there, we should be able to find your footprints as well as Yamagiwa's, along with the bloodstains you tried but failed to erase."
"How…?" Sugimoto muttered. "How could you have possibly…"
Minoura put a hand on Sugimoto's shoulder. "Let's hear the whole story at the station. Though…" the senior officer pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "It won't be your workplace anymore."
Later at the police station, the sun was beginning to set, its orange light shining into the interrogation room. Former Officer Sugimoto was cuffed to the table, Minoura sitting across from him, Ranpo sitting to the side, having removed his glasses along the way.
Behind the one-way glass window, Atsushi, Bakugo, Monoma, and Dazai watched.
"I never meant to kill her," Sugimoto admitted. "You see, she had been investigating a minor corruption case, but as she dug into it, she uncovered a larger crime involving a politician. But the politician knew he was vulnerable and had a mole in the police force to get rid of any evidence."
"That mole was you, right?" Ranpo asked.
"I always wanted to be a police officer. They seemed so much cooler than heroes since they stopped crime without Quirks," Sugimoto appeared to be on the verge of a breakdown. "But I failed the entrance exam three times."
"That can't be right," Minoura spoke up. "I've seen how diligent you are. You should've easily passed."
"I didn't because my Quirk, making cedar trees grow, wasn't suited for police," Sugimoto admitted. "At least that's what they told me."
"That's just plain bullshit!" Minoura growled. "But we're getting off-topic. I assume that this politician pulled strings for you to become a police officer, becoming that bastard's dog. He ordered you to kill Yamagiwa, didn't he!?"
"I didn't want to kill her!" Sugimoto defended. "I was trying to warn her because if she turned in the evidence, the politician would send an assassin to kill her! So, I ask if we could meet yesterday at the shipyard," Sugimoto went on to explain what happened, how he threatened to kill himself if Yamagiwa didn't hand him the evidence she had collected. But when he was about to fire, Yamagiwa jumped in and pulled the gun away… getting herself shot in the chest.
"But we both know the story doesn't end there," Ranpo said. "There was still the issue of the body. You panicked, and ironically, there was only one person you could rely on. You called the crooked politician and he told you to destroy the evidence by shooting her in the chest two more times, making it look like a Mafia hit. To delay the discovery of the body you dumped it into the river."
"Where's the evidence Yamagiwa collected!" Minoura demand, standing up and slamming his fist into the table. "I must expose that criminal and avenge Yamagiwa! Tell me, Sugimoto, and I can at least make sure you don't go to jail!"
"Hey, Sugimoto-kun," Ranpo got up and stood next to the reluctant mole. "Want me to guess what her final words were?" Ranpo lowered his head and whispered, "'I'm sorry'."
Tears began to fill Sugimoto's eyes. Because those words would always haunt him.
"I'm sorry."
"How…" Sugimoto sobbed, breaking down crying. "How can a Quirk let you see all that? *sob* Everything's in my desk drawer."
A strange feeling began to overtake Bakugo as he watched Sugimoto cry. For a brief moment, he instead saw Deku in the ex-officers place.
"…Thank you for your help," Minoura said to Ranpo, they along with Atsushi, Bakugo, Monoma, and Dazai, were outside the station. "Also, I'm sorry for doubting you and your Quirk. I'll get in touch with you again if I ever come across a difficult case."
"If you need my Ultra Deduction, detective, all you have to do is ask," Ranpo replied. "I might even give you a discount."
Minoura smiled. "I appreciate the offer."
With that, the five began to make their way to the train station, Ranpo in the lead.
"What Ranpo-san did back there was amazing!" Atsushi gushed. "I never would've thought he'd be able to solve a case like that so easily! And instantly, too!"
"Yes, but I probably would've figured out half of it, too," Dazai said.
"Half of it?" Monoma wondered. "But Ranpo-sama was able to solve the whole case in an instant. I wonder if he will let me copy his Quirk?" Monoma thought out loud.
"Will you shut up?" Bakugo grumbled, tired of hearing them gush about Ranpo's Quirk.
"Oh, that's right. You just joined so you wouldn't know yet," Dazai said.
"Know what?" Atsushi asked.
"That he's faking," Bakugo grumbled. "'Ultra Deduction' my ass, that Squinty-Eyed bastard is playing us."
"I wouldn't put it like that, but this is surprising," Dazai smiled. "You figured it out, Bakugo-kun?"
"Of course I did. Anyone with half a brain would," Bakugo replied.
"So wait, Ranpo-san's Ultra Deduction isn't a Quirk?" Atsushi asked.
"Yep," Dazai confirmed.
"Then what is Ranpo-sama's Quirk?" Monoma asked. "It must be something that can help him solve cases like that, right?"
"That's the thing. You see, Ranpo-san is Quirkless," Dazai revealed.
Atsushi, Bakugo, and Monoma stopped in their tracks. They stared at Ranpo ahead of them before they stared at Dazai. "WHAT!?"
"Okay, THAT I call bullshit on!" Bakugo exclaimed.
"It's true," Dazai said. "Ranpo-san's a rare breed. He certainly seems to believe he has a superpower of some sort, but he doesn't. And while he may act childish, he's actually 26 years old."
"Huh?!"
"Yep. He's a totally normal, baseline human," Dazai added. "The reason everyone at the Agency respects Ranpo-san is because they know his Ultra Deduction isn't a Quirk."
"How, though?" Monoma asked. "How was he able to-"
"Pure deduction," Dazai answered. "There's nothing 'ultra' about it."
"But how?" Atsushi asked. "How was Ranpo-san able to figure out who the killer was so quickly? How could deduction alone do that?"
"Well, I don't have a power like that and I figured it out. Do any of you remember when Sugimoto said that she was 'shot two more times to make it look like a Mafia hit'?" Dazai asked.
"Yeah," Bakugo nodded. "The bastard gave himself away with that."
"I was wondering about that. Why is that so important?" Atsushi asked.
"Because any innocent person who saw a body with three gunshot wounds would assume they were fired at the same time," Dazai explained. "What Sugimoto said implied that the victim died from the first shot. How could he have known that before the autopsy was performed?"
"Because… he was the shooter," Monoma nodded in understanding. "But then how did Ranpo-sama deduce it happened yesterday morning?"
"That's because the body was still in good condition and can be ID'd," Dazai further explained, "which meant it had only been in the river for a day at most. Yesterday was Monday, a workday, but she was dressed in casual wear and had no makeup. A busy police officer and frequent overtime worker in casual war and no makeup on a working day? That would likely mean that she died early in the morning."
"Then how about the location and the bit about her being threatened by the gun?" Atsushi asked.
"I'll admit, I'm stumped on that one," Dazai shrugged. "I guess Ranpo's keen mind found more clues than mine did."
