Chapter 90: Plomo
Taneo Tokuda grins at the opportunity he's been given.
An all-access pass to UA.
Well, not all access. He's sure there will be areas of the school he's not allowed to see, but it rolls off the tongue better than, 'elaborate guided tour of a hero school that allows you to see only what they want you to see.' So, all-access it is.
Not that any other journalist can even pretend to have what he's getting. No one was more surprised than him when Nezu reached out to his representatives for this opportunity. But it makes sense. UA's hero students, specifically class 1-A, have already hit the news cycle quite a few times this year. Most recently, when, right after obtaining their provisional licenses, they decided to help quell Exam Day's War Between Four. At least, that's what others in the media had dubbed the clash between the Yakuza, Silvers, Hand, and the former League of Villains.
Which isn't even accurate, because there were more villains there than that, but he digresses. It's catchy and caught on, which is all most outlets care about anyway.
In a sea of negative news coverage of heroes, seeing the next generation step up against villainy time and time again has really galvanized the public for more. And that's what today is about. UA is hoping an article with his name attached can keep the positive reception coming and help people not lose faith in them.
It was at this point in the pitch Taneo had actually been ready to refuse. Being allowed into UA is a huge opportunity, but not at the cost of his integrity. If they wanted some simple fluff piece, then they could go somewhere else. That is when Nezu laughed.
He had never heard the principal of UA laugh before. And he's pretty sure he never wants to hear it again. How could a laugh be so threatening? But Taneo accepted the work once Nezu showed him the contract and assured him they would not be controlling what he writes in any way. In fact, it was his televised interview from a couple of days ago where he recounted refusing a bribe from the Yakuza that convinced Nezu to call him.
The number of news anchors from more prominent media companies who were quick to dismiss his story as fake news was a bit alarming.
Taneo had been happy to accept the job after. And not just for moral and ethical reasons. He is a journalist after all, so a little selfishness is always present, no matter what anyone says. His vice? Sometimes, he wishes it were alcohol or drugs, but no. It was something much more taboo.
Aliens.
Mentioning that in any meeting will get you laughed out. But Taneo knows where his evidence points. There was the 'monster' that had been flung from the USJ, that seemingly vanished from all official reports, despite the thousands in property damage it caused. The creatures from Hosu. Interviews with hospital staff about what they overheard hero students saying about their training camp. It's all there.
But all of that can be explained away one way or another. No, he needs actual proof if anyone is going to believe him. Hell, there's still a part of himself that doesn't believe it, and there's only one place he's going to get it.
His smile widens as the barrier to UA lifts for him. A camera lens extends from his forehead to quickly capture the moment, before he steps inside, jumping a little at how fast the barrier slams shut behind him.
Who waits for him isn't Nezu, not that he expected it. Or even a member of the staff. But a teenager who gives him a wobbly bow. "Hello!" She greets him with a friendly wave. "I'll be the one escorting you today! I'm-"
"Kamala Khan." Taneo holds out his hand to give her a more traditional greeting based on where she's from. She takes it with a little bit of surprise. "I do my research. I'm just surprised a teacher isn't showing me around."
"They're all busy," she shrugs, urging him to follow her. "Plus, you can't do anything without Nezu knowing about it." She points to a camera on the perimeter wall that he swears wasn't there a second ago. "Well, you can try, but I have permission to smack you around a little if you try." She smirks, punching her palm. "Anyway, work studies are starting this week, and unlike most years, Nezu asked some of the heroes to come to campus for their first meeting with their students."
"And that just so happens to coincide with my visit here today?"
"Coincidence, am I right?" Kamala snickers. "We're going to visit some of the work studies so you can do interviews, take pictures, and whatever else reporters do."
"Journalist." Kamala turns back, confused. "I'm a journalist," Taneo clarifies. "You called me a reporter, but I'm not."
"Aren't they the same thing?"
"Nope." He takes out a notepad while camera lenses sprout out from various parts of his body, snapping photographs. "Reporters are handed the news. Journalists go looking for it."
Kamala stares at him, before clicking her tongue and giving him finger guns. "I'm just gonna go ahead and pretend I understood that so we can keep going!"
Taneo chuckles. "Alright, how about this?" He flips open his notepad. "Why is a teenage vigilante from America at Japan's top-rated hero school?"
She thinks about his question for a moment. "Because it's supposed to be good for me, I guess? I was helping the X-Men when they got the emergency call to come here, and I just sorta tagged along." She shrugs again. "My parents weren't very happy, but not much they could do when I 'forgot' to tell them until I was halfway across the Pacific." She cringes, shooting him a pleading look. "Can you maybe forget I said that last part?"
"Depends on how much of the school you let me see," he laughs but still crosses out that part of her quote. "So, you're an X-Men?"
Kamala shakes her head. "No. Like I said, just helping out."
"So what team are you a part of?"
Again, Kamala doesn't answer right away. "My own? I've never really been a part of a hero team, or anything really apart from my family. Oh, and I guess that one year I spent in band because my mom kept insisting that playing an instrument would look good on my college applications. I'd then ask what kind of non-art school would care about instruments, and she'd say it shows initiative and a willingness to 'diversify myself,' as if I'm not diverse enough-" she chokes on air, looking embarrassed. "Can you…"
Taneo smiles, crossing out the quote on his notepad. "No team then?"
"No, there aren't really any teams for people like me. Like, what would they even call a team of teenage superheroes? The Angstvengers? No way."
Taneo laughs. "Oh, that's good." Kamala facepalms. "So, how's your time been in Japan?" He leans in. "Notice anything stranger than usual?"
"Do you mean the villain attacks? No, besides those, I've been having a great time! It's so cool to see the differences in how America and Japan approach heroes. Like here, vigilantism is really bad, but in America, it's technically illegal too but kinda in the same way littering is illegal.
"Everyone here at UA has been so nice! It's so clean in the cities! And oh my gods I don't think I've ever seen so much anime in my life! Which might sound stupid, but I love just walking around at night and visiting the local shops, reading a stack of manga at a cafe, or j-just t-trying the, uh, the local…" Taneo follows her line of sight as she falters, noticing her staring at an orange-haired girl talking to a hero across the courtyard. "Cuisine."
He snorts, lifting his notepad. "It was at this moment my tour guide and future Angstvenger couldn't help but be captivated by the bright orange locks of class 1-B's Itsuka Kendo. Was she a fling in a foreign land to the young girl, or the beginning of a-"
"Nooooooo!!" Kamala shakes him. "You can't write that! Erase it! Erase it now!"
The wind bellows through Atsuhiro Sako's trenchcoat as a pair of heavy doors shut behind him. For most, the loud clank would represent a sort of finality. You are trapped and there is nowhere to go.
But not for him. For a criminal like him, integrating tech from the legendary thief, Ghost, into his suit had been a dream come true. Not that anyone could tell by looking at him. Yet another reason to be thankful for his mask. It's a lot easier to steal if people cannot tell how excited you are at the prospect.
Except for Himiko. Somehow, she always seems to know what face he's making. 'Irksome girl,' he thinks with a wry smile.
The members of the Yakuza, who had let them into the warehouse, back away to rejoin their master. Overhaul is easy to spot, thanks to the bright lights his comrades had set up. He's thankful the villain has solved what would've been their biggest problem, but could he not do something about the smell? He's going to be washing the stench of salt water and fish from his clothes because of the nearby docks for a week.
