Nemuri's Apartment - Tokyo -
Nemuri sat in front of her television nursing her second cup of coffee, still processing everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.
And now, unable to sleep, she'd switched to international news, specifically Gotham coverage, that perpetual car crash of a city that she couldn't stop watching because her son lived there.
The morning Gotham news anchor appeared on screen, a tired-looking woman who'd clearly been reporting on urban warfare for years and had developed the professionally detached tone of someone who'd seen too much suffering.
"—continued chaos throughout Gotham last night while the world watched All Might's battle in Japan. Multiple incidents across the city including an attack in the upper east side attributed to Two Face and a Daggett industries facility siege by Bane's militia though chairman Roland Daggett is unwilling to discuss what was stolen—"
Nemuri leaned forward, her attention sharpening.
"—However we will now shift to Arkham Asylum, once considered the most secure psychiatric facility and villain containment center in the world, now operates as what critics are calling a 'revolving door' for Gotham's most dangerous criminals.
Its Current high-security population includes:
Edward Nygma, the Riddler
Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter
Bridgette Pike, also known as Firefly
Floyd Lawton, Deadshot
New arrivals this week include Mathilda Mathis, calling herself Dollhouse, daughter of the recently killed Dollmaker at the hands of the vigilante red hood. She was captured attempting to continue her father's work sewing masks onto kidnapped victims then killing them to make "art".
A man the GCPD knows only as Gentleman Ghost—real name unknown, captured after a series of high-society robberies his origins are unknown even to him if he is to be believed.
Victor Zsasz—the serial killer and suspected Falcone hitman presumed to be killed by the vigilante Red Hood after a violent confrontation in the Narrows was found by officers on the brink of death but alive and now in Arkham.
Livewire, real identity unknown—captured by Batman after electrocuting 80 civilians to death in a downtown plaza.
Jane Doe, the shapeshifter with no confirmed identity—captured alongside Thomas Elliot, also known as Hush, following their failed kidnapping attempt of a POLAR board member led to the chaos a couple days ago near the airport.
Julian Gregory Day, the Calendar Man, and his accomplice the Ventriloquist—both captured by Nightwing in what police described as an "easily predictable" attack that failed spectacularly.
And Alberto Falcone, disowned son of crime boss Carmine Falcone, arrested for the brutal assault of a woman in the Financial District. Notably, the Falcone crime family has offered no legal support or bail, suggesting Alberto's permanent exile from the organization."
The screen showed mugshots of each villain, a parade of the damaged, the dangerous, the criminally insane.
"However," the anchor continued, her tone shifting to something more grim, "Gotham's most dangerous villains remain at large. The Joker continues his reign of chaos. Two-Face continues to be elusive. Mr. Freeze has ramped up his activity suggesting a change or plan we cannot guess. Bane's militia grows stronger daily, and the three major crime families the Falcones, the Maronis, and Rupert Thorne's organization continue their rule of our city without significant law enforcement interference, and experts predict a potential mafia war is coming as Falcone and Maroni seem to be at odds and rumors of the mysterious Cranes Wings keep growing
"Additionally, independent villians like the elusive Catwoman and countless street gangs contribute to Gotham's staggering statistics: an average of twenty-five homicides per day, hundreds of violent crimes, and uncountable robberies, drug offenses, and assaults. GCPD Commissioner Gordan stated in a press conference yesterday that the department is 'doing everything possible with limited resources' but declined to provide specifics on strategy or—"
Nemuri's encrypted phone buzzed.
Her heart jumped
Suguro
She grabbed the device immediately, leaving her regular coffee cup on the table as she moved to her bedroom.
The message was simple: Are you available to talk?
She typed back: Yes. Call whenever you want.
The phone rang seconds later,
She answered immediately. "Suguro?"
"Mother." His voice came through clearly, that same flat analytical tone she'd heard in Gotham. "I wanted to check on your situation, I saw the news coverage of All Might's battle, that was your Symbol of Peace, correct?"