"Okay, then how the hell did he figure out the lady's last words?" Bakugo demanded.
"Oh, that," Dazai had a solemn look. "Minoura had said that Yamagiwa was single, but she was wearing an expensive European wristwatch, not something a single woman would buy for herself. Sugimoto had the same model, but for men."
"So, wait, does that mean…" Atsushi trailed off.
"Yeah," Dazai nodded. "She agreed to meet him early in the morning and set off without putting on makeup, which meant she deeply trusted him. And they were wearing matching watches. Those two were dating, keeping it secret from their colleagues. That's why he didn't break her face with a kick, which gave away the fact that it wasn't a Mafia hit. He knew it wouldn't, but it was too much for him to take."
"He… killed the person he loved by accident," Monoma realized. "That's so sad."
Bakugo silently agreed. But that wasn't the only thing bothering him. Earlier he had thought of Sugimoto as a Deku in the police. Now, he can't help but wonder. If things were slightly different, would Deku had been like him? The loyal dog of some power-hungry fuck.
"Bakugo-kun, Monoma-kun, try to take what happened with Sugimoto as a lesson," Dazai said.
"A lesson?" Monoma asked.
"About what? Not trusting politicians? I already don't trust them," Bakugo muttered.
"About how not every criminal or villain became like that willingly," Dazai added, to the hero students surprise. "While there are some people who use their gifts to bring misfortune to others just because they can, there are even more who do so because they felt they had no choice. Life dealt time a bad hand, forcing them to rock bottom. Maybe they need money to save someone they care for or avoid debt. Maybe they felt they need retribution for how society abandoned them for not fitting in. Point is, just like how you both have different reasons for wanting to become heroes, villains have different reasons for why they commit crimes. Some are understandable. You may even encounter a villain who, at one point, was exactly like you, only to be driven down a dark path because of circumstances outside their control. In fact, if things were slightly different for you two, you might've turned into villains instead of heroes."
Both Monoma and Bakugo took that in, what they knew about villains having been shaken by what Dazai-
"Someone's not doing their job!" Ranpo suddenly yelled. "You're supposed to help me find my way back to the agency!"
"Right, on our way, Ranpo-san!" Dazai waved, walking up to Ranpo.
"Well, at least now I understand why everyone at the agency praises Ranpo," Atsushi said as he followed, Bakugo and Monoma close behind.
As they continued their way back to the agency, Bakugo could only grumble in thought, 'I bet Deku isn't dealing with something as annoying as this.'
"Uh, Fuyuko, c-can you p-please let me go now?" Izuku asked, shaking a little due to how cold Fuyuko's body felt as she hugged his arm.
"No," Fuyuko replied, having not let go of his arm even after they arrived back at Ryukyu's agency.
"You can't hold onto him forever," Milia complained. That and she was jealous at how long Fuyuko was holding onto his arm like that. 'I'll need to sneak into his room again tonight.'
"Don't worry, Mili-chan!" Nejire spoke up. "Fuyuko-chan won't steal your boyfriend."
"B-boyfriend!?" Milia and Izuku exclaimed, blushes forming on their faces, "He's not my/I'm not her boyfriend!"
"Really?" Nejire tilted her head. "Does that mean he's free? Because I wouldn't mind dating him. Or Mili-chan. Or both. Either is fine."
"Wait, what!?" The other three all exclaimed.
Nearby Ryukyu watched with a bemused smile. 'I suppose I should've warn them that Nejire develops crushes at the drop of the hat. Oh well.'
"In other news, the volleyball coach of the prestigious Shujin Academy was arrested earlier today for crimes of sexual harassment and abuse toward students." Izuku's eyes quickly looked back up at the hanging TV, along with Milia, Fuyuko, and Nejire. A picture of Uchishiba appeared on the screen next to the broadcaster. "The principal of the school has yet to make any comment on the situation. However, several students have been coming forward, regarding the alleged behavior of their gym teacher."
As the reporter spoke, an image of a student in a male Shujin Academy uniform appeared on the screen. His face was obscured, and his voice distorted to the point subtitles needed to be added to the screen so he could be understood.
"My friends would come back from practice with bruises all the time. It was scary, but I'm relieved the abuse is finally going to end."
Another image, this time of a female student, again face obscured and voice masked. "He would touch me and stuff all the time… I'm so relieved I don't have to deal with the sexual harassment anymore…"
A third image, another girl with light red skin.
"You said you tried to come forward and were beaten to stay silent correct?"
"Yes. Uchishiba had me followed and threatened me to stay silent. If it's alright, I'd rather not go into any details."
"Looks like Uchishiba's hit the news," Fuyuko said. "I hope he gets locked away for life."
"Given it's Ryukyu's word over his, along with the video evidence Milia got, that's very possible," Izuku said.
"Speaking of the school, I wonder how the staff are reacting to this," Milia said.
"Knowing Principal Pighead, he's panicking and trying to do damage control, all to protect the school's 'reputation'," Fuyuko spat out the last word in disgust. "He needs to be sent to jail along with Uchishiba."
"Unfortunately, that won't be happening," a new voice spoke up.
When everyone turned to face the voice's source, the teens could be heard giving audible gasps at who they saw. "Oh my gosh!" Izuku gasped, the fanboy within him exploding. "It's Zero and Guren!"
"No way!" Fuyuko gasped.
"Hey, what about us?" Setsuna's voice spoke up, walking behind Zero along with Liana and Cynthia.
"Setsuna!" Milia said in surprise.
"Sorry for dropping in unannounced, Ryuko," Guren apologized to her fellow female pro.
"Not at all, Kallen," Ryukyu greeted. "Though when you and Lelouch do come unannounced… it means you found something suspicious and need my help."
"Close," Guren replied.
"We were doing our daily patrol when a friend of mine in the police contacted me about what happened at Shujin. When I learned about one particular detail, I decided to take a detour," Zero explained. "It's about Shujin's principal, Hiraoka Yukio," Zero's tone became serious
Izuku and the girls tensed at the mention of Hiraoka's name. "What about him?" Fuyuko asked.
"He was found dead in his apartment, a large knife in his chest," Guren further explained. "They're saying he committed suicide, not wanting to deal with the scandal he helped create."
"The principal… killed himself?" Fuyuko whispered in shock. Sure, she hated the fat bastard almost as much as she hated Uchishiba, but that didn't mean she wanted him dead.
"I don't believe so," Zero said. "The police were speaking to the staff at Shujin. They said that the principal was acting strangely after he learned of Uchishiba's arrest. His secretary said he collected several items from his office in a hurry before he went home. Not to mention the timing is suspicious. Committing suicide less than a day after one of his teachers was arrested? No, I believe someone killed Hiraoka and attempted to frame it as suicide."
"So, he was murdered?" Izuku asked. "Why?"