For the supposed meeting of several villain groups that are set to attend, a large table had been placed in the middle of the floor. Atsuhiro notices that despite the number of people already in the building, they were severely lacking in chairs. Many would have to stand.
Overhaul himself is surrounded by Yakuza and what Compress can only guess are a few of his fabled 'Eight Bullets.' Besides them, he doesn't see any signs of villains meant to participate besides a few soldiers from the Silver Clan standing on their own in a corner.
Atsuhiro is obviously not on his own. Hirona and Kraven observe their surroundings with critical eyes as well. Coming here is a risk; they all know it. But a well worth one if they could discern what their potential enemies were planning. Besides, they have prepared for things to go wrong. Although, he wouldn't exactly count Hirona watching old movies about the Yakuza as preparation.
Atsuhiro, on the other hand - he feels the marbles in his coat pocket - has something more practical in mind. And Kraven is perhaps their best close-quarters fighter, with the exception of Stain. But the Hero Killer is more effective when he isn't seen.
The doors loudly creak open and a few new faces appear. A blue-skinned woman that Atsuhiro had seen on the news. A man who wears a blue parka that reaches down to his knees with a fur-lined hood that covers his face. Another man in a suit who looks strikingly similar to an evil scientist from a cartoon that Hirona and Mustard had been watching. Especially in the nose region. And-
"Dabi," Hirona spits. And another reason why Atsuhiro believes everyone should wear masks: no one can tell when he's scowling at them.
Whether or not the aforementioned Dabi hears her is unclear, but his growing sneer indicates he's noticed them. "Compress. Kraven," the cremation user greets both grown men, sauntering over. "No surprise to see either of you." His eyes lazily drift down toward Hirona. "What? Daycare closed today?"
"Traitor," Hirona snarls.
"I prefer survivor, brat," Dabi bites back. "Why do you think I got away from you as soon as possible?" He scoffs. "No wonder All for One preferred your brother."
"Woah, woah, woah." Kraven and Atsuhiro place their hands on Hirona's shoulder simultaneously to keep her back just as Dabi's hand starts to smoke. "He's just trying to provoke you," Kraven tells her.
"And Daken calls me hot-headed." Dabi rolls his eyes, his hand cooling down.
"Now that's no way to speak to other invited guests of this event." The sharply-dressed man from Dabi's group stands between them. "It is not their fault they don't fit the mold society has cast for them. Furthermore." He looks around them with a hearty chuckle and smile that eases Atsuhiro a bit. "It's a struggle we all share in common, do we not?"
Dabi tsks before shooting Hirona one last glare. "Whatever. I didn't come here for philosophical debates or to share sob stories." He stomps away back toward the man in the parka.
"I apologize about him." The man Dabi came with clicks his tongue, watching him leave. "He has great potential; he's just a little rough around the edges, as they say. But then again, so are most of my associates when I first meet them."
He turns back around, still wearing a charming smile. "Hello, my name is Rikiya Yotsubashi. No need to introduce yourselves. I have been privy to the many exploits of your ragtag group." He holds out his hand. "Kraven the Hunter. You need no introduction." Kraven shakes his hand but doesn't let his guard down. Atsuhiro can understand why. The man seems pleasant but-
"Hirona Shigaraki." Yotsubashi shakes her hand. She flinches a little at the mention of her old family name but thankfully keeps her composure otherwise. "And Atsuhiro Sako." The thief holds out his hand, but while Yotsubashi continues to be pleasant, he doesn't shake his hand.
"You seem to know a lot about us, but we hardly know anything about you," Hirona points out. Atsuhiro is proud that their teenage leader noticed. He knows their names and clearly, their quirks.
"He is the CEO of Detnerat," Kraven informs her, evening out the playing field just a little.
"As expected, you are well-informed, Mr. 'the Hunter', but that's hardly a secret," Yotsubashi laughs. "In fact, I'm scheduled to film yet another commercial this evening."
"So what's the president of a support company doing here?" Hirona looks up from her phone, where she had been looking up his business.
"You're quite the nosy one, aren't you?" Yotsubashi continues to smile pleasantly at Hirona, tilting his head slightly. Atsuhiro can almost swear he sees more moles forming on the side of the businessman's forehead. Yotsubashi snorts, pointing at his own elongated nose. "But I would be the expert, wouldn't I?" He taps it. "Perhaps we're looking to expand our clientele? Surely, you all could use more equipment? I have been known to be generous with my discounts-
"Oh!" Yotsubashi slaps the side of his head. "I can't seem to turn off the salesman in me for a moment, can I?" He laughs at his own joke, and Atsuhiro politely does the same. "If you'd allow me to be frank for a moment?"
Yotsubashi fixes some of the wrinkles in his suit. "I'm glad to see you all here. When I first observed your group, I was afraid your only interests were in causing chaos with no endgame in sight. But I'm always willing to admit when I'm wrong. You being here proves you crave structure. To strive for a goal. That I can respect. Unless you're just here because our host forced your hand."
He angles his head to Overhaul. "He and the Yakuza have gotten troublesome lately, haven't they?" His smile dims a little. "But this meeting should shed some light on whether any corrective action must be taken." He brightens when he looks back down at Hirona. "My curiosity requests that we rewind a little. With the structure you seek here, what do you hope to accomplish?"
Atsuhiro can tell she's nervous. The thought seems almost prosperous. Yotsubashi has been nothing but courteous to them. But then, why does he feel it too? "Seems like you're the nosy one now?" Hirona replies. Oh no, they're starting to lose her. "You're asking about us but still haven't told us what you're doing here?"
Yotsubashi stares down his nose at her for a few seconds too long before breaking into an erroneous laugh. "I have, haven't I? Just talking around your question without answering it. I usually leave politics to others, but maybe I wouldn't make a bad politician myself, huh?" He reaches inside his jacket. "This should answer any questions you might have." Hirona gazes confusedly down at the red book he hands her. "And should Overhaul not be able to provide the order you seek, know you have other options."
He walks away and Hirona hands Atsuhiro the book. He doesn't know what to make of it, but judging by Kraven's annoyed face, he may know a little more. As he compresses the book into a marble, the heavy doors open again.
More Silvers. But not just the normal foot soldiers in silver and white Kevlar. The soldiers in the middle were bigger. Their armor is thicker, their guns heavier. And their tech is sleeker. But most strikingly, their Kevlar is a dark red and black.
"The Silver's elite guard," Kraven notes. "They say not a single one of them has ever been killed." He grins. "I've always wanted to test that." Atsuhiro facepalms. He should've known it'd be up to him to control his comrades. Thankfully, Himiko has given him years of practice. "But if the guard dogs are here, then so is their alpha."
As if on cue, the guards part ways for their leader. Like Yotsubashi, the young man wears a nice suit. But unlike the CEO, he has several more striking features. Dark red hair tied back in a ponytail. An eyepatch over his right eye. His left pant leg is torn to accommodate some sort of support item over his leg. And most eye-catching, a prosthetic right arm.
The leader of the Silvers scans the room with a passive interest before being moved by his guards to a secluded corner with the rest of his soldiers.
"This can't be all of Japan's villain groups?" Hirona asks no one in particular.
"I don't believe so," Atsuhiro answers. "However, that makes sense. Overhaul must be focusing on quality over quantity."
