Public Appearances

“You know, if we somehow knew that we were going to fight Mr. Aurdel again then probably would have just ran away.” Kaminari stretched his neck, “Like, seriously. Was there any way for us to win that fight? Especially since we were fighting the Big Three right before!”

Bakugo growled, “If you were even considering running away, you should drop out of the course now.”

“Where the hell is that aggression coming from?! You saw how badly we got beat, you even got it worse than me! Don’t tell me that-“

“Getting a little bruised isn’t going to make me consider running away, and it shouldn’t for you either!” Bakugo jabbed a finger in Kaminari’s face, “What the hell are you going to do if a real Villain that strong shows up? Run away? Your life won’t be the only one on the line!” There was silence after that, because what Bakugo said was irrefutably correct. The only reason they got away with their lives during that fight was because they were fighting their teacher, and not a real Villain. If it had been a real Villain, they would have all likely been killed. Additionally if there were civilians nearby, a number would be killed or injured in the ensuing rampage after their defeat. Everyone had the same thoughts, leaving a rather dour mood in the room. But Todoroki in particular seemed more pensive than everyone else. Throughout the fight it seemed like he’d been hesitant, holding back. Because even though he had accepted his other side as his own power, there was still the lingering influence of his father Endeavor. Midoriya tried to think of a way he could help him, but…

He quickly snapped out of it. If there were something that he could do for him, then he would find it when the window of opportunity presented itself. Until then, he would focus on other things. Class 1-A was gathered in the common area of the dorm and had situated themselves around the TV. After a minor postponement, today would be the day that the national Hero BIllboard Chart was officially updated. Every year the Hero BIllboard Chart was updated, it was an important event that no one wanted to miss. But for this year in particular it was a much more important event. Ever since the incident in the Kamino ward, where the League of Villains was raided by Heroes and most were arrested, there was a large amount of uncertainty.

First, the retirement of All Might. Because the embers of One for All had burnt out inside of All Might, he could no longer tap into that power and actually perform Hero work. As such, he was forced to retire. Doing so was a huge upset given that he had been the top Hero in the country for several decades straight. No one knew who would be able to fill his place in the country, which was what made the next point much more troublesome for many. The second was that Endeavor, following the Kamino raid, had been placed into a perilous position on the charts. For the longest time many expected that if All Might were to retire then Endeavor would take his place, but when it was revealed he had lost his quirk during Kamino there was a bit of a panic. So between then and now Hawks had picked up the torch of number one unofficially, having been the next in line. But Endeavor did eventually get his quirk back, Mr. Aurdel having taken it back along with other quirks stolen from Heroes during the Kamino fight after a visit to Tartarus. Mr. Aurdel had privately informed Midoriya and All Might of this, though he also said that he didn’t take every quirk from All For One due to not wanting to trigger an escape attempt had All For One hidden something to use had he not felt secure in his position. The only thing keeping him from outright executing All For One was the Hero Commission and the government, wanting to eventually put All For One on a show trial after somehow managing to return every one of his quirks to their original owner. To say that Mr. Aurdel was less than happy with the arrangement was an understatement. But regardless, what followed Endeavor regaining his quirk was a relatively hellish spree of trying to make up for the time he’d lost. On multiple occasions he went several days straight, taking no breaks as he went on a nearly absurd string of cases due to wanting to bring his resolution rate up. This was all despite the fact that without All Might around he has the highest case resolution rate by far, never in danger of being surpassed. But there was a third reason that would make this much more important to watch, a relative wrench that was thrown into the mix. That wrench was his teacher, Mr. Aurdel. Despite spending a good chunk of their time with him, everyone in his class still viewed him as a sort of enigma. Because while with their other teachers they could at least try and guess what motivated them, there was no real way to know. What most people assumed he believed was from his actions and what very little he said, but that was obfuscated by the fact that he didn’t report everything he did. That was another problem. On top of being an enigma, no one knew exactly how many cases he had solved. He rarely handed in any paperwork regarding the cases he solved, even when he was working with Mirko. Maybe you could guess how many by looking at the amount of cases she’d solved since they teamed up, but that would only be a rough estimate. With everything put together, people would be watching closely.

