"Can I join you?"

Green irises looked up and Izuku found himself staring into not one, but two pairs of expectant eyes. The sight slightly unsettled his nerves, but the greenette ignored the sensation to process the question.

"It looks like you all were having fun," the boy standing in front of him added when Izuku didn't reply immediately.

Green eyes immediately darted over towards the head with spiky blonde hair. Kacchan was juggling a ball with his feet. Keepy ups, his friend had called it. And the boy was making it look so easy.

Izuku spared a glance at the boy once more with a smile on his face. There's nothing wrong with having one more friend joining the fun. "Sure," he felt his chest warm upon seeing the expression on the boy's face lighting up at the answer . He grabbed the boy by the arm. "Come with me!"

"Oh, look," Tsubasa sneered as Izuku neared the group. "Look's like Deku brought another weirdo along."

"Yeah," Furuya joined in. "What is it this time? Scaly Four Eyes?"

Izuku tried to push down the stinging sensation at the nicknames and even the mean teasing and instead turned to his best friend. "Kacchan!" Red eyes darted over upon being called. "This is..." Izuku paused upon realizing a small issue, he turned towards the boy. "What's your name?"

"It's Pigm– I mean Igaru. My name's Igaru." Igaru's eyes darted around, one hand playing with the long sleeve before bowing towards. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Izuku missed the way Kacchan's eyes narrowed at the near slip. "Igaru, huh?" He repeated as he began spinning the ball on his finger. "Well, I know a game that you would fit in perfectly: 'Heroes versus Monsters'."

"I get to be the hero?"

"Of course not, we already have our hero and sidekicks," Katsuki pointed to himself with a scoff. "You're the monster."

"But I'm not a monster!" Igaru protested. "I'm an a– I'm not a monster."

"It's ok. It's just a game. We're all playing for fun, that's all."

Despite Izuku's attempt at placating the newcomer, Igaru still looked slightly downcast though he eventually nodded.

"Alright!" Katsuki announced. "Four-eyes' the monster. Deku's gonna be the civilian. The rest of us are gonna be the heroes."

And just like that, Izuku found himself standing alone underneath the large tree as everyone else scattered around. Again, he's left to play the person who needs saving.

Just as he spotted a snail crawling up the trunk, Igaru appeared from the bush with hands outstretched. He tried for a roar, though it sounded more like a kitten meowing. "Humans of Earth, I'm here to attack! Run away before I eat you!"

Izuku, already familiar with the part he plays, feigned a gasp as he turned and ran. "Oh no! It's a monster! Help!" The smile of his face widened despite the rather ominous sounding words.

The two of them ran circles around the playground, laughter in the air as they played what was essentially a game of chase.

A loud confident laugh pierces the air. "Bakugo Agency is here!" Izuku turns to see Katsuki announce his presence on top of the slide, with Tsubasa and Furuya standing a few steps lower. Katsuki points at Igaru. "Let's bring this monster down!"

Izuku punched the air as he cheered watching the trio run towards Igaru, but his arm froze mid punch when he caught sight of the look on Igaru's face. A look that he had only seen on TV several times, but deep down he knew it all the same.

The face of fear.

Time slowed around Izuku as he watched Igaru fold into himself while his three friends lay into the new kid with punches and kicks. His ears rang, and his vision tunneled and shook while his body stood frozen in place for only divine knows how long.

Katsuki's triumphant voice was the first sentence his mind registered.

"Now that's how you take down a monster!"

"I'm... I'm not.. a monster," Igaru protested weakly in between sobs. He was lying on the ground with his arms covering his face, and based on the trembling of his shoulders Izuku was certain the boy was crying.

"What's that? You wanna go again?" Tsubasa mockingly asked, prompting a chuckle out of Furuya. Their laughter stopped, and Bakugo's jaw dropped slightly as a shaking figure stood in front of the crying Igaru.

"That's mean, Kacchan!" Izuku's eyes glistened as they welled with tears. His body trembled in fright, he struggled to keep his arms upwards in a boxing stance and his legs threatened to give way at any second.

It was a pathetic attempt at standing up to the three boys that stood in front of him.

But still, he had to help Igaru.