"Only the big fish then?" Hirona crosses her arms. "Makes you wonder why he invited us. We didn't exactly hit it off when we met."
"Agreed," Kraven nods. "But I do not take Overhaul for a fool." He walks around Hirona so he can face her properly. "The reality of our situation is that no matter how much we try to distance ourselves from him, we will always be connected to All for One. That inherently gives us value."
Hirona clenches her jaw. "So my worth is still up to him?" Atsuhiro taps her shoulder to remind her to stop grinding her teeth. It's a bad habit.
Kraven kneels down. "Yes. That is why I said it is the reality of our situation. Because it is one we must accept. The truth is that beyond betraying All for One and staging a prison breakout, we have not accomplished nearly enough for anyone to acknowledge us as anything but the former League of Villains. And it is up to us to change that."
Hirona looks ready to argue again but exhales instead, sighing a little and grabbing her head. "Yeah, you're right." She looks out across the warehouse. "But this is the perfect time to re-introduce ourselves."
"UA has its own gun range?"
Kamala nods, leading the journalist she's escorting out to a field in a more isolated part of the campus. "I guess a lot of places try to scam heroes getting their shooting licenses, so UA created a course for students and pros alike."
"How would you say a typical class-"
"Cease fire, ya'll!!"
They round the corner as Snipe orders all of the students to empty their guns while the targets are replaced. "Snipe!" Eraserhead jogs ahead of them and up to the field. "Have you seen-" he stops, face going incredibly pale. Taneo follows his horrified eyes right to-
"Hey, sensei!" Midoriya waves from his spot on the range as he holds a gun with his free hand.
"Snipe!" Aizawa repeats urgently. "What the hell are you thinking?!"
Snipe's casual shrug only seems to increase his fellow hero's chance of an aneurysm. "Sorry, Aizawa, but the kid said he dun needed his permit for his work studies. The hero he's workin' wit requires it."
"That doesn't mean you should just approve him! What if he shoots someone for a prank or worse, just like he did with his knives, he teaches Eri to use it!"
"Not a bad idea-"
"Kid, I will make your death look like an accident."
"C'mon sensei, after all this time, you still don't trust me?" Midoriya asks innocently.
"No. It's because of you I have to regularly search Eri's room for knives. And why would you even want to work with guns, Problem Child? Don't you prefer blades anyway?"
"Oh sensei, what is a gun but an automatic knife thrower?"
Maybe if Eraserhead has a nervous breakdown first, he can prevent his oncoming aneurysm.
Todoroki and Momo watch the whole interaction and… they're not very phased. At this point, it'd be weirder if their class rep wasn't torturing their homeroom teacher. "You seem to be doing well," Momo comments, looking down at Todoroki's past targets and all of the blast holes near the bullseyes.
He hums. "Yes. If there was one thing Peter prided himself in teaching me, it was marksmanship."
Momo nods. "I'm envious of you." She lifts her unloaded pistol to eye level. "I've never made a habit of making guns, so they still feel unnatural in my hands."
"Show me your shooting posture."
Momo hesitates momentarily, before extending the gun forward, resting both hands on it. "If I may?" He gestures to the weapon, and she nods… only to come to immediately regret that decision when Todoroki presses against her side and with a gentleness she feels ashamed for not expecting, places his hands over hers. She tells herself it's the fire side of his body that's making her warm.
"First, move your support hand higher on the grip. You want as much of your hand as possible in contact with it." He repositions her hands, and thank the gods her mother is the goddess of death because she might actually die. "Now, tighten your grip- there you go." Is someone tightening their hand over her heart? "Make sure to straighten your arms and lean into your shot as well. I noticed that you had a habit of holding the gun… at a… downward angle…" He slows when they both look up and realize how close their faces are.
Todoroki jumps back as if he accidentally ignited himself. Momo makes an excuse to check her clothes so she can look away and hide her blush. "So, uh, yes." He clears his throat, looking away as well. "Try what I've told you and see if there's any improvement."
"Excuse me?" Both teenagers jump when they realize Taneo had gotten next to them. He points at Todoroki's weapons. "Exactly what kind of guns are these?"
Todoroki narrows his eyes at him, slowly sliding his weapons back towards him. "Who are you?"
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Takuda," Momo politely addresses the man with a slight bow.
"You're looking well, Ms. Yaoyorozu."
Todoroki looks back and forth between them. "You know each other?"
"Oh, yes." Momo nods. "Mr. Takuda here and his private investigator license have come in handy plenty of times for my mother when she has suspected her business partners of foul play."
"Always happy to help," Taneo half-smiles. His smile doesn't drop when he peers back at Todoroki. "It's nice to finally meet you as well."
Todoroki's face becomes blank. "Are you also an associate of my father?"
"In a way," Taneo shrugs, leaning against the table the guns rest on. "I was the one who tipped off the news media to his little erotic All Might fanfiction."
Todoroki's face continues to be blank as he stares at the man for one second. Two seconds. Five seconds. Ten seconds before pushing one of his elemental guns forward. "You wanted to know more about my weapons?"
"I'm still surprised there aren't more villain groups here," Hirona repeats to Kraven as the time for their meeting draws near.
"There are." Kraven cranes his head toward a shadowed area of the warehouse's ceiling.
A flash of red fills Hirona's vision, forcing her to take a step back. She gasps. As if appearing from thin air, three Hand ninjas materialize in front of them. On instinct, and maybe because they attacked her the last time they saw her, Hirona raises a barrier in front of herself and her teammates, separating them from the other villains.
But they make no move to attack. "Perceptive," the lead one hisses a compliment to Kraven. Hirona shivers. It's as if the ninja's voice slithers through her head, poking around her darkest secrets. "Come, we should do another sweep before the meeting begins," the leader orders her underlings. They observe her shield for a moment, Hirona is worried they're looking for weaknesses, before turning around and disappearing. At least, two of them do.
The last ninja remains, watching Hirona through her quirk. "We need to talk."
Hirona is thrown off by just how… normal the ninja sounds. Every time she had heard one of them speak up until now, their voices always seemed to carry something vile within them. As if just the sound alone could poison you. Which means she isn't ready when this last ninja sounds like any guy she'd run onto the street. Even if it doesn't seem like he's from Japan.
The member of the Hand looks from Kraven and Compress back to her. "It's urgent, we have to talk. Alone."
"No." Hirona makes sure her own voice carries the finality of the word with it. "You wanna talk so bad? You can do it here."
Even through his mask, she can tell he's upset. The ninja checks his surroundings, one hand on his sword, the other hand tapping away on his leg while he bounces a little. He won't stop moving even after he's made sure they won't be overheard, so he's clearly nervous. Or desperate?
"You're going to have to make a choice soon," the ninja finally elaborates, fully turning toward her. "Your life is in danger."
Without missing a beat, Hirona barks out a laugh. "Tell me something I don't know." The man angles his head downward as if pleading with her to take this more seriously. She stops herself from pointing out how ridiculous it is that she's talking to a ninja in the first place. "Alright, so my life's in danger. From who?"
"From us."
Her interest in the conversation starts to grow. "If that's true, then why warn me?"
"Because not all of us want you dead." His telling her all of this is evidence enough of that. The ninja looks around again. "Look, to make a long story short, you being resurrected has challenged the faith of a lot of people who believe in the Beast. They think he is the only one who should hold that power. And because of that, you've caused a split."
