⚠️Warning: Mentions of blood and drug overdoses (kinda)! ⚠️
Date: November 1, XXXX
Time: 12:22 p.m.
Location: Warehouse in Slums of Tokyo
The trio of heroes-in-training sit impatiently on the edge of a concrete rooftop, bundled up in their winter attire and staring intently at the warehouse just across the street. The lights are off and not even a mouse has been seen going in or out of the building since they set up camp in the early hours of the morning. Shrieking winds howl in their ears that begin to turn deaf to the noise after so many hours sitting atop the cold concrete. There's no snow littering the ground this early in the year, but with how the air seems to thicken with each passing second, it might as well be.
The trio is supposed to be on a lookout mission to catch drug dealers in the act, but so far they haven't had any luck with locating a single one. An anonymous lead passed down to them by the police department said there's supposed to be a transaction at this location. But, with each silent moment that ticks by, it starts to feel like a dead-end.
Midoriya clutches his third cup of coffee close to his chest, savoring the heat that rolls off in calming waves. Ever so slightly, his fingers are warmed within his gloves and he sighs in relief. His breath is accompanied by a puff of vapor and is the only sound between the boys excepted for the howling wind that blows right through their coats and costumes to ice their skin. Except for Todoroki, who doesn't seem bothered by the cold at all. Meanwhile, the other, less fortunate boys feel chilled to the bone and are convinced the moment they try to move, they'll discover their limbs are numb and frozen to the ground.
Almost as if they're in a trance, the trio stares at the building without moving except to take a sip of their drinks or adjust their scarves. Bakugo's tired eyes blur for a moment, forcing him to blink and then resume his previous position. The cold is starting to get to all of them, making it feel as if their eyelids will be frozen open if they stare for too long. With the winter weather rushing in like a storm, much earlier than usual compared to previous years, it's made it harder for heroes to do their usual patrols. Many have been rejecting missions that require long hours outside, pushing them onto those still in training who don't have a choice.
Though, the current No. 1 Hero wasn't lucky enough to get the option of rejecting this mission. Considering Endeavor has three interning heroes in training at his agency that have to supervised, the old man was dragged along to watch over them during the mission. He disappeared about half an hour ago to walk the perimeter around the area they monitor and hasn't come back yet. It wouldn't surprise any of them if he left them to get lunch, everyone is starting to get hungry.
As if to prove a point, Midoriya's stomach growls and he squeaks in surprise at the sudden, loud noise. The other two turn their attention to him, one with a glare and the other slightly concerned.
"You alright, Izuku?" Todoroki questions, doing his best to be quiet while showing his concern for his boyfriend. The heterochromatic boy earns an aggressive nod in response, the green-haired boy turning his attention back to the building to continue their mission and deciding his slight hunger wasn't an issue at the moment.
But, later.
Bakugo turns his glaring eyes from his childhood friend to the warehouse as well, piercing the steel walls with his red eyes as if it'll speed this whole damn thing up.
It did not.
A few minutes tick by in more silence, except for the occasional growl of a stomach or shift against the concrete. They really should have eaten more than a granola bar before coming out here and sitting on the cold concrete is starting to make their bodies ache. The lack of movement or any kind of excitement in the last eight hours wears on their motivation, transporting their thoughts to how nice and warm the Height's Alliance must be for all of their classmates. They're lucky to be at UA right now instead of in the freezing cold with only lukewarm coffee to fill their stomachs. But, this mission is important and not something they can just abandon in favor of grabbing a bite to eat. The pills sold by these dealers are capable of temporarily enhancing a person's quirk to new levels but also has dangerous drawbacks on their bodies. It's important to get these drugs off the streets so no one else gets hurt.
So, the boys sit and wait. Their eyes grow tired and they blink more and more frequently with each minute that passes as slowly as a thousand. That is, until a shoe scuffs the ground behind them.
