Ren looked at Midnight, who still had her arms crossed over her chest, trying to maintain some dignity. The torn fabric of her suit hung uselessly, exposing more than it covered.
"Wait," Ren said, opening his backpack. He pulled out his U.A. uniform jacket, perfectly folded. "Here, use this."
Midnight took the garment with a grateful nod. "Thanks."
She tried to put it on, but the moment she slid her arms through the sleeves and tried to close it, the problem became obvious. Her bust was simply too voluminous for the jacket to close properly. The fabric strained over her torso, leaving a generous gap in the middle that exposed the valley between her breasts and the pale curves that were still slightly visible.
This isn't working, Ren thought, watching Midnight struggle with the garment that refused to go up past the halfway point.
"Let me help you," Ren said, stepping closer.
He grabbed the edges of the jacket and tried to pull them together, but even with effort, there was a gap of at least eight centimeters. One of her breasts threatened to spill out completely from the left side. Ren extended his index finger, placing it directly on the exposed area, and pushed it back inside the jacket without a trace of embarrassment.
"You're very direct," Midnight commented, watching how Ren arranged her breasts as if he were organizing books on a shelf.
"It's easier than pretending I'm not touching you," Ren replied, lifting the fabric slightly to adjust it better. "We both know what's happening here."
"I guess you're right," Midnight sighed. "Though most boys your age would be having a nervous breakdown right now."
"I don't see the point in making this more awkward than it needs to be," Ren stepped back to evaluate the result.
The jacket still didn't close well, but at least now both breasts were sheltered, though the fabric strained dangerously with every breath the heroine took.
This looks more erotic than if she were topless, Ren reflected.
The sound of sirens cut through his thoughts. Red and blue lights illuminated the street as police patrols and an ambulance arrived at the scene. Officers jumped out with guns drawn, scanning the area before focusing on the fallen metallic villain.
"Lower your weapons," Midnight ordered in an authoritative voice, showing her hero license. "Pro Hero Midnight. The situation is under control."
The officer lowered his weapon immediately upon recognizing her. "Midnight-san, we received reports of an explosion and an individual with a Quirk causing massive destruction."
"That would be him," Midnight pointed toward the unconscious villain on the ground. "He's alive but incapacitated. He used some kind of enhancement drug during the fight."
"Drugs?" The officer took out his radio. "I'm going to need the detectives to come to the scene."
"They're already on their way," Midnight replied. "This is more serious than it looks."
The paramedics rushed over with a stretcher to examine the suspect. One of them let out a low whistle when he saw the hole in the man's face.
"What the hell did this?" the paramedic asked, looking at the gruesome wound where half of the villain's face should've been.
"Concentrated sedative agent delivered via a telekinetic drill," Ren explained naturally. "It was the easiest way to penetrate his enhanced defenses."
The paramedic stared at him. "Are you a student?"
"First year at U.A.," Ren confirmed.
"Geez," the man muttered, returning to his work. "Kids these days are terrifying."
Nejire landed next to Ren. "Do you think he'll be okay?"
"He'll survive," Ren said. "Though he'll probably wake up with the worst headache of his life."
"And without half of his face," Midnight added in a dry tone.
Another patrol car arrived and, this time, a familiar figure stepped out. Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi walked toward them with his usual tired expression, but he wasn't alone. A young woman followed him; her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she scanned the scene.
"I told you to wait in the car," Naomasa said without turning around.
"And I told you I wanted to see the scene," the woman replied with a smile. "When I heard two U.A. students were involved, my detective radar went off."
Naomasa sighed. "You don't have a detective radar, Makoto. You're a Quirk researcher."
"Same principle," she shot back cheerfully.
So this is Makoto Tsukauchi. I've got to be careful with her, Ren observed the exchange with interest.
Makoto's eyes widened when she spotted Midnight. Or rather, when she saw what the heroine was doing. Nemuri had positioned herself behind Ren at some point, wrapping her arms around him and using him as a shield. Her breasts, barely contained by the boy's jacket, pressed against his back. The position looked intimate and deeply suspicious.
"Nemuri-san!" Makoto exclaimed, approaching with a wide smile. "It's been forever!"
Midnight's expression changed to one of surprise. "Makoto? What are you doing in Japan? I thought you were still in the United States."
