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Chapter 1: A World of Quirks
🕑 Added 2024-04-08 16:05:19 +0000 UTCNew Project! This was a long time coming, not helped by the fact my schedule was already packed, but with Cursed Existence on a break, I found that the Monday slot was clear. And yes, there will be another chapter of Songbird this month; I'll have more free time, which is always a plus. I was tempted to mark this as a crossover but decided against it, at least for now; we'll see how that goes. Now, enough babbling, let's get to the story.
“Text” – Normal speech
‘Text’ - Thought
“Text” – Radio/Communication lines
“Text” – None Japanese speech
(text) – Subtext/meaning behind a spoken word
Chapter 1: A World of Quirks
It was a hot summer's day, with the sun was bright and high in the sky. The weatherman said it would rain soon, but that was something to worry about later. With it being this time of year, it meant schools from kindergarten to university, explaining why the 6-year-olds could be out in the park without someone wondering why. Still, at present, the park's only occupants were the 5 of them, which meant no help if bullying happened, such as now.
“That’s mean, Kacchan!” Standing in front of the crying blonde boy was a short, bushy, green-haired lad whose clothing, despite his size, still looked big on him. This,. This, combined with how much he was shaking, didn't strike a strong impression that he needed. "Heroes don't make people cry; you gotta apologize."
The boy he was talking to stood with two others; one was the tallest of the 5 with a cap worn backwards, while the other was the fattest but in the middle in terms of height. The apparent leader of the trio seemed confused at first that this smaller, clearly scared kid was trying to tell him what to do like he was an adult before he laughed it off as he had come to expect stuff like this from him. "Of course, you'll say that; he's quirkless, just like you!"
His words cut deep into the green-haired boy. Unlike everyone else whose quirk came in around age 4, both he and the second boy he was defending hadn't shown any signs of a quirk for two years now. Even with that hurtful reminder, he wouldn't bow to a bully because heroes didn't do that.
"We-we're still people. Just because we don't have quirks doesn't make it okay to hurt him. You need to stop!” He yelled back as best he could, even if he was shaking in his near comically sized red shoes, he would stand his ground, even as the crying boy behind him reached for his shirt to pull it.
“Midoriya, please.” The blonde begged. He could see where this was going and knew that Midoriya's chances weren't good. Even if he had a quirk, they were still outnumbered, and both Bakugo and his taller friend were bigger than them.
Bakugo seemed to bask in that admission that he was stronger than both of them. “Listen to him, Deku. Or do you need another reminder of why you can’t be a hero?” He asked as he brought his fist to his palm, a small explosion lighting thanks to his fantastic quirk. The other two didn't have bad quirks either, as the fat man grew red devil wings and started floating while the tall one's fingers extended.
“M-mom says I can be a hero because I have heart!” Midoriya yelled back, as his mother was one of the best people out there, maybe the best, and she was super-duper-smart. He'll trust her over a meanie any day!
“She’s obviously lying, Deku. Why do you think you spend so much time with that loser?” Bakugo shot back. Midoriya used to be seen all the time, but now, when he wasn't in class, he was off with Frenchie and his lame family, which made sense since who else but another loser to hang with?
"Aoyama's not a loser. You take that back or," Midoriya yelled, his anger for Aoyama exceeding his fear for Bakugo. “I’ll never forgive you!” Even if he was small, he raised his tiny fists to defend Aoyama, trying to copy the stance he saw All Might take when he fought some villains.
“Let’s see if you can back that up, Deku!” Bakugo yelled back as they jumped him. It's safe to say he lost that fight—and he lost it badly. By the time they left the two alone, having grown bored of whaling on him, Midoriya looked pretty beat up as Aoyama fretted over him, ashamed that he didn't do anything in that fight and just watched his only friend get beat up for his sake.
“He wasn't very nice," He whispered as Midoriya suggested that they meet up with his friend from school instead of staying inside and playing knights. Aoyama didn't have many friends, but he had seen the other kids at his school play, and what Bakugo did wasn't what his friends did. It was the kind of stuff that got you sent to the time-out corner.
“He used to be…” Midoriya replied, equally as soft as he had hoped that Bakugo wouldn’t be mean today, but maybe he was just kidding himself as it seemed like he got worse by the day. But there was still something that Aoyama couldn’t figure out.