"We were hoping Yukimura would tell us," Zero replied, looking at the girl in question. "Hiraoka's death hasn't been officially revealed yet, so this is technically a leak. But I do believe that Uchishiba's arrest was the catalyst. Yukimura, was there anything that happened at the school that stood out? Any little detail could help."
Fuyuko fidgeted slightly, but she calmed down a little as Izuku put a hand on her shoulder. "I… I'm not sure," Fuyuko said. "Everything about the school seemed normal. Other than Uchishiba, nothing really stood out. …wait. One thing did," the Yuki-onna reached into her bag and pulled out a certain book.
"The Meta Liberation War?" Guren blinked upon seeing the book.
"It's a required read at the school," Fuyuko looked at the book with a hint of contempt. "I always thought it was odd, especially since the Social Studies class seems revolved around it."
"Interesting," Zero muttered. "Mind if I hold onto it?"
"I was gonna burn it when I transfer to U.A., but sure," Fuyuko handed the book to Zero.
"Transfer to U.A.?" Setsuna questioned. As Setsuna started asking Izuku and the others questions, Zero looked over the book Fuyuko had given him.
"What're you thinking of, Lelouch?" Guren asked.
"Yukimura is right, having this be a required read is a bit unusual, especially since the Meta Liberation Army is long disbanded… supposedly," opening the cover, Zero looked over the book's contents. "Ever since we first heard about this, I can't help but get this feeling. And in my experiences, I've learned to trust my instincts."
"You idiot!" Slidin' Go flinched at the tone. When two of the Top Commanders of the Meta Liberation Army, Chikazoku Tomoyasu, aka Skeptic, and Kizuki Chitose, aka Curious, had requested a video conference, the traitorous pro had expected they were going to assign him an important mission. What he wasn't expecting was for none other than Yotsubashi Rikiya, their Grand Commander, Re-Destro himself, to join them. When he had joined the call, Tokoname almost swallowed his tongue. And right now he wished he hadn't answered.
"Do you have any notion of the potential consequences of your blunder!?" Skeptic yelled. "When I said that his death needed to look either like a suicide or an accident, I was expecting something like him jumping off a building or being hit by a truck. I did not mean for you to go into his apartment and stab him! Do you have any idea how suspicious the timing is!?"
Slidin' Go tired to answer, but Curious cut him off. "Now Skeptic, there's no need to be so harsh. He only did as he was told."
"Indeed," Rikiya stated, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.
They all swallowed at that, the Grand Commander was getting stressed.
"Still, Tokoname, it may be best for you to lay low for now, and in the event your involvement is somehow discovered it be best to retreat to Deika City until the situation is fully sorted out. It is incredibly difficult to have people on the inside of the hero organizations, so we cannot afford to lose you just yet."
Slidin' Go instinctively gulped. 'Yet…?'
"Skeptic, you managed to destroy any evidence of our involvement, correct?" Re-Destro asked.
"Of course," Skeptic declared, typing on his laptop, "I was able to wipe anything that may have tied them to us. In addition, Tokoname did manage to remove any ties Hiraoka had at his home."
"Then there should be nothing to worry about," Re-Destro stated.
"Not exactly," Curious stepped in. "There is still the matter of the books carried by the students."
"We can easily explain that as part of the history classes," Skeptic replied. "I highly doubt any detective or pro hero working on this case will give it a second thought."
"If I may interject for just a moment," another voice spoke up, the screen splitting to show a man in a black business suit, black hair swept back, and purple-tinted glasses.
"Ah, Trumpet. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Skeptic asked.
"I am sorry for interrupting your conversation, Grand Commander," Hanabata Koku, aka Trumpet, apologized. "But the mess with Shujin isn't our old problem. One of my political allies has informed me that an informant he placed in the Yokohama police force who was supposed to destroy incriminating evidence against him has been compromised."
"Will this be led back to us?" Re-Destro asked, more black splotches appearing on his neck.
"I rather not risk it. I would like Skeptic's help in severing any ties I have with him."
"Consider it done," Skeptic began typing away at his laptop furiously.
"How was this informant compromised?" Curious asked.
"From what I had been able to gather, he killed a fellow officer, but someone from the Armed Detective Agency uncovered the truth the next day," Trumpet answered. "And what's most unsettling is that he was able to do so in less than a minute. If they were able to find this informant so quickly, I fear they may discover us."
Re-Destro hummed in thought. Yokohama was dangerous territory for them. Not only did they have to deal with the Port Mafia, which practically runs the city despite the heroes' best efforts, but there were also rumors in the criminal underworld about a powerful villain hiding there. They need to trend carefully. "Skeptic, Curious, I want to find out everything you can about this Armed Detective Agency. Who their members are and what Meta Abilities they have."
"Right away!"
"Yes, sir!"
Nezu typed away at his computer, doing routine paperwork. It was a tedious process, one that Nezu believed wasn't fully necessary. Once the strange mammal finished, Nezu let out a small sigh of relief before he moved on to the next part of today's schedule. He had someone wishing to speak with him. He pressed his intercom, "Send him in."
A few moments later, a familiar American walked in. "Sorry if I came in at a bad time."
"Not at all, Agent Coulson," Nezu replied. "I understand you wanted to speak with me for some time, so I should be the one apologizing for how long it took. How are the students you're accompanying adjusting?"
"Pretty well," Coulson replied, taking a seat. "One of them is fluent in Japanese, so she's been helping them learn basic Japanese. The translators we provided them can only help with so much."
"Yes, that is fortunate," Nezu nodded with a chuckle. "But I suspect the reason for this meeting isn't just to see how the students are adjusting."
Coulson nodded. "Officially, I'm here to supervise the American hero students that'll be staying here," he said. "Plus I get the chance to visit my niece for a little while, see how she's doing here."
"And unofficially?" Nezu poured some tea, giving a cup to Coulson.
Coulson took a sip. "Recently, the Hero Public Safety Commission requested UNIT to escort a Tartarus inmate to the Raft."
"A prison transfer to the Raft?" The Raft was THE top supervillain prison in the world, designed to house the most dangerous villains on the planet, all S-ranked, with rumors of villains ranking even higher confined there. It was also the subject of heavy scrutiny due to how the prisoners have no contact with the outside world, and never return to it, among other allegations. "Why would that gain Nicholas' attention?"
"Because of who they wish to transfer," Coulson pulled out a packet from his suit and handed it to Nezu. "Prisoner 656698."
Nezu frowned slightly as he read over the files in the packet Coulson handed him. "Ah, yes, Lady Nagant. She was such a promising young hero. When I heard of her arrest, I was deeply shocked… because of how suspicious it was. She allegedly killed a fellow hero in an argument."
