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Izumi Miyamura: Xover - Chapter 178
🕑 Added 2025-12-06 02:04:12 +0000 UTCAuthor's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
Colleen Wallis POV.
"I'm sorry I'm late." I said as I hurried inside.
"Don't worry, Armsmistress, although we are indeed curious to know what stopped you; it's really unusual for you to be late to a meeting you organized," Miss Militia said gently.
"It was an important call; I couldn't leave it for later. You'll find out during the meeting." I said, nodding, then turned and looked at everyone. "Thank you all for coming at this hour." I looked around and saw that everyone I had called was present.
There were 15 people sitting around a table in U.S. Miss Militia, Assault, Battery, Dauntless, Triumph, Velocity, Aegis, Modularis (formerly Kid Win), Gallant, Clockblocker, Crystalia, and the newly joined Protectorate officially, Vista.
"I mean, there's no problem, we've all worked night shifts, but this is a PR meeting, isn't it?" groaned Assault. "It really is a terrible time for that, in fact, any time is a bad time for PR."
"Unfortunately, it's something that has to be done; all the social media accounts of our PRT branches and the Protectorate are being bombarded with questions seeking information about Miss Hebert."
"Now that Miss Hebert has become even more of a person of public interest, we have to prepare ourselves. We can't keep saying 'no comment' or 'it's confidential.' The public will start to get angry the more we avoid the issue, especially with the incident in Kamino, Japan," I said directly.
"I'm sure the PRT is the one that should make a public statement on both matters, especially Chambers." Assault pointed out dryly, and I nodded.
"And they will. Chambers is already writing a statement, and Piggot will make it public once she's finished talking to the other directors of the other branches of the PRT." I said simply. Assault grimaced.
"Ouch, I'd rather stay here. I don't like it at all, but whatever Piggot is discussing with the other Directors sounds even worse." Assault shuddered. I stopped and nodded. Yes... it was lucky they'd only called Director Piggot to the meeting and not me.
"We have the task of creating a profile for her that we can present publicly. Even with the statement, people will continue to insist, seeking any information about Hebert, and will try to get questions out of us during patrols."
"You're the first group I've called. There's a lot to discuss and agree on as we go. Anything agreed upon here will be reported to the other groups," I said as I approached the already prepared computer. "But before we begin, Crystalia," I said firmly, looking at Crystalia, who shuddered slightly.
"Yes, Armsmistress?" Crystalia asked tensely. I could see her fists clenching, and I could see her slightly pale beneath her mask, which only concealed the upper part of her face.
"All information about Taylor Hebert that will be shown to the public will be that agreed upon in this meeting. Any other information, whether secret, a lie, or unknown to us and that comes from you, will be considered a violation of your NDAs and you will be punished accordingly, understood?" I asked firmly.
I could see Crystalia grit her teeth and a growl escape her throat; she was trembling slightly, her fists so tightly clenched that her knuckles were white. I could even see her quirk, her crystal creation, slowly and furiously erupting across her body.
"Understood?" I asked again slowly as I leaned closer to her. Crystalia broke first.
"Understood." Crystalia grumbled reluctantly, and I looked at her for a few moments before nodding.
"Alright, let's begin." I said, ignoring everyone else's discomfort. I could see a couple squirm slightly, but it didn't matter; there were more important things to discuss. The lights dimmed slightly, and the screen behind me lit up. "First, about Herbert's quirk."
"Insects, right?" Clockblocker said casually, I nodded.
"Insects." I agreed and posted a picture of Hebert during the UA sports festival. "Hebert has total control over all insects within her range, without any limits. Her range is around 3 blocks, but it can extend to 6 in stressful situations."
"When you say no limits...?" Velocity asked tremulously.
"Without limits. Or at least, none have been found. Hebert has been able to roam the surroundings, attracting the swarm to herself and continuing to accumulate insects without any problem, without any visible strain on her body or brain, nothing."
"Not to mention that her quirk is always active, always connected with her insects," I said easily.
"I really don't want to think about a biblical swarm like the one I use at the Festival," Vista said, shuddering slightly.
"Then you must do so, always keeping in mind that she has a swarm of that size at her disposal." I pointed firmly. "Furthermore, you are capable of individually controlling all the insects; if necessary, you could force them to perform individual tasks without any problem while receiving a relay of their sensory input."