"Yes," Nemuri said, moving to sit on her bed. "He won, but... he's effectively retired. His body can't sustain hero work anymore, it's going to change everything here."
"Your country's hero society was built around a single symbolic figure, then everyone discovered that the Symbol of Peace was mortal like them." Suguro paused, "I wonder if you will become like Gotham?"
"Speaking of… how are things there?" Nemuri asked "In Gotham? I saw the news mentioning continued chaos—"
Suguro cut her off. "Chaos is our standard. But actually, I wanted to tell you that I think it was fortunate you left when you did. The city's been particularly unstable this week."
"I'm just glad you're safe. Are you being careful?" she sounded concerned
"Always" he answered then asked her "What about your school? The news mentioned a kidnapped student was the reason for that huge fight. That was resolved?"
"Yes. Katsuki Bakugo was recovered safely, unfortunately the League of Villains escaped and is now Japan's number one priority, but we don't know where they're hiding."
"League of Villains," Suguro repeated thoughtfully "The organization led by the man All Might defeated? Interesting that the subordinates escaped while the leader was captured; most villains here would just leave them for dead or worse."
"You sound like you're analyzing them," Nemuri observed.
In the background of Suguro's call, she heard a woman's voice yelling something
"I recognize that voice," Nemuri said. "Is that Ivy?"
"Yes," Suguro confirmed, sounding slightly exasperated. "She's upset about something. I should go, something's just come up that requires my attention."
"I understand," Nemuri said, trying to keep disappointment out of her voice. "Stay safe, okay?"
"You too…" he awkwardly answered
Nemuri said softly. "I'm here whenever you want to talk."
"Goodbye"
The call ended and she returned to the living room, intending to turn off the news and start getting ready for the day.
The Gotham coverage was still playing:
"—more information is emerging about the organization called Crane's Wings, led by a mysterious figure whose name and face remain unknown despite increasing activity throughout the South Narrows. GCPD sources suggest—"
Nemuri turned off the TV, she had work to do. The Provisional Hero License Exam was today, and she was scheduled to observe alongside Aizawa and Cementoss.
Crane's Wings Underground Facility - Main Planning Room - Wednesday Evening
The planning room was full with every major member of Crane's Wings present either physically or via video link.
Suguro sat at the head of the table, the clear boss all respected.
Ivy was in her chair with vines wrapped around the armrests, Jaina's primary form with several duplicates stationed around the room, William via video link from his surgical suite (still wearing that sinister mask), Basil in his current nondescript form, Langstrom with wings folded, Cameron sitting at attention, Silver leaning against the wall, Waylon hunched to fit in the space, Grundy standing in his usual corner, and Roman Sionis with his permanently affixed black mask.
"Thank you all for coming," Suguro began "we have several updates and new assignments to discuss."
He pulled up a tactical map on the main screen, a satellite image of a heavily fortified island off the South Carolina coast.
"First: a joint operation with Bane's militia our Target is a LexCorp weapons research facility on this island. Bane has requested support for his ground assault team. In exchange, we receive the chemical weapons that are in the facility. He keeps everything else."
Langstrom leaned forward,
"How's the security?"
"Heavy," Suguro confirmed. "Private military contractors, automated defense systems, likely backup from LexCorp's superhuman security division if things go badly."
He gestured to Langstrom, Cameron, and Basil. "You three will be my representatives on this job. Langstrom for reconnaissance and coordination, Cameron for direct assault with his men, Basil for infiltration, you'll transform into a LexCorp security guard Bane has captive right now and do anything you can to sabotage the place before the assult"
"When are we going?" Cameron asked, clearly excited.
"Tonight, your departure is in three hours. Bane's militia is already positioning near the target. You need to be ready for when it happens in a few days."
"Additionally after mulling it over," Suguro continued, "Waylon you will accompany Bane's frontal assault team."
