Chapter 51: The Stoat and the Spider
Mirai Sasaki pushed his glasses up his nose for the umpteenth time that day. The man has his usual stoic yet serious look on his face as he stared at the sight before him. It was an alleyway filled with bodies, all of them being the main members of the Shie Hassaikai, along with two destroyed vehicles. The sight was a police lab nightmare, a kind of crime scene that would cause most officers to leave to a different department than deal with the mess that was in front of the pro hero.
"It seems we were too late." Mirai sighed as he stared at the alleyway. "I knew there would be conflict, but I did not expect this kind of full route. It seems Rose's men decimated them."
"I'm sorry Sir." Mirio chimed in, the hero turning to his intern as Mirio added, "I...I was so focused on finding the girl, I didn't try to stop this carnage."
Nighteye responded by glancing back at the scene before replying, "I won't say you're wrong Mirio." His intern blinked at this, Mirari taking a deep breath before continuing, "This whole night didn't go to any plan I had. We should just be glad we saved the girl."
"I...I suppose Sir." Lemillion slowly replied before noticing Nighteye walking away from the scene. He quickly followed, the two walking down an alleyway or two as Mirio asked, "Where are we going now?"
"We found and apprehended Chisaki on that rooftop you were on while all his subordinates were in that alleyway. Even if he saw them all as disposable, he had to have been doing something else. You said you were fighting Spider-Man, yes?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I saw no webs in that alleyway. That means-" the hero's words came to a stop as he took a turn, only to see a giant coating of webbing all over an alleyway. It was the one that Izuku had shot out after being blinded by the Chameleon, though the pro hero and intern didn't know it. As for the duo, they walked around the webbing before stopping in front of a body. It was a man in a white suit, though blood had soaked through at least half of it by now. Nighteye leaned down at the figure, the moon's light shining down on that alleyway as he asked, "Now...who is this?"
Subtlety was something that Nezu, despite all his intelligence and understanding of the human psyche, still had some trouble with. For when he interrupted Inko Midoriya and walked into Izuku Midoriya's room, it's owner being someone he had wanted to meet face-to-face for some time, he soon realized his own mistake. The teen before him was not the vigilante that had impressed him time and time again, with his ability to take on villains with no fighting or quirk experience, or his seemingly perfect route of hiding his identity with his quirklessness. That was not what he was looking at right now.
The one called Izuku Midoriya that stood before him was banged up, his costume having several cuts and scorch marks, it's mask having looked like it had gone through a war...and the teen was crying. Tears were flowing down his face, and his expression wasn't much better. He looked like he had just gone through some tragedy, possibly a long-winded battle that resulted in him losing a friend and failing to save someone. But that was just Nezu's guess.
However, the stoat was also known for being blunt as he spoke up and said, "My apologies for intruding. It seems something has happened."
And as those words left his mouth, the one known as Izuku Midoriya just stared at the principal. The one called Nezu was a kind of enigma in the hero world, an animal with a quirk, Izuku has notes on him just like he had notes on every hero he could look up. However, those notes were very minimal. The dean of UA was a hidden figure, a being that publicly was shown as an individual with heightened intelligence as a quirk. But that never convinced Izuku. He was sure there was more to it, though he had to admit, he had never thought of a situation where he met the stoat...well, without being a student of UA. Unfortunately, there was a stream of tears still going down his face, which wasn't the best first impression as he stared at the being before him.
As such, Izuku opened his mouth to say something...only for nothing to come out. The sight broke his voice box. His mind couldn't form a word, and his mouth just quivered. Inko stared at him at this, seeing her son just freeze up. It had been a long time since she had seen that. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time it had happened.
Seeing this, Inko turned to Nezu and slowly spoke up, "Um...mister Nezu?" Her question made both Izuku and the stoat turn to her. She showed the softest expression she could possibly display as she asked, "Could you...could you give us a minute?" Nezu opened his mouth to respond to this, only for Inko to add, "I promise to get him out of his room and talk to you, but...that won't happen right now." She glanced back at her son, seeing the still frozen expression on his face. The sight made her grimace before looking back at Nezu, "He just...needs me and only me for a moment."
Nezu blinked at her, only to turn to Izuku. He saw a deadness in the teen's eyes, one that made the stoat want to frown. The principal prided himself in not showing too many expressions on his face, and he knew that whatever was happening here was bad. But as his eyes went back to Inko, he saw the expression on her face. It was a true mother's face, one filled with compassion and worry.
"Very well." Nezu replied as he spun and walked over to the room's door, nudging it open before saying, "Take all the time you need."
With that, he walked out of the room, Inko getting up and grabbing the door's handle next. She shut the door next, the woman taking a long deep breath before spinning around and walking over to Izuku's bed, slowly sitting down beside him. Taking another breath, she spoke up, "Sorry about that. Him and a few others just...came to the house a bit ago. And as you can see, they uh....they know you're Spider-Man."
"Yeah..." Izuku muttered out as he stared at the floor.
His mother stared at him at this, her mouth trying to form words as she looked him over. It looked like her son had just suddenly aged. He looked tired, and not the 'out of energy' tired. No, this was a 'life had just hit you really hard' tired, something he should not have been dealing with for some time. The sight made the frown on her face grow, sighing before asking, "So...what happened? Why are you crying?"
Izuku glanced up at her, tears still flowing down his face. It looked like the face of true misery, one that Inko remembered seeing only once: When he was told he was quirkless. When her son was told by that horrid doctor to give up on being a hero. The moment that destroyed everything for her son.
And now it had happened again. Something terrible had happened, and now he was back in that state. She didn't know what it could be, but then Izuku opened his mouth and said these four words, "Mister Li is dead."
His mother went fully wide-eyed, reflexively whispering out, "What?"
"Mister Li is dead." Izuku instantly repeated.
"What...what do..." Inko tried to reply, her mouth now fumbling words as she blinked at her son. And after she took a second of thought to go through her head, she slowly asked, "What...what do you mean Mister Li is dead?"
Her son's eyes slowly turned to her, water dripping from them as he whimpered out, "He...was killed."
