[I'm back ladies and gentlmens]
Changing into his heroic uniform, Izuku rushed off to hunt down the members of the Miyamoto clan. According to information obtained from La Brava, he discovered that many members of this family were hiding in bases scattered throughout the city. But Izuku didn't know how many such bases there were or whether he would have enough strength to take them all on.
Jumping across the roofs of Japanese houses at night, he watched the cars on the lit street. Many people were going about their business carefree.
"Be extremely careful, Izuku. We saw on the internet how security has been tightened throughout the city," Venom said as he used his tentacles to cover huge distances. Now his host did not fly through buildings, but used jumps, occasionally using his tentacles as an auxiliary tool.
"And all because of one old man," Izuku replied, listening to various noises. Due to his heightened hearing, he could hear screams and cries for help, but as he moved forward, everything was suspiciously quiet.
"How do you think the yakuza reacted to saving that old man on the bridge when we were just starting out as heroes?" It was relatively recent, but Izuku's attention was distracted by the many heroes patrolling the streets in groups. Police cars and patrols tried to maintain order when everything seemed relatively safe.
Finding nothing interesting, Izuku headed to the other side of the city, to less prosperous areas. He had visited such places many times before, knowing that many heroes refused to go there, knowing that they could die in the line of duty. Occasionally, he crossed paths with Dabi, but they had to exchange a few words so as not to be noticed.
Moving in the shadows, like a creature made of darkness, Izuku blended in with his surroundings, only his white lenses betraying him in the darkness that had become his symbiotic suit.
"Before we got to this area, did you decide what costume you're going to wear to the party?" Despite his enthusiasm for heroes, Izuku had no idea what to wear to the event. He had many ideas and designs, but none of them came to mind. He promised Fuyumi that he would attend the party. For Venom, the costume had to match the character of their alter ego, who saves people.
"Maybe we should wear our hero uniforms? They're not considered hero uniforms," Venom replied instantly. Izuku rolled his eyes at the banality, but the idea had merit. Not wanting to attract the attention of his classmates, he rejected it.
"Cosplay should emphasize my character or something related to it, like green hair," Venom muttered, imagining Izuku in a green costume.
"In a green uniform, you'll look like Santa's helper at a toy factory," Izuku snorted, but didn't argue. Venom, as always, had a knack for noticing the most ridiculous details.
"Okay, then let's think of something more... epic," he suggested, landing on the roof of an abandoned warehouse. From here, there was a view of dirty alleys where chaos reigned, invisible to the affluent neighborhoods. Most of the windows were broken, and it smelled like garbage.
"Epic?" Venom stretched out the word, as if tasting it.
"You mean something like a knight? Or maybe a demon? We already look like something out of a nightmare." Izuku's hero image was based on a vivid image comparable to All Might. Even the first concept for his costume, which he came up with himself, was based on the design of his childhood idol, who was no longer his ideal. To emphasize his image as a symbol of hope, he chose warm colors, such as light green, as if to be soothing. But looking at his costume now, Izuku saw it as a childish fantasy.
"No, something... else," Izuku pondered, folding his arms.
"Something that will show who I really am. Not just a hero in a mask, but..."
"Ah?" Venom raised his white lens, as if it were an eyebrow. The wearer's thoughts were sometimes incomprehensible to Venom because of his very quick thinking.
"Someone who isn't afraid to go against uncertainty and fear," Izuku finally said. Pondering the image of the costume, he watched the lives of people in a disadvantaged neighborhood. Simple dark gray clothing did not stand out among the gray concrete buildings.
"Even if it means we won't be understood." Venom froze for a second, then his mouth stretched into a wide grin.
"Ooh, I like the way you think. Then how about..." The tentacles stirred, forming the contours of a new image around Izuku. Stroking his skin, Venom formed the image of a symbiotic helmet around his head, and it looked funny, like a Roman legionnaire's helmet with a red crest, like a rooster's.
"A dark knight? No, too cliché. Maybe a samurai? A shadow? Or..." Suddenly, there was a loud noise below — an alarm went off somewhere in the alley, and immediately there were screams. Izuku instantly became alert, his thoughts about the costume immediately evaporating.