"She is able to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear through her insects," I said seriously.
"That's multitasking hell and overstimulation, how is her brain not fried or how is she even able to live with that constantly?" Dauntless asked incredulously.
"She almost did it. Hebert's original quirk was more... docile, less impressive. Once she went through an Awakening, her quirk changed to what it is today. But during that time, she suffered a sensory overload for three days that left her delirious in the psychiatric ward."
"Fortunately, her brain adapted enough and became robust enough to be able to receive all the information and feedback from her insects." I explained seriously; I could see more than one shudder and glance sideways at Crystalia, several even leaning back to move away from her.
Everyone knew what had happened between Crystalia, Shadow Stalker, and Hebert. To say no one was happy was an understatement; the only reason Crystalia was still there was because Piggot wouldn't allow her to be dismissed from the Protectorate.
Even I, as Leader of the Brockton Bay Protectorate, did not have enough power to expel Crystalia without Director Piggot's approval.
"I guess... we'll keep that a secret?" Dean asked cautiously.
"No," I said directly, which seemed to surprise more than one person. "Her Awakening can't be hidden. There are too many people in Brockton Bay who are aware of how her quirk worked, and UA's public information details how her quirk works now."
"It's only a matter of time before people realize she had an Awakening, and those who know about the 'locker incident' will fill in the gaps. So no, the only thing we have to hide, unfortunately, are those involved." I said coldly as I looked at Crystalia, who shuddered.
I saw half of those present give Crystalia a look of disgust, but I ignored it.
"What we really need to keep hidden for the time being, and keep in mind, is this." I said as I placed the report that UA had sent. "This is the complete report of the incident at the training camp held in the forest by UA when the villains attacked." I said as I pointed to a document on the screen. Then I highlighted a particular sentence, enlarged the font, and stepped aside so everyone could read it.
"Wait, 'Pro-Hero Pixie-Bob, from the Wild Wild Pussycats group, along with hero-in-training Taylor Hebert, from UA University's Class 1A, created a perimeter around the forest, the former using 'Earth Beast' created with her Earth Flow quirk, while the latter, with insect-like monsters controlled by her 'Queen Administrator' quirk. "
"There's a lot to unpack in there! Like insect-like monsters?!" Triumph said, surprised. I nodded solemnly.
"Just as you're thinking, her 'Queen Administrator' quirk isn't just capable of controlling normal insects within its range, but it's also capable of working against insect-type dungeon monsters." Confirming what they were thinking, several paled at the idea.
"B-but, doesn't that mean a Gate broke in the forest? Where did the monsters come from?" Modularis asked, puzzled. I quickly switched documents.
"It took me a few minutes to find it, but UA sends a report of all of Miss Hebert's extracurricular activities. This one took place on June 11th." I said while highlighting the new information.
"Her birthday." Crystalia murmured, and I paused for a second, checked Hebert's personal information, and nodded.
"Normally, UA gives its students a temporary Hunter License. They are able to accept missions to close gates that pass through UA University. Taylor Hebert participated in a mission to close a C-rank dungeon on her birthday."
"According to the description, the mission was accepted by Izumi Miyamura and approved by Director Nezu. And if you look closely at the report, you'll notice that the monsters inside that dungeon are insect-type." I said, pointing to the relevant sections of the report. Everyone's eyes widened slightly.
"Several things. First, that's some hell of a birthday present. Your boyfriend taking you to get an army of monster ants? A dream come true for any woman that age... for any woman of any age." Assault said, sounding genuinely impressed. "And second, from June to August? Where the hell did she keep monster ants for two months, and how did she keep them around during camp?" she asked incredulously.
"And the answer lies with Miyamura," I said as I changed the slide. "UA updated its public database and updated Miyamura's profile, especially regarding his quirks. One of them is called Ten Shadows, and one of its uses is that he can use it to store things, including living beings and monsters." I said seriously.
"Speaking of synergies, Miyamura is capable of storing an army in his shadows, and Herbert is capable of controlling it. They really are a dangerous duo," Miss Militia said, and I nodded.
"I mean, what's the limit? I don't think he can keep that many monsters inside his shadows, can he?" Battery asked curiously.