If All Might could do it, so could he.

Bakugo stared on in shock before taking a deep breath. The corner of his lips twitch. "Even though you're Quirkless, you still want to play 'hero', huh?" The boy slammed a fist into his palm, a wicked lopsided smile forming on his face as he spat out his next word. "Deku?"

Izuku gulped at the sight of smoke emitting from the other boy's palm, but his muscles tensed on reflex.

As the three bullies charged at the little boy with bushy green hair, the quartet – at the age of four – learnt a valuable lesson.

All men are not born equal.

BREAK

The force that slammed into his chest knocked the wind out of him and the man was sent flying past rows of panicked civilians. His back crashed into the metallic door. With a heavy grunt, he peeled himself off the door.

The PA speakers came to life, and the composed voice of a man spoke through. "Passengers, this is your captain speaking. Please remain in your seats and stay calm."

The cabin was anything but calm. The passengers, those who were still breathing in their seats, either crying or muttering prayers. Most of them, well, sported a hole in their heads or their chests.

"Zoffy– zzt –me in!" His earpiece buzzed and he heard the voice of an old friend trying to speak through the static. "Wha– zzt –ur status?"

The man in grey and black sleek armour – Zoffy – gripped the nearest seat as he fought against the turbulence. He turned towards the window, and his chest clenched upon seeing the fiery ball that was once the plane's left engine. "Not good, Fuji. Left engine's out!"

Another shake, and the cries got louder. Oxygen masks dropped from their stored compartments, though no one tried to reach for it.

"Hey! Hey!" A smug, taunting voice called out from the front of the cabin. Green eyes looked up to see a figure in maroon and beige suit not dissimilar to his stalk towards him. The most prominent difference was the blue face helmet the figure donned. "Aren't you supposed to be Earth's protector?!"

"All Might's enroute. Three minutes." Fuji spoke again, and this time the static in Zoffy's communication device was gone. "Endeavour in five."

There was another loud explosion, and Zoffy didn't need to turn to his right to look. The right engine was just destroyed. Green brows furrowed. "I'm afraid we don't even have two minutes..."

"You're right, you're not!!" His assailant announced cheerily. It lifted a device no larger than its fist for Zoffy to see, and the man felt his blood froze. "Oh, you're a smart cookie, arentcha?" it started wiggling the trigger tauntingly. Zoffy could almost imagine the smug leer underneath his enemy's helmet "You wanna save these puny Earthlings? You gotta take this switch from me."

Anger surged within Zoffy and his face twisted into a snarl. He charged directly at his opponent, who laughed in delight before rushing to meet in combat. Energy blades materialized on his gauntlets and Zoffy lifted an arm in time to block what would have been a fatal swing. He swung with the other, and his fist connected with the helmet.

His opponent chuckled. "Now, that's the spirit!" it launched a whirlwind of kicks and punches and swings which Zoffy just barely dodged. All while laughing maniacally.

"You're amazing for an Ultraman! But..." Zoffy's enemy proclaimed as Zoffy parried an elbow targeting his face. "I'm Ace Killer for a reason."

Zoffy didn't have time to react when he felt it. A sharp, intense pain that burned his torso. Green eyes looked down to see the blade of Ace Killer's hatchet buried in his side. Another kick landed on his chest, and the blade was ripped from his body as Zoffy was sent tumbling to the ground to the gasps of whoever was still conscious.

"Zoffy, your vitals are dropping!" Fuji suddenly yelled. "What happened?! Come in! Hisa–!"

Zoffy tried to reply, but his tongue tasted like iron. His vision was blurring, and Fuji's franticness wasn't doing any favours in clearing it. And then a new voice spoke. Not into his earpiece, but into his head like a thought being made.

"I apologize for the delay. Currently approaching Earth's atmosphere."

"What took you so long?" Zoffy grumbled, unable to stop the snark leaving his lips as he spat out the blood gathered inside his mouth. He pushed himself up, forcing his weakening arms to obey him before they lost sensation.

"... There was an uprising in–"

"It doesn't matter... we don't have time anymore." Zoffy lamented. He straightened his posture and faced Ace Killer.

"... But... " the voice began to argue. "Your son..."

