Chapter 38: My Hero Name Is...
"No longer do people need to suffer with inadequate or undesired Quirks." Rikiya moved across the screen as he continued up the path toward Detnerat's HQ. "No longer do the Quirkless of our society have to go without what is a basic human right." He came to a stop next to a two-story building that had been designed in the shape of a double helix. "Today we fix the genetic wrongs that have been forced upon us as a species. Today is humanity's next step forward."
The scene transitioned away from in front of the building to what looked to be a lab of sorts. Two tubes with claw-like attachments on their bottom sat in the middle of the lab's back wall as a dozen vein-like tubes snaked from each of them into the walls.
Rikiya reentered, a brilliant smile on his face. "Having worked in secret for over a decade we here at Detnerat are proud to announce our newest venture. He grandly motioned toward the devices behind him. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Izanagi System." Rikiya stepped to the side and off screen while at the same time a group of scientists entered escorting a man with some kind of snail mutation Quirk. "Having cracked the greatest mystery that has plagued science for over a century, the Izanagi System allows us to take undesired Quirks and gift their holders new ones better suited to their desires. The undesired and the Quirkless can finally have the cure that they've longed for. A long sought after relief is now within reach."
While Reikiya spoke the snail-man entered the chamber on the right, giving the camera a slow wave as he did so. The glass tube turned opaque and there was a flash of light before the front opened, revealing a totally normal looking man. He stared down at his new body in amazement before he was gently led to the next chamber. This time there was no wave before the process repeated itself, though this time when the man emerged he remained outwardly unchanged.
At the prompting of the scientists the man closed his eyes and concentrated for a second before his muscles started to bulge and he nearly doubled in size. The man stared down at himself before he was led away and Rikiya retook his place on screen.
"It is a two step process but for any who sign up they will be gaining not just access to both of these steps but also depending on the tier they select they can choose from a variety of Quirks. Details are to be announced soon but I can promise you that we here at Detnerat are committed to helping those that need it." Rikiya bowed deeply to the camera, a confident grin firmly in place as he looked up. "We are here for you. We are here the future."
Izuku set his phone face down on his desk as the video ended. Despite having watched and rewatched Detnerat's sudden announcement more than a dozen times since it was released he still didn't know what to think.
He was far from being alone in that camp as the rest of 1-H stood around at their own workbenches just as confused as he was.
"It has to be fake. There's no way they were able to crack Quirk transference without anyone knowing…" Taji looked at his classmates. "Right?"
Maina shook her head. "I don't think they did. Think about what Uraraka told us on Friday. This has to be All for One."
"But to make a move this blatant? Wouldn't that just be tipping All Might where he is located?" Rui countered as they rolled a pen at their desk. "It's begging him to show up and do something."
"Well it's either All for One or they somehow managed to figure out something that has been frustrating scientists since the dawn of Quirks." Yuuko sighed as she ran a hand down her face. "It doesn't make any sense."
"I want to see what makes that baby tick." Mei muttered as she tapped her fingers on her workbench, desperate for Maijima to enter class and unlock their project lockers. "I'm sure I could make it so that you don't need those clunky tubes to work."
"Remember it is just the first version of it." Taji nodded toward Izuku. "Think about your hover boots. Your version is massive and yet we managed to help Izuku get his battle boots to be streamlined and functional."
All eyes turned toward Izuku, Taji inadvertently having drawn attention to his classmate's contemplative posture. This time, however, there was no muttering, no shifting or writing, instead Izuku sat there staring off into space clearly lost within his own thoughts.
"What do you think, Izuku?" Yuuko prompted as she nudged him with her elbow.
Startled out of his reverie, Izuku jumped before shaking his head and turning to look at Yuuko. "What did you say?"
"I asked what you think about the Izanagi System." Yuuko clarified as she carefully watched Izuku. "Are you in the All for One or they cracked the code camp?"
"I-I'm not sure." Izuku shook his head once more. "I want more information before I jump to conclusions about it. If it works and isn't tied to All for One…" He trailed off, his eyes turning down as he did so.
"Do you think you'd use it?" Taji asked before anyone could stop him, earning a series of glares from his classmates in the process.
"I-"
Izuku was saved from answering as the door opened and Maijima walked in, his shoulders hunched and a serious expression on his face. "Good morning class."
Scrambling, 1-H quickly took their seats at their respective spots as they all returned his greeting.
Coming to a stop in the front of the class, Maijima shuffled a few papers before looking up at his students. "First off I just want to let all of you know how proud of you I am. You represented both yourselves and this class well during the festival and I couldn't be prouder." He deliberately looked at Mei as he continued. "Hatsume despite the unfair judgment you conducted yourself well in the face of that adversity."
"Thank you sensei." Mei replied as she gave her classmates a thankful smile.
Maijima turned to look at Izuku. "Midoriya I can honestly say that you blew everyone's expectations out of the water." He paused. "Well those of anyone who doesn't know you." Izuku blushed while the rest of his class let out a chuckle at his expense before Maijima continued. "The dean has requested your presence today to go over certain details, so please pack up and head to his office."
"What about going over internship offers? We were all going to coordinate where we were going." Rui protested while the rest of the class nodded in agreement.
"Since the offers are not due until Wednesday I think it's safe to say that you will have that time." Maijima laughed before he motioned toward the door. "While I don't know everything I can say that what the dean is going to discuss relates to internships. Apparently there are some rather unique circumstances with Midoriya that need to be addressed." He gave Izuku a pointed look. "I'm sure he will tell you all about it after his meeting."
"Yes sensei." Izuku gave everyone a quick smile before he shuffled out the door.
1-H and Maijima watched the door close before the latter of the two cleared his throat and pulled out a stack of papers. "Now as for the rest of you. You seemed to have impressed quite a few people with your inventions and creativity during the support events last week." He moved forward and began to place stacks of paper on each workbench. "All of you have offers from some of the top support companies in the county and more than a few abroad."
Maijima made his way back to the front of the room, having handed out all of the papers, a shit eating grin on his face. "And since it wasn't any secret what all of you were planning I took the liberty of adding the last page which contains a list of offers that all of you have."
The sound of shuffling paper filled the room as all five support students ignored the entire list and flipped through to the last page. A collective gasp soon replaced the previous noise as they all read the six lines on the paper.
More accurately they all read one line on the paper.
Shield Industries - Mentor David Shield.
++++++++++++++++++++
Izuku couldn't keep a smile from his face as he walked through the open door, not even having bothered to attempt to knock.
"One of these days I should just let you walk into the door. Teach you a lesson in arrogance."