Kraven raises an eyebrow. Hirona thinks he's the most surprised she's ever seen him. The ninja continues. "The older members think you are a walking mockery of their religion and want you dead. And the younger believers think you were sent by the Beast himself to lead us."
Hirona nods along in understanding. "And you're part of the younger group?"
It's the ninja's turn to say, "No." The teen looks at him, befuddled. Compress takes a hold of her arm just in case he has to use his quirk on her in a moment's notice. "Our discovery of you didn't cause a normal split, but a three-way fracture. There's a growing number of us younger inductees who don't believe in the Beast at all."
"It's unheard of for the Hand to let heretics in their ranks," Kraven says slowly.
The ninja stares him down. "It doesn't matter as long as we're loyal. For most of us, we don't care about the Beast at all. What does matter is food. Water. A place to sleep. And the skills taught to us that allow us to defend ourselves, to defend our families when the heroes won't." He says 'heroes' venomously.
Kraven doesn't back down from the ninja's intense gaze. "You are divulging a lot of information for one who is supposedly so loyal."
"Because if I don't, my way of life could be over." The man tilts his head back to Hirona. "A bloodbath is brewing. The elders know you could be what we need to finally get rid of them. To galvanize enough in the order to shed the old way of doing things and modernize. But if they get to you first, they will kill you, and then slaughter the rest of us to maintain the status quo."
Hirona glances at Kraven for any advice, but his face is unreadable. Or maybe his head is spinning at the massive dump of information they got, just like hers. Seriously, exposition overload.
She can't say she exactly cares if some cult ninjas kill each other. To be honest, with their fanatic ideals and masks, she barely puts them above the CRC. But if a faction of them are trying to kill her… "Why should I believe you?"
"We've already found your base." All of Hirona's senses go on high alert before the man placates her. Although, it's not very reassuring. "The elders don't know. And we have teams watching over you at all hours to ensure your protection."
"I think I'd know if some masked weirdos were tailing me-"
"I know you're a clone." Hirona blinks. Kraven blinks. Compress blinks, but no one can tell. "And I also know the real you is listening through that comm piece in your ear."
"Shit." At the top of a nearby building, the real Hirona, along with Nagant, Stain, and Twice, search frantically around them but can't see anybody. Nagant huffs, lifting her rifle up. "C'mon, we're moving."
"If we wanted to hurt you, we could have." When Hirona still seems skeptical, the ninja sighs. "Believe me, I couldn't lie to you, even if I wanted to."
Something on his belt moves, and she braces, only to see a small pink bird zip up to the man's shoulder and start squeaking at her aggressively.
"You can never stay away, huh?" The ninja glances around once more before removing his mask. Like she thought, he's young. With messy brown hair that just begs to be tamed and slightly tan skin. "Hey, my name's Rody," he properly introduces himself with a small grin. "This here's Pino." He gestures to his bird who puffs out his chest.
He pulls a photograph out of his belt and holds it up for her to see. It's a picture of him laughing with two younger children. "And this is my brother and sister. The Hand makes sure they're taken care of. That they never have to feel what it's like to be hungry again. If you're going to believe anything I say, believe that I would do anything to make sure it stays that way."
Hirona sucks in a breath, and she can feel her hand start to tremble a little. The rational part of her mind tells her this guy's probably full of it. He's a ninja for crying out loud; isn't deception their whole gimmick?! She wants to tell him to go screw himself. To leave them alone. But something about seeing how much he cares for his siblings has her lowering her arm instead and nodding as her quirk dissipates.
Rody nods back in thanks, before the Yakuza announce they're ready to begin. Hirona looks away as they grab her attention, but when she turns back, Rody is gone.
"You seem pretty focused," Taneo comments while he and Kamala wait for the next staff member to be ready for their interview.
The teenager sits across from him, phone to her face. "What? Oh yeah, it's one of the gacha games I play. Just trying to get my dailies done while I have the chance."
"Oh, I've heard those are popular. Can I see?" She nods and Taneo walks over, peering over her shoulder. "Wow. Not much is left to the imagination with those women-"
Kamala squeaks and slams her phone against her body, covering it. "Let's, uh, let's go see if they're ready yet!" she declares in a much higher-pitched voice than normal.
"Thank you for agreeing to this interview. It's kind of well known how you feel about the media."
Aizawa sits across from Taneo in his apartment on campus. "If you know, then I'd suggest hurrying it up and thanking Nezu after."
"Of course, I- who's that?" A black cat with a yellow mop of hair on its head appears at the window suddenly, meowing to be let in. Aizawa slides up the window and the cat gingerly leaps onto the underground hero's shoulder, snuggling into his capture weapon. "Oh, I thought I met all your cats at the door?"
"This isn't exactly my cat." He shifts a little so it's more comfortable. "Shortly after Eri started living with me, he appeared. Somehow always showing up when I was stressed the most, especially on the days Midoriya came to visit. But no matter what Hizashi or Nemuri tried, they could never get him to stick around."
"He disappeared on you?"
"Exactly. But he always comes back. So they named him Houdini."
Taneo nods, leaning back. "You keep saying them, as in the heroes Present Mic and Midnight. But you don't exactly seem to mind having Houdini on you?"
Even while staring daggers into the man, Aizawa's improved mood is clear. "Just ask your damn questions."
"The X-Men, beyond their heroics, are generally known for dealing with cases and situations that most of the public would consider… abnormal," Taneo says. "And even when they're finished, not many are privy to the exact details of what happened. That has to make me wonder why they've come to UA?"
"What a fascinating observation!" Colossus compliments him. "I never gave it too much thought myself, but I suppose that's why I'm usually the muscle, eh?" He elbows the journalist with a hearty laugh. "But rest assured, if there was anything at this school that posed a danger to the public, we would handle it."
"That's not exactly a denial…"
"Ah, you want to know why we're here? It's simple!" Colossus makes a sweeping gesture to his student. "To help train the next heroes, of course! Like my work study student here!"
Kirishima watches the interview in amusement. Next to him, Kamala sighs, off in her own world. "Hey, you alright?" He checks on her.
"Yeaaaah…" He continues to stare at her. "Okay, maybe there is something, but it's dumb."
"No way! It can't be dumb if it's got you that worried! Listen, I'm here if you wanna talk about it, but no pressure."
Kamala peers up at Kirishima's toothy grin and sighs again. "Fiiine… anything to get it out of my head but you can't tell anybody, got it?" The redhead nods eagerly, excited to help. "I'm trying not to, but there's this girl in your school that I maybe, sorta, kinda, might be getting a crush on. But she's always so busy trying to be the best hero she can be, the best person she can be, that I don't think she'd ever notice me."
Kamala shuts her eyes tight, readying herself for whatever Kirishima's response might be. Why would she tell a boy she barely knows that?! Or maybe, that's what made it easier to tell him? Either way, this can only be bad-
"I get that." Kamala can't stop her gasp at Kirishima's words. She opens her eyes to find him looking thoughtful. "Hey, you were honest with me, so the manly thing to do would be to return the favor. I got the same exact problem with this guy I'm crushing on. And part of the problem is, I can't help but admire how hard he's working to improve himself, but-"
"Because of that, it feels like if they knew, it'd only be a distraction," Kamala finishes. It's Kirishima's turn to sigh and nod. They stand in silence for a few moments before, without a word, the two teens side hug, patting each other in comfort.