"Why did you do that? It was 3 and 1, and they're all bigger than you!" he asked, sure Bakugo was hurting his feelings by mocking him about his lack of a quirk. But his mom said that when people were like that and wouldn't stop when you asked, the best thing was to just leave.
Slowly getting up and feeling the bruises on his arms and chest, Midoriya tried to smile even if it hurt. “Heroes don’t leave people when they’re needed. All Might said that on the TV the other day.” They had a sleepover the other day, right when summer break started. They had gone to Aoyama's place, which was way bigger than the apartment he and his mom shared. They stayed up late, had lots of yummy food and watched clips on heroes, including stuff with All Might, the number one hero.
"He's super strong and can do what he wants." Aoyama rebutted, saying All Might was the strongest hero, probably the strongest person ever. He could outrun cars, lift trains, and jump over those really tall buildings, sky…sky-somethings.
Getting back to his feet, he saw that he was pretty dirty, which meant they'd have some explaining to do when they returned to his and his mom's apartment. "Remember what Auntie Marcelle said, being strong outside is half; you need to be strong inside too." He tapped his chest, and Aoyama frowned as his mom said that a lot, but he found it hard to find that strength like his friend did. It was one of the things he liked about Midoriya. That he didn't need to search for it.
“Besides, I don’t like seeing you sad. Even if it was my fault.” He blushed a little at Midoriya's honest words but shook his head when he saw that he was also sad about what Bakugo did.
"You didn't tell him to be mean to me. He needs to have his mouth washed out with soap." Aoyama huffed, looking in the direction that Bakugo and the other two ruffians went. "And besides, Auntie Inko said that we'll get our own quirks soon; it won't be like others, but we'll match." Aoyama cheered up a little as it was late. That was the reason his parents sought out Midoriya's mother; she could find a way to give them powers just like everyone else. They just had to be patient.
Midoriya perked up at that reminder, as he knew his mother was smart—really smart. She even worked abroad for a time before those big-wig meanies said she couldn't anymore, but that didn't mean she stopped. “And we’ll be the best hero team, fighting villains and saving people like All Might.”
"And be super flashy, too!" Despite the situation, both giggled as Aoyama talked about how they'd have the flashiest costumes and moves and that villains would be blinded by their brilliance as they left the park to get back to the apartment before Auntie Inko started to worry.
Line Break
Years later, a trio of heroes were out in that city, not on a regular patrol but on the hunt for a villain running amok. “How is this so hard?” Mineyama Hero: Mt. Lady, a curvaceous young woman and newly debuted heroine, complained as they had been at this for 3 hours now with no luck.
Her fellow hero, Kamui Woods, also a recent addition to the ranks of Japan's heroes, kept his tone level despite his irritation with the woman. It was bad enough that she stole his thunder the other day, but now he had to work with her, and she was acting like that didn't even happen. “Keep your eyes peeled, Mt. Lady. We’re on the clock.”
"I know, but how hard is it to find this villain? The other one made it impossible to miss them, and yet we have an ice villain popping up all over town and freezing everything they can get their hands on.” She waved her hands at people who passed by on the street, waving at them or asking for photos and autographs. It was a pretty normal day for her, especially since most of the people wanting photos with her were teens to guys who had to be in their late 20s.
Their third partner for this, a veteran local hero known as the Punching Hero: Death Arms, agreed with her even if he found her quite eccentric. "Strangely, they've managed so much damage in only a few days and yet have never been seen." He's been patrolling these streets for nine years now and never had an issue like this. Petty crime, sure, but when U.A. University was located in this town, criminals thought twice about stuff like this.
“Could it be a gang of villains?” Kamui Woods asked as the more significant, bulkier man reached for his chin in thought.
"Hard to say. Nothing's been reported stolen, and even if that was the case, they've picked some pretty bad spots for robberies." He replied, as the police reports hadn't found anything missing, nor had anyone come forward with a complaint or report for lost property; it had mainly been damaged or destroyed stuff.
“A supermarket, a park, a bar and some apartments. That last one barely had any tenants.” Mt. Lady listed off the most recent hits for this punk with a love for winter. If she hadn't known any better, she would have assumed that they were just someone going about their day as the cops didn't find anything else that could connect all these spots.
