PHASE 2 START

Chapter 60

"The Aven-Guardians initiative"

Nezu peeked from behind the curtains, his eyes roaming on the faces of the first-year students from the Hero Course. He couldn't even express the joy that all of the parents agreed to allow their children to continue their education at his school, brought him. With the new dorm system, they could keep all of the kids safe, help with their commute finances, teach them independence... and find the possible traitor.

Now, Nezu believed with all his might that none of the students was selling information to the League, or the underworld overall. Still, it was just too suspicious that villains knew where the teachers' lounge was, or the location of the camp that was changed at the last notice, without telling students. Of course, someone from the teaching staff could also be responsible for it, but that was even less likely to be the case.

Shaking his head to get rid of the gloomy thoughts, he put a smile on his face and stepped forward. All of the noise died instantly as the students' eyes focused on his small figure.

"Hello, dear students of 1-A and 1-B. I hope that all of you are finding your new accommodations enjoyable." Nezu paused to observed a curt round of nods and smiles. "Firstly, I want to express my joy that every one of you is here to continue your education. Additionally, I want to apologise that due to shortcomings of the teaching staff, with me at its head, you had to go through with what you did." He stated, bowing to the children. He was met with silence. Silence was a good response.

Straightening up, Nezu once again looked at the faces of his students. There was a lingering tension on their faces, but all of them had a brave facade. These kids would make fine heroes; he was sure of it.

"However, that isn't the point of this meeting." He rose his palm, silencing the kids before they could start whispering. "U.A.'s got the privilege to set new principles for heroics, and with this, I'm pleased to announce the opening of the new program."

Murmurs arose from the students, asking questions about his cryptic message. In the corner of his eye, Nezu spotted Young Yaoyorozu beautifully faking her obliviousness. Midnight trained her well.

"Principal, if I may." Young Iida asked, standing up. "You said 'program', does that mean that there is going to be a new Hero Course?"

Nezu chuckled at that. "In a way, you're right about it... but in a way, you're wrong."

Oh, how he enjoyed messing around with their young minds. He could entertain himself doing that the whole day and wouldn't grow bored.

"Seeing there is a lot of confusion, I've allowed myself to ask the first member of this new program to explain it for you." Nezu stated, moving aside. A small smirk danced on his lips.

From behind the curtain, Young Midoriya stepped forward, already spotting the new jacket designed to distinguish the new course. The teen shot him a look that held amusement and slight annoyance. The student stopped, cleared his throat and crossed his arms on his chest. With a lazy gaze, he measured his 'public', who appeared to be dumbfounded by the boy's presence.

This ought to be good.

"Thank you, principal. I was just about to step in to stop you from having a field day with my colleagues." Young Midoriya stated, smirking a little. "I see that you don't have any idea from Nezu's mysterious way of speaking, so I'll start from the beginning." The teen paused for a moment, most likely gathering his thoughts. "The United Nations approved an international program whose purpose is to assemble a special team made up by individuals that undergo specific training. The goal of said team is to investigate highly dangerous criminal activity and prevent it from reaching our everyday life."

A hand shot in the air, following it Young Tokage stood up and tilted her face to the side. "What do you mean by 'special team' and 'prevent'?"

Nezu smirked at the question. Kan-san told him that the girl was quite sharp.

Young Midoriya looked at her, scratching his cheek. "Think of this as the Black OPS of the Hero Industry, with the backing of every country in the world. As for the other part… Mostly apprehending bad guys." The boy replied with slight uneasiness at the end.

The student seemed satisfied by that and sat back. However, right after her Young Shoji stood up.

"Why does the UN want us to be part of this? Is there even a need for such a team?" The teen asked, causing whispers to travel through the room.

Young Midoriya eyed Nezu, but he just smiled at him. He wanted to see how the boy handled it.

"While there are undoubtedly extraordinary, and capable, heroes in the world, not all of them can do what this team, "The Guardians", are supposed to do and/or will face. That's why the UN wants to set a program to train a select group of people in order to guarantee the highest chance of success in any "assignment", for lack of a better word." Young Midoriya replied, silencing the students. "U.A.'s involvement was a suggestion form our principal, so they are entrusting the success of the program to our school. The other part though..." The teen took a slow breath and looked ahead of him. "Our world is a twisted place. We saw a example during the trial that I had the pleasure to be a part of. A 'great' hero, hiding his dirt away from the public. A powerful villain living right under our noses. Corruption, discrimination, abuse of power... those are the things that heroes and police can't deal with without help from some other parties, especially if the issue comes from them. The UN believes that "The Guardians initiative" is the solution to the problems that we're facing right now, and going to face in the future."