All three of the young heroes swivel around to face their mentor who stands with two bags of McDonald's in his hands along with a drink carrier filled with beverages other than coffee. Midoriya almost cries for joy at the smell of food, leaping forward to help distribute the meal while sneaking a few fries in his mouth.
"I figured you boys would be hungry," Endeavor says, voice deep and dry from the cold. He didn't abandon them then.
They mumble their thanks as they dig in, two voices a lot less enthusiastic than the other. But, as the warm food settles into their stomachs, their moods lift if only a little bit. A good meal really does solve all the world's problems. As they sit in silence, munching on their chicken nuggets, burgers, and fries, Midoriya's brain starts to go into overdrive as one question after another fills his mind while he stares at the flame hero.
Why did he never think of this before?
"Endeavor-san, can I ask you a few questions?" The boy asks, stuffing a few more fries in his mouth while glancing at his childhood friend out of the corner of his eye. Hopefully, Bakugo won't be too upset by this.
The man in question nods, knowing if he's rude to his son's boyfriend, it'll most likely destroy the beginnings of a relationship between them. In response, the broccoli-haired boy smiles in thanks and continues on with only a little hesitation, "I was wondering if you'd tell us everything you know about that night, when (Y/n)-chan went missing. There has to be more to it than what's in the reports. You were there, so you know, right?"
Bakugo stops eating, staring intently at the side of Midoriya's head. Despite feeling the piercing gaze, the green-haired boy keeps his eyes on Endeavor and waits patiently for the older male to respond. Suddenly, all three of them turn their attention to him expectantly and the male knows there is no getting out of this.
"You want the full story of that night?"
"Don't leave out a single detail! Anything could be important," Midoriya encourages, finishing off the last bit of food and tossing the wrappers. Eating the last of his burger in one bite, Endeavor cleans off his hands and tugs his gloves back on as he thinks about where to start. Even as he addresses the young men sitting in front of him, his eyes stay firmly locked on the warehouse across the street.
"Well, as you may already know, the mission was supposed to be very simple with the intention of capturing low tier villains. The only reason it wasn't a solo mission was the sheer number of villains we suspected were in the hideout, around 60 in total," The man stops to clear his throat as he thinks back to that night, "We arrived at the facility around 9 though the actual mission would not begin until closer to 10. I remember as soon as the earpieces and trackers were handed out, Phantom had walked away to stand on her own, away from the rest of the team gathered and Rockslide hadn't arrived yet.
"I'm not sure what she did during that time or if it's relevant, but Rockslide didn't arrive at the scene until minutes before we began. Only then did they join the group as we got into position to infiltrate the facility. The plan was to take them by surprise, and as such, Phantom and I were put on opposite sides of the building to spread out our top heroes. She had Rockslide and a few other heroes with her, so she wasn't alone when the mission started. After that, there's not much I can tell you other than what I heard over the comms as the mission went on," Endeavor states, earning more expectant stares as they wait for him to keep talking. They really do want to know everything.
He sighs, rubbing his tired eyes as he tries to remember back to over a month ago on what specifically happened, "If I remember correctly, her team was completely silent for the first few minutes after we infiltrated their base. Everyone was busy fighting and it wasn't until they cleared the first room that we received a report from her, 18 villains down and captured on her side. After that, I heard her give the order to split up and search the halls. Everyone went off in pairs and she was still with Rockslide at that time. I don't remember hearing anything else from her after that, just reports from her team on the number of villains captured.
"But, at the very end when it was time to group up and load the villains into the prisoner trucks, one managed to slip away. He was just a low level villain and she went after him on her own. That was it. There were no more messages and as the minutes passed without her return, Rockslide began to worry she got lost and went to look for her. But, all he found was the villain she chased after, knocked out and tied up with one of her knives nearby. No one knows where she last was once she went after the guy. When comparing the recorded tracker history and time tables, we believe her tracker was disabled the moment she stepped foot into the building the second time, which shouldn't have been possible. That's all I know, sorry if it wasn't as helpful as you probably hoped."
