The rooftop crackled under Luciens foot. His smirk widened as he stalked closer, lightning flickering across his fingers, grounding into the broken tiles at his boots.
"So it's true," Lucien said, voice dripping with satisfaction. "The son of Icarus lives. Here I thought your whole cursed line was wiped out!"
Itami stiffened. His breath caught painfully in his chest.
Icarus... Fathers name. How the hell does he know his name!?
Lucien's gaze was heavy, deliberate. "You're a ghost that should've stayed dead, boy. But don't worry..." His fingers twitched, fire gathering in his palm. "I'll fix that."
Itami gritted his teeth. He bought time, now he has to survive. Momo was safe for now—Halo was extracting her. But then he smirked.
What is this feeling? Is this what heroes feel after saving someone?
Flame erupted from his fists, looking straight at Lucien. He closed the distance from a boost with lighting erupting from his feet, leading with a hard right hook.
Lucien sidestepped easily, countering with a wide sweep of earth, jagged spikes bursting up from the rooftop.
Itami leapt back, throwing two quick fire arcs in retaliation. Lucien batted them aside like they were flies.
"Cute," Lucien said, grinning. "But you're just playing hero. You're not ready for real war."
Lightning surged again—wild, sharp. Itami ducked low under the blast, static buzzed the air above his head.
Another step, another strike.
Their movements blurred—flashes of fire, stone, and electricity lighting up the roof like a storm. And still, Lucien laughed.
"It's a shame really, are you really his son?" he taunted. "You're just a lost little dragon waiting to get put down!"
Itami gritted his teeth, feeling the heat surge in his veins, his arms static—but before he could retaliate, something whistled through the air.
Thunk.
Lucien jerked back, a throwing knife embedded in his shoulder. He snarled, ripping it free.
From the stairwell, Lira emerged—mist swirling around her ankles, another knife already twirling lazily between her fingers.
"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" she said, voice sweet and mocking.
Kael vaulted up beside her, fists crackling with molten rock, forming makeshift gauntlets. A wide grin plastered across his face.
"Looked like you needed backup, rookie," Kael called, pounding a fist into his palm. He then released a stream of molten rock towards Lucien.
Lucien's eyes narrowed as he dodged his attack. His confidence faltered—only slightly, but Itami caught it.
He's calculating. Knows he's outmatched now.
Lucien clicked his tongue, small sparks come flying out. "Tch. You get to live for now Wyvern, till next time."
Without warning, he stomped hard into the rooftop. The ground split under their feet, a massive crack spiraling outward as smoke and debris shot upward in a violent plume.
Itami shielded his eyes, coughing.
When the dust cleared—Lucien was gone.
Gone with the wind.
"Damn it," Itami muttered, searching the horizon.
"Forget it," Kael said, his gaunlets made of rock crumbled. "All that matters is the VIPs are safe. That is our main objective."
"We better find that asshole," Lira added, flipping her last knife casually. "He owes me a new dress after this crap."
Below, sirens echoed in the distance. Bright red and blue lights flickered through the ruined estate grounds. Pro-heroes and local police swarmed the outer gates, pouring into the chaos.
Drex's voice cut through the comms, sharp and controlled. "Extraction now. VIP's are safe and in the hands of the hero's. Let's head home."
Lira stretched her arms out yawning with exasperated relief "Good, it was a good party while it lasted."
They then moved like ghosts. By the time the first pro-hero teams reached the ballroom, all they saw was a massacre of the attackers. Some were crushed in rubble while others were in the pool of their own blood.
Itami watched Momo from afar as she's with her parents, the police making a report . She looked around the crowd and locked eyes with him. He gave her a slight nod as she was ushered with her parents by the police. Then they were gone.
Lira then flicked the back of Itamis head "Come on lover boy, times wasting."
The SUVs rumbled low as the team piled back into them. Itami collapsed into the backseat, adrenaline still buzzing under his skin. His suit was scuffed, a broken piece of his mask remined, blood drying along his jawline.
Kael smirked wide, sitting in the driver's seat. "So... ballroom hero and waltz champion. Didn't peg you for a romantic."
Itami groaned, leaning his head back. "You guys are never letting me live this down, are you?"
