Chapter 58: Operation Crank Steel
Before the day was over, Detective Tsukauchi had sent a message to each of Japan's top ten pro hero agencies. Then, for the next three days, Detective Tsukauchi didn't spend much time outside of his temporary office; he only left to get food and head home late at night. He went over the files again, he organised for the care so as to be presentable when the time came. As he went more thoroughly over the files, he started to create a separate list, one not pertaining to the Board of Directors, but for some of his fellow officers, he would need to speak with them once everything was over.
When Friday rolled around, Detective Tsukauchi grabbed all the physical folders and headed to the building he had set up for the meeting. Walking into the room, Detective Tsukauchi nursed another cup of coffee. His 25th, since his meeting with Inko, if he remembered correctly. Walking in, he saw Toshinori already in his seat waiting. Toshinori was about to give a loud and very friendly greeting but then noticed the bags under his friend's eyes, and stopped himself from making any potential headache even worse.
So the two just sat in silence as they waited for the other pro heroes to arrive. The first to arrive was Hawks, who was shortly followed by Best Jeanist. Ten minutes later, Edgeshot and Gang Orca arrived. Then Ryukyu came, surprisingly accompanied by Miruko. Then came Crust and Musha.
Upon the arrival of each pro hero, the newcomer would reach for one of the thick vanilla folders resting on the table, only to be stopped by Detective Tsukauchi, as he said they needed to wait until everyone had arrived. This caused the pro heroes to wait anxiously until they heard thundering footsteps nearing the door they had all entered through
As the loud footsteps arrived at the door, it was pushed open, and Endeavour stepped in, "Alright, what the hell is going on here? My receptionist said they got a call from a detective in the middle of the night. They said all they were told was that my assistance was needed and to meet at this address, and nothing else. Now I'm here and want to be told whether I've wasted my time or not."
Endeavour then spotted Detective Tsukauchi and All Might and glared at them. Detective Tsukuachi didn't dignify Endeavour with a response. Instead, he downed what was left of his coffee, then stood up, "Now that we're all here, we can begin. I assume you can all infer where you are here?"
"In this room or in Fukuoka?" Ryukyu asked for clarification.
Hawks shrugged and leaned back in his chair, "I assumed this had to deal with the investigation into Mr Sutein and his involvement with the league of Villains, which is happening thanks to my intern."
"Your intern, not yourself. Humility is a hero's greatest strength." Musha stated.
Hawks shrugged again, and Miruko said, "I thought it was just an investigation into Sutein's dealings with the League of Villains. And that green-haired kit provided enough information for a closed case."
"Yes, Izuku Midoriya was able to provide more than enough information to open an investigation into Mr Sutein and the think tank created by our military. However, more evidence has recently come to light that deals more than just Sutein Co's CEO." Detective Tsukauchi said.
"Is that what these folders in the middle of the table, we've not allowed to look at yet, are?" Crust asked, gesturing to the 11 envelopes on the table.
Detective Tsukauchi nodded and continued with, "The folder in front of you contains evidence against the Board of Directors of Sutein Co. Each folder corresponds to a different member. You can have a look now."
Hawks quickly leaned forward and grabbed the folder closest to him, while the other pro heroes did the same, except Endeavour. Who stood up and said, "The next time you think of wasting my time with such a stupid investigation, don't."
Endeavour began to walk to the door, but then Hawks began listing off the different files within the folder he had grabbed, "280 counts of tax evasion. 150 accounts of murder, 100 done through hitmen. 587 counts of bribing police officers, 1,057 counts of forgery and 3,475 counts of first degree villainy and enabling known villains." Hawks said, then he let out a small bird chirp, "And that's all done by Enmei Genkei."
"Eito Mio has 4,785 counts of first-degree villainy," Miruko said, her ears perking up at the number, showing it hit harder than an extra shot of espresso in the morning. She was surprised how he had gotten away with so much. There were more than enough heroes to cover practically every square inch of Japan.
"AND THE OTHER MEMBERS FALL SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN. CHIEF DIRECTOR AKI NAO HAS THE HIGHEST WITH 6,254 COUNTS OF FIRST DEGREE VILLAINY. DON'T FEEL HARD ON YOURSELVES, MANY TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE OF JAPAN." All Might said, not having taken a folder.
"Does that count as a waste of time?" Ryukyu asked, looking over at Endeavour, who swiped Aki Noa's file. As he read over the file, his fire died down a bit before it rose, and he had to drop the folder so as not to burn it. Detective Tsukuachi could only assume that meant the number 2 hero had reached the page that had information about the temporary deal Sutein Co had made with his hero agency.
Detective Tsukauchi looked over all the pro heroes and saw they had all reached the point in the folders where their own agency was mentioned. "At one time or another Sutein Co played a small hand in each of your agencies and many others. However, as there is enough information to arrest without said deals, they will be swept under the rug."
Endeavour looked over at Detective Tsukauchi while Miruko stood up fast enough to knock her chair over, "Are you saying you're going to blackmail us."
All Might held up a hand as he looked at the number 20 hero and said, "DETECTIVE TSUKAUCHI IS MERELY STATING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CERTAIN FORMATION WITHIN THE FOLDER BECOMING PUBLIC. THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT ARE WITHIN THIS ROOM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF INKO MIDORIYA, WHO HAS ALREADY AGREED TO STAY SILENT."
"Then why tell us in the first place?" Mosha asked.
"MERELY A REMINDER TO BE CAREFUL OF WHO YOU DO BUSINESS WITH. A REMINDER WE COULD ALL USE RIGHT ABOUT NOW." All Might said.
Endeavour sat down, while Miruko heavily stumped her foot against the ground before falling into a new chair, signalling that Detective Tsukauchi could continue.
"From the files Ms Midoriya has provided, it has become clear that Sutein Co had a large underground network of providing aid to villains. An operation that had been in the works for a long time. We all believed that organized crime hadn't been an issue for a while, but it seemed that the power brokers merely went underground along with their clients." Detective Tsukauchi explained
"So is this why we were called in, to help arrest the Boards of Directors of Sutein Co?" Gang Orca asked.
"Tomorrow, Inko Midoriya has scheduled a meeting at noon with the Board of Directors to draw them into a single room. To disway them or any other villains hiding the building from fighting back you ten will be there in attendance." Detective Tsukauchi said.
"So you're not promising a fight," Miruko said, deflating in her chair. When she was called by the seventh pro hero and was told that there were other top ten pro heroes gathering, Miruko thought there was going to be a big fight. In fact, she was hoping there would be a big fight, as she was looking for a chance to have some fun. She had missed going against Stain and fighting one of those Nomus from the League of Villains.
"WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS OCCURRING WITH STUEIN CO. AND BECAUSE OF HOW THE DELICATIE THE SITUATION HAS BECOME, WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO KEEP THIS AS CIVILIZED AS POSSIBLE. AS SHORTLY AFTER THE ARREST OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR, DETECTIVE TSUKAUCHI HAS MANY OF HIS COLLEAGUE GOING AFTER OTHER NAMES MENTIONED WITH IN THE FOLDERS. THE NECESSITY OF THIS OPERATION HAS WARRANTED A SPECIAL TASK TO BE FORM TO TAKE DOWN EVERY PEOPLE WITH ILL INTENTIONS THAT WAS CONNECTED TO SUTEIN CO." All Might said.
Ryukyu paused as she looked through the folder still in her hand, the number of people the information could bring outside of the Board of Directors. It would take out well over half of the infrastructure of Sutein Co. "Is there any chance Ms Midoriya will be able to recover the business?"
"Not our concern." Endeavour huffed.
