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Izumi Miyamura: Xover - Chapter 135
🕑 Added 2025-08-30 01:13:50 +0000 UTCAuthor's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
July 30, 2xxx - Colleen Wallis Pov.
"And that's the whole report, Director Piggot." I finished the report while staring into the camera.
"That's all?" Piggot asked almost incredulously, and I nodded.
"Unfortunately, yes. The whole situation was already over by the time I arrived on I-Island. They immediately shut down all channels and offers of help. There's no information beyond what's been officially released." I repeated.
"They're hiding something," said Piggot.
"That's the most likely option, yes," I agreed. "But I haven't been able to find out anything at all. Everyone involved is either I-Island staff, important scientists with their own security detail, or UA students. Even Dragon hasn't been able to find out anything more." I added without hesitation.
"A group of first-year students entered a gate that suddenly opened above I-island with All Might's full approval," Piggot said slowly.
"Again, this is the story, yes. Doors routinely opening on I-Island are not unusual." I said.
"Yes, but I-Island has its own group of Hunters on standby to close any gates that open on the island; instead, they sent a group of students, barely trained to close them," Piggot said dryly.
"It was a D-Rank door," I said simply.
"Supposedly," Piggot grunted. "Something happened there, first the terrorists, then the door, something tells me something happened, and they're not making it public," Piggot said.
"Even if it were, we don't have the authority to press for more information," I said with a frown.
"Unfortunately not," Piggot sighed. "Very well, continue with the presentation, Armsmistress, keep an ear to the walls, if you hear a rumor or anything relevant, I want to know about it," Piggot said before the screen went black. I sighed.
"Dragon," I said simply before the screen lit up once more.
"I told you to call me Tess while we were alone, Colleen," said Dragon's face with a small smile.
"Tess." I smiled slightly before sighing.
"I guess the conversation with Principal Piggot was as stressful as you thought," Tess chirped, and I nodded.
"Yes, the principal is becoming increasingly paranoid since the debacle with Miss Hebert." I sighed, barely feeling a twinge of annoyance at speaking ill of my direct superior.
"Although you certainly can't deny that there's something strange about the incident," Tess pointed out, and I sighed.
"I didn't say no," I agreed once again. "But the PRT or the Guild have no jurisdiction on I-Island. Whether something happened or not, it's not our place to interfere." I said simply.
"I guess so," Tess hummed. "Although it's worrying. One of the terrorists made it to the top. That's where the I-Island vault is. There are a lot of dangerous inventions stored there."
"It's a concern if, on the other hand, all the villains were defeated by All Might." I pointed out, Tess just hummed once more and said nothing.
"I guess so, but aside from that, did you get a chance to look at the exhibits?" Tess asked, slightly more animated. I sighed.
"Unfortunately, not. Yesterday I was too busy with the whole accident thing and setting up my own exhibition, which left me no time for anything." I sighed in pity. I'd been able to catch a glimpse of some pretty interesting exhibits.
I-Expo was practically a paradise for people with Tinker-like quirks; seeing other tinkers' technologies in action stimulated the quirk to be inspired and generate immediate feedback of new ideas and plans.
"Today's your last exhibition, if I remember your schedule correctly, and it ends right at noon. Afterward, we could walk around the exhibits," Tess said, almost excited. I smiled slightly before nodding.
"Yes... That's a good idea," I said simply. With that, I began preparing for the presentation while putting on my hero costume. There were still kinks to work out, but the prototype worked perfectly. Nano-Thorne. Nanotechnology. Nano-Thorne were nanostructures designed to slide between atoms and cut molecular bonds.
The nano-Thornes could pass through most materials instantly, without resistance, turning them into clouds of dust. Highly effective even against the innate resistance of dungeon monsters. It was simply cutting-edge technology.
However, it was a shame that there were still too many setbacks to use them regularly, but these were problems that could be solved over time.
