Edgeshot Agency - Day Three, 5:30 AM
I didn't sleep.
My Instinct had been screaming for three days straight, and I'd learned to listen to it. Something was building in Hosu, something bad, but I couldn't pin down what. The Hero Killer was active there, that much was public knowledge. And Iida had been acting strange all week, withdrawing from the group chat, not responding to messages.
I didn't know what he was planning, but the pattern felt wrong.
I spent the night running scenarios. If there was a major incident in Hosu, what would I need? How fast could I respond? What variables mattered most?
By the time my alarm went off at 5:30, I'd mapped out a dozen different approaches.
The agency was quiet when I arrived. Edgeshot was already in the training room, sitting in meditation.
He spoke without opening his eyes. "You didn't sleep."
"No."
"Something on your mind?"
"Just a feeling. Something's going to happen soon."
"Hosu?" His eyes opened.
I nodded.
"Your classmate is there. The one with the speed quirk." Edgeshot stood smoothly. "You think he's going to do something reckless."
"I don't know what he's planning, but his behavior's been off. Radio silence for days, won't respond to messages. That's not normal for him."
"And your Instinct is warning you."
"Yes."
Edgeshot studied me for a moment. "If there's a major villain incident in Hosu and licensed heroes call for backup, responding becomes part of your training. Understood?"
A loophole, giving me permission without saying it directly. "Understood."
"Good. Before patrol, I want to test something." He walked to a cabinet and pulled out several vials. "Quirk-affecting drugs we confiscate from villains. Paralysis agents, sensory disruptors. I want to see how your quirk handles them."
I looked at the vials. "You want to test my resistance."
"Your quirk reinforces your body extensively. I suspect that includes resistance to foreign substances." He held up a vial. "These are heavily diluted, nothing dangerous. A normal person would feel mild numbness for a few minutes."
That made sense, my quirk had always burned off anything foreign in my system. "Alright."
He prepared the first injection. "Basic paralysis agent, quirk-derived."
The needle went into my forearm. I activated my quirk slightly, letting golden energy flow through my system.
Thirty seconds passed. Nothing.
One minute. Still nothing.
"Interesting." Edgeshot prepared a stronger dose. "Triple strength this time."
Same result. My body rejected it completely.
"You have passive resistance to quirk-based effects." He made notes on a tablet. "That's exceptionally rare, most resistance quirks require active concentration. Against someone like the Hero Killer, whose quirk reportedly immobilizes targets somehow, this could be a significant advantage."
Important information, though I didn't know exactly how Stain's quirk worked yet.
"Can we test the limits?" I asked.
"Not safely. Anything strong enough to potentially affect you would be dangerous even diluted." He closed the cabinet. "But now you know. Your quirk doesn't just enhance physical capabilities. It protects you from external interference. Remember that."
I would. Especially when facing Stain.
Morning Patrol - Tokyo Streets
Patrol was routine. Rooftop movement, observation, maintaining hero presence to deter crime.
I kept part of my focus on patrol while monitoring news feeds for Hosu updates and tracking the class chat. Splitting attention like this was something I'd gotten good at over the years.
"Your focus is divided," Edgeshot said.
"Between here and Hosu, yes."
"Most students struggle with that." He stopped at a rooftop overlooking an intersection. "Show me you can handle it. What do you see?"
I scanned below. Three hundred civilians, two mutation quirks, one temperature manipulator leaving frost trails. One person moving against traffic flow, nervous body language, flower shop bag. First date. Four vehicles over speed limit, two taxis, two delivery vans.
"Nothing requiring intervention."
"Sounds?"
Traffic, construction north, distant siren fading, crying child, music. Standard city noise.
"Clear."
"Southwest, four blocks."
I'd noticed him a few minutes ago. "Photographer on a rooftop, using the AC unit for cover. Been there about five minutes, professional positioning."
Edgeshot's posture shifted slightly. "You spotted him before I mentioned it."
"Seemed worth tracking but he's not a threat, just monitoring patrol. Probably media."
