Yuriko couldn't believe it and as she looked at everyone else on set, they didn't seem to believe it either.
The camera operators had frozen mid-shot, the sound technician's mouth hung open behind the glass partition, and even the usually unflappable director was frantically gesturing for them to keep rolling. However, the person who was most awestruck by the news was no one but JJJ himself.
His moustache fists slammed on the table with such force that Yuriko's coffee cup jumped, spilling its contents across her notes.
"What did you just say!"
"I really don't like to reiterate myself," Nezu replied, taking another delicate sip of his tea as if he hadn't just dropped the biggest news story of the year. "So I won't."
"You are saying that that menace is going to U.A.?" JJJ's voice had reached a pitch that made several crew members wince behind their headsets.
"Well yes he is," Nezu smiled back, his expression serene and somewhat eerie, despite the gravity of his words.
"You're letting a vigilante, a criminal into U.A. Are you insane!" JJJ's moustache fists were now trembling with barely contained rage.
Yuriko tried to regain control of the situation, leaning forward with her professional anchor voice. "Mr. Nezu, this is certainly unprecedented. The public will want to know..."
"I mean he's the right age, has the strength and ethics to back it up," Nezu interrupted smoothly, completely ignoring Yuriko's attempt to moderate. "The only thing that doesn't already make him a hero is a license, isn't that the main distinction between a hero and a vigilante? As for your point about him being a criminal..."
Nezu brought out his phone with deliberate slowness, like a magician about to perform his greatest trick. He tapped several things on the screen, and suddenly the large display behind them changed from the Juzo News logo to something entirely different, a photo of an official document with multiple seals and signatures.
"This, as you can see, is a paper signed by the Hero Public Safety Commission, a federal judge, and the Prime Minister himself. By all accounts, Arthur is now no longer a criminal as long as he sticks to these agreements. The document officially pardons all previous vigilante activities and grants him provisional status pending his enrollment and successful completion of U.A.'s hero course."
JJJ's face had turned an alarming shade of red that clashed terribly with his moustache. "This is outrageous! You can't just wave a magic wand and-"
"And on that note," Nezu continued, completely steamrolling over JJJ's objections. He pressed another button on his phone, and the screen changed once more.
This time it displayed a video player, and Yuriko could see it was queued up and ready to play. The thumbnail showed what appeared to be an office setting.
"This was recorded yesterday," Nezu explained, pressing one more button to start the playback.
The video quality was crisp, in fact it almost had a shine to it which would have made anyone in videography drool.
It showed a spacious office. Standing right in the center of the room was a young man who could only be Arthur himself.
For all the speculation and blurry photographs that had circulated over the years, this was the first time most people would see the infamous vigilante clearly.
He appeared to be around fifteen, with blonde hair that fell to his nape and striking blue eyes. He wore a simple but well-fitted dark suit. At his waist, was the infamous sheath that held the sword he had gained his moniker from.
"Hello people of Japan," Arthur began. "As part of my agreement to be able to become a student at U.A., I, Arthur, would like to formally apologize for my illegal use of my quirk in public and any trouble said actions might have caused."
The young man's bow was deep and held for several seconds, then he straightened looking straight into the camera, to everyone who looked at him, it felt like they were being dragged, pooled into his eyes.
The message ended there, and Nezu turned the giant screen behind them off with another tap of his phone, sliding the device back into his suit pocket.
"See? Everything is perfectly clear now," Nezu said, standing up from his chair and brushing imaginary dust from his vest. "So I guess I will be taking my leave. It has been a pleasure to be on this program, even if some guests were less than ideal."
"Wait!" JJJ yelled, his moustache fists slamming against the table once more with enough force to make the entire set shake. "You can't just leave like this! You drop this bombshell and think you can just walk away?"
"Hmm, am I restricted in some manner?" Nezu asked, tilting his head with genuine curiosity. "Because if not, I can leave whenever I so please. I'm not under any obligation to endure your... particular brand of discourse."
Yuriko, sensing that she was losing control of what could be the interview of her career, quickly interjected. "Mr. Nezu, I would greatly appreciate it if you could stay for just a bit longer, if only to answer some of our questions. This has been a stunning revelation, after all. Our viewers deserve some clarity on this unprecedented situation."
"YEAH, OUR QUESTIONS!" JJJ bellowed, as if volume alone could compel cooperation.
Nezu's gaze drifted to a clock mounted on the studio wall, and after a moment of consideration, he nodded slowly. "Very well then, I suppose I could spare some time for your questions, but my time is valuable so be quick."
"How about JJJ and I each take turns asking questions?" Yuriko suggested, hoping to maintain some semblance of professional order. "Is that arrangement acceptable to you, JJJ?"
"Fine by me," JJJ growled, though his moustache continued to twitch with barely suppressed agitation.
"Nezu?"
"Acceptable, but you only get six questions total, three for each of you. Choose them wisely."
Yuriko opened her mouth to begin, but was immediately cut off.