I raised my head proudly and left the room to head for the Pavilion. On the way, I ran into Christina, who had come as an assistant. The morning passed easily until we finally finished our tasks. So I set about packing up everything I needed.
"Mmm, Armsmistress, isn't that Taylor Hebert?" Christina's voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I looked up to see where she was pointing. My eyes quickly found Miss Hebert with a group of girls walking by.
"Put away everything you need. I have a matter to attend to," I said quickly. I had already packed and secured all the sensitive items, so there wasn't much left to pack. I trusted that Christina was more than capable of accomplishing it.
"Armsmistress!?" Christina squealed, but I ignored her, looking at Miss Hebert, who seemed to be laughing with those who seemed to be her classmates? Her friends, maybe? I took a deep breath before approaching carefully, before stopping suddenly.
Hebert stopped stiffly, her face losing all expression almost immediately. My eyes widened slightly. My note? Does she know about me? The information on Hebert said she could sense through her insect's senses. What's her rank? She's always on guard?
I looked around. My helmet camera isn't designed to capture and point out the insects around me, but I could spot a few bugs here and there, and... they seemed frantic? This is getting disconcerting.
Even so, I approached Hebert, this time more carefully, more prepared; she already knew I was here. I took another deep breath and remembered the lectures Tess had insisted on giving me when dealing with... children who are going through dangerous situations or traumatic events. Maybe it would help right now.
I approached Hebert and cleared my throat.
"Miss Hebert?" I asked as softly, yet firmly and audibly as I could. Just as I expected, even coming from behind her, Miss Hebert didn't even flinch or react.
"Armsmistress?" Miss Hebert asked, turning carefully. I stared at her. There was no sign of tension on her face, not a muscle moving. Not even her voice had held any hint of surprise; it had been so neutral.
Yes… she knew I was here since I started approaching.
"Miss Hebert, it's a pleasant surprise to find you here. Would you mind if we talked for a while?" I asked politely. Hebert pursed her lips into a thin line.
"Taylor?" one of Hebert's classmates asked, confused. "Did something happen?"
"I apologize for interrupting your outing. I'm the pro hero Armsmistress, leader of the Brockton Bay Protectorate. I wanted to take Miss Hebert for a few minutes to complete one of her regular reports." I said in perfect Japanese. Having a gang of Asians, primarily Japanese, to deal with constantly made learning the language almost a necessity.
The gang members and villains weren't particularly intelligent, thinking that even speaking another language wouldn't make sense to them after so many years. Hebert's companions seemed to quickly grasp the situation and immediately looked at Hebert as if waiting for an order.
They definitely knew about her problem with Brockton Bay and were waiting for Hebert's orders. That was good. Hebert looked at me for a few seconds before nodding. Then she looked at the girls.
"I'll be right back. I'm sure it won't take long. I'll send you a message so we can meet up," Herbert said, nodding.
"I promise it won't be long," I added. The girls looked at Hebert for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. "Let's go," I said simply. I turned around and started walking. Hebert immediately followed me. "I hope you don't mind if we have a little privacy. My hotel room isn't that far away," I said simply.
"Very well," said Herbert simply. We walked in silence to my room in one of the hotels.
"Please come in." I said as I opened the hotel door and let Hebert in. Miss Hebert still had a relatively rigid posture as she walked, walking slowly, but determinedly, without hesitation.
It was really strange to watch her move so stiffly and slowly, but with a firm stride. And she didn't even seem to be on guard, at least not with her head. I kept watching her the whole ride, and her head didn't move anywhere.
Most people reacted to sound and visual stimuli, even if it was almost momentary, most heads moving almost automatically to anything that attracted even the slightest attention.
Miss Hebert, no. She always looked straight ahead while following me; at no time did she look away, but that doesn't mean she was distracted, or not. Miss Hebert seemed to know everything that was happening around her.
I dodge a few children, barely looking at them. That way of moving, not looking at anything, but knowing everything around her, was almost chilling because of how unnatural Miss Hebert's body felt.