"It has no limits." I said directly.
"Oh come on! What's with these really cheating quirks? Unlimited insects and infinite storage?" Clockblocker asked incredulously.
"If you let me finish, there's no limit, but there's a restriction Miyamura has to follow to keep storing things," I said, looking at Clockblocker. "Miyamura has to carry the entire weight of the stored objects on himself. That is, if he stores the equivalent of 100 pounds inside himself, he has to carry that weight constantly."
"So, it has a limit." Assault pointed out with a smile.
"Not really, he can keep storing things indefinitely, but eventually it will be crushed by the weight of his shadows." I replied immediately.
"Wait, and how can it store? I mean, the report said they formed a perimeter, but I doubt two or three of them would be able to achieve something like that, especially with monsters from a C-rank dungeon," Vista interrupted, and I nodded.
"UA University administers a Quirk Apprehension Test upon enrollment to measure the skill level of its newly admitted students and monitor their progress. The results of this assessment, along with other results, are completely public." Quickly insert the information table.
"He can lift 20 tons with ease?!" Modularis yelled incredulously.
"That's... about 44,000 pounds, isn't it?" Aegis asked shakily.
"44,092.5," I confirmed. Everyone fell silent. "Insect monsters are the lightest creatures in existence. Even the heaviest insects weigh between 20 and 25 pounds. If I used my full capacity, he would be more than capable of reaching over 2,000 monsters within their shadows."
"Although, based on the limited information available, I estimate that he only has between 200 and 300 of them," I said easily.
"Only 200 or 300?" Dauntless asked incredulously, slightly pale. "That's still just as awful," Dauntless said.
"What... what is the range of the strongest monsters she can control?" Miss Militia asked solemnly. Everyone paled even more.
"We don't know, although I left a message with UA and Miss Hebert herself, asking her to avoid monsters above rank B as much as possible. Not because I don't think she can, but in case of any problem, they would be difficult for the rest of the hunters in the area to contain."
"Incidents like the camp, where Mr. Miyamura was kidnapped and forced to unleash everything from within his shadows, allowed Miss Hebert to keep her 'army' in check, making her unable to lead them to the battlefield on Kamino," I said critically.
"That's if they even listen to you," Clockblocker said with a snort.
"I hope so. Miss Hebert isn't stupid; she's got a good head on her shoulders," I said easily. "And with that, we'll finish discussing her quirk. Later, we'll go over everything we know about Mr. Miyamura, but this meeting is focused on Hebert."
"Now, the next part is about her personal life." I said seriously, and everyone grimaced.
"Are we really going to decide what to say about her personal life, without Hebert?" Gallant asked, worried.
"Don't worry, in fact, that's the reason I called you and was delayed. About an hour ago, Miss Hebert called me." I said easily, and everyone exclaimed in surprise.
"Did you talk to Hebert?" Triumph asked, surprised. I just nodded.
"Yes, she... has allowed us to control the dissemination of her information. I was delayed reading and searching for all the necessary documents and making some additional calls."
"The call with Hebert has been recorded, please listen." I said easily before playing the recording.
"Miss Hebert, Armsmistress speaking, we were expecting this call." I said immediately, Hebert remained silent for a few seconds.
"Armsmistress? I... is it good to hear from you again? I thought I would be speaking with Miss Wallis, as usual." Miss Hebert said slowly.
I could hear Assault huffing almost silently, I just glared at him at the same time as Battery discreetly hit him.
"I'm sorry for the change, Miss Hebert, but I hope you can understand. After the... Kamino incident in Japan, this call was too important for a PRT employee to have this conversation." I apologized gently.
"I understand, let's continue," Miss Hebert said with a sigh.
"Thank you for understanding, Miss Hebert. I must also inform you that this call is being recorded and will be shared with various people within the PRT." I notified Miss Hebert.
"Oh, I... understand," said Miss Hebert.
"Very well, then let's begin, we had some questions for you," I said politely.
"About Kamino," Miss Hebert said easily.
"Mainly, if we could continue?" I asked calmly.
"Understood, I'll answer as much as I can. I... had some meetings with Director Nezu, the teachers, and the police until a few minutes ago. There were... many things I can and cannot say, things that are sensitive for the Japanese government that I'm not allowed to discuss. I'm sorry if some parts are... inconsistent or lacking in information." Miss Hebert said apologetically.