"That's what tipped us off. Killing a hero is a serious offense, but it's definitely not something deserving of being sent to the Raft. And there's more," Coulson continued. "Her case was open-and-shut and closed trial, yet all records of her crime and of the trial itself are sealed from the public. The files regarding her case I received from the Commission were heavily censored as well. I looked into her time behind bars and turns out that, despite numerous requests from reporters and heroes who worked alongside her, Nagant was always denied having visitors. I don't need to be a secret agent to know that there's a lot more to her arrest than they're willing to admit."
"Indeed," Nezu nodded. "I, too, have been suspicious of the HPSC for some time. Fortunately, Zero is suspicious as well and is collecting evidence."
"Zero? He's Japan's 5th ranked hero, right?"
"Was," Nezu corrected. "He recently took the spot from his wife… again. Those two always banter over it. It's rather enjoyable."
"Guess I'll know who I'll be visiting next," Coulson looked at the time. "I better get going. The Director is expecting a call from me in about 20 minutes and the time change is a pain."
"Then don't keep him waiting," Nezu said. "If you find something incriminating, be sure to inform me. I'll be sure to help in any way I can."
"Will do," Coulson added as he took his leave.
Chapter 45: Night of Danger
Back at U.A., All Might was meeting with his friend, Detective Tsukauchi. And to All Might's horror, Gran Torino was present as well. The three were sitting together in the teacher's lounge alone, All Might's mentor eating some taiyaki. The school was empty, with most of the faculty having gone home for the day.
"I'm sorry to show up unexpectedly. Hope you don't mind." Tsukauchi said as All Might poured him some tea.
"Please, it's always a pleasure to see you, Tsukauchi," All Might said as he sat down on the couch.
"Hey, where's mine?" Gran Torino demanded.
"R-Right here!" All Might quickly did so, pouring his old teacher some tea.
"That's better," Gran Torino grinned.
"So, how's the investigation?" All Might asked, wanting to change the subject.
Tsukauchi sighed. "That's the reason why I came here. There were a large number of villains that attacked the USJ last month and we got info on all of them and dealt with them. But, we're puzzled by one," Tsukauchi said, making the other occupants in the room curious.
"Who would that be?" Gran Torino asked.
"The one they called 'Nomu.'"
"Right, that strong, fired chicken guy," All Might said, leaning forward.
"We went ahead and ran some tests on Nomu's DNA," Tsukauchi said, pulling out a folder that had papers in it.
"And what exactly did you find?" All Might asked, Gran Torino having stopped eating his taiyaki as he listened closely.
"First: we're not asking either you or U.A. to help us with the case. Technically, this is a leak. I just felt I owed it to you to let you know," the detective clarified. "It could lead us to the mastermind."
This got All Might's full attention. Tsukauchi wouldn't have brought this to him if it wasn't important. And by the sound of his voice, it sounded very serious.
"After several attempts at interrogation, we realized that Nomu can't speak. He shows no reaction to anything. It's as though he literally can't think for himself. No matter what's going on around him," Opening the folder, Tsukauchi placed a photo of a man on the tea table. "As for his identity, it turns out he's related to a student at U.A.'s middle school. His name's Rivalz Phenex, who disappeared in Sapporo about a year ago."
"Phenex? Like that one girl in Midoriya's club," Gran Torino realized. "But how can this lead us to the mastermind?"
"Here's where it gets interesting. Our reports show that he's been altered drastically. When we analyzed his genetic makeup, we discovered four different people's DNA," Tsukauchi stated, catching All Might and Gran Torino's attention.
"So someone is fusing other people's DNA into someone else. Is that the reason why he looks more monster than human now?" Toshinori asked.
"The transformation is a result of drugs and other unknown methods," the detective explained. "To oversimplify a bit, he's been modified so that his body is able to hold multiple Quirks at once. His brain's apparent lack of processing power probably comes from the burden that causes. But we're more concerned about his DNA. He shouldn't have more than one Quirk. Even if new DNA is introduced, that shouldn't give a person multiple Quirks. Not unless it's completely integrated into someone's body. Not all Quirks work like One for All, but maybe…"
All Might and Gran Torino's eyes widened, the two realized what he was about to say.
"…There's someone out there with the power to pass different Quirks on to other people."
"No…" All Might gasped in horror as he stood up, his body trembled. "This means…"
"The man who ripped out your stomach, the man who killed your mentor and predecessor, and my dear friend, Shimura, is still alive." Gran Torino growled.
"I didn't want to believe that tip we received either but given the evidence…" Tsukauchi grimaced. "This is why I came to you. I had to let you know immediately."
"I thought I stopped him six years ago, and yet…" All Might growled, his fist clenched tightly with fury and rage as he started transforming into his muscle form.
"What I'm curious about is how this tipper even knew not only this but also about the attack on the USJ," Gran Torino spoke. "Any idea who they are?"
"I've been trying to find out who it was ever since the USJ, but no luck," Tsukauchi replied. "Whoever it was made sure to cover their tracks really well."
"Weren't you the one who received the tip regarding All For One?" Gran Torino asked.
"Not in person," Tsukauchi sighed. "I received an anomalous call from a payphone in Tokyo. Whoever it was, they knew my name and my phone number. The only thing I could tell about them was that they sounded like a woman. I would've ignored the call had she not dropped All For One's name."
All Might debuffed and sat back down in thought. That peace that they had… it was never really there to begin with, was it? And now… now the choice to tell Midoriya Izuku about him… about everything… was slowly becoming less of one and more of a need.
Morning on day 3 of the internships, and Izuku had woken up to find that, once again, Milia was sleeping at his side, again dressed in nothing but an unbuttoned shirt and underwear, only now she wasn't alone. On his other side was Fuyuko, sleeping motionlessly but hugging his arm tight, in a loose black tank top and white shorts. Shockingly, Nejire was present as well, in a lilac button shirt and pats (thankfully) with her hair wrapped her body, clinging onto his leg like it was a stuffed animal.
'Why am I not surprised?' Izuku mentally sighed in acceptance, deciding not moving was a safe option, even if the girls… assets were pressing softly against him.
It took another hour for the girls to wake up, Milia being embarrassed, Fuyuko blushing a little but fine, and Nejire not having a care.
By the time they arrived at the main lobby for breakfast, Ryukyu and some of her sidekicks were already there. Surprisingly, Zero and Guren were present as well, Cynthia, Liana, and Setsuna accompanying them.
"Oh good, you're up," Ryukyu said upon noticing them.
"What's going on?" Milia asked.
"Zero and Guren just informed me about the Commission's Hero Killer Hunt," Ryukyu revealed.
"The Hero Killer!?" Izuku gasped.
"That's right," Zero nodded. "Endeavor and several other pros have already left for Hosu. We'll be joining them later today."