Izuku chased the robbers as they fled from the local hero who was following them. Running into the alley, they came to a dead end, where their accomplices were waiting for them with a car.
"Step on it and let's get out of here!" he shouted to them. The hero who was chasing them immediately gave chase, but, exhausted, he stopped, allowing the robbers to get away. Izuku watched from the roof, like a shadow, narrowing his lenses and following the car.
Jumping from roof to roof, using his tentacles as support, he kept up with the pursued car. Having gained enough speed to catch up with the car, Izuku threw a brick that was lying in his path.
The driver braked sharply when the brick hit the car. The others, feeling the sudden braking, hit their heads on the door.
"Who can throw bricks so accurately?" the driver grumbled, trying to press the gas pedal, but realized that someone had punctured the tires in such a short time.
"Abandon the vehicle and depart immediately!" he exclaimed, and four individuals immediately exited the vehicle. The cool night air, combined with the atmosphere of the slums, evoked a hopeless environment where hope perishes.
"Let's get out of here before the cops arrive!" The four bandits headed toward an alley where they could easily hide from prying eyes, carrying bags stuffed with cash. Escaping their pursuer, the robbers stopped, thinking they had gotten away, but they noticed too late that the fourth member of their team had not caught up with them.
"Where's the fourth one? Where is he?" one of them gasped, but there was only dead silence in response, with no one answering.
Catching their breath and ignoring their comrade, they headed for their hideout, but before they could take a step, the third one disappeared without a sound. The second robber was starting to get nervous, but he didn't catch up with the others. The remaining robber turned abruptly, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. The dark alleys, which were usually his home, now seemed like a trap. The air was thick, saturated with fear.
"Hey! Where are you, bastards?!" His voice trembled, but only an echo answered him.
The shadows on the walls moved as if they were alive. He stepped back, stumbling over something soft. Breaking off mid-sentence, he slowly lowered his gaze.
There, in the dim light of a broken streetlamp, lay his companions — bound, gagged. Their eyes were wide with terror.
"W-what the—"
"You're the last one." The voice came from right behind him, cold as a knife blade. The robber jerked back, but it was too late — something black and alive wrapped around his arms and squeezed his throat. He tried to scream, but the sound stuck in his throat.
A figure emerged from the darkness in front of him. Tall, with white lenses instead of eyes.
"Where is the Miyamoto clan's base?" Izuku asked, Venom's voice distorted, becoming something between a growl and a whisper.
"I... I don't know! I swear!" The robber gasped. His answer sounded convincing. Not wanting to let him go, Izuku knocked him out with a single elbow strike, throwing his body to the other robbers. His gaze involuntarily caught a massive black bag, which attracted his attention with its weight.
"What do you think is in there?" Venom asked, smirking inwardly. The carrier approached the bag by the trash can. Opening it, he found numerous bundles of 10,000 yen bills. Seeing the gold mine, Venom grabbed one bundle of money with his long black tentacle.
"Hey, put that back! I'm not a thief!" Izuku mentally shouted, trying to calm the tentacles on his back. He didn't like the idea of stealing from villains. Even though they deserved their punishment, this money could go to better hands.
"What we took is just a drop in the ocean. Look how many bundles of cash are in this bag!" Izuku looked at the bag and was surprised by Venom's accuracy.
"Think about what we can buy food and make a costume for that party with this money?" Venom's arguments were deafeningly accurate, and Izuku fell silent, rolling his eyes, he took a wad of cash and put it in his inner pocket.
"I still don't like it," Izuku snapped, listening to Venom's satisfied growl. Grabbing the four knocked-out robbers, he went out onto the open road, where the hero had failed to catch the robbers at the beginning.
"Attention everyone, Silent Phantom is here on xxx-xxxxx Street, I need backup!" Suspecting nothing, Izuku continued to patrol the area for villain activity and crimes, discussing with Venom.
"Our power is growing, but so is our appetite. The money our father gives us is not enough to cover our expenses," Venom concluded as the carrier moved across the rooftops, searching for villains throughout the area. Izuku listened, but he couldn't deny the obvious. Venom was right, as he was almost the selfish side of the carrier himself.