"So...who is it, Sir?" Mirio Togata asked as he stared at the body his mentor was looking over.
Nighteye stood up at this and pushed his glasses up his nose, "I'm not sure. I don't see any identification on him." He stared down at the corpse, a slight glare in his eyes, "If I'm completely honest, I can only say one thing about this body."
"And what's that, Sir?"
"Whoever murdered this person, the murder was basically instant." Mirio opened his mouth to ask how his mentor knew that, but Mirai was one step ahead, "It seems the bullet that killed this man went straight to his heart."
"Oh." was all Lemillion could say at that. He had to admit, that sounded horrible, to be instantly snuffed out like that. As such, he took a small breath and asked, "Who do you think killed him?"
"I don't know." Mirai replied while putting a hand to his chin, "But considering all the webbing around here, its obvious this is also part of tonight's case. Spider-Man was here...but I've seen no records of him using a gun." Nighteye turned to his intern, "Did he use a gun on you?"
The hero in training shook his head, "No. He only used his fists and that webbing of his."
Nighteye glared back at the body, "Then something else is a part of this." He put a finger to his bridge of his glasses as he began to think, 'Was it a minion of Rose's who did this? It would be up their alley. But if that's the case...' A long sigh escaped his breath next before glancing back at his student, "Very well. It seems this is all we can do tonight. Let's call the police and setup a crime scene."
Mirio nodded at this, "Yes sir!"
It had taken a while, but after what was probably a good twenty or so minutes, Inko had gotten Izuku to tell her everything. As it turned out, today was the worst possible day for her son. He had gone out on a basic patrol, only to find himself fighting villain after villain. Not only that, they were after a small girl, one that when she asked why, he couldn't answer the question. That alone was beyond bizarre, but nothing compared to when he started talking about Martin Li.
When he got to that part, he described the battle in graphic detail, even showing her the broken lens on his mask. He told her how he somehow went into the man's mind, only to fight what he considered to be some kind of giant masked demon. What followed was him unmasking in front of Li, trying to appeal to the man's humanity, only for Izuku to come to a stop. It took him a few minutes to explain what happened next. There was stuttering and pauses as he described how Li had sacrificed himself for Eri. And when he got finished, his mother found herself crying with the teen.
All in all, it had been a horrible day for the vigilante...and it was not over. Not by a long shot. For after that long spiel, she began to explain why Nezu was here. She explained that Nezu had figured out Izuku's identity, and how both Nezu wanted Izuku...and Aizawa obviously did not. She warned the boy about the man, saying he was skeptical about all Izuku had done, which Izuku was slightly confused about, along with the praise Nezu had given about Izuku.
"Wait...they think I'm already UA material?"
"Yes." Inko replied while nodding.
"But...but that's impossible. I failed to get into UA." Izuku responded before glancing down at himself, "I mean, all I've done as Spider-man is fail. I'm...I'm still just a worthless Deku."
"Izuku!" his mother yelled, "You are not worthless!"
"I am!" Izuku instantly barked back, making Inko flinch. The sight made him flinch as well before glancing away, "Sorry. I uh...I didn't mean to yell. I just...I..." His words muttered out at this, the boy beginning to cry again.
"Oh Izuku..." Inko sighed and shook her head, rubbing her face next as she thought, 'This is all my fault. If only I hadn't been so scared. If only I had told off Bakugo sooner...' Shaking her head again, she whispered to herself, "No. You're here for him now."
Taking a deep breath, she reached over and took the teen's hand in her hand. The gesture made him glance back at her, only to see a look of pure determination on her face, "Listen Izuku. You need to stop thinking like that. You have worth, and you had it before that spider bit you, alright?"
"But-"
"NO!" Inko interrupted, making Izuku flinch again as his mother leaned up into his face, "You are my son, and if I say you have worth, you have worth! You are a sweet, intelligent and brilliant boy with a kind heart that's so big that I don't know how it fits in your body. You..." She took a deep breath at this, knowing that there was a part of her that hated these words, but she knew they were true. "You're my hero, you're Himiko's hero, and....and you were born to be a hero."
Izuku went wide-eyed at hearing those words. His mind kept repeating certain phrases as he heard that.
"You'll never be hero!"
"You're just a worthless pebble!"
"Listen here loser, if you really wanna be hero...go take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a quirk in the next life."
Even now, he still believed in those words. He still thought about killing himself and hoping his next life would turn out better. After all, that was he had been told time and time again, all his life. And yet, here was his mother, the one that always seemed scared to support him...just telling him to be a hero. Just like Mister Li had.
It was what he always wanted. He wanted it more than anything. He wanted to be told that, to accomplish that dream, to go out there and save lives with the biggest smile on his face.
He wanted that so much...only to shake his head at this, soon glancing away as he remembered those words again. "You...you're wrong. I'm just a worthless Deku." Inko stared at her son as he said those words, only to see him shrug and add, "I mean, I couldn't even save Mister Li. Heck, I couldn't save one little girl tonight."
"Izuku..." Inko started to say, "You-"
"My my...you were definitely right about him making this difficult." chimed in a voice, making them turn to see the room's door open, revealing a blank-faced Nezu. "My apologies, but after waiting for so long, I started listening in. Turns out, I'm glad I did, as it seems we have quite the wall to climb to help young Midoriya here."
Izuku and Inko shared a glance before turning back to Nezu as Izuku asked, "What do you mean?"
Nezu began to shine his signature grin at this, "Why don't you walk into the living room and we discuss what I mean by that?"
Izuku wasn't sure what to think when he walked into the living room. For one, he was still in his Spider-Man costume with the exception of his mask. Two, his mother had told him about the three that were now in their house, the UA principal Nezu, the detective Naomasa, and the man called Aizawa. Inko had mainly talked about him, how the man had been skeptical about Izuku, though she seemed to hesitate on anything else about the man. Then there was Himiko, who as he turned to look at her, he saw she was just curled up on the end of the living room couch. One of her eyes was glaring at Aizawa while the other was staring at Izuku, a look of...well, Izuku wasn't sure what it was. He knew he wasn't the best at reading people, but it looked worry and anger were battling for dominance on her face.
