The truth is this; Mt. Lady, known as Takeyama Yuu to friends and family, had always wanted to be a hero. Her Quirk was somewhat unique, or well, there weren't any popular Pro Heroes with a gigantification Quirk anyway, but being able to turn into a giant was perfect for Hero work. No one could hurt her when she was that big, a gunshot would feel like a pinprick, and a stab would be like a scratch. Takeyama knew she had what it took, so she trained and eventually debuted with pride. She thought herself invincible when in her giant form, and that would be her downfall.
Yokohama, the city without Quirks, the city without heroes. Takeyama assumed the Villains there wouldn't pose a threat, not without a Quirk. She had been confident that she would be the one to get into that city and save the civilians from harm, she just wanted to be a Hero people could rely on when in trouble.
Unfortunately, she did not have the experience to question how an anonymous informant would get the information needed to get into Yokohama. She did not question why she of all people was the one to get that information.
-
In the days following Mt. Lady's death the story spread like wildfire, a young and arrogant hero broke into Yokohama and was ruthlessly killed for it. Some people were enraged, others thought she was too arrogant and was asking for it, the one thing everyone agreed on was that the boys responsible must be punished. The idea that two teenagers- children really- could kill someone with barely a glance at her shocked everyone who saw the live stream. Those who did watch the live stream were haunted by the casual attitude and bickering between the two murderers as Mt. Lady sat helpless and begging for help. The world agreed that those two boys must be brought to justice, not only for killing Mt. Lady but also for the horrific way they went about it.
With such a media outcry Pro Heroes all across Japan promised to lend their aid in capturing these boys, no matter how hard it may be. The most notable announcement is the one made by all three top Pro Heroes. No one had expected a joint conference to be held to address the issue, even less expected All Might, Endeavour, and Hawks to be hosting the conference.
-
Much like two days prior, a live stream began. This live stream however was a stream of the Top 3 conference and not a needless show of cruelty. The conference started with statements, each Pro getting a moment to personally address the issue.
Being the more sociable one Hawks begins his speech first, "Thank you all for attending today, I know everyone is in shock right now but I think it's important to address this as soon as possible. What happened was horrific, there's no way to dance around that, a Pro Hero was killed in a needless show of power. Mt. Lady was a good Hero and did not deserve to be hurt in such a way, to have her dreams crushed so soon. In light of this I, Hawks, promise I will not rest until those boys are brought to justice." Throughout his statement, Hawks' face is grim but determined, while he had never been too close to Mt. Lady he had run into her a few times. A bunch of Heroes had done things that could warrant such a death, but not her.
The reporters in the crowd shuffle in a way that screams they have questions but dutifully stay silent as Hawks sits down and Endeavour takes the main stage. Opinions are always mixed about the #2 Hero, some say he is too extreme and never seems to care what gets burned by his fire but even his worst critics know that the man would never let a villain get away if he could do something about it. When Endeavour speaks the masses know he would see it through to the very end, "For years I have strove to be the best Hero I can possibly be, to ignore such an affront to Hero society would be a failure in my books. We Pros will find these boys as soon as possible and I will personally see they are delivered the punishment deserved." A short statement but powerful nonetheless.
Once Endeavour sits down All Might stands, his usually smiling face replaced with one of seriousness. Everyone knows the #1 Hero is strong, but his kind appearance always comforted people, never once was the public reminded that his strength could cause them terrible pain if inflicted on them. With his face set like so the reporters present felt a tinge of fear down their spines. In a powerful voice, All Might speaks, "It is my duty as the #1 Pro Hero to protect everyone and that includes my fellow Heroes, I am ashamed that Mt. Lady had to suffer so much and I was none the wiser. My promise to you, the media, the public, Pro Heroes, and most importantly the family of Mt. Lady is this: if justice is not served by the month's end then I have no place being a Hero. I will not allow those boys to dance on Mt. Lady's memory."
The room remains silent for a moment, everyone shocked into silence by the sheer power and sincerity in All Might's voice. Such a declaration will cause chaos if not held up, but not a single person in that room doubted him. Those boys will be shown justice, now the only question that remains is how.