"Yes but isn't it already a lesson in knowing your opponent?" Izuku countered as he made his way over to the small lounge section of Nezu's office, a smile still on his face. "What did you wish to discuss with me sir?"
"A few things actually." Nezu replied as he motioned for Izuku to take the seat opposite to him before picking up the obligatory tea pot.
"What are we drinking today sir?" Izuku asked as watched Nezu pour him a cup of tea.
Nezu took an appreciative sip of his own cup before answering. "A jasmine dragon pearl that I found the other day. Now." He motioned toward a tablet that rested on the table. "We need to discuss your upcoming internship."
Izuku's hand came to a stop just before he could try the tea, concern clear as day on his face. "Is there an issue?"
"Not so much an issue as an interesting opportunity." Nezu reached into the drawer at his side and pulled out a holo-tablet before passing it across to his student. "Please read through that and share any observations you may have."
Reaching out, Izuku took the offered device and began to scroll through the impressively long list of names. He'd barely made it past the first ten listings before he spotted the irregularity. "Um, sir, why are there heroes listed here?" He turned the screen around and pointed to a name he recognized. "I know Aves isn't that big of a hero but why would he offer me an internship?"
"Because he sees this as an opportunity much like many others do." Nezu reached across toward the holo-tablet and pressed on a different tab, changing the list. "I took the initiative to separate the list into those that deal with support and," he motioned toward the new list. "those that are heroes."
"Heroes…" Izuku stared wide-eyed as he scrolled down the fifty-odd names that composed the list in front of him. This time he made it a little further before his hand stilled and his heart rate skyrocketed. That's… How? Why? "M-M-Miruko?!?" He looked over at Nezu. "What's going on? Why would the number five hero be sending me an internship offer?"
"Because with your debut at the sports festival you made a clear statement." Nezu set his cup down as he fixed Izuku with a serious look. "Across three events you showed the world that you have a unique mix of tenacity, tactics, and adaptability that even pro heroes lack. Simply put, you impressed them and they want to train you." He held up a paw to cut off Izuku's incoming comment. "Accomplishing what you did made multiple heroes throw their proverbial hats into the ring to see if they could be the one to train the first Quirkless hero."
Nezu paused to let his statement settle, knowing that Izuku would have a hard time wrapping his head around the idea. He wasn't waiting long.
"H-hero?!? B-but I can't be a hero! I mean I can help heroes and hold my own but actually being a hero? No, no. I can't do that…" Izuku stared blankly at the screen in front of him as his brain and heart finally caught up with one another. "I… how can this be happening?" He paused to take a breath before looking up at Nezu, a question clearly in his eye. "How will this even work? I like doing analysis. Am I going to have to transfer to the heroics department?"
"Let me answer each of your questions in turn." Nezu smiled at Izuku, a sense of pride filling him as he compared the man in front of him to the worried boy who had first shown up a year ago. "We both know that you can in fact hold your own as a hero." He motioned toward his computer. "I know you have been reading the comments that people have been making about the festival."
"I wasn't thinking about the internet's reaction when I kissed Ochako…" Izuku groaned, causing Nezu to cackle.
"Not exactly what I was implying but that is another good point." Nezu let out another laugh before he continued. "No, I meant the conversations going on about your performance. People are using you as an example for everything from U.A. going soft to proof that Quirkless people can hold their own and everything in between. The point I am getting at is that the country saw you go toe to toe with students that are considered the best and brightest of your year. That draws attention."
"So these heroes only want to lean into that attention?" Izuku asked as a disgusted look flitted across his face.
"Some." Nezu conceded before motioning toward the list once more. "But others will see this as an opportunity and will actually care about training you."
"So the trick will be knowing which is which." Izuku concluded as he stared at the list. "Some of these we can discredit off the bat but others…" His eyes locked onto Rumi's name before he looked back at Nezu. "So then how does this work?"
"If you want to pursue this path we have two options available to us as I see it." Nezu took a sip of his tea before continuing. "Option one, you transfer into heroics and we call it a day." The near immediate shaking of Izuku's head caused the mammalian to smile. "Option two, we run with a program that's wholly unique." He raised a sarcastic eyebrow. "Not that we don't have experience with something like that already."
Izuku let out a short laugh before nodding his head. "I think I'd prefer option two but how exactly does that work?"
"The same as it would for any hero who holds two certifications." Seeing Izuku's lack of understanding, Nezu added the final piece to the puzzle. "How does it work for a hero like Power Loader?"
A light of recognition lit up Izuku's face. "I'd be able to operate within both areas." He placed a hand to his mouth as a mutter storm hit at full force. "Technically a heroics license allows me to use a Quirk to save other people but since I don't have a Quirk it would be a piece of paper to me. Though having an actual license will show that I've gone through the same trials as any other hero which would lend credibility to any analysis I may make. It would also allow me to be invited to hero only events that will help with expanding my reach to help other heroes and help market the Hatsume Industries name." He winced. "I need to see if Mei will change the name. Something not so directly implying a support gear company." The sudden turn toward business knocked him out of his flow as a frown took over. "Wait, when did I even agree to work with Mei?"
"Just now I believe." Nezu cackled, having thoroughly enjoyed his student's mile a minute muttering. "Now that we have covered what we needed to, I believe it's time for you to hurry off to join 1-A."
Izuku froze in place. "I thought we said I wasn't transfering?"
"We did." Nezu's smile turned conspiratorial with a hint of predatory. "But if you're going to have a heroics license and go on an internship with a hero you are in need of a name, are you not?"
"A name…" Izuku went wide-eyed at the prospect. "But none of the ones I thought about growing up will work now…"
"I trust you to come up with something." Nezu made a shooing motion toward the door. "Now hurry or you'll be late and I'll allow 1-H the pleasure of naming you without any input from yourself."
Blanching, Izuku was out of his chair and sprinting out the door before Nezu's second round of cackles reached his ears.
++++++++++++++++++++
"Did you see The Big 3 yesterday?"
Juzo gave Hiryu a 'are you serious' look before letting out a laugh. "How could you not? They dominated everyone."
Hiryu chuckled. "Fair."
"Speaking of the Big 3, what do you think caused Hado to kiss her girlfriend in front of everyone like that?" Kojiro asked as he leaned in toward his two seatmates.
"Oh we can blame Midoriya and Uraraka for sure." Setsuna responded as her head floated over to the trio, a grin plastered on her face.
Juzo raised an eyebrow, completely unphased by Setsuna's partial body intrusion. "Why's that?"
"Come on, you had to have seen all the talk that was going on after those two kissed after the first event." Setsuna rolled her eyes. "From what I've heard about Hado she probably realized she could get away with it and went for it."
