Chapter 56: Symbol of Evil
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What happened next was obvious enough. It wasn't long before backup arrived. Since no one was injured, there was no need for medical help, so the law enforcement agencies, to whom Sotrigolova and King Vlad began to explain what had happened here, began to investigate, and first of all questioned the students, including me. I recounted, with some changes, everything that had happened. Muscle, Moonfish, Toga and Twice, according to my version after I beat them up, disappeared in Kurogiri's teleport, when in fact they are in my domain. I also told the truth about who exactly facilitated the attack. The others were naturally shocked to learn that it was Aoyama who had been reporting to the League, and in particular All for One, since the very first day in Yuei, and it was his word that started all the attacks on Yuei.
Aoyama, already depressed, did not hide the truth, and told everything. When Aoyama was a child, the doctors ruled that he was quirkless, which upset his parents, who weren't poor and didn't want him to suffer for the rest of his life because he didn't have a quirk...and I'll be honest, I've seen a lot of videos on the internet of quirkless people being treated as second-class citizens, and Melissa, who I correspond with from time to time, told me how hard it was for her to make friends as a child because she didn't have a quirk.
This prompted Aoyama's parents to make a deal with All for One, he gave Aoyama a quirk, except it wasn't his innate power, which caused him to be in a lot of pain as his laser involuntarily burst out of his navel, only to later receive his special belt.
And a few years later, All for One knocked on Yugi's door, demanding that he repay his debt, namely to enter Yuei, and report everything that happens there.
After that story, a lot of people felt sorry for Aoyama, even my girls, but I honestly still thought he was a traitor. Maybe I developed a complex when my mother and father abandoned me and I thought they were traitors, and maybe that's why Aoyama pisses me off, even though I used to think he was a funny but harmless weirdo.
We were taken to the police station, where we were interrogated again, only it was the newly arrived Tsukauchi who did the questioning, and Aoyama was soon taken home with a police escort, apparently to interrogate his parents as well.
Half of the boys were taken by their parents, and the other half went home, it being night, but I was interrogated separately by the police chief, Kenji Tsuragamae, a tall, broad-shouldered man with the head of a beagle, with Aizawa and Nezu at his side.
- Hello Mizuiro Akira, nice to meet you. - The dog-man greeted politely, sitting down in the chair opposite me with his elbows on the table.
- Can't say the same, dog. - I snorted contemptuously.
- Mizuiro, stop being so rude. You're talking to the face of the law right now. - Aizawa reprimanded me.
- Oh-oh, that's how it is. If that's the case, then fuck you and your overgrown hamster. - I switched to insulting the class teacher and the principal. - And don't look at me with judgement, none of you have guessed who's been messing with Yuei all this time. And it wasn't just because of Aoyama, but because of the school authorities' neglect, my girlfriend was kidnapped.
- I won't deny it, because of our and in particular my leadership, students have suffered and Bakugou Katsuki is missing. - Nezu admitted his guilt, lowering his head.
- Not much help from your 'brilliant' intellect.
- It's not easy to have a dialogue with a troubled teenager. - scratched his wet nose. - I won't beat around the bush and ask you directly. How did you know that Aoyama Yuga was the spy?
- I've already told you everything a hundred times. I won't repeat it again. - I said irritably.
- Your story doesn't add up. According to Aoyama, you attacked him after you knew what he had done, and there's no way you could have known that, because according to you, you were training away from everyone else, on a cliff, shortly before Yuga told the League of Villains the location of the camp.
- Provocative questions...well I have a counter-argument, I won't say anything without my lawyer present.
- Mizuiro, don't show off and just answer the question. - Aizawa said, but his tone made me a little angry, so I grabbed the table and threw it aside, smashing it into splinters, right next to Sotrigolova, who had moved a few metres away.
- I apologise for breaking your desk, I'm just annoyed by unshaven and unshaven teachers who mind their own business. Here's for your desk. - I took out a few large notes from my wallet and threw them on the floor carelessly.
- ...You're Tengu. - Out of the blue, Kenji said, and after watching my reaction, but seeing no response from me, he continued. - Aizawa told me how many years ago he fought Tengu and lost, in sword fighting style, in approximate appearance, behaviour and equipment, you are similar. During the attack on Tokyo Tower, you were there with the girl, and that's where the vigilante later appeared. Moreover, according to the director's observation, your abilities are very similar to the vigilante's. Tengu was previously based in Naruhat, but then redeployed to Mustafa and nearby towns, and with the exception of the Stein incident, he was very fortunate to be at U.S.J. on the day of the attack. And all of these facts point to a highly distinguished, gifted student from Yuei.