"As we'll be heading out later, we won't be patrolling today. So use this time to rest up and catch up with some studies," Ryukyu advised them.
"So we're going to work with Endeavor and other heroes to catch Stain?" Nejire asked.
"No, unfortunately," Guren said.
"The Commission, in their infinite 'wisdom'," Zero spat, "has decided that they want heroes covering as much ground as possible, and are discouraging groups, saying it makes us look weak if they need support."
"To be fair, they're not wrong, regarding you at least," Guren said teasingly. "Remember when we were in high school, you couldn't even lift a box of pillows."
Beneath his mask, Lelouch blemished at that particular memory; that had definitely been one of the more embarrassing moments in his lifetime. "Need I remind you that box held ten to twelve pillows, all of them large-sized?"
Now it was Kallen's turn to roll her eyes. "Except those were foam pillows. Even Nina was able to lift hers without any problems. And need I mention the time Milly outraced you while wearing a frilly dress."
The students, including his daughters, all tried to hold back their laughs, letting a few snickers out. The thought that Zero, the hero voted the one who most resembles a villain, being unable to carry a box of pillows and getting outraced by a girl in a dress was funny.
"I've gotten stronger," Lelouch weakly retorted, which only earned a skeptical chuckle from his wife. "Anyway, rest up. We'll be heading to Hosu soon."
If Itsuka wasn't used to it, she was sure that her arms and legs would feel like lead by now, with all the training her mentor had her do. But she would really like to have something other than the protein shakes he made. Heck, she would kill to have anything that didn't have copious amounts of protein powder in it.
'Why are there so many types of protein powder?' She had asked upon seeing Thunder Fist's personal collection. She was just thankful he hadn't spiked the water with protein powder as she took a bottle from the fridge.
"Battle Fist," Akihiko suddenly called. "I got good news."
'Oh, please tell me it's not protein powder related,' Itsuka silently dreaded.
"Just got word that the Commission is starting a Hero Killer hunt in Hosu."
'Oh, thank god,' she mentally sighed in relief before flinching from a sudden migraine. "We're going after the Hero Killer?" She asked.
"Yep, even though we weren't given an invite."
"…Is that even allowed?"
"Technically, any hero is free to join the hunt," Akihiko answered. "That, and Zero and Guren do this kind of thing all the time. Rumor says that the Commission threatened to revoke their licenses after the first few times, only to back down because they have dirt on the Commission. Now c'mon, we're gonna take the train to Hosu."
Manual and Iida patrolled the city once again on their own, the Normal Hero remaining cheerful as he led the student through the afternoon streets.
"Today it's even more patrolling! Sorry that it's so monotonous," Manual chuckled to Iida. "If I could've I would've switched things up for something better."
"It's fine, it's actually better this way…" Iida responded in a serious tone.
Manual glimpsed back to Iida with a look of concern, knowing something was wrong with the boy. He already had a feeling of what was wrong with him, why he seemed so serious, why he was here. So he knew he had to ask him something.
"Hey…"
Hearing his change in tone, Iida turned to Manual.
"I know that this may be wrong to ask, but… by any chance, are you here to chase after the Hero Killer?" He asked, stopping his walking.
Iida stopped walking as well, surprised to have been quickly found out. "I…"
Manual scratched his chin awkwardly. "I couldn't think of any other reason you'd come to my agency… As I said, you must've had better offers from heroes. Oh, but I'm really glad you came! It's just that…"
He looked rather serious now.
"You should never act out on a personal grudge. We heroes are here to protect and fight for the people, not to arrest or punish criminals. If the police need our help stopping villains, then we're called in to help. The use of Quirks has been allowed through the regulations of the government to only be for the sake of others, not for oneself. If anyone used their Quirks for their own selfish desires, then it would be a serious crime…"
Those final words, 'it would be a serious crime' echoed throughout Iida's head. He then looked down in some shame, but at the same time, anger. Thinking that he would just have to sit by while the Hero Killer roams free.
"Ah! I-It's not that I'm saying that the Hero Killer isn't guilty! Of course, he is! It's just because you seem like the type of person to focus on something, but then ignore everything else! It makes me think you're trying to hunt down the Hero Killer down, not just by yourself, but for yourself…" Manual told him out of genuine concern.
After remaining silent for a few seconds, Iida just bowed. "Thank you for the warning… and honestly, I'm not sure anymore." Manual seemed surprised by what Iida said. "Some of my friends have attempted to persuade me from pursuing vengeance for my brother. One, in particular, said something that… struck a bit of a cord. About his own experience with vengeance and how it didn't help."
Manual nodded. "He sounds like a good friend. No one's saying that you should forgive Stain, Tenya. He's a villain that needs to be stopped. But going after him half-cocked with a grudge isn't the answer." Manual then put a hand on Iida's shoulder. "You're a good kid, so I know that, in the end, you'll make the right decision. Now c'mon, we got a long day today."
"Yes, sir," Iida nodded.
Izuku sat beside Milia and Nejire on the private car Ryukyu booked them and some of her sidekicks. Fuyuko had to stay behind as she was a civilian, while Zero, Guren, Liana, Setsuna, and Cynthia had gone ahead on a separate train and had agreed to wait for them at the station.
Ryukyu had her phone in hand, reading over some sort of message, while Nejire and Milia were talking to pass the time. Pulling his phone out, he checked the class group chat, finding that almost everyone was having a pleasant evening so far.
"Whatcha doing on your phone?" Nejire asked.
"I'm representative of my class, and I need to check-in and make sure there haven't been any issues," he explained.
"[Attention, we are arriving at Hosu Station.]" the intercom announced.
With that announcement from the intercom, everyone readied to depart the train as it slowed down. When the train came to a stop and they exited onto the platform, Ryukyu led them to the main lobby, their progress slow due to the number of fans coming to greet them.
Once they made it outside, Milia looked up at the buildings around them, "So… Stain is here?"
Ryukyu glanced back at her, "And that is why, if we encounter Stain together, you and Midoriya are to run and get help. Get more heroes to surround Stain so he doesn't escape."
Milia and Izuku looked to Ryukyu in surprise. Before they could object, Ryukyu raised her hand up. "I know you're both strong, but you're still students under my care. If I was risking either of your lives and you got hurt because of it, I won't be able to forgive myself."
Izuku and Milia both nodded in acknowledgment.
"Don't worry, my cute kouhais! If we do run into trouble, it'll be my job to keep an eye on you two," Nejire reassured.
"Thanks, senpai," Milia smiled.
They walked around for a short time before finding a huge crowd of people, in the center of which was not just Zero, Guren, and Endeavor, but also a young man wearing a brown aviator's outfit, complete with white fur-lined on the interior and collar of his jacket. He also had messy brown hair, a bit of a goatee on his chin, a pair of yellow goggles over his eyes, and he wore a black undershirt with yellow patterns on it. But what stood out the most were the pair of massive wings that were prominently sticking out of his back. He seemed to be the one the crowd was centered on.