Waylon grinned, showing all his crocodile teeth. "Been wanting to test myself , this'll be fun."
"I am placing Cameron in charge of this team now moving on,"
Suguro shifted the screen to show a different map, Gotham's west side, specifically Rupert Thorne's territory.
"Second assignment: Rupert Thorne's organization. They control significant territory in the west side and are the weakest of the 3 families right now, Roman you'll lead a team to offer Thorne a choice: submit to Crane's Wings under favorable terms, or be eliminated in the worst ways imaginable."
Roman smiled behind his mask. "Never liked Thorne, whatever the outcome, this'll be satisfying."
"Silver will accompany you," Suguro added.
Silver straightened, clearly relieved to be assigned somewhere other than William's surgical dungeon of horrors. "Understood."
"And Grundy will go with you as well," Suguro said, gesturing to the massive grey figure.
"you are dismissed"
Most of the group began filing out once only the core leadership remained, William via video, Ivy, and Jaina, Suguro's expression became more serious.
"There are additional matters to discuss," he said.
William spoke up "The Japanese contact?"
"No communication," Suguro confirmed. "I have a suspicion that the villain All Might defeated, was almost certainly the 'Master' that Dr. Garaki works for but either way we haven't heard from him for an extended period. Their organization is either defeated or in hiding."
William sighed, his manic energy deflating slightly. "Shame. That Nomu research was fascinating, I was hoping to acquire one."
"If they do eventually make contact, we'll revisit the idea," Suguro said. "But for now, consider the Japanese connection on ice."
"Second matter," Suguro continued, pulling up a different display, a network diagram showing various Gotham villain organizations and their interconnections. "I'll be meeting with several of Gotham's major villain faction leaders over the coming weeks. Joker, Two-Face, Freeze, possibly Bane if this joint operation goes well. These will be preliminary discussions to begin laying groundwork for the larger plan."
"Your grand unification scheme right?" William said, his tone carrying amusement. "Bringing all of Gotham's villains under coordinated leadership, ambitious but probably impossible. Definitely gonna be entertaining to watch you try."
"It's a long-term goal and I know how it sounds," Suguro acknowledged.
Jaina pulled up additional data on her tablet. "Third matter: after observing the League of Villains in Japan, specifically their use of a teleportation/warp villain called Kurogiri, I've been researching whether similar capabilities exist in Gotham."
"And?" Ivy asked.
"No confirmed teleportation Quirks in Gotham's known villain population," Jaina replied. "I've searched databases, criminal records, rumored abilities but cant find anything"
William's video feed showed him leaning forward with interest. "What about creating one? We have significant human modification capabilities between my surgical expertise and your research, If we can't find a natural teleporter, we could attempt to create one with the right genetic material..."
Jaina rolled her eyes at being interrupted. "I was getting to that. I'm currently searching for potential candidates across the country, children whose abilities might be developing and would be easy targets, the black market may have something."
"Prioritize that," Suguro said. "Keep me updated on any promising leads."
"Will do," Jaina confirmed, making notes on her tablet.
Suguro pressed a button on the control panel, and the main screen shifted to show an incoming secure video call.
"Our final matter," he said. "We have a contact who requested to speak with me."
The call connected, and the screen showed a man in his sixties with glasses, professionally dressed, standing in what appeared to be an office with institutional white walls behind him.
Ivy's eyebrows rose, William let out a low whistle, Jaina sat forward with intense interest.
"Dr. Hugo Strange,"
"Thank you for accepting my invitation. I've been following your organization's development with great interest."
Dr. Strange adjusted his glasses, his voice carrying a smooth, almost eager tone. "Your work is impressive, especially your quirk and those human-drones you and William have perfected. I've been pursuing similar experimental projects on Arkham's lowest and forgotten inmates"
William's masked face filled the video screen. "So the rumors are true, there really is a secret experimental wing hidden inside Arkham Asylum."