"Will be stronger than I've ever been." Zoffy gritted his teeth, his tone brokering no room for argument. Every fiber of his being screamed at him, even standing straight was starting to be an uphill battle of its own.

Ace Killer lifted his trigger hand again, revealing his thumb hovering above the red button. "Farewell, Ultraman."

"I leave Izuku to you, Lipiah." Zoffy whispered. Fuji was yelling at this point though he tuned her out in favour of charging at Ace Killer.

White light blinded Zoffy's vision as extreme heat wrapped his body, and Midoriya Hisashi knew no more.

BREAK

Ten years later...

"Oi, Izuku!" Midoriya felt himself snap back to reality upon hearing his name being called. Green eyes darted upwards from the notebook laid out on his desk to meet the expectant eyes of one Bakugo Katsuki, who rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Tch, I asked if you're coming to the arcade, dammit."

Midoriya stared at Bakugo, silently wondering when the spiky blonde even asked that question. Did I zone out again?

"Umm," he fought the embarrassment of being caught daydreaming by his best friend for the nth time. He started scratching the back of his "I-I was actually planning to head over to the library later."

Bakugo grunted, seemingly expecting the answer. He turned to leave when a boy with short black hair standing behind him chimed in.

"What? Are you scared Bakugo will destroy you in Taiko no Tatsujin again?" He sneered, "Or do you just wanna make more notes on quirks? You're such a nerd."

Before Midoriya could even come up with a reply, the walls of the empty classroom echoed with the cackling sound of small explosions being set off.

"The fuck did you just say, extra?" Bakugo growled lowly, his eyes narrowing into slits as he glared daggers at his classmate. If the blonde's quirk was heat vision, no doubt the 'extra' would have turned into a pile of ash by now.

Bakugo ignored the stuttering apology coming from his panicked 'sidekick', choosing instead to turn his attention back to the greenhead who hadn't budged from his desk. "Goddamnit, Deku. You gotta learn to stand up for yourself."

Midoriya stammered a soft 'Yeah', watching as Bakugo left the classroom while loudly chastising the two 'extras' over tainting his recommendation letter. Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed out himself. The library wasn't far, only about a ten minute walk.

Midoriya's nostrils were filled with the soft mixed scent of vanilla, almond and adhesive when he stepped past the sliding glass doors of Musutafu Public Library. The atmosphere was quaint and quiet, fitting for a place meant for people to silently read old books.

The old librarian looked up from the book in his hand, a soft smile forming on his face as he noticed the young man walking towards his counter. "Ah, Midoriya, it's always nice to see a familiar face."

"Likewise, Mr. Ide. Not many visitors today?" Midoriya allowed himself to smile in return as he greeted the elderly man. Green eyes scanned his surroundings and noted that there were only a few visitors, most of whom were around the same age as Ide.

Ide chuckled. "You know you kids. Always more interested in using the tiny box in your hands," he closed his book and began typing away on the bulky computer. "So, what can I help you find today? Another book on quirks? Or are you interested in trying to learn French this time?"

"Actually I was wondering if you know any way I can find flight records," Midoriya asked softly. "Or do you keep any newspaper clippings from ten years ago, more specifically dating back to 4 November eight years ago?"

The sound of tapping paused and Midoriya noticed that Ide's fingers were hovering above the keyboard. The elderly man had a somber look on his face, though the expression was gone in a blink of an eye as he put on a forced but polite smile.

"Young man, you couldn't possibly be looking for–" Ide stopped himself when the lights flickered and the building shook slightly, effectively putting their conversation to a halt.

Green eyes darted towards the exit. A villain attack? Midoriya thought to himself as made his way outside, only to barely avoid being trampled over by a group of panicked civilians. Another explosion and he turned to see thick clouds of smoke rising from one of the shopping districts.

It was also the direction that the more curious members of the public were heading towards.

Midoriya wondered if he should go have a look. Or maybe it's a gas explosion. He tried to talk himself out. After all, he was at the library for a reason.

But what if there's another new Pro Hero debut? A small voice nagged at the back of his mind. He didn't need much convincing, for curiosity got the better of him and he allowed his legs to carry himself towards the commotion.