"Strange places, but we must capture this evil-doer regardless." Kamui Woods clenches his first as Mt. Lady giggled, finding his penchant for such dramatic words funny. Death Arms was about to chastise her for this when there was an explosion, but not born from heat and fire, but from ice.
“Looks like they’re here!” The trio sprung into action, with Mt. Lady using her Gigantification type quirk to rapidly grow till she was a giant, standing at 20.62m. Kamui, using his Arbor quirk, rapidly grew and stretched the wood of his arms, shooting for a light pole and swinging ahead, leaving Death Arms to need to run to get there.
Kamui Woods managed to arrive first and saw the street in panic as people were running away from what looked to be a localized ice tornado tearing through. Everything it touched rapidly cooled before frosting over. Some people were caught in it, which he quickly grabbed, noting that even the limited time exposed to the tornado left his arms feeling cold.
When Mt. Lady arrived, she quickly took a picture of the situation before deciding what was needed, making sure he was clear and loud. "Alright, people! You must leave the area immediately, stay calm, and help those who can't move!" She instructed as she quickly grabbed people and got them out, grateful that the attack happened in a broader street. Kamui!”
“That’s most of that, but that still leaves the big problem!” He yelled back, helping an old lady escape the villain's rampage.
"A walking blizzard? Yeah, that's just peachy. Hey buddy, I don't know if you didn't hear, but it's spring!" Mt. Lady tried to reach into the tornado to grab whoever was causing it, but the winds around it and how cold it was forced her back, her hand feeling numb. “Dammit, that’s cold!”
“Focus on getting people to safety!” Kamui Woods yelled as Death Arms finally made it. Seeing the situation, he realized that while he could help them get people out, there was something else he could do.
“I’m going in!” He yelled, not waiting for a response as he braced himself, wishing he had worn something more than his skin-tight cyan cardigan, which exposed his lower torso and centre of his pects. Rushing into the tornado, he had to plant his feet to ensure he wasn't blown away. He gritted his teeth as he felt the bitterly cold winds and ice smacking into him. Still, if this was a tornado, that meant that the eye of it would be calm, and odds are, that was where their villain was, but getting to them was hard as his vision was poor in these conditions.
“I can barely see my own hand in this, and it’s freezing,” He muttered. He took one step at a time, bringing himself close to his destination.
“Go away.” He heard a voice, soft and direct but seemingly as cold as the ice around him. Looking around, he didn't see who could have said that before he realized who it must have been.
“Was that a threat, villain? Because I’m not buying it, you’re going down!” He yelled back, as he hadn't let a villain off the hook before and wouldn't start now.
“Go away.” He heard it again as if it didn't hear his response.
“Death Arms! What’s happening in there?!” He heard Lady yelling through the tornado's winds. He tried to reply that he was progressing, but she didn't respond, so he couldn't be sure she heard. To make matters worse, as he approached the eye of the storm, he saw something moving in the winds, only for that movement to reveal itself to be the ice and snow coming together into a giant glowing-eyed fox made from the stuff faced him, snarling as he had intruded on its den.
“Crap, what kind of quirk is this? First ice, then a blizzard and now a snow body?” He asked, preparing for a fight, but at the last second, the beast's eye twitched as it looked to the side, seeming to see through the tornado of its own creation.
“She’s gone now.” It said, seemingly thinking aloud.
“Whose she? What or you are you after?” He demanded as he was getting sick and tired of this.
“Go away.” His response was a casual swipe of its paw, which was on the side of his torso and packed as much power as he had in both arms. He was sent flying, crashing into an iced-over car with a groan.
“Death Arms!” Kamui called out as he shook his head to get back into the fight.
"Forget about me; keep focus on me." When he got up, he saw the tornado start to disperse, but instead of that dinosaur-sized winter fox, there was nothing, as if it was never there. “The villain? Where did they…”
“That’s impossible, I didn’t take my eyes off that blizzard for a second!” Mt. Lady, who was still giant, yelled in frustration as they finally found the damn villain, only for them to give them the slip! What were they supposed to tell the cops when they showed up?
"Are there any alleys or sideroads?" Death Arms asked as the woman huffed but looked around. She saw maybe seven paths, but they didn't seem likely.
"They're iced over. If they used one to escape, we won't know which." Shrinking to her standard size, she relayed what she saw as, while blocked, you would think that having made that much ice and snow, they'd be some kind of trace in an escape route, but all the ones she had seen were clean of that.