"I think a kiss in the moment after an event is a little different than kissing on the podium." Kojiro protested as he turned to address Setsuna.
"Oh that kiss was still in the moment." Setsuna laughed as her head started to bob its way back to her body.
"So do you think we tell Midoriya that people are still talking about him kissing Uraraka?" Itsuka laughed as she listened in on her classmates' conversation.
"You can." Emily replied with a shake of her head. "I don't want to give Midoriya even more reasons to make fun of me getting together with Tsu and Himiko."
"I think you mean finally getting together with Tsu and Himiko." Itsuka smirked at Emily's glare. "Oh come on it was obvious to all of us you were crushing hard."
"Yeah well…" Emily trailed off as she chose to do the mature thing and stuck her tongue out at Itsuka.
"You know what? You've convinced me." Itsuka bit back yet another laugh as she attempted to be serious. "Maybe we should try and get everyone to talk about our internships."
"An excellent suggestion by the class president." Sekijiro commented as he walked into 1-B's classroom, Kohei trailing right behind him. The sudden appearance of their teacher, and guest, sent the students scrambling toward their seats. "Good morning everyone, I hope you all had a relaxing couple of days off."
The various affirmative replies brought a smile to the pro hero's face as he nodded along. "That's good because we have a lot of work to do this week to get all of you ready." He made his way over to the podium. "Can anyone tell me what's the first thing we need to do to make sure everyone is ready for next week?"
"We need to pick where we're going to intern?" Kosei offered as he raised his hand.
"That would actually be step two." Sekijiro looked around the room, lingering for a moment on each of his students as he did so. "Any other guesses?"
Emily's brow scrunched up for a moment before suddenly clearing. "We need hero names."
"Shitake! She's right we need names!" Kinoko exclaimed as she started to bounce in her seat.
Sekijiro didn't try to stop the belly laugh that formed as he watched the wave of excitement wash over his class. "That's correct. The first thing we need to do is have all of you select your hero name. Now because taste is subjective, and I feel like I took an obvious name for myself, I asked one of my best sidekicks to assist me today." He motioned toward Kohei standing next to him.
"I'm one of your best?" Kohei replied as he took a step forward to stand next to Sekijiro. "Good morning class I'm Osada Kohei, also known as the pro hero Quick Fist. It's a pleasure to finally, officially, meet all of you. Now that I'm no longer being shanghaied into covering 1-A I can finally help the fossil here handle you lot."
The scattered laughter at Kohei's comment only doubled at Sekijiro's annoyed look.
"Fossil? I'm not that much older than you."
"Five years is still plenty of time to make you ancient." Kohei responded with a smirk while his lower arms reached into the podium and started to pull out whiteboards. "Now as fun as it is to tease Vlad we are here to help all of you." The lower arms passed some of the boards to the upper as he made his way forward. Four at a time he quickly distributed everything. "Vlad and I are here to make sure that any name you choose is both appropriate and proper for a hero."
"A joke name can stick with you for the entirety of your career so it is imperative that you take this seriously." Sekijiro added as he cast a stern gaze across the room. "If you have any questions please feel free to…" He trailed off as Emily stood in her chair and started toward the front of the room.
"...to bring them to the front." Sekijiro grinned as he took a step to the side, motioning for Emily to take the podium. "All yours Song."
Emily gave Sekijiro and Kohei a quick bow. "Thank you sensei." Placing her whiteboard down she turned it to face everyone else. "I'm going to be Polaris, the Shining Light Hero." She turned to give both Kohei and Sekijiro an expectant look.
"Polaris huh?" Sekijiro nodded his head a few times. "What do you think Kohei?"
Kohei's upper right hand rubbed at his chin. "It's unique and light based. Though the lab coat based costume you have doesn't quite match up with your hero name."
"I wanted to pay homage to my parents with that." Emily muttered as she carefully watched Kohei. "But maybe I'll take another look at my designs."
Kohei held up a pair of hands. "It's just a suggestion." The opposite hands now motioned for Emily to retake her seat. "Thank you for going first."
"It was my pleasure sensei." Emily responded as she sat down once more, ignoring the shit eating grin that Itsuka was giving her.
"You had your name picked out kinda quick there."
"Well when you've been thinking about it since you were a child…"
"Fair enough." Itsuka chuckled as she stood up, but not before leaning over toward Emily in the process. "I'm the same." Her smile remained as she closed the short distance between her desk and the podium. "I swear I didn't steal this from Osada-sensei but well…" She turned her board around. "I always wanted to be called Battle Fist."
Sekijiro gave Kohei a sarcastic look. "I don't think you're allowed to protest this one."
"No." Kohei laughed as he waved Itsuka back to her seat. "No, I'm not."
++++++++++++++++++++
"Where do you think Aizawa-sensei is? I thought he was going to be back starting today?"
Koji shrugged as he looked past Eijiro and toward the door. "[I'm not sure. Maybe his injuries were still affecting him?]"
"Or Osada-sensei just loves us so much that he couldn't bear the thought of leaving us." Mina replied as she draped her arms around Eijiro. "What do you think Kiri?"
"I already asked where he is. What do you think I think?" Eijiro countered, a faint blush blooming on his cheeks at Mina's closeness.
"That you're missing the teacher who you decried as 'so manly'." Mina giggled as she gave Eijiro a squeeze.
"He jumped in front of a horde of villains to save his students! It doesn't get manlier than that!" Eijiro protested as he began to look around the room for backup before settling on Hitoshi.
The newest member of 1-A simply held up his hands in surrender. "Hey don't look at me, I never had him as a teacher."
"He was a hardass." Himiko answered as she turned from her conversation with Tsuyu and Mezo. "Expelled the entire class last year."
" He can do that?" Dark Shadow asked as Fumikage struggled to find the right words.
"Could." Himiko corrected as she scrunched up her brow. "I'm still not sure what changed but he was bitching about not being allowed to expel people this year to Present Mic before the term started."
"Expulsion or not I feel that we can't accurately judge his teaching methods." Momo interjected, drawing all eyes to herself in the process. "We only had him as a teacher for a few days after all."
"And in that time he made us miss orientation to get ahead a day ahead with classes." Denki whined as he flopped into his chair. "That's the dictionary definition of a hard ass if you ask me."
"You just want more days off." Toru laughed as she took her own seat.
"Nothing wrong with wanting a break every now and then." Denki muttered under his breath.
"You are all giving off the wrong impression to our newest classmate." Ochako gave Hitoshi a grin as she spoke.
