Detective Midoriya

Chapter 31

They left without further issue, and that night Izuku was able to catch up on the sleep he'd missed the night before. The foreboding feeling he'd had the last few days had finally dissipated and he could breathe easily again.

He kept to his routine the next morning, rising and training early, regardless of the taunting and jeering of the other Shie Hassaikai members. It was partway through his workout that Overhaul appeared, calling for him.

Izuku abruptly set his dumbbells down, careless of wherever Mimic happened to be standing. "Yes, sir?"

"Come with me," Overhaul said, gesturing him forward. "I've got a new assignment for you."

Wordlessly following Overhaul, Izuku's mind raced with possibilities. A part of him was convinced that they were on to him and leading him to his execution.

"It's a shame that the League of Villains is so closed-minded, but one day that may change. For now, I need to deal with you." Overhaul paused, just long enough for Izuku's blood pressure to spike exponentially. "Our failure to forge a partnership with the League does not change the fact that you have behaved admirably and proven yourself on multiple accounts, Deku. Because of that, I wanted to tell you a little about the goals you're fighting for now."

In that moment it took all of his training not to break character. Eyes slightly wider than usual, Izuku followed behind. After being here for such a short time, Overhaul was just going to give him the answers he was looking for?

Overhaul led him into the previously forbidden part of the compound, the part he'd been warned not to visit on pain of death. As they got further from listening ears, Overhaul said, "When I first met you, I sensed a kindred spirit. I don't believe in fate, but I knew you would be instrumental in bringing my plans into action."

"Your plans, sir?"

"To rid the world of this disease we call quirks."

Izuku was rendered completely speechless as Overhaul began to explain his plan, a plan that was already in the opening stages. Chisaki had explained about the drugs they were working to manufacture, both to cancel and enhance quirks. Izuku didn't - couldn't respond to the fact that some of these drugs were already in circulation.

His lab was exactly what you would expect of a mad scientist's laboratory, dark but spotlessly clean. Izuku listened in horror as Chisaki bragged about their creation that permanently took away quirks. It was a new creation and they only had five bullets thus far. Apparently, these were significantly more difficult to produce.

Izuku knew his mind should have been racing with the existence and possible application of these drugs, but he was just stunned, completely and utterly stunned.

"You, though, you've been my inspiration as of late," Overhaul continued, setting down one of the bullets that took away quirks permanently. "You're proof that the quirkless are greater than this disease. You've given me a glimpse of what we're fighting for. Because of that, I'm assigning you to keep watch over the key to our success."

He numbly followed Overhaul to a different room, only subconsciously observing the route. Chisaki pushed the door open, revealing a small form huddled on a bed.

It was a child. She couldn't have been much older than Kota or Kirimi, but she cowered as the door opened, fear evident in her scarlet eyes. Now Izuku's brain really short-circuited. It would be later that he realized that her arms and legs were wrapped in bandages, and her entire presence emanated neglect.

The sight of her like this made Izuku more furious than anything ever had before.

"Her name is Eri," Overhaul said easily, "not that that's important. She's attempted to run away a few times, and a failure to stop her has left her previous caretaker... indisposed."