"I would normally say that you answer to the PRT and the US government, but I assume that information has to do with Sword God Ryuma or All Might?" I asked gently. Miss Hebert remained silent.
"It is, I'm sorry," Miss Hebert said.
"Don't worry, you're not in any trouble, Miss Hebert. Thank you for your honesty," I said with a nod. "I'll be quick. After all, Director Nezu already submitted a fully detailed report of the incident."
"Oh, that... I guess it helps." Hebert murmured.
"Very well, then, first, the report begins with the preparations for the raid against the base of the group known as the League of Villains, and you are mentioned as a member of Team A led by All Might who should come to the rescue of Mr. Miyamura."
"The question, as it was initially included in the raid plans? My understanding is that UA doesn't allow its students to operate or perform heroic acts unless they have a temporary license, which they should apply for in a few weeks according to their school curriculum." Ask directly. Miss Hebert remained silent.
"We asked for it," Miss Hebert said honestly. "Izumi... has some trackers placed on her body. We, her fiancées, have the app on our scrolls to track her. We... brought her one scroll and gave it to Nezu. We still had three more capable of tracking him," Hebert said gently.
"Were you going to go without permission?" I asked immediately.
"We would have done it," Hebert said without hesitation, with pure determination in his voice. I nodded.
"I suppose Director Nezu saw it coming and included them in the plans," I said, more as a confirmation.
"He did." Hebert said, I just nodded.
"Very well. You're not in trouble, Miss Hebert. Director Nezu agreed to add you and was in charge of the entire operation. You acted under the orders of your superiors, and during the fight, you followed the necessary orders. It doesn't matter what you had planned to do," I said matter-of-factly.
"… thank you." Miss Hebert said.
"Now... I have no questions about the incident itself; there is enough in Director Nezu's report and the recordings. Even so, I will ask you to write a report and submit it during the week just so there is some record of you."
"But continuing, I suppose... you can't tell us anything about his relationship with Sword God Ryuma, can you?" I asked directly.
"I didn't know Izumi was Ryuma-sama's grandson," Miss Hebert said immediately, before hesitating. "I think... there's a report from my internship..." Hebert began slowly. "Throughout, I referred to him as 'Izumi's grandfather.' He never introduced himself; he was simply... Izumi's grandfather. Now I know it was Ryuma-sama, but back then, I didn't know his name," Miss Hebert said.
"Just a second," I said as I started searching for the papers. "Here it is. Internship at a gun shop called… Dragon Head Shop… not very subtle, was it?" I asked so bluntly that even I was surprised.
"In retrospect, no," Hebert said with the same dryness. "Family humor, Izumi has the same sense of fun."
"Sword God Ryuma, he really has a shop called Dragon Head Shop?" Clockblocker asked incredulously. "I love him," she said immediately afterward.
"Very well, I'll read about the internship later. Besides that occasion, have you trained with Sword God Ryuma at any other time? Or have you met him previously?" I asked.
"No to either of them," Miss Hebert replied immediately.
"Very well, Shusui... was it delivered to you by Ryuma?" I asked carefully.
"…no. It was a gift from Izumi when my training reached the next level." Miss Hebert said without hesitation. I paused for a few seconds.
"To reiterate, the black sword Shusui was in the possession of Ryuma's grandson, Izumi Miyamura, who gave it to you during your training?" I asked carefully.
"Exactly," Miss Hebert said.
"Shusui was used as a gift?" Modularis asked in horror.
"How envious I am," Assault said with a snort.
"I understand that you didn't know how to handle a sword before arriving in Japan; were you trained entirely by your fiancé?" I asked quickly.
"Yes, Izumi taught me everything," Hebert said without hesitation.
"Was Mr. Miyamura trained by Sword God Ryuma?" I asked slowly.
"...I can't answer that," Miss Hebert said. I just nodded and continued.
"Did Sword God Ryuma... say anything when you first met and he saw you with Shusui?" I asked cautiously.
"...that Shusui was now mine, that he had found a new partner in me, that Shusui no longer responded to him." Miss Hebert said affectionately.