The first-hand raises, somewhat unsure if questions are being taken, and suddenly the room is in chaos. Reporters yell and stretch to be seen and have their questions answered, the three Heroes share a look before calling for quiet. Hawks, ever the extrovert, gestures to a raised hand in acknowledgement. The reporter stands and a microphone is passed along to her. Wasting no time she asks bluntly, "Yokohama is completely sealed off, how are the Pros planning to enter to find these boys?"
Hawks nods, "That's true, and frankly we're still unsure how Mt. Lady got in there in the first place. Rest assured, we are in contact with the Yokohaman government and if that fails well- I'm sure we can find a way through that barrier ourselves." The last part is spoken in a way that both comforts any worrying citizens and promises that there is no escape for the boys. The reporter nods and sits back down, seemingly happy with the answer. More hand raise and Hawks points out another.
The next reporter has the eyes of a snake and seems to overpronounce his 's' sounds. "Do the Pros know who these boys are yet?"
Endeavour scowls at this but allows Hawks to answer once again, "We know as much as you do, two boys named 'Chuuya' and 'Dazai' from Yokohama. Like I said we're waiting on news from the Yokohaman government, I'm sure they will be happy to provide information on these boys and possibly even hand them over to us."
The snake man seems to want to protest this but sits down with a slight nod. A third reporter is chosen, one who stands with confidence and looks each Pro Hero in the eye before speaking. "Those boys mentioned the Port Mafia, if they really are part of that organisation then what repercussions can we expect when the Pros retaliate against them?" A good question, too good almost. Everyone knows of Yokohama, nicknamed the Quirkless city, and with that, most know of the Port Mafia. To those uninformed that name is whispered in rumours, spoken with a mocking tone or used as a warning to young children. The Port Mafia is a point of interest but not a worry for the vast majority, not when its members are composed of Quirkless people. To those in the know, however, the name strikes fear into their hearts and demands both respect and obedience. If the killing of Mt. Lady was done by senseless new recruits then the Port Mafia would, theoretically, be more willing to give them up. If it was an order from the top then things get more complicated. How a reporter seems to know about the threat posed by this group, none of the three Heroes are sure.
All Might swiftly speaks before Hawks can formulate an answer, "The Port Mafia may be frightening to Yokohama citizens, but they do not scare me. There may be a chance of violence should the Port Mafia refuse to hand those boys over, but we Pro Heroes will continue forward until justice is given."
The reporter levels All Might with a serious look, one that seems to doubt his words for a moment. That moment passes and the reporter sighs but nods, seemingly knowing that the Pro Heroes will not be giving up the chase so easily.
The conference continues on in much the same way for a few hours, each question answered and everyone reassured that the Pro Heroes will find a way to punish those boys. While nothing could erase the horror felt by seeing that live stream many felt comforted by the dedication shown by the Pro Heroes, a hope soon began to grow that in a month's time, no one will have to worry about those boys running around any more.
-
"Hey Chuuya, who do you think is stronger, you or All Might?"
Chuuya looks up from his (Dazai's) paperwork and takes a moment to stare at his partner who has spread himself out across the floor, phone held precariously above his head. With a scoff he answers, "What type of question is that? Me obviously."
Dazai nods with a smirk, "Yea, I think so too."
-
Since starting UA high school the class of 1A has been put through more than they should have been. The attack on the USJ was their first encounter with real Villains that want them dead, each student had been left with nightmares from that day. Fighting for their lives, seeing Aizawa-sensei beaten and bloody by an enemy they have no chance of defeating- it was something that landed most of them in therapy. For some unlucky souls the horrors continued, three students then had to experience fighting the infamous Hero Killer. For Midoriya he will always remember being unable to move while Stain stalked closer to his friends, he will always remember the sheer fear Stain imposed just by speaking. The Villains seen by the public never gave off a paralysing terror simply by looking at someone, but Stain had that, the Nomu had that, and Shigaraki had that. Midoriya knows when a Villain is truly scary, he knows the signs and the feelings, he knows it. And yet, when he joined that live stream, a decision made out of curiosity and boredom, those two boys did not feel like that. No, they felt worse.