And once we entered the hotel room, it was no different. She stood in the middle of the room, unflinching, uncurious, and uninterested in the exits, as if nothing mattered to her. Her gaze was fixed on me.
I just gestured for her to sit down. Miss Hebert looked at one of the nearby chairs, stepped back, and sat down stiffly.
"Do you mind if I call a friend for this chat?" I asked softly as I grabbed a laptop and opened it.
"No," Miss Hebert said simply. I immediately started a video call with Tess. Tess's face appeared almost immediately with a smile.
" Collee -"
"Dragon, I'd like you to meet Miss Hebert." I interrupted Tess. Tess simply stared through the camera for a few seconds before nodding.
"Greetings, Miss Hebert," Tess greeted with a soft smile.
"Dragon." Hebert said neutrally, it almost sounded like surprise, but her voice was as flat as ever.
"If you don't mind, Dragon will be part of this conversation," I said simply. Herbert nodded in confirmation. "Okay, then, shall we begin? Can I ask, how's school going? Your personal life? Are there any problems?" I asked immediately.
"I'm doing well at UA. I've been the class representative since the first week. I'm in the top five in my class, both in the regular curriculum and the practical curriculum. I have a group of friends and I get along well with the rest of the class." Hebert recited as if it were something she'd memorized over and over again.
I suppose she wasn't pleased about the frequent calls she had to make with the PRT lately.
"Awesome! Class representative? Was there a vote, or how were you designated?" Tess asked, sounding genuinely interested.
"Voting, our homeroom teacher let us choose the method and we all chose to vote for ourselves," said Hebert, sounding proud.
"That sounds even more impressive. I also understand you broke the record in the entrance exams, right? You're really doing well in college. I'm happy for you," Tess said with a wide smile. Herbert smiled slightly as he nodded.
"I've been engaged to Izumi Miyamura for a year. He's a student at UA with me, so we spend a lot of time together and with his other fiancées. I get along well with them, as well as with Izumi's mother. My personal life is excellent," Hebert continued. I nodded.
"The young man with Enma." I said simply, and Herbert nodded.
"Yes, Enma, Izumi likes his swords," Hebert said simply.
"Oh? He collects swords? It's an expensive hobby," Tess said in surprise.
"Hmm, I don't know if he likes collecting them. His grandfather has a weapons shop. I was referring to the swords he uses. Izumi uses three swords as a form of combat." Hebert said simply, I blinked confused. The logistics of three swords at the same time had me confused.
"Three swords… if he uses them at the same time, it would be a bit unbalanced if he only had Enma as one of his swords. Enma's quality would unbalance most non-sword combat styles of the same level." I said after a few seconds. Hebert was silent for a few seconds.
"He uses Wado Ichimonji, and switches the latter between Yubashiri or Sendai Kitetsu," Hebert said finally. My eyes widened slightly. After Shusui's report arrived about Hebert's sword, I had looked up the other graded swords with the name Meito, so I recognized those names immediately.
I looked at the corner of my helmet where the lie detector indicator was, but it still wasn't working. It was programmed to read micro facial expressions and body movements. But Herbert was so abnormally still, it wasn't working at all.
"Other graded swords?! Wado Ichimonji is on the same level as Enma; it really surprises me." Tess said, sounding surprised. Hebert nodded. I remained silent. Along with Shusui, that was five graded swords; three were part of the 21 top-grade swords, so it couldn't just be a coincidence.
" And I don't have any problems. All the teachers at UA are strict, but quite kind, and they constantly help us if anyone gets stuck or has any problems. UA paid for the trip here as a student field trip, so our entire class, and our sister class, are there."
"In a week, we'll also be going to a summer training camp," Hebert finished quickly, and I just nodded.
"That's good, I'm glad UA is training them to the best of their ability," I said with a smile.
"Anything else you want to know?" Hebert asked quietly, I just hummed before sighing.