The trio sits in silence, soaking in the information. Bakugo already knew most of this from the files on his desk, but hearing it out loud made it feel completely different. Midoriya shakes his head and thanks Endeavor for sharing with a slightly frozen smile.
Everyone's attention turns back to the warehouse as they sit and think about what they were told. There's nothing obviously suspicious about what happened other than the incident with your tracker and the traces of chloroform found after your disappearance, but the whole situation is still weird. All of the villains were caught and accounted for when the police arrived, so who could have been there that would be strong and able enough to take you? Besides, Endeavor said all of the villains were low tier and you probably could've handled all of them on your own if you wanted to. So, how are the pieces supposed to fit together because none of it makes sense?
"I've suspected for awhile now..." Bakugo starts, but stops as he wets his chapped lips, everyone's attention is on him as he continues to stare at the warehouse, "That it doesn't add up for so many low tier villains to be in one place for no reason."
Todoroki's brows pinch as he thinks over the blond's words, twisting and turning them in his head. But, Midoriya is the first to catch on to Bakugo's unsaid meaning, "You think they were gathered there by someone?"
Finally, Bakugo turns to meet the questioning gaze of his childhood friend. "It's possible, isn't it?" He asks, glancing at the flame hero sitting next to him. Endeavor hums in agreement, the same theory was brought up at a meeting but with no proof and none of the captured villains willing to spill, they weren't able to prove it.
"It is possible and has been considered by the police, but we have no proof or lead as to who might have been in charge of that meeting-"
"But, if the leader of the group was there that night without any of the heroes knowing, they could have gotten the drop on (Y/n)," Todoroki cuts in, catching up with everyone.
Midoriya nods enthusiastically, clenching his fists as he grows excited at the possibility, "It doesn't make sense otherwise! So, we just need to find out who was in charge and kick their-"
Suddenly, the broccoli-haired boy's ramblings are cut off as he is tackled to the ground by his childhood friend and a hand is placed over his mouth to shut him up. Blinking up in confusion at the blond, Bakugo shushes him while keeping his eyes concentrated on the warehouse. As the hand over his face falls lax, Midoriya shifts to peer over the ledge and notices the movement of shadows in alley next to the warehouse. Their drug dealers are finally here.
The whole group falls silent as they watch. Three men in total, all bundled up in suspiciously puffy coats even with the cold weather. A black car is now parked just around the corner, engine still on in the instance they need a quick getaway. Which they will, but there's no way they'll be able to escape the group of heroes waiting for them. Little do they know how fucked they are.
Cracking his knuckles, Bakugo stands from his crouched position on the rooftop, a murderous smirk on his face. Todoroki and Midoriya stand as well, loosening their frozen joints as they keep a close eye on the men below. Another, blue car stops on the opposite corner and parks, a couple getting out and striding to meet the men in the alley. With both client and dealers present, the transaction begins.
"I'll leave this to you boys," Endeavor tells them, picking up his drink and taking a sip. He doesn't make a move to stand next to them, deciding since this is technically their mission, he'll sit aside and only step in if necessary.
The trio nods in response, jumping across the rooftops until they're all standing directly over the alley where the deal is taking place. Their shadows cast over the group, catching the attention of two of the dealers who were just about to hand over a wrapped parcel of hidden goods. Their arms retract, hiding the poorly packaged drugs beneath their jackets once again.
"Hey! Who are you?!" The third shouts, just now taking notice of the heroes-in-training standing high above them. The attention of everyone in the alley raises towards the sky in anger as their transaction comes to a halt.
"Did you sell us out?!" One of the dealers questions, drawing a gun from beneath his jacket and points it at the pair of clients. They instantly deny his statements with frightened eyes, but the man does not look convinced even as they plead with him.
The 'clicking' sound of the safety reaches Bakugo's ears as he takes the opportunity to jump down and kick the gun out of the man's hands midair. The clients are just as guilty for trying to buy these drugs and need to be taken under arrest, so he can't let them die. Within the next couple of seconds, chaos ensues as the clients try to make a run for it and two of the dealers step forward to attack. Todoroki and Midoriya drop from above, the green-haired boy landing on one of the dealers and smushing his face into the gravel. Todoroki takes off after the clients who try to plead their innocence as they run away.