"Don't worry young Midoriya, Aizawa here will not bite. In fact, thanks to his recent outburst, I will be making sure he doesn't bite." Nezu chuckled before glaring at the man, Aizawa opening his mouth to respond, only to let out a long growl. Satisfied at this, Nezu turned to Naomasa, "Same with the detective. He's here to...help us not hide anything. I've been told you've met before?"
Izuku glanced over at the man, a vague memory popping into his head, "Yeah...but its been a while."
"Good. Just know that the good detective will be using his quirk for the majority of our meeting here. My apologies, but its a necessecity when dealing with what we will be talking about."
"Quirk?" Izuku whispered out, only to remember his last encounter with the man. Lie Detection. That made sense now in the teen's head as he wandered over to the couch and sat down, Inko sitting right beside him. She put her hand on his shoulder, making the teen glance over at her for a second before looking back at Nezu.
That is, till his eyes wandered up at Aizawa. They scanned the man over, and the teen couldn't help but think the man looked familiar. Very familiar. But before his mind could come to a conclusion, Nezu clapped his paws, Izuku turning to the stoat and seeing he had sat down in a chair. He stared directly at the vigilante and began to speak, "Now, where to begin? I will start by reintroducing myself: My name is Nezu, principal of UA. Behind me are Shouta Aizawa and Detective Naomasa, and we are here to discuss your...how you say, secret vigilante identity."
Izuku flinched at that statement, only to see the stoat smile and shake his head, "Now hang on, you're not in trouble. At least, not in any kind of major trouble. Let's just say...there's a lot to do, and I hope to get something going tonight." Izuku opened his mouth to respond, only for Nezu to flash a paw, "Hold on there. Let me explain first, then we can get to questions and explanations. For starters, I'll explain how we found out about your secret identity. Considering our recent..." Nezu glanced over at the teen's mother, "Arguments due to certain understandings and misunderstandings, I believe its best if I come clean first." He looked back at Izuku, "I just wanted you to be here so we can get everything in order."
Taking a deep breath, the stoat began to talk. He told Izuku how the vigilante has first been reported due to him stopping the bank robbers, Nezu praising the teen's quickness in fighting the criminals. And it was here that Nezu noticed exactly what Inko was talking about earlier. Izuku flinched at the praise, as if he thought it was lie or some kind of sweet words to trick the teen. Seeing this, Nezu knew that Inko was truly right, even more so after listening in to the teen and his mother earlier.
As such, he continued to talk, telling how a case was set up on Izuku after fighting the criminals and then praising Izuku over fighting the Vulture. Seeing the teen's reaction again, Nezu decided to change strategies, and instead just began laying out the facts with no compliments in between. He told Izuku about the Inner Demons, (Which Izuku commented he didn't realize they were called that, Naomasa going wide-eyed at the statement, Nezu laughing at this, and Aizawa's right eye twitching before Nezu continued.) about how the police began to create a full file after the Mysterio bank robbery, (Which Izuku also asked who that was, only to realize it was fishbowl-head) Gentle Criminal, Scorpion, Spinner, and finally the gang fight that happened outside of the sports festival.
But it was here that Nezu began to praise the boy again, stating that thanks to this, he had become front page news, the stoat telling Izuku how amazed he was over the footage he saw. He told Izuku how surprised he was that one teen took on both villain gangs, only to then go after the hero killer. And as he said this, he saw Izuku's face switch to something he didn't fully expect. Up to this point, Izuku's face showed a cross between worry and slight intrigue over finding out the police had created such a file...only for it to switch to pure disbelief.
"You...you're joking, right?"
"What do you mean?" Nezu asked while slightly tilting his head.
"I mean, you said that I was amazing to fight those gangs and the hero killer?" Izuku responded as the frown on his face grew.
"Why yes!" Nezu exclaimed, clapping his paws once. "You alone took on a force that most heroes would struggle with, and that's not counting the hero killer. You meddled into others' affairs to help whoever is in need without any offer of reward or publicity. That is a sign of a true hero."
And as he excitedly said this, Nezu almost showed shock on his face as Izuku replied, "But...but anyone could have done that. Heck, any F-rank hero could have done what I did that day."
The statement made the room turn silent. A pin could be heard if it was dropped in that moment. Nezu's eyes turned to Inko, the mother showing a sad frown, confirming what he was thinking. Naomasa couldn't believe what he had just heard, especially when Nezu turned to him. He nodded to the stoat, confirming his quirk hadn't gone off. Izuku hadn't lied, he sincerely believed what he had just said. And then there was Aizawa. The man was seeing red, his teeth gritting as he heard the statement. He couldn't believe it. This kid was Spider-Man? Aizawa opened his mouth, ready to yell, only to see Himiko glaring at him. The underground hero was about to glare back, only for her face to suddenly change in his mind, changing back to that retired hero at FEAST.
"Stop sneering."
"You're just like me before I became a hero. I'm betting you couldn't care less about others until something bad happened to you or someone you cared about, and now you're a hero because of that bad thing that happened to you."
"And now, you act like a jerk with his head held up high and mighty, sneering at them as you think you're always right because you've seen the worst humanity has to offer. Am I wrong?"
'That worthless retired hero!' Aizawa mentally growled, 'Why do I keep thinking about that?!' His eyes went back to Izuku, seeing the disbelief on the child's face, the sight making him twist up inside.
And as Aizawa stewed in his thoughts, Nezu spoke up again, "I see. Well...let's get back to the investigation." With that, Nezu explained how they started to investigate FEAST after Martin Li's arrest, Izuku flinching at this, but Nezu told the teen it was necessary. The principal didn't tell the teen that he had sent Aizawa, as he knew that would just make his goal of getting Izuku to UA even harder, and then declared he figured it out after this by examining the support exams.
"Also, I would like to apologize over the support exams. Unfortunately, I am not the one that runs them, and as such, I didn't realize you could have taken that exam to get into my school." He did a small bow, "I'm deeply sorry."
Izuku shook his head, "No no, its okay. Don't...don't worry about it." The teen glanced down at the floor at this, "I mean, I did fail fair and square. You shouldn't have to apologize for my failures."