"And you didn't report it immediately because?"
"Low priority, not an active threat." I paused. "Should I have reported it?"
"No, your assessment was correct. Prioritization is important." He started moving toward the photographer's position. "Let's confirm."
We reached him quickly. Male, mid-twenties, expensive camera, Hero Weekly press credentials visible.
Edgeshot handled it, the photographer left apologizing.
After he was gone, Edgeshot turned to me. "You have good tactical awareness for a student."
I shrugged. "I've trained a lot."
"Clearly." He resumed patrol. "Your Instinct helps but you're combining it with active observation. That's the right approach."
We kept moving. Two more hours of patrol, then one incident. Three criminals hitting a convenience store, low-level quirks.
Edgeshot's thread form wrapped two of them. I moved on the third before he could fully activate his quirk, palm strike to disable him. The whole thing took about thirty seconds.
"Efficient," Edgeshot said while securing them.
"Practice."
The class chat stayed active throughout. Updates from everyone except Iida, who'd been silent for over a day now.
Uraraka: "gunhead is amazing!! combat training is so cool!!"
Kirishima: "stopped a spike quirk villain today! this is awesome!"
Yaoyorozu: "Seven commercials. I have modeled for seven commercials."
Kaminari: "paperwork hell send help"
Bakugo: "STOP SPAMMING"
I checked private messages. Still nothing from Iida since yesterday morning.
That wasn't like him. Iida was always responsive, always engaged with the class. This silence meant something was wrong.
My phone buzzed again. News alert.
Hero Killer Stain Strikes Again - Fourth Victim in Hosu
The attacks were getting more frequent. Whatever Stain was building toward, it was accelerating.
Edgeshot Agency - Afternoon
Back at the agency, Edgeshot set up an urban infiltration exercise. Multi-story building, target on top floor, civilians throughout. Goal was reaching the target without detection.
I did okay but not great. Moving quietly wasn't really my strong suit, I was more used to direct approaches. But I understood the principles well enough.
"You move like someone trained for frontal combat," Edgeshot observed. "That works in open fights but gets you killed in urban operations against unknown quirks."
"Noted."
"Try again, this time think about blending into civilian patterns instead of avoiding them."
I adjusted my approach, using the crowd as cover instead of trying to sneak around them. Better results.
"Improvement," Edgeshot said. "You adapt quickly."
My phone buzzed. I checked it immediately.
Major Villain Attack in Hosu - Multiple Nomu Sightings - All Heroes Respond
I showed Edgeshot without speaking.
He read it and his entire demeanor shifted to pure professional focus. "Get your costume, we're moving now."
"Understood."
"This is real combat, multiple high-end threats, League of Villains confirmed." He was already heading for his gear. "You follow my orders, don't engage beyond your capability, if I tell you to retreat you retreat. Clear?"
"Clear."
"If something happens to you on my watch, Yamada-san will kill me and U.A. will revoke my teaching license. Don't make me regret bringing you."
"I won't."
I grabbed my costume and changed quickly. Checked my phone one more time.
The class chat had exploded with activity.
Todoroki: "endeavor's already moving"
Kaminari: "stay safe everyone!!"
Kirishima: "TIME TO BE HEROES!"
Bakugo: "DON'T DIE IDIOTS"
Everyone responding, everyone accounted for except Iida who still hadn't said anything.
I sent a message to the group. Himura: "Stay together, call for support if you need it."
Then privately to Iida. Himura: "Whatever you're planning, don't do it alone. Call for backup."
No response, as expected. He'd been ignoring messages for days now.
Edgeshot appeared in full costume. "Ready?"
I stood, letting golden energy flow through my system. "Ready."
"Then let's move."
We left at speed, jumping between rooftops with reinforced movement. In the distance I could see smoke columns rising, hear explosions echoing across the city, screams carrying on the wind.
Multiple Nomu meant this was a coordinated League of Villains attack. Either a distraction for something bigger or the main objective itself, I'd figure it out when we got there.
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