Hirona slurps on her strawberry milk while all of the villain groups present at their meeting introduce themselves. Like they had noticed, there had only been enough seats for a few around the table, allowing her, Yotsubashi, and the leader of the Silvers to sit while the rest of their parties stand behind him. The trio of Hand ninjas had all elected to stay standing, so Curious gladly took their seat.
Next came the drinks, each one unique to every person present. And judging by hers, everyone had received one they greatly enjoy. All without Overhaul asking. One glance at Kraven tells her everything she needs to know. He's telling them how much he knows about each of them.
"Giulio Gandini," Overhaul acknowledges the leader of the Silvers last with a respectful nod. "It speaks to your character that after all of our battles, you are still willing to meet me at the table as equals." Gandini, like most others, had refused his beverage. He opts to make his own tea from a set he brought from home.
"What's their deal?" Hirona whispers to Kraven.
"Like the Yakuza, they are a criminal organization that has been in operation in Japan for centuries," he answers. "But the last few years, they have been almost exclusively in open conflict with Europe's largest syndicate, the Gollini family."
"What does a Japanese gang want with them? And why come back?"
"I do not know."
"You may consider us equals if you wish." Gandini mixes sugar into his freshly made tea. "But to me, you are a mere stepping stone to my greater goals. The only requirement for my assistance is that you confirm what your messenger told me."
"Polite, firm, and to the point," Overhaul lists off his traits, amused. "Just as your men I've tortured described." Gandini takes a sip of his tea before putting it down with more force than necessary. "Tell me, why is that? And why cross an ocean to so fiercely fight an enemy that has nothing to do with you? To strategically strike their strongholds but not hold them? It's as if you're looking for something…" Gandini narrows his one eye. "No, someone."
There's a horrendous creaking sound as Gandini's metal hand twists the end of the table. "Wasting my time would be a tremendous miscalculation-"
"No need to be so serious. I will keep my word," Overhaul chastises him like a child. "Help me, and the quirk-erasing bullet is yours."
"I'm hoping you plan on only making one of those," Yotsubashi cuts in, leaning forward with his hands folded in front of him. "Because if not, then I'm afraid this is where we part ways."
"Just one," Gandini replies with a far-off look. "I should only need one."
"Now that that's settled, let's get to the point." Overhaul stands, looking down on those at the table. "This meeting's purpose is about one thing and one thing only. Destroying the Hero Public Safety Commission. I learned a lot during our clash on exam day. But one fact was clear. If we keep squabbling amongst ourselves and making one another weaker, more vulnerable, then no matter how many battles we win, it'll be the heroes who win the war. We stand to gain so much more as allies than enemies."
A door to the side of him opens. "But first, as I said, I told you that I learned much that day. Including exactly what kind of enemy we're dealing with." A murmur passes through the villains as Overhaul's men force a chained-up Skrull to its knees beside him. "Why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself?"
"Sorry, man. My work study hero is coming from overseas, so he's not here yet."
"Oh, that's fine." Taneo waves her off, working to match his pace with Tokage. "I was more interested in that sentient quirk you manifested recently."
"Quirk?!" Venom's head lunged out of the teen's back. "You dare refer to me as a lowly- urk!"
Tokage smothers the symbiote's mouth with her detached hand, shoving it back inside her body. "You know about that, huh?"
"The quirk registration for all heroes is available to the public, if you know where to look. Could I ask you some questions?"
"There's nothing really to say," Tokage laughs awkwardly. "Just another voice in my head- stop it!" she whispers. "I know what he said! Would you just- fine! You get the big bar of chocolate tonight."
"I understand, but if you'd let me indulge," Taneo takes out his notes. "Manifesting a sentient quirk is rare. Rarer than manifesting a late quirk kind of rare. So tracking down the last documented cases was easy. As was noticing some… similarities. Does the name Eddie Brock mean anything to you?"
Tokage stares at the journalist, no longer fighting Venom as it whispers in her mind. 'Can we eat him now?'
'Maybe.'
"I was told I could find Wade Wilson here?" Taneo asks, opening the door to a mostly empty teacher's lounge, save for a certain Merc and Eri playing video games in the middle of the room.
Deadpool leans back, dropping his head. "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Sperm Bank. Come inside it's fun inside. How may we help you?"
Eri pauses the game before the next mission can begin. "Are those more bad words I'm not allowed to say?"
"Oh, yes. Mickey Mouse is a very naughty thing to say."
Taneo clears his throat. "Mr. Wilson, I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about the kids you're helping to teach-"
"Do you mean all of their ADHD symptoms exacerbated by social media over-saturation that manifests in anxiety over simple everyday tasks?"
"Um… no."
"Oh, okay." Deadpool shrugs. "Then we can just play the airplane game instead."
"What's that?"
"It's where you take the fuck off."
Undeterred, Taneo takes a few steps forward. "Please Mr. Wilson, this will only take a few minutes-"
"That's Bull-Mickey!" Eri shouts. She looks at Deadpool, beaming. "Did I do the swear right?"
"You did, sweety." He rubs her head affectionately. "That was beautiful. Just like you." Eri giggles happily. Deadpool looks back at Taneo. "Listen, the way you're coming after all of these kids really seems like-" His phone dings. "What the hell?" He checks his text. "Oh, nevermind. You can just go."
"What happened?"
"Well, I was supposed to make a joke about Epstein, but I guess we're not releasing it."
Kamala and Taneo glance at each other, and the teen shrugs. The journalist offers Deadpool a small bow. "I'm sorry for taking up your time."
They leave and Deadpool waves goodbye, before handing the controller back to Eri. "Okay, go for it!" She nods excitedly and unpauses it.
"Remember - no Russian."
"I'm sorry, but I think I missed it." Taneo taps his pencil against his chin. "Where exactly did you say your training camp was?"
Kendo continues to smile politely. "Sorry, but you heard correctly. For safety reasons, none of the students knew the exact location of our camp. If you'd like that information, you'll have to speak to Principal Nezu."
Taneo swears he hears cackling coming from one of the security cameras. "I see. Well, thank you for answering everything you could." He stands from the desk seat. Kamala and Gunhead shift from their spots in the classroom, where they watched the interview. He checks his notepad again, as if he didn't have this planned. "Oh, I forgot I have a couple of extra questions to ask you. Not from me, but my editors insisted. Please feel free to refuse."
He sits back down, flipping to the next page of his pad. "What are your opinions on heroes dating each other?"
Kamala's eyes go wide as dinner plates, not believing what she's hearing. This goes unnoticed by everyone else in the room. Especially Gunhead, as he hops up and down in excitement.
Kendo hums, squinting her features as she thinks about her answer. "I don't see a problem with it." Kamala feels her legs buckle and her heart quicken. She hangs on every word. "In fact, I'd say I prefer it." Kamala might faint. Wait, she can't! Then Kendo might carry her to the nurse's office! Ah! Why does that make her want to faint more?!
"Think about it," Kendo continues, unaware of Kamala's dilemma. "Who else would better understand how demanding a hero's schedule is than another hero? Or the amount of work required outside of fighting villains?"
"So you're saying you wouldn't see it as a distraction?" Taneo asks. Kamala's eyes narrow dangerously at him.
"Not at all. If anything, I'd say it'd be pretty motivating to have someone next to you who understands exactly what you're going through."
