The Cat and Mouse Game is ON! (Brotherhood)

POV Mirai Sasaki

For a long time, I believed that it was impossible to change the future... In fact, any future that I saw through my quirk could not be changed. That was an absolute rule.

How wrong I was...

I remember spending much of the night reading some files related to Kai Chisaki and his alleged illegal operations... Operations of which no concrete evidence has been found. I remember yawning and possibly falling asleep without realizing it due to overwork.

However, something happened…

Something happened while I was sleeping...

Without any explanation... My quirk had been activated involuntarily... Causing me an unbearable headache and a strong burning in my right eye.

At that precise moment, when my eyes abruptly opened...

The future…

…Changed.

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☆ Chapter 10: The Cat and Mouse Game is ON! ☆

"AHHH!" I exclaimed in pain, trying in vain to stop my quirk as the pupil of my right eye continued to spin uncontrollably before a small line of blood gushed from my right eye.

Numerous images flashed through my head at an alarming speed… So much destruction… So much chaos… So much despair… Somehow, the future had changed.

..And this new future was indeed... Very scary.

It took me almost a minute to force my quirk to stop and regain my composure. The headache still persists but the intensity has gradually decreased, my breathing is erratic, and the vision in my right eye has become blurry at best.

However, that doesn't stop me from scanning the surroundings of my office with my eyes, instantly noticing several things out of place.

* All lights are off as are any electrical devices connected to an outlet. There is no doubt, the electricity has been interrupted but that does not explain why the emergency generators did not turn on. Luckily, my office is lightly lit by the moonlight filtering through the windows.

* By the way, the windows in my office are open... I remember the windows were closed before I fell asleep.

* On top of my desk is a strange syringe with some blue liquid still inside... I have no doubt, the syringe contained Trigger, or at least an altered version of that drug. That could certainly explain the forced activation of my quirk and subsequent loss of control.

Given this, I quickly come to a deduction… Someone cut off the electricity, disabling the cameras and the security system. Then that person infiltrated my office through the window while I was asleep and infected me with a strange variation of Trigger. Finally, the perpetrator fled while the drug took effect on me.

However, I am concerned about the obvious inconsistencies… Why were the emergency generators not activated? Centipede and Bubble Girl should have realized something was wrong. Furthermore, I am a professional hero with many years of experience… I should have been the first to react and set off the alarms… But for some reason, I was still sleeping.

"Unless…" I mutter thoughtfully, standing up cautiously before discovering some footprints on the ground next to me. Small footprints, possibly belonging to a small child's shoes… Small footprints stained with what appears to be blood…

As expected, I quickly followed the origin of the small footprints to the center of my dark office... Where I could make out something extremely disturbing through the darkness.

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Bubble Girl lay completely still on the ground covered in blood while the handle of a knife protruded from her chest… 

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Shock became evident on my face as I took a couple of steps back in complete disbelief… Quickly a sinking and despairing feeling spread throughout my body as I tried to gather my thoughts.

This doesn't make sense... None of this makes sense!

I clench my fists and teeth tightly due to my incompetence before gathering enough courage and checking Bubble Girl's pulse.

At that precise moment, all the lights turned on in unison before a robotic but childish voice resounded loudly through the speakers of my entire hero agency.

📢 "A corpse has been found! Everyone go to Sir Nighteye's office!"

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~

~

What the hell?

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Then the sound of heavy breathing reached my ears.

"A corpse?!" Bubble Girl exclaimed in complete confusion after opening her eyes abruptly and taking a deep breath. "Wait a second… Why am I covered in ketchup?"

📢 "That was a joke! Nishishi!" The childish voice taunts us through the speakers as if this is all some kind of twisted game. "By the way, this recording will self-destruct in… NOW!"

Immediately afterward, some smoke seeped through the speakers before a series of short circuits rendered them unusable.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding... Focusing my attention on Bubble Girl's visibly confused face. Now that the lights are on, it becomes more than evident that the stains on the floor were not blood and the alleged knife was nothing more than a toy.

Not long after, the few heroes and employees who worked at my agency at the time gathered in my office… All of them visibly disoriented as Bubble Girl recounts the last thing she remembers.

"…Suddenly everyone started to fall asleep, so I immediately headed to Sir Nighteye's office to check if he was okay… But I found him fast asleep." She explains, wiping away the ketchup stains covering her chest.

Given this, I cross my arms and decide to intervene. "Apparently some kind of sleeping gas was released through the ventilation ducts… Affecting all of us except for you." I murmur thoughtfully, briefly glancing at the transparent mask covering her face. "The air purifier implemented in your mask contributed to it."