“When is this thing going to start? I’m getting sick of watching all these advertisements.” Kaminari looked away from the TV, a commercial for Detnerat support items playing.

“It should be starting soon, but it really looks like they’re pushing the line this time. Normally it starts earlier than the official time. Maybe they expected some of the Heroes to be late?” Kirishima answered.

“Ah, who knows? They know that a lot more people are watching than they usually do, so they want to squeeze in as many ads as they can. Not that I can blame them, they’re probably making some serious bank with this.” That was possible but Midoriya wasn’t so sure if that was really the case. He thought back to earlier, having spoken to Mr. Aurdel before he’d left for the event.

“Midoriya, what do you think about this billboard chart event?”

“What do I think?” He’d pondered the question. “Well, the event is for sure important. It lets everyone know that the Heroes out there are working for them and keeping them safe, and it provides motivation for those further from the top to work harder to help others. It also rewards the people on the top, allowing them to be recognized for all the cases they’ve solved”

Mr. Aurdel leaned on one of the tables, “You’re not wrong, but I was asking about this year’s event in specific. Not the event in general.” He stood up straight, “There’s no All Might this time around. With him gone I can already see that a lot of people are nervous, they don’t believe with certainty that they can be protected anymore. What I fear more, though, is the possibility that certain groups will be emboldened by his absence.”

“Then… What do you think might happen?”

“I can’t say what it is, where it’ll be or when it will happen. All I know is that something will happen, and that much is enough to give me some pause.” As the conversation replayed itself in his mind, Midoriya hung on every word that was said. He couldn’t help but worry that he was right.

“Hey, it’s finally starting!” His mind returned to the present, turning back to the TV. With the advertisements finished it was finally time for the billboard charts to begin.

“We’re coming to you live from the stadium in Kamino, Yokohama, and we're ready to bring you the news! Today is the long-awaited day of the annual Japanese Hero Billboard Chart, where the rankings of Heroes all across Japan are determined and broadcast live. In previous years not all top Heroes were not known to come to the function in person, but with uncertainty taking for quite some time it seems that they all came out in force to reassure the public. We’ll just have to see what happens once everyone is up on stage.” Aurdel let out a deep breath, listening in on what one of the many reporters was saying.

“What’s the problem, you camera shy?” Mirko elbowed him with a grin. He shook his head and turned away.

“The only thing I’m nervous about is your image. After all, you’re walking out with me and I’m not exactly camera friendly.”

“Ah, screw them,” she brushed it off, “I don’t really care about media coverage, the only thing that matters to me is the fights. They can sit and spin.”

“In that case we’ve got nothing to worry about.” He took a peek out from behind the curtain, “Looks like it’s about that time, let’s go.”

“And here they come now, the top ten highest performing Heroes in all of Japan!” The announcer blasted into the microphone, making sure his enthusiasm was known. “In tenth place we have the elder Equipped Hero: Yoroi Musha! To fall several places in one year is an unprecedented event for this dedicated Hero. Even so, through sheer determination and effort he’s managed to cling on to the top!”

The man grumbled, “It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with these younger Heroes…” Judging by the man’s age, it was a fair comment to make. Nonetheless it was impressive for him to have done so much and keep on going.

“In ninth place is the Dragon Hero: Ryukyu! Through a heavy caseload she’s managed to keep her place in the rankings, also being among the Heroes that participated in the raid to shut down the Shie Hassaikai!”

“I’m honestly not sure if I deserve to be so highly ranked…” Ryukyu’s disposition towards her position matched what she said. Unlike Yoroi Musha, she lacked the confidence to back up her position. That probably came from the events of the raid itself, something that many should not have needed to happen in the first place had Heroes properly done their job.

“In eighth place we have the Laundry Hero: Wash! Promoting good health and being in all those clean and shiny commercials, you’d be hard pressed to find someone that doesn’t know him!”

“Washashashashash!” There… There was really no comment that he could make on someone that dressed like a washing machine.

