Viridescent

Chapter Sixteen: False Tranquility

"...here to fill you in on a report regarding the injury of the well-known hero Ingenium earlier today," said the reporter on TV. "This is the first information we've had of Ingenium since the event. Ingenium is a rising star in the hero community, noted for being one of the brightest and most talented of his generation with a shining career and much to look forward to. However, after the events of today, the continuation of his career is being brought into question."

"It is reported that Ingenium was brutally attacked by a villain in Hosu City and critically wounded. He underwent two separate surgeries to address severe lacerations and a spinal injury. As of now, we are told that he has been stabilized, but there is no telling if his injuries will prevent him from continuing his hero career at the current time."

"The villain in question who attack Ingenium escaped before officials arrived on the scene, but it is highly suspected that the attacker was the so-called "Hero Killer" Stain. Stain has been active in several cities and has continued to escape capture over the past several months. He is responsible for the deaths of seventeen heroes and the critical injuries of twenty-three more with his latest attack on Ingenium."

"Although efforts to find and capture Stain have risen drastically with the level of damage he's caused to the hero community, the attack on Ingenium prompted an immediate response from the Number Two Hero Endeavor, who made a statement that he was asked to join the investigation and that the issue with Stain would be resolved shortly. Although Endeavor's inclusion does little to help those families who already lost loved ones to this villain's rampage, the hope exists that his participation in the investigation might stop these attacks once and for all."

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at the television, sinking further into the couch as he jostled the remote in his hands. "Hero Killer Stain? That's the guy who got Sonic's older brother?"

He was actually kind of amazed this ridiculous stream of violence had gone on as long as it had. Sure, Ingenium was the first "high profile" hero Stain had attacked, but the guy had murdered and crippled forty separate heroes. Like...really? Endeavor was asked to join the investigation now? After forty, FORTY heroes had been attacked?

For fuck's sake, Katsuki rolled his eyes. The idiocy was appalling.

"Thank you Mandy," said another reporter as they transitioned back to the main news stream. "In other news, all eyes were on the U.A Sports Festival today as the First Years made their premier debut to the world, but the world got quite a surprise. Amongst U.A's new golden eggs was a boy that, while seemingly talented and brilliant at first, revealed a Quirk that has many people reeling in shock."

An image was brought up and Katsuki scowled.

Of course it was Izuku, and of course it was a photo that completely gave the wrong impression. The photo was from the moment he'd taken Shoto's fire and was more or less surrounded by that huge inferno, at such an angle and distance that you couldn't see his face, but could see his eyes reflecting the fire's light with an eerie, green glow. With nothing else of his body to see besides a slight shadow and the fire, it looked like some kind of demon was glaring Shoto down.

How in the seven fucks did these reporters manage to take just the right kind of photo to make it look like Izuku was ready to murder someone when he'd been losing his fucking mind in terror at that precise moment?

"What began as a mere suspicion has turned into a social media frenzy over the course of just a few hours," the reporter went on. "The student in question, Izuku Midoriya, seems to possess a Quirk similar or identical to the Quirk by the notorious villain Heat Viper. The revelation of his Quirk even prompted a security check at Viper's current prison to ensure he hadn't escaped somehow. Now, this could be a coincidence, but we would much rather get some facts first, so we asked a Quirk specialist with thirty years experience to join us today. What can you tell us from these images and the video evidence?"