Bubble Girl quickly nods her head before her eyes shine slightly as if she is remembering something important. "My memories are still a little blurry, but I remember seeing a little boy with a gas mask covering his face snooping around the office."

Was the intruder a small child? This is worrying... Although the strange voice in the speakers a few moments ago and the small shoe prints on the floor could confirm that.

If so, the twisted visions of the future are somehow related to that child... This is very serious, I must find him and get answers before it is too late.

"Before I could do anything about it, all the lights went out and something started crawling under my clothes, making me laugh uncontrollably until I fell limply to the ground. The last thing I remember was the sound of small footsteps approaching me before I lost consciousness."

"When I woke up, I was covered in ketchup and…" She pauses, fiddling nervously with her fingers before blushing and looking away from me. "I realized that…"

 "…My panties were missing." 

"…"

"…"

"…"

Bubble Girl's face burned with embarrassment while all of us present kept a brief but awkward silence after hearing her weak words.

This night couldn't get any stranger...

Then, as if it were a sign of fate, the ringing of my phone interrupted the tense atmosphere.

…How wrong I was.

The call came from none other than Detective Tsukauchi.

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POV Isamu

In a secret location.

"I'm really curious to know what you saw through your Quirk, Sir Nighteye… Was it cool? Bored? Fun? Unpredictable?" I hum excitedly in front of a huge screen, watching with interest the images from the small spy camera that I implanted in Sir Nighteye's office.

I still remember the images of the moment he abruptly woke up... The expression of horror, helplessness, and despair on his face was enough to give me an idea of what he possibly saw through his quirk.

There is no doubt... The future will be amazing!

Through the huge screen, I can observe in detail Sir Nighteye's completely serious face while he now holds his phone tightly to his ear... Receiving a brief report from my favorite detective about the current situation.

"Come on Sir Nighteye! Join the hunting party and keep me entertained!"

I cheer with great enthusiasm, swinging Bubble Girl's panties in the air before realizing what I'm doing... Why the hell did I steal her panties in the first place?

At this, I lightly bite my lips remembering that peculiar situation... Bubble Girl was lying on the ground completely unconscious and defenseless... I couldn't resist the temptation. So I gave in to my instincts and did what any boy my age would do in that situation...

Stealing her panties and then drenching her in ketchup! Hah!

Watching Bubble Girl's completely embarrassed face when she realized that her panties had disappeared was certainly gratifying and fun. "Very well, I have decided!" I exclaimed with a small mischievous smile on my face.

"These panties will go straight to my trophy room… And they probably won't be the only ones… Hehe."

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"But first… Let's fan the flames of chaos a little."

I hummed happily, cracking my fingers before starting to type rapidly on my computer…

#MischiefNight

Not long after, a controversial image was posted anonymously on the internet... Instantly causing shock and going viral in just a few minutes.

The image shows a pair of small hands proudly holding a black panty while in the background Bubble Girl lies sprawled on the floor, apparently asleep and covered in ketchup with an exhausted and suspicious smile on her face...

As expected... The internet did its thing and everything was misinterpreted.

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POV Third person.

Shortly after dawn, the first reports reached the police station... Reports of a huge explosion lighting up the skies right where a complex presumably belonging to the Yakuza was located. Reports of a massive blackout in all areas surrounding the explosion along with a total communications blockade.

That was enough to set off all of Naomasa Tsukauchi's alarms… He knew that pattern of events more than anyone.

However, the first reports that reached the police station did so with a significant delay... Which caused the heroes and the police forces to arrive too late at the scene.

What they found in the devastated Shie Hassaikai facility was certainly disturbing and disconcerting.

There was a huge crater in the middle of where the main garden was previously located. Surrounding cars were destroyed, overturned or engulfed in flames while the entire area was covered in debris, bullet casings, and obvious blood stains.

The detective knew, without a doubt, that a fierce battle with deadly results had taken place there. However, there were no signs of those involved anywhere... Nor were any bodies found.

Not long after, access to the network of tunnels and underground facilities was found... But the situation inside was not much different from that on the surface. The hallways were dark and ominous while the walls were filled with claw marks and blood splatters.

Not to mention the discovery of a couple of cryptic and sinister messages written on the walls in none other than ketchup...

***The chamber of chaos has been opened. Enemies of Hydra... Beware! ***

***The world will soon belong to us! ***

The situation for Detective Tsukauchi was, at best, frustrating and delicate. Taking into account that shortly after he had to deal with the strange situation that occurred at Sir Nighteye's hero agency along with the problematic image that went viral on the internet...

An image that was easily misinterpreted and caused many problems.