"Not really, but I do have something to confess." I said with an apologetic tone. "First of all, I must apologize for lying to you. No report was necessary." I said honestly. Herbert frowned. Before she could ask, I continued.
"Secondly, it's also an apology. As the leader of the protectorate, I want to apologize on behalf of the ENE branch of the protectorate. I want to offer you my apologies for your entire situation and your problems with the PRT and Sophia Hess." I said directly.
"An… apology?" Miss Hebert asked slowly, almost sounding surprised. I nodded.
"Yes. What happened to you, from your harassment campaign, to its outcome, to your forced departure from the country, was mishandled," I said, tilting my head slightly.
"I'm sure it's not your fault, Armsmistress," said Miss Hebert.
"Still, I'm the leader of the protectorate. I'm also in charge of the youth program, Ward, so Sophia was my responsibility." I said as if it were obvious. Hebert frowned slightly before that too disappeared.
"Very well... I accept," said Miss Hebert. I nodded, not seeing any sign of the lie detector.
"I appreciate it, too. I'm sure you'll want to know the fate of Sophia Hess." I said simply. That generated more of a reaction than anything else so far. Her eyebrows rose slightly before lowering and disappearing.
"Sophia? What happened? " Hebert asked. I grimaced before sighing.
"Unfortunately, against all our recommendations, Director Piggot pushed for Sophia Hess to simply be tried under juvenile law, so she was simply sent to juvenile hall until she was 21," he said sadly.
Hebert's face did not change, but her body seemed to tense.
" Director Piggot?" Hebert asked slowly, and I nodded.
"Yes, I argue that everything that happened happened while she was a minor, and that you, her primary and virtually only victim, were unavailable to testify," I sighed. Miss Hebert remained silent for a relatively long time.
"...understood." Miss Hebert finally said, and I nodded.
"None of us, the protectorate and the higher-ups, are happy with that decision, but the verdict was already given before anyone could say anything. I'm sorry." I apologized again. Miss Hebert shook her head.
"No need... it wasn't your fault, at all... still... thanks for the information," Miss Hebert said, and I just nodded.
"Don't worry, I wanted to tell you in person, especially since the PRT person in charge of you isn't high enough to know Sophia's true identity as a Ward. For the public, Shadow Stalker will be transferred to another state and have her name changed." I said simply, and Hebert frowned slightly once again.
"Wasn't it made public?" Hebert asked slowly. I nodded regretfully.
"Again, Director Piggot's decision," I said apologetically. Herbert pressed her lips into a thin line.
"Speaking of which, why didn't you make the whole incident public?" Tess asked, genuinely curious. "From what I understand, your parents signed an NDA when you were a minor, but you've been in Japan this whole time, and it was never updated with your signature. The NDA isn't valid. You could have easily told the public about it," Tess added.
Hebert's eyes opened slightly, and she looked at me. I simply nodded, confirming what Tess had said.
"I... it never occurred to me," Hebert said, sounding completely honest. "I just... wanted to forget about everything. I didn't even think about making it public," she added. I looked at her in surprise.
"That's not a bad thing," Tess said immediately with a soft smile. "You have a new life in Japan, one you enjoy, from what you told us. It's not a bad thing for you to focus on it," Tess said, sounding sympathetic.
"Yes, I... I like Japan." Hebert confessed carefully as she looked at us warily. "But... why are you telling me this? I thought you would want me to return to Brockton Bay. My rank as a hunter and my sword are something you definitely want," Hebert said simply.
"I won't lie and say it wouldn't have been a good idea for you to join the Wards or the Protectorate," I said honestly. That firepower I'd demonstrated at the festival would definitely have done a lot of good in Brockton Bay. "But… It's too late… you're too much trouble," I added. Hebert frowned, almost insulted.
