It was a Saturday, the fifth Saturday since the auctions began on the website.
There was one offer per week, and the information provided was always a surprise. No one could predict what would be offered next.
The blueprints for the new quirk-inhibiting handcuff system.
Lists, ranks, and information on secret members of small gangs of villains.
The plans for the next robbery of one of the three national banks, without specifying which one until after the purchase.
And on this occasion, the location of nine safe houses was being auctioned: three belonging to villains, three to heroes, and three to vigilantes.
The bidding bubbles inflated more and more as time passed. The reason for multiple participants was obvious, given that all three sides of the conflict were involved. Time was running out, and the bids were exceeding the green-haired man's expectations.
Desperation was evident among several, as was the surrender of others who stopped bidding after failed attempts.
No one was safe. Everyone could be affected by the outcome, and the result could change too many things.
It was clear that much of the information being auctioned had been obtained through previous exchanges, where the information itself had become the currency. What began as a form of exchange with no apparent monetary contribution was transforming into a weapon against everyone, generating distrust among the groups.
Who revealed the information?
Who gave more?
Why did they have to reveal that?
Who betrayed them?
Was it one person or several? Did they all lose
without knowing it? Will I have enough money?
Who else is participating? Will I have to change
my plans if I lose?
What if what I revealed last time affects me in the next auction? Is it
really a good idea to take the risk now, or should I play it safe? What
will the next bid be?
Will I be in danger next week?
These were some of the many questions users asked themselves when a new auction opened. No one could predict what the next "product" would be.Heroes, villains, vigilantes, journalists, fans and civilians; all attentive to the following Saturday, watching as the bubbles burst and declared a winner: the one who had been the highest bidder of the week, just before a new countdown was activated.
It was a sight to behold.
When the final bid of ¥3,924,000 appeared, the auction closed as time ran out and a new winner was declared. Izuku was more than ready to agree to the terms and conditions of his final sale.
On the other hand…
— That was close. Does he know how many people he endangered with that information?
— Aizawa exclaimed, seeing that they had won this price battle as they began preparing the protocol. The victory message flashed on his screen.
— I don't think he cares. That's the problem with this site: it has no limits or regard for those affected by the information it provides and collects.
— Tsukauchi opined.
"Well, there's a reason I recommended this funding system, as well as planning when to bid," Nezu remarked. "If the recent auctions have taught us anything, it's that any information can be useful to all parties involved... though more so to some than others."
While he was talking, Nezu was preparing his secondary program at the same time as he started the chat with the informant.
[Congratulations on winning the fifth auction.]
[It was an interesting competition, but that was to be expected with such a spectacular prize.]
[If it's not interesting, there's no business.]
[Although there will likely be a lot of activity: heroes extracting witnesses, villains leaving the scene, and vigilantes mobilizing if those houses were indeed being used.]
[It seems you don't want to say which side you're on or who won this interesting information. Well, it doesn't matter at this point. You're the winner, and only you will know what to do with it.]
[As you say, there will be a lot of movement.]Ready to make the payment?
— I can't believe we're going to pay that money.
For Aizawa, it seemed illogical to accept the terms of someone who was, in a way, extorting them with money, especially such large sums. Although, deep down, he had to admit that he hadn't yet found any alternative that didn't involve sacrificing information for information… and even less so when it came to an auction.
— It was inevitable. We still haven't figured it out."nobody-secret"He's been more than clear about his terms from the start: no payment, no information. And it's best not to appeal to his bad side—the rodent indicated, as he activated the program he had designed for this situation after a long time, hoping it could overcome his adversary's defenses.
"What bad side? It doesn't seem to have sides or loyalties," the detective complained; the auction system seemed to confirm that idea.
— And that's what makes it fascinating.
The rodent wanted to meet this person and learn their story. It wanted to understand how they had reached this point of indifference, to understand what made them take no sides.
[Yes, I'm ready.]
That answer, though simple and direct, didn't satisfy Nedzu. They'd already had several negotiations and interactions, but he enjoyed the chaos… and he didn't want to miss this opportunity.