All Might nodded, "IT WOULD BE A MIRACLE TO SAY THE LEAST, WHILE WE CAN CUT OUT THE CORRUPTED ROOTS, THE INFORMATION WE HAVE DOES NOT PAINT THE COMPANY IN A GOOD LIGHT, AND ITS NAME WILL FOREVER BE STAINED. BUT EITHER WAY WE NEED TO PLAY THIS CAREFULLY TO MAKE SURE NOT A SINGLE PERSON WITHIN THESE FILES GET AWAY WITH IT.
"AND WHILE WE ARE HOPING TO END TOMORROW PEACEFUL, THERE IS NOW WAY OF KNOWING HOW LONG TO THAT WILL LAST." -That made Miruko inflate a bit- "THERE IS ONLY ONE THING FOR CERTAIN, ONCE NEWS OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTER'S ASSREST REACHES THE EARS OF THE PUBLIC, EVERYONE IN THOSE FILES WILL NOT HESITATE TO DISAPPEAR. TOMORROW IS JUST THE START OF A VERY LONG MANHUNT."
"You're caught my interest, but I haven't agreed to everything." Endeavour said, standing up to walk away. He had better things to fill his time than arresting a couple of corrupt businessmen, even if they had an extensive black market history.
All Might stood up and spoke in a slightly harrowed tone. "ENDEAVOUR, I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO INFORM YOU, IZUKU MIDORIYA HAS CAUGHT A WIND OF THIS. THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT EXACTLY HE SAW ON SUTEIN CO'S SERVERS BUT ELECTED NOT TO SHARE IN COURT. ASIDE FROM THAT, HE HAS A PERSONAL STAKE IN THE MATTER AS NOT ONLY IS HIS MOTHER A PART OF THE COMPANY, BUT MR SUTEIN STOLE HIS FATHER's DESIGNS AND USED THEM TO CREATED A VILLAIN SUIT. SO HE, MORE THAN MANY OTHERS, WANTS TO SEE THIS DONE CORRECTLY."
"So what, I don't take orders from a support student." Endeavour huffed.
"BEFORE I LEFT UA, IZUKU STOPPED ME AND TOLD ME YOU MIGHT SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND IF YOU WERE I WAS TO PASS ALONG A WORD OF CAUTION." All Might said.
"A word of caution or blackmail, and what could that support student possibly have?" Endeavour asked, not wanting to portray his thoughts. As he was under the impression Izuku had actually hacked into several severely protected servers to win in court. If he could do that, then there was no information out of his reach.
"And is this just for Endeavour or for all of us." Miruko said. She was a little afraid of what black marks Izuku could have found from her past. If Izuku could find out about Iron Monger, what was stopping him from finding out about Tiger Bunny?
Miruko liked to believe she was on his good side. She still used those support boots he had given to her. She liked them enough that whenever she asked where she got her support equipment from, she would proudly call him out. She even personally maintained them, though since they were such high-quality builds, after years of usage, there was barely a scratch on them. But when they got dirty, Miruko made sure to clean them. Even if the rest of her costume was a mess, she prioritised her boots.
"THIS IS ONLY FOR ENDEAVOR, AND WHILE YOUNG MIDORIYA WAS VAGUE IN HIS WORDS, HE MENTIONED YOUR DREAMS AND YOUR METHODS TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS." All Might said, remembering how vague Izuku was and how it seemed to eat at him for not being able to say so.
Endeavour fire nearly set off the fire alarm, as he turned and looked back at his rival. How dare a 15-year-old play him like that? Just how exactly had Izuku found out about that, and what was he planning to do with that information if Endeavour did not help in this little endeavour? Would the little brat go public? If he did, he could destroy Endeavour's reputation worse than he had with Sutein Co.
Endeavour growled, "Tell that brat I'll help with this arrest." -He then turned to Detective Tsukauchi- "When?
"12:30, Tomorrow." Detective Tsukuachi said. With the knowledge, Endeavour huffed and walked out of the room, with the feeling he needed to have a strongly worded conversation about knowing one's place, with the support student his son was becoming friends with.
While Endeavour disappeared to take his anger out on whatever unfortunate villains he came across, the other pro heroes worked with Detective Tsukauchi to strategise how best it would be to handle all the Board of Directors.
That night, Inko didn't get much sleep as she was worried about tomorrow. The meeting began at 12:00 and Inko had called the Boards of Directors under the pretense to discuss what information she had handed over to the police and how it was enough for them to have an open and shut case. And how the police would leave Sutein Co alone so they could recover and rebuild themselves.
Yet the meeting wasn't what Inko was stressed about. It was the fact that the pro heroes weren't showing up until 12:30, and while Detective Tsukauchi had notified her that most of Japan's top ten pro heroes had agreed to help, with the seventh subbing out with Miruko. Which relieved quite a bit of Inko's stress, but she couldn't completely relax as there were still 30 minutes Inko to be on her own.
That meant for 30 minutes, Inko had to calmly talk face to face to 11 villains without giving away that she knew they were villains. And Mitsuki Bakugo always said Inko was really bad at poker because she couldn't bluff. So how was she supposed to stay calm for 30 minutes in a room full of villains?
It was only thanks to some sleeping pills that Inko managed to fall asleep. But she was plagued with nightmares of the many different ways the meeting could go wrong, and the worst nightmare was imagining what the Boards of Directors would do once she was gone. There would be no one left to protect Izuku, and Inko was sure they would go after him as well.
The morning wasn't much better as Inko woke in a cold sweat. She didn't feel much better after a warm shower or having some tea. She tried to distract herself by listening to the news, music and even podcasts on her drive to work. Once she arrived, she didn't give her usual greeting to the people she passed by in the hallways.
Inko boarded herself in her office until it was time to head down for the meeting. At 11:45, Inko stepped out of the elevator and walked to the conference room. Stepping through the double wood doors, Inko looked over the empty room, hopefully by the end of this she would be walking out of here, alive.
Inko slowly walked down the table to her chair, which happened to be the one furthest from the door. Before, she had never minded the place of the chair, but today she wished it were any other chair. Once at her chair Inko set her briefcase down and opened it. Inside were several folders she began to set in front of each chair to make this look like an official meeting, while setting a special folder in front of the chair of board member Oki Ran.
As Inko walked back to her chair, the large clock on the wall struck 12:00, and the double wood doors were pushed in, and all 12 board members walked in, many glaring at Inko. Which didn't help her feel calm. Chief Director Aki Noe looked directly at Inko and asked, "You said you had an announcement about the investigation into our company."
"Yes." Inko said keeping his voice the calmest it could be at the moment She looked at the clock, 29 minutes and counting until the pro heroes arrived, "If we all take a seat, we can begin." -Everyone quickly moved into their seats and Inko continued- "There is no denying that Mr Sutein took a lot from this company by using it as a front for his illegal activity, worst of all using it to hide his connection to the League of Villains. And now that his illegal activity has come to light, Sutein Co stocks have dropped by two-thirds.'
"No thanks to your son." Eito Mio scoffed, "He should have gone straight to the police once he had the evidence in hand."
"Perhaps, but I believe even if my son had not gone to the police, such evidence would have leaked to the public. There's no denying that people were starting to become suspicious of our former boss. Some online vigilantes would have decided to take matters into their own hands. The outcome would be the same, but this way I found it best to cooperate with the police. To be transparents within the investigation." Inko said.
"You had no right to do so." Chief Director AKi Nao said with a raised voice.
Inko did her best to remain calm as she explained her non-existent thought process, "Mr Sutein name was mud and from the evidence my son gave to the police, it was clear he was using Sutein Co to cover for his actions. An investigation was happening with or without our say. Our only other option would have been to close rank as we try to dodge the police. The entire company would look suspicious."