"We at least know something; they're looking for someone," Death Arms said, as if, while angry, they hadn't received anything.
“You got them to talk?” Kamui asked, to which the man raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like that villain was quiet. Did they not hear it through the winds? But if that was the case, why could he listen to them? Grumbling that such wasn’t his field of knowledge, he answered the question.
"More or less. They said something about 'she's gone' Aside from that, they just kept repeating that I should go away." He told them, as Kamui nodded, trying to make something of that crumb of a clue.
"So, they're not hitting these places without reason; they're searching for someone." He stated as Mt. Lady cut in.
"Hate to rain on the parade, but that doesn't help us much as we still don't know who they're looking for or why. We don't even know what they look like." She reminded them before sneezing. Her costume might have been made to offer warmth on nightly patrols, but there was a big difference between that and being in an impromptu winter.
"We'll have to put that in the report," Death Arms started, only to sneeze as well, ever harder than Lady, as he shivered; hugging himself for warmth, he began to walk off the iced-over street. “And make sure whoever fights them dresses like they’re heading into the mountains during winter. God, I could use a smoke and coffee right about now.”
Line Break
An hour's train ride away from this sat a high school with a long and storied history, being one of the oldest private institutions in the country and renowned for being one the top 5 best technical high schools and top 10 overall high schools in Japan: Rothana High. Such a place was all but built for the wealthy and influential families of the country, with almost the entire student body being the sons and daughters of prominent figures in society, from the traditional high-ranking politicians, executives and actors to the more recent hero and support company families.
But among their ranks, there were few and very far in between. Midoriya was one of those outliers as he sat at his desk as their teacher continued with what he was saying.
"Since you're third years, I hope that you've put some serious thought into what futures you'd like to pursue. If not, well, the clock is ticking as universities have already started their application process." The balding middle-aged lizard man explained, giving some of his classmates the stink eye when they looked away embarrassed.
“So, I’ll be handing out these handouts in which you’ll write down your first and second choices of university and course, but I can guess what you all want,” The man chuckled when he saw how eager most were.
“The hero course, right?” At his question, the class erupted into cheers as Midoriya's classmates flashed their quirks, whatever they might have been. But his gaze never went to them, but always to their sides or above them, as if he was looking at something else. He was careful to make this subtle as their teacher tried to get the group of rowdy 17- —and 18-year-olds in order.
"Yes, yes, but settle down, students; you know it's against the rules to use your quirks." He reminded them that while this was common, Rothana prided itself on student discipline. 3rd years, they were the models their underclassmen would look towards.
“Hey, Midoriya,” Midoriya turned to his classmate and best friend, Aoyama Yuga. The boy had grown into a fine man in the years since that day in the park, the picture of European refined male beauty which carried a touch of softer feminine features which he proudly basted he got from his mother. He completed it with the small faux gold and jewel-encrusted crown, a registered quirk support item. Shame he knew it, which meant his ego could overinflate sometimes. “You excited for this?” He asked, to which Midoriya smiled.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” He replied as a periwinkle-haired girl rolled her eyes at them.
"Speak for yourself; just the mock exams are hard enough.” She stated that the two boys' eyes were shifting to her. While Aoyama was amused, there was something more profound and emotive in Midoriya's voice, which the girl matched. Midoriya wasn't the tallest boy in class, a fact that could damper his mood. Still, his wild green locks, expressive emerald eyes and cute little diamond freckles made him stand out. But he wore a unique green and red belt buckle, which seemed more like a piece of tech than a clothing item, as it was his registered quirk item that allowed him to properly use his power.
It helped that he was in crazy good shape, but she wouldn’t be caught dead saying as much outside private spaces.
“I’m sure you’ll do great; your science grades are at the top of the class," Midoriya told her, as Intelli Saiko was no doubt the second most brilliant woman he had the pleasure of meeting, even when she didn't use her quirk, she was a force of nature when it came to academics.
And if her having brains wasn’t enough, she was a beauty on top of that, as her spotless pale skin shined in the right light with her cat-like lavender eyes and thick upper eyelashes always hinting that she knew more than she was saying, but could just as easily capture any that looked into them. Where his hair was a bush that he kept short, barely reaching his ears, her periwinkle hair was straight, waist length with two ear-length clumps and a near fringe framing her face that he liked to play with whenever they had a date night, the classic hime cut.