“Seventh place is Kamui Woods! Despite being a newcomer he’s managed to foster a lasting impact with his presence, propelling himself to a top position! He also took part in the Kamino raid, putting life and limb to save fellow Heroes and bring down the League of Villains!”

“It is an honor.” There was a slight pang of disillusionment in Kamui Woods’ words, likely recognition of the fact that what the reporter was saying about his involvement at Kamino was a stretch. Aurdel could respect that level of humility.

“Sixth place holds the orthodox Shield Hero: Crust! For other Heroes holding such a consistent spot in the rankings might be a bad thing, but for this Hero it’s where he can do his best!”

“It will never be the same without you, All Might!” Hearing that comment sent a tingle of unease down his spine, because it was what he feared. For years Japan had relied upon a single pillar to keep some sense of order and safety, a single pillar that was no longer there. And like a house that was missing a major support beam, it was bound to collapse unless it was in some way replaced or supplemented.

“In fifth place we have the Ninja Hero: Edgeshot! Despite the injuries that he took during Kamino, he has since managed to recover and sneak his way into the top rankings!”

“We’re indoors…” Nothing to be argued there, he was out of his element. Calling someone a ninja and having them be one of the most public personalities in the country was contradictory.

“In fourth place there is none other than Best Jeanist, a suave guy that anyone can get along with but isn’t afraid to show his mettle when it comes down to it! And despite being only placed fourth in the rankings, he holds the highest approval rating out of any other Hero!”

“My appreciation goes out to all those that stood by me and continue to support me, especially those who did so even throughout my period of inactivity. I will continue to do all that I can in the hopes of repaying the kindness extended to me.” Certainly Best Jeanist was a Hero that knew how to play the crowd, but he still came off as genuine. Aurdel had to wonder how much of it was an act though.

“But next up is something that we don’t usually see this high up, a team! In order to get their names out most Heroes choose to be ranked individually, but this odd duo has strayed from the pack and as such found themselves in the limelight! Third place is jointly held by the Rabbit Hero: Mirko and the relatively new Hero Spartan!”

Third place… “When did you submit all those case completion reports behind my back?”

“Here and there, I didn't dump them all at once since I knew you would notice.”

There was a small grin under his helmet, “Cheeky rabbit.” The two of them walked out together, then took up spots next to each other in the lineup of Heroes.”

“Second place is a Hero that I’m sure many of you will know. Quick in the air and quick with his wit, he’s the man that held the number one spot for a short time in Endeavor’s place! Wing Hero: Hawks!”

“What a pain...” Hawks walked out, muttering under his breath as he waved to the crowd who cheered for him. Evidently he didn’t want to be here, and Aurdel of all people could understand that frustration. But as the number two Hero in the country, Hawks had a responsibility to show up.

“And last but certainly not least, we have the man that waited for this day for years! He fought and strove to become number one under All Might’s shadow and never once gave up, and despite all of the setbacks he faced in the past his determination has finally brought him here! In first place we have the one, the only! Flame Hero: Endeavor!” There was a roar from the audience at the announcement of the new number one Hero. Not everyone was sure how he would do, but they were certainly willing to give the enthusiasm and chance he deserved. Endeavor said nothing as he walked out, instead just opting to stand up tall and straight fit everyone to see. Clearly, he was trying to portray an appearance of total confidence in his situation and abilities. And it mostly worked. Mostly. A quick look in the eyes could tell anyone that Endeavor was furious at being paraded out for a title that he felt he had not yet earned, having not taken it but instead had it handed down to him. It also didn’t help that Aurdel was on the stage, with Aurdel standing taller than him and Endeavor holding a rather absurd grudge against him.

Each of them took up positions on stage, going from left to right in descending order of rank in the charts. “You know, I didn’t think that you would actually show up,” Hawks whispered to him, “Given the way you act, I was sold on you being busy tearing some crook apart.”

“Save the small talk for after the show, I didn’t make my decision lightly. And even though I did come, I still have my doubts.”

