Mt. Lady's gigantification quirk made her fifty meters tall. She stood in the middle of Route 7 like a wall, arms spread wide.
The stolen truck was heading straight for her.
"STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL!" Her voice boomed across the street.
The truck didn't slow down.
Mt. Lady braced herself, ready to grab it—
The truck swerved hard left, smashing through a chain-link fence and into an industrial lot. It disappeared between buildings before Mt. Lady could react.
"Damn it!" She shrunk back to normal size and gave chase, but by the time she rounded the corner, the truck was gone. "I hate that I can't destroy what's in the boxes..."
She pulled out her comm. "Lost visual. Suspect escaped into the industrial district. Requesting aerial support."
"Negative," dispatch replied. "No aerial units available. Continue ground pursuit."
Mt. Lady cursed under her breath and kept running.
Daichi ditched the truck three kilometers away in an abandoned factory lot. The crates were already being loaded into a van by two men in dark clothing. Neither spoke. Neither looked at him.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: Job complete. Payment transferred. Await further instructions.
Daichi checked his account. Five million yen. Clean transfer through three shell companies.
He pocketed the phone and walked away without a word.
The men finished loading and drove off in opposite directions. The truck would be found in a few hours, stripped clean, no prints, no DNA, no trace.
Standard procedure.
--------------------------------
STARBUSTER INC. HEADQUARTERS - EMERGENCY BOARD MEETING - 6:47 AM
Akira's head was pounding. The lights felt like needles drilling into his skull. He'd managed maybe an hour of sleep. More like passing out in his office chair before Renji dragged him to the shower at five in the morning.
The wine from last night was still in his system. He could taste it.
He stood at the head of the conference table, hands flat on the surface to keep them from shaking, staring at the police report displayed on the screen behind him.
INCIDENT REPORT: THEFT OF PROTOTYPE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT ESTIMATED LOSS: ¥50,000,000 CASUALTIES: 1 SECURITY GUARD (CRITICAL CONDITION), 2 INJURED
The board members sat in uncomfortable silence.
Akira blinked hard, trying to focus. The words on the screen blurred slightly at the edges.
"Explain to me..." He paused, swallowing the dryness in his throat. "Explain to me how a warehouse containing fifty million yen worth of prototype gear had eight guards on duty."
The head of security shifted in his seat. "Sir, the shipment wasn't scheduled to leave until next week. We had standard night security protocols—"
"Standard?" Akira's voice came out sharper than intended. "We're shipping high-grade hero support equipment to Endeavor's agency, and you thought standard protocols were sufficient?"
"The location was confidential, sir. Only senior staff knew—"
"Clearly not confidential enough." Akira straightened, ignoring the way the room tilted slightly. "The villain knew exactly where to go, what to take, and when to strike. That's not a coincidence. That's intelligence. That fucker had intel on us!"
Murmurs around the table.
"You're suggesting an inside job?" This came from Sato Hiroshi, the CFO. Late fifties, sharp suit, sharper eyes. He'd been with the company since the beginning.
Akira pressed his palm harder against the table. "I'm not suggesting anything. I'm stating facts. Someone knew the shipment schedule. Someone knew the location."
"Industrial espionage isn't uncommon in our field," another board member said. "Competitors have motive—"
"This isn't about competitors." Akira's tone left no room for argument. "Someone inside this company is leaking information. I want a full internal investigation. I don't care how long it takes or how much it costs."
Sato leaned forward. "With all due respect, Akira, that kind of investigation will disrupt operations significantly. We have contracts to fulfill, deadlines—"
"I don't care about deadlines." Akira's voice dropped. "I care about the fact that our security is compromised and one of our guards is fighting for his life in intensive care."
He took a breath.
"So unless you have a better suggestion, Sato, I suggest you stay the fuck out of my way."
Sato's expression didn't change, but something flickered behind his eyes.
"Of course, sir. I was merely expressing concern for the company's welfare."
"Noted. Meeting adjourned."
The board members filed out silently.
All except Sato, who lingered by the door.
"Akira."
"What?" Akira didn't turn around. He was staring at the police report again, trying to will the headache away.
"You're under a lot of stress. Your wife's coma, your son, now this theft..." Sato's tone was almost sympathetic. "Perhaps you should consider taking some time away. Let the rest of us handle day-to-day operations while you focus on what matters. Get some rest."
Akira's jaw tightened. Rest. As if Sato didn't know exactly why he looked like this.
Sato left before Akira could respond.
Akira stood alone in the conference room, jaw tight, head pounding.
He pressed his fingers to his temples.
"Shit, shit, shit..." he cursed under his breath.
His phone buzzed. A message from Renji.
Renji: Coffee and aspirin on your desk. Drink water.
--------------------------------
U.A. HIGH SCHOOL - CLASS 1-B - 8:15 AM
[1st POV]
I walked into the classroom, and it was already filled and noisy. Honenuki was sleeping, as expected. So was Monoma, which was not on my bingo.