"Speaking of new classmates…" Mina extracted herself from Eijiro's shoulders, much to the man's disappointment, before stalking her way over to Hitoshi. "Why didn't we see you at dinner last night? You're one of us now after all."
"My classmates wanted to throw me a goodbye party." Hitoshi suppressed his urge to sigh. "Though with how they went on about me leaving made it feel more like I was going to war instead of moving to a different dorm."
"I mean given the year we've had…" Shihai whispered to Hanta, causing both men to chuckle.
"Is there anything you're going to miss from gen ed?" Rikido asked as he twisted around in his seat to look at Hitoshi.
"I had more time to sleep." Hitoshi drawled before leaning back and closing his eyes to fully sell the bit.
Both Himiko and Ochako turned back to each other, having followed along with their friend's conversation, shaking their heads as they did so.
"You'd think we were torturing him or something."
"I guess this is as far as we're going to get Hitoshi out of his shell." Himiko laughed before she leaned forward toward Ochako. "Soooo Ochako."
Ochako closed her eyes and sighed. "Gods, do I even want to know?"
"It's not that bad." Himiko protested as she leaned in even closer, causing Ochako to open her eyes only to glare at her. "I was just wondering… Have you bitten Izuku yet?"
A burst of red overtook Ochako's face at Himiko's words. "No!"
"Are you? I can say from one blood-drinker to another it's a ton of fun." Himiko purred as she glanced over at Tsuyu.
"So Emily has experienced some of this fun already? Damn Himiko, you work fast." Ochako teased, a playful glint illuminating her eye.
Gone in an instant was Himiko's slightly seductive and pleased look and a nervous blush quickly took its place. "I… Well not yet but maybe-"
Himiko was cut off though as Kashiko leaned toward the pair with a smile clearly plastered on her face, though her eyes were locked on the door. "As much as I'm enjoying Himiko being on the opposite foot for a change, we might want to get ready."
As if on cue the whole class came to a standstill as the door to 1-A started to slide open, sending students scrambling to their seats. The clatter of someone using crutches echoed into the room before immediately being followed by a man who bore a striking resemblance to 1-A's bespectacled speedster.
"My apologies for being late. It's been sometime since I've been on campus." Tensei said as he walked into the room, a massive grin formed as he spotted the stunned look his younger brother was giving him. "That and apparently Nezu's new hiring policy requires payment upfront."
A mixture of laughter and silence greeted his joke as he wiggled his amputated leg.
"Tough crowd." Tensei smiled as he made his way to the podium. "Now I'm sure many of you are wondering who I am." He nodded toward Tenya. "I'm Tenya's older brother Iida Tensei, also known as the pro hero Ingenium and I'm going to be in charge of you miscreants from now on."
Silence was the answer as all eyes moved between Tenya, who was still frozen in shock, and Tensei, who stood there waiting for any sort of reaction.
"Well don't all of you react at the same time."
Unsurprisingly it was Tenya who spoke first. "Brother, what are you doing here?"
"Well I intended to teach." Tensei replied with a smirk.
"Yes but-" Tenya started again before being cut off by his own signature chop, only this time from the older Iida sibling.
"We can talk about personal matters later." Tensei fixed Tenya with a look before turning to address the class as a whole. "I'm sure most of you were expecting Aizawa to be coming back but, regrettably, Nezu has assigned him to another task." He glanced down at the papers on his podium. "Now I was told that Osada has been in charge of all of you?"
"That's correct sensei." Momo responded for the class as everyone started to settle once more.
"Then that means I don't have to break too many bad habits." There was a scattering of laughter as Tensei shuffled the papers around while nodding to himself. Looking up he smiled at his students once more. "Now before we get to your internship offers there's something we need to do first."
Seeing the confused looks he was getting, Tensei couldn't help but let a cheeky smile shine through. He let the confusion sit for a moment longer before deciding that they had enough. "I think you are all missing the obvious answer." He looked around. "What do all heroes have?"
Silence filled the classroom once more before Eijiro snapped his fingers. "Hero names!"
"Exactly." Tensei responded over the growing excitement in the class. "Now since I'm just the worst at naming things, just ask Tenya, and because none of you have a family hero name to lean on I called in some help…"
"Me!" Nemuri exclaimed as she strutted into the room and right up to Tensei before kissing him on the cheek. "Good morning babe."
Kyoka winced as Toru's and Mina's squeal of glee rattled the windows.
"While I love the excitement, why don't we keep our voices at an audible level." Nemuri gave Toru and Mina a wink before addressing the whole class. "A hero name can make or break your career and sometimes the first name you pick can stick with you for your whole career."
"Just ask EraserHead." Tensei whispered under his breath before wincing as Nemuri playfully nudged him with her elbow.
"A perfect example of a joke name that sticks if there ever was one." Nemuri looked out at her students. "As such you will be picking names and I will be approving them." Reaching around Tensei and into the podium Nemuri pulled out a stack of whiteboards before she began to hand them out. "Write down your hero name as well as any descriptive title and I will reject, suggest an edit or accept them. Now be-"
The sound of the door opening yet again stopped all conversation as twenty two sets of eyes all turned to see who was entering their classroom.
Izuku walked into this expectant silence still in a daze from his meeting with Nezu. Looking around he felt a sudden wave of nerves wash over him.
"Um…" He waved a hand. "Hi?"
In an instant the spell that held the class was broken and everyone started to talk at the same time. It didn't get far or last long as Tensei let out an ear piercing whistle, bringing the barrage of questions to a halt before they could truly get started.
Seeing Kyoka wince he gave the young woman a small nod. "My apologies. Now…" He turned to address the class as a whole. "Those were exclamations of shock and joy and not protest, right?"
There were nods all around the room before Momo cleared her throat, causing everyone to now turn toward her.
Raising an eyebrow, Tensei nodded in her direction. "Yes Yaoyorozu?"
Momo folded her hands in front of herself as she addressed their new teacher. "You may not know this sensei but after the… after the USJ incident we referred to Midoriya as an honorary member of 1-A. I think all of us are just wondering what he's doing here today but are happy to see him."
"Good thing Blasty is gone then." Himiko muttered under her breath as she stared at Izuku, still trying to figure out what was going on.
"I see." Nemuri answered for Tensei as she turned to look at the lone support student. "Would you like to inform the class or shall we?"
"N-no need." Izuku gave Nemuri a timid smile before turning toward the class, locking eyes with Ochako. "Nezu felt that given my performance and goals that earning a hero license might be in my best interest and well… I'm going to need a hero name." He shrugged his shoulders in a 'and there you have it' gesture before looking back toward the two teachers.