“You don’t make it easy, you know." She replied with a knowing smile, as she might be at the top of the grade, but Midoriya was an extremely close second. Most would find them overwhelming, knowing that even a slight dip in grade could mean you lose your top spot, but she took it as a challenge and loved every second of it. It also made their private time together fun. Who else could call a study session a date?
“What can I say? I’m my mother’s son.” Midoriya rubbed the back of his head, as where Intelli was the first in her family to make it into Rothana, Izuku was second, with his mother being one of their most well-known alma mater. At the same time, they weren't wealthy or connected like most of his classmates, which came with an expectation that he was to also excel like she did and excel he did.
“Well then,” The trio turned to their teacher, who had an amused look on his face. At the same time, the rest of the class snickered at that, the trio having momentarily forgotten that they were still in school. “If you’re feeling so talkative, why don’t you share with the class where you plan to study next year.”
Despite the spotlight shining on them, neither faltered as they stood, meeting the expectant looks of their classmates before they revealed the news. "U.A. University's hero course," Midoriya spoke for the three of them, who were met with shocked awe and disbelief.
“The National school?!”
“They’ve been in the top 1% for the last 20 years!”
"Just getting in is a miracle; their acceptance rate is, like, 0.7%.”
There were more whispers here and there, which made perfect sense for someone like Aoyama. At the same time, he didn't have the best grades, sitting in the lower 10 of the class; his quirk more than made up for it, being the picture of what a pro-hero should have. However, that left Intelli and Midoriya, who might have been their best students academically, with quirks that were an issue for some. “Dude, maybe you’re aiming a bit too high, I mean, your quirk is more support than anything.”
"Intelli's just makes her smarter, no offence, but how will that help in the field?" Someone else asked, to which Intelli was all but immune to their scepticism, having faced it ever since day one when the daughter of a secretary and middle school gym teacher walked into their hallow halls. That being said, both Aoyama and Midoriya picked up her brow twitched.
"You'll be a good hero, but U.A.'s, that's for the best of the best; you need to have an OP quirk to even hope to get in.” Midoriya also felt a spark of irritation in his heart, though he did a good enough job of masking it with a smile. After all, this was far better than a middle school; at least now, people didn't outright laugh at his dreams.
“U.A. is the best hero school in Japan, and I want to be the best hero I can be, which means that training there would be a big help!” Midoriya declared, his friends in full agreement as he put a strong foot forward. "So what if my quirk isn't as flashy or destructive? It's not over till the fat lady sings," he declared as their teacher sarcastically clapped.
“Enthusiastic, but please get down from your desk.” Midoriya blinked, seeing that he had stood on his chair with his foot on his desk; Aoyama was also posing while Intelli was still up but the most reserved of the trio as he awkwardly got down.
“Sorry.” Dammit, he was acting too much like his flamboyant friend again. Even after over 10 years of friendship, he couldn't understand how Aoyama could pose without shame; he probably spent hours practising to make it so that he always looked good.
Line Break
The woman with flaming emerald hair saluted her boss and one of the strongest people, the number 2 hero, the Flame Hero: Endeavour. The hero, even seated, appeared like a bear, with how large and powerful he was, even when he was doing something as non-threatening as paperwork. But Burnin supposed that the atmosphere helped sell how little you wanted to anger him, from his imposing skyscraper hero agency to the fact that his office was a large and vast space, highlighting that it was his space, not yours.
When Burning knocked, the man who briefly looked up from his work quickly granted her entry. “Is this about the recent attacks?” he guessed.
"Yes, sir." The woman nodded as the man, who rarely was seen even content, glared at her, as the flames that danced on his face as a mask and beard flickered with his irritation.
"I heard All Might was in the area, or am I the second pick?" There was that small story about All Might stopping some sludge villain during the week and saving a boy that the media said had real talent. He would give the brat the time of day when he proved he could be then a hostage. His attention had been on the fact that All Might had been in the U.A. area, which meant he was around to handle this.