"Wait, I hear someone!" Izuku interrupted, looking down from the roof at another thief who was trying to steal someone else's car. While the thief was looking around, picking the car lock, Izuku immediately landed behind him, knocking him off his feet and throwing him onto the road.
"You shouldn't have interfered, hero!" A white substance resembling glue began to fly out of the villain's hands. Thanks to his speed and agility, Izuku jumped from lamppost to lamppost, preventing the white liquid from hitting him. The thief began to lose patience and grumbled about everything that was happening.
"Can you stand still for a minute?!" Before he could shoot again, he felt tentacles grab his leg. While suspended in midair, Izuku used [Elbow Smash], knocking all the air out of the robber's lungs.
"Let's take him to the police station and continue patrolling." Lifting the villain onto his shoulders, Izuku jumped onto the roof, but suddenly felt someone pull him back to the ground in midair. The sound of roaring engines rushed into his ears, and it was as if turbo engines were pressing him to the ground, holding his arms behind his back.
"Damn, that hurts!" Izuku cried out, using [Symbiote Blast] to throw off his pursuer. The tentacles touched the stranger's armor, creating a metallic clang that did little damage to the pursuer. Izuku turned around and saw the hero and idol of millions of teenagers.
"Turbo Hero Ingenium!" Izuku recognized who was standing in front of him by his metallic, knight-like helmet. The engines on his elbows emitted steam, as if recharging for more powerful attacks. The extremely sturdy armor was designed for high speeds and protection from impact.
"An impressive opponent," Venom declared, preparing his tentacles for future attacks.
"Silent Phantom, your heroism is impressive, but you are breaking the law and engaging in vigilante justice. Surrender voluntarily, without resorting to further violence!" Izuk frowned at his words. He had no intention of surrendering voluntarily, and realizing this, he assumed a fighting stance, as if to show his intentions. Ingenium was not convinced by this gesture and tried again to persuade him to renounce violence.
"I'll say this one last time. Surrender voluntarily, and no one will get hurt!" Izuku lay down on the ground, placing his hands behind his head, as if listening to the hero's warning. Tensei was glad that the lyncher had listened to him and took out the handcuffs that restrained the quirks.
"You have acted very wisely. By surrendering without a fight, I promise that your punishment will be...khaaa" Approaching Izuku, Tensei did not expect a sudden attack from Phantom. The tentacles struck his stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs. Standing up to his full height, Izuku used [Tendril Pull], pulling the hero toward him and striking him on the helmet.
"This move always works without fail!" Venom laughed. While Ingenium was recovering, he took damage from Izuku, which was absorbed by his armor. Throwing the hero 10 meters away with [Symbiote Punch], Izuku used his tentacles again, kicking Tensei's body. The noble hero fell victim to the vigilante's deception.
Grabbing him by the waist with a tentacle, Izuku threw him against the wall. The hero crashed into the brick wall with a bang, feeling pain throughout his body. Seeing the hero defeated, Izuku clung to the building to leave, but did not notice that his leg had been caught by someone else's hook. With incredible force, he was pulled to the ground and thrown onto the asphalt.
"Your dirty blow from below was the most dishonest. With such methods, you characterize yourself as a villain, not a hero!" Coming to his senses and breathing deeply, Izuku heard the hero slowly approaching him.
Leaning his elbows on the ground, he tried to get up and run away, but realized that without a fight, he simply couldn't escape from a professional hero. Taking out his handcuffs, Tensei approached Izuku, grabbing his hand and squeezing it so hard that an ordinary person would not have had the strength to break free from his grip.
The tentacles from Izuku's body grabbed the hero's arm, preventing the handcuffs from touching his hands. Tensei, shocked by this, tried to remove the tentacles. The tentacles, as liquid as resin, did not yield to the hero's strength. This gave Izuku enough time to recover and grab Tensei by the leg. Using his strength, he slammed Tensei into the ground with all his might. Tensei groaned from the force of the blow and did not have time to recover before the vigilante threw him against another brick wall. The throw was immediately followed by a blow to the helmet, which withstood the monstrous force.