"I came for a vacation," Makoto explained, stopping a few steps away. Her eyes kept darting between Midnight's position and the way she was clinging to Ren. "But I got a job offer here, so I'm considering moving permanently."
"That's wonderful news," Midnight said. "Kazuho's going to be ecstatic when she hears you're staying."
"Actually, I already saw her," Makoto said with a radiant smile. "We had coffee earlier this week. By the way, she's doing great; she got promoted to assistant manager at the music cafe."
"I know," Midnight replied. "She mentioned it the last time we talked. She seems happy there."
"She is," Makoto confirmed. "Though she still talks about you. I think she misses those days."
Well, I don't remember the whole MHA Vigilantes plot, but... Ren observed, it seems like they know each other well.
"How is she really?" Midnight asked, her voice taking on a softer tone. "I know the cafe is going well for her, but after everything that happened..."
"She's healing," Makoto lowered her voice a bit. "She still has hard days, especially when she sees news about vigilantes or when someone mentions the past. But she's finding her way."
"I'm glad to hear it," Midnight slightly tightened her grip on Ren. "I always worried about her."
"I know," Makoto said gently. "She knows it too. In fact, she mentioned you should go visit her soon. She said it's been way too long since you've seen each other in person."
"She's right," Midnight admitted. "I've been putting it off."
"I should organize something," Makoto suggested. "A get together, maybe. You, me, Kazuho... we could catch up properly."
"I'd like that," Midnight replied with a smile.
Naomasa cleared his throat loudly. "Ladies, if you're done catching up, we have an investigation to conduct."
His eyes lingered on Midnight and Ren, specifically how she was pressed against the student's back. Midnight was known for being outgoing and her hero persona was deliberately provocative, but Naomasa had worked with her enough times to know she wasn't usually this physically affectionate with men. Especially not with students.
Something happened here, Naomasa thought. And I'm not sure I want to know what.
Midnight noticed his scrutiny but didn't move. There was no way she was going to explain that she was currently topless under Ren's jacket and using him as a convenient shield because the garment made her look more erotic than if she were naked.
"Detective Tsukauchi," Midnight said in a serious voice, losing all the warmth of the reunion. "The drug Trigger is back."
The shift in the atmosphere was immediate. Makoto stopped writing in her notebook; her pen froze in mid air. Her eyes widened.
"What?"
"That's impossible," Naomasa stated flatly. "We dismantled the entire network. The main producers and distributors are under arrest. We haven't had a single case in several years."
"I'm telling you what I saw," Midnight insisted. "I was heading to my patrol area when I heard the explosion. We arrived and that guy was tearing the store apart. We attacked him and then he pulled out a syringe."
"A syringe?" Makoto stepped closer, moving from shock to investigation mode. "Did you see the contents?"
"White liquid," Midnight replied. "The idiot chewed the glass and swallowed it because his skin was already too tough to inject."
"Damn it," Naomasa muttered, running a hand over his face.
"Are you absolutely sure it was Trigger?" Makoto asked urgently. "Because if it is, this is much bigger than just a single isolated incident."
"I recognize the symptoms, Makoto," Midnight said firmly. "I saw it too many times in Naruhata. The explosive power boost, the loss of control... everything matches."
"Wait a second!" Nejire interrupted, raising her hand like she was in class. "What's the Trigger drug?"
Naomasa opened his mouth to answer, but Makoto was faster.
"It's a Quirk enhancement drug," Makoto explained. "It dramatically increases a Quirk's potency for a short period, but it has devastating side effects: aggressive behavior changes, loss of rational control, and in many cases... self destruction."
"Naruhata almost fell because of that drug," Midnight added. "Civilians dying in the streets, people going crazy with their own enhanced Quirks, destroying everything in their path."
Nejire paled slightly. "And you think that's what that man used?"
"I don't think so," Midnight stated. "I know so. I saw the symptoms... If this spreads to all of Musutafu..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't need to. The silence that followed was eloquent enough.
So this is what I've gotten myself into, Ren thought. I didn't just stop some random villain. I've just confirmed that one of the most dangerous drugs in the MHA universe is back in circulation.
"But that doesn't make sense," Naomasa took out his phone and started dialing. "If it really is Trigger, it means someone restarted production. And that requires resources, contacts, infrastructure..."
"Which means it's not just some random guy cooking substances in his basement," Makoto completed. "There's a new organization behind this."
