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Izuku was at school when his website updated. It was the first day back from summer vacation, so he wasn't home to see the internet explode.
But he was already getting a sense of the commotion brewing just from feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket amidst a constant stream of notifications. And although he tried to act normal during class, excitement coursed through his body at the anticipation of what was unfolding.
Many of those who closely followed the page were waiting for the counter to reach Even though it was Monday at noon, the anticipation of many meant that nothing could stop their intention to see what was coming.
And it was precisely those people who were able to see the website update firsthand.
What they didn't expect was that, once the zeros appeared on their device screens, the page would reactivate and be fully functional again. The site removed the numbers and displayed a black screen which, in an instant, flashed, opening awindow to a video lesson.
It contained a person sitting in a sort of empty room, covered by a black background made of a long piece of cloth that prevented any kind of visible identification of the space or location from where it was being recorded.
Similarly, the person sitting in the center of the video was virtually unrecognizable. They were dressed entirely in black, covering every inch of skin.
They wore a long-sleeved turtleneck sweater under a hoodie, long gloves, and a full-face LED cosplay mask.
Despite being a balaclava-style mask designed to cover the hair, it was secured with the hood of a sweatshirt. With this setup, the only way to perceive the emotions of the person behind the mask was through the changes in expression that the mask itself allowed, its lights forming different symbols and emotions in various colors.
— Welcome, dear viewers, or those who have the opportunity to see what awaits you with this update. So I'll start with a sincere apology for the wait — the person begins speaking.Anyone who listened could tell that, beneath the mask, there was a voice modulator that distorted his speech, functioning as another measure to avoid being recognized.
— To be honest, the game plan is going to change. Despite that, the gameplay will remain largely the same. There are sections for finding specific information, and that's why I'm bringing you this new section for vigilantes. Many of you have been asking for information, and while it wasn't impossible to obtain, now there's a dedicated section for them. That's one of the minor changes, in addition to an improved interface.
He pauses briefly before continuing.
— The interesting part is in these last two sections that I will present to you next, which I think you will love… or not.
As he says that, a distorted laugh can be heard in the video.
— These will depend on you, dear customers. As you know, money makes the world go round. That's why the first option will allow for a slightly more balanced game between us. We'll have a barter system: information is also currency. You offer data, and I reward you with information equivalent to your request. Isn't that fantastic?!
He shouts that while the chair spins on its own axis, before stopping and continuing his speech.
— I know we all keep secrets or know secrets that have some kind of value. I'm living proof of that. But I also know we're all willing to pay anything for firsthand information. In turn, I also believe that more than one of you is willing to keep your own information secret.
He makes another deliberate pause.
— Villains, heroes, and vigilantes… this is for you. I'll give you one chance to protect your information.
He remains silent for a moment, dramatizing his words as much as possible, while a series of ellipses appear glowing on the mask.
— That's why once a week I'll open an auction box containing a secret from one of you. A secret that could affect you: secret identities, family, location, a dangerous and important weakness, some hidden scandal… it can be anything.
It leans slightly forward.— But don't worry, it's an auction for a reason. You'll have the chance to protect your information. You just have to reach the highest price before time runs out.
After that, the highest bidder wins, and I won't reveal that information again, not even in private messages.
He makes a gesture with his hand.
— Easy, right? It's just a matter of being observant and having enough money. Like I said before… money makes the world go round.
The mask changes to a luminous smiling expression.
— And now money will move you.
The video ends with that last sentence. The screens went black again before the page began loading. When the site finished updating, the new sections mentioned earlier in the video were visible.
Standing out like a casino's illuminated sign was the auction section, with the date "04/09/2252" marking the day the first auction would take place.
"What the hell! This is insane!" shouts Tsukauchi, who had been present at the exact moment the page was updated, using a different account than the one that had previously been infected, as well as a new and much more protected computer... and tape covering the front camera.
"It seems he's already started to make use of the power of information, and not just for monetary gain," Nezu commented, who didn't want to miss out on what the update would bring, and clearly wasn't disappointed with the result.