"Fantastic answer." Taneo's side eyes Kamala. "Next, what do you say you look for in a-"
"OKAY!" With her slightly enlarged hands, Kamala yanks Taneo out of his chair and shoves him to the door. "Thanks so much but we have other interviews to get to! So busy ha ha! You get it! Right? Right! Okay byeeeeee!" She gets Taneo out of the room and doesn't hesitate. "What the heck was that?!"
Unbothered over being pushed down the hall, Taneo does his best to shrug. "Trying to help? You sounded pretty worried when you were talking to that Kirishima kid. Or would you prefer to just stare at the girls in your phone all day?"
"I will throw you back over the barrier myself!"
Back inside the classroom, Kendo is a bit confused by the abrupt exit but doesn't give it much thought. "I'd like to say thank you again for the opportunity to learn from you, sir." She bows to Gunhead. "I've heard lots of good things from Uraraka and Shinso."
"I guess my reputation precedes me," Gunhead laughs. "What have you heard?"
"I've heard how you like to inject a lot of history into your lessons. I'm especially interested in that."
"I'm very glad to hear that." The hero reaches into a chest he brought with him and pulls out a few scrolls. "Because what I'm planning to teach you has plenty of it." He hands one of the scrolls to her. "Tell me, have you ever heard of a place called K'un-Lun?"
"Shapeshifting aliens…" Yotsubashi chuckles. "Absurd. Ridiculous. Preposterous." He scratches his chin. "Normally, I'd be furious. But I can't help but feel entertained. As if I'm watching the newest film starring Captain Celebrity."
He exhales slowly as the rest of the group still ingests what Overhaul told them. "In a way, you could say its ludicrousness works in its favor. If you were to try and explain the situation to most sane people, they would chalk up your claims as the ramblings of a crackpot conspiracy theorist."
Todoroki sneezes.
"Hey!" Deadpool puts a hand on his shoulder. "Don't call him a crackpot!"
"Personally, I couldn't see any scenario where I'd believe it myself if I hadn't heard it from the horse's, or in this case Skrull's, mouth." Yotsubashi gestures to the alien while pinching his nose.
"I recall telling you that wasting my time would not be in your best interest." Gandini finishes his tea, handing his cup to one of his subordinates.
"You don't believe me?" Overhaul raises an eyebrow.
"No, I believe what you've said about these Skrulls," the leader of the Silver Clan calmly responds. "What I don't believe is how you could overlook such an obvious security issue with all of us meeting here." His eyes stare daggers at each person. "You say you've gone through the trouble of vetting every single person your organization has bribed to make sure they aren't imposters, but to not do the same with every person here? Any one of us could be one of those things."
"The Hand could never be so careless to allow a Skrull into our ranks," the lead ninja immediately argues.
"And that's exactly what would make you perfect targets." Instead of standing by Yotsubashi's side, Dabi leans against one of the warehouse walls, hands in his pockets. "What better place to hide than with the assholes not looking for you?"
"You seem awfully quick to accuse us?" The ninja jeers back. "Almost as if you're hiding something yourself."
"Now what are you insinuating?!" Curious' chair screeches back as she rises to her feet, slamming her palms against the table. "You better think long and hard before you imply anything about our organization! Both you and those wannabe silver soldiers wear masks! If there's anyone perfect to infiltrate, it's you!"
She thrusts a thumb at Hirona. "The only people here I'd even consider working with are the not-league. And that's because they don't have anyone worth impersonating-"
Hirona scoffs. "You bitch!" She jumps to her feet, counting off with her fingers. "Best sniper. Best teleporter. Best hunter. Best thief. Best illusionist. Best Hero Killer. Best-" She shakes her head. "Our group's a Skrull paradise!"
Compress gently lowers her back into her chair. "While we appreciate you defending us, I don't believe that argument is as strong as you imagine." His point is made clear when Curious shoots her a predatory grin. She had fallen for her trap.
"So you admit it!" the lead Hand ninja accuses.
Hirona rolls her eyes. "Don't you guys have some mutant turtles to fight?"
"How dare you bring them up in my presence?! I will-!" The older ninja is held back by her two younger subordinates, who plead with her to stop. Apparently, she had hit a sore spot.
"This is what I was talking about." Gandini stands. While everyone looks at him, no one notices one of the Yakuza sticking a needle into the Skrull. "After a few minutes of discussion, we have already begun to turn on each other. The Skrulls' mere existence is sowing distrust and maliciousness between us. How can we be expected to work together like this?"
"Our fighting is what is pointless," Kraven lets his voice be heard as the group quiets down a little.
Yotsubashi nods. "I concur."
Curious turns to her boss in surprise. "But-"
He silences her with a lazily raised hand. "Throwing baseless accusations at potential allies serves nothing but worsening relationships. Try to think logically about the situation." When all Curious can do is grimace, he gives her the answer. "As he previously stated, our host has been meticulous enough to verify that all of his informants are not Skrulls in disguise. Does that man sound like one who'd invite us here without being prepared to do the same?"
Curious' mouth opens and shuts several times. "But… you'd never allow him to use his quirk on-"
"I am not stupid enough to think any of you would." Overhaul is on his feet as well, yanking the Skrull up with him. "Zik'se, if you please." When the now-named alien doesn't move, Overhaul sighs. "Bring the other one in here." He orders his men. "I believe our friend here could use some motivation."
"No!" Zik'se cries. "I can't hear Xadd's crying! N-not again! Please!"
"Then do what you're told."
No one has time to question what he's asking of the alien before it opens its mouth. "Are you a Skrull?!" it shouts.
As if Overhaul is reaching down their throats, the answers are forcibly ripped from every villain's mouth as a resounding 'no' resonates around the warehouse. Hirona gasps, as do several others, and covers her mouth. She hadn't meant to speak, but it was like her body had a mind of its own!
"Well." Yotsubashi clears his throat. "That was unpleasant."
"What the hell was that?!" Curious screeches.
"The answer to your concerns," Overhaul responds calmly. "Shin Nemoto's quirk, that Zik'se here stole, was a useful power that compels its target to answer any question truthfully. All he needed was a little dose of trigger to affect you all and… well the results speak for themselves." Yakuza members gag the Skrull and force it to the ground while it whimpers in protest, crying out in pain as its chains are tightened. "For your peace of mind, I will have the creature removed."
The tensions ease in the room as the question of 'if any of them were aliens in disguise' is answered. Overhaul seemingly enjoys watching the Skrull be dragged away, before addressing the room once more. "May we continue now?"
"Thank you for showing me around today," Taneo thanks his teenage guide. Ahead of them, the colors of sunset shine over the UA barrier. "And for, you know, not beating me up too bad." Kamala giggles. "I think I got a lot of great material."
"That's good, but what was with some of those weird questions you asked?"
"Confession time, I guess." He whirls around in front of the barrier. "Now before you say anything, I still fully intend to write my article about what UA is doing here. But if I were to be completely honest, and because I'm about to leave, I was also here to investigate the aliens you've been hiding."
Kamala reels back. "You knew about the aliens?!"
Taneo leans forward, grinning. "I do now."
It takes a few seconds for the American hero to realize what she's just done. "Wait, what? But you- and I-" She buries her face in her hands. "Oh noooooo." This fortunately shields her from seeing Taneo hopping in the air and pumping his fist. It does not protect her from his very loud declaration of 'I knew it!'