Gripping Tensei's neck tightly, Izuku dismantled the wall with Tensei's helmet, which refused to give way. Tired of the beating, Tensei didn't strike Izuku's body very hard with his foot. But in the next second, the repulsor on Tensei's leg activated, throwing Izuku back. Feeling a headache, Tensei lost his vigilance, which Izuku took advantage of to deliver another blow to his chest. Feeling the air leave his lungs, Tensei activated the repulsors on his arm to attack, even though they were intended for emergency braking.
Izuku was thrown 10 meters back from Tensei, but thanks to his training, his pain threshold had increased, allowing him to quickly recover. Tired from the beating, Tensei analyzed the attacks and behavior of his opponent, who was clearly stronger than ordinary robbers.
"Physically, he relies on brute force. It's worth trying to defeat him with combat skills. Computer, activate enemy combat behavior analysis!" The interface showed Izuku with a crosshair aimed at his head. Activating his quirk, Tensei rushed into battle against the defending Izuku. Tensei's strikes were fast and accurate, and Izuku could barely block his powerful attacks. Each strike was aimed at vital organs to take the enemy out of the game. But, like living slime, the vigilante suit absorbed the blows. After taking several blows to the head, Izuku used [Counter], throwing his opponent aside.
"He's very strong in close combat. We need to use mid-range attacks. Or we need to use a large number of tentacles to escape," Venom growled approvingly. This hero had become a new challenge for them, and at least he stood firm against the other heroes, refusing to give up. Now he had become a test for them to check the skills of the wearer and his characteristics.
"Analyze the enemy."
"The enemy uses brute physical force. His body pulsates, and every part of his body can attack you if you don't strike him immediately. He uses boxing techniques and kicks from unpopular martial arts. Most of the damage is done with his fists. By neutralizing his hands, you can take him by surprise and arrest him. Your helmet's durability is at 54%. The helmet can withstand three of his blows before breaking."
"Roger that." Taking a fighting stance, Tensei reactivated his quirk, instantly closing the distance. Clenching his fist, he used his quirk to power up his attack. The blow was aimed at the head but was blocked by the right arm. The second attack was aimed at the torso from the liver side but was blocked by the left arm. Tensei continued to renew his attacks until Izuku used [Symbiote Blast], knocking back and damaging the hero's armor even more. A hundred sharp tentacles pierced the unprotected parts of his body, tearing and piercing his skin. Tensei screamed in pain, but as a hero, he continued to stand.
"Helmet status 43%. Enemy attacks with 87% probability. Prepare for attack!" Izuk jumped into the attack, but as soon as his fist touched the armor, Tensei released a powerful blast from his repulsor, throwing Izuk back into the middle of the road. The sudden attack caused the vigilante's vision to darken, and using his speed, he quickly closed the distance to remove the mask from the vigilante's face.
Venom actively resisted Tensei's hand. His strength was great, but Venom held on so that Izuku would come to his senses, not allowing the secret of the wearer's identity to be revealed. Tentacles wrapped around Tensei's hand, preventing him from removing the black mask with white lenses. Wanting to remove it and find out who was under the mask, Tensei grabbed Izuku by the head and began hitting him on the head, burying him in the ground.
"What is this? Computer, analyze what material this mask is made of."
"The material is unknown. Based on its consistency, it appears to be organic. Living suits, such as this one, do not exist. This is either a new material or someone's whim," the computer concluded. As the blows continued, Izuku blew up a hundred tentacles from his body, throwing Tensei away from him. Using [Symbiote Yank], he tried to grab his head, but Tensei dodged and, using a hook, grabbed Izuku by the throat. Izuku tried to break the cable, but he couldn't. The cable was made of strong material, and even Mirko would have had a hard time breaking it.
"Activate turbo mode!" The engines roared, and in a second, Tensei flew like a rocket, leaving blue flames behind him. While Tensei ran at a speed of 219 km/h, Izuku dug up most of the asphalt with his body. His body felt extreme stress at such a speed. Venom constantly regenerated the host's body so that injuries would not affect his performance. But the fuel in the form of fat and calories was burned repeatedly, preventing the two from dying.
