A while later they began the Award Ceremony.
Pom! Pom!
Pom! Pom!
Pom! Pom!
Several small fireworks go off.
On the podium were the top three students. Todoroki in third, Bakugo in second and in first was Albert.
"Enjoy it while it lasts." Bakugo said with words laced with anger. "Next time I will be up there."
"Then I look forward to the challenge." Albert said looking forward and smiling.
"Now for the medals!!" Midnight shouted. "Presenting them this year is who would have guessed it!!"
"I AM!!!"
From up top, a figure moves through air, twirling and landing down heroically.
"HERE WITH—"
"Everyone's favorite hero, ALL MIGHT!!!"
"UROOOOOO!!!!!"
The crowd erupts in feverish cheering as All Might looks at Midnight for cutting him off.
"…Ahem!" All Might clears his threat as he walks over to Midnight who got the medals.
As he walks to the pedestals he gives Todoroki the third place medal.
"Todoroki boy." He puts the bronze medal around his neck. "Congratulations. Do not beat yourself up over your loss."
"No… I know I have a long way to go to become a hero like you. If I had not lost to Albert I was sure to have lost motivation if I fought Bakugo."
"Hm. Well the first thing one needs to do is find their starting point and move from there!" He comes in and hugs him.
Todoroki's eyes slightly widen.
"Thank… you, sir."
He lets go and walks over to Bakugo.
"Bakugo boy! You did amazing!"
"Hmph! I'll do better next time!!" he shouted towards Albert.
"Wonderful drive!! Haha!" He puts the silver medal around his neck and pats his shoulders. "Always aim for the top! Even if you miss the moon you'll still be amongst the stars!!"
He then walks over to Albert.
"Albert boy!" He puts the gold medal around his neck. "Do not worry. I will help as best as I can to free you from the U.S. Government's hands*." He said in English.
"…" Albert's sunny disposition quickly shifted on the dime as if he was programed to immediately speak back.
"!?"
To the two next to Albert and All Might who knew not a lick of English Albert smiled gently but his eyes grew dead cold.
Had All Might not kept smiling he would have shuttered. The creepy look on Albert's face was bone chilling to him.
Within Albert's cold eyes All Might could see a malice to match All For One's callous eyes. He wondered how much horror he has seen and committed to have such a expression at such a young age. Then Albert spoke some words in English as well.
"All Might. When my shackles are finally broken, get the fuck out of my way*." His cold eyes grew in intensity, they were so intense All Might felt he was looking through the barrel of a gun. "Because when I do my creators will not live to see the insides of a jailcell. Got it*."
"But wouldn't you like to see them brought to—*"
"How would you know what I like when even I don't know what I like?*"
It was a fair point. All, All Might could speculate was that Albert's life was one of labs, training, and killing.
"…I will not let you walk down this dark path, Adam.*"
"I was born and raised on that path. There is no path if they have my reins.*"
All Might turns to the crowd.
"Well these are your winners!!!" He then soke a few words softly in English. "I won't let you continue this path.*"
"The path you walked and paved will not bring peace to the world, those you capture only fester like mold and grow like a fungus. You know those in power will never see the inside of a jailcell, at worse they will be thrown into one of their private prisons.*"
"___" All Might kept his appearance up; the words Albert spoke rung true to him, but he will and cannot come to terms with that reality.
Albert didn't pay attention to anything else, the cheering and applause faded from him.
'Of course he knew Handler. Why wouldn't the number one hero of the world and in Japan not have been involved with the military in some point? But… his arrogance in thinking he can save me. Hah! No. He will not save me. I will save myself. Only thing can I feel the catharsis and joy of freedom. Yes. My only salvation is the Grail. I will rid myself of my shackles and be with the wind.'
After the awards Albert went inside to change clothes when Herod entered.
"Here." He tossed him a burner. "When you get back home call for the details."
Albert nods and he leaves.
"…" Albert looks at the burner and sighs. "Mélusine, if we want to make it early to eat and buy you your kit I will need your help."
"Of course Albert!"
Alberts gets dressed and begins to leave the stadium. As he was leaving he is stopped by his classmates.
"Hey! Hey!" said Sero. "You wanna come with us and—"
"I am sorry, but my dad made arrangements. Sorry. Maybe some other day."
"Oh? Okay! See yeah at school!"
They all nodded and waved him goodbye.
Of course of his classmates only Tsuyu noticed something was poking at Albert. But she couldn't quiet grasp it.
'I should ask him later.'
Albert quickly returned home and began to ready himself for the job.
"So is your handler always this sudden with his jobs?" Mélusine asked.
"No, given the time he must have kept it on hand for this day or something to let me know I am not just a student but a weapon for them to use. They say shoot I say who and no questions asked."
"So he wanted to put you in your place?"
"No, it's softer than that, he wanted to remind me that I am here for a job."
He took a shower and got dressed.
While Mélusine was inside doing what she liked for now Albert went outside and called his handler.
Click!
"01010111 01100101 01100001 01110000 01101111 01101110."
"Head to the Yamaguchi Prefecture, the address is ********."
"Got it. Anything else?"
"Yeah. Your going in alone but there will be support from a distance. They are with the Japanese government."
"How nice."
"Hm. Do not worry. The higher ups is letting you use [Morning Star] along with [Lilith] and [Eve]. Further information on the mission was sent to [Morning Star]."
"That serious? What of [Michael] or [Azrael]?"
"Very but it isn't that serious using what the higher ups decided on are enough for you to finish the job. Reports say the heads of this hydra that is the Shie Hassaikai are there at the moment doing a checkup. They will be there for a week going through everything methodically."
"So I go there and kill the guy. Got it."
"Correct. But before anything else I need to inform you that they have a special person they mentioned from their tapped phones."
"What a special merc or something?"
"Something along those lines. Their code name is Archer."
"!!" Albert fidgets for a bit. His eyes slightly widen, and a grin grows. "Go on. What else?"
"Just note that this job is highly dangerous with a unknown Quirk, but not delicate. You can use whatever you see fit to cull the Shie Hassaikai. Any damages will be pinned on them and the criminal organizations."
"And what if heroes come? Do I have authority to—"
"Try not to if you can help it. Other then that good luck. Archer is as their namesake implies very good at sniping and firearms."
"I'll keep that in mind. Click!" He ends the call and throws the burner far away.
He walks back inside to see Mélusine looking at model kits on the laptop.
"Get ready Mélusine. Seems where we are going where Archer is at."
"!!" Mélusine stops and looks to Albert. "Truly! Then I can fight!"
"Possibly. Just stay close and remain hidden. If we can we will do what we did with Siegfried."
"Then this night will be a excellent one! We get to kill get rid of a master and servant and I will get the 1/32 F-117 Stealth Fighter with the Wing Gundam Snow White Prelude!"
"Are they expensive?"
"…A little."