Nancy found herself back on the private jet. She never got to meet Izuku's classmates, but he assured her that Bakugo was an outlier. Sadako didn't board the plane with the two of them, and now she had Jonathan as company. The silence was getting to them both, but Nancy asked first, while looking out the window, watching the clouds pass by. "What would you do if none of this ever happened?"
"None of this?" He asked, closing the old fashioned film based camera he was tinkering with. It was a question that did require his whole focus and attention.
The brunette elaborated, gesturing around to things as she spoke. "What happened at Hawkins, the Fog... what would you be doing if none of this ever happened?"
He paused, thinking for a moment. If he never got involved, if his brother was never taken by the Demogorgon... he would be a very different person than he is now. That much was certain. "I would be the loner you knew I was before. I would try to get into photography, because I found it fascinating. Perhaps as a Journalist. Why do you ask?"
Nancy looked away, out the window, to the ocean, which stretched to all sides. "Well... I wonder what I would've done. I didn't have a clue what I was going to do after school, and now, I still don't."
"Nancy..." He started, "You've always been... fixated on the present. You're determined at whatever you do... but... you're getting burnt out." It was obvious to him, and it would be obvious to Steve too, once they met again.
She asked, in a moment of vulnerability and doubt. After all, the Entity was basically a dark goddess. How would they win? "It's just... what if none of our actions matter?"
Johnathan was quick to respond, confident. "They do matter. Otherwise, why would it want Izuku so badly?"
She turned to face him, confused. He clearly knew something she did not. "What do you mean?"
Jonathan explained what he'd learnt, and that brought newfound hope.
Izuku couldn't see the two of them off. There was too much to do, and Nezu's first message was concerning. As soon as he arrived, he could tell how bad things were. "No luck convincing the UN?"
"They're currently laughing at me, if I were to guess." Nezu sighed. He spent the entire night trying to convince the members of the United Nations, contacting their headquarters in New York. "It isn't working, and now the Japanese government wants to have me in a meeting, probably to strip me of my role as UA's principal."
Izuku frowned. "Really? Even after we gave solid proof of the MLA's corruption of the government, they still view you as the problem?" Slide 'n Go had resigned soon after the interview. Not wanting to risk himself and his... precious movement. It was hilarious to the two of them, considering the MLA hated their beings with an utter passion, as they refuted all their messages by existing... but quickly turned from a joke to a sick one when the government believed him over them.
Izuku was getting tired of this. They were simply running out of time. It was unlikely that Steve would even be retrieved in time, nor would they be able to train them. It was more for peace of mind, than anything else. Determined, he was going to make these politicians see reason for once. "I'm coming with. You need an ally to defend you, and explain everything."
Nezu shook his head, "No, you need to be out of jail..."
In a flash of light, Izuku's clothes were changed to a formal suit with an emerald green tie. He was now presentable to the representatives. "Not when I force the truth down their throats."
Reiko was afraid, which... unfortunately was not a new emotion. Every time Bakugo gave orders, the Operator got even more annoyed. It seemed to disagree in strategy, but was outranked in this matter, by a human of all things. Speaking of which, things were now moving quickly, and they were moved to a different location from their hiding spot. She now knew what its plan was... and the monochromatic girl was horrified that she couldn't do a thing against it. And the best part was, the League was completely unaware of the deception. However, she knew that this... difference in opinion would not last forever.
And Reiko did not know which side would be worse.
When Izuku and Nezu arrived at the National Diet building in Tokyo, they honestly did not know what to expect. Izuku had never been there before, the poor son of a single mother that he was. So, when he entered, guided by Nezu, he was extremely nervous on the inside. They arrived at the door leading to the parliament chamber, and Nezu told him: "You can turn back now, if you wish. No need to feed yourself to the wolves."
"If I don't do it now, you'll be cursing how I can't do much later. It's better if I do." Izuku signed, manipulating the Auris in his left hand, and pushed the doors open with its power. Swallowing his fear, he entered the room, head held high. Every person in the room was silent, their eyes on them both. More scathing towards Nezu.
The Prime Minister opened the proceedings, "Now that our... esteemed guest is here... we can begin. Nezu, you have been unusually evasive, utilizing professional heroes from the hero commission of public safety, with them subsequently going missing in their use. I am, of course, referring to Hawks and Edgeshot. How do you explain their disappearances?"
Nezu didn't speak. But he knew he didn't need to, since Izuku spoke for him, in his defense. "Nezu has avoided the topic because they are most likely dead, tracking down a member of the Black Veil, an organization we warned the hero commission about multiple times now."
"And who are you?"
Izuku didn't respond immediately. "We warned the nations... no, the world's... governments enough times, only for our concerns to be brushed aside. As a victim of the Veil before, I have been trying to push for their capture, but now it is too late. War is brewing, one unlike any you have seen before. This time, I will not be ignored. My name is Izuku Midoriya, and the Entity will devour our world, every man, woman and child if we do not prepare for it. By my projections, and information gathered from inside its realm, Earth has only a month left. Less than that. It is likely that we will be overrun unless defenses are created and maintained now."
People didn't take his warning seriously. "Really, Nezu? This is the best you've got?"
Izuku, very annoyed at this point, interrupted him. "I can show you how Hawks died."
They were stunned silent. "He was killed quickly, in the line of duty. I can show you the memories of the only survivor, Midnight, the pro heroine." He held the Auris before him, and blue fog swirled in the room, causing everyone to panic slightly, before it settles, and they all realized this is the effect of a quirk... but it showed them chilled them to the core. It showed four heroes investigating an abandoned city... and following a man named Talbot Grimes... eventually running into the Huntress, and her killing Hawks, and the other two staying behind. It was harrowing for them all." He paused to take a deep breath, before continuing:
"Do you see the threat the Veil is? These killers are strengthened by the Entity, and can kill top heroes quickly, faster than we can ever hope to replace them. And you all would dismiss me quickly... you are too short sighted. If you do nothing, then we are all lost." He changed it to show a map of japan. A circle around the main areas was highlighted. "These are the three bleed sites in Japan. Invasion sites. We have to make a perimeter and evacuate the area, in order to prepare. Preparation is key. I have a plan, we would just need to borrow time, keep them at bay, while I set up my knockout attack. I have gathered resources to be able to charge up, but not any to defend myself while I complete the ritual. I can't tell you much about it, but it has to work. It's the only plan I have, and I won't let it fail. All I need from you, is to start preparing for the invasion by vacating the area here..." The fog the Auris made coalesced into a map of Japan, showing dots on the three invasion spots, and a large circle around the three of them, labeled "Containment area".
"That's... we can't just do that!" The Prime minister said, "There is nothing..."
Izuku interrupted, his annoyance stretching thin. "So you will let them die? Because these individuals... killers and monsters... are vicious and hyperlethal. People will die. If you do nothing else, just let me work with the military directly. We don't have the time to waste."
However, at an abandoned train station, the one where Izuku saved three of his fellow hero students, a fog rolled in... an unnatural occurrence, and a clanking sound emanated from within. As well as fast footsteps. If anyone was there, they would have noticed the heavily injured man run out from the station, followed by a man in full plate armor, and carrying an executioner's sword, weighted at the end for a cleaner decapitation. The gear of a hardened killer. As he stepped out of the fog, the Knight pointed his flat ended sword towards the man. Shouts could be heard, and villainous laughter as three others, ghostly green, appeared from behind him, chasing down the man.
The Vanguard had arrived. More would soon follow.