By the time he arrived a huge crowd had gathered at the junction, only held back by the barricades set up by the police. Midoriya decided it was better to watch from the back rather than wiggling through the mob. He could already see many onlookers taking their phones out to record, some even talking amongst themselves.

Smack in the middle of the chaos was a giant goop, most probably the villain given how it kept swinging itself wildly. Even from afar, Midoriya saw the villain's crazed eyes and dirty decaying teeth that formed its mouth. He noted Death Arms, Kamui Woods and Backdraft were surrounding the Sludge villain but hadn't made a move, while the new hero Mount Lady seemed to be stuck between two buildings. It does make sense, none of the heroes on the scene has a quirk that's suitable to take on the damage that the villain was causing.

Though it does raise one question.

The villain's quirk gives it sludge-like properties, so how on earth does he make these explosions?

The teen's confusion was further compounded by the worrisome faces everyone wore. Then he overheard a conversation between two strangers standing close to him.

"Why are the heroes at a standstill?"

"They can't attack. The guy's got some middle schooler hostage."

"Isn't that the villain that gave All Might the slip?"

Midoriya felt his eyebrows shoot to his hairline when he realized how dire the situation was. He didn't have time to process the fact his favourite superhero was in town when his mind picked up on something else

Wait. Explosions. Middle-schooler–

Another explosion, this time accompanied by a loud scream that sent a chill down Midoriya's spine. A scream that belonged to a voice he was all too familiar with.

Green eyes darted over towards the centre of the chaos once again and caught a glimpse of spiky teal blonde hair poking out of the dirty mass of goo.

The sludge villain had caught Katsuki. Though it appeared that the explosive teen was fighting back.

Not for long, however, the sludge is already covering Kachan's mouth. Where the hell's All Might?! He always saves the–

Terrified, pleading red orbs met frantic green.

Midoriya didn't think. He didn't even know he was on the move until he heard Kamui Woods yelling at him to 'Stop!' that the greenhead realized he was bolting towards the villain.

The villain's eyes darted towards Midoriya and he started laughing in manic glee. "Well, well, well. More options for me– ACK!" The monologue was cut short by a yellow bag slamming into the villain's eye, causing his grip on Katsuki to weaken just enough to let the blonde breathe.

"Deku?!" He gasped, eyes widening in bewilderment at the sight of Midoriya scrabbling desperately at the sludge in an attempt to free him. "The fuck are you doing here?"

"I'm trying to save you!" Midoriya screamed back. His eyes were tearing up, whether it was from the smoke or the heat or something else, the teen wasn't sure. It didn't matter to him. All that mattered was getting Kacchan out of the grasp of the villain

"Get out of the way, dumbass!" Bakugo hollered. "Do you have a death wish or some–" his words were muffled by the sludge that covered his mouth.

Deku's eyes widened even further. "Kacc–" he tried to reach for the sludge suffocating Bakugo but was yanked away and sent crashing onto the ground a few meters away.

"THAT'S IT!" The villain roared. "I have enough meddling kids for today!"

Midoriya rolled to his side and leaned upwards to have a better look at the situation. His breathing was short, and his head felt light, but the rapid heartbeat within his chest was more pronounced than any other pain or fear he felt as he watched Bakugo's eyes roll backwards.

His vision turned red.

"Give. Him. Back!"

It happened in a blur. One moment, Midoriya was leaning on the ground, staring at the villain in front with his back facing the crowd. Next, he was at the end of an empty street with Bakugo coughing out sludge by his side.

Confused, he looked up to see that he was yards away from the scene and the crowd.

"What the hell?! How did you do that?!" The villain shrieked. He turned to glare at Midoriya, and the green-haired teen could see the venom and hate in the villain's eyes despite the distance between them. "You brat! I'll kill you for taking away my disguise!"

The villain morphed into a wave of sludge, slamming past the screaming crowd and heading straight for the two teens.

Midoriya tried getting up, to shove Bakugo out of harm's way. But he could barely keep himself up with his wobbly arms.

The wave was mere meters from them, and green eyes slammed shut in anticipation of the inevitable painful demise.

"DETROIT SMASH!"