"What Armsmistress means, not so eloquently, is that, since you've already made a life for yourself in Japan, it would be cruel to separate you from that, especially from your fiancé. And if that happens, I'm sure you won't go quietly, like the higher-ups want, and Japan won't let you go either. We don't want to cause any trouble," Tess said with an amused smile, and I blinked and looked at her.
"And what did I say?" I asked, confused, not knowing why she had clarified. Miss Hebert seemed to relax once again.
"That would be all?" Hebert asked, more relaxed. I nodded.
"Yes, it is. Unless you have any questions," I said simply, and Herbert seemed to hesitate.
"About... Emma? What happened to her?" he finally asked. I grimaced.
"Unfortunately... nothing," I said with a grimace. Hebert gritted her teeth as she tensed. "Emma's case is different from Sophia's. Sophia was on parole under the Wards, so everything could have happened quickly."
"On the other hand, Emma, no. You, as the primary, and really, only victim, were out of the country; a report was never filed. And I'm sorry to say, but your parents never filed one either." I said honestly. Hebert went so still she didn't seem to breathe before nodding.
"Okay, yeah… I was expecting it," said Hebert, sounding almost sad.
"That doesn't mean it's okay," Tess said firmly.
"You're right, it's not right. Unfortunately, there's nothing legally we can do. I'm sorry," I said, apologizing once again. Herbert just shook her head.
"Don't apologize, like I said, I expected it. I'm glad at least some of you are on my side," Hebert said simply.
"It's the right thing to do," I said as if it were obvious, because it was. Herbert finally smiled slightly, much more genuinely than before.
"I really wasn't wrong about buying that underwear with your face on it, Armsmistress. You're a good heroine," Herbert said almost playfully. I groaned loudly as I heard Tess burst out laughing.
"I don't know what I was thinking, PR, selling children's clothes with my face on them." I sighed tiredly.
"I still have them," Hebert added, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"I'm sure Armsmistress would love to sign them," Tess said playfully.
"No." I said it forcefully and firmly, eliciting only a laugh from Tess and a slight smile from Hebert. I sighed. "That aside, it was really nice meeting you, Miss Hebert, but I'm sure your friends are waiting for you," I said plainly. Hebert nodded as he stood up.
"It was an honor meeting you," Hebert said, nodding. I extended my hand. Miss Hebert hesitated for a few seconds before grabbing it and shaking it vigorously. I nodded in her direction.
"Keep up the good work. I hope we meet again on better terms," I said honestly. Herbert nodded. "Do you need me to walk you out?"
"No need, I can go out alone," said Hebert.
"Goodbye, Miss Hebert," Tess greeted.
"B-Goodbye, Dragon." Hebert exited awkwardly. Tess smiled softly at her. With that, Hebert proceeded to leave the room, much faster than he had entered.
"She's intense," Tess said once Miss Hebert left. I just raised my hand and remained silent, something Tess imitated without saying anything.
"Very well, I understand that Miss Hebert can hear with her insects," I said directly. Tess nodded.
"He has a pretty versatile quirk," Tess said, and I nodded.
"Her ability to gather information is incredible, she noticed me before I even approached her," I said simply. Tess frowned.
"Are you sure?" Tess asked, and I nodded.
"She was laughing with her friends, and suddenly, she frowned, without any warning, she wasn't surprised when I called her by her name," I said plainly. Tess nodded.
"I'm guessing she can't deactivate her Quirk. That would imply that she's always sensing things through her bugs, although I'm worried about her ability to manage and process that information," Tess said, sounding genuinely concerned. "According to her file, she spent three days hospitalized, even after Panacea completely healed her."
"Overstimulation is normal with Quirks that heighten the senses. Some people get used to it, others use equipment to reduce the effects of their Quirk and control it, and some are able to focus or ignore it to a certain extent," I said quickly. Tess nodded.
"It's possible that it's the latter, although if what you say is true, that she saw you coming through her insects when her back was turned, then she's always on guard with her insects. That someone her age is so aware of her surroundings is... sad." Tess said, and I sighed.