Kamala lifts her head up in surprise when she feels Taneo drop down next to her, taking a selfie. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. All of them." He hands her a picture he had taken earlier of her and Kendo doing an enlarged fist bump. She goes red for what is probably the fifty-seventh time, and he pockets the photo. "Looking for the aliens was only for me."
"What was with that selfie?"
Taneo smiles wistfully, printing the picture out and staring at it. "Have you ever had a goal that seemed impossible to accomplish, but you did it anyway? Do you remember that feeling?" Memories of her first night protecting Jersey City come to mind. "I just wanted a memento. A way to hang onto this feeling for as long as I could. But I understand if you're not comfortable with that." He holds up the picture for her to take.
But Kamala shakes her head. "Keep it."
He gives her a grateful look. "Thanks. And who knows, maybe I'll write a book someday. I'll have to come back for some more honest interviews, however."
Kamala snickers. "Well, if you do, I wouldn't mind showing you around again."
"Appreciate that. But I think until then, I'll just write about how good of a job I think UA is doing." Taneo turns around. "And let the people know their future is in good hands." He walks through the barrier, stepping out on the sidewalk.
"Can't wait!"
"I can't wait for you to realize you've found where you belong."
"What?" Kamala takes a step forward. "You figured out a good place for me? Well, don't keep me in suspense! Where?!"
Taneo glances back. The barrier begins to rise. "Maybe if you show me around next time, I'll tell you." He gives her a happy salute before he's out of sight.
Kamala stands frozen for a second, before scoffing good-naturedly. "Yeah, looking forward to it."
"If you would like my honest opinion, I would say your plan is still too outlandish for me." Yotsubashi leans back, picking some lint off his suit. "Your promise to keep our involvement confidential is appreciated of course, but paying so many people is, at best, a short-term gain."Overhaul doesn't interrupt him, so the CEO continues. "What happens when your money runs out? What if the heroes begin to play your own game and offer your informants even more financial incentive to abandon you?
"To put it simply, it's clear to see you are preparing to declare war on the heroes. But your army isn't one made of loyalty, but of a fickle house of cards that will collapse with just the simplest shake of the table. And I don't want to be under it when it falls."
Overhaul contemplates his words for a minute, the warehouse falling so silent, they can all hear the distant rumble of traffic in the city. Yotsubashi hadn't been the only one with those concerns, but he had been the only one to directly confront their host about it. And no one, not even Overhaul's men, are sure how he'll react.
The villains become tense, their various escape strategies ready to deploy at a moment's notice if a fight breaks out, but to their surprise, Overhaul simply sighs. "Those are valid concerns." He waves his hand, and a couple of Yakuza roll in large TVs that they plug into external batteries.
"I've always considered myself somewhat old-fashioned." Overhaul slowly rises to his feet. "This shouldn't come as a surprise, considering how hard I fight for the Yakuza to once again gain prominence. And to accomplish my goals, I thought, what would be better than more antiquated tactics?"
More TVs are brought in and turned on to local news stations. "You accuse me of not building loyalty? Well, I stand here to tell you that you are correct. I don't want their loyalty. I don't need their loyalty. What I want for them is to be afraid." More news channels are turned on, and Overhaul takes a breath.
"There's an old saying. Plata o Plomo," he says in slightly garbled Spanish. "It's how I'm building my army. It begins by offering your enemies a chance for peace. With silver. Plata."
Taneo smiles down at his picture of himself and Kamala. The honk of a car horn brings him back to reality. He looks to see a driver smiling at him, waving him across the crosswalk. The journalist shouts his thanks and jogs across the street to his parked car.
Kenji briskly walks through the doors of the Hosu police station. "Here, I printed the maps. Woof!" The police chief clears a table and spreads the maps out across it, circling in marker their points of interest. Around him are a task force of loyal officers. "If you want to find gangs like the Yakuza, follow the drugs. This is where we're noticing increasing activity."
Behind him, a car pulls up to the station.
Sansa gives in and takes the cigarette from his buddy's hand. " Fine. I've been good this week anyway." He and the other two officers laugh, filling the mouth of the alleyway with smoke.
"Okay, okay, I'm here! Now you have to- if you want the popcorn, you have to let me sit next to mommy." Matsunaga chuckles as his two young daughters pout at him, but the allure of freshly buttered popcorn is too much, so they allow the lawyer to pass. He plops down next to his wife on the couch and passes the snacks out. "Everyone ready?" The girls nod eagerly. "Okay, let's-"
There's a knock at the door. Matsunaga tilts his head. "Who could that be?"
"And… should they refuse your silver?" Gandini asks the leader of the yakuza, as if it will prevent the answer he knows is coming.
"Taneo Tokuda!"
The journalist hums, a little perplexed as he turns away from his car. It's the man who waved him across the street. How does he know his name?
Kenji is interrupted as a car alarm sounds right outside of the station. "What in the world?"
Sansa coughs after inhaling too much smoke. "I- oh! Guess I'm already out of practice!" He laughs some more, not noticing the expressions of the men with him fall.
Matsunaga opens the door and freezes. There, standing in his doorway, is the same young Yakuza who offered him a bribe. And he's not alone.
With his hands in his pockets, the man offers him an easygoing smile. "Hey, I gave Overhaul your message."
Overhaul stares back at Gandini. Behind him, the reporters begin to react as breaking news erupts around them. "If they refuse my silver, then they get Plomo.
"They get lead."
Taneo is helpless as the man who called out to him lifts a gun up to the window and opens fire.
The sound of gunfire bombards nearby pedestrians, and they scream, running in all directions. Their peril drowns out the sound of a car screeching down the road. When a few brave souls gather the courage to run around the corner to help, all they find is Taneo's body slumped against his car. The last picture he had ever taken drips blood across the ground as it blows away in the wind.
The car alarm is the only brief warning Kenji receives. By the time he turns around, all he sees is a bright light, followed by an intense heat. The car near the station explodes, instantly killing all of the officers inside, and anyone unfortunate enough to be within seven city blocks.
Sansa chokes, but no longer on smoke, as one of the officers surprises him with a chokehold. He moves to fight back, but a knife in his gut stops him in his tracks. The cigarette in his mouth drops, landing next to his blood, while the second officer repeatedly stabs him.
Matsunaga tries to reach out to his screaming daughters but can barely lift his arm as two Yakuza beat him senselessly with pipes. Across the room, his wife lies dead. The spiky-haired man holds both of his girls in place, preventing them from running. "Please…" the lawyer whispers.
The young man signals to his companions to stop for a moment, before kneeling down. "Hmm?"
"Please…" Matsunaga exhales. "Don't hurt them."
The yakuza considers him for a moment. "I could let them go… but I guess you'll never know." Matsunaga's eyes widen, before a pipe cracks him over the head.
"How do I know my informants won't turn on me?" Overhaul raises his voice. The reporters behind him run around their newsrooms frantically as the stories come piling in. "Because this is what happens when you do."
"Oh, you're talking about the bribe rumors, yeah?" Half a dozen police officers hang out on the top of a parking garage. "I hope those aren't true," one of the younger officers sighs while a few of her companions nod. "You want more money? Go find a better job or put in the work to get a promotion. Don't be a dick."
The woman she's taking to nods along. "Yeah, I was afraid you'd say that." In a blur, she and her partner are gunning down the other four officers.
Firefighters call out in distress as their colleagues rip their helmets off and lock them inside burning buildings.