Tensei turned into one of the sparsely populated areas far from the city center and saw the destroyed buildings, which he marked as his target. Activating the repulsors on his arms and legs, he made a sharp turn, releasing Izuku into the ruined building. At tremendous speed, he crashed into a concrete column, breaking several of his lower ribs and the bones in his arms and legs. While Venom repaired his broken limbs and bones, Izuku lay humbly on the ground, moaning in pain. The pain of his recovering tendons and muscles was excruciating, difficult to endure without screaming. The destroyed building was quiet, extremely quiet, as if silence itself had come to them. From the hole he had made with his body, he saw the hero.
Rage and determination flared up with renewed vigor. The figure strode toward him, attempting to arrest him. During his absence, his right arm and leg had recovered from their injuries. Mentally giving the order to his tentacles, Izuku bound the hero's hands, preventing him from arresting him. Using [Symbiote Blast], he pushed him away and struck his armor. The metal bent from the impact, and the computer inside sounded an alarm.
"Attention, critical damage level." The tentacles that had burst out of his back pinned his hands to the ground. Tensei used all his strength to break free, but using repulsors, he managed to push Izuku away. The battle began again; soon Izuku was limping as his bones healed. Tensei, using all his speed, closed the distance with the vigilante and struck him in the chest, knocking him back into a concrete column.
"Unstable ceiling detected." Seeing the ceiling filled with pieces of concrete, Tensei used cables to break the wooden ceiling filled with construction debris. With his limbs broken, Izuku raised his head and covered himself with his arms to prevent large pieces of concrete from falling on him. A pile of debris collapsed on him, burying his entire body.
Pieces of concrete fell from all sides. Exhausted from the entire battle, Izuku was unable to immediately rush into battle while his limbs recovered from serious damage. The dust from the debris had not yet settled when Tensei approached, pulling the criminal out of the rubble.
"I've had enough," Izuku said in his head, ignoring the pain throughout his body. Tensei grabbed Izuku's arm, ready to handcuff him. He put the handcuffs on his left wrist, but Tensei was unable to carry out his plan. Izuku used [Symbiote Blast], throwing Tensei away from him.
"How does he use his quirk if the handcuffs are supposed to restrict its use?" Izuku broke the handcuffs with one strong squeeze of his right hand.
"Computer, analyze!" he ordered, but the computer didn't have time to analyze the force. Using [Tendrill Pull], Izuku grabbed him by the waist, breaking three concrete columns and throwing him to the ground.
"Suit condition: critical." The hero's once white and shiny suit looked worn out. Numerous cracks were visible, and the white covering was stained with dirt and debris. The user of the technological suit was exhausted from the battle. Cracks from violent blows were visible on the suit's display.
"Yes, I already know," he muttered, getting up from the ground. Izuk didn't give him time to catch his breath, using [Tendrill Pull] to pull him toward him. Using [Elbow Smash], he struck the helmet precisely and quickly with his elbow, hoping to break it, but the helmet still withstood his blow, although the cracks on the display increased.
"Helmet durability: 21%. Critical damage." Unsatisfied with this state of affairs, Izuku threw Tensei away, sat on his stomach, and used [Beatdown].
"Helmet durability: 15%"
"Helmet durability: 8%"
"Helmet durability: 3%"
With the fourth and final blow, the helmet shattered into pieces, revealing the hero's face. His temple was cut open, his nose was bleeding, and his face was bruised from the blows. Izuku thought he had won and got up from his stomach, slowly walking toward the exit, healing his wounds. Breathing heavily, Tensei pressed the emergency reinforcement button.
"He's finished," Venom replied. As Izuku walked toward the exit, he didn't notice Tensei aiming his repulsor at him and firing a single well-aimed shot that caused Izuku immense pain, causing him to fall to his knees. Getting up from the ground, he growled, looking at the hero with rage in his eyes.
He was starting to annoy him. Using his agility, Izuku used the surroundings to avoid Tensei's shots, but his agility was far superior to the hero's reactions. Getting behind him, Izuku put him in a chokehold to make him lose consciousness. Tensei used his elbows to break the hold, but it wasn't enough. Tensei was losing air, and Izuku's grip was getting stronger. Using the repulsors on his arm, he applied them at full power. Fire burst from the repulsors, throwing them back. Izuku broke through the wall with his back, and, losing his breath, he let go of him, coming to his senses. Both were tired, but neither wanted to end the battle.