"It's certainly also possible that she's having contact with someone from the PRT. At no point was she surprised by the information we gave her about Sophia, nothing. Her face didn't have the slightest twitch. My lie detector didn't work at any point," he pointed out.
"Actually, I'd say the opposite." Tess disagreed, and I looked at her curiously. "It's not uncommon for people who have been... bullied, and even more so on the scale of the campaign Miss Hebert received, to be able to withdraw and avoid showing any kind of reaction as a method of defense." I frowned slightly at that.
"But so perfectly? When I say there was no sign, I'm saying that her facial muscles didn't move in the slightest. No twitching, no twitching, no muscle moving." I tried to argue, Tess sighed.
"And remember, Miss Hebert was not only bullied at school, but also within her own home, by her own sister and her friend. Miss Hebert had no safe place for nearly two years. It's possible that keeping such a neutral face became second nature to avoid inciting her bullies." Tess said, and I grimaced.
"That…" I tried to say before closing my mouth, there wasn't much to say, I just sighed, and we remained silent.
"I didn't hear you tell her anything about her parents either," Tess said, and I just snorted.
"There wasn't much to say," I said simply. Tess laughed lightly.
"So the constant calls, repetitive messages, and daily emails that come in to the PRT are nothing?" Tess asked playfully.
"Of course not, our job is to make sure that the Heberts represent Brockton Bay well, family problems are not our responsibility," I said simply.
"I understand that the messages increased a month ago," Tess said lightly.
"After Miss Hebert's birthday, yes. Again, not my problem. I did some investigating, and Miss Hebert was perfectly fine. From what I found on her social media, she had a wonderful birthday surrounded by her classmates and her fiancé's mother."
"There was nothing I had to intervene in," I said as if it were obvious.
"I wish I could feel sorry for Miss Hebert's parents after reading the messages, but… I can't help but think they deserve it," Tess sighed tiredly.
"Once again, it's not our job to get into family trouble if it doesn't disrupt Miss Hebert's education. It doesn't matter if Hebert is ignoring them or blocking them."
"We couldn't force Herbert to contact them again," I said diplomatically, though my thoughts were on the same wavelength as Tess's. Tess just shook her head in amusement.
"That aside, will you tell Director Piggot about your meeting with Miss Hebert?" Tess asked after a few seconds.
"...I'm not inclined to do that," I said with a grimace. " Director Piggott is already so worked up and paranoid about everything. If she knows I have access to Miss Herbert while we're on I-Island, she might order me to do something that will escalate and spiral down very quickly." I sighed.
"Okay, I'm with you, Colleen." Tess said with a soft smile. I sighed and smiled slightly.
"Thank you," I said simply. "Miss Hebert seems completely healthy and happy. She's laughing with her classmates. That's good. We shouldn't disturb that with whatever Director Piggot has planned." I sighed. " Besides... I was looking forward to the date with you," I said shyly.
Tess smiled broadly and brightly.
"Me too." Tess said happily. "Now come on! Put that camera on your shoulder and let's go on a date! " Tess said excitedly as her eyes lit up. I allowed myself to smile softly as I nodded.
"Okay, I'll go get ready." I smiled at her. Yeah... I'd rather go on a date than interrupt the life a teenager was building after what happened in her life. Everyone wins... except Piggot, but I couldn't feel so sorry for her.
Author's Notes: GASP! An Armsmaster who isn't an idiot?! Impossible!!
Seriously, I was initially going to have him act close to canon—stern, unyielding, and a bit rude and abrupt, and a bit of a jerk. But I think I've done enough jerk characters all around, so it was a last-minute change, and so we have a proper Armsmaster !
with an AI girlfriend! Yes, Dragon is still an AI who disguises her confinement with agoraphobia, as is canon.
and… with this long chapter, that would be all with the Pov , the following chapters we return with the normal chapters and the camp arc begins!