Lira kicked her feet up onto the seat, grinning under her mask. "The poor boy twirled like his life depended on it. I'm proud honestly.I thought he would make a fool of himself and the girl."
Even Sasuke, cutting in through radio , gave a soft chuckle. "Next time, we'll get you dance lessons before the mission."
Itami muttered something under his breath about betrayal and leaned back, letting the engine hum lull his nerves.
Drex's voice came from the lead SUV.
"Cut the chatter. Debrief when we hit base."
The convoy peeled off into the night, sleek and silent.
The familiar cold hum of steel and lights greeted them.
Everyone filed into the main room, tossing their gear into lockers and pulling off masks. Drex stood at the head of the operations table, arms folded, helmet at his hip.
The holo-table flared to life, showing the event compound—a red overlay marked the points of breach, attack, and Shadow Scale extraction routes.
"Good work securing the targets," Drex started, his voice even. "No civilian casualties. No public exposure. All threats eliminated."
"Except for the idiot who had the mic," Lira added dryly.
Drex gave her a look but didn't argue.
"However," he continued, tapping the display, "the situation escalated beyond original intel."
A few heads tilted up. As an image of Lucien popped up. "The assailant,Lucien," Drex said, voice tightening slightly, "He is one of us."
The room went still.
Kael frowned. "You're saying that we have a rogue in our community. That explains his multiple uses of quirks, although they werent quirks, just three affinity's he can use."
"No and yes," Drex said. "We're dealing with a rogue, possibly from the American Branch."
Itamis face turned curious as he asked. "What do you mean American branch?"
Some turned to look at him but Drex spoke first. "Before the surprise attack on our clan, we were working on expanding our reach. Not just being stuck in Japan but settling in a new village in America. Some families helped out and sent some of their people. It came to a schreeching halt after the attack. We were sent out and helped out in America in the beginning, so we didn't see the damage till we made it back home. Now the branch in America is running on their own with the decision of the elders."
Itami sat in silence has he took in the information. Lira whistled low "This is gonna cause waves once we notify of a possible rouge."
Drex nodded. "Not yet, we won't allow it. I've ordered Sasuke to initiate communications with the American branch. Quietly. We'll see if they're willing to play ball—or if they've lost control entirely."
Riven, silent until now, finally spoke.
"You had more encounter with him, Itami. Is there anything you can tell us?"
Itami swallowed, remembering his fight with Lucien. All of his moves twisted together in a way only his people knew.
Drex's gaze locked on him waiting for his answer. "He definitely trained in our fighting style. He countered everything I threw at him. He definitely has three affinities, Fire, Earth and lighting."
Itami said his fist clenched his hands tighter under the table. "He mention my father. And how he's surprised I'm still alive."
Drex nodded as he then turned off the holographic table. "Alright we'll scan for any activity's and keep in mind of his presence. I have a feeling we're not done with him yet till we find his identity as we already looked into our birth records and theirs no name of him. You all are dismissed."
As they all separated into their own bubbles, Halo patted his back. "You did good on your first mission, how you feeling?"
"Exhausted, in need of a shower." Itami exhaled.
Noticing the cut on his forehead, Sauske waved his hand over him casting his light magic "Here let me fix you up real quick"
Itami jumped out of his seat as he began to rub his forehead shouting in pain. "OW! That burns like hell, no light magic man!"
Sauske raised his hands up "Woah my bad... wait, how is it burning you?"
Everyone turned to look at one another as Itami rubbed his forehead, still glaring at Sasuke.
"I don't know, just—no light magic on me," Itami muttered, feeling the sting still buzzing along his skin.
Lira leaned on her locker, arms crossed, grinning. "Guess our little dragon's got a weakness after all."
Kael laughed once, deep and short. "Out of all things, I thought it would be dancing."
"Enough," Drex said, voice firm but not unkind. "Get cleaned up. Rest up. We'll have another briefing once we get a reply from the American branch."
The team began to drift apart, casual but tired. Mission done. For now. Itami lingered for a moment longer, staring at the holo-table even after it dimmed.
Lucien's voice echoed in his mind—Son of Icarus.
He tightened his jaw, pushing it down. For now.
Monday – Back to School
The classroom buzzed as usual, a dozen small conversations overlapping as the rest of Class 1-A filtered in. Itami slid into the room, moving with muscle memory more than intention. Backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. Hair messy.