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Shortly after, outside Sir Nighteye's hero agency.

"Pervert!"

"Can anyone think of the children who have seen that image? They consider that funny and worthy of respect... That is very wrong!"

"You're supposed to be a hero! We want a credible explanation!"

"I want to cover you in ketchup too, Bubble Girl!"

"Won't somebody please think of the children?!"

"Are you recording? Okay... We find ourselves outside Sir Nighteye's hero agency where a crowd of people has gathered to demand an official explanation after the controversial viral photo on social media. So far, Sir Nighteye's agency has refused to give an official statement... Keep tuning into Cognito TV and find out the hottest news of the moment!"

Inside the hero agency, Bubble Girl turns off the TV. "That little shit…" She mutters, visibly angry and embarrassed as the screams of a small crowd continue to echo outside. "When I put my hands on him I'm going to…"

"You're going to what?" Centipede quickly intervenes. "From now on you must be more careful with what you say… Even though all this is just a misunderstanding, public opinion does not favor us." He mutters thoughtfully before huffing. "I'm afraid this is just what the person responsible for this whole mess wanted."

At this, Bubble Girl lowers her head in resignation. "I hope Sir Nighteye is well." She whispered, still remembering Sir Nighteye's completely serious expression as he hurriedly left the hero agency after the detective's brief call.

However, her memories were abruptly interrupted after a ketchup bottle crashed through a window not far from her. "Do you like ketchup?! Here's more ketchup, you degenerate fetishist!" The angry shout of a person outside caused Bubble Girl to flinch.

"I'm not a degenerate… I would never dare to… That brat has made everyone believe that he and I…" She grits her teeth in frustration as her face takes on a red tint in a mix of anger and shame.

"Keep calm, Bubble Girl." Centipede murmured in a soft tone, trying to calm her down even a little. "After all, I highly doubt that this situation could get even worse…"

Just after saying those unfortunate words, a series of loud knocks on the front door caught their attention…

"Commission of heroes! Open The Door!"

Then the door was smashed down.

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Meanwhile at the police station.

"I really need a long vacation." Detective Tsukauchi mutters thoughtfully, stepping inside his office before huffing and quickly swallowing another aspirin for his growing headache. "What do you think about this whole disaster?" He asks seriously, focusing his attention on the person next to him.

At this, Sir Nighteye simply stared at the detective for a few seconds with an unreadable expression before finally breaking the tense silence.

"First, a brat sneaks into my hero agency and drugs me with an unknown version of Trigger, causing the involuntary activation of my quirk and forcing me to take a peek into a dark future."

"Second, I almost suffered a mental breakdown after thinking that Bubble Girl had been brutally murdered in my office… But that turned out to be just a sick joke on the part of the little psychopath."

"Third, I learned that the Shie Hassaikai facilities were attacked by an unknown force. As a result, all of them, including Overhaul, disappeared from the map… And from what I have seen recently in that devastated place, the chances of them still being alive are very low."

He whispered in a deadly serious tone, reconsidering every possible scenario as a distant look spread across his face. "And last but not least, the press's attention seems to be more focused on discrediting my hero agency due to the controversial Bubble Girl photo."

"What exactly am I supposed to think?" He murmurs with a hint of irony, still taking in the chaotic chain of events that occurred in a single night. "Not to mention that somehow, each and every one of those events is related to that child."

The detective nods his head slightly, reluctantly accustomed to the chaotic and strange situations caused by Isamu. "At the moment we know that the child identifies himself using the acronym C.E. However, the meaning of those acronyms remains a mystery to us, as does his quirk, but based on everything that has happened to date, we theorize that it could be a powerful intelligence quirk."

The detective explains calmly as he massages his chin thoughtfully. "In addition, recent evidence suggests that he is part of this mysterious criminal organization called…"

"Hydra." Sir Nighteye intervened with a completely serious expression on his face before clenching his fists tightly, remembering the disturbing visions of the future. "We must stop them…"

"And this is where I come in!" Nezu's voice echoed in the distance, causing Detective Tsukauchi and Sir Nighteye to direct their gazes toward the door moments before Eraser Head entered the office with a tired and displeased expression.

"Eraser Head? What are you doing here? You were supposed to be with Hawks gathering clues." The detective couldn't help but ask with a raised eyebrow. He and Eraser Head know that it is essential to the investigation to keep Hawks under careful surveillance in order to prevent information from being leaked to the Hero Commission about C.E.

"Don't worry about Hawks… I'm sure he won't be able to do anything problematic under Tamakawa's sharp cat-like gaze." Eraser Head replied monotonously.