Nezu tuned off the chatter after Young Midoriya's explanation. He was always proud of being the principal of this school. To lead the school that was considered to be one of the best in the world. However, when he saw the letter from the UN's Council, stating that they were basically giving him the keys to a potential better tomorrow… He may or may not have laughed hard for half a day. To think that in the past, he was an object of experiments on quirk research...

Young Midoriya's little speech about the new program was something he could wholeheartedly agree on. Humans always were illogical creatures in his eyes, their flaws showing at every step, every action they took. But wasn't it also the beauty of humanity? Wasn't it what made all of them humans?

"Hah! This oh-so-special Course won't be that hard to get in. I mean, if the quirkless student from Support could somehow get in, then there's no way that the superior students from the class 1-B…"

Ah, right, Neito Monoma. Nezu had heard about him. The boy was quick to jump into conclusions and had some agenda against 1-A. Maybe consulting the teen with Hound Dog would do some good.

Nezu peeked at Young Midoriya, who was looking at the teen with an unreadable expression. It was similar to the one that humans had when they observed a weird animal doing something questionable.

"Have you ever taken a life?" Young Midoriya questioned, his voice filled genuine curiosity.

To say that this caught Nezu off guard would be like saying that Aizawa was tired. He wasn't expecting it. Judging from the eerie silence, neither did the students. Young Yaoyorozu seemed to be quite surprised, and a bit worried. On the other hand, Young Iida had a sorrowful look in his eyes.

Young Monoma, who froze in a bizarre position, slowly turned his head to the platform. "P-pardon?" The teen asked weakly, his grin cracking.

"Have you ever killed someone before?" Young Midoriya repeated nonchalantly. "Have you ever thought about taking away someone's life with our own hands?" The teen paused, licking his lips. A deadly glint dancing in his eyes. "While the Guardians' job is to prevent anything terrible from happening, the capture of the villains isn't the only option. Sometimes you can only kill the criminal to save lives." The boy added, ending it with a heavy sigh.

Nezu winced a little at the calmness in the boy's voice. But he could see the slight shaking of his hands behind his back. He was willing to endure resurfacing those memories to make them understand the risks involved in the program. He would make sure to ask Young Midoriya if he was okay later.

The teen once again looked across the room like he was searching for something in their expressions.

"I won't be sugar-coating the truth. Joining Guardians isn't something that you do on a whim or just to try things out. It's a choice for the rest of your life. You will have to get information in any way possible. You will have to dye yourself in the blood to save people who didn't even know that they were in danger. It won't be easy: from the gruesome training to the tough decisions and close calls." Young Midoriya explained with sympathy.

Nezu smiled at his words. The teen was already showing the signs of a great hero. A hero that the Guardians initiative needed at the front.

Taking a step forward, he clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention back on track. Nezu could easily see conflict on their faces. He believed that he could understand them. They all came here to fight crime and support their society with smiles on their faces. And here they were asked to abandon the conventional idea of heroics, to become something greater at the cost of their relatively normal lives.

"When I was younger, I thought that the encouragement from my grandpa, my skill, intellect and ideals would be enough to be a hero, but in time I found the truth to be a lot more complicated than that. I hope that you can also come to a similar conclusion." The teen added, smiling brightly.

"For more information, you can ask your homeroom teacher. Be aware that the choice to try and join this program isn't compulsory. You will have a few days to think about it and decide if you want to take part in the transfer exam." Nezu stated, wrapping up the meeting with the Hero Courses. They still needed to get through the other classes.

"Principal, one more question!" Young Kirishima shouted, hastily standing up. "Is this team, Guardians, are they going after the League Of Villains?" The teen asked hopefully.

Right, he heard from Aizawa that the boy dealt with Bakugo's betrayal pretty poorly. Smiling sympathetically at the student, he answered "We don't know what missions Guardians would have to deal with. But there is a possibility of it." The truth seemed to be the best reply he could give.

Turning on his feet, Nezu walked behind the curtain, Young Midoriya following him. They both sat on the stools, thinking about the meeting in comfortable silence.

It all went quite well in his opínion. Young Midoriya did his part wonderfully, delivering the essential points to the students, and making sure they understood the stakes. Now it was the question of which one would decide to leap and try to join the program. As much as he was a sadist, who would enjoy the suffering of human beings, he felt a bit bad for the young women and men who succeeded in this endeavour. They all would face the challenges that most heroes didn't have to.