"Nonsense young Midoriya. I wouldn't apologize unless I wanted to bring you into UA."
Izuku went wide-eyed at this. Nezu hadn't really said anything about UA up to this point, it had only been about the investigation. As such, the teen began to mutter out, "S-s-surely you're joking. I failed to get into UA. I...I don't deserve such a thing since I failed."
"I am not joking." Nezu replied, "After everything I have said over our investigation on you, surely you must realize how valuable you are." He shined his signature smile at this, "Izuku Midoriya, your mother has told me much about you and dreams of becoming a hero. As such, between what I have gone over with you and the accomplishments you have already done...I would like to invite you to become a student of the hero course at UA."
The teen flinched at those words. He felt like he was going to curl up into the couch, shrinking as he didn't want to think about what the stoat had just said. However, that soon came to an end as Izuku sputtered out, "You...you're joking, right? You're not pulling my leg or anything, right? I mean, I know I was quirkless and-"
"I don't care about that." Nezu interrupted before hopping off the chair. His smile was gone as he put his paws behind his back, "Granted, I want to later investigate your abilities and how you got them, but...you, Izuku Midoriya, as I have stated before, are extraordinary. Everything I have gone over tonight is evidence to show you are more than worthy of being a hero student." Izuku opened his mouth at this, only for Nezu to add, "You wish to be a hero, do you not? Well, this is your way to do it. A way to get your hero license and everything." He then did a long bow, "And I for one would be honored to have you as a student at UA."
Izuku's eyes couldn't get any bigger as he stared at the sight before him. The principal of the greatest hero school has said it would be an honor to have him as a student. That alone made Izuku tremble. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'Is this a dream?' he thought, quickly and silently pinching himself, 'Ow!'
And as he did this, he turned to his mother. There, he saw a face filled with tears, yet a big smile was on it as well. She gave him a small nod before whispering, "Its not a dream. They want you to be a hero."
"Indeed I do." Nezu chimed in, both glancing back at the stoat. "I believe you, Izuku Midoriya, have true potential beyond any hero we are currently training. You have shown abilities and skills that most heroes train all their lives for, and I believe that you could one day become one of the best. You just need...well, mainly legal help more than anything." He then presented his paw, "Will you accept my offer?"
Izuku stared at the hand, but he couldn't move. His whole body froze up as he stared at the stoat. He just couldn't believe what was in front of him. And with a slight gulp, his body began to move on its own, slowly taking the hand. Nezu quickly shook it, only to feel how...weak it felt. It felt powerless, feeble and shaky. Nothing like the vigilante he had watched over and over with what little footage they had.
'Mrs. Midoriya is right. The boy is nearly broken.' Nezu thought before glancing up at the teen's eyes. There, despite how dead they looked...there was a fire there. A blazing inferno, one filled with passion and strength. 'And yet...there's fire there. A truly unstoppable spirit. Yes...he's perfect for the job. He can do it.'
And as the hand/paw shake ended, Nezu hopped back onto the chair with a giant grin, "Thank you. Now, where to begin..." Nezu chuckled to himself as rubbed his paws together, "To start, in order to get you into UA, we will need to get your bounty lifted."
"Bounty?! I have a bounty on me?!" Izuku yelped, Inko mentally facepalming as she forgot to tell him about that. That and she was wondering why Nezu hadn't brought that up till now.
Nezu did a small nod back, "Yes. You see, the hero commission has confirmed you as a threat to the hero society, and as such, put a villain ranking and bounty on you."
Izuku went wide-eyed at this, letting out a gasp, "WHAT?! B-b-but I'm not a criminal or a villain!"
"You are." Aizawa chimed in, only for Nezu to turn and glare at the man, the underground hero then adding, "You're a vigilante kid. That's basically a criminal."
"But-"
"Now hold on. No need to panic." Nezu spoke up, the stoat looking back at Izuku, "After all, as I said before, I am here to get you into UA. That includes helping you get your bounty lifted. That will also include taking you out of the villain rankings." The principal glanced up at Aizawa again, "And you will not be saying another word."
"Nezu-"
"Be quiet!" Nezu snapped, his usual blank expression showing a hint of anger for a second, only to switch back a moment later, "You lost, remember? We'll be talking about your punishment for your earlier outburst later. In the meantime, you will be stand there and say nothing. You will only be observing your future student."
Aizawa let out a small growl at this, the man's eyes narrowing at the stoat. One of his hands was gripping his scarf, the other shaking into a fist. There was hatred in his eyes, and he really wanted to express it despite his usual dour stance. And with a small snort, he glanced away, making Nezu chuckle before the stoat went back to Izuku. But as this happened, Aizawa's eyes drifted to the others on the couch, only to see a giant smirk on Himiko Toga's face.
'This can't be happening.' Aizawa thought as he stared at the scene. 'This is Spider-Man?! This is the vigilante that beat up gangs that heroes wouldn't touch?! The one who beat the hero killer?! Impossible. Maybe those records from Aldera are false now that I'm looking at him, but...how could he do any of that? The kid can barely think for himself.'
Those had been his thoughts for quite a while as the situation had unfolded, only to repeat in his head again. And as Aizawa's thoughts continued to spiral, Nezu took a small breath before beginning his explanation. "Now young Midoriya, due to your...recent exploits, the hero commission deemed you a threat to the current hero society." Izuku opened his mouth at this, only for Nezu to flash a paw at him, "Let me speak. I'll answer your questions after I've explained everything."
"Oh...okay. Sorry." Izuku muttered out, the stoat chuckling at his response.
"Its fine. Anyways, as I was saying, the hero commission has become very...paranoid over the recent years. Due to certain changes in the current hero society, they have issues with anything that could change the status quo. They are firm believers in the law, and wish to see all that do good to be regulated as such." Nezu's eyes drifted over to Himiko, the girl's stare showing she didn't agree with such a thing, making him smile as he added, "As you can probably guess, I'm not the biggest fan of it either. Thankfully, there are always loopholes."