There was a splattering sound followed by a strong rush of air that threatened to lift Izuku off the street. As the wind died down, his brain registered the wet sensation of raindrops splashing his uniform. Slowly, green eyes opened to see that it was indeed raining and the fire caused by the numerous explosions had been extinguished.

But to him, that wasn't the most amazing sight right now.

"Are you all right, young man?"

All Might, the No. 1 Hero and Symbol of Peace, was standing right in front of him. Asking him if he was alright.

Midoriya opened his mouth, but no words could come out. His head was feeling even lighter and why is All Might spinning I wanna take a nap Ishouldtakeanapnow–

"Woah, easy there kiddo," All Might chuckled as a strong arm grabbed Izuku before the teen could face plant onto the sidewalk. "That was some excellent heroic spirit you put on there, young man. It is thanks to you that this villain was distracted, and I was able to swoop in," He said, patting the young boy on his shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to clean up the sludges splattered around the street."

Midoriya didn't pay attention to most of what the muscular hero said. His ears were ringing loudly, and all he understood was that All Might praised him before walking off. He watched absentmindedly as the heroes cleaned up the mess left by the villain and handed him over to the police.

Kamui Woods and Death Arms had a word with him afterwards. The duo clearly did not share All Might's sentiment about the middle schooler's actions based on the chewing-off he was getting.

"As reckless as your actions were, kid, I must say," Death Arms said. "You have an amazing quirk. Using speed to pull your friend free, that's definitely something," the hero chuckled. His expression hardened. "But don't you think about pulling something like that off again."

The tiredness in Midoriya was shaken off at that, his eyes widening in confusion. Speed? When did I–

That's when he heard it. Murmurs within the crowd as the remaining onlookers whispered among themselves.

"Did you see his quirk?"

"He disappeared into thin air and appeared with the boy at the end of the street."

"What? He didn't do that! He was definitely moving fast."

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure he has a speed quirk," said another.

Midoriya felt overwhelmed and a chill ran down his spine. Since when was his quirk anything like they said? Green eyes darted towards Bakugo in hopes he could find some form of support, but his friend was being attended to by paramedics.

The spiky blonde, as if feeling a pair of eyes on him, turned to meet Midoriya's gaze. A vein popped on his forehead and he shoved the gauze that was dabbed on his cheek before stomping over towards his friend.

"Deku you fucking dumbass!" Midoriya flinched at the anger in Bakugo's voice. Well, at least Kacchan's definitely alright. "What were you thinking rushing in like that?! It's not like you know how to use your quirk! Did you have a death wish or something?! You're not even a fucking hero yet!"

The heroes sweatdropped at the sight of the explosive teen smacking his timid green messy-haired friend on the back of the head and chewing him off more than they had done.

"Hold on! What do you mean he doesn't know how to use his quirk?" A hero sporting a metallic mask in the shape of a beak and had a yellow cap attached to a white onesie asked, clearly bewildered. "He displayed control over his quirk."

"Huh?! Why does that matter anyway, huh?" Bakugo growled at the interruption before grabbing Midoriya's bag. "Let's get your ass home, you idiot. Do you want Auntie Inko to worry again?"

Midoriya silently shook his head and followed Bakugo's lead, leaving the remaining heroes speechless at the middle-schooler's crass attitude.

"For some reason, I'm more worried about the kid's safety now," Death Arms finally spoke, earning a nod from Kamui Woods as the blonde kid launched into another tirade. They sweatdropped at the sight of the explosive teen whacking the back of his friend's head again.

BREAK

The walk back home was less than quiet. Or peaceful for that matter. It's hard to find any semblance of serenity with the epitome of an angry mother hen nagging more than a grumpy old grandmother.

"Tch, use your brain, dumbass," Bakugo rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time. "What was I supposed to tell Aunty Inko if you did something reckless and got killed huh?"

"It's not like it's easier for me to tell your mom that you died of a villain attack too, y'know?" Midoriya argued weakly.

"But at least the old hag will still have my old man around, dumbass! Have you thought how lonely your mom would be if you died?!" Bakugo snapped sharply, the words spitting out without thought and his eyes widened in shock upon realizing his mistake. He whirled around to find Midoriya frozen in place, his head bent down causing messy hair to cover the crestfallen expression on his face.