- Pfft, ha ha. That's it? You have no audio or video of my confession or face in the suit and at the scene of the crime, and without clear evidence, the police dare to charge me with anything? - I laughed at Kenji's stupidity. - The police should be kissing my feet, just like Yuei and the lousy heroes, I did all the work for them, saving people from Stein and Shigaraki and the League and the other psychopaths on the streets while they sat on their arses doing nothing.
- Just because they're criminals doesn't give you the right to be arbitrary, you've maimed a huge number of people. As a police officer, I'm forced to arrest you.
- Do you have any proof? The testimony of one unshaven teacher, a bulldog and a bear is hardly going to satisfy the court.
- We've got the camera footage. - He pointed his finger at a camera in the upper left corner of the interrogation room.
- You're such a naive dog, I switched off the camera a long time ago. - He clicked on the wristband a couple of times, showing a hologram of the entire precinct's cameras.
- ...This device, you don't have authorisation to use it. - He tried to pressure me with it.
- What device? - I asked, sending the wristband to the inventory, so the dog saw my hand without the device. - Even if you arrest me, I can hire a dozen lawyers, I'll get off anyway, but I can bribe a judge and he'll arrest you for abuse of position against a minor and threatening, without a warrant and no visible evidence. Why don't you say something?
- Not for nothing, I suspected you all along. - said a disgruntled Aizawa. - It's a shame I was wrong.
- Choose your words carefully, bum, or you'll end up beaten up on the pavement again. And you, Director Nezu, would you like to add something of your own?
- Do you know where the League of Villains and Bakugou are now? - asked the only sane one of the three.
- Of course I do, and I have kindly uploaded to the police database the location of the League of Villains in Yokohama and another building in the Kamino district where Nomu is stored. - I generously replied.
And the second building, I found out today, when I decided to find out what the League was up to again. They put Katsuki to sleep to reduce her rage and tied her to a chair, apparently expecting her to be more cooperative when she wakes up. Shigaraki was supposed to talk to her, but he was teleported by Kurogiri, probably to All for One. Well I had nothing to lose, so I got into Shigaraki's laptop, through which he spoke to his teacher, and from there I learnt about their Nomu lab, where they keep everyone in Nomu in special chambers filled with a strange liquid, it must be nutrients.
And to my surprise, I didn't get burned. I guess I've become too paranoid, since I didn't notice any good programming and hacking skills among them.
- Mizuiro, with your actions, you're no different from a common criminal. - the principal tried to set me straight.
- I think you're wrong. I act exactly as any politician would act, within the bounds of legitimate evil. To torture, to beat, to humiliate people and to have with me the information which cannot be found in a legal way, that is the way of a true politician, maybe when I get tired of all this heroic red tape, I will become some important person. - I said and went to the exit.
- The talking dog stopped me with a hand on my shoulder, but I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, causing him to howl, and I pressed harder, causing him to fall to his knees. Aizawa immediately used his quirk wipe on me, but simple physical muscle strength, he can't turn off.
- I didn't give you permission to touch me. - I tossed carelessly as the dog tried with all his might to loosen my dead grip. I brought my head close to his canine ear. - You think I don't know from whom exactly the chief of police got the order to interrogate me? You're nothing but a compliant commission dog. Tell them they'd better not piss me off if they don't want to be in Stein's shoes. - I let go of the whining dog and headed out.
My classmates Tokoyami, Kirishima, Iida, and Shoko, Ochako, Asui, and Momo were waiting for me outside.
- You want to go rescue Katsuki. - Kirishima said it right off the bat.
- What makes you think that? - I asked, raising one eyebrow questioningly.
- Headman, you always go straight ahead, and you're not afraid of anything. - Tokoyami added. - I'm grateful for your help, as are all of us, but I want to talk you out of this suicide mission.
- So do I! It's stupid! We're not even heroes yet, and we should trust professionals to save Bakugou. It doesn't make sense to just risk your life like this. - protested against Iida.
- Your brother, Ingenium, was a hero who risked his life for others. - I reminded him.
- That's not the same thing! Don't you realise you could get yourself killed!