At first, he thought the stream was something innocent, then maybe a prank but when Mt. Lady began to beg for her life he knew it was all too real. She was scared, terrified and those boys were not playing around. Before the gun was even drawn Midoriya knew he should have turned it off, should have ran for Aizawa-sensei but it is human nature to observe a tragedy. He continued watching and felt a type of fear that was so incredibly different from the other Villains he had faced, but somehow just as bad. Watching the boy, Dazai, move the gun around made his heart tighten and jump with every movement closer to Mt. Lady. There was something in the nonchalance that struck Midoriya to his very core, something that had him begging for Dazai to pull the trigger already. When the gun went off it felt like the bullet had hit him instead, a headshot with barely a glance, an insignificant moment for the boy and yet it terrified Midoriya so much he suddenly had the urge to run into his mother's arms. The image will forever be ingrained into his mind along with the thousands of others that clicked on the stream, his classmates being among them.
UA had cancelled classes that day and the day after. Midoriya was glad for it gave him time to grieve for a Hero that he watched debut, it gave him and his classmates time to huddle together and try their hardest to erase the image of splattered brains from their memories. It didn't work but no one acknowledged that.
Two days after the murder of Mt. Lady classes were back on, or rather one class was back on. Principal Nedzu had already sent out emails to every student giving them information about therapists and support groups, along with that he arranged for every homeroom teacher to spend however much time is needed addressing every student's fears going forward. When 1A arrived for said class Aizawa-sensei was surprisingly already there, unsurprisingly he looked like he had not slept for days and for once most of 1A looked the same.
Once everyone settled down Aizawa-sensei begins, "Today I will be breaking down exactly what happened in that live stream and what will happen in the coming days, I will also answer any and all questions. To do that we will be discussing what happened and not vaguely, if you are uncomfortable at any point leave the room. There is no shame or judgement in this classroom, you got that?"
The class nods but no one leaves yet. Midoriya thinks some of them may be curious about what the Pros are planning, others just want the comfort of Aizawa-sensei's rationalism. Aizawa-sensei does not lie about serious things, he will tell them the truth and they can trust him in that, if he says the Pros have a plan then they must have one.
Aizawa-sensei takes a deep breath before beginning for real, "How many of you saw it live?" The underlying question is of course how many of them saw Mt. Lady being shot.
Everyone raises their hands.
Their teacher grimaces before continuing, "You have all been through far too much for your age, the USJ is a testament to that but this is different isn't it? Which felt worse, the USJ or watching the live stream?" He looks around the room, clearly looking for an answer. While usually Aizawa-sensei would just pick someone this time he waits patiently, eyes never lingering on a student too long.
Eventually, Yaoyorozu raises her hand before answering, "Personally, I felt worst this time. I- I don't know why, but it just felt so much worse."
Aizawa-sensei nods, "Does anyone have an idea why?" Silence descends on the class once again and after a few minutes of waiting Aizawa-sensei rephrases his question, "What disturbed you the most?"
At this new question, Kaminari hesitantly raises his hand, "It sounds so stupid compared to what happened at the end but… They were talking about going to an arcade and making bets about who would win and I- I do that! I challenge my friends to games all the time and it just, it felt wrong? Like they were talking about normal stuff while doing such a horrible thing."
Nodding Aizawa-sensei agrees, "Yes, you're right."
Clearly not used to hearing those words from his teacher Kaminari looks shocked, "I am?"
Aizawa-sensei hums in agreement, "Of course, this doesn't apply to everyone but what Kaminari said is right." He moves across and begins to write names on the whiteboard, each one a Villain they had faced or was notably terrifying, he then wrote down the names of the two boys. Turning around he continued, "These boys are murderers, probably involved in a lot more crime than we think so why are they scarier?"