Another man walked up from a lower position on stage. Instead of being the president from the Hero Public Safety Commission, it was simply a PR director. “I would like to thank all of you for coming here today, because today is an important day for everyone in this country. Every year that we do the billboard chart is an important occasion, but this is the first year, since many years ago, that we will be doing the billboard without All Might. I’m sure that I speak for many when I say that there is unease over the retirement of our symbol of peace. But we have brought all these Heroes in front of you today, to reassure you that no matter what happens our peace will be preserved.” Aurdel gave his attention to the speech, but a good chunk of his focus was on something else. The largest flaw with the Hero Billboard Chart was the fact that it pulled Heroes from all across the country into one place, often taking the best and leaving the average to hold the line. In previous years this hadn’t been taken advantage of, but with All Might gone it could rather easily be done. As such, he was listening in on police radio frequencies and police scanners via the comm system in his helmet. “And now, I will allow those same Heroes that offer their efforts to offer their word and promises to continue in doing what they have done.” The speaker walked and offered the microphone up to the line of Heroes, going in ascending order.

“Anyone who believes in Heroes should know this fact: rank does not matter. A Hero will always be a Hero, regardless of whether they’re in the top ten or the very bottom. And just like every other Hero I will continue to do my duty, no matter whether I rise or fall.”.”

“My sentiments are much the same, but I feel that I must put an emphasis on my personal work.” Ryukyu began to speak, he was partially forced to tune it out as he began to hear a sudden flood of chatter on the police bands. It spoke of a prisoner riot and-

“Washa!”

“I could not have reached this position were it not for the invitation from my senior, Edgeshot, to join his team. I will not disappoint any of those that root for me and my continued success.” Fires were spreading, several prison blocks were breached and there were many guards dead or wounded. If things kept they way they were going then-

“It won’t be the same without you All Might!” Crust grabbed the mic from the PR director, “I should have been in Kamino on that day, maybe things would have gone differently!” The PR director eventually managed to wrestle the microphone back over.

“We need to leave,” Aurdel whispered to Mirko, “Now.”

“What’s going on?” She turned her head slightly,

“Prison riot, it’s getting out of hand. There’s-“

“Actions say more than words ever could, I will continue to do my job.” Edgeshot said his piece, Aurdel clued Mirko in on what was going down.

“For all those that show their support for me, I am incredibly grateful. Especially those that went to great lengths in continuing to show their support during my period of inactivity.” Best Jeanist hadn’t even finished his statement when they started to walk away, but time wasn’t something they could afford to waste with this. “I will continue to pull from that support as I-“

“Where do you two think you’re going?” Endeavor turned, taking a stern tone as he confronted them. “Don’t you have any respect for other Heroes?” The two stopped in their tracks, though Aurdel motioned for Mirko to keep going. “Every Hero earned their positions today, except for you. You rode coattails to the top and took a position you shouldn’t have.” Endeavor took a step forward, ignoring the grimaces from the other Heroes suggesting that he quit while he was ahead. “Everything that you’ve done has only ever served to damage the reputation of other Heroes in the eyes of the public.” He kept walking forward, pressing the confrontation against him. The others were now seriously trying to warn him to back off. “Do you have anything to say for yourself? Or are you going to keep hiding behind that fake mask of stoicism?” Endeavor walked straight up to him, trying to look him in the eyes even though there was a large height difference between the two of them. Endeavor was justifiably angry. Here was this man that no one knew nothing about, barging into a scene that he had no right in being in. It had probably taken decades for him to reach his spot at number two, let alone this moment now at number one. Then Aurdel then bombed a building he was going to raid, helped take down one of the most dangerous Villains, became world news, a teacher at the most prolific Hero school in Japan and a partner with one of the top Heroes. To Endeavor, it was fair to think that none of what Aurdel had was deserved. He couldn’t fault him for that. But, there was a point to be made here. Aurdel would go easy on him.

The entire room seemed to await his response, so he gave it. Four words in all. “Endeavor, how’s Shoto doing?” In all of his years, he had never seen a room filled with so many people go collectively silent in such a short time. He looked around. The crowd was at a loss for words, the other Heroes were at a loss for words. Endeavor was at a loss for words. “Tartarus is in the middle of a riot and under attack by the League of Villains. Now are you going to let me go do my duty, or are you going to make me stand here and let more men and women die?”