"This is bad. We don't know what information he has, which could be very damaging to many heroes," the detective added. For a moment, he thought about All Might's secret, but reassured himself, remembering that it was a very well guarded secret to which very few had access.
—But it applies to villains too— the rodent adds calmly. —Some wouldn't want even their own allies, or even the law, to find out about certain things.
"Does he realize he's putting himself in greater danger with this approach?" Eraserhead asked. Like the others, he was greatly intrigued by this; even so, he couldn't help thinking it was highly erratic and illogical to make himself that kind of target."I think he wants to prove a point," Nezu said, stating the fact with apparent obviousness.
—And what would it be? —Tsukauchi asked, already on edge seeing how high the site had climbed, even after having tried to take it down multiple times.
"He has power over all of us," the rodent replied calmly. Noticing the doubts on the other two humans' faces, he sighed before explaining further. "He's giving us a chance to safeguard secrets, but also to gather information on criminals. He's also looking to make deals with anyone interested who can't afford the auction price or simply doesn't want to use money. That way, he'll also collect more information through those exchanges."
"He's building a network," the long-haired man points out, thinking about how big that information network could become.
- That's how it is.
"Is there any way we can stop it?" the detective asked. Seeing how quickly things had escalated in such a short time, he still couldn't predict how it would all end or how big and powerful the person—or people—running that website might become.
— Only by heading to the source.
— In other words, finding the person or people responsible for the website — he says aloud something that everyone in that room already knew, after the rodent's response.
— Exactly. It's obvious, but also complicated. Simply because he doesn't let his guard down in the slightest. He continues to protect his interface, immediately blocks anything or any suspicious users, and seems to use signal repeaters, which makes tracing his IP address difficult. Added to this is the fact that the video was pre recorded, not live, and he made sure that no identifying features of himself were visible in it.
He pauses briefly before continuing.
— We could only assume he doesn't have a mutant-type peculiarity… or, in some rare case, that he hired someone to say a few words and that's it. But I doubt it.
Looking at the timing pattern of the responses, I'm already starting to suspect that it's a single individual in charge of all this. And he doesn't seem like someone who trusts others easily, so it's unlikely he'd hire someone to impersonate him.
"Are you still finding this funny?" the Underground Hero asked. He couldn't help but notice something odd about the figure in the video: it seemed too small to be an adult. However, he tried to be logical, considering the possibility that it was a side effect of some peculiarity, since there were indeed adults of short stature due to their quirks.
"Oh, my dear Eraserhead… you have no idea how much," Nezu replied with an almost psychopathic smile. But he quickly adopted a serious expression before continuing. "However, seeing what's happening, I don't think we should take this lightly. Whoever is behind this hasn't let go of their paranoia for a moment, not even during their period of inactivity. This could still take some time, so we must create a fund for when each auction opens."
"So... we'll pay him," Aizawa declared. He wasn't thrilled about the idea of having to pay that information broker to maintain the integrity of his colleagues or protect the villains' data. It meant playing right into the informant's hands.
— Partly, yes. But we're also going to trace the payments. We don't know if he's already planning to do this, but one way or another, we'll find him.
"I hope so, Nezu," Tsukauchi says, checking his phone. "My superiors are already demanding progress on this as soon as possible."
— Ha, that wretch is really crazy — says Giran with a new computer, as well as a new user account.
He had remained a spectator, closely following everything that happened in relation to the site: whether it was because someone mentioned having used the information, or because of similar comments on fan forums and other media. Even when the site's hiatus was announced, he was one of the viewers of the video when it was released.
Therefore, he was surprised to see the new business model being offered, something he wouldn't have dared to implement himself. He also noticed that whoever was running the website didn't seem to have any loyalties whatsoever; it was clear that money was their driving force. He had suspected this from the beginning and, to a large extent, was aware of it, but this new change only confirmed what he already knew.
"Even so, I must give him credit for his audacity," he says, leaning back in his chair and smoking his usual cigarette. "I wonder... how far does he plan to go?"
Could you give me some power stones? :)
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