Tensei gave Izuku a nod before motioning toward an empty, extra, chair in the back behind Momo and Himiko. "Please have a seat." Izuku gave him one last nod before making his way toward his temporary desk while Tensei continued. "Midoriya may also be joining our class on rare occasions as a heroics student and not in his role as an analyst. Now that everything is out of the way." He motioned toward the long forgotten whiteboards. "Please continue as you were."
The room went silent once more save for the sound of writing punctuated by the occasional hum. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor caused everyone to stop and watch as Kashiko made her way to the front of the class.
Standing in front of everyone she felt her nerves begin to give out but before they could she turned her whiteboard around and placed it on the podium. "My hero name is The Tracking Hero: Recon." She gave Nemuri a tentative smile, awaiting her judgment.
There was a pause as Nemuri mulled it over before she gave the younger woman a thumbs up and a wide smile. "I love it!"
Kashiko let out a breath she hadn't been aware she had been holding before quickly returning to her seat.
With the first one out of the way a nearly visible wave of relief washed over the class and suddenly there was a rush to get a name approved. In short order Hanta, Fumikage, Shihai, Tsuyu, Kyoka and Momo all had their hero names approved. The newly christened Cellophane, Tsukuyomi, Vantablack, Froppy, Earphone Jack and Creati all took their seats and began to watch to see who was next.
With an excited exclamation Mina bounced her way to the front of the class and slammed her whiteboard on the podium facing her classmates. "I'm going to be The Acid Hero: Alien Queen!"
"Like that alien monster with acid blood?" Nemuri visibly blanched but before she could say another word Tensei cut her off.
"Approved!" Tensei grin nearly matched Minas as he turned to look at Nemuri. "Just because you don't like aliens doesn't mean you can turn down a good name like this."
"Thank you sensei!" Mina exclaimed before bowing to Tensei and running back to her seat, refusing to give Nemuri a chance to intervene.
Her chance to protest stolen, Nemuri instead settled for glaring daggers at her fiancé before she turned to the class once more. "Who's next?"
"I'll go!" Himiko announced as she made her way up. Reaching the podium, she flashed her classmates a fanged smile before revealing her board. "I will be Haruka! The Individuality Hero!"
Nemuri clapped her hands together as she looked at the name. "Oooh what a clever name! I thought you would be going for more of a vampire theme."
"Clearly you've never seen my costume." Himiko replied with a smirk as she made her way back to her desk.
Looking up from his own board, Izuku gave her a warm smile. "Embracing your Quirk I see."
"Well it is part of me." Himiko responded with a laugh as she sat down, a satisfied smile on her face. "What are you thinking of going with?"
"Not sure yet." Izuku mumbled as he began to tap his marker on the desk before it fell out of his hand. "I got-" He was cut off by the Shoto's suddenly standing up and addressing the class.
"My hero name is Shoto."
Nemuri looked at Tensei before the pair shook their heads and the latter answered with a simple. "No."
Nodding his head once in acquiescence Shoto retook his seat. There wasn't more than a moment's hesitation before Hitoshi slunk his way to the front of the room, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his whiteboard.
"I'm still new to this but I was thinking I could be the Mind-Games Hero: Mockingbird." He turned his tired gaze toward the two teachers in the room, awaiting their judgment.
"Between your Quirk and your support gear I think that's a perfect name." Nemuri responded as she looked expectantly at Hitoshi. "At least I assume what you were using at the festival will be your support gear."
"Probably." Hitoshi shrugged. "I don't even have a costume yet. The support department said they should have it ready by Friday."
"Shit I'm going to need a costume…" Izuku whispered at Himiko, his eyes going wide. "How the hell am I going to intern with a hero and not have a costume?"
"You'll figure something out." Himiko shrugged before motioning toward his still empty board. "It won't matter if you don't get a name."
"I mean I think I have an idea but I'm not sure…" Izuku stared at his board for a moment before quickly scrawling a name across its surface and turning it toward Himiko. "What do you think?"
Himiko stared at the kanji for a second before slowly nodding her head. "You know it's a bit simple but it really does get the point across."
"I guess I better get this over with." Izuku muttered as he stood and made his way to the front of the room. Turning around he saw that every eye was on him before he met Ochako's gaze before she mouthed. 'Go on.'
Taking a breath, Izuku turned his board around. "It's nothing too creative but… I'll be the Perceptive Hero: Analyst."
"A hero name and a job description all rolled into one." Nemuri clapped her hands together as she smiled at Izuku. "I love it."
"Th-thank you sensei." Izuku responded as he made his way back to his seat only to stop as Ochako stood in hers. She flashed him a quick smile before making her way up and placing her board face down on the podium.
Content to wait, she watched as Izuku retook his seat before lifting her board to share with the class. "I will be Uravity!" Ochako declared as she turned an expectant look toward Nemuri and Tensei.
"Perfect!" Nemuri declared before motioning for Ochako to return to her desk. Following Ochako's selection the class grew silent as the remaining students tried to figure out what they should call themselves.
It was a stiff Tenya who broke the ongoing stalemate as he stood and gave his brother a questioning look.
"Don't look at me, tell the class." Tensei teased as he motioned toward the podium.
Nodding to himself, Tenya robotically moved forward before gently placing his board at a perfect ninety degree angle. "I wish to be called Overdrive."
Nemuri and Tensei shared a look before she motioned for him to take this one. Looking over, Tensei gave his younger brother a blinding smile. "I think that's a great hero name."
It was obvious to everyone how his brother's praise affected the normally stern man as a smile of his own broke out as Tenya lowered himself into a deep bow. "Thank you sensei."
Tensei stared at Tenya for a moment before waving him off. "None of that." He motioned toward Tenya's empty chair. "Please retake your seat Iida."
"Yes sensei." Tenya responded with another bow before he moved back to his spot.
Once again there was a small pause between Tenya and the next student but quickly everyone in the room had a hero name that Nemuri approved. Shoto was the last to go but despite simply changing the Kanji on his name slightly to mean FrostFyre Nemuri begrudgingly approved his name.
"Now that the fun stuff is out of the way I'll be going." Nemuri gave the class a playful smirk before suddenly twisting around and dipping Tensei into a passionate kiss, earning more than a few wolf whistles in the process.
Finally letting go of her fiancé, Nemuri gave them all one last wave before she sashayed out of the classroom.
"Well that was…" Tensei trailed off as he attempted to force down the massive blush on his face. "Anyway, why don't we get to your internship offers?" He reached into the podium before producing a large stack of tablets. "We were going to use paper but when we realized that some of you received thousands of offers…" He trailed off, allowing his class to picture a stack of offers thicker than a dictionary.