The spiky blonde swore under his breath. Oh, look who's the real fucking idiot now, Katsuki. Of all the fucking stupid shit to say, you had to bring that up.

"Izuku, I'm–" Bakugo tried to force out an apology, but was cut off when Midoriya lifted his head. He tried not to flinch at the blank expression the other teen wore.

"It's fine, Kacchan," even Midoriya's tone lacked any hint of emotion. "I know you're just trying to look out for me." He looked at the junction they stood in front of. "Thanks for walking me home. I'll tell mom you said hi."

Bakugo waited for Midoriya to cross the junction before he turned and began walking home. The blonde smacked a palm on his forehead, letting out a series of explosions as he uttered a string of curses that no doubt his old hag would bleach his mouth if she ever heard him say it.

Midoriya entered his home and began to remove his shoes after closing the door slowly. "I'm home!" he announced as he walked towards the living room. He found his mom sitting at the dining table. The expression on her face was unreadable. Green eyes darted towards the television to see that the news was covering the sludge villain incident.

A video of the incident, obviously recorded from a phone, was being played and Izuku watched himself becoming a blur as he dashed towards the villain before pulling Bakugo free from captivity.

Then his mind registered the fact that his mom knows about his involvement and his eyes widened in panic.

"Mom, that's not what you think!" His hands began flailing around as he tried to come up with an explanation. "It's just I couldn't sit by and watch Kacchan being hurt!"

"Your father always told me this day will come," she said softly with a face of acceptance, causing him to pause. Seeing the confused but curious look on her son's face, she walked to her room, leaving her son in a panicked mess and he wondered if he had truly disappointed his mother.

But he wasn't to dwell in his negative thoughts for long, as Inko emerged from her room with a black and gray briefcase in hand. "I know it's always been your dream to go to UA and train to be a hero, Izuku, no matter how worried you are about your own strength."

Izuku wanted to say something. Anything to tell his mother that he was not scared of his own strength. But his throat constricted and he was unable to say a word. Instead, his lips formed a thin line as he watched his mother place the briefcase on the table. He gingerly placed a hand on the cover, feeling the cooling metal underneath the skin of his palm.

"What's this, mom?" he managed to find his voice, though it was only above a whisper.

"Your father never gave me the details, but he did tell me to give this to you when you were ready," she explained, her eyes not meeting his. "I never opened it, so I can't say that I know what's in it."

Izuku's shoulders dropped and his arms hung loosely by his side as his gaze fell to the ground. Of course, dad didn't say a thing. He never even–

"Just now, during the villain attack, your body moved on its own, right? Izuku?" Green eyes widened at his mom's question and his jaw dropped. He looked up to see his mom looking at him with a sense of... pride? His reaction was an answer on its own for Inko, and a smile began to form on her face.

"You always were driven by the strong sense of justice in your heart, no matter how much you try to hold back after what happened before," Izuku had to bite his tongue from saying 'gee, mom, thanks for stating the obvious'. "And today proved it, again." Inko's smile widened. "I love you, Izuku, and believe me when I say this: You can be a hero."

Izuku felt his breath hitch, and his grip on the notebook tightened. His lips trembled as he allowed the words to sink in.

"Y-you're not- you're not worried that I'll get hurt?" He choked out, and for some reason, his voice was gurgled and his vision was getting blurry. He felt a soft palm on his cheek and a thumb wiping the tear off his eye.

"Of course I will, honey," Izuku felt his chest clenched tightly at his mom's reply. "But I imagined the number of people you can save someday and realized that I cannot let my worries stop you from achieving your dreams."

His vision blurred again. Izuku felt his mom engulf him in a hug. For a few moments he stood frozen in place, his shaking shoulders and unsteady breathing the only signs of movement from him. Eventually, he buried his face against his mom's shoulder.

As he wrapped his arms around his mom, Izuku vowed to become a hero that his mom will be proud of.

BREAK

Naomasa Tsukauchi's brows knitted together but kept his eyes focused on the road. The sun had just begun to set when he received a call ordering the need for his presence. Not much information was provided aside from the location, so Tsukauchi decided to just have a light dinner.