Lying on the ground, Tensei no longer had the strength to continue fighting. He watched helplessly as Silent Phantom strode toward him to finish him off, holding his wounded right arm.
"Let's finish him off," Venom gloated from within, watching the pitiful sight of the noble hero fall to their skills. Swinging for the finishing blow, clenching his fist, Izuku wanted to deliver a control strike to the head. Suddenly, he felt the impact of steel feet on his back, throwing him into the nearest wall.
"My back," he croaked, turning around and seeing her. A swimsuit-like costume, purple stockings, and paws on her feet with rabbit ears. The icing on the cake was her dark skin. The hero rabbit Mirko.
Realizing who it was, Izuku tensed up, for she was the first hero from the top ten he had encountered. But he was unable to continue a prolonged battle. Pretending to have lost consciousness, Izuku lay down on the ground, feigning a sudden attack.
"Pff, is that all?" she snorted irritably, approaching Silent Phantom to arrest him, but with her rabbit-like instincts, she was preparing to attack. And her instincts did not fail her: getting close, she wanted to punch him in the face, but grabbed his fist with malice.
"Oh, you like to hit unnoticed?" Mirko instantly began to beat him with her feet along the wall. Each of her blows left cracks in the concrete, showing superhuman strength.
Izuku barely managed to cover himself with his hands, but Mirko's blows were too fast and powerful. Each kick threw him back, forcing him to press himself against the wall. The concrete cracked under the pressure of her strength, and Venom inside him growled with rage, trying to repair the damage.
"She's too strong! We need to fight her more fiercely," hissed the symbiote, but Izuku already knew that.
"No," Izuku interrupted him. He couldn't defeat her in open combat — not now, when he was exhausted from his battle with Tensei. But he wasn't going to give up either. Suddenly, the tentacles on his back dug into the ceiling, and he jerked himself upward, breaking free from the hail of blows. Mirko didn't lose her composure — her legs tensed, and she instantly jumped after him, catching up with him in midair.
"Where are you going, bunny?" she grinned, raising her leg to strike. But Izuku was ready. At the last moment, he used [Symbiote Blast], releasing a blast wave of black mass directly in front of him. Mirko had to dodge, and she landed on a beam, watching curiously as the vigilante regrouped.
"Ha! Not bad!" she shouted, but Izuku was no longer in front of her. He had taken off running. His feet pushed off the walls with force, his tentacles clinging to ledges, helping him move at unnatural speeds. Mirko laughed and rushed after him.
"Oh, tag! I love tag!" Izuku raced through the ruined buildings, jumping from roof to roof. Behind him, he heard light, almost weightless footsteps—Mirko was keeping up. In fact, she was catching up.
"She's faster!" Venom hissed.
"I know!" He turned sharply into a narrow alley, dove under an arch, then spun around in midair and released several tentacles, knocking down the brickwork behind him. The debris collapsed, but Mirko didn't even slow down — she simply jumped over the barricade as if it were not a wall but a small step.
"Run, run, little mouse!" she teased.
Izuk clenched his teeth. He couldn't go on like this — sooner or later she would catch up with him. He needed a clever maneuver. While he was thinking, Mirko hit Izuku in the ribs with a moon kick, throwing him into the destroyed apartment. After hitting his head on the kitchen stove, Izuku saw a fire extinguisher.
"Bingo!" An idea flashed through his mind, and in an instant he stuck to the ceiling, holding the fire extinguisher in his hands, waiting for his pursuer.
Mirko entered the apartment, ignoring the destruction, and hummed quietly to herself, demoralizing her opponent.
"Come out, my little prey. Even rabbits are faster than their predators." Her keen hearing instantly picked up the sound of Izuku's heartbeat, and when he looked up, he saw the red fire extinguisher hit her face. Izuku punched a hole in the fire extinguisher with one blow, releasing all the foam inside and disorienting her. While she closed her eyes from the solution, Izuku hit her in the face, breaking the table with her body, and, grabbing her sensitive ears, threw her out of the apartment onto the street, buying time.