"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH THIS VIGILANTE!" JJJ practically screamed into his microphone.
Nezu winced slightly at the volume. "Hmm, working with him is the wrong way to phrase it. I believe you mean for how long I've been in contact with him. As for the answer to that question, it's confidential information. Next question."
Yuriko, determined to make her questions count, asked carefully, "What is the vigilante Arthur's actual name?"
"Confidential," Nezu replied without hesitation.
"DOES THIS ARTHUR HAVE ANY ASSOCIATES HE USED FOR HIS VIGILANTE ACTIVITIES!" JJJ demanded, his voice reaching new heights of indignation.
"For heaven's sake, you really should stop yelling," Nezu said, massaging one of his ears. "As for the answer to that question, I have no knowledge of any associates, but based on all available evidence, he appears to have operated entirely alone. Rather remarkable, actually, considering the scope of his activities. Next question."
Yuriko leaned forward, trying a different approach. "What is Arthur's quirk exactly? We haven't been able to determine a consistent set of abilities that would logically constitute a single quirk. The speed, the apparent super strength, the sword techniques, it's all quite puzzling to quirk analysts."
"I have no definitive answer to that," Nezu replied, and for the first time, he seemed genuinely uncertain. "He hasn't provided me with a complete explanation of his abilities. So rather than saying that I have no definitive answer, it would be more appropriate to say I have no clue."
JJJ had been visibly struggling to contain himself during the previous exchanges, but now seemed to have found some measure of control. When he spoke again, his voice was more measured, though still tinged with suspicion.
"How exactly did you get in contact with the vigilante in the first place? This couldn't have been a chance encounter."
"Oh, that involved much more complex calculations and behavioral analysis than you could probably comprehend," Nezu said with what might have been a slight smirk. "So I suppose my answer would be, a very carefully orchestrated plan involving probability matrices, psychological profiling, and strategic positioning. Mathematics can be quite beautiful when applied correctly. Next question, and this is the final one."
JJJ's eyes narrowed behind his glasses, and Yuriko could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to formulate the perfect gotcha question. Meanwhile, Yuriko was facing the same dilemma, this was her last chance to get something substantial.
After a moment of intense consideration, she decided on what felt like the most important question of all.
"What drove you to contact Arthur in the first place, and why did you go through all of this elaborate process to get him enrolled at U.A.?"
Nezu's expression shifted slightly, becoming more thoughtful. "That is technically two questions, my dear, but they're related enough that I'll answer both. There are a multitude of reasons why I decided to contact Arthur, but the most appropriate answer would be potential. Potential to do extraordinary good without having to endure people like your guest here tearing down a child while he sacrificed everything for the benefit of society. As for why I went through this process..." He paused, looking directly at the camera. "Because these were the necessary steps to help that potential grow into something that could truly make a difference in the world."
Nezu then hopped down from his chair with surprising agility, his teapot in one hand and his now empty teacup balanced expertly in the other. He maneuvered them both behind his tail, freeing his hands as he began walking toward the studio exit.
"WAIT!" JJJ yelled, his composure finally cracking completely.
No one expected that outburst to accomplish anything.
Nezu had clearly made his decision to leave the program. However, he did pause at the studio door, though he didn't acknowledge JJJ. Instead, he turned to face the camera directly, his small form somehow commanding the attention of everyone in the room.
"Oh, and one more thing," he said with a smile that suggested he'd been saving this revelation for exactly this moment. "U.A. has acquired a new teacher this year. You may know him, his name is All Might."
With that bombshell delivered as casually as a weather report, Nezu pushed through the studio door and disappeared, leaving behind a room full of people too stunned to speak.
The silence stretched for several seconds before chaos erupted. JJJ was shouting incoherently, the director was frantically trying to signal the camera operators, and Yuriko was staring at the door through which the most significant news story of the decade had just walked.
Yet while all this pandemonium was unfolding in the Juzo News studio, in a quiet dormitory room at U.A. High School, a blonde boy, Arthur was doing something with a peaceful smile on his face.
Something he hadn't been able to do in years.
Something he hadn't been able to do since he had become a vigilante.
Something he hadn't been able to do since he was eight.
He was sleeping.
A/N: Nezu is kinda goated, can't lie lol. I don't have much to say about this chapter other than the fact that JJJ is extremely, extremely fun to write. I decided to upload earlier today, but this doesn't mean you'll get the bonus chap from the top 70 today, since these take way too much time to write, and I didn't have time this morning to write the actual bonus chapter.
Oh question for you lads and ladies what do you guys want Arthur's hero name to be, I had three ideas (pls vote on the paragraphs or give me your own if they're good enough I'll use them)
1. Arthur Pendragon (simple one)
2. King Arthur or Arthur for short
3. Caliburn (give some love to Arthur's other sword lol, plus the name is pretty badass, this would also just make Arthur his nickname and what people who know him, call him, not his actual hero name)
Power stones, reviews, and comments are all greatly appreciated. Thx for reading, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Author out.