"But you gave it to him during the Kamino incident." Point.
"Ryuma needed to fight with all his might, so I lent him Shusui to help him defeat that villain," Miss Hebert said.
"A good decision." I congratulated her. "And then he handed Shusui back to you, was there a problem?"
"No, not at all. He just... repeated what he had said before. That Shusui was now mine, that he had chosen me as his partner," Hebert said softly.
"He speaks as if Shusui has a conscience." I said with a frown.
"It does," Hebert said immediately.
"Wait, what?" Clockblocker asked, confused.
"Could you... repeat that?" I said slowly.
"Ryuma-sama explained that... weapons, over time, when created or used constantly while using aura, leave an... imprint inside the weapon, that imprint merges with the weapon and grows over time."
"There are... people who are able to notice those traces, I suppose... I didn't quite understand it either," Hebert said, sounding slightly confused.
"I... I understand, let's continue." I said, changing the subject. "One last question about Ryuma. I doubt you can answer it, but I have to ask anyway. Did you hear anything about Kamish's Head?" I asked tensely. The line went silent.
"…yes." Hebert murmured slowly.
I could see everyone in the room open their eyes and pay even closer attention than before.
"Can you tell us something about that?" I asked again, just as slowly.
"...I don't think you'll like the answer." Hebert said, sounding... timid and embarrassed?
"I won't be bothered by the answer." I promised immediately. Hebert remained silent.
"It's completely a skull, this... placed in the middle of his tent as a decoration... he uses it to support things and hang dirty rags, literally, after cleaning he puts them on its horns to dry." Hebert said, completely embarrassed.
I was in complete shock.
"You've got to be kidding me, you've got to be fucking kidding me," Triumph said in shock.
"Is the head of the monster responsible for America's biggest disaster being... used as decoration and a clothesline?" Velocity asked incredulously.
"It's a joke, she has to be joking with all of us somehow," Assault said, even losing his usual mocking tone.
"Miss Hebert... what you just said is... is it true?" I asked slowly.
"I... I have pictures," Miss Hebert said shyly. "The dragon skull looked... amazing, so I took some pictures with my Scroll camera. I... I also used it to position things," Hebert said, embarrassed. "Should I... Should I send the pictures?"
"Yes," I said immediately.
"By the way, these are the pictures." I said without any emotion as I placed the pictures that Hebert had sent on the screen.
In the picture, Hebert was standing next to an enormous dragon head, smiling and striking a pose quite common among teenage girls. The skull was twice her height and three times Hebert's length. The photographer was slightly away from them, using insects to capture the image.
There was no doubt that it was Kamish.
Hebert had sent several pictures, in addition to that one. Hebert crouching inside the skull's jaws, Hebert lying comfortably on top of the skull, Hebert hanging from one of the horns, Hebert eating her lunch on top of the skull, Hebert hanging clothes on top of the horns, and more.
"Oh goddess." Miss Militia murmured in horror. Everyone seemed equally shocked.
"It has to be fake, a fake image," Dauntless murmured with a shudder.
"I'm sorry... for some of them," Miss Hebert said shyly.
"Very well. Now, before we finish, we also need some personal information from you," I said, changing the subject.
"...personal?" Hebert asked slowly.
"Nothing too personal, we just need something to work with. The truth is that you have become a person of public interest in Brockton Bay, in fact, in all of America, we need to introduce you to the public."
"We need to control the narrative before people, especially the media, start digging into your entire personal life, so I wanted to discuss with you which parts you feel comfortable sharing." I said gently, trying to calm her down.
"I... what parts? Like... the locker incident?" Miss Hebert asked cautiously and defiantly.
I could see everyone shudder once again as Crystalia turned bright pale.
"If you want to make it public, we will, including their names," I said immediately.
Several people opened their eyes in surprise. I could see Crystalia turn pale and look at me in terror.
"Wait—what? Seriously? But I thought Director Piggot wanted me to—" Miss Hebert tried to say, sounding surprised. I think it's the first time she's shown any kind of emotion.
"Director Piggot's opinion doesn't matter; we have orders from above to help her in any way we can," I said immediately. Miss Hebert remained silent.
"...I have nothing to hide, I trust your judgment, Armsmistress." Miss Hebert said slowly.