"Instead you've opened the doors to the police and public, exposing our company like a nerve. Even if this company survives the bad publicity, you have aired everything. Our competitors will use everything they can to destroy our name." Enmei Genkei said in a stern voice, "Mr Sutein might have damaged our company, but your actions Ms Midoirya have killed it."
"It was dead anyways." Oki Ran said as she was looking through the folder Inko had set out for her, "From the moment it was revealed Mr Sutein was a member of the League of Villains, this company was dead. The public doesn't take kindly to villains, doesn't matter if it is a purse thief or a murderer. Ms Midoriya is right, Mr Sutein's name is mud. He built this company from the ground up, our best move was to cooperate with the police."
"Otherwise what little trust we had coming out of this would be gone. And that is why we can not allow Mr Sutein's bad name to hold this company back any more." Inko said grateful for Oki's support.
"You're talking about rebranding." Eito said.
"It's our only move. We take what we can before the company goes belly up and rebrand everything. Company, inner workings. Our promise to the community. We show Mr Sutein does not define the rest of us." Inko said.
The room was silent for a bit, and Inko knew what they were thinking. Keeping Sutein Co. afloat was a lost cause, but most of them were villains who didn't want to lose their entire network. If that meant having to leave behind Mr Sutein, they were okay with that. The hidden side of the company would have to go underground for a bit while they rebuilt the legal side of the company. Then once everything was in place, they could migrate everything over without anyone the wiser.
Chief Director Aki looked and saw that was what everyone had decided on, "Okay, we rebrand and rebuild. We will need to be careful about how we reveal everything, especially our company's promise statement, otherwise many would think we're trying to hide something." Chief Director Aki said.
Inko looked at the clock on the wall, 12:20, ten minutes until the pro heroes arrived. Inko stood up, "Yes our company's promise. But what would it be? Sutein Co's promise was once to provide aid to the common man. To help make life easier for everyone."
Inko walked down the table and over to the double doors and silently made sure they were unlocked. "Our new promise certainly couldn't be to help the villains of Japan. To help those who would use their quirks to kill, steal or harm others. To empower ourselves, to make ourselves rich."
Enmei scoffed, "Maybe that was Sutein's plan from the beginning, but the company's soul was to the community. You said it best, Sutein Co's principle was to provide aid to the common man. I think that's what we focus on first, it's what drew so many people to our doors.
"I agree." Eito said, "Sutein Co was beloved because it was trusted by the community" Then he paused- "it took time to build that trust. By the time a sense of that trust is regained, whatever resource we were about to recover will be well spent."
"I guess we have the choice between slowly building a new company and trying to keep our head above the water. Or do we double down and go with the riskier option that can get us back on top soon with the chance we get pulled under." Chief Director Aki Nao said as she put her hands under the table.
Inko noticed and had to take a breath to remain calm. Aki Nao's quirk was Blindside, meaning if her victim was in sight and didn't see the attack coming, she could attack from any angle. Hopefully, Inko being aware of Aki Nao's quirk and knowing her hands were out of sight would null any attempt to use it.
"It is true that one day, some time down the line we may be able to build a company to rival what Sutein Co once stood for. I'm sorry that day will not happen as long as the core of the corrupted Sutein Co remains. As long as that core remains, our company will fail as well." Inko said as she clenched her hands as they began to shake, "You see, the information I handed over to the police wasn't just about Mr Sutein and Sutein Co's normal servers."
Inko could see it in everyone's eyes as they were figuring out what she meant. Then she could see them connect the dots, yet before any of them could jump up and attack Inko, the doors behind her rattle. The next second, the doors were blown off their hinges and fell to the ground. Inko then stepped off to the side, revealing Detective Tsukauchi and the pro heroes standing in the hallway.
Detective Tsukauchi stepped forward and said, "You are all under arrest for multiple accounts of first degree villainy, assassinations, murder, money laundering, forgery, bribery of police officers and a list of other illegal activities that make the Geneva Convention look like a school essay, with the latest being the attempt on Inko Midoriya the new CEO of Sutein Co's Life.
"You might be feeling you have a chance to run away, but I can reassure you a few of my associates would want nothing more than for you to try. And if you did escape you will be hunted down to the ends of the worlds."
"I BELIEVE YOU'LL FIND IT BEST TO COOPERATE, BECAUSE I AM HERE." All Might said.
"Midoirya can only be appointed CEO by the Board of Directors and we will never appoint her. She is only trying to cover up her own illegal activities. Mr Sutein hired her, she must have been her liaison with the League of Villains. She and her son are both villains and just covering their asses." Aki Nao yelled as she stood up.
"I think you'll find the police have more than enough evidence to put you away for life." Detective Tsukuachi said.
"All you, but Ran, are being arrested, leaving her as the only member of the Board. And within her folder were a few extra pages naming her the new Board Director and a form for her to sign naming me as the new CEO." Inko said.
Everyone looked at Ran, who pulled a page from her folder and placed it in the middle of the table, "Ms Midoriya was kind enough to inform me of all of your illegal activity during this meeting."
"And Sutein Co has the power to fire anyone immediately if they are arrested for villain activity." Inko clarified.
"Only if the arrest is finalised," Eito said, still thinking they could see all get out of this. They had plenty of police officers on their payroll for the charge to mysteriously disappear. Besides, she couldn't have gotten much of the board members; the only way that information could be accessed was through secret passwords. So once they got out, they were going to come after Inko and then her son.
"Does the Password Helicaken mean anything to you?" Inko said, looking at Eito Mio. She could see his eyes narrow at that, and then the next second he bolted for the door. Purple light streaks came off of his body as Eito activated his quirk, making him faster than most heroes could follow.
Except for All Might, who stuck his hand out and caught Eito in mid-leap. All Might then slammed Eito against the ground, "AS I SAID YOU WOULD FIND IT BEST TO COOPERATE."
Yet Eito continued to struggle to break free, so Miruko stepped over and kicked him in the jaw to knock him out. She huffed, though, because when Detective Tsukauchi said a few of his associates were hoping for a fight, he mainly meant her and Endeavour.
Upon hearing Inko utter Eito's villain's name, they all froze. They all had their villain names as their passwords to Sutein Co's hidden servers. They thought their names were safe to use because there was nothing linking them to such names, yet if Inko knew Eito's, then chances were she knew theirs as well.
Aki Nao turned to Inko and yelled, "You have doomed this company. Thousands will be jobless and you'll be back to where you were before Mr Sutein took pity on you!"
"As many are villains, I'm happy to lose a few employees. As for going chapter 11, I have plans to keep that from happening." Inko said. The one calm thought she was able to have last night was thinking about how to recover from all this. And she thought it might be time to finally have a look into seeing what Hisashi had left her and Izuku. The welfare lady had said he had left behind a large sum of money. Money that had just been sitting in a bank gathering interest over the past few years.
Detective Tsukauchi stepped forward and cuffed Aki Nao, while other officers stepped into the room and cuffed the rest of the villain board members. Oki Ran walked up to Inko and asked, "So where do we go from here?"
"We weren't wrong before. We would just be shackling ourselves with the name of Sutein Co. We take what legal resources we can and restart from the beginning. For the specifics, there are some items I believe I have that can help with that," Inko said.
As the villains were led away, Ran asked, "Thanks for the heads up in the folder. I couldn't believe it at first, but after seeing everything now. I feel used."
"You and me both," Inko said, then noticed Hawks not leaving with the other pro heroes, but was instead walking towards her.
Once Hawks was closed, he bowed and said, "Ms Midoirya, I must warn you a crowd has gathered out front. It seems the presence of Japan's top pro heroes has alerted the media."
"Thank you Hawks. For this and for helping my son." Inko said, bowing back to Hawks.