"No way! The Winged Hero: Hawks!" Izuku exclaimed in excitement.
"He's taking part in this too?" Milia asked, equally excited.
"Ah, Ryukyu, glad you're here," Hawks waved.
"I wasn't aware you would be taking part, Hawks," Ryukyu commented.
"Eh, me and my intern were in the neighborhood," the Winged Hero replied casually. "Figured I could help with the search."
"Does this mean everyone in the top ten will be taking part?" Nejire asked.
"'Fraid not," Hawks shook his head. "All Might and Best Jeanist are dealing with other cases, Mirko is busy and won't get here until tomorrow, same with Edgeshot, and Kouen is dealing with, and I quote, 'family issues'. No telling when she'll be available again."
"The five of us, along with all the pros already in the city, will be sufficient," Zero said.
"What's the plan Zero?" Endeavor asked.
While the pros discussed how to locate Stain, Izuku and Milia walked over to Setsuna and Liana, who were with Todoroki and Tokoyami, off to the side. "Todoroki. Tokoyami. Good to see you," Izuku greeted.
"Good evening, Midoriya, Takamaki," Tokoyami greeted.
"Hello. How is your training with Ryukyu?" Todoroki asked them.
"It's been pretty great," Izuku answered before looking Todoroki over. "New costume?"
Todoroki's original white shirt and pants were gone, replaced with a blue jacket with the sleeves bunched up around his elbows and matching blue pants. The biggest difference was that the ice she wore over her whole left side was gone. That, and it hugged her body a little tighter than her old costume, showing some of her curves.
"Yes," Todoroki nodded. "My old costume… wasn't fireproof. Though did they have to make it tighter?"
"Tell me about it," Milia muttered.
"Well, I like it," Setsuna grinned. "It's defiantly an improvement over your old costume."
"At least you don't have that silly ice all over you."
"DARK SHADOW!"
"Anyway, how do you think they'll look for Stain?" Izuku asked.
"Knowing my father, he would like heroes from each agency to cover different sections of the agency," Liana guessed. "And he'll want no one to go off on their own, despite what the Commission told them."
After a few minutes, the pros finished discussing the important details. "Are we all clear on our objective?" Zero asked the gathered pros and their sidekicks. "If any of us were to find a lead on Stain's location or encounter the man himself, contact the rest of us immediately so we can surround him."
"Based on the testimony of survivors he has a Quirk that lets him paralyze anyone," Endeavor added. "How his Quirk works is unknown, so it's paramount that no one fights Stain solo. Let's move!"
At that, each agency spread out, heading for different sections of the city.
"See ya, everyone," Todoroki said to her classmates as she followed her father and his sidekicks.
"Be careful, my friends. I feel that dark times are ahead," Tokoyami said as he followed after Hawks.
"Good luck, everyone," Setsuna said as she and Liana followed Zero and Guren.
"Good luck," Izuku returned as he and Milia followed Ryukyu and Nejire.
Stain was standing on the edge of a rooftop, watching the city spread under his feet, as he heard the sound of the purple vortex opening behind him.
"This place looks nicer than I expected," Shigaraki said as he came out through the portal, followed by Lailah. "So, what are you gonna do?"
"I will reform it," said Stain, crouched down and not making a move to look at any of the newer arrivals. "In order to do so, blood must spill."
"You have a clear goal," Kurogiri mused aloud. "Your dedication is admirable."
"Ah… " The Hero Killer stood. "Finally, someone who understands."
Shigaraki began to run a finger along the edge of the wound the Hero Killer had given him. "I get the feeling you enjoy picking on me."
"You seem to make it fairly easy," Lailah snickered.
"'Hero' is a title for those who've accomplished great deeds! This city is full of false champions. All they care about is money and fame. Until this world realizes its mistakes," Stain said, withdrawing the sword on his back, "I will continue my work."
He then leaped down into the city below like some kind of demonic monkey. As Shigaraki watched Stain go his own way, he began to scratch his own neck in anger.
"How many Nomu do we have?" The hands villain demanded as Kurogiri warped next to him.
"Seven," Kurogiri replied. "The good doctor has been investing more time in producing these Nomu ever since the USJ with Miss E acquiring more subjects for his work. None of them will be as powerful as the one we used at the USJ, though."
"Miss E?" Lailah inquired.
"An acquaintance who has been helping provided us with intel and subjects," Kurogiri answered.
"It'll be enough," grinned Shigaraki as he pointed out in the distance. "It's a shame, really. The Hero Killer and I just can't agree on a basic level. He just annoys me. The potential destruction we could have caused together. Oh well, I guess this is what he gets for thinking he can get away with stabbing me. Bring the Nomu."
"As you wish."
A shadowed swirl began to form below them.
"I'll kill you Hero Killer. If it's what I desire, then I will get it. Your pride. Your conviction. To hell with it. You're not even a boss, and I've just gotten seven new players. Level…"
Seven monstrosities emerged from the portal. All of varying sizes and grotesque features, the one thing they had in common was the exposed brains.
"Start."
Stain crept through the back allies of Hosu, looking for a suitable location to hunt.
"Hero Killer Hunt," a man bemoaned. "They honestly believe that regular heroes like us can catch a man like Stain? What is the Commission thinking telling us to put on this show? I catch thieves and petty criminals, I don't know how to deal with a serial killer."
He raised an eyebrow at that. A hero was nearby, one who knew his station.
"I guess with so many out they expect numbers to work, but still it feels wrong, we should be in groups…"
He was curious now. Was the Commission literally sending him people to kill now?
Further down the alley, a man stepped into view dressed as a Native American. 'Native, no issues that I know of, the man focuses on smaller crimes, but helps when able with disasters.'
Native looked up from his train of thoughts and paused as he looked at him. "Ancestors watch over me," he muttered, getting into a stance.
"Really, you're willing to fight me, when you know you can't win?" he asked, showing he had heard the man's supposed soliloquy.
"And let you harm more people?" he rebuked. "No, I just need to hold out until more heroes come and we can put a stop to your murders."
Drawing his blade he asked, "And if no one comes to your rescue?"
"Then I'll do my best to weaken you so another can finish the job."
Stain smiled. This man had conviction, it was a pity that he was in his way.
Itsuka was beside Akihiko on the train, the sun already disappeared on the horizon to turn the sky dark. They had been riding on the bullet train towards Hosu for a small amount of time. "It's already getting kinda late. Is that okay?"
"Yep," Akihiko replied, drinking a protein shake. "Stain doesn't seem to stick with any kind of schedule, so they need heroes patrolling 24/7. Besides, more skirmishes happen at night so it'll be more fun."