He caught sight of Momo across the room—talking quietly with Jiro, smiling softly.
For a second, her eyes flicked to him.
He looked away first.
Not now.
He didn't want the questions. Didn't want the reminders of the ballroom, the fight on the rooftop.
Better to stay in the background. Let it all move forward like nothing happened.
Thankfully, nobody else knew. The Yaoyorozu family had kept the attack quiet, sealed tight under "private matter" reports. No articles. No news blasts. The masquerade disaster had been hidden—swept under the rug before the city could even blink.
Itami knew why. Power. Image. Status. They couldn't afford the world seeing them vulnerable. And selfishly...
It protected him too. No rumors about a student moonlighting as private security for Japan's elite. Still, the feeling sat heavy in his chest.
He avoided her all morning. Kept his head down through classes and lunch.
By midday homeroom, where the class set off to train for the Sports Festival, Itami was sitting on the edge of the outdoor training field, idly tossing sparks between his fingers.
Above him, clouds shifted slowly across the sky, his mind still heavy with the fight against Lucien.
"You're avoiding me."
The voice startled him a little, pulling him out of his trance.
Momo stood a few paces away, hands folded neatly in front of her—not pushing, not prying. Just... there.
Itami shrugged, not meeting her eyes.
"I'm not avoiding you. We just didn't cross paths today."
"You're terrible at lying," she said gently.
Silence stretched between them.
Momo stepped a little closer, but stayed at a polite distance.
She wasn't angry. Wasn't demanding. Only waiting, offering him room to breathe.
"I wanted to say thank you," she said after a moment. "For that night."
"You would've been fine," Itami said quietly. "It was just a job. Probably would have been better off with someone else."
"That's not true."
Her voice was firmer now, without losing its warmth.
"You fought when you didn't have to. You stayed when it would've been easier to run. You are a hero, plain and simple."
He didn't answer.
The memory of Lucien's grin—the crash of fire, stone, and rage—still burned behind his eyes.
Momo shifted her weight slightly.
"And don't worry," she added, softer again, "I'm not going to tell anyone."
He blinked, finally glancing up at her.
Momo smiled—not wide, not forced. Just honest.
"You have secrets," she said simply. "Everyone does. I don't need to know all of them."
The wind tugged gently at the ends of her hair, catching in the afternoon sunlight.
Itami found himself breathing a little easier for the first time that day.
"...Thanks," he said eventually, his voice low but sincere.
She nodded once—graceful even in the simplicity of it—and turned, walking away without another word.
He watched her go, a strange tangle of emotions stirring quietly in his chest.
Maybe... just maybe...Not every mask needed to stay on forever.
I need to talk to Kaze and Akuma.
Two Days Eailer.
A cold wind cut through the alley, rattling loose signs and tossing newspaper scraps down the darkened street. The party was over, and the city hadn't realized yet that something far worse had just begun.
Lucien stepped into the shadows, his coat torn, a few smudges of soot clinging to his cheek. He didn't look rushed. He didn't look angry.
He looked pleased.
He pressed two fingers to the communicator in his ear. "It's done."
The line crackled. A voice—low, mechanical, and unmistakably inhuman—answered with slow disappointment.
"You failed. The girl is still alive."
Lucien chuckled under his breath, resting his back against the alley wall.
"No, you don't get it," he said. "The girl was never the mission. The attack drew every major agency's eyes to one spot—heroes, the police. Exactly like you wanted."
A pause.
"...The operation in the east wing proceeded without fail?"
Lucien smirked. "Your precious little Shigaraki is right on track. Whatever toy he went to retrieve—he's got it now."
Silence lingered on the line. Then—
"Acceptable."
Lucien's smirk faded just slightly, his eyes hardening. "Of course it is."
He pulled the communicator from his ear and crushed it in his palm. Sparks flared. Then faded.
Turning toward the city lights in the distance, Lucien whispered to himself—no audience, no performance, just truth.
"I'll take everything you ever built..."
He raised his hand. Lightning crawled across his fingers. Flames sparked in his palm. The ground beneath him rumbled with faint tremors.
"...and bring my family's name back to the top."
The shadows swirled around him, then Kurogiri appeared. They then both vanish into the darkness.