"With that in mind, all of your offers are available under your name on these tablets. Just select your choice and any information on the hero and their agency will appear. These lists also contain contacts that have agreed to take on U.A. interns so if you see that everyone has an offer from the same heroes that is why." His opening ramble out of the way, Tensei moved around the classroom handing each student their respective tablet.
Knowing the choice that faced them, Tensei decided to make them aware of a resource that he didn't have when he was in his students' shoes. A soft cough had everyone's attention back on him and away from their screens. "Now as I'm sure all of you are aware we have a new program this year." He nodded toward Izuku. "I would advise you to take advantage of Analyst's specialty before making your selection by Wednesday."
Seeing all eyes turn toward him, Izuku could only flush and give a sheepish smile in response.
"And that's all from me." Tensei looked over his new class one last time before turning toward the door. "Oh and you don't have classes for the rest of the day so feel free to stay as long as you want to discuss your offers." With a final smile he walked out of the classroom.
The door had hardly closed before Himiko was twisting around in her chair to glare at Izuku. "Ok Izuku. Why the fuck didn't you tell us you were going to be here?"
Izuku shook his head before he managed to focus on Himiko, and the expectant looks of the rest of 1-A that were behind her. "I didn't even know until this morning!"
"Dude you're getting a hero license that's so manly." Eijiro exclaimed as he too made his way over.
"I must admit I am curious who made you an offer that you felt that you couldn't turn down." Momo asked from her seat.
"Well you see I had a few heroes send me internship offers and as you guessed there was one I couldn't pass up…" Izuku gave the class an apologetic smile that was closer to a grimace. "It, um, it seems that Miruko wants me to intern with her…"
A pin drop could have been heard in the silence that took over the room as a wave of surprise washed over 1-A. By now Ochako had made her way over, ready to defend Izuku, only to come to a stop at his announcement.
"That's… that's amazing Izuku!" Ochako's declaration set off yet another flood of questions directed toward Izuku only for the man in question to carefully stand from his seat, causing silence to reign yet again.
"I-I… Thank you everyone but I have a meeting to get to." Izuku flashed the class a quick smile before pecking Ochako on the cheek and running from the room.
"Is he ok, kero?" Tsuyu asked as she looked around the room.
"He's probably overwhelmed." Himiko answered as he continued to stare at the door. "Between the announcement yesterday and everything today…"
Ochako nodded along with Himiko before she let out a tired sigh. "It's a lot for him to process." Maybe I should try and sneak into 1-H at some point so we can talk in private…
Mezo, ever the voice of reason, cut through her thoughts. "We should probably look at our own offers. Midoriya has a lot going on so maybe we all just go to him to double check the internships we pick?"
"[That's a great idea.]" Koji signed as he turned toward his tablet, clearly signaling his end to the conversation. Quickly following suit the rest of the class returned to their seats with only a quiet whispering between friends breaking the silence as various offers were discussed.
A sudden gasp from Ochako caused both Mezo and Tsuyu, as the friends sitting closest to her, to lean in.
"What's going on Ochako?" Mezo asked as he created an eye to try and steal a glimpse of Ochako's tablet.
"I… I got an offer…" Ochako turned her tablet around so they both could see.
Tsuyu's eyes went wide as she read the name on the screen. "Kero…"
Miruko.
"Well I think I know where you're going." Mezo chuckled as he leaned back in his seat.
"Should I?" Ochako asked, a worried look on her face. "I mean if she sent one to Izuku what if… what if she says no to him because I accepted?"
Sitting between Tsuyu and Ochako, Tenya had remained silent as their conversation went on, having been content to assess his own offers, but he knew he couldn't hold his tongue here.
"Uraraka any hero that sends out offers must be ready to take in all interns that accept those offers." Tenya motioned toward her tablet. "I can also say that as far as I'm aware Miruko has never taken an intern, let alone two."
"Then what does she want with me?" Ochako whispered as she looked over at her classmate. "Better yet, what does she want with Izuku?"
"An offer like that is something you shouldn't turn down. It is an honor to be selected by a pro hero of her caliber." Tenya turned back toward his own screen. "I leave it for you and Midoriya to figure out."
"Sure…" Ochako gave Tsuyu and Mezo a pleading look only to get shrugs in return. I guess that's one more thing for Izuku and I to talk about…
++++++++++++++++++++
Kaina hesitated a moment as the door opened a millisecond before her fist made contact. "You were expecting me?"
"No." Came Nezu's mirthful reply from his desk. "So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company? Our meeting isn't scheduled until tomorrow evening."
"Our status meeting still is." Kaina nodded as she took the seat across from the dean. "This one is of a more personal nature."
"I see." Nezu's paws stopped moving toward the reports that he would have needed for their status meeting. Instead he reached into the lowermost drawer on his right and pulled out an intricately painted ceramic jug and two small cups.
Realizing what it was, Kaina raised a surprised eyebrow as she stared at Nezu. "Saké?"
Nezu dipped his head into a nod as a smile graced his features. "Given what I know about your situation I felt that this meeting may require something stronger than tea." He carefully poured two cups before sliding one across to Kaina. "Just don't tell the students."
"Sir you are known for riddles, knowing everything and smoking." Kaina smirked as she took the offered cup. "A little afternoon saké doesn't seem too far from your brand." She raised her drink. "Kanpai."
"Kanpai." Nezu answered as he mirrored her before taking a drink. "Now." He set his drink down. "Since you know I know what is going on, what do you wish to discuss exactly?"
"My plans for the next few weeks." Kaina replied as she stared at the cup in her hand. "I'm sure Gentle told you that he found a solution to my memory issues."
"He did." Nezu let out an annoyed hum. "The fact that we need to rely on an organization like the Shie Hassaikai annoys me to no end but I have yet to find an alternate solution." He shook his head for a moment before refocusing on Kaina. "Have you made contact? I know that Gentle said he was going to wait for your approval."
"Which I gave over the weekend." Kaina let out a tired sigh as she held her cup out for a refill, one which Nezu generously granted. "Ideally I would meet with them this week but that isn't looking too promising."
"I can imagine." Nezu scratched at his muzzle for a moment. "It's likely that all of the Shie Hassaikai are getting ready to go to ground for the next week or so." Seeing Kaina's confused look he continued. "Next week U.A., Isamu, and Shiketsu all have their students heading out for internships. The week following has Seijin, Ketsubutsu, and Seiai doing the same. With the top hero colleges in the country all working within the same time frame…"
"They're not going to want to chance anything." Kaina concluded. "So then you think that Nemoto will respond? The weeks after?"