"Are Young Hatsume and Young Shinsou going to play innocence as good as Young Yaoyorozu did?" Nezu asked suddenly, pulling the boy from his thoughts.

Young Midoriya hummed quietly, tapping his fingers together. "Maybe Toshi will do a bit better than Mei."

Nezu chuckled at it. "You don't believe in your girlfriend? That's not nice." He teased a little, to lighten up the atmosphere.

The teen snorted. "Please, because she's my girlfriend, I know that she is going to cause something to happen."

"Something?" That seemed really fascinating.

"Maybe cause explosion or two." Young Midoriya said with a shrug.

That certainly sounded like Young Hatsume. He still remembered how Majima-san complained about the girl during the first month of school.

"While we're at the unexpected..." Nezu started, his smile vanishing as a concerned expression settled on his features. "Was that the right move? While you didn't say a word about the Stain Incident, I know that you were referring to it. Are you okay, Young Midoriya?"

Although the teen passed the written psychological evaluation, he could see the hesitation in his body language. After brainstorming it with Aizawa-san and Majima-san, they had created a near-identical scenario in which Young Midoriya had to kill Stain. Of course, the results of the examination led them to believe that there was nothing wrong with him. But passing some test wasn't the same a dealing with trauma.

Looking at the teen, Nezu patiently waited for a reply. The boy's head dropped just a bit. He was biting his lower lip, and his eyes showed that he wasn't exactly there.

After a pregnant pause, Young Midoriya released a heavy sigh and looked up, meeting his gaze with a pained, yet brave look. "During the villain attack at I-Island, the villain's leader, Wolfram, was about to unleash a powerful strike that no doubt would destroy the Central Tower, killing many people. All Might and Togata-senpai wouldn't make it in time. I... I shot an Unibeam at him. It ended up severing his arm, but I was aiming for the chest." The teen paused for a moment, looking down and playing with his fingers. "A moment before I did that, I'd heard Stain's last words to me, and... Umm... It may sound wrong, but I genuinely believe that while killing is not the best option, sometimes you just have no other choice. If sacrificing one life to save thousand or more is necessary, and I end up suffering because of it, then I'm willing to do it. That's what a hero would do."

Nezu listened to every word with rapt attention. It was clear to him that Young Midoriya would never escape the guilt, just like Aizawa-san said it to the boy in the hospital. They'd have to deal with it daily, be it day or night. It'd haunt them till the end of their lives. He couldn't even describe the respect he felt for the student being able to handle it. However, he was sure of one thing, he'd walk to the hell and back if it meant easing the burden that the teen had to carry.

"Oh, I just remembered something important." Nezu started cheerfully, wanting to change the subject. "Tsukauchi-san and I have a folder about your old school. We are considering officially opening a case against them. Would you like to contribute to it?"

Young Midoriya looked at him and blinked a few times, processing the news. "Erm… I can give you my testimony. Plus I'm sure that Alan has some recordings that he hid from me. Bratty A.I."

Oh, if the boy even knew about the whole server of the videos that Alan possessed.

Himiko took a deep breath of fresh, slightly chilly air. It was a while since she could feel the fresh breeze on her skin. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the crashed police car down on the road. Next to it were the unconscious bodies of police officers and other prisoners.

Stretching her body to get satisfying pops, she looked at her wrists. They were slightly red from the handcuffs that she had a few moments ago.

Looking ahead, she saw the back of her Master, who stood at the centre of the rooftop. There was a large duffel bag next to him, but it wasn't important now.

"Master… you didn't have to save me." Himiko stated in a low, sombre tone. She walked a bit forward, still keeping her distance. Her head hung low in shame.

She failed him. She failed her Master — the man who helped her so much through all her life. The man who did so much for her, who put his trust in her and her abilities.

"Do you think that I'm disappointed?" He asked her in a neutral voice. A heavy scent of fresh cigarette hitting her nose.

"Yes. I got caught for being careless. I got comfortable and downplayed my skills too much." She admitted as tears pricked her eyes. Himiko was so ashamed of herself; to drag Master's trust through the mud.

She saw his lower body shift to her. Quickly closing her eyes, she got ready to get scolded, hit… killed. She would accept it as it was a suitable punishment for her shortcomings.

A hand was laid on top of her head, causing her to wince a bit. Then she felt a gentle ruffle that messed her hair a little.

"As long as you understand it, I'm happy. Additionally, I'd always rescue you, my little lion." The Master stated calmly, still petting her hair.