“Holy shit…” Dabi muttered to himself under his breath, smiling in awe of the sight he’d just witnessed on screen. Currently he and the League were attacking Tartarus, taking advantage of their little circlejerk to put their plan into action. That meant releasing some of their members and most of the prisoners, but most important it meant springing his personal idol out of a cell. At the same time he was also watching a live broadcast of the Hero Billboard, trying to make sure that they got things done before the Heroes showed up. But what was it that he saw? Endeavor, the person in the world that he hated most, being demolished with four words. Live, for everyone to see. And Dabi knew those words demolished the old man, because he knew the meaning behind them. Enji Todoroki. Endeavor. The Hero that forced his way into a quirk marriage, neglected his children and sent his wife over the edge all in the pursuit of power. And now that he tried to mend his ties there was nothing that could be done, as he was being talked down to by someone that spent more time with his own son than himself. For Dabi, it was a tsunami of catharsis. But he needed to forget that, there was something bigger happening right now. The Heroes would soon be on their way so they needed to act fast. “Twice, Toga, have you found them yet?”

“Yep, I absolutely see them!” Twice answered, “It’s almost impossible to look for him in all this mess, there's blood on the screen and prisoners all over the place!”

“To think that I might meet Stain in person…” Toga held her cheeks, “It’s getting me excited just thinking about it!”

“You freaks aren’t going to be the ones talking to him. If he met any of you he’d be completely put off.” Toga looked disappointed, he turned. “Compress, do you still have all those hostages?”

“I do,” the Magician splayed his hand and revealed each marble, “Frankly I wonder what would happen to them if I were destroyed...”

“Don’t bother giving that any thought. If you want to remember anything, then better not get destroyed.” Compress was, for lack of a better explanation, alive again and with the League. Though maybe ‘alive’ was the wrong word to use. The original Compress was still dead, bits of flesh pounded to a pulp. But Twice had all the measurements to make a clone, something that Dabi had forced him to do. Granted, Compress didn’t know of anything that had happened after he was killed but that was just a matter of bringing him up to speed on their plans.

That day… Ever since that day they’d been living off scraps on the run. Shigaraki had died, meaning that they were out of a leader. And because All For One was captured, it meant there was no one to appoint the new leader. So Dabi had taken it upon himself to do so. Twice was gullible and loyal, Compress had no choice, Toga didn’t really care and Kurogiri was on a short leash. All in all, it meant that he had total control. But all he really wanted was his symbol.

“There, there he is!” Toga pointed at the computer screen with her knife, “He’s still locked up in his cell.”

“We can’t release those cells from here, huh?” Dabi was still listening to the broadcast, “Well, in that case we’ll just have to go and politely ask them to let him and our friends go.” Dabi threw down the bag he was carrying on his back, “Each of you, take one. By the time we spring out the others you’ll know why I decided to bring these.”

Demon in Tartarus

“This is insane!” One of the officers nearby shouted, “Since when were we ever trained for something like this?!”

Aurdel raised his arm in front of the man’s head, blocking a bullet that was meant for him, “If you think this is bad, then you have no idea of the kind of thing that’s going to happen if they all get out of here!” Aurdel returned fire towards the armed prisoners. He, several of the other Heroes and many SWAT officers were currently held up on the bridge that led to Tartarus. It was a massive structure, and with all the time that was afforded to the escapees before they arrived there had been plenty of time to take up defensive positions. Even Heroes who could take a few hits, like Crust, were hard pressed in chances to move forward. And Aside from the few SWAT vans that they had with them, there was a complete lack of cover for them to use as they pushed up. And it’s not like the situation around them was any better. A number of Villains were attempting to escape through the bay around Tartarus, forcing a great deal of Heroes to divert and blockade the entirety of the prison to make sure that no one got out by sea. There was also a battle in the sky, with flying and giant Heroes taking part in the fight against Villains with similar quirks. It was all around chaos, but it was contained here. But the same could not be said if the Villains managed to break the siege and rampaged out into the city.