"Actually I would imagine that he will set up your meeting during the two weeks they're to remain hidden." Nezu answered with a grin. "Meeting with the infamous Lady Nagant in secret would be something that could be done while staying off the radar."
"So a meeting while everyone is hiding." Kaina tapped her cup with a fingernail before nodding to herself. "That would make the most sense. I can't say that I've been in many situations like this. I tend to never meet my opponents face to face."
"An understandable goal given your previous profession." Nezu finished his drink and set his cup down before folding his paws. "Is everything ready for next Monday?"
"Almost." Kaina instantly replied. "I have almost everything in place or ready to be in place but…" Her eyes darted away from the dean. "Well I need to ask you for a favor."
"What kind of favor?"
"Ak- my daughter wants to be a hero and despite what the CRC are forcing me to do she still deserves this chance…" Kaina trailed off, unsure how best to plead her case to the mammalian who was already sheltering her.
"Ah I see." Nezu folded his paws in front of him, his drink forgotten for the moment. "You're asking me to accept her into our program." He tilted his head slightly to the side. "You know that if she continues down this path she will still be a target."
"Yes but unlike Deika I'm here to watch over her and we both know that this campus is the most secure in the country." A frown crossed Kaina's face. "After the USJ incident of course."
Silence followed Kaina's statement as Nezu rubbed at his chin. Eventually he lowered his paw and tapped at his desk. "Before I agree I need you to tell me some truths."
"I have yet to lie to you." Kaina immediately replied as a growing sense of concern filled her gut. "And I don't intend to start now."
"Good." Nezu's paw stopped tapping as he fixed his beady eyes onto her face. "Are you going to be involved in her life after you rescue her?"
Kaina didn't even hesitate. "Yes."
A hint of satisfaction flashed behind Nezu's eyes before it was replaced by calculation once more. "Are you going to tell her the truth? Tell her why you weren't around?"
Shit… Kaina felt herself hesitate for a second before she slowly shook her head, her eyes moving away from Nezu's and looking toward the ground, before answering with a quiet. "No."
Her answer given, a tense quiet dominated the office as Nezu continued to look at her while she avoided looking at him. The moment stretched on until finally Kaina's nerves gave out and she looked up to see Nezu giving her a sad smile.
"Thank you for your honesty." Nezu said, breaking the moment before he took a sip of his saké and let out a soft sigh. "But that's not going to work."
Nezu set his cup down and folded his paws in front of himself once more. "I may not be fully versed in human emotion, and I'm far from being as well trained as Ryo, but I feel I have some knowledge on the subject." He opened his paws toward Kaina. "If this is going to work she is going to need the truth." He paused as he watched Kaina's eyes widen. "The whole truth."
"But she'll be disgusted with me." Kaina couldn't stop the panic that laced her voice. "Gentle says that she thinks I'm a hero and if I tell her what I've done…"
"She will judge you and draw her own conclusions instead of believing whatever honeyed lies she was told before." Nezu gently finished for her. "I don't ask you to do this for no reason. She needs to know the truth so that she can grow into her own instead of chasing the shadow of a woman that never existed."
"And if she hates me?" Kaina whispered as she stared at her hands, hands she knew were drenched in blood. "What if she can't stand to look at me? I'll be getting my little girl back only to lose her again."
"Then unlike the past you can still look out for her from the shadows." Nezu replied as he continued to stare at Kaina, watching her rapidly approaching breakdown. "Kaina, one last question."
"Another?" Kaina bitterly replied.
"Yes, another." Nezu ignored her tone as he pressed on. "How many people know your whole story?"
Despite the urge to snap at Nezu once more, Kaina paused as she contemplated her answer. "Roughly twenty."
Nezu nodded. "And how many of those twenty hate you?"
"A-" Kaina cut herself off as she quickly ran through her interactions with the teaching staff, her meetings with Nezu and her conversations with the Gentle Court. Slowly a realization dawned on her, a spear of hope that pierced through the fog of sorrow that had started to cloud her heart.
"None…"
"Then how could your daughter be one of them?" Nezu concluded as he smiled across at her. "She might not like you, she might be mad but I don't think she will hate you." Standing, Nezu moved to open the door. "Make your plans, rescue your daughter, tell her the truth and I promise that U.A. will be waiting with open arms to accept her."
Standing as well, Kaina moved toward the exit before looking down at Nezu. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me." Nezu smirked. "I'm a jealous dean. I want all of the best heroes for myself and if your daughter is even half the woman you are then how could I possibly let another train her."
Caught off guard, a laugh escaped Kaina as she walked out of Nezu's office, a smile slowly forming as she got further away.
Hold on Akina. I'm coming.
++++++++++++++++++++
"I need a drink or a nap." Ryo let out a tired sigh as he sat back in his chair. "Or both." Looking down he quickly consulted his schedule. "Hmm I do have time…" His hand began to wander toward the bottom drawer at his desk while his eyes drifted toward the couch. Decisions, decisions.
Knock knock knock.
A frustrated sigh escaped Ryo before he shook his head ruefully. "You know that's probably for the best." Refocusing, Ryo turned toward the door. "Come in."
The door swung open to reveal a familiar green haired man, causing Ryo to smile.
"Ah Midoriya." Ryo's smile faltered slightly as he took in Izuku's demeanor. "I take it this isn't a social visit."
Izuku let out a soft laugh in response. "No. Do you have time to talk?"
"I do." Ryo answered as he motioned toward the seat across from him. "Would you care to speak here or did you want to use the couch?"
"Here is fine." Izuku muttered as pulled out the chair and sat down.
Ryo waited a moment before folding his hands on the desk and addressing Izuku. "What's on your mind?"
"Everything." Izuku immediately replied as he stared at his own hands folded in his lap. "There's just so much going on…"
"Then let's start with one topic and then go from there?" Ryo offered as he watched the young man in front of him wage whatever internal debate he was having.
There was an uneasy silence between them before in a voice no louder than a whisper Izuku spoke. "Bakugo is missing."
Despite having known the younger man for some time, Ryo was still caught off guard by Izuku's choice of topic to start their conversation. "Is he?"
"Yes. Auntie Mitsuki she…" Izuku looked up and off into the distance. "...she came over to apologize in person for how Bakugo acted. Mom wanted to throw her out but…" He paused once more. "...I was glad she came over. Her and mom were always close and it was like a long lost family member coming home."
"And what else did she say?" Ryo prompted, his eyes watching Izuku's every movement.
"She said that Bakugo never came home after the festival last week. Apparently Nezu caught him willingly leaving with someone on camera but other than that nobody really knows where he's at." Izuku let out a sigh as he shook his head. "I know I shouldn't care but I just…"
"You just keep wondering if he's alright." Ryo concluded. "Izuku, you thought that this man was your friend for years. It's only natural for you to worry about him, despite everything he's done."