"A test, she wants to see what we'll do." Miss Militia said immediately, and I nodded.
"Most likely." Confirm.
"Well, that would be all, Miss Hebert. We may need to call you back for a few more details, but for now, please get some rest." I said with a nod.
"Very good," said Hebert, and I nodded.
"Before we end this call, let me first tell you that you did an excellent job. I reviewed all the available footage of the incident, and how you were able to coordinate all the heroes, hunters, and civilians to minimize casualties. You did a very good job; you can be proud, Miss Hebert. Well done," I said, completely sincere in my praise.
And I wasn't just saying that; I had run some simulators with Dragon, and the number of victims the monsters would have claimed without Miss Hebert's presence was astronomical.
Miss Hebert reduced that number to very few fatalities. It was a phenomenal job she had done.
"I... t-thank you, that... means a lot, but I was just doing my duty." Miss Hebert stammered, and I just nodded.
"And you did amazing." I agreed.
"… thank you." Miss Hebert repeated.
"Don't worry, although I hope you don't take that as meaning you have nothing more to learn. Keep up with your studies and your grades," I said firmly.
"Of course," Miss Hebert said immediately, and I nodded.
"Praise, Armsmistress? You're getting soft," Assault said playfully.
"I was just telling the truth," I said honestly as I displayed the calculations on the screen. "Hebert changed the entire battlefield, saving countless lives," I said gently. I could see the expressions of several of them harden as they looked at the predictions on the screen.
"Very well, thank you for everything, Miss Hebert," I said, nodding. "Now, one last thing," I said carefully.
"What?" Miss Hebert asked casually.
"We don't have a policy of getting involved in family matters, but have you called your mother to get in touch with her?" I asked cautiously, making a face. I really didn't want to get involved in that whole family thing.
But the calls from the adult Heberts were starting to get annoying.
"Huh? I just spoke with her," Miss Hebert said, puzzled. "I just came out of Izumi’s room." She added, and I blinked slightly.
"Oh? You've been talking to her? I thought—wait… about Izumi’s room?" I asked, confused.
"Yes? I was near the infirmary to let her know Izumi was alright; she was quite nervous," Hebert said casually. "I finally found a way to get recognition."
"Oh... are you talking about Mr. Miyamura's mother?" I asked slowly.
"Iori, yes, who else would I be talking about? She's my mother," Miss Hebert asked, taken aback by how casually I spoke. My tongue felt heavy.
"I was... I was talking about your biological mother, Annette Hebert, she's been calling and trying to communicate frantically, do you want to contact her?" I said slowly.
"Huh? Why would I want to do something like that?" Miss Hebert asked. She sounded completely bewildered, as if the idea hadn't occurred to her at all, as if it hadn't even crossed her mind. As if the very idea made no sense. She said it so casually that even I almost shuddered.
"Ouch." Clockblocker said, wincing. I could see several others doing the same. The only one with a look of victory and understanding was Vista.
I could actually start to feel a little sorry for the Heberts now.
"It's nothing, don't worry, it was just a routine question, we'll take care of the rest," I said immediately. "Rest well, Miss Hebert, thank you for your time," I said quickly.
"Is that alright? It's a pleasure to speak with you again, Armsmistress," Miss Hebert said before hanging up.
Once the conversation was over, I looked at everyone else, who were all staring at me with completely serious expressions. Crystalia had blood on her lips from biting them so hard. I ignored it. It wasn't important.
"Very well, just as Miss Hebert said, she has given us complete control over what we want to say, but as Miss Militia mentioned, it will surely be a kind of test, to see how the PRT will react and which side we take."
"I called Chief Director Costa-Brown to transfer the call; she's given me the green light for anything we agree on, without going through public relations and Director Piggot. I have all the necessary information; now we just need to figure out a way to present it."
"So... ideas?" I asked calmly. This was going to be a long conversation.
Author's Notes: Uff, this chapter was longer than I expected.
Now, I really had no idea what female name to give Kid Win, so she kept the same one during her time in Wards and only changed it when she joined the Protectorate as an adult.
And we'll let poor Chris know about his specialization, hence 'Modularis'... yeah, I didn't spend much time thinking about her name.
Comments
Amturtle
The immediate "I love him" after lol