"It's because they are your age," he starts, "These boys are the same age as you all, they go to arcades and bet on who will win, they have nicknames for each other and inside jokes. They act like someone you would see on the street, a friend you would make at school. They act like that while holding a gun to someone's head and shooting them." Aizawa-sensei pauses to let his words sink in, in that time he moves back to the centre front of the room. "Shigaraki and the Nomu were frightening because they wanted you dead and were determined to do that, these boys are frightening because they have the capacity for murdering without a second glance and yet act completely unbothered."
The class begins to shuffle, a few people look like they are debating leaving, and a few others look enlightened. What Aizawa-sensei was saying made sense, Midoriya had never seen a casual side of Stain or Shigaraki- they were always fully focused on winning the fight and achieving their goal. Dazai and Chuuya however acted like they were chatting after school, like they didn't have someone's life in their hands. He had never thought of it before but Villains are human, they enjoy the same things and act just like everyone else. Knowing that makes him feel sick, the idea that Villains aren't some different species entirely that only have the capacity for evil.
Aizawa-sensei seems to notice the direst among the class and speaks again, "The barrier that surrounds Yokohama has been standing since the dawn of Quirks. Many Pros have tried to get through and not many have succeeded, we really aren't sure how Mt. Lady got into the city. Somehow she did and got involved with the Port Mafia, I'm sure you all know that name but not the significance behind it."
"The Port Mafia is made up of Quirkless individuals, but that does not mean they are something to scoff at. I can't tell you the specifics as it's more classified information but there is a reason Pro Heroes are taking caution when discussing how to get a hold of these boys, so I want to make it clear now," Aizawa-sensei levels them with a serious look, "None of you will get involved with this, we Pro Heroes will handle everything."
The class murmurs in agreement and a moment later Iida raises his hand. "Sensei, if the barrier is impossible to pass how do the Pros plan on getting through?"
Aizawa-sensei sighs in a way that clearly tells the class he's been asked that question too many times but answers dutifully anyway, "The HSPC has contacted the Yokohaman government so hopefully, we can get some information from them, knowing the full names of those boys and any points to worry about would be helpful. They also might let us through the barrier willingly. Principal Nedzu did mention he has a contact in Yokohama, so if we don't get what we need from the government there is a second option."
Midoriya watches as more of his classmates ask questions and Aizawa-sensei answers them to the best of his ability all the while he can't stop thinking about the live stream. Instantly after the live stream ended he had sat in shock and couldn't stop replaying those end moments in his mind but then the urge to do something took over. While he would be no help in actually apprehending the boys he does have one talent that could be helpful, analysis. With that in mind, he found a re-upload of the stream and analysed it until he couldn't stomach watching it any more. While there wasn't much to go off to find their location, other than knowing it was Yokohama, the two boys did do a few things that felt suspicious. A few things made Midoriya think they may actually have Quirks, and so he did what he has always done best- he theorised about the possible Quirks. It might be useless information, or completely wrong but he had eventually landed on something that felt right and knew he had to tell Aizawa-sensei and the other Pros. Even if he is wrong it would be better to have an idea of what they are facing than going in blind, especially if the Yokohaman government does not give them any information.
With that in mind, he waited until everyone had their questions answered and began making their way out of the classroom. Midoriya waved his friends off and waited until it was just him and Aizawa-sensei before speaking. "Aizawa-sensei? I had something I wanted to tell you."
Aizawa-sensei gestures for him to speak. "Well," Midoriya starts, "I noticed a few things when watching the live, a few things about those boys and I thought I should say something? Just in case it's helpful."
His teacher doesn't stop him so he continues, "Well, I was initially confused as to why Mt. Lady didn't use her Quirk, if she had then the ropes binding her would have broken. Then I realised that one of the boys, Dazai, always kept a hand on her neck. I think he has a touch-activated Quirk, probably an erasure one like yours Sensei."
"I had a similar thought as well, do you have any ideas about the other boy?" Aizawa-sensei does not dismiss his ideas but rather encourages him further.