"I guess." Izuku's shoulders slumped even further as he let out a sigh. "I guess I'm mostly thinking about him today because of what I was told earlier."
Ryo's eyebrows rose as he stared at his student, waiting for him to elaborate. He didn't have to wait long.
"Nezu and I went through my internship offers this morning." Izuku looked up at Ryo, a mixture of hope and hurt flooding his eyes. "I'm going to be a hero?"
"Are you?" Ryo gently asked as he stared back. "The dean told me of his plan to offer you the dual track but it is still your choice to make." He made sure to maintain eye contact with Izuku. "We've talked at length about accepting who you are and how it's not just ok but expected for goals to change. Is being a hero still something you want? Not what Nezu, Uraraka, your parents or myself want but is it what you want to do?"
"I-I don't know." Izuku answered after a long moment of contemplation. "I shifted to analytics because it was a way for me to help heroes help people and it was something I was good at." He ran a hand down his face. "I just never thought that something like this would happen. I mean who's ever heard of a Quirkless hero!"
"Nobody." Ryo's reply was blunt but his tone was soft. "But that doesn't mean there could never be one." He let out a noncommittal hum as he continued to carefully watch Izuku. "And there might never be given the Izanagi System that they revealed last weekend."
Izuku couldn't help but wince at the name of the project that hadn't left the back of his mind for the last twenty-four hours. A reaction that Ryo did not miss.
"I take it you have thoughts about something like that?"
"I don't trust it." Izuku whispered. "I… something like that shouldn't have been possible to keep secret like this." And All for One must be involved.
"So then you won't be signing up?" Ryo asked in a noncommittal voice. "I read that Quirkless people would be given access without cost."
Izuku was already shaking his head before Ryo finished. "It's not worth the risk." He took a deep breath, centering himself. "I've accepted that I'm Quirkless and I want to show the world what I can do."
"And what can you do?" Ryo prompted, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Izuku's eyes focused and hardened as he began to nod to himself, his confidence clearly growing with each passing moment. "I can be a hero." He paused. "No, I want to be a hero. I'll still work on analysis but I can be in the field helping people." A fire burned in his emerald eyes as he stared at Ryo.
"So then what are you going to do?" Ryo asked for the final time, finally allowing his pride-filled smile to break though.
"I'm going to accept Miruko's offer and take it one step at a time from there." Izuku boldly proclaimed as he gave Ryo a smile of his own. "Thank you for letting me talk it out sensei."
"Of cour-" Ryo stopped as he finally processed what Izuku had just said. "Wait did you say Miruko?"
++++++++++++++++++++
The sound of heels clicking on tile echoed down the hall as Rikiya led his companions through their newest building. "Report."
"Our signup list has already reached ten thousand individuals." Chitose replied as she scrolled through her phone. "The site managed to only crash once after the announcement was made. I have media pushing this story for the next week but after that I suggest we allow it to cool down until we are actually launching."
"Done." Rikiya turned to his right to look at Sanctum. "Anything we need to add from the tactical side of this effort?"
Sanctum nodded. "We have multiple groups ranging from rights activists to scientists asking to inspect the device. Our biggest push is coming from within the HPSC itself though it appears to not be from the president nor our people."
"If only the purge timetable could be pushed." Rikiya muttered before holding up a hand to stop any comments from his subordinates. "Wishful thinking not an actual order. We need to do this right and the progress we've made has been undetected so far." He looked past Sanctum and toward Tomoyasu. "Do we have our plans in place for when someone inevitably comes for an inspection?"
"The final pieces are being laid down as we speak." Tomoyasu answered as he typed away at his ever present laptop. "Some things won't hold up no matter what we do but claiming proprietary information will save us in that regard."
"Good." Rikya turned toward the windows that overlooked the Meta ability transfer chambers before continuing on into the small office off to the side. "We need the world to see that the Izanagi System works. Curious, plan an open media event to take place in three weeks. I want people to be present when the transfer is performed and to record the whole event."
"Yes sir." Chitose quickly began to send a flurry of messages as she continued to follow Rikiya.
Having entered the office, Rikiya led the group to the back wall before locating what appeared to be a small blemish in the fresh coat of paint. There was a brief flash of light as he pressed his thumb into it before the wall retracted, revealing a set of metal elevator doors that opened the instant they were revealed.
Entering first, Rikiya stood in the middle of the elevator, forcing his subordinates to make their way around him as they filed in. The room shuttered slightly as the doors slammed closed while at the same time a series of bright lights illuminated the compartment, scanning its occupants. There was a satisfied beep before the elevator began to descend.
Silence filled the small space until the car settled and the doors opened once more. Exiting, Rikiya continued to look forward as he resumed speaking once more. "Sanctum do we still have the failures?"
"We do." Sanctum raised an eyebrow at the Grand Commander as he followed dutifully after him. "Both our own and those we retrieved from the Demon. May I ask why you are asking?"
"Because the world has been too quiet recently." Rikiya let out a thoughtful hum. "We need to push for the widespread usage of Meta abilities and for that we need a catalyst. I was thinking we can use the failures as that catalyst."
Sanctum nodded along in understanding. "I see. Where shall we set up this catalyst?"
"How long will it take to have them moved to attack site alpha?"
Sanctum paused as he ran through the numbers before nodding to himself. "Two weeks. Everything could be in place by next Friday."
"That would give us time to get our people out of the way." Tomoyasu opened a new screen on his laptop and began to type. "It's also a week after our university has their internship week.
"And overlaps with multiple of our rivals." Chitose added, a predatory grin splitting her features. "Think of the headlines if we catch any of their students in this."
"That is one benefit." Rikiya smiled as the elevator came to a stop. "Another is that if we don't remove our people and simply move them to the edges they can be seen as the true heroes when they come in and save the day."
"Do we trust them?" Tomoyasu asked as the group came to a stop at yet another door. "We can't tell them about this."
"We position all of those we can trust on site and move the rest before we tell them that there is an attack coming and to be ready." Sanctum countered as he stood to Rikiya's right.
"Then that is what we will do." Rikiya nodded as he opened the door in front of them, a triumphant grin forming as he took in the sight before him. "Make sure they are all in position and let me know. For now let's focus on making sure that Izanagi is ready for its grand debut."
The echoes of 'yes sir' rebounded around the two story underground chamber only to be absorbed by the monster made real at its center. Forced into a drug induced slumber, the four meter tall Nomu stood waiting, its hands fused to two large glass tubes that protruded from the ceiling.