Nezu glanced back at Izuku as a smile shined on his face, "You see young Midoriya, as I stated before, I wish for you to join UA. Even now, considering everything that I have investigated about you, I believe you are already several steps ahead of students your age and grade." Izuku opened his mouth again, but Nezu shook his head, "Please don't interrupt. I know what you think and how lowly you think of yourself, but what I'm saying is fact. However, society dictates you still need to go to hero school in order to get your license, which is why I want to help you get into UA." Nezu's grin began to disappear at this, "As you can guess, in order to do that, it will require a...difficult task for you to complete. That being, the removal of your bounty."
The teen didn't respond, his mind still going over Nezu's words, only for Nezu to then add, "In order to do this, I will have to go to hero commission and make them take it down. However, such an act is...not easy. The best way is for me to give something the commission wants. As such, I will be giving you a task to complete, one that will get you on the commission's good side." Izuku just continued to stare, making the stoat sigh before adding, "I'll keep it simple. I need you to help me take down a villain."
This caused Izuku's mind to shift back to reality, his mouth moving reflexively as he asked, "A villain?"
Nezu nodded back, "Yes. It is one that...well, let's say that if you get rid of it, the hero commission will have no choice but to acknowledge you. Especially if I push them."
Izuku leaned back at this. Of what he knew of the hero commission, they were basically the government's section that handled all hero matters, and they had great political power. Otherwise, he didn't know much except they determine if someone gets a hero license or not. That was something he needed if he wanted to be a hero.
"Um...okay. Who's the villain?"
"He is called Fisk, also known as The Kingpin."
As those words left Nezu's mouth, multiple reactions flooded the room. Naomasa was flinching at the name, knowing what it meant. Aizawa just sighed, muttering how this was a waste of time under his breath. Himiko tilted her head, her mind going over how weird the name sounded. But it was Izuku and Inko's reactions that intrigued Nezu the most. Izuku instantly went wide-eyed, hitching a gasp while Inko's whole body flinched, the woman now remembering Izuku talking about that name after he had started investigating Martin Li.
The sight made Nezu shine a huge grin as he asked, "This is unexpected. You've heard of the man?"
"I...I..." Izuku tried to say, only to shake his head before replying, "I didn't know he had a name. I...I honestly wasn't sure the Kingpin actually existed."
Nezu tilted his head at this, "Why do you say that?"
Izuku and Inko shared a glance, his mother doing a silent nod. Seeing this, Izuku leaned back into the couch and began to speak, "So uh...mom told me that she told you about everything I've done so far, right?" The stoat nodded back, "Well, when I was trying to get Mister Li, I searched his office and I found some folders over...well, over a lot of stuff. I took pictures of it all on my phone and went over them on my computer, and one name reappeared multiple times."
"The Kingpin?" Nezu asked, instantly knowing where this was going.
Izuku nodded back before continuing, the teen placing a hand to his chin, "Yeah. I didn't understand it at the time, as the stuff he had in his office also had maps with locations across several districts. After a bit, I figured out which were his hideouts, along with a map where he was trying to determine where Tombstone was operating from."
"And then you went and confronted Martin Li." Nezu continued, the smile on his face growing. He knew the vigilante had a knack for investigation, but he didn't expect it to be this good. 'This keeps getting better and better. To think he would already have investigative experience. Yes...he's definitely the one.' the stoat thought as Izuku began to recount what happened next, only for the principal to flash a paw, telling the teen to stop. "Let's skip that and get back to the Kingpin, shall we?"
"Okay." Izuku tilted his head at this. "So uh...who is he?"
"He...in the simplest terms, is a villain. A villain that no hero or even the police can touch. At least, not without grave consequences." That made Izuku go wide-eyed, only to see the stoat raise a paw, "Now, I know that unbelievable, but there are...circumstances. Ones that I will get into."
With that, Nezu took a small breath before he began, the stoat rubbing his paws as he spoke up, "To begin, there are certain things that I will be...skimming over, as they are considered confidential." The three on the couch blinked at this, only to see the principal shine a tiny smile, "Don't worry, its nothing serious. Its just...certain information I will be going over is not allowed to reach most ears. As such, I will be giving a simple overview of the facts that led into why I need you to take on the Kingpin."
"Okay..." Izuku slowly replied while putting his hands together, the teen now twiddling his thumbs.
"So, to start, your mother told us you are a big fan of All Might, correct?" Izuku rapidly nodded back, a big smile appearing on his face. The stoat chuckled at the sight, Aizawa squinting as Nezu continued, "Good. Now, as you probably know, All Might has been the Symbol of Peace for decades now, but can you tell me how long he's been a hero?"
Izuku put a hand to his chin, the teen's mind instantly going through the amount of trivia he knew on his favorite hero, "Let's see...I don't know the exact date he became a hero, but I do know he's been around for over thirty plus years."
Nezu nodded back, "Correct. However, how long do you think the peace he created has lasted?"
The vigilante blinked at this, soon tilting his head, "What do you mean? Hasn't he been the Symbol of Peace since he became a hero?" Izuku put his hand to his chin again, "At least, I know he's been the symbol for like...twenty years. It was before I was born."
The stoat shook his head. "Not bad, but unfortunately, you are incorrect. The truth is, the peace that he created has only lasted around five years or so."
Izuku went fully wide-eyed at this, the teen gasping before stuttering out, "B-b-but that's impossible! All Might's presence alone has caused crime to go down in Japan for years now! Everyone knows that!"
Nezu's smile started to shift to a slight frown, "On the one hand, that is true. However, on the other...it couldn't be more wrong."
"Hmph. It is because most heroes don't do their jobs?" Himiko suddenly chimed in, making everyone turn to her, seeing a cold dead expression on her face.
"Himiko!" Izuku yelped, only to see the girl shrug.
"I'm just calling it like I see it."
"But-"
"She's not wrong, but that's not the reason." Nezu interrupted, the teen glancing back at the stoat. He then raised a paw at this, "If you don't mind, please don't interrupt this next part, as it is the...confidential part that I will be skimming over." Hearing this, Izuku leaned back into his seat as Nezu took a small breath to begin, "For starters, it is not because most heroes are media powerhouses these days. In actuality, the main reason was entirely covered up."