"Oh thank you! Thank you!" A politician cries in relief as a paramedic rushes over to him and helps him back over to her ambulance. "W-we were attacked after leaving our offices tonight b-by cops! I- I don't know-" He coughs as the paramedic finally gets him inside, shutting the doors. "Thank god you were there," he sniffles, lying back on the gurney.
His peace only lasts a moment before a pillow covers his face, smothering a man who's too weak to fight back.
"Make no mistake!" Overhaul growls, his voice still steadily growing to be heard over the TVs. "I am well aware that I am declaring war on the HPSC! And it will be unlike any battle the heroes have fought before! There will be no help from the corrupt system they have helped prop up for years!"
Despite the threats she had received after refusing the yakuza's bribe, the judge swings her gavel down, sentencing the gangster standing in front of her to twenty years to life behind bars. But instead of looking upset, all she sees on his face is pity.
She feels movement behind her and looks back to find her bailiff pointing his gun at her head.
Bang!
Overhaul gestures to the world outside of the warehouse. "There will be no support for the heroes from the public!"
"What the hell do you mean I can't go in there!" Miruko screams at a police officer, while Ryukyu holds her back. The screaming of those injured and trapped in the rubble from the Hosu car bomb have her ears twitching in every direction. Above them, news helicopters watch the scene unfold.
"It is an active crime scene, and I am well within my rights to deny you entry-"
"People are fucking dying!" Local heroes agree with her, yelling in protest. A line of officers with riot shields run up to them, blocking their entry.
"This is far from necessary!" Ryukyu argues.
Swat officers run up to the lines as well and, with a quick nod from the Sergeant in charge, fire tear gas into the crowd of heroes. Miruko coughs, staggering back as the gas affects her heightened senses. "What- what are you doing?!"
"The scene is terrifying!" In one of the news choppers, a reporter describes what's happening for her viewers. "After heroes escalate to violence, brave officers are forced to deploy tear gas as they-"
"This is wrong!" A young police officer throws his badge down, as do a few others. Detective Tanuma raises an eyebrow, the smoke from his cigarette wafting through the air, thanks to the chaos in the aftermath of the car bomb. "What you're asking us to do, it- it goes against everything being a police officer stands for!"
"Is that right?" the detective replies calmly, reaching into his coat before another cop whispers something in his ear, gesturing to the approaching heroes. He nods. He pulls his hand back out. "Insubordination won't be tolerated, fellas."
"Hey!" The rebelling officers protest as their former comrades subdue them, placing them in handcuffs.
"Sansa? Hey Sansa, answer me!! C'mon, stay with me, buddy!" Tsukauchi desperately applies whatever first aid he can to Sansa, who gasps for air and spits up blood. His assailants lay dead on the ground around them. "No no no-"
His phone rings, and he snatches it up. "Hello?!"
It's the president of the HPSC. "I need an assessment of the situation from the ground."
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't right now. Officer Sansa-"
"Who?"
"Officer Sansa Tamagawa is critically injured!" Tsukauchi cries, grabbing more rags from his first aid kit. "He'll die if I leave!"
There's a pause on the other side of the line. "He isn't one of us. Reassess your priorities-"
Tsukauchi throws his phone away and rips his radio from his coat pocket. "This is Naomasa, I need medical ASAP! Sending my location now!"
Overhaul shivers from some vile combination of both anger and excitement. "I want to make sure the heroes know…"
"Musutafu Police executing a search warrant!" The officer on point moves out of the way to allow Swat to use a battering ram on the door.
"This is personal."
A woman screams as the officers break down the door to her home. They swarm inside, knocking down and breaking anything they can get their hands on. The lead cop trudges up to her. "Inko Midoriya?"
"Y-yes?"
"Turn around and place your hands behind your back."
"This yard belong to Uraraka Construction?"
Kenzo Uraraka furrows his brow at the approaching police officers. He gives his foreman a reassuring nod and turns to fully face them, trying to wipe some of the excess dirt off his hands. "It sure does. How can I help you, gentlemen?"
"And you are the owner?"
"Right again."
"Then this is for you." He drops a heavy folder full of files into the man's arms. "Due to several complaints of unsafe working conditions, this yard, along with all of the others your company operates, are to cease operations immediately."
"What-"
"Until the investigation is complete, you will not be permitted to enter into any new contracts and all of your assets and accounts will be frozen."
"Wait, who-"
"I have to ask you to leave."
"Welcome to the Falsworth Donation Center. Can I help you?" The receptionist asks kindly. Behind her, volunteers move quickly to get donated blood stored properly. Things had been a little more hectic with the policies their new owner had been enacting the past few years, but they were better for it.
"Not exactly." The police officer puts a piece of paper down in front of her. "And I'm going to need you all to vacate the premises."
Gran Torino narrows his eyes. From the top of a nearby building he's perched on, he watches officers ransack his home before zooming away.
"W-what's going on?" Inko backs away fearfully.
"You are being placed under arrest. Now turn around." The officer makes a motion with his finger.
"May I ask what for?"
"We'll explain later. Now, turn around."
"I-I believe I have a right to know-"
"I said to turn around." The man grabs her arm and roughly pulls her over to him, turning her around.
"Wait- wait! I'm sorry, let me just-"
"I said hands behind your back!"
"Okay! If you'd allow me to-"
"No, don't pull away from me!" More officers join and wrench Inko's other arm behind her back. She cries out in pain and jumps, bumping one of the men trying to arrest her. "Hey!"
Inko wails in pain as she is suddenly slammed onto the ground. "Please wait-"
"You saw that?" one of the officers asks the other.
"Yeah, I recorded it. Assault on a PO."
"No!" Inko cries out, tears prickling her eyes. "Please! I didn't mean it! And you're hurting me-"
"No, don't squirm. Stop- stop resisting!"
"I'm not! But I can't move-!"
"I said stop resisting!"
Four cops are on top of her now. Inko can't see. She's dazed from the fall. And she tastes blood. Her body tries to run on instinct. To get away from harm. But the more she moves, the more pain she feels.
The tears are practically squeezed out of her as she feels one of the men putting pressure on her head. Inko opens her mouth to yell out, but she can only manage a whimper through the pain. She feels more pressure on her midsection and knees. Something cracks as her arms are tugged back even harder.
She's hyperventilating now. Inko knows she's breathing. She can feel her mouth opening and closing. But she can't tell if any air is reaching her lungs or not. Not that she can feel much of anything, but the cold metal of the handcuffs.
A massive temperature drop in the room causes Thor and Hela to stop their bickering and look up. Loki stands facing away from them, his phone held up to his ear. His free hand balled into a tight fist.
"Brother?"
The hand opens and Loki's siblings are forced to brace as a massive surge of energy erupts from his hand.
"Deku?" Ochako notices her boyfriend, who had started to leave the common area after getting a phone call, had stopped moving right in the middle of the living room, a blank look on his face. "Is something wrong?"
He doesn't say anything.
"Izuku?"
Finally, the demigod gasps if he's just remembering to breathe and falls to his knees with a pained yell. All of the loose furniture in the room is sent flying.
Overhaul opens the door of the warehouse while the other villains watch his plans unfold on live TV. He wants to hear the screams for himself. He wants to feel the air as despair falls upon the heroes. He stares out at the city, his smirk growing by the second. Only one thing comes to his mind.
'Come get me, Izuku Midoriya.'