- Guys, be quiet, we're near a police station. I agree with Iida here...even though I'm worried about Bakugou, I don't want you to die. - Ochako said excitedly.
- But...this isn't right! I mean, we went to Yuei to be heroes, and we're just going to abandon her like this!!!? How can you even call yourself a man then?! - Kirishima disagreed, he was probably the only one of the bunch who was in favour of saving her.
- We're not even out of high school yet, so it'd be stupid to get into the thick of it. Akira, you don't have a hero's licence, and breaking the rules and laws makes you no better than a villain. Besides, you could get kicked out of Yuei. - Asui said tactlessly.
- So I won't be a hero, screw her studying in Yuei one place at a time. If going into the enemy's lair to save my girlfriend means becoming a villain, then so be it. - I replied as if it was something unimportant.
- What nonsense are you talking! - Iida was shocked by my answer.
- I told the truth, the desire to be a hero, I never had, it's all just a way to fulfil my needs, but Katsuki is different. I'm willing to do anything for the people I care about, and I don't care what it costs. What do you say? - I looked at Seko.
- ...' Seko walked over to me and held my face in her palms. - I believe in you, my love, even if I'm afraid of losing you. - she supported me.
- Akira, please don't, in case something happens to you. - Ochako expressed her worries again.
- I'll be fine. - I kissed Seko and did the same to Ochako, and after a brief pause, I disappeared, teleporting to the lab.
I have relatively little time now, as the police should have already started planning the rescue operation, and recruiting heroes for the squad, it will take them a day or so, I think they won't do anything to Katsuki while she's unconscious.
My quirk accelerator is finally complete, and for added safety, I've added a sheath of at least a hundred light-conducting plates that all combine to form a gravitational field so I won't get irradiated at a measured speed.
I implanted an accelerator in the sternum of my armour, for emergencies, and I also added a durability boost mode to the armour, as I'm not sure if it can withstand this fight.
In general, my plan is to grab Katsuki at the right moment and get away, and let the heroes deal with the League from there. It's not that I'm getting cold feet... who am I kidding? I can't even imagine how many quirks All for One has, from Toshinori's words, all I know is that at the peak of his career, he could barely handle him. Using the accelerator is not at all something I want to do, because I'm not even sure what will happen to me afterwards.
But I can't leave Katsuki, I care about her, she's a pain in the arse, but she loves me and I care about her too...and to be honest it's my fault, I couldn't save her and I have to answer for my mistake.
The construction of the orbital gun was finished, and it was a lot of trouble too, we had to build another satellite, with a focusing lens that collected sunlight in huge quantities, and then, redirected the accumulated light, a thin beam of energy into the charging compartment of the gun, to reduce the duration of the gun readiness, because it works in two phases, charge collection and gun heating, and I eliminated the first point, reducing the time of charging by a satellite in orbit of the dark side of the Moon, but when the Moon changes its position, I have to drive the satellite closer to the Sun.
And I was able to do all of this in a day, just as the school's staff of Yuei teachers, along with the principal, deigned to hold a press conference with reporters to explain the situation. Even Aizawa deigned to come and put on a dinner jacket.
There was a lot of mud-slinging at Yuei, and one mentally retarded person suggested that the League had kidnapped Katsuki to invite her to join them, and that it was possible, given Katsuki's unstable psyche at the festival. Journos love to ask provocative questions. Aizawa's answer to this question was as neutral as possible, saying that Katsuki would never do such a thing, because she only wants one thing, to become a heroine.
The preparations for the operation were completed by recruiting the necessary volunteers. The Almighty, Prospector, Kamui, a small old man in a cloak, and Edgshot, a hero dressed as a ninja, would go to storm the League's base.
And to storm Nomu's lair are Top Jeans along with Lady Mountain and another hero called Kasatka Bandit, and following his nickname, he looks like an anthropomorphic orca in a dinner jacket.
And since, with my clues, the heroes, with the police and Detective Tsukauchi, went to raid the hideouts, I decided to give them a chance to deal with the League on their own, and if they failed, I would intervene, especially if the superheroes distracted the League on their own, I would have a better chance of taking Katsuki without a fight.
I overestimated the League a bit, because Shigaraki did try to recruit Katsuki...what an idiot, and I was really worried...but that doesn't negate the possibility that All for One could take away her quirk or turn her into Noma, so it's worth being careful.
The heroic operation began and was quite successful, Lady Hora, with a kick of her foot destroyed the shelter with Nomu, and together with Kasatka and Jeans, continued the operation, but already to catch all the monsters.