"Covered up?"
Nezu nodded, "Yes. You see, despite All Might's presence as the Symbol of Peace, certain crimes never went down. The basics that interrupt normal life, such as acts of villainy, were severely reduced, but...how you say, the crimes hidden from the public never were. In fact, once All Might came into the picture, these crimes skyrocketed for some time." Izuku went wide-eyed again. The idea that All Might's presence helped make more crime happen sounded crazy to the teen. But that was just the start as Nezu continued, "This was due to a certain villain. This villain had vast connections, one that reached all over the country of Japan."
As these words left the stoat's mouth, Inko surprisingly spoke up, "Something like that exists? Wait...you're not thinking of-"
Nezu shook his head again, "No, Mrs. Midoriya. The individual I am talking about was defeated. He is not what Izuku will be taking on." The stoat slightly shifted in his seat. He knew he had to pick his words carefully now. The villain he was talking about was the infamous All For One, the 'quirk boogeyman', and a being he had spent much time helping take down...and thanks to the USJ incident, it seemed that time may have been wasted. Taking a small breath, he continued, "In fact Mrs. Midoriya, I would like to confirm that if that villain was still around, I would not send your son. That individual is...something entirely different."
Inko's face scrunched up at this, only for her son to ask, "Okay...so, what does this have to do with the Kingpin?"
The stoat snapped his paws at this, "I'm getting to that. You see, when All Might confronted this villain, it was after a long and lengthy search. The man was a master of hiding and managing his crimes from the shadows. However, due to a stroke of luck along with an investigation I helped with, we found the villain. However, that is where the Kingpin comes into the picture."
"Was he in league with this villain?"
"Good guess, but no. In fact, it was the exact opposite. We didn't even know of his existence until the villain was defeated. However, that's not the point." Nezu put his paws together in a temple-like formation, "What I will be explaining next will be...difficult, so I'll try to keep it simple. Basically, when we found this villain, the hero commission stepped in. They argued that it was too soon to take out the villain, as they believed if he was taken out, a power vacuum would open up in the criminal underworld, one that would cause chaos throughout all of Japan."
Inko just stared at the stoat, the mother now lost before turning to her son. She saw that Izuku was now in a certain pose, one she was very familiar with. It was when he had an idea, but was stuck on executing it. He had done it hundreds of times when making gadgets and gizmos, but this one had a different edge to it. She then looked back at Nezu, the stoat staring at the teen, as if he was expecting some kind of response.
A second later, one came as Izuku spoke up, "So...let me get this straight: This villain was so powerful that he controlled the criminal underworld, and the hero commission believed there wasn't enough heroes to deal with the fallout?"
Nezu snapped his paws, "Correct!" He shined a small grin at this, "I knew you could follow what I was saying. Yes, the commission believed the hero society was not ready for the consequences of taking out this villain. But All Might refused to wait. He wanted the villain taken down immediately."
Izuku showed his own grin at this, "Well of course he did! He's All Might! No villain can beat him!"
The stoat just chuckled at this, "That is true." And as Nezu said this, Aizawa growled at the statement, but Nezu ignored him as he continued, "However, the commission was not wrong. There would be fallout, one that would result in a massive power vacuum like no other."
And as those words hit Izuku's brain, a gear shifted inside as he responded, "But that didn't happen, did it?"
Nezu nodded again, "Indeed. The exact opposite happened." The stoat's grin vanished, "When the villain was beaten, the hero commission was prepared to send agents all over the country, ready to stop both villains and criminals. It was even suggested that a vigilante uprising would soon happen. However...that never happened."
Izuku crossed his arms in thought, the teen soon saying, "The only way that would happen is if someone instantly closed the power vacuum." His eyes began to grow at this, "Wait...you don't mean-"
"Indeed I do. The Kingpin is the one who closed the vacuum." Nezu replied while putting his paws together again, "You see, the individual known as the Kingpin came into the...I suppose you could call it darklight since he is a criminal, out of nowhere." Izuku could only stare at the stoat at this, his mind quickly putting down the Kingpin's name as Nezu continued, "The Kingpin did not have connections like the villain that was defeated...but he did have the money. So much that it is suspected he paid off most criminal gangs and villains right after the power vacuum was opened."
"But its not just that, is it?" Izuku instantly caught on, "If he could do that, why is he still around? Couldn't the heroes also take him down?"
"You catch on quickly. Good." Nezu chuckled before showing the teen a dour frown, "I'll be completely honest with you here. When All Might defeated that villain five years ago, the Kingpin instantly came in and seized power. In response, a force was created to take him down, only for something...human to happen."
"Human?"
"Greed." Nezu responded, Izuku grimacing as he heard this. The stoat shook his head, "I'll be frank. The Kingpin made sure to put his hands into multiple pockets, and unlike the other villain, he has the money for it. This includes the hero commission."
"Wait...but that means-"
"The Kingpin has a financial hold on the hero commission. It is why heroes can not touch him." Nezu slowly said, now seeing the shock appearing on the teen's face. He knew this would happen. It was why this case was such a problem. The villain had political power, unlike All For One. All For One, the original villain that had control over the underworld was one that used power and only power. He saw no need to play politics, as he believed his power would allow him control of the world and nothing else was needed. However, the Kingpin was different. He was one that Nezu would describe as an individual who ran his criminal empire like a business. That alone was a truly scary thought, and it was here he was demonstrating exactly why he needed Izuku.
But as he thought about these things, he saw Izuku's brain turn. The gears inside that skull were moving, but they hadn't got there yet. Instead, the stoat turned to Inko, who just looked both confused and scared, and Himiko Toga just wore a big frown. And as he glanced back at Izuku, he saw the teen begin to speak, "So...if he has some control in the hero commission, he can remove hero licenses, can't he?" Nezu nodded again, "And if he has that kind of money, that means he probably can prevent the courts and the police too..."
Izuku went wide-eyed at this, "Wait...he can't touch a vigilante, can he?"