Itsuka sweat-dropped. "But… won't so many heroes discourage that kind of behavior?"
"Maybe, but there will be always at least one idiot who'll cause trouble regardless of the heroes present."
"Hey, look at that! A building just exploded," a passenger behind them suddenly shouted.
"Really? Where?"
Soon passengers were all crowding towards the window, curiosity overriding their sense of safety. "Everyone, please remain in your seats!" A conductor told everyone.
"What's going on?" Akihiko asked, standing from his seat.
"Could it be a fire?" Itsuka asked.
Suddenly, something came flying from the city and busted right into the train right in front of them.
"Gah!" Itsuka kept hold of her seat as the train momentarily shook, the passengers screaming. Clouds of dust covered the inside of the train that kept everyone from seeing what had crashed into them.
Right in front of her was a large hole in the train's side, but more importantly, there was a hero dressed in white trying to get up from the floor, his head slightly bleeding.
"Nngh… What the hell-?" started the hero, only to be crushed into the floor by a large hand. The passengers were soon greeted with a strange light greenish-grayish monstrosity with its brain open to the world as well as two eyes on both sides of its brain.
Itsuka's pupils shrunk, recognizing right away what the four-eyed monstrosity was. "NOMU!"
Before she could properly react, Akihiko lunged forward, fists sparking with electricity, delivering a right hook into the Nomu's face. With the Nomu disorientated, Akihiko rotated his arm, more sparks coming off from it as he did so. "Thunder… Uppercut!" With a yell, Akihiko punched the Nomu hard enough to send it flying off the train.
Sanada Akihiko AKA Boxing Hero: Thunder Fist. Quirk, Elec Fist. By rotating his arms he can generate and store electricity, drastically increasing his striking power.
Once he was sure the monster was gone, Akihiko turned his attention to his fellow pro. A train attendant ran up as Akihiko stooped down to the injured man and checked his pulse. "He's alive, but he'll need medical attention right away. Stop the train and get an ambulance here as soon as you can."
The man nodded as his fellow coworkers ran into the train car from both ends, ushering passengers away from the damaged car.
Itsuka ran up, glancing outside through the gaping hole in the train as it began to slow down… just as another explosion rocked the city. "What the hell is going on?" She asked.
"Not sure," Akihiko stood up beside her. "You called that thing a 'Nomu'. That was the monster All Might fought at the USJ, right?"
Itsuka nodded. "Yeah, but it looked different."
"Either way, we can't sit here," Akihiko scowled as the train finally stopped. "I'll head to where the fire's at, see how I can help. Battle Fist, you'll help any civilians get away from any danger. If you encounter any villain, do not engage. Only fight back if you have no other choice. Understand?"
Itsuka narrowed her eyes, nodding.
"Good. Let's go!"
Shigaraki smiled with glee behind the hand covering his face. "These Nomu are great. They'll have this city burning in no time."
From his side, Kurogiri looked over at Shigaraki. "I am glad you decided to listen to Master and not participate in the battle."
"I'm still injured, so of course, I won't. That's also why I wanted you to drop Muscular off in Hokkaido. I'm not risking one of my best units for a side-quest. The Nomu are enough. I'm not stupid. Besides, sometimes it's more fun to watch. Isn't that right, Lailah? …Lailah?"
Shigaraki and Kurogiri looked around, finding no sign of Lailah at all. "Odd. She was here a moment ago."
"Isn't it obvious where she went? Ugh, she's worse than Muscular," Shigaraki smiled again. "Oh well. If she manages to kill some heroes, I won't complain. And if Stain bites the dust, all the better."
*BOOM!*
"What the heck was that!?" Nejire exclaimed. The sudden shaking of the ground lurched them out of their patrol. Izuku and the others turned their heads towards where the distant bang had come from. Smoke was already rising up into the sky.
Ryukyu's eyes began to shine bright yellow. "The Hero Killer will have to wait…" Ryukyu let out a mighty roar before her whole body began to shift in shape and size, becoming much larger and more reptilian. Her hair became much longer and spikey while her arms and legs became grey and scaly, with a long tail and a pair of massive wings emerging from her back. Her fingers and toes all now ended in a massive, black claw, and her neck grew out along with her head shifting into a more beak-shaped form. Her teeth had also become sharper as well, which finished off her Dragon transformation. "Let's move!"
"Right!" Nejire, Milia, and Izuku all nodded.
Nejire propelled herself into the air with her Quirk, while Izuku spread his dragon wings, picking up Milia, and followed.
It didn't take them long to reach the source of the screams and flames, panicking civilians all running away from the flames. A couple of pro heroes were already on the scene, a couple busy trying to stop the fire.
The other heroes, though, were busy fighting the ones behind this. Milia and Izuku gasped in shock at what they were seeing.
Several of the heroes were fighting a large, half-man, half-beast man at least 3 meters tall with black skin and red scars with several fox-like tails, the tips of which were alight with white fire, a section of its skull has been surgically removed exposing its entire brain, its eyes a solid black. It howled as swatted away one of the heroes, the white flames on its tails attacking the heroes after.
An explosion to their left pulled them in as they turned the corner and he saw a large black Nomu emerge from a burning fire, its brain free of any eyes as it screeched before swinging at two heroes who went flying to the side and landed in a heap.
A third Nomu appeared carrying a man in the air as it flapped sickly pale yellow wings, its brain sported two eyes, but its mouth was covered by what looked to be a breathing apparatus.
"NOMU!?" They both exclaimed, eyes wide.
The winged Nomu glanced over at Izuku and Milia. "D…k…" with a screeched, it dropped the man and charged towards the two, forcing Izuku to dive to the side as it swings its thin claws at him, missing him by a hair.
"You okay?" He asked Milia, placing her on the ground.
"Yeah," Milia nodded.
The fox Nomu roared as it breathed blue flames at some of the pros, but Ryukyu jumped in and took the brunt of the attack. Her costume singed, Ryukyu let out a roar of her own as she slammed the Nomu into the ground. 'That attack just now… that was Kitsune Fox Fire! But how?!'Ryukyu didn't have time to wonder how as the fox Nomu began to push her back.
Nearby, the eyeless Nomu charged forward, intent on crushing any hero in its way. Nejire, seeing this, raised her hands. "Full charge, output level 30," her Quirk gathered in her palms. "Nejire Wave!"
Nejire's attack blasted the Nomu back rather easily, which hadn't gone unnoticed by Izuku. "It didn't withstand the attack? It must not have the same Quirks like the one at the USJ."
"RYEEEEE!"
The screech from above reminded Izuku of the winged Nomu, which was currently trying to dive-bomb him. Izuku ducked behind a car, the winged Nomu flying too fast to avoid slamming into the car. 'This one really has it out for me!' Izuku took a few steps back as the Nomu recovers from the impact. 'But why? What'd I do to it?!'