“There has to be something we can do…” one of the officers muttered, hunkering down behind one of the vans. Each one of them had a shot tire, bullets through the engine block or some other ailment. The only saving grace really was that the armor plating of the vans were still relatively intact, as the weapons being used against them were being shot at greater distances than their effective firing range. Then again…

“I want all of you ready to move, we’re about to push up.”

“Are you insane?!” One of the officers looked up at him.

“What’s the plan?” Hawks asked, ducking down as a hail of bullets went over his head. Aurdel had ordered him to stay with the main force in case something went wrong.

“If the armor won’t move on its own, then we move the armor!” Aurdel walked over to one of the vans devoid of people using it as cover, then he crushed its walls like a tin can. Using Overhaul he combined the two sides into one mobile wall with handles, ripping it off the chassis. For a moment fighting on both sides of the bridge stopped, no one knowing what to make of the scene. “Unless you plan to sit on this side of the bridge forever, I suggest you do the same and follow me.” The Heroes who were stronger followed his lead, ripping the armored sections off of the vans and beginning to carry them down the bridge. With that, the battle resumed with them on the offensive. Aurdel led from the front, carrying the massive shield across the bridge and towards the prison. And as they drew in closer the freed Villains began to fall back, each one of them becoming less confident now that it would be a closer range battle.

“Time to get to work!” The real fight began. Mirko jumped up and Aurdel threw the massive armor plate up into the air, she then kicked back down with an immense amount of strength and crushed over a dozen

“Are we going to keep count?” Hawks dispersed the feathers from his wings, using them to cast a wide net. Almost every single one that he let loose grabbed onto a Villain, dragged them into the air, crashed them into someone else before slamming them back down towards the ground.

“Shut up!” Endeavor shouted, letting loose a wave of flames and showering a group of VIllains in his fire. Once his opening was made he burst in, pummeling them hard.

“Washa!” A sea of bubbles floated in, lifting Villains into the air where they were forced into inaction or risk falling from a great height..

Aurdel meanwhile followed the old fashioned methods of ending a fight. “They should just give up!” Aurdel picked up the armor plate again, using it like a bat as he swung and struck another group of Villains and sent them flying. He then chucked the entire thing at one of the giant Villains that was trying to step back onto Tartarus, striking them in the crotch and causing them to fall over in pain. Another Villain that looked like a sort of odd velociraptor charged at him, baring sharp teeth to try and bite straight through him. The very moment it dove towards him he hammered their jaws shut, shattering their teeth before driving them into the knee and kicking them across the courtyard. Yet another group of Villains charged towards him with close quarters quirks, Aurdel swung and collapsed each one of them with a sweeping roundhouse kick. Before long he’d beaten his way through several gangs of Villains, each one tougher than the last but going down just the same. But soon enough the battle was over, taking only ten minutes after spending almost half an hour pushing up on the bridge. The remaining Villains who hadn’t been knocked out or restrained threw down their weapons and surrendered to the task force of Heroes and police. In the sky and sea a similar situation was playing out.

The SWAT Commander ran up to him, “We’ll secure the exterior, you and the other Heroes secure the inside and get those bastards-”

Suddenly the ground beneath their feet began to shake, cracks beginning to rip through the prison walls and ground. “Tremors… Is an earthquake going on?!” One of the officers panicked.

“It can’t be an earthquake,” Aurdel said, “This is too localized, it has to be-” Aurdel wasn’t able to finish his sentence, as the cracks soon widened and ripped apart. A dense cloud of purple gas soon began hissing out from the cracks, the same gas from the attack at the training camp.