She blushed a little at the pet name. It's been a while since she heard it. One couldn't describe her joy. Master wasn't mad, and she still was his little lion.

The man took away his hand, causing Himiko to release a small whine. She loved when he petted her. Straightening up, she was once again looking at his back.

"I've met him… I've met Izuku Midoriya." She declared as the warm memory of their short meeting replayed in her head, that she would cherish for the rest of her life.

Master hummed a little, showing his interest. "How is he?"

"He is…" Himiko started but stopped to lightly bit her lip as blood flowed to her cheeks. "He is everything that I've imagined and so much more. He's similar to you but different in his own way. He's just... amazing, fantastic." Was there even a way to describe it? Was this how love felt?

Master chuckled a little. "I'm sensing 'but' somewhere."

Really?! Just how great his intuition was? "But he has girlfriends." Himiko admitted with a sigh. "I fought against one of them. She wasn't that bad." If only she could fight at her full potential, she would destroy Yaomomo.

"So… what are you going to do about it?" The man asked curiously, no doubt greatly amused by her situation.

"I… I still want to be with him." She whispered, thinking about it. Allowing her mind to go wild, she fantasised about the way that Izuku would hold her, kiss her, prepare breakfast for her, tell her how beautiful she was… She really should stop reading those stupid, popular romance manga, shouldn't she?

"Then, by all means, go for it. By having a dream to chase, you can achieve great things, Himiko. Believe me on that one." Master said confidently, taking a puff from his smoke.

Oh, she believed him. Master wouldn't be able to build such a vast empire by not having a dream. A dream that would change the world so much. All for the betterment of their twisted society.

"What's in the bag?" She asked, kneeling next to it.

"Ah, right. I almost forgot. You're taking a little break from the League. I want you to help a team with their task." The man said, scratching his temple in an embarrassed manner. "As for the bag, why won't you have a look."

Grabbing a zipper, Himiko pulled it down, showing her a bound man in his birth suit. He appeared to be out cold. Under his feet was clothes, her 'villain' outfit. Next to the head was a large syringe, filled to the brim with something red — her blood.

She knew what was going to happen. She took the syringe, grasping it tightly. Aiming at the exposed arm, she plunged her hand down, only to stop mere millimetres from the skin.

"This man… who is he?" She asked in a low tone, observing the face of the bound man. Better be safe than sorry.

"A killer and a rapist. Someone who became my enemy." Master said peacefully; however, she didn't miss the slight edge at the beginning. She could practically hear the smile in his voice at her correct course of action.

Good, there was no need for a man like that. Inserting the needle in the vein, she pushed the piston down, emptying the content of the syringe. When she was done, she willed her quirk to activate.

Suddenly the man's eyes opened, and a muffled scream tore from his throat. His body convulsed, making him trash around in apparent agony. A white-ish goo sprung from him, enveloping him in a tight cocoon. After a few moments, the excess material melted away, showing a perfect copy of her.

Grabbing a knife from between the clothes, she cut the rope around the wrists that was already a bit loose. "Get out from the binds." She ordered swiftly, looking through the rest of the stuff in the bag. Finding note, she saw the location to which All For One sent the League. Quickly remembering it, she put it back and stood up.

"Get dressed. When you find those losers, act like the stupid villains with mental issues they are." Himiko ordered, already enjoying the break she was getting from the League. God only knew how she needed it.

The clone's blank eyes immediately gained a lively look, sprinkled with insanity. "Oh, I can't wait to play with Tomura-chan." It said in the matching voice, giggling at the end.

The clone took the bag and walked away with a skip in its step.

"I'm always amazed by how great your quirk is." Master stated in awe, dropping the end of the cigarette on the floor.

"Yeah, me too." Himiko agreed, stepping next to the man. Looking up, she saw the moon in the sky. She felt Master's hand on top of her hand, making small circles, which sent shivers through her spine.

Himiko briefly wondered if Izuku was looking at the moon right now.

A/N:

I AM... STARTING PHASE 2 BY UPLOADING THE FIRST CHAPTER IN 2020!

Hey guys! It's finally out. Beta and I took our time to ensure that we started off perfectly. I really hope that you'll all enjoy it.

Also, I have an announcement. Against my better judgment, I'm going to start a new fic. I know that CTW was a bust, but it ended like that due to my lack of knowledge about criminal genre. This one will be closer to the roots of my writing. Additionally, I'll still focus mostly on BFTGU, because I think that Phase 2 is going to be the most important here.

Anyways, that's all for now. See you in the next upgrade!