"It was my pleasure, as your son knows now, Hisashi helped me a great deal. Greater than I can put into words. So it would be my pleasure to escort you to the front." Hawks said, raising out of the bow and gesturing to the doorway.
"Yes, thank you. Come on, Chief Director Ran, we need to make a statement." Inko said.
Oki Ran nodded and followed Inko and Hawks to the elevator. They rode the elevator to the ground floor and immediately saw the media that had gathered in front of Sutein Co. Inko shutters a bit as she knew they would look towards her for a statement. She sighed and straightened up her suit jacket as she walked to the front door.
As Inko stepped outside, all the cameras and reporters turned to her. However, before she could say anything, Eito Mio woke up and broke out of his cuffs. Purple strands of light appeared around his body as he shoved away the officer and began pushing his way through the crowd. Only Miruko reacted in time and began to chase him, because if he got out to the open street, he would be able to easily get away.
It seemed he was going to break free when suddenly he was clothes-lined. Eito Mio yelled as he flipped around and hit the ground. As a crowd parted, Gizon Hisahito was revealed with his arm out and standing over Eito. Before Eito could react, Gizon put a foot on his knee and pressed down hard. Gizon then recognised the quirk usage and bent down and said, "Hey Helicaken, it's been a long time."
"Wha-Who?" Helicaken looked at Gizon and mumbled, "Living Taser?"
Yet Gizon didn't respond as Mirueko slowed down and stopped it. She was confused about how he could have possibly moved faster than her or Helicaken. Had he somehow anticipated the villain's actions? Miruko grabbed Helicaken and hauled him to his feet, and now with a good thing at him and his quirk Miruko recognized him, "Hey you're that goddamn villain I was chasing a few years ago. You broke my boots."
At this time, Helicaken seemed to recognise Miurko as well, as he began to try to run away again, but Miruko had death gripped on his arm. Miruko looked over at Gizon, "Hey, you're the kid from the Sports Festival, Second Place, Hisahito." -Miruko then grinned- "You want to fight?"
"Thank you for the offer, Miruko. But perhaps another day." Gizon said, then nodded to the crowd around them. Gizon then locked eyes with All Might, who seemed the most confused at his student's sudden appearance. The symbol of Peace looked like he wanted to say something, but clearly it wasn't something that would be talked about in public.
Miruko huffed; she wasn't one to work in teams. Only being here at the request of the seventh and All Might himself, she took the chance at a big fight. But the feeling she was getting from Gizon, despite it being a simple clothesline, she could sense the power behind him. And that made her reconsider never doing an internship or work study. She might just have to offer him one if it gave her the chance to fight against that kind of power.
Up on the top of the stairs, Inko smiled as she reorganised Gizon from the photo Izuku had taken with Class 1-A. Before she could think of what to do next, she began walking down the stairs as words formed in her mind, "Thank you, Gizon Hisahito, for helping in the arrest of a villain."
Inko walked over to Gizon, and he could see where Izuku got his looks from. She put a hand on his shoulder and then turned to address the crowd, "This young man just helped in the arrest of not just one dangerous villain but eleven of them. In light of Mr Sutein's connection to the League of Villains, the entirety of Sutein Co was put under investigation by the police. And it was discovered that, with the exception of Board Director Oki Ran, each member of the board was a villain in one capacity or another. They used the goodwill of the people and the trust put in Sutein Co to further themselves in the world of villains.
Inko then leaned to Gizon and whispered into his ear, "Walk with me."
"Yes, Mrs Sutaku." Gizon said, which got a small smile from Inko.
Inko, with her hand on Gizon's shoulder, walked back up the steps and then turned to face the media. "As the newly appointed CEO of Sutein Co, I stand here to give to you, the people of Japan, a new promise. Under a new name, this company will do everything to recover and become the pillar of the community it once was. To provide medical supplies and jobs to those in need. And in the center of it all, a new program to help up-and-coming pro heroes like Gizon Hisahito here. And for those who have forgotten, he is a member of Class 1-A at UA High School and won second place in the first year's Sport Festival."
"Second to only you son." Gizon said, which got a chuckle from the crowd.
"Madam won't that be stretching your new company a little far. To try and rebuild everything Sutein Co had and add even more onto it. That could take years." A reporter asked.
Using the legal resources we recover from this situation, it's projected to take four years. But this new company will be on the lookout for new help." Inko answered. Because she knew better than most, the amount of help she was going to need in the future.
"UA business courses are always looking for companies to intern with." Gizon casually said, knowing Principal Nezu would probably use it in some way.
"And what about helping new pro heroes. Sutein Co was known to provide aid here and there, but they never had much infrastructure in the practice." Another reporter asked.
Inko took a small breath before answering, as she knew a certain someone would be listening, forced to by their boyfriend. "Hatsume Industries, a company based in Musutafu is a company well known and liked by new pro heroes. I have a personal relationship with their CEOs and know they would like nothing more than a chance to bring their service to more pro heroes. Thank you, no more questions."
To the surprise of no one, reporters tried to ask more questions as Inko and Ran turned back into the building. Gizon and Hawks find it best to follow them as well, but not before Gizon tossed one last glance at All Might. Then just as Inko was reaching for the door, one question caught her attention, "Madam, what will be the name of this new company?"
That was a question she didn't need to think about, she knew deep down in her heart what to say. It was one of the reasons she fell in love with Hisashi, he called it his purpose. To help everyone, he could with his knowledge of engineering. It was the same way with Izuku wanting to become a pro hero. So if Inko was going to use the resource Hisashi had left behind to help people, then she was going to let everyone know just who exactly was helping them. Inko looked over her shoulder and called out, "Sutaku Industries."
Before any more questions could be thought of, Inko opened the door, and she and Ran walked in. She then noticed Gizon and Hawks coming along, "Hawks shouldn't you be headed towards the police station?"
"A company, within my town, was found to be corrupt and helping a lot of villains. And is now being taken over and cutting all ties to the underground. Madam Sutaku, you're going to have a lot more than just the media after you. Other businesses and villains are coming after you all the same. So for the time being, you are under my protection " Hawks said.
"Please, stay with Ms Midoriya. I have not changed my name." Inko said, massaging her temples as she felt a headache coming on. She had been focused on work for a while, and she knew she needed to take a step back, but with everything that had just happened and was going to happen. Here was where she needed to be.
"But you will or you won't have said your married name." Hawks and Inko just nodded, then she turned to Gizon.
"Thank you for your assistance out there. I want Sutaku Industries to focus on helping people and pro heroes alike. I just didn't know how to explain the latter half." Inko said with a bow, but Gizon stopped her.
"I'm happy to help, I was just in town and saw the crowd. When I saw the name of the building, I thought I could talk with you about something, but it can wait." Gizon said, holding up his hand. He was in town, but didn't feel like explaining why.
"Thank you and do you mind if I use your service a bit longer." Inko said, as she had used Gizon more than enough and didn't want to put too much on him. With the way things were shaping out to be, he could very well become the face of Sutaku Industry's aid to Pro heroes.
"Until I return to UA, I am here for whatever is required of me." Gizon said.
"As the past few months have been nothing of work, can you take a letter to my son." Inko said. Izuku and Mei would be a good fit for the merging of their parents' companies and many eyes would be on them. Inko would like to send something personal to him, words that weren't right to send in a text.
"Ms. Midoriya, why don't you go see your son?" Oki Ran said, and Inko looked at her, "I know there is much to do, but you have been working tirelessly since April. I know how much you miss your son. I can keep the media off your back for a bit, so use that time to spend time with your son."
Inko started to cry and hugged Oki Ran, "Thank you Ran, but I'm not going to be able to get out of here easily."