[I'm just wondering... when will you start accepting cash payments?]
[I mean, at some point they'll trace digital payments and be able to track you down. Isn't paper money more sensible?]
[And leave me exposed? No, thank you. Those kinds of expeditions aren't very pleasant.]
Without realizing it, Izuku had revealed some information, however insignificant it seemed. Nedzu wasn't entirely sure, but the last message aroused his suspicion.
He quickly took a screenshot to analyze it later.
After a long time… I had seen a small slip-up.
Something that could explode in the future.
[I understand. You prefer the security of anonymity on the other side of a screen, and digital money. With your computer skills, that gives you the control that characterizes you so much.]
[It's easier.]
[There's a way I can clean it up and avoid bills marked as ambushes. I know my work harms too many people who would give anything to stop me at any cost.]
"It seems he's more aware of his actions," the dark-haired man commented, looking at the message and recalling the conversation they had had a few minutes earlier.
"Is that good or bad for us?" the detective asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.
"Does it really matter?" Nedzu asked the air.
They could continue speculating: about his identity, his values, his convictions, his loyalties or his motivations… but they would get nowhere without meeting him in person.
[One way or the other.]
[You've had your fun killing time, and your program is just steps away from catching up with me right now. I must admit your moves have improved… which complicates things a bit, Mr. Director.]
[The tape is nice, but it doesn't protect them from all cameras.]
The words made the three of them turn their gaze back to the screen. Before them appeared an image they had seen before: a photograph taken from a high angle of a corner of the room.
A photo taken… from the security camera.
The three of them were in it.
[Even so, I am a businessman.]
[They already made an offer and I accepted it. And as you rightly said to your colleagues: money = information.]
[You pay up or I'll give it to second place.]
[Their time runs out faster than mine. I expect payment in less than an hour.]
[If not… you know. You lose this time.][And don't worry, I don't plan to ban them from the auctions... yet.]
[Everyone deserves opportunities, as I've said before.]
Removing players would be detrimental to my business.
With that, a timer appeared in the chat room displaying the stipulated time, thus marking the deadline for making the payment. At the same time, Nedzu's program stopped after receiving an interruption in its own tracking, leaving only a partial address that didn't reveal much.
"Well, it's time to pay up. We can't lose those still-unknown locations," the rodent clapped his hands as he made the declaration, preparing the agreed-upon payment. At the same time, he activated the digital tracking system, hoping the trail would bear fruit and wouldn't be purged or wiped out the moment it reached the destination account.
"Were you able to locate him?" the detective asked. He knew it wasn't very likely if what he'd seen on the computer was true, but he still wanted to hold out hope.
"That's the thing. He won't be there when we get there, no matter how close we are. I have to give him credit for his 'tape'; we don't even know what he looks like. We could have him right in front of us and not know who he is," he explained, revealing one of the biggest unknowns they faced.
"So, how's the scheduling going?" Aizawa changed the subject, trying to pick up a line of inquiry they had already been pursuing.
"Better. It seems he has a fairly fixed schedule, related to work hours... or school hours," Nedzu indicated, showing a table and graph on the screen that marked the times of greatest activity. "Which tells us that this is something secondary and not his main occupation... or that he tries to maintain a civilian life as much as possible."
— Well, that doesn't leave us much room to maneuver. It seems we're still at a standstill.
"I don't think so," replied the rodent. "Because he made a mistake today."
That statement immediately caught the attention of both humans in the room.
"And what would that be?" Aizawa asked, searching the monitor for the supposed error but unable to find it.— That at one point he revealed that he has gone out to carry out foreign transactions… and that he is willing to do so.
Having said that, he zoomed in on the captured image of the text where that statement appeared.
— That's quite a surprise —remarked the underground hero.
— A very pleasant one — added the detective.
Meanwhile, Izuku was dying inside.
He watched as the money finally arrived in the account without too many problems, nothing he couldn't resolve during the digital cleanup process.