At the League's main base-bar, the Almighty and the others stormed in, attacking the League's villains, who had been stripped of half their members, while the police and Prospector waited outside, just in case.
All of the active villains were tied up by Tree Kamui, shackling them in tree shackles.
Dabi, who was controlling the fire, could have easily broken free if he hadn't been knocked out by a blow to the head by that little old man, whose name was Gran Torino. And he's very fast for his age. I noticed that his shoes have special slits where compressed air comes out, literally pushing him off the ground. And Gran Torino is pretty good with his power, he even has this style of ricocheting off surfaces at speed to confuse the enemy.
Shigaraki, infuriated by this, orders Kurogiri to bring as many Nomu as he can, but Edgshot, a ninja hero whose quirk is body transformation, he can bend his body or turn into a thin thread, he hits Kurogiri's vital points, rendering him temporarily incapacitated, much to the annoyance of an already angry Tomura, by the way, when he's annoyed, Shigaraki often scratches his neck.
What happened next was a very strange mess. From everywhere, in the building and outside, a strange grey sludge appeared in the air, from which a bunch of Nomu crawled out, and they were not from the second lair, but from somewhere else, as expected, All for One has more than two hiding places.
And not only that, the villains and Katsuki suddenly vomited up the same slurry that had consumed them and, judging by Nomu's appearance, teleported them in this weird way.
The Almighty tried to save Katsuki, but he didn't make it, and I double-checked the drone's cameras and saw the one I'd been working hard to get stronger for all this time. A mysterious man in a dinner jacket and an unusual helmet-mask, with protective plates around his neck, appeared in the ruined shelter out of nowhere.
Gins immediately realised how dangerous this humanoid monster was, and using a quirk, bound him with the threads of his own dinner jacket.
But it was useless, I didn't fully understand exactly what happened, there was a huge explosion, destroying the nearest buildings, and a moment later all the heroes were lying wounded on the ground, and he almost killed Gins with a shot of compressed air in the stomach.
A few seconds later, Shigaraki and his henchmen and the whole of Katsuki formed up there.
- My plan went one place...well, the usual. - I teleported there, already in my armour. - Greetings Shigaraki, as well as Magne, Compress and Spinner, with Dabi and Kurogiri, I unfortunately can not say hello, you can see why. - I glanced at the stitched up and teleport lying in the offing.
- It's him! Stein's torturer! - Spinner bared his blade. - May he have chosen you worthy, you will pay for all you have done to him! - He lunged forward, raising his blade to strike.
- He's a psychopath and a maniac lad, you picked the wrong idol. - I shifted to the side, and grabbed Iguchi by the neck. - Honestly, I've never liked spinners, like they're supposed to reduce stress, but I find them annoying on the contrary.
- 'Ahem, I'll, ahem, fulfil the will of...Stein...' the helplessly floundering Spinner struggled to speak.
- No, you won't. - I opened a portal to the police station cell and threw the anthropomorphic iguana in. His Quirk is useless to me, so I can hand him over to the police.
- What the hell?! What are you doing here!? - Katsuki exclaimed as she recognised her long-time saviour.
- I'm saving you again, blondie. - I moved over to her and threw her into the portal to the station just like that, only I didn't throw Katsuki into the cell.
- You again...why can't I do what I want, teacher?! Why can't I kill everyone who pisses me off! - Tomura yelled angrily, scratching his neck.
- It's okay Tomura, it's just part of becoming you, you can't do whatever you want without losing anything. - decided to philosophise All for One, who until then had only been silently watching me, probably assessing. But even his absolute calmness wasn't helping, my heel throbbing with anxiety.
- Shigaraki, what should we do? - asked Magne to her leader, who was now far from the concept of the word sanity.
- It'll be over tonight...I know the Almighty will be here soon enough, and by co-operating with him, I can finally kill you, monster. - I said as I prepared for battle.
- I see you took my advice Tengu, you are stronger, much stronger than I expected. - he said calmly.
- I became stronger to get rid of you.
- I know that too. - I couldn't see his mouth from behind the mask, but I bet he was smiling now. - I'll be honest, I think you're unique, all my achievements in collecting various quirks, you've levelled out, only enhancing your own quirk and finding different ways to use it. You are truly interesting to me...young Akira Mizuiro. - He suddenly called my name while spreading his hands apart.