The stoat snapped his paws again, "Exactly." Nezu then shook his head, "But its not just that. If the Kingpin had just power by using money and politics, it would still be possible to touch him." The principal shined a small smile at this, "Can you guess why?"
Izuku leaned back again, going over what he had just learned. The facts all lined up...but he knew Nezu was right. There would have to be something else, something that would allow Kingpin to roam free. Especially if the hero commission knew he existed. And as he reviewed the facts a third time in his head, a click went off in his brain, "The power vacuum...that wasn't the only thing that happened, was it?" He muttered out before staring directly at the stoat, "That villain you said that ruled the criminal underworld...he must have caused something else to happen that the Kingpin also fixed. That's the only way it would have worked."
"Excellent!" Nezu cheered, the stoat clapping at Izuku's response. He then snapped his paws and pointed at the teen, "You get all marks." He put his paws back into a temple-like formation, "Indeed. You see, the villain that once ruled the underworld was just as wealthy. He was an individual that...well, he wasn't a man of politics, but he understood business well. He just also found such things beneath him." The stoat's grin grew at this, "Can you guess where I'm going with this?"
A few more gears turned in Izuku's head before he responded, "If I had to take a guess...you said he saw it was beneath him. That means his quirk must have been something else to gain that kind of control." Another click went off in his brain, "He created a disaster, didn't he?"
Nezu nodded in response, "Correct. A disaster that the commission believed would cost millions to repair. Millions they didn't have at the time."
"So the Kingpin paid for it all, and probably helped them cover it up." Izuku added, Nezu nodding once more. "But if he's willing to do that, they should still be able to touch him."
"Not if he owns most of their stock, along with just about every major news company in Japan." Nezu added, making Izuku go wide-eyed.
"Wait...he can control the media."
"Indeed. And the media is what the commission is all about. They care not for society compared to how much they care about their image." Izuku opened his mouth to respond to this, only to see Nezu shake his head, "I know, its displeasing...but its the facts. Its how the hero society works."
Izuku leaned back at this, slumping into the couch. His mind, which was already exhausted, tried to go over every bit of information. And as he continued to skim through it all, he felt his body telling him to go to sleep. The day had been so much, only to be thrust into something like this. But the teen's mind said otherwise. It pushed through as he thought up a new train of logic, 'If what principal Nezu says is true, this is corruption all the way to the top. How could I possibly stop that?'
With that thought going through his head, he spoke up, "So...what do you want me to do?"
Nezu shined a new smile at this, "Simple. I want you to stop his illegal operations. In particular, his drug trade." Izuku blinked at this, only for the stoat to continue, "You see, the drug trade he runs is his biggest money maker, and the best way to make him lose power is to go for his wallet. However, he makes sure to do in districts where the heroes there are not allowed to touch certain streets without fear of losing their licenses. Granted, there's a bit more to it, but as a vigilante...well, that is a different story. A vigilante can shut down these operations. That is why I want you onboard with this."
Izuku put a hand to his chin in thought at this, only to glance over at his mom. Inko stared at him, showing she hadn't exactly followed everything, but she knew what she needed to say, "Izuku...this is your choice. I trust you."
Staring at her for a second, he did a small nod and glanced back at Nezu. "I uh...I still have questions, and I'm betting we'll go over them, but if this will let me be a hero, and...and well, I need to know why Mister Li was after this guy. So...I'm in."
Nezu's grin grew at this, reaching out his paw again for a shake, "Glad to have you onboard."
Another hour had passed after Izuku had accepted Nezu's offer.
The two discussed many things despite Izuku's tired state. He told the stoat he wouldn't be able to instantly go into Spider-Man mode until at least a day of rest, which Nezu was fine with. Nezu informed the boy that it was the weekend now, so he had his own free time to make plans with Izuku before he really got to work. Not only that, Izuku then showed Nezu his room, the principal commenting on his little workshop before asking to take the spider in the jar. He told the teen he knew some chemists and biologists he trusted could take a look with much better equipment. This was followed by Nezu reading some of the teen's journals, impressed by his notes as well before giving the boy his phone number and telling him he would contact him soon.
And as Nezu left with Naomasa and Aizawa, he had the biggest grin on his face.
That is, till Aizawa spoke up as they got to their car.
"Nezu...you still can't be serious about what you just did." Aizawa growled, making the stoat glance back at him.
"I'm one hundred percent serious." Nezu replied, "And don't think I haven't forgotten your outburst."
"That's not the point." Aizawa added, "You and I both know that kid is not right." The teacher turned to Naomasa, "You saw that, didn't you?! That kid looked like he was going to have a panic attack any second!"
"Uh..." Naomasa tried to say, only for Nezu to speak up.
"Now now, don't be jealous that I found something better than your star student."
Aizawa's veins on his face pulsed, "And that's another thing. Don't think for a second I'm gonna let you touch one of my students."
"But you will. For you see, starting today, you no longer have the right to expel students." Nezu instantly replied.
"WHAT?!" Aizawa screeched, "You have no right-"
"I do have the right." Nezu continued, "I've always despised your method, though I will admit it sometimes works. Last year's class was bad, but it left our sports festival last year to be...lacking."
"You..."
"Be quiet." Nezu spat, making Aizawa tense up before the stoat continued, "Starting tomorrow, I will be investigating Katsuki Bakugo's entire past, and you cannot stop me. Not only that, but you will also not have your privilege to expel students given back to you unless all your students pass the final exams. And I do mean all."
"But they're already all going to fail! Most of them are-"
"And that's not my problem. That's yours." Nezu chimed in, Aizawa's face contorting in anger. However, this didn't deter the principal as he added, "I know you're missing a vital component to your class, which is why two days from now when school starts again, I will let you use the Top Four to help your class. Until then, suck it up and deal with it."
Aizawa continued to growl, only for Naomasa, who had been mostly silent all night, spoke up, "So uh...Nezu?" The stoat turned to him, "What about the whole...you know, commission blaming the police over Spider-Man thing? The chief is not gonna be happy."
"I'll handle him and the commission." Nezu added as they hopped into the car, only for Aizawa to glare at him again, "What?"