"This is a great opportunity to finish her off," Venom gloated, but Izuku, like her, was breathing heavily from the battle.
"I need to retreat while she's disoriented." Jumping out of the window, Izuku saw a manhole cover in the middle of the alley. Jumping in, Izuku noticed Mirko landing behind him, and without wasting a second, he threw the manhole cover at her. She managed to dodge it, but that was enough time for him to hide inside the sewers. Mirko followed him, and the sound of her heartbeat was difficult to hear over the noise of the water. The smell also mixed with the stench of the sewers, and she had to cover her nose to avoid it.
"She can smell us if we're outdoors, but her keen sense of hearing and smell don't work here," Izuku concluded. He analyzed her weaknesses, and when solving crimes, she often used her sense of smell and hearing. Izuku wasn't a fan of hers, but he understood perfectly well that underestimating her would be a big mistake.
"Come out and don't hide, accept the fight like a real hero should." Hiding in one of the tunnels, Izuku healed his wounds, trying not to cry out in pain.
"Attention! I am in the sewer in the xxxxxx-xxx area, send help for the search immediately." Hearing this, Izuku's eyes widened.
"We need to leave immediately and go home," Venom replied. Ignoring his wounds, Izuku rushed into one of the tunnels, clinging to the ceiling with his fingers thanks to his tentacles. Passing through the darkness, Izuku could only hear the murky water flowing, but he also heard Mirko moving through the sewer system in search of him.
Finally, finding a manhole cover, Izuku rejoiced, but his gaze fell on a pizza box lying below.
"Seriously, someone is eating pizza in the sewer?" Izuku exclaimed indignantly and opened the manhole cover, disappearing between the alleys.
In school
While at school, Izuku tried his best not to groan in pain. After yesterday's battle, his limbs and back ached like never before. The school was as crowded as usual, and the classroom was still filled with students. Thanks to Fuyumi, the bullying had stopped, which made him very happy.
When Melissa entered the classroom, she waved to him and sat down at his desk.
"Hi," she said, adjusting her glasses. Izuku greeted her back and continued to wait for Fuyumi. The air and atmosphere in the classroom were extremely restless, and at least someone had a loud voice to attract attention.
"Hey, Melissa, do you want to go biking after class?" Izuku suggested, despite his nervousness. He liked her family, and now he could spend more time with her. It would be foolish to miss out on a chance for friendship when she herself had suggested it.
"Oh, I'd love to, Midoriya-san! Let's rent bikes after class and go," she clapped her hands, delighted with the initiative.
"Hey, have you chosen what you're going to wear to the party? The party is coming up soon, and I've already chosen my outfit," she sang cheerfully, meeting his slightly downcast gaze. He hadn't chosen an outfit yet, but he already had the money. Maybe he would wear a suit he bought from a store.
"I hope you don't wear a ready-made costume from the store, or it will be boring and uninteresting," Izuku said, breaking out in an awkward sweat. He hadn't made a costume, and the party was starting very soon, so time was running out.
"Oh, um, yes, I've already chosen a costume. I just need to finish a few details," Izuku said, hiding his lie behind a veil of awkwardness. Melissa looked at him and didn't suspect anything.
"Great, I can't wait to see what costume you've chosen! I'm also finishing up the last details of my costume, and it will be ready soon," Melissa clapped her hands, smiling warmly at him. While they were talking, the science teacher entered the classroom.
"Good morning, class! Before we begin, Izuku Midoriya and Melissa Shield will go to the infirmary." Everyone looked at them. Izuku reacted calmly, as he was too used to such attention.
Leaving the classroom, Izuku wondered why they had been called for such a rare visit to the doctor. Venom, sitting quietly inside, woke up, growling irritably.
"Don't show your scars on your chest. Yesterday's fight left a couple of scars on our backs." Walking down the corridors, Izuku and Melissa had no idea why they had been summoned.
Entering the school doctor's office, Izuku and Melissa smiled at the doctor, who looked gloomy and lifeless. On the walls were anatomical drawings of the human body — the standard set for a school medical office.