"Well, you just promised Sutaku Industries was going to help upcoming pro heroes and you just used me as an example, how about we use that. Have a car pull around front and we walk out together, and if asked we'll say we are going to UA to discuss this with Principal Nezu." Gizon said, and the three adults were surprised by how well thought out Gizon's plan was.
"But the media will just follow her to UA." Hawks said.
"She won't be going to UA, Ms Midoriya if I'm not mistaken your son is living in an apartment in Musutafu. We'll meet there." Gizon said.
Inko laughed, "Izuku said you were smart."
"I just understand people," Gizon said. But being called smart by a literal genius, well, Gizon would hold onto that for a while.
"Ran, would you please have a car pulled around front." Inko said, and Ran nodded before running away to do so. As the car was pulled around front, Inko, Gizon, and Hawks waited in the front lobby. Once Hawks spotted the car, the trio walked out front towards the car, the crowd splitting to give them room.
Gizon slipped in first, and before Inko could, she heard a reporter ask, "Are you headed something with Hisahito?"
"Yes we're headed to UA, to discuss with Principal Nezu with how Sutaku Industries would best be able to support up and coming pro heroes." Inko then slipped into the car, quickly closing the door, "Looks like they bought it."
"Where to, Ms Midoriya." The driver asked.
"7845 W Parkway Dr, Musutafu." Inko said.
"That's a 5 hour drive, we won't get in until around 8." The driver said, looking at Inko through the rearview mirror.
"I'm aware, it will give me plenty of time to hear about everything my son has done." Inko said, turning to Gizon
"Where would you like me to begin?" Gizon asked, having a feeling she would like to hear how well her son handled himself in court.
Chapter 59: Getting Back on Track
While Izuku knew about the Board of Directors and their various activities, he did not know when the arrest would be made. Though it was easy to assume it would be soon as it was crucial to take them off the board, so over the week he had Jabisu keep a close watch over the news coming out of Fukuoka, searching for keywords of "Board of Directors" and "Sutein Co." Yet nothing ever came up and he couldn't tell if that was stressful or relieving.
When Saturday came, Mei had come over in the morning to work on homework. She and Izuku had set themselves up in the living room, so he could keep the TV on low. The whole morning he was listening for any sudden breaking news announcement. Some might have found it hard to focus on that while doing homework, but over the years of working at Hatsume Industries and being friends with Mei, Izuku had learned how to focus on multiple things at once.
It wasn't until 12:20 that the breaking news announcement came on, catching Izuku and Mei's attention. The new anchors talked about how a majority of Japan's top ten pro heroes were just seen entering Sutein Co. The new anchors questioned if this had anything to do with the recent news surrounding Sutein Co. They brought up the investigation into Mr Sutein and his connection to the League of Villains. And how all of it had begun with Izuku revealing evidence in court. At that point, a photo of Izuku from the front of the courthouse appeared on the screen and Izuku jokingly told himself that it wasn't his good side.
With their homework set off to the side, Izuku grabbed the TV remote and turned up the volume, and then he and Mei watched the news so as not to miss anything. For the next ten minutes not much happened, aside from a crowd of news reporters and journalists gathering in front of the building. Izuku was surprised by the size of the crowd, as it was starting to get to the size Ua had experienced when everyone learned All Might was the newest teacher.
Izuku knew he had stirred up the world of heroes by proving a beloved businessman was connected to the League of Villains. Best guess the sight of Japan's top ten pro heroes had garnered more attention than was needed for the mission.
Not much happened until around 12:35 the front door of the building opened and the person to appear was the once Chief Director Aki Nao was being let out in handcuffs. She and the police officer were soon followed by the other board members. As each ex-board member appeared the shock and surprise of the crowd grew and became more evident.
Journalists and reporters stopped taking photos, while news anchors stopped talking, and a few nearly dropped their microphones. And they weren't the only others, many were watching the news stopping whatever activity they had been doing. And it shouldn't be a surprise everyone was acting this way, because as far as they knew the investigation was only into Mr Sutein and his ties to the League of Villains. But now nearly the entirety of the Boards of Directors was being arrested.
As Inko walked out of the front door, along with Hawks and Oki Ran, everyone seemed to get back on track as Reporters started to throw out questions and journalists started to take photos. Yet before Inko had a chance to answer, Eito Mio made a break for it. It was Izuku's turn to be surprised at the sudden arrival of Gizon after taking Eito down to the ground. Izuku was curious about what Gizon was doing in the crowd but decided to go with Occam's Razor as Gizon lived in Fukuoka and had seen the crowd.
The gathered crowd fell silent as Inko gave her announcement as she walked down the steps and over to Gizon. She explained how Sutein Co was being dismantled and any recoverable legal assets would be used to build a new company to take its place. Then came the question of how the new company was planning to break into the world of heroics. Inko gave her answer that the new company would partner with Hatsume Industries, to help expand their service across all of Japan.
Upon hearing this Mei broke her pencil and yelled "WHHHHHHAAAAAATTTTT?" She was so loud that Izuku had to cover his ears as she leapt over the coffee table and got really close to the TV to look at Inko as if she could feel Mei's glare. Growing up Mei never really understood metaphors and the sort, she never got was the one talking about the feeling of betrayal being likened to watching a close friend shoot your dog. Yet after hearing this, Mei didn't question the metaphor any more.
Once the ringing in his ears quieted down, Izuku said, "Your parents always said they wanted to open more faculties. But didn't have the resources or manpower to do so."
"Sutaku Industries." Inko's voice cut through the room and pierced Izuku's ears. Whatever his next thought was immediately disappeared as Izuku came to the realization of what his mother had just said. He thought he must have heard her wrong, but he hadn't. Inko was going to name the new company Sutaku Industries as in Hisashi Sutaku Industries.
Over the past few months, Izuku had learned how much his father had done to help him become a pro hero. And it was no secret that Hisashi wanted to help others as well. And now he could through spirit, as soon the whole of Japan would know what the name of Sutaku stood for.
Izuku's attention was drawn back to the TV as Inko and Gizon walked down the steps and got into the limo, "Yes we're headed to UA, to discuss with Principal Nezu how Sutaku Industries would best be able to support up-and-coming pro heroes."
Upon hearing that, Izukku understood two things. First, Inko was coming back to Musutafu. After months of being apart, Izuku and Inko would have their reunion and be able to see each other in person. Second, she was definitely not heading towards UA. She had just made national news and if the crowd outside of Sutein was any indication there would be an even larger crowd outside of UA's front entrance waiting for her.
They needed a private location, away from the public's eyes, to conduct business with Principal Nezu. The only private location was the house Izuku and Mei were currently in. That realization quickly dawned on Izuku and in a flash, he stowed all of his schoolwork into his backpack. He then ran upstairs to put his backpack away.
"Midoriya, what's wrong?" Mei asked as Izuku came running back downstairs. She had seen him act like this since they were preparing for UA's entrance exam.
Izuku came to an abrupt stop before he disappeared into the kitchen. He turned around and looked at Mei, "My mom is coming home and this place is a mess."
As Izuku ran into the kitchen, Mei looked around the living room. It didn't look like a mess, even with her quirk it didn't look that bad. Sure there was a good layer of dust but who cared? Clearly, Izuku did as he was freaking out as he began to clean. Mei sighed as she knew she needed to help, besides it was the perfect excuse for not having to focus on homework any more.
Storing her homework away and putting her backpack off to the side, Mei turned off the TV and then grabbed Izuku's phone. After connecting Izuku's phone to the speakers, Mei turned on Izuku's music playlist and then joined him in cleaning up the house. They started in the kitchen and went from room to room cleaning everything, only moving on when the room was perfect.
Around 5:30 they finished deep cleaning the house and without much of a break, Izuku decided they could start on dinner. So after grabbing his wallet, Izuku and Mei headed over to the nearby grocery store. As they sped down the aisles, Izuku thought about what to make for dinner and grabbed whatever he needed.