Burnin, for her part, knew that her boss had an unamused attitude towards the number one, to say the least; All Might be a forbidden word among the staff and sidekicks because of that. “I don’t think so, sir. The unknown villain’s still new, but they haven’t been attacking randomly now for 2 days, each one worse than the last, so the commission wants flame heroes to lead the charge on it.” She stated that this would be an excellent chance for them.
Endeavour seemed to agree as he got up, his large muscular frame all the more imposing at his full height. “You’ll be accompanying me, be ready in 5 minutes.”
“You got it, boss!” Burnin didn't wait to be dismissed. Endeavour didn't do that as he trusted that those under him would know when to leave, a fact she knew well as she quickly left his office to grab her stuff for this.
Left alone, the man's brow narrowed as he thought about the case. He had heard about it but not the details because of how recent it had been. "An ice villain? What is it that you want?" His mind flashed to someone with white hair and a manic expression before he shut off that line of thought. Either way, you've had your fun; it's time to pay for it." These incidents were happening a little too close for comfort.
Line Break
A mysterious ice villain strikes again. Authorities continue their search
Midoriya finished reading the news article as he packed his things away, the school day done. Seeing the pictures posted of the rampages made him frown when this started; he assumed it was just a villain attack, as those were a dime a dozen, but this was shaping up to be something else.
“Midoriya, have you seen the news as well?” Aoyama asked him, walking up to his desk along with Intelli, both having concerned frowns.
“Yeah, this doesn’t seem normal.” He replied.
"Then it's something that needs to be looked at," Intelli added vaguely. Most who heard them would assume they were talking about the pros as the trio shared a look that communicated more than they could have been comfortable saying.
"Hey, you guys want to get a bite to eat and hit karaoke?" The tension was broken when they saw some classmates waving to them from the door.
"Sorry about that, we have plans." Midoriya smiled as he excused them, and the girl with a minor rhino heteromorph mutation rolled her eyes.
"You mean another group study session?" She asked them, to which Midoriya awkwardly laughed as Intelli smiled. Even as a couple, they were known for their diligence in school work, which was part of the reason boys weren't all that interested in her despite her attractive looks. The other was that the last thing anyone wanted was for Midoriya to have a reason to be jealous.
"Seriously, I can't understand how your minds work. Well, anyway, see ya!” She waved them off as she and her group left, the trio being the last in the class. Waiting a moment to ensure that they were alone, they dropped their smiles.
“Intelli?” Aoyama asked, the girl already on her phone.
"I already sent your auntie Inko a text,” She said as she finished the text and sent it. Less than 30 seconds later, she got a response. She saw the news already and will be waiting for us."
"We let's get moving." Midoriya took command as they left the class and school; when they got to the train station, instead of taking one to one of their homes, they took one to the outskirts of town. Taking their seats, despite their uniforms marking them as students of a high-end prep school, they didn't stick out all that much even as the high-speed train left the upscale urban centre and crossed into the poorer, dirtier industrial parts of town.
Getting off, they walked in silence, Intelli on her phone continuing to text before they reached their destination. Dr. Midoriya’s place of worth: Her research lab.
It was once an area of rundown warehouses but has long since been bought and massively upgraded, turning it into a 4-storey office/research centre/laboratory. All were owned and run by the Midoriya family, namely his mother, Inko Midoriya. Not a bad achievement for a woman who had left behind the prestige and near unending funding of I-island. A clean and sleek building like this wouldn’t have looked out of place in the middle of town, but land was cheaper this far out, and there were fewer eyes and ears around to see things.
Entering the lobby area, they saw the receptionist and some security guards standing diligently at their posts, or in the case of the receptionist, seated as the gentle giant of a man in a near comically small suit saw the looks on their faces and buzzed them through. Walking past the regular officers and some of the smaller labs, they took the elevator; nothing out of place in a building like this as the buttons displayed the floors, from the 4th to the 2 underground levels, one for parking and the other for storage, the first being ladled as U1 and the second U2.
Midoriya looked at the keypad and quickly input 4240U21U13, which, instead of confusing the system, served as a code as the door closed and a slot in the roof opened, from which a robotic eye popped out. "Please state names and IDs." The AI ordered.
“Midoriya Izuku: 0915.”
“Intelli Saiko: 1178.”
“Aoyama Yuga: 1721.”