"So, sit down, both of you," they sat down, looking at each other in confusion. Shrugging their shoulders, they waited for further questions from the doctor.
"Izuku Midoriya, 14 years old, no quirks, right?" The question hung in the air for a couple of seconds, and then Izuku answered.
"Yes, I have no quirk. But my card says that my blood is compatible with every blood type." The doctor just grunted at his answer.
"That's right, but it's not a quirk, it's the result of a rare genetic mutation. It says here that you are incapable of awakening a quirk." At this answer, Izuku slightly hunched his shoulders, drawing his friend's attention.
Further questions came from Melissa. She was also without a quirk, like him, but did not have a genetic mutation like Izuku.
"Well, one last question. Have you noticed any strange symptoms? For example, black slime or liquid?" The question hung in the air, and Izuku felt himself tense up inside, feeling stressed. Venom inside him also sharpened his attention.
"Lie to him. Don't reveal us." The doctor continued to look them in the eyes, and they both answered "no."
"Then I'll take your blood for analysis and check if you had a late awakening of quirks." Rolling up his shirt sleeve, Izuku showed the doctor and Melissa his right arm, covered with scars left by Bakugo and his friends.
He took Melissa's blood, but found nothing in either of them, just sighing when he found nothing interesting. Melissa and Izuku were the only ones in the entire Erudera School who did not have a quirk.
"Doctor, may I ask why we had to go to the infirmary? We are healthy and have no illnesses, right?" Izuku silently thanked Melissa for asking that question. He was also curious and no less frightened.
"It's not my decision. It's all on the director's orders. He ordered us to check all quirkless in our school." Izuku left the medical office with cold sweat on his back.
"Black slime? Do they know something?!" Venom hissed from inside.
"Quiet... Melissa is nearby," Izuku replied mentally, trying not to twitch. The girl, meanwhile, was thoughtfully biting her lip.
"Strange... Why would the director want to check if we have quirks? We both don't have any."
"Maybe it's new rules? Maybe someone at school was hiding their quirk and caused trouble?" Izuku lied hastily, feeling Venom snickering maliciously inside him. Melissa sighed.
"Okay, the main thing is that the tests are clean. After class, we can go bike riding like we agreed!" Izuku smiled, but the words about black slime bothered him. Somehow, they knew he had no quirks, or they suspected it.
"This is a very dangerous situation. We need to be careful," Izuku analyzed in his head where he might have miscalculated, and, recalling all his patrols, he remembered that in a fit of rage he had broken the handcuffs restricting the use of quirks.
"Yesterday, when we fought Ingenium, we broke the handcuffs that restrained the quirk. I broke the handcuffs like paper, and this is a very dangerous situation." Venom agreed with the carrier, because he also saw and understood how they could get caught.
"But that was only yesterday. It's impossible to organize everything quickly in one night. That means they knew before that we were without quirks," Venom argued while the lesson was going on. Izuku pretended to listen to the teacher. The world around him seemed to disappear from view. It was just him and Venom.
"Maybe they've been watching us all this time. I don't like it. Hunting season has begun," Venom grinned maliciously, because it meant new changes for them, not only in heroism, but also a changed approach to heroism.
"As for the rest, we need gadgets to neutralize enemies. The turbo hero Ingenium has excellent gadgets and armor. We know their weaknesses, but that's not enough. It takes too much time to neutralize one hero. We already have ready-made samples for the suit. But who will help us do it?" While Izuku was thinking, Venom paid attention to their surroundings so that they would not be interrupted at a crucial moment.
"Remember that pink-haired girl from the beach? Maybe she can help us if we help her and get to know her better," Izuku paused for a moment and, unable to contain his excitement, exclaimed,
"Bingo!" But he didn't realize that his teacher had heard him.
"Midoriya-san, do you have anything to add to the lesson?"
"Um, no... sir, I just found the answer." The teacher shrugged, and Melissa, sitting behind him, smiled at her friend's behavior. Poking him in the back with her pencil, she smiled at him.
"Won't you share the answer with me?" she smiled.
3 chapters before the start of the new act [Noir]