Izuku and Mei didn't get back until after 6:00 and they immediately began making dinner. While Mei boiled the rice, Izuku cooked the salmon and beef. Once everything was ready they made onigiri balls and they toasted the rice a bit. Then while Izuku switched to grilling some pineapple rings, Mei followed a recipe to make dorayaki.
It was around 7:00 everything was ready and Izuku quickly set the table, while Mei brought food over to the table. And then just as they thought they had a chance to relax, they heard the sounds of keys being inserted into the front door. Izuku's eyes jumped from the front door to the mess the kitchen had been turned into.
Letting out a small yelp, Izuku ran back into the kitchen and put all the dirty pots and pans into the sink. He then wet two rags. He threw one at Mei while keeping the other to clean the counter of all the spilt flour and spice.
Back at the front door Inko had managed to find the right key and unlocked the front door. She pushed open the door, expecting to see her son standing there waiting to greet her. Yet she was met with an empty living room and the smell of food coming from the dining room. As Inko stepped in she called out, "Izuku?"
"I think I hear him in the kitchen." Gizon said as he stepped in and closed the door behind him, making sure to lock it.
Hearing them, Izuku whispered to Mei, "I'm going to stall them." The last thing he wanted his mother to have to deal with after everything she was already going through was a messy kitchen. Izuku tossed his rag into the sink and then stepped through the dining room.
Izuku thought of what to say to stall his mother, but it didn't matter because the moment Izuku laid eyes on Inko he forgot everything he was going to say. And for the first time, he let the Midoriya waterwork go. Izuku rushed across the living room and hugged his mom, "Mom."
Inko quickly hugged her son back as she let herself cry, "Oh my Izuku." Inko buried her chin into her son's hair, which he had let grow out a bit, "It's so good to see you."
As mother and son continued to hug each other and cry together, their knees grew weak, resulting in them falling to the ground.
To not disturb the family reunion, Gizon walked into the kitchen. As if sensing him, the moment Gizon stepped into the kitchen, Mei turned around and glared at him. He gave a dry laugh and said, "Friendly."
Gizon then spotted Izuku's discarded rag in the sink. Grabbing it he helped Mei finish cleaning up the kitchen and then the two of them walked to the living to see if Inko and Izuku were ready for dinner. While Gizon was surprised to see they still had rivers of tears down their cheeks, Mei just huffed as this was normal.
After another minute of crying, Gizon leaned over to Mei and whispered, "How are they not dehydrated?"
"This is nothing. I onced watched them cry for over an hour and a half." Mei said as if Gizon's question was stupid.
Gizon gave Mei a weird look and said, "And you watched the entire time. Why?" From what Gizon had heard, Mei didn't seem like someone who could focus on a single thing forever long.
"Research," Mei said with a shrug of her shoulders as if that was a normal reason to watch two people cry for an hour and a half.
The two were drawn back to the mother and son as Izuku broke the embrace to look his mother in the eyes, "I'm so happy to see you Mom."
"I am too Izuku. Tell me, what do you think of the company's new name?" Inko asked. It was their family name and Inko wanted to get her son's permission before anything was officially decided.
Yet Izuku couldn't answer so Mei did, "Almost started crying." Izuku's cheeks turned red, Mei didn't understand the difference between tears of sadness and tears of joy.
Inko nodded, "I nearly did too. I know your father would be happy that it's his name for the company. He always wanted to be able to help others."
"Does that mean we're changing our last name to Sutaku?" Izuku asked and Inko nodded, and then whispered, "There's something I need to talk to you about in private."
"Ms Midoriya, we have dinner ready." Mei said, knowing the food was starting to get cold.
Inko tilted her head at this, "You knew we were coming here?"
"More like I knew you won't be going to UA. You had to give the media something so you sent them on a wide goose chase, though Mr Aizawa isn't going to be happy with having to deal with the media again." Izuku said and Gizon laughed as he recalled how the media had gathered out front of the UA when they learned All Might was a teacher. He could only imagine the disaster as reporters tried to get a comment from Inko or Izuku.
Izuku and Inko stood up and joined Gizon and Mei in the dining room, Inko taking everything in. "You cooked all this. When did you learn how to cook?" Inko knew she hadn't taught her son how to.
"Well I've been living on my own for a few weeks. If I didn't want to die from malnutrition I had to learn how to cook for myself." Izuku nervously chuckled.
"Thank you for being my son," Inko said hugging her son again then they all sat down to enjoy a late dinner. The majority of the conversation was between Inko and Izuku as they told their side of the different events of the past few weeks, while Gizon and Mei were silent observers.
After dinner finished, Mei retired upstairs and fell asleep in the guest room. Inko and Gizon stayed in the dining room while Izuku served dessert. Ss Izuku put a plate of dorayaki in front of Gizon, he said, "Hey Hisahito. Thank you for helping my mom."
Gzion gave a slight nod, "It was nothing. I was just in town, I didn't mean to get involved. Just didn't want to see Helicaken escape, and was more than happy to provide your mother some assistance. On the ride over I talk to her about how hard you've been working to get transferred."
"And don't think I've forgotten about your stunt over Fukuoka before the sports festival." Inko said before taking a bite of the dessert.
Izuku's jaw dropped as he tried to come up with something to get out of having that conversation. While Gizon tried to figure out what incident Inko was referencing, he made the connection, "Wait, the gold flying humanoid over Fukuoka that Hawks was chasing after. That was you?" -Izuku, embarrassed, nodded his head, "Huh, I've been trying to figure out how you convinced Hawks to train you."
"That's what initially got me on the HPSC's radar." Izuku said, then hoping to move away from that topic, he turned to his mom, "So mom, do you really have plans to meet with Mr and Mrs Hatsume about partnering Sutaku Industries with Hatsume Industries."
"It's just going to be an acquisition. The Hastume's will still be in charge of their department, but they'll have more resources and business will be done under the name of Sutaku Industries." Inko said.
"Yeah, Mei nearly had a heart attack when you talked about that." Izuku said with a small chuckle, "I think she thought you were betraying her parents, and buying them out."
"I would never," Inko said, shaking her head but chuckling the same.
"Well I'll see you at school Monday." Gizon said as he grabbed one last Doryaki then walked to the front door, "Thanks for having me." Gizon then walked out of the house and disappeared in the night.
Inko looked over at the front door and said, "He's a strange young man. Quite mature for someone his age."
Izuku didn't make any comment for a bit then said, "He is. But from what I've seen, he's one of the most dedicated members of Class 1-A. Aside from his quirk, his drive is what is going to make him into a great pro hero."
The rest of dinner was finished in silence and once everything was put after, mother and son embraced one last time before turning in for the night.
Luckily for the family, Sunday was quiet for the family, but come Monday morning Izuku and Mei learned just how much attention was going to be on them. As they left for school, Izuku opened the front door and found Principal Nezu standing outside ready to knock on the door. "So that's how that feels." -Then after a moment the small rodent looked up at the duo, "Hello, Midoriya, Hatusme. Your names have been in the news lately."
"I'm aware sir." Izuku said then stepped aside, "I assume you are here to discuss business with my mother."
"Yes. I would have come yesterday but was informed by a mutual friend, it would be best to give you and your mother a chance to recover from recent events." Principal Nezu said as he stepped into the Midoriya house, then turned to face Izuku.
"How is the situation at the front gate?" Izuku asked, confused about who the mutual friend could be.
"Not as bad as the first time, but there is a gathering. For that." Principal Nezu gestured out the door, causing Izuku and Mei to look out and see Powerloader waiting for them in his car, "For the time being you will be escorted to and from school by the teachers. Not only to protect you from the media, but there is an agreed upon feeling that you and your mother could become targets of villains."