The rest of the class seemed restless. I saw Tetsutetsu in the corner, trying to speak to some girl, seemingly failing by the way they were looking at him.
His head took a sharp turn and looked at me. "Kazuki!" he called, waving his hands. Normal volume would've been enough to get my attention.
"Tetsutetsu," I responded with a nod.
The girls turned their attention to me. I recognized them from yesterday. Tokage and Shiozaki.
"Morning, Hayashi," Tokage said with a grin. She was the one with the lizard quirk. Green hair in a ponytail.
Shiozaki just nodded politely—the vine-haired girl who seemed way too religious.
"...Morning," I replied, moving toward my seat in the back corner.
Tetsutetsu followed me like a lost puppy. "Did you hear about the warehouse attack last night?"
"No."
His eyes went wide. "It's all over the news! Some villain broke into a warehouse and stole a bunch of hero support equipment. Kamui Woods tried to stop him but got sat down!"
I pulled out my phone and sat down. "Interesting. Very. Truly."
"Interesting? Dude, it's insane! They're saying the guy was huge. Like two meters tall and built like he could bench press a car!" Bench pressing a car is not that high a bar for strength quirks. Tetsutetsu seemed excited, possibly aroused at the sight of such a villain. "That's the kind of threat we're training for!"
"That would be correct. But we're training for every kind of threat so I wouldn't understand what you're saying." I replied honestly.
"Come on, dude." He slumped down. "You understand what I'm sayin', right? I mean, villains are the cool part of the job if we're being real."
...
Quite narrow-minded.
"I guess so, Tetsutetsu."
I scrolled through my phone, looking for the news articles. Found them pretty quickly. Photos of the damaged warehouse. Police tape everywhere. Statements from heroes.
Then I saw it.
One of the photos showed a crate in the background. The logo was clear as day.
STARBUSTER INC.
My eyes widened just a bit.
"Hayashi, you good?" Tetsutetsu leaned closer, looking concerned.
"Fine."
"You sure? You got kinda quiet there."
"I'm always quiet."
"Yeah, but this is different quiet." He scratched his head. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No. Just thinking."
Honenuki spoke up without opening his eyes. "Pretty sure Kamui Woods is fine. Just bruised ego and some broken ribs. Not exactly 'destroyed.'"
"Still counts as getting wrecked," Tetsutetsu argued.
I tuned them out and kept reading. The articles didn't have much detail. Just the basics. Theft of prototype equipment, estimated value fifty million yen, villain still at large, investigation ongoing.
I checked my messages. Nothing from my father. That was normal. He never contacted me during school hours unless it was important.
Momo had sent me a good morning text. Also normal.
"Yo, Hayashi."
I looked up. Awase was standing by my desk. The welding quirk guy.
"Yeah?"
"You're the Starbuster kid, right? Your dad's company?"
My jaw tightened slightly. "Yeah."
"That sucks, man. The warehouse that got hit, that was one of yours, wasn't it?"
The whole class was listening now. Great.
"I don't know the details," I said carefully.
"Must be weird, seeing your family's stuff getting targeted by villains," Awase continued. He didn't seem malicious about it. Just making conversation. "My uncle works in construction. Had his equipment stolen a few times. Really messed with his business."
"It happens."
"Still sucks though."
I didn't respond. Just went back to my phone.
The classroom door slid open. Vlad King walked in, looking even more tired than usual.
"Settle down," he said, dropping a stack of papers on his desk.
Everyone scrambled to their seats. The noise died instantly.
Vlad King crossed his arms and looked at us. His eyes landed on me for a second longer than everyone else.
I stared back at Vlad King. The teachers probably got briefed on any incidents involving students' families. And he would've gotten informed regardless, Kamui Woods got 'destroyed' as per what the reports say.
"Before we start homeroom," Vlad King began, "I'm sure most of you saw the news this morning. Villain activity in Kamino Ward. Theft of hero support equipment." His eyes swept across the classroom. "This is a reminder that the work we do here isn't theoretical. Villains are active. They're organized. And they don't care about the rules."
Tetsutetsu's hand shot up immediately.
"What?"
"Are we going to learn how to fight villains like that? The guy who took down Kamui Woods?"
"Eventually." Vlad King's tone was flat. "But you're not ready for that level of combat yet. Most of you would get destroyed in under five seconds against a villain of that caliber." He took a slight glance at me. What is that supposed to mean?
The class fell silent. Reality check delivered.
"Your training will escalate gradually. We don't throw first-years into the deep end and hope they swim." He grabbed the stack of papers from his desk. "Today, you're doing something different. Foundational Hero Studies with All Might."
The energy in the room shifted instantly. Excited whispers.
"Settle down," Vlad King snapped. "He's not here to sign autographs. He's here to teach you the basics of heroic combat. You'll be doing battle training."
Kendo raised her hand. "Battle training already? We only just started."
"This isn't a normal school. You knew that when you applied." Vlad King started passing out papers. "These are consent forms. Read them. Sign them. Return them by the end of the day. Your parents need to be aware that hero training involves risk of injury."