Bakugo's attention catches on the third dealer as his black hair shines under his baseball cap and his scarred hands rip open the package of drugs in his hands. A few of the pills fall to the ground, scattering and bouncing amongst the rocks. But, a large portion of the pills are caught in his pale hands as he shovels them into his mouth and begins chewing.
"Shit," Bakugo grumbles under his breath, leaping forward at the same moment the other dealers shout out behind him.
"Dude, you can't take that many at once!"
"Are you trying to die?!"
The third's eyes turn yellow as the veins in his forehead and neck become pronounced, black hair turning from full and shiny to brittle and dull in seconds. His breath comes out ragged as he swallows the last of the pills in his mouth. Just as Bakugo goes to blast an explosion at this guy's head, he roars and the warehouse next to them begins to shake, "I'M TRYING NOT TO GET CAUGHT, YOU IDIOTS!!"
Suddenly, sheets of steel break apart from the walls of the abandoned warehouse, smacking into Bakugo's side and pushing him back. His back meets Midoriya's as he grumbles in annoyance while watching the entire warehouse break apart in front of his eyes.
Well shit.
This fucker can control the damn buildings around them.
And, with Midoriya facing off against the other two dealers and Todoroki preoccupied with the runaway clients, Bakugo will have to face him alone. Which isn't a problem for him, just really fucking annoying as sheets of steel both big and small soar through the air like a barrier that can turn into a weapon at a moment's notice.
Sparks fly from Bakugo's palms, hands heating up as he prepares for the fight. "Oi Deku, you better steal their fucking drugs before they take 'em too and we have three of these high fuckers to deal with," Bakugo grumbles, blasting off a moment later without waiting to hear the green-haired boy's response.
Instantly, the steel moves through the air to block him, but with his palms heated and an explosion waiting to be called forth, the sheets are sent flying from the impact. The man's face appears as smoke rises from Bakugo's hands, looking fearful as he jumps and a ball of steel catches him and he flies off in the other direction. Fleeing like a damn coward. With a growl, Bakugo chases from close behind, blasting through the air while maneuvering to avoid the newly formed spikes of steel that are shot at him. One just barely nicks his arm and a single drop of blood falls.
Steel sheets spring forward off of the second building, nearly smacking straight into him as he barely blasts himself back in time. His feet push against the brick wall behind him and he lunges forward, completely taking the male by surprise as he manages to loop his arms around his midsection and tackle him off the metal ball. They fall, smacking into the ground with the dealer beneath Bakugo as the blond quickly tries to pull out the quirk restraint cuffs attached to his belt. But, the male reacts too quickly, another spike of metal ripping the cuffs from Bakugo's hands and embedding it into the wall.
Fuck.
A moment later, another sheet of metal falls from the sky, almost crushing him as he rolls out of the way just in time. There isn't a moment to breathe or retrieve the cuffs as a whole hoard of metal spikes like a flock of angry birds, descends on him and the blond is forced to use his grenade attachments for a full strength explosion to blast them all away.
When the smoke clears, steel spikes of all shapes and sizes are embedded into the walls and gravel around the pair. The black haired druggy smirks even as blood dribbles from his mouth and down his chin. The side effects of the drug are starting to kick in. Even if he was strong enough to beat Bakugo in a fight, he would probably die right after from the overdose. Unluckily for him though, there's no possible way he'll be able to beat Bakugo if he's still this weak with all of those enhancement drugs in his system.
With a smirk, Bakugo blasts himself forward and flips midair to avoid the spikes that retract from the walls and soar at him. Two sheets of steel fly into his path, blocking the male from view as a way to block Bakugo's advance. But, instead of blasting the sheets out of his path, the blond twists and kicks off the sheets, flying back towards the brick wall of the building. His hands clasp around the spike holding the handcuffs in place and pulls with his full weight, even putting his foot against the wall to stabilize himself. It comes loose and a moment later the cuffs are back in his hands.