Izuku nodded to show his understanding.
"If that is all, I believe your mother and I have items of business to discuss, while you have class to get to." Principal Nezu said and began walking to the dining room.
Izuku and Mei walked down the driveway, got into the back of Powerloader's car and greeted their teacher. Who took a drink of coffee before saying, "Just don't touch anything. I just changed the oil and don't want anything blowing up."
With a sigh Powerloader drove his two most hazardous students to school, making sure to drive past the front gate so the two of them could see the crowd they did not have to deal with. Powerloader parked in the teacher's parking lot and led the two students through the teacher entrance.
"I'll see you in the homeroom," Powerloader said, walking off and leaving the two to their own devices. Believing it would be in their interest not to do anything to garner any more attention, they dropped what they needed to at their lockers and headed for their first-period class.
In the hallways, Izuku didn't fail to notice all the glances he got from the students he passed. And as he continued to get them throughout the days, Izuku got the feeling they weren't going to disappear anytime soon. In less than two weeks, he had stirred up the world of heroes no less than three times. One: becoming the first support course student to win UA's Sports Festival. Two: Play a vital role in preventing the destruction of Hosu city and be able to take down a Nomu on his own, without any known formal training. Three: Win in court against the HPSC and Japan's own military and provide proof that Sutein Co had ties to the League of Villains.
The only chance Izuku had a sense of normalcy was in the workshop period at the end of the day, but that didn't last too long. Izuku was gathering his materials from his desk when Powerloader called out from the door, "Midoriya, you've got a visitor."
Shouldering his backpack, Izuku stood up, walked over to the door and found Iida waiting for him in the hallway. Izuku's eyes went wide and in a hushed tone he yelled, "Iida, what are you doing here?"
"Over the weekend I realized I had not properly thanked you for assistance in Hosu City. I believed it was by your hand that Uraraka and Todoroki were able to find me and they were more happy to confirm my suspicions." Iida explained.
"I had seen the news about Ingenium and was aware he was your older brother. But it's only chance that I was in Hosu that night." Izuku said then realized how that sounded, "Once I came across Uraraka and she better explained the situation I tracked your phone and sent her your directions. I'm happy she and Todoroki were able to get to you in time."
"Well I thank you." Iida said, going into a deep bow.
"I appreciate it, Iida." Izuku then started to turn to head back in, "Sorry, but I have a class to get to."
"Midoriya." Iida called out in a hushed tone, "I didn't come only to give you my thanks. I was hoping to request your service a bit further."
"All costume alterations have to be discussed through appointment. Sorry." Izuku said in a rehearsed tone.
"It's not about my costume. It's about Tensei." Iida clarified in a somber tone, "Since his accident, he has seen a multitude of specialists but all have said the same thing…"
"Your brother will never walk again." Izuku said after Iida fell silent.
Iida slowly nodded, "I was hoping to talk to you about creating another technological miracle. One that could help him get back on his feet." -Izuku looked at Iida in surprise. Sure he had created some impressive things, but to restore the ability to walk to a man who was paralyzed. Izuku was an engineer, not a miracle worker.
"Iida, I don't know…" Izuku began to say but stopped when he saw Iida's eyes. Iida had already been hurt before from seeing his brother. But it was obvious he still had a little bit of hope left that a solution could be found. And while Izuku hoped it wasn't true, he had a feeling that talking to him was Iida's last bit of hope. And seeing him lose that, wasn't something Izuku wanted to see.
"Please just hear me out, Midoriya."
"Okay." Izuku said, having a feeling of what was coming next.
"Your exoskeleton from your suit of armor." That was all Iida had to say for Izuku to know he was right, "It allowed you to run fast in the Sports Festival. Could it not help my brother to walk again?"
"I'm sorry, but it won't work the way you think it will." Izuku said as lightning sparked behind his eyes. "My quirk is what powers my suit. Without it you won't be able to operate anything."
"I'm not asking for a full suit, just the legs of the exoskeleton. Please rerun the numbers. Tensei says he doesn't mind being paralyzed, but I can see it in his eyes. He wants to feel the winds of his hair again, the pavement against his feet." Iida begged. And Izuku couldn't help but think of the excitement that rushed through his body the first time he had tested his full suit.
"I've never tested my equipment with other powers. I-I don't know if it's possible." Izuku said and saw Iidas's eyes starting to dim, "Come with me." -Izuku then opened the door and called into the room, "Powerloader, I'm stepping away for a bit."
Izuku started walking down the hallway and Iida walked after him, "Where are we headed?"
"To run the math." Izuku said and a turn later they arrived at Class 6-G. Izuku opened the door and then walked over to one of the whiteboards. He grabbed a sharpie and began writing multiple different equations. Iida was able to follow some math, but those were quickly replaced with different equations Iida didn't understand a bit.
Iida looked back at Izuku, he saw multiple sparks of green electricity jump behind Izuku's eyes. Iida found it best to say anything so as not to interrupt Izuku. And after five minutes of Izuku writing, erasing and rewriting the equations Izuku took a step back from the board and said, "Huh."
"Is that a good huh, or a bad huh?" Iida questioned.
"That's an 'it's possible huh'. Or so says the math. Heavy modification would have to be made to the exoskeleton. Some I would have to see to believe, but let's be honest that describes the world we live in. But even with this math, there's still some complications." Izuku said as he saw some small bit of hope returning to Iida's eyes.
"What sort of complication?" Iida asked.
"First the power source. Even after taking away the armor and the top half of my exoskeleton, it still requires plenty of energy to work. To last even six hours the battery would have been the size of a phone."
Iida became confused, weren't phone batteries actually quite small, "Do you mean the battery from a phone or a battery the size of the whole phone."
"The second one. Then comes a bigger hurdle. The neural impulses." Izuku said
"Yaoyorozu explained that your suit works by reading neural impulses." Ilda said to show he knew what Izuku meant and to be able to cut down on the time it would take to explain everything.
"Yeah, but from my understanding your brother's nerves were completely severed. An external neurolink won't be able to pick up neural impulses that weaks. I have to take my neurolink and increase the sensitivity by like 1000%. The technology just isn't there." Izuku said, "Sorry."
Iida was quiet for a moment but then said, "You said external neurolink. What about an internal neurolink?"
Izuku's eye went wide at the implications, "Setting aside the surgical risks, which Recovery Girl would have a better chance of explaining. I guess if you connect the neurolink directly to the nerves that control the legs. You implement an AI to read those neural impulses and act as a middle man to move the exoskeleton." Izuku closed his eyes for a few seconds, "The process is feasible. We would need the world's best neurosurgeon to make sure everything is connected and the sensitivity of the neurolink would still have to be boosted... But it could be possible."
"You can make it work." Iida said with life returning to his body.
"With some work and a lot of risks, yes I can make it so Tensei can walk again." Izuku said with a smile but then he looked back at the whiteboard and then made a realization that would take the winds out of Iida's sails, "But Iida I need you to understand something. While I can restore your brother's ability to work, I can't make your brother Ingenium again. I mean, yeah my exoskeleton allows me to run pretty fast, but it's nothing comparable to the speed you and your brother can achieve. I don't think the exoskeleton will be able to keep up."
"Friction." Ilda said with a knowing look, "The Ingenium family has always had friction resistant metal used within our costume."
"Among other things. Even with friction resistant metal the joints, lubrication hydraulics would all wear out pretty quickly and eventually they would tear themselves apart. Like a tire coming off a car from driving too fast." Izuku said in a somber tone, "It's not much but your brother has a chance to walk again."
Ilda bowed deeply, "Thank you Midoriya and know what you have provided today it is far more than I expected. I came to you knowing there was a high chance of nothing but still I am happy I came to talk to you."