I took the form when it reached me. Standard liability waiver. Acknowledgment of potential harm during training exercises. My father's secretary would handle it.
"Your hero costumes arrived this morning," Vlad King continued. "The support department finished them ahead of schedule. You'll wear them for battle training this afternoon."
That got everyone excited again. Even I felt something—not excitement, but curiosity. I'd submitted my design specifications months ago. Wondered how close they got to what I requested.
"Classes proceed as normal until lunch. After that, report to Training Ground Beta. Don't be late." Vlad King sat down at his desk. "Now get out. You have English with Present Mic in five minutes."
--------------------------------
LUNCH - CAFETERIA
I grabbed my tray—grilled fish, rice, miso soup—and looked for somewhere to sit.
"Kazuki!"
Momo waved from a table near the windows. She wasn't alone. Three other girls sat with her.
I could pretend I didn't hear her, but she knew I did. And ignoring her would just lead to questions later.
I walked over. Tetsutetsu followed, because of course he did.
"Hi," I said, setting my tray down.
"Everyone, this is Kazuki Hayashi from Class 1-B," Momo said to the other girls. "Kazuki, this is Ochako Uraraka, Tsuyu Asui, and Mina Ashido. They're in my class."
"Nice to meet you!" The pink-skinned girl—Ashido—was grinning. "Momo's told us about you!"
"Has she." I sat down without making eye contact.
"She said you're super talented!" Uraraka added. She had a friendly face. Round cheeks. "Your quirk is wind manipulation, right?"
"Yes."
Asui—the frog girl—tilted her head. "That must be useful for mobility. Call me Tsu, by the way."
"Alright, Tsu," I said, giving her a slight smile.
Tetsutetsu dropped into the seat next to me with enough force to rattle the table. "Yo! I'm Tetsutetsu! Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!"
Ashido's eyes widened. "Wait, your first and last name are the same?"
"YEAH! Pretty cool, right?"
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I ignored it.
It buzzed again. And again.
Tetsutetsu was now enthusiastically describing his entrance exam performance to Ashido, complete with sound effects. He seems to have some success in not completely bugging her off. Uraraka and Tsu were discussing their own hero costumes. Momo was still watching me.
I pulled out my phone under the table.
Three messages. All from my father's secretary.
Secretary: Your father wanted me to inform you that the internal investigation into the theft yesterday begins today. Security protocols are being updated.
Secretary: Also, the consent forms from U.A. arrived. I've filed them appropriately.
Secretary: He asked if you needed anything. I told him you'd reach out if you did.
I pocketed the phone.
"Everything okay?" Momo asked quietly, her voice almost lost under Tetsutetsu's storytelling.
"Fine. Just school paperwork."
"You sure? You looked tense for a second."
"I always look tense."
She nodded and turned back to the others. Ashido was now interrogating Tetsutetsu about his steel quirk, asking if he could turn partially metallic or if it was all-or-nothing.
When the lunch period ended, we all stood to clear our trays.
"It was nice meeting you, Hayashi!" Uraraka said, waving as the 1-A girls headed toward their wing.
"Likewise."
Momo lingered around for a moment. "See you later?"
I mentally winced. "Probably."
Tetsutetsu walked beside me as we headed back to our classroom. "Those girls seem cool! Especially Ashido..."
"She is."
"Do you think—"
Is he about to try to get me to wingman for him?
"No."
"I didn't even finish!"
"Whatever you were about to ask, the answer is no."
Tetsutetsu deflated slightly. "You don't know that! I was gonna ask if you think All Might will let us pick our own matchups!"
"...Oh."
--------------------------------
TRAINING GROUND BETA - BATTLE TRAINING
The locker room was a mess. Everyone was excitedly opening their costume cases, examining the designs, and comparing features. They were livid.
I found my case in the back corner. Opened it.
The costume was exactly what I'd requested. Mostly black and dark gray, designed for aerodynamics. Lightweight but reinforced at key points. No cape, obviously.
I didn't take the suit created by Starbuster. It was, quite frankly, way too good for a student. So, I opted for the support department.
The support tech mentioned at dinner a few days ago wasn't ready, and I said yes to testing them with the family around, but... I don't have plans on using them. I'm not going to be a testing ground for tech.
I changed quickly. The costume fit perfectly. The gloves were responsive, registering even slight movements. The support course was capable indeed.
Tetsutetsu emerged from the changing area in full steel mode, his costume designed to complement his quirk.
"Dude, you look like a ninja! BAHAHAHAH!" he said, pointing at me.
...
"That wasn't the intention."
"Well, you do. It's cool though!"
We gathered outside at Training Ground Beta.
All Might was already there, standing at the entrance in his hero costume, arms crossed, signature smile in place.
"GOOD AFTERNOON, YOUNG HEROES!" he greeted, flashing a wide smile, showing out his pearly white teeth. I don't know how it's white enough to sparkle.
"Are you ready?!"