With this encouragement, he moves to the other boy, "At one point Dazai says something like, 'Chuuya move the camera closer' and it does come closer! But neither of them move, and he was addressing Chuuya specifically so I doubt there was someone behind the camera. I think he has a telekinesis Quirk, or maybe some form of levitation."
Aizawa-sensei places a hand on his shoulder and nods gratefully, "I hadn't thought of that, good job problem child. Now go get something to eat." As silly as it sounds the nickname comforted him more than the hand on his shoulder did, with a slight smile Midoriya nods.
-
Aizawa Shouta was no stranger to violence, no Pro Hero can claim to be unaffected by the work they do and any that do are certainly lying to themselves. The USJ incident had been bad, he had never been in as much pain as he was during that day and hopefully never will be again. It was one of the worse things he had experienced as a Pro and yet a live stream only a few minutes long had managed to rival that.
Even now, sat in a conference room surrounded by Pro Heroes he still feels uneasy. Principal Nedzu had called for a meeting of UA staff, plus Hawks and Endeavour, to discuss what should happen next. Aizawa himself is unsure, any Pro worth their salt knows about the Yokohama barrier, knows how it is impossible to get through. Well, it was impossible before Mt. Lady had somehow done it. Other than the barrier there was another problem to worry about, one very few Pros actually knew about.
He is brought out from his thoughts when Principle Nedzu begins speaking, "Thank you all for being here, I know everyone is itching to get out there but we must think and plan carefully our next moves. The Yokohaman government has sent us some files on those boys, but I'm afraid they aren't much help." As he speaks the power point behind him flicks to the next page, two information pages spanning across the screen.
Name: Dazai Osamu
Age: ~15
Ability: No Longer Human
Ability description: N/A
Affiliation: Port Mafia
Notes: N/A
Name: Nakahara Chuuya
Age: ~15
Ability: Upon the Tainted Sorrow
Ability description: N/A
Affiliation: Port Mafia
Notes: N/A
The pages contain barely any information and within seconds the room turns into uproar. Someone, Aizawa isn't sure who yells out, "That's all they give us?! They obviously have more!"
Privately Aizawa agrees, it's obvious the Yokohaman government intentionally didn't hand over certain information. There is no way they know the names of the Abilities but cannot give a description, it's clear that they gave away just enough so the Pros couldn't accuse them of anything while also giving them basically nothing. It's infuriating but unfortunately, there isn't much to do about it, even without further explanation Aizawa gets the feeling that's all the information they will be getting.
Principal Nedzu shushes the room and everyone falls into an angry silence, a single hand raises a few moments later. Principal Nedzu gestures for the Pro to speak, "I'm sorry but I don't understand what it means by 'Ability', is that just their word for a Quirk?"
Ah yes, Abilities, the other problem they have to worry about. Everyone knows that Yokohama has the lowest Quirked population in the world, so low in fact it's easier to round down and say they have no Quirked people. That doesn't mean they are defenceless, no, they have power so strong that a decision was made to keep it a secret from the public. Abilities, some say they are undeveloped Quirks, others say they are where Quirks come from. Everyone who is informed has a different opinion towards them but there are a few facts that are certain.
1. Abilities are not genetic like Quirks.
2. Abilities do not have negative drawbacks.
3. Abilities are stronger than Quirks.
Aizawa was first informed about them years ago, back when he was deemed useful enough. Being able to erase Quirks, and possibly Abilities, made him invaluable in case of an attack by an Ability user. Initially, he had been sceptical about the strength of these so-called Abilities, they might be powerful but there was no way to say Quirks will always be weaker, right? Then he spoke to Principal Nedzu, who had told him about an Ability user from America. According to the Principal, one of his contacts over there worked for an Ability organisation and they had recently recruited a new member. The Ability to drag someone into a story and keep them trapped there, helpless to the will of the Ability user. Aizawa had asked what the drawbacks were, perhaps the story must be written on the spot? Or maybe it had to be a certain amount of words? Principal Nedzu had shaken his head, simply telling Aizawa that any body of text worked no matter the length. All that had to be done was for the victim to read the words, which given the human nature to read words without thinking about it made that Ability deadly.