The winged Nomu screeched again, but before it could get back into the air, Milia's claws pierced the membrane of its left wing. It cried in pain as it attempted to get back into the air, Milia's extended claws damaging the wing further, making it difficult for the Nomu to stay in the air.
"Nice one, Yari!" Izuku smiled.
"Thanks," Milia nodded.
"Manual, quick, put out the fires!" A Hero with bull horns ordered as he ripped a fire hydrant and threw it at the nearest of the monsters.
"Why did you choose to go off at a time like this, Tenya!?" Manual muttered as he quickly took control of the water to put out the fires and distract the monsters.
'Tenya? Is he talking about Iida?!' Izuku quickly ran over to Manual, Milia close behind. "Do you mean our classmate, Iida Tenya?" Izuku asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah he's an intern at my agency. However, he seems to have disappeared on me. I'm worried about him, due to what happened to his brother. Damn it, where are you?" He gritted, shifting the water to another fire.
"Oh no," Milia gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "You don't think…"
Izuku said nothing, having come to the same conclusion. "Ryukyu! We need to find our classmate!"
"I heard!" Ryukyu, fighting off the fox Nomu. "Nejire, go with them! Find your classmate, and only engage in combat if absolutely necessary! We'll handle things there."
"You kids be careful," a female hero shouted. "Just got word that there are more villains like them elsewhere in the city!"
"More Nomu!?" Izuku and Milia gasped. Just how many Nomu were there?
"Okay, we'll be careful," Izuku nodded along with the girls, and after getting a little more details from where Manuel and Tenya had been a few minutes ago, rushed in that general direction.
Unknown to them, the winged Nomu, who had been struggling to stay in the air while avoiding attacks from the heroes, turned its head towards the three, its soulless eyes on Izuku in particular. "D…ku…"
As Iida ran through Hosu's back alleys, he felt his stomach twist. Guilt gnawed at him with every step. If not for his burning desire to see his brother's attacker brought to justice, his guilt would have been crippling. But he kept running, fueled by his desire and conviction. This was his best chance to find Stain and he could not afford to waste it.
Still, he wasn't betraying just Manual, but also Principal Nezu and his friends. They had healed his brother, and Yuuto had opened up to him. And yet here he was.
"That idiot's making a move. And he's so noisy," he heard a man mutter in a nearby alley. "I will have to dispose of him later. Right now… I have important work to finish here."
Iida glanced down the alley and saw him. The Hero Killer, Stain, was standing over a hero, Native he believed, sword at the ready. Iida quickly sprung to action, racing toward the Hero Killer at full speed.
But Stain anticipated this, using his sword to block the attack fro, knocking off his helmet and sending him to the ground. "A child wearing a suit," Stain noted after Iida's failed attack. Iida glared at Stain with hateful eyes. "Run along. This is not a place for children."
Iida sat up as he stared at Stain. His glass knocked off when he failed to land his first hit. "You're Stain, aren't you. The Hero Killer."
"Your armor's design…" Stain assessed Iida's costume. "A fan of Ingenium, are you?"
"His younger brother," Iida hissed in reply.
"Then are you here for vengeance?" Stain spat. "I can tell from your eyes. So choose what you do next carefully, boy. I will kill whoever I must, even if that means children."
Steadying himself, Iida almost replied with an answer that would've meant yes, but hesitated. He recalled Yuuto's words on how, even after he got vengeance for his family, that didn't change anything. "Even if I said yes and defeat you here, it won't resurrect your victims, or heal my brother's engines. No," Iida looked away from Stain and swords Native. "As much as I hate you for what you've done, right now the only thing that matters to me is saving Native's life!"
To Iida's surprise, Stain responded to that with a wide grin. "Well, then… your life just might be worth sparing."
Itsuka ran through the streets of Hosu, helping any civilians get away from the epicenter of this disaster. "Looks like no one's here," she noted, having not seen a single soul since she ran down this street. So far it seemed as if almost all of the civilians managed to get away from the brewing catastrophe. "I should probably meet back ups with Thunder First."
Suddenly, an odd sound caught her attention. It came from a nearby alley. Cautiously, she walked up to the edge of the alley to take a peek, but all she saw was an empty, dark alley. "Hello, is someone there?" She called out.
Nothing.
Dismissing it as probably a stray cat, Itsuka was about to turn away when she stepped in something. Looking down, she lifted her foot to find a thin, thread-like substance stuck to her boot. "Is this… webbing?"
Suddenly, the webbing pulled back into the alley, tripping Itsuka as she was dragging in, the girl screaming in surprise. On instinct she activated her Quirk, her hands going as she attempted to stop herself from being dragged into the alley. She quickly tried to grab the webbing drawing her with her enlarged left hand while her right grasped onto the corner of a building, which managed to stop her, breaking the web.
From above, Itsuka heard an amused hiss. Not wanting to chance it by looking up, Itsuka quickly rolled to the side as something hit the ground where she was at.
Lailah gave an amused chuckle as she rushed toward Itsuka, who quickly grabbed a nearby trash can with her enlarged hand, throwing it at the murderous angel. Lailah used one of her spider-legs to push the can aside, slashing at Itsuka with one of her clawed hands.
Itsuka screamed as she felt Lailah's claws cut across her face. Quickly, she enlarged her right hand and struck, forcing Lailah back several feet, Itsuka using the chase to back up a greater distance away from the monster.
Lailah quickly righted herself, now taking the moment to assess her prey. "What's this? A little girl playing hero all by her lonesome?" She mockingly asked.
Itsuka kept her left hand on her cheek, trying to stop the bleeding. "Are you some kind of villain?"
"You could say that," the spider woman smiled. "This just seemed like the perfect night for a little mayhem, and I couldn't resist," Lailah smirked in sadistic glee as she licked the blood on her fingertips… before blinking and liking the blood again. "Well… this is surprising."
Itsuka took a step back. The look in Lailah's eyes somehow got even more unsettling. "W-What's surprising?"
"You're blood… it doesn't taste fully human," Lailah licked her lips.
"Not fully human? What the hell are you talking about?"
"You don't know?" Lailah questioned. "Hmm… If I had to guess, your power was locked away, and maybe even your memories," Lailah seemed particularly giddy as she stepped toward Itsuka, who took several steps back in turn. "That's a good thing because now I can take as much time I can to make you remember. Let's start with this."
Itsuka gasped as grey light emitted from the palm of Lailah's hand, forming a spear. For some reason, fear began to take hold, every cell of her being telling her to run.
"So you know that much, at least," Lailah smiled, noticing the frightened look on Itsuka's face. "Heh heh heh… This will be fun."