"Or worse," Midnight said. "It could be what's left of the previous organization. Not all members were captured."
"How long do you think it's been being distributed?" Nejire asked.
"Impossible to tell without more data," Makoto replied. "But if that man got Trigger, others could've too."
"There's no time to lose," Midnight interrupted. "You need to report to the Public Safety Commission right now, Naomasa. If Trigger is being distributed in Musutafu, this could turn into a crisis in a matter of days."
"I'm already on it," Naomasa pressed the phone to his ear. "Yes, this is Detective Tsukauchi. I need to be connected to the Commission's crisis department. It's urgent. We have a possible Trigger outbreak in Musutafu."
There was a pause as he listened to the response.
"No, it's not a false alarm. I have Pro Hero Midnight as a direct witness. The subject is being transported to the General Hospital right now... Yes, I already ordered blood tests... Understood."
He hung up and looked at Makoto. "Go to the hospital. I need you to confirm the Trigger markers in his system before the Commission mobilizes resources."
"I'm on it," Makoto closed her notebook. "If it's Trigger, I'll know in less than an hour."
"What do we do in the meantime?" Nejire asked.
"You're going home," Naomasa said firmly. "You're students. You've done enough for tonight."
"The subject said something," Ren spoke for the first time since the conversation turned serious. "While we were fighting, he said that they told him he'd be invincible. He sounded betrayed when he realized the drug didn't deliver on the promise."
Naomasa noted that down. "They. So there are active distributors making promises to potential users."
"Probably selling the dream of unlimited power," Makoto said with disgust. "It's the same old method. They find desperate or resentful people and offer them an easy solution."
"Which means this definitely isn't an isolated case," Midnight tightened her grip on Ren without realizing it. "If they're recruiting, there'll be more."
"Did he mention anything else?" Makoto asked, looking at Ren. "Any names, places, descriptions of who sold him the drug?"
Ren shook his head. "He was too agitated."
"Typical," Midnight muttered. "They sell them fantasies and then let them die when things go wrong."
"The Commission's going to want official statements from all of you," Naomasa pointed at Midnight, Ren, and Nejire. "Tomorrow, after school if necessary. But I need everything documented properly."
"We'll be there," Midnight confirmed.
"What's going to happen now?" Nejire asked. "With the Trigger, I mean."
"If Makoto confirms it's Trigger, the Commission will activate emergency protocols," Naomasa explained. "More patrols, increased surveillance, alerts to all pro heroes in the area."
"Basically, Musutafu is going to become a fortress," Makoto added. "At least until we find the source."
Makoto said a quick goodbye, getting into a taxi. Nejire floated closer to Ren and Midnight with a worried expression.
"This is really bad, right?"
"Yes," Midnight replied. "If Makoto confirms it's Trigger, Musutafu is about to become a war zone."
"Do you think there'll be more attacks?" Nejire asked.
"It's almost certain," Midnight said. "Trigger doesn't just make people stronger. It makes them reckless, violent, and willing to use their Quirks without thinking about the consequences."
Ren felt the gravity of the words. Trigger, he thought. The drug that almost destroyed Naruhata in the Vigilantes manga. But this isn't the canon I know. I don't know how this is going to play out.
And somehow, he'd ended up right in the middle of it all.
"You should go home, Nejire," Midnight said. "It's late and you have classes tomorrow."
"What about you?" Nejire asked.
"I'm leaving," Midnight replied. "Right now I just want to go home, take a very long shower, and pretend tonight didn't end with me topless using a student as a human shield."
Nejire understood instantly. "Okay, Midnight-sensei. See you tomorrow then, take care."
She waved goodbye and rose into the air, disappearing into the dark night. Ren and Midnight were left alone, watching as the crime scene was slowly processed.
"It could've been worse," Ren commented.
"How exactly?" Midnight asked skeptically.
"You could've ended up completely naked."
"You're still way too direct," she sighed.
******
Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing great. I know I promised to post this chapter yesterday, but some last-minute work came up and kept me busy from the afternoon straight through the night. I'm really sorry for the delay!
On the bright side, as promised, we've reached a major turning point for all of you who enjoy 'smut with plot.' I hope you liked the chapter! Fortunately, I don't have to head into work today, so I'm spending the entire day focusing on my stories. Have a great start to your week, and I'll see you later for the next update!
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