"Officially," Strange replied, "Arkham exists to contain and rehabilitate Gotham's most dangerous individuals and the criminally insane. Unofficially… it provides unique opportunities for my personal work that would never be permitted anywhere else, and things that might interest like-minded collaborators."
Suguro leaned forward slightly. "We're interested. However, timing will be critical If things go according to plan long term, we should be ready for direct collaboration by—"
He let the sentence hang deliberately, offering no specific date.
Strange's smile deepened, clearly understanding the unspoken message.
"I understand perfectly," Strange said. "When you're ready to discuss specifics, my door is open, in the meantime, consider Arkham as a second home if anyone happens to end up here. My loyalty, personal expertise, and my creations, are yours when the day comes."
"We'll be in touch,"
"Thank you for your time, Doctor."
"The pleasure was mine, Crane. I look forward to working with you."
The call ended with a soft click, leaving Suguro, Ivy, Jaina, and William's now-dark screen alone in the dimly lit planning room.
"Arkham's director on our side…" Jaina said, sounding both impressed and disturbed.
"You're dismissed," Suguro said, his tone signaling the meeting was over.
William's feed cut out immediately. Jaina stood, gathering her tablet. "I'll return to the command center."
She left, her duplicates dissolving into fine white powder as they followed her out, spreading throughout the base like silent ghosts.
Only Ivy remained.
She studied him with those unnervingly bright green eyes for a long moment before standing. Vines uncoiled from the armrests as she extended a hand wrapped in delicate green tendrils.
"Come with me."
"Where?" Suguro asked.
"The surface, I want to show you something."
They rode the elevator up through the layers of the abandoned apartment building that served as the primary access point to their underground facility, then climbed several more flights of stairs until they reached the roof.
The South Narrows stretched out before them, Gotham's decaying sprawl bleeding into the horizon under a rare patch of a weak sunset. Ivy led him to the edge, her bare feet silent on the concrete.
"Do you remember," she said softly, 'that night we killed the Southside Defenders?"
"Of course."
"Do you remember the yellow energy you manifested?"
Suguro was quiet. He remembered it vividly — the glowing yellow-orange barrier that had stopped Sparks lightning attack when nothing else could have. He had tried to recreate it dozens of times since that night.
And failed every single time.
"I remember," he said finally. "But I haven't been able to manifest it again. Whatever that was… it hasn't returned."
"Try now," she said. "With me."
Suguro exhaled. "What then why are we up here right–"
Ivy stepped backward onto the narrow ledge of the roof, balancing effortlessly on the edge. The wind tugged at her red hair as she looked down at the long drop to the alley far below.
Before Suguro could react, Ivy leaned back and let herself fall.
For one frozen second, time seemed to stop.
Suguro's heart lurched violently in his chest and felt something…
Fear, the fear of losing someone he cared about again
Just like the Webbs…
His hands shot forward instinctively.
A surge of yellow energy exploded from his palms, brighter and more intense than before. It coalesced almost instantly into the shape of a massive, glowing hand — translucent yet solid, radiating yellow-orange light. The construct shot over the edge, wrapped gently but firmly around Ivy's falling body, and lifted her back onto the roof in one smooth motion.
The moment her feet touched concrete again, the yellow energy flickered and dissipated, leaving only faint sparks dancing across Suguro's fingers.
Ivy stood there unharmed, smiling with genuine satisfaction.
Suguro stared at his hands, breathing harder than usual, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and dawning realization.
Ivy stepped closer, her vines once again curling affectionately around his torso.
"Your Quirk has always been more than just fear toxin, your power is fear itself and right now, in this moment, you were terrified of losing me you used that fear and became more powerful."
Suguro looked down at his hands again. The yellow energy refused to return when he tried to summon it deliberately. It slipped away like smoke every time he reached for itl.
But the memory of that desperate surge still lingered and some sparks manifested.
"This… changes things," he said slowly realizing he had much training to do
Ivy's smile widened, bright green eyes gleaming.