It's no secret to them that the hero commission also has their eyes on Isamu, after all, a little boy using his powerful intelligence quirk to unleash chaos doesn't go unnoticed for long. The Hero Commission has no plans to spare any expense to wrap its bureaucratic claws around a little boy... Even if they must employ less-than-questionable methods to achieve it.

"Ahoo!" Hawks sneezes loudly as he and police officer Sansa Tamakawa investigate the Shie Hassaikai's devastated underground facilities.

"I think we should go back to the surface." Tamakawa murmured seriously, keeping his eyes trained on Hawks' back.

"But there are still many clues waiting to be found!" Hawks whines childishly before placing his hands behind his head nonchalantly and smiling slyly. "Unless you want to take the initiative and return to the surface before me." He hummed happily, displaying an evident relaxed attitude as he continued to advance through a devastated and mysterious hallway.

However, it wasn't long before something in the distance caught Hawks' attention, causing his relaxed attitude to disappear completely.

Right in front of him, there was a small Endeavor doll very similar to the one Hawks once used when he was just a child... A small doll abandoned inside a bird cage.

Hawks couldn't help but imagine himself inside that birdcage...

Hawks also couldn't help but remember a child...

A scared little boy named Keigo Takami…

"Hawks, what's going on? Did you discover something?"

"It's nothing…"

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Meanwhile, in Detective Tsukauchi's office.

"…Besides, it's not like I'm here of my own free will." Eraser Head muttered under his breath, taking out a small electronic device very similar to a cell phone from his pocket before holding it in front of him, which caught the attention of Sir Nighteye and the detective.

The screen of the peculiar device shows a static image with a characteristic letter in the middle… It was none other than the letter N. "It's me! Nezu!" Nezu's cheerful voice resonated through the device.

"I would like to be present and share my discoveries with all of you, but due to certain unforeseen circumstances, that will have to wait a bit…" Nezu hums through the device before pausing briefly. "I'm afraid our little mystery at hand has just become much more challenging and intriguing."

At this, Sir Nighteye turns around with a thoughtful expression as numerous thoughts flood his head. "Nezu… Can we at least know what those unforeseen circumstances are? Is that related to the investigation?" Sir Nighteye asks carefully, watching the sunrise through a huge window.

"Of course! Right now I am playing an exciting online chess match against a cunning opponent… Interestingly, my opponent's name is none other than… Child Emperor." Nezu laughs lightly as his words are absorbed by everyone present.

Immediately afterward, Detective Tsukauchi's eyes widen in contemplation. "Wait a second… Child Emperor… C.E… It can't be a coincidence." The detective murmured, massaging his chin thoughtfully as the pieces of the enormous puzzle slowly took shape.

"Nezu, what have you discovered?" Eraser Head asked with interest before a tense silence spread among everyone present. All of them were waiting for Nezu's response.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Nezu?"

"He is dangerous… Very dangerous."

Nezu responded with a completely serious tone, causing everyone present to flinch slightly before loud static interrupted the communication.

Detective Tsukauchi, Sir Nighteye, and Eraser Head... They all remained silent, trapped in their thoughts and reconsidering all possible options as the first rays of the sun descended on the city.

"We are not prepared for what is to come…" Sir Nighteye whispered.

Meanwhile inside an interrogation room belonging to the Heroes Commission. "I demand my right to a call! This is all nothing more than a misunderstanding caused by that shameless brat!" Bubble Girl exclaimed completely angry and indignant. "I am the victim here!"

"Good heroes always follow orders…" Hawks murmured, flying quickly over the city's skies in an attempt to clear his mind after abruptly leaving the devastated Shie Hassaikai facility. "Good heroes… always… follow orders…"

"It's been a while since I've had this much fun in a game of chess…" Nezu hummed, focusing his calculating gaze on the screen in front of him, ignoring the hundreds of files that lay piled on his desk.

Files whose content is none other than the quirk record of numerous children born in Japan in recent years... Specifically, those children with some kind of intelligence quirk, no matter how small.

Therefore, unbeknownst to Isamu, his name now appears on a long list of suspects…

"Come on… Little rat… Come closer." Isamu whispered defiantly, focusing all of his attention on the huge screen in front of him as he enjoyed a delicious lollipop.

Both Nezu and Isamu carefully evaluate their opponent's move as pawns were sacrificed one after another in a fierce battle of wits... A battle that takes place on a simple virtual chess board.

Neither of them can really see their opponent... But they know without a doubt that on the other side of the screen lies a real challenge.

"I don't plan to lose."

They declared in unison as their eyes flashed dangerously.

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To Be Continued...

☢️☢️☢️