"That Midoriya kid is not ready. He's barely mentally stable. He should be going to therapy, not trying to be a hero."
Nezu shook his head, "Oh Aizawa...so naive. That boy has a fire you'll never have." The stoat then pulled out a folder out of nowhere, "Especially since you decided to pull out a dirty trick like this."
"You-"
"You had no right to do what you did." Nezu interrupted before opening the folder, "These records from Aldera...they're too ridiculous to be true."
"Tch. Of course you would believe that." Aizawa grumbled as he slumped down in his seat before glaring back at Nezu, "And you're the naive one. What'd you think will happen when Kingpin starts going after that mentally unstable brat?! He'll die!"
"That won't happen."
"Oh, come on!" Aizawa spat, "Did you not see how he was acting?!"
"He was tired Aizawa."
"He's unstable! And that's a human life you're toying with Nezu! One that the Kingpin will snuff out in an instant!"
"I know." Nezu calmly responded, "But I also know the Kingpin. And Spider-Man has proven to take on monsters that heroes could not, and I know that he is not even on Kingpin's radar. In fact, Izuku will have given me the leverage I'll need before Kingpin will start acting against him. I can count on it."
Meanwhile...
In a half-darkened room, a large man sat behind a giant marble desk, his pearly white teeth opening as he released the cigarette holder from his mouth. He put the holder onto a nearby ashtray, letting out a long sigh as he watched a certain individual open the main doors into the room. He wasn't the only one watching the frames, as in a seat in front of the desk was holding a flat-headed man called Hammerhead. The man had a scowl on his face, his teeth gritting as the doors to the room slowly swung open, revealing a purple-masked man called The Rose.
"Rose..." the man behind the desk slowly said as the masked man walked across the room.
Rose walked up and did a small bow before reaching into a suit pocket and took out a small device. "As you requested, the yakuza's Trigger formula."
The one behind the desk stared down at the USB placed on his desk, his eyes narrowing at the device before glancing back up at Rose, "And the bullets?"
A second of silence followed this, Rose feeling a small lump go down his throat as he responded, "I am sorry sir, but the source of the bullets was...taken by the one called Spider-Man."
"I see. And you didn't pursue him, why?" the man replied in a low, grumbling voice.
"Well...due to circumstances and heroes interfering, we-"
"Shut it." the man behind the desk interrupted, Rose's whole body flinching at this. The man's tone was firm, steady...and very very deep. And with one swift motion, the man ascended from his chair, the room's shadow still looming over him. A massive hand reached down into the desk and pulled open a drawer, the hand then taking out a small case inside. With a small clicking noise ringing out, the case opened to reveal a set of high-quality cuban cigars, the man taking one out before shutting the case and putting it back in the drawer. And as he closed it, Hammerhead quickly rose from his seat and walked over to the man, taking out a lighter.
A small flame soon hit the cigar as the man behind the desk came into view. Hammerhead put the lighter away a second later as thug sat back down, Rose still standing as the now cigar-smoking man walked up in front of him. He towered over Rose, who was a fairly tall man, as the shadow over him faded with the light of the cigar. Before the Rose was a cleanly shaved bald man of over six feet, his body a giant mass of muscles packed tightly in a pure white tuxedo, long dark blue dress pants, and shining polished heeled dress shoes. His teeth were pearly white, and his hands looked as if they could snap a steel beam in two, and yet he delicately took the cigar out of his mouth as he began to speak.
"You failed Rose. I wanted the yakuza dead, their Trigger formula under my drug rings, and their quirk erasing bullets under my control." he put the cigar to his mouth and sucked in, its light slightly flickering before he let out a giant puff of smoke. "And yet...you only did two of these things. You, one of my most trusted, let a vigilante ruin the operation. I gave you full control, yet you failed."
The Rose stood there, his whole form shaking before bowing, "I am sorry sir. I-"
"No excuses." the man interrupted before pointing to the cigar at Rose, "Tell me Rose, who am I?"
Rose glanced back up from his bow, "You...are the Kingpin, sir."
"That's right." Kingpin replied as he walked around the desk and sat back down, leaning back into the chair, "And how do I run my empire?"
"As a business, sir."
"Exactly." Kingpin replied before taking another smoke, "You see, the thugs of the criminal underworld believes it can be run through things like loyalty and gang violence. They believe that they can just commit crimes and whoever does the best will be on top." He put the cigar down on an ashtray, "But that's not how it works in my business. For you see, the criminal underworld that exists today...is mine." A deep dark glare shined from the man's eyes, "I run the underworld. I run its criminal rackets. I created a system that makes sure the so-called heroes can do nothing to us. I replaced All For One, and I will always be superior to him. Do you agree?"
"I agree, sir."
"Good." Kingpin replied before reaching over and taking the USB drive on the desk. He then turned to Hammerhead, "And if you understand that, then you know that what I'm about to do is not personal. It is just business." With a slight push, the drive was sent sliding across the desk, stopping in front of Hammerhead, "Hammerhead, the Trigger formula is yours. I want you and your boys to set up some drug labs. Find a few locations and I'll buy 'em. Just get them setup asap, as I want this stuff on the streets yesterday."
Rose went wide-eyed under his mask at this, about to open his mouth before Hammerhead took the drive and said, "Understood boss."
With that, the thug rose up and started to walk out of the room. And as he did this, Rose turned and watched the thug go, only for Kingpin to speak up, "Remember. This is nothing personal." Rose looked back at Kingpin, the man now putting both his hands together in a focused temple like formation. "Instead, for your failure, you get a new assignment."
Rose flinched again at this, only to quickly straighten himself, "Yes sir. What is it you would like me to do?"
"Two things. One, you get me the source of the bullets. That...girl with the rewind quirk. I want that power."
Rose did a small nod back, "And the other?"
"The other is even simpler. As you know, we have ways of dealing with heroes. Like with any business, they can bought and sold with ease. Vigilantes on the other hand..." Kingpin took the cigar in his hand again, only to crush it in his palm. "They will not be tolerated." His eyes glared back at Rose, the focus of them deep and deadly dark as he added, "So your other assignment is this: Kill Spider-Man."