He drove for a while before arriving at his destination, an abandoned warehouse just on the outskirts of town. A few police cars were already there, and several officers stood guard by the perimeter despite the area being isolated.

Tsukauchi exited his car and walked towards the crime scene. In the periphery of his vision, he noticed an officer with a cat head joining him by his side.

"Sansa," he greeted as they passed the yellow tape that formed the perimeter, the duo never losing a single stride in their steps, "What do we have here?"

The detective saw his old friend forming a thin line with his lips despite having a ridge-shaped mouth and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Nothing pretty. It's–," Sansa paused at the entrance, "It's best you see for yourself." Tsukauchi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at the vague statement. But the moment he stepped through the door into the building did he understand the reason behind the officer's troubled behaviour.

Tsukauchi didn't need a flashlight to see the outlines of several bodies strewn across the floor. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "How many?"

"We've tagged six of them, but one of our guys found four more in the back," Sansa replied.

Tsukauchi resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Anyone ID-ed?"

"Every single one of them was part of the Missing Person list at least a week ago."

The detective could feel the migraine beginning to form at the back of his head, but he ignored it when he spotted a man wearing a pair of glasses and a navy blue jumpsuit examining one of the victims and immediately called out to him.

"Dr Kawaya, anything you can tell me right now?"

Dr Kawaya walked towards the duo, his face twisted in deep thought. "No gunshot wounds or bruising around the neck. But every victim has dried blood around their lips and in their mouths."

"So they coughed themselves to death?" Tsukauchi queried and the image of a skinny tall blonde coughing blood came to mind, but he forced his attention back to the case.

"I wouldn't say that, though I'll need a full autopsy to be certain," Dr Kawaya shook his head as he refuted Tsukauchi's theory. The detective watched as the bespectacled medical examiner stood shiftily as if the man was internally debating a matter.

Believing it to be related to the case, Tsukauchi decided to voice his concerns aloud. "Something bothering you, Dr?" He waited patiently as he watched Dr Kawaya's brows scrunch together to form a faux-unibrow.

After a few seconds of silence, the doctor nodded his head. "There's something you need to see."

Both Tsukauchi and Sansa shared a look upon hearing Kawaya's rather troubled tone before following the man to the corpse he was examining earlier.

"Now, I'll say it again: I'll need a full autopsy on all the victims to give you a complete report," Dr Kawaya reminded as he squatted down, "but given my findings, I could draw a rather peculiar theory." Before Tsukauchi could ask 'what?', Kawaya gently lifted the victim's T-shirt and shone his flashlight at the torso.

"What the hell?"

Tsukauchi thought that Sansa's response was apt. The state of his arm and cheeks showed that the victim was in good health. But his torso told a completely different story. The skin clung to his chest so tightly Tsukauchi could see the entire rib cage. His waist was so shrivelled and skinny, it made people with eating disorders look healthy.

"It's the same for every body I've checked, and I'd wager there's no difference with the other four at the back," Dr Kawaya explained. He ignored the two pairs of widening eyes to focus on the corpse in front of him. "It's all skin and bone in the torso," He ran a gloved finger along the corpse's abdomen, and Tsukauchi watched as the skin formed traces of the victim's backbone.

"From initial observations, it appears that the victims had their organs and flesh from the torso area extracted. Based on the lack of any sign of surgery, but with the sign of their necks being expanded and the blood around their lips suggests that their mouths are related someway or somehow to 'how' the removal was achieved."

Tsukauchi knitted his brows in thought and spared a glance at the lying corpse, who he realized was a middle-aged man. As he noticed that the glassy orbs staring at him mockingly were wide with fear, the detective couldn't ignore the sense of dread forming at the pit of his stomach.

"Just what the living hell are we dealing with here?"

A/N (May 25th, 2024) Yes, another MHA fic. And yes, it'll be a crossover. With which fandom? I'll reveal when the time comes. If you managed to figure it out with the not so subtle hints that'll be sprinkled along the way prior to the reveal, that's awesome for you. If you didn't, you can read the first two to three arcs as MHA standalone.PS: I already have the cover. But won't put it on yet, bcs that'll spoil the crossover.