After Aoyama spoke, there was silence for a couple of seconds as the computer did its thing, which to most would merely be accessing its databanks for their names and company IDs. But those people wouldn't have known that the security system was also analyzing their voices and secretly scanning the environment within the elevator to ensure that it was just the three of them and that their biometric data matched those of said three.
All this was done in less than 10 seconds before it spoke again. “Persons recognized, handprint required; please step forward when the name is called.” In the final step, another slot opened to present the fingerprint scanner, which appeared adjacent to the regular keypad. Once that was done, they waited another 10 seconds after it scanned Intelli's finger before they were through. “Access granted. Which floor is your destination?”
“7th.” Midoriya replied.
“Understood, accessing 7th floor.” They felt the elevator jolt before it rapidly descended, moving at speeds closer to what would expect from an elevator installed in a 40-storey building, not a 4. That part was easily explained as the secret underground floors were deep underground, well over 90m, with few access points typically sealed off by dozens of blast doors in case of a break-in. By the time the elevator stopped and the doors opened, they might as well have entered a whole other world.
The subterranean facility was clean but barren as white lights overhead kept the place illuminated. As they walked through the halls, they were met with more guards, at least triple as many as above. All of them were heavily armed, swapping out pepper spray and tasers for assault rifles and high-voltage stun batons. Outside those imposing men and women were office workers, interns, scientists and engineers, most busy as they went to and from their workstations, work stops and labs. At the end of the halls, they saw their destination, Inko's second private office. Not bothering to knock, as they were expected, they swiftly entered and closed the door.
“Right on time.” The room's occupant spoke, the mother of Izuku, Inko Midoriya. She was far from the youthful and slim frame she once had, as she was plumper and seemed to have shrunk a little as her son had become taller than her by the time he turned 14. Still, she was far from frail, her emerald eyes shining with a level of intelligence that her son wished to one day match. Her hair was still styled the same as it always had been. Midoriya's a family that didn't put much into their looks, except the clean lab coat she wore over the standard suit that a secretary would typically wear, not the head researcher.
“Have you confirmed it, mom?” Izuku asked her as she grabbed a remote from the desk and directed their attention to the flatscreen mounted on the wall. It switched from the news playing on silent to a map of a town split into a grid.
"All signs point to this being a quirk spirit. We've managed to track its whereabouts to Musutafu’s 4th district.” The district lit up for them as Intelli frowned.
“That’s a pretty populated area.” She noted, to which Aoyama adjusted his hair.
“Makes sense, as its attacks seem like it’s hunting for someone.” The blonde replied as if this behaviour was from a quirk spirit.
“Has anyone been hurt yet?” Izuku asked his mother, who smiled at how his concern went to the ignorant masses.
"Yes, but there have been no serious injuries or deaths, but that can change if this isn't resolved." She told them, as she had already heard the report that Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods, and Death Arms filed with the police thanks to some friendly faces in the department. They were lucky that this latest attack had no fatalities, but the next could easily change that.
"We understand; we'll suit up and get moving." Izuku nodded as he and Aoyama shared a look and started to walk towards the door.
“One more thing!” Inko called out to them, rushing over; she gave both taller boys a big hug and, for her son, a kiss on the cheek, which made him blush. “Be careful out there, you two.” Despite the slight embarrassment, he still smiled as he tapped the device he wore as a belt.
“We will.” With that, both left to get ready, with Intelli leaving for the command centre, where she could do her part and provide overwatch. Inko remained where she was for a moment, shooting the heavens a quirk prayer for the safety of her son and thanking them for giving her the strength to get to this point as now that she knew what she did, she shuddered at what she and her son would be like if they remained like the masses, ignorant and powerfulness against this threat born from quirks.
Line Break
And we'll end things here. I wanted to extend this first chapter, but the scenes that followed this proved to be much longer than planned, so this was the best cut-off point. If you're an early reader, that's good news for you since the second chapter is already up in the place that shall not be named. And yes, this will be a harem one, as I have to admit, I want to try my hand at one of these stories; after all, I already had the shake-up of Aoyama knowing Izuku ever since they were kids, and yes, I will explain that. As time passes, hopefully, in the first 5 chapters, you all have a good idea of what this setting is like since I used Bleach and Pokémon as sources of inspiration but don't plan on using enough that it counts as a full crossover. Like MHA itself, I’m just borrowing elements from stuff I like and making them my own 😊.