Aizawa stopped doubting after that.
Principal Nedzu explains all this to the Pro, even relaying the story of the American Ability user. Once done another Pro speaks up, "So these kids are stronger than us and that's it? We don't even know what their Abilities are!"
It is then that Aizawa remembers what Midoriya had told him, while it is likely that his theories have a few holes it gives them more information than they currently have. Before Principal Nedzu can respond to the Pro Aizawa speaks, "I have an idea of what their Abilities may be." Curious eyes turn to him as he continues, "One of my students is good at Quirk analysis, he told me that given the information present Dazai might have a touch-based erasure Ability while Nakahara may have some form of telekinesis."
Principal Nedzu nods in approval, "I was thinking the same thing actually, this student of yours is quite perceptive." If Aizawa feels proud of the praise of Midoriya then no one has to know about that.
Now with more information to work on the Pro Heroes gathered begin chatting amongst themselves, each trying to figure out a way to defeat these boys. After a few moments Principal Nedzu begins speaking again, a certain glint in his eye that feels eerie to look at. "I have a contact in Yokohama, while he can't give us information on the boys he has agreed to get a group of Heroes through the barrier and back out again. I have already made a team up to be the ones entering."
The powerpoint changes once again, this time with 5 empty boxes in total. The boxes are split into three and two with the labels 'Front Line' and 'Distance' above them. At a click of a button, the three boxes grouped together now have pictures of Pro Heroes in them, All Might, Endeavour, and Hawks. Principal Nedzu gestures to the screen, "The top three Pros will work as the main fighting force, you'll take the two boys on directly and focus on incapacitating them. Once the fight is over you three will be responsible for getting the boys to the barrier point where my contact will let you out"
Nedzu presses another button and two more pictures appear, this time of Dazai and Nakahara. Dazai's picture is placed directly underneath Hawks' own while Nakahara's is in the middle of both All Might's and Endeavour's. "Hawks, you'll take on Dazai alone. I'm almost entirely certain his Ability is touch-based so you will have an advantage given how you control your feathers from a distance. There is also a chance his Ability does not work on mutant Quirks, so even if he does get close you'll still be better off." Hawks nods at Nedzu's words.
Turning his attention to the top 2 Heroes Principal Nedzu continues, "You two will take Nakahara, we do not know the range of his Ability so having two-on-one will be more beneficial. His Ability may be touch activated like Dazai's, in that case, Endeavour's flames will be able to ward him away." Endeavour seems disgruntled by having to work with All Might but he does not say anything and instead agrees.
Nedzu then turns his attention to Aizawa and before the Principal even speaks he can feel the dry eye and headache. The powerpoint gets two more pictures, this time of Aizawa himself and Snipe. "Erasurehead, if your Quirk works on Abilities then you will be tasked with erasing Nakahara's Ability when the moment is optimal. If not then your capture weapon will be vital in ensuring the boys cannot escape once we have them. Snipe, you will have a single attempt to shoot at Dazai, if you miss then I doubt he would hang around for a second attempt."
Aizawa nods at his tasks but notices Snipe tilt his head in slight confusion, "Why not that Nakahara kid? Surely he's more of a threat."
A grin takes place on Nedzu's face, one that sets everyone on edge immediately. "Nakahara has a more combat-orientated Ability I believe, so it's likely he does most of the fighting while Dazai takes a more passive approach. They are clearly friends, I imagine they care for each other. So what do you think will happen when Nakahara sees his friend, who does not have a combative Ability, get shot while fighting at a disadvantage?"
It dawns on Aizawa what Nedzu's plan really is, "He'll lose focus, slip up."
Nedzu nods, "Exactly. We're going to use their care for one another to our advantage."
Had it been any other circumstance then Aizawa would have been against such a method, but as it is he can't really find it in himself to care all that much. Those boys chose to kill Mt. Lady with an audience, what happens to them now is only fair.