Izuku said down in a chair as he rubbed his hands a bit, "While I can start working on the modified exoskeleton, my knowledge of neuroscience is only a bit above average. To get a better grasp of the situation, I'm going to have to consult with Recovery girl and your Brother physician. This isn't going to be like me working on new support equipment for Class 1-A, where the project moves with me. There is going to be a lot of communication between three people. It's going to make a lot of slow progess in the beginning."
"I understand. And thank you again Midoriya. If you are able to achieve such a feat the Iida family will be forever in your debt." Iida said with another bow.
Izuku held up his hands in defence, "Let's not go there yet. I first have to build the darn thing. Besides, what's a favor amongst friends?"
"Still I have faith in your ability to achieve the impossible. And to build such technology. I am sure one day there won't be anything you won't be able to build." Iida said, coming out of his deep bow.
"And yet somehow my tech is still getting broken." Izuku joked and then sent Ilda away. Once Iida was gone, Izuku called upon Jabisu and told his AI assistant to get in touch with Recovery Girl. To explain the situation to her and work on finding out who Tensei's main physician was.
While the world continued to move over and Izuku could feel Japan's focus on him, he was happy with the new project. It gave him something he could easily focus on and he took a page out of Mei's book, as he allowed himself to get lost in it.
But the surprises just could not stop coming. On Thursday after being driven home by Midnight and after that one experience Izuku was going to request that Midnight never drive him anyway. Izuku walked into his house and found Inko and a woman in a business suit sitting in the living room.
"Welcome home Izuku. This is Ms. Horitsu from Welfare Legal Firm. Before your father passed away, he had a will written and left us some items behind." Inko said as she patted the cushion next to her, gesturing that she wanted Izuku to sit next to her.
"What did he leave behind?" Izuku asked as he walked over, setting his backpack on the ground next to the couch before sitting down next to his mother.
"Your mother requested we wait until you returned home." Ms Horitsu said and Izuku nodded.
"Why is it we're only now reading the will?' Izuku asked, then looked at Inko and saw the teary look in her eyes, "Oh."
"With my take over at Sutaku Industries, I thought it would be best to dive into what Hisashi left behind. See if there is anything that can help with the transition." Inko said, "Even with all the legal resources left by Sutein Co, it will take too much time to get everything back up and running again."
"With that out of the way, shall we begin?" Ms Horitsu asked and both Midoriyas nodded. Ms Horitsu smiled and grabbed her briefcase that was leaning up against her chair. She placed it on the coffee table and as she dialled in the combination she continued with, "Am I correct in understanding that you already received a box, some years ago."
Izuku smiled as he remembered the box that was currently under his bed, "Yes."
"I understand." Ms Horitsu said as she unlocked her briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers. She placed the stack of paper on the coffee table and then flipped through a few papers and then stopped and said, "Okay. It states, "I Hisashi Sutaku, being sound of mind and body, hereby leave behind the following for my wife Inko Midoriya and my son Izuku Sutkua-Midoirya.
First, to my beloved wife, Inko Midoriya, I leave behind the full title to the address 7845 W Parkway Dr, Musutafu. She may choose what to do with three rooms, two and a half bathrooms and a full-size garage. I also leave to her all assets, liquid and physical in her name, estimated at a total of 500,000,000¥' Which taking into account inflation and the different stocks Mr Sutaku invested in, has risen to be about 1,574,000,000¥."
While Izuku didn't exactly see the yen sign appear in Inko's eyes, her eyes definitely went wide. Neither of them knew just how much money Hisashi had stored up, nor did either of them really think about it. Yet, needless to say, 1.5 trillion yen was going to be a big help in building Sutaku Industries.
"Assets include Social Security Benefits, the rights to all patents later discussed within will and the various stocks owned by Hisashi Sutaku, including but not limited to Toyota Motor, Miitsubishi, Chugai Pharma and Keyence Corp and Hatsume Industries." Inko and Izuku gained a confused look at the last one, "Along with a few international stocks as well. 'And to my son, Izuku Midoriya-Sukuta, I leave behind the contains of one storage unit, located at XXXXX, Unit number 342."
Ms Horitsu, then paused, "Strange, Mr Sukatu did not leave any other mention of a storage unit. No indication of what the storage unit held."
"Does that make it void from the will?" Inko asked as the biggest thing she had learned from being at Sutein Co was how strict the word of the law was.
"No, Your husband provided the address and number of the unit. Along with its key." Ms Horitsu said as she reached into her briefcase and pulled out a single key that had an All Might keychain, "If the storage unit is still being paid for and you provide the key and identification, then the storage unit and its contents belong to Izuku."
"Oh." Inko said, surprisingly it could be as simple as that.
Ms Horitsu placed the key on the coffee table and slid it over to Izuku.
"The rest of the will is items that pertains to the legality side." Ms Horitsu then quickly flipped through the will and said, "We require about 20 of your signature, Mrs Midoriya and only two of your's Izuku."
Ms Horitsu produced two pens and while Izuku was able to quickly give his two signatures, Inko's signing took longer. This meant Izuku could excuse himself to his room to work on homework. Which didn't happen, because as soon as Izuku closed the door he walked over to his bed and flopped down on it. He then looked up at the storage unit key with its All Might keychain.
Izuku didn't fail to notice that the key chain was a limited edition silver age costume of All Might that was only sold in America to celebrate All Might return to Japan. Then engraved on the head of the key was "#342."
Izuku sighed and took a quick picture of the key, he then called Mei.
"Hey Midoriya." Mei said and Izuku heard a small explosion go off in the back.
"Hey Hatsume. I was wondering if you have anything planned for tomorrow after school." Izuku said, and if he was wise, older and mature, he would have realized how much he was asking her if she was available for a date. He then remembered the dinner they had in Classroom 6-G and how essentially that was their first date.
"Study for our next exam." Mei said.
Izuku had to suppress a laugh, as that was her go-to excuse for going out in her garage and building. Just as Izuku's excuse was working on homework.
Izuku then sent the photo of the key to Mei, "My father left me behind that and it belongs to a storage unit at U-Store in town."
"Your dad only left you a key?' Mei asked as she pulled her phone back up to her ear after looking at the photo.
"Along with all the content of the units. Want to have a look at it tomorrow." Izuku asked as he began to spin the key on his finger. He couldn't imagine what else his father had left him. The initial blueprints had led Izuku to build the repulsors and exoskeleton. Then there was Classroom 6-G with Jabisu, which had previously held all of Hisashi's inventions before the virus was planted. So what did Hisashi deem safe enough to hold in a storage unit?
"Sure why not." Mei said. As much as Izuku went along with Mei's crazy plans, she was always going along with his bizarre plans. It's just his plans didn't usually end with them having to hunker down to survive an explosion.
Izuku stopped spinning the key and grabbed ahold of the All Might keychain, so he only saw the key. The blueprints had been the key to getting Izuku into UA, so he couldn't help but wonder what kind of secrets this literal key held behind it.
"Thanks Mei. See you at school then." Izuku said, then ended the call. He flipped his phone around and placed it on the nightstand next to his bed. Izuku then looked back at the key. He wondered if this was what Hisashi's legacy had been brought to, all locked behind one last key. Some part of Izuku hoped it was the last key, as he was a little tired of always coming away with more questions than answers.
Izuku continued to look at the key until Inko called him down for dinner. After dinner was served, Izuku returned to his room and finished the last bit of homework he had. He had a conversation with Jabisu, through his phone, about what could possibly be waiting in the storage unit.
However, the conversation didn't last long as Jabisu had no recollection of such a key and, therefore had no knowledge of what was within the storage unit. Izuku chuckled and thanked his virtual assistant before turning in for the night.