“Glad to finally be out of here. I can’t believe that they wouldn’t send a kid to-“

“You’re not just a kid, so shut it.” Dabi took a harsh tone, “If your quirk didn’t give us the best chances of escape I would have left you here.” Before going to rescue Stain, Dabi had taken it upon himself to free the remaining members of the league who were imprisoned in Tartarus. Mustard, Muscular, Magne and Spinner were all recovered, with the only one missing being Moonfish. Ultimately it was likely for the better that the psychopath wasn’t here, having a serial killer obsessed with human flesh wouldn’t do good things for their image. He looked around, bodies littered the hallways they passed through. Some were guards, some were prisoners. Those that hadn’t died from open combat would die from the poison gas stopping the flow of oxygen inside of the prison. For a moment he thought of the guards, those who hadn’t really deserved their fates. But Dabi knew that if he were to achieve the world that sought after, sacrifices must be made to reach it. Moments later they reached Stain’s cell.

Scattered around it were fallen guards, each one with weapons drawn and looks of determination after having been in the middle of a firefight against a group of Villains targeting them from both sides. None had escaped the gas. Stain, however, was safe. Dabi looked through the one way glass, the Hero Killer still very much locked up in the vacuum sealed room with a straitjacket around his body. He was also awake, “Have you come to mock me?”

“No, I’ve come to free you.”

Stain turned towards the one way glass, an unexpected look on his face. He’d been expecting Shigaraki“…It seems that the boy's goals were a failure.”

“Shigaraki is dead, he was killed by a Hero when the League was attacked.” When Stain heard what Dabi had to say, he was almost enthralled by what he’d been told.

“Killed… By a Hero…?”

Their conversation was soon interrupted. “You know, I expected you all to show up here. But I’m not sure whether or not I should be disappointed that you were so simplistic.” Dabi turned to his left, ready to lay down a wave of fire.

The group that had arrived nearby were all wearing bird beak stylized gas masks, “It’s those Shie Hassaikai freaks,” Compress said, “Relics of a bygone era.”

“Call us what you want, but there’s one simple fact.”

“And what’s what?” Dabi asked

“That we have to work together

“Work with you Yakuza small fries? No way!” Toga chimed in from behind her mask, pulling out her knife.

“Then keep on going with your lone wolf terror attacks. See how far that carries you into the grave, just like your last leader.”

“Shigaraki didn’t know how to lead.” Dabi raised his hand, getting the other members of the League to stand down, “But I would be lying if I said that recent times haven’t been tough.”

“A full scale war is going to break out between Villains and Heroes soon, and we’ll need time to prepare.”

“Dabi, perhaps it would be best to discuss this agreement in another safer location?” Kurogiri interceded, “No doubt the Heroes will continue down here regardless of risk, and it is best not to be captured.”

“Your servant is right,” Overhaul spoke again. “There will be time to talk, but for now we should all get out of here.”

Stain stood up, looking again in Dabi’s direction after seemingly having recollected himself. “I will go with you, so long as you tell me about the Hero that killed Shigaraki.” With that Dabi released Stain, freeing the man from his cell

“Kurogiri, open the portals and send us back.” The portals opened, with the Yakuza lackeys going first followed by the other members of the League.

“Dabi!” Kurogiri suddenly raised the alarm.

Halfway through the portal Dabi turned his head around, looking back to see what was going on. The only thing that he found was an armored fist, punching his lights out and sending him through to the other side of the portal.

Skeptic scrolled through a number of news articles on one side of his screen, watching footage of the events taking place at Tartarus from the perspective of a news chopper on the other. Casualty estimates were beginning to come out, as were reports of waves of further violence across the country. He took another glance at the footage, watching the immediate aftermath as the Heroes tried to disperse the gas from the prison by blowing it out and burning it. But his eye caught something in the corner of the camera, something he quickly focused on as he began humming a tune. Right before the camera had panned away Spartan had run out the front of the prison, stopped to look at something and then ran out of sight. He began to look for more footage. “For the first time the Happyfolk felt fearful, for they knew that soon the Monkey would stir from its deep sleep.” Quickly, he was able to get additional footage. At that point in time a number of ambulances had arrived on the other side of the bridge, beginning to load the injured to take them away for treatment at hospitals. Spartan had climbed into the back of one of the ambulances, though no matter how hard he looked he wasn’t able to find who’d been loaded into that specific ambulance. He tapped his hands on the desk, freezing the footage on the frame that Spartan took one last look out of the ambulance before leaving with it. “When will you stir, Spartan?”