That meant he had to fulfill his part of the deal.
And since the payment had been made in full, he wouldn't use half-information tricks or partially encrypted files.
However, he felt like a winner for having avoided an external transaction on this occasion.
She was fully aware that this couldn't last forever. More and more buyers were demanding these kinds of exchanges: face-to-face meetings, physical locations to drop off the money, or even cards with the payment amount.
Anything that would force him out of his digital hiding place.
She still remembered the mixture of excitement and panic she had felt during that first foreign transaction. Thinking about all the things that could have gone wrong still made her shudder.
Even though everything had turned out well in the end…
His mind couldn't stop imagining the possible disasters that could have occurred.
"I can still keep up," he told himself as he turned off the monitor in the new internet café. He hadn't felt safe at all in the old one after giving himself that one hour limit, especially after sensing the threat of being tracked. "I just need to improve."
He still couldn't say what on earth had possessed him to accept those negotiations.
Somehow he knew that being behind a screen gave him a sense of security and courage he wouldn't normally have, making himHe was more daring than usual. But he was also aware that this side of him could get him into trouble.
Like the ones he had almost had to face while fighting Nedzu's new tracking program, all while negotiating with him and trying to intimidate him.
Yes… he definitely hadn't been in his right mind.
But he loved the feeling of power, of being in control of the situation.
That's why she had been consistently rejecting requests for off-site meetings.
Unfortunately for her, after that first in-person transaction, the rumor had spread like wildfire within a certain group, and more and more people were demanding the same exchange system. For the past month, she had had to dodge those requests time and time again.
Even so, he could clearly see that it wouldn't last too long, as much as he would have liked it to.
Deep down, he knew he had to find a new system, a better one than the one he'd improvised the first time. The chances of something going wrong were too many: villains, heroes, vigilantes… too many people could use a hybrid system to ambush him when he least expected it.
I had been lucky last time.
And I knew it.
He also couldn't deny that cash had its advantages. It would allow him to make certain transactions that he couldn't make with the money kept in his secret account.
At one point he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his reflection in the window of an ordinary shop.
He carefully examined his latest disguise.
The makeup didn't quite cover the dark circles under her eyes from sleepless nights. The blonde wig was askew after her last escape, and the reptile-colored contact lenses gave her an odd appearance. The small silicone fang completed the look, to the point that anyone might think she possessed some kind of animalistic trait.
At that thought, he laughed.
Dressing up allowed him to experience possibilities beyond Izuku Midoriya, and it was something he genuinely enjoyed doing. That's why his collection of smallHer costumes grew with each outing, as did her skills in applying makeup, using prosthetics in a short time, or modifying her appearance with simple details in her clothing.
"It's an incredible power," he murmured as he took out a candy and chewed it slowly.
As he walked, he began to mutter quietly to himself.
— How many things can be done with skill alone?
Now that I think about it, many.
There might be quirks that excelled in certain areas, but hard work still mattered.
And, when used correctly, it could even overcome a quirk.
If that was the case…
He needed to find ways to improve himself even further.
His intelligence was already a weapon. His analyses allowed him to manipulate information and bring many people under his control. But physically he was far below average, something that the altercations he suffered at school made quite clear.
And it wasn't as if he could return the blows without attracting attention.
Even less so now that they were one step away from entering other schools.
At that moment, she noticed her thin arms beneath the turtleneck sweater she was wearing. She thought about the bruises and marks hidden under the fabric.
He shook his head.
He continued walking until he reached the station and paid for his transport.
"Yes... I think I need to improve that too," she murmured. "What else can I improve about myself?"
Suddenly he stopped.
That pause caused him to miss the train that had just arrived at the platform, forcing him to wait for the next one. But at that moment, he cared very little about that.
A clear resolution had just formed in his mind.
— In the end… I have to keep evolving —she whispered.She looked towards the train tracks as the wind from the platform gently moved her wig.
— I can't stay stuck where I am.
Her eyes hardened slightly.
— I need to train… and improve.
Could you give me some power stones? :)
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