The dealer, not being able to see what happened and only knowing that he wasn't being attacked, slowly parts the sheets of steel only for Bakugo to rush through the crack. The black haired male shouts in alarm but it's already too late for him to react as Bakugo throws an explosion at the male, knocking him to the ground and blinding him with the smoke. The blond leaps on top of him, clasps the cuffs around his wrists, and hauls him to his feet before the smoke even clears.
Seeing as he did his part, Bakugo forcefully pulls the dealer behind him as he retraces his steps back to the original warehouse which is no longer there. The black haired male stumbles and slurs curses at Bakugo's back as he tries and fails to resist. Without his quirk and the adrenaline from the fight, the dealer will probably pass out any minute now and he probably needs medical attention if he wants to survive the after effects of the drugs.
Midoriya and Todoroki stand waiting, the rest of the dealers and clients arrested and seated on the ground at their feet. The green-haired boy waves at him and Bakugo tosses the last dealer to the ground with a pissed off expression.
"Have you called the police?" He questions, crossing his arms over his chest and earning a serious nod in response, "And, what about an ambulance? This fucker needs medical attention after taking so many drugs."
"Already did that too, Kacchan!"
Bakugo turns to glare turns to the green-haired boy who sweatdrops in response, realizing he forgot to use his hero name since they're on a mission. Midoriya's head drops as he rubs the back of his neck, "Sorry, Dynamight."
"Whatever," The blond grumbles, stepping into the last remains of the warehouse to look around while they wait. The dust patterns on the floor show no one has been inside in a long time, no footprints aside from his own marking the floors. Endeavor comes down from the rooftop, doing his best to awkwardly congratulate the boys on their success and making sure all the proper measures have been taken thus far.
In minutes, the sound of sirens and flashing lights approach their area and the police officers get to work on loading the first two dealers and clients into the back of their vehicles. The third is lifted onto a stretcher and loaded into the back of an ambulance, still in cuffs, and takes off towards the nearest hospital.
The trio of heroes-in-training are praised for their work which they mostly brush off despite the officers' insistence that they did an amazing job and are a true help. Midoriya blushes, leaning to the side as he rubs his neck and bumps his shoulder against Todoroki's. "It was nothing, really! We just did what you guys needed!" He tries to brush off.
"Don't be silly, you boys did a wonderful job!" A familiar voice pitches in, catching everyone's attention including Endeavor's. Walking onto the scene, Toshinori shoots a proud smile and thumbs up at his students.
"Toshinori-san!" Midoriya cheers, earning a pat on the back from his mentor.
Meanwhile, Endeavor glares from across the alley at the skeleton of a man who praises his students. The flame hero straightens himself from where he leaned against the wall and strides forward, "What are you doing here, All Might?"
Toshinori's bright smile drops a little and turns embarrassed as he rubs the back of his neck, much like Midoriya had been doing moments before. "Well you see," The man starts, turning to face his former colleague, "I was at the police station talking to Tsukauchi when I heard you guys called in on the success of your mission. I thought I'd come down with the police officers to congratulate you all." The boys smile as they all have their hair ruffled by their teacher, Bakugo grumbling at the affection, and Endeavor hums in acknowledgement.
"Well, I have more business to take care of at the police station, so we'll head back with you," He tells him, eyeing the old Symbol of Peace closely. The thin man looks exhausted and not like his usual self even in his skeleton form. If the flame hero had to guess, he'd say that All Might has not been taking your disappearance very well either. But, despite the exhaustion and heavy worry weighing on him, All Might smiles and nods, leading the small group towards the car he road in, "Then, let's all head back together."
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I know this book has a slow start, but from here on out it will be heating up very quickly! Shit will go down in the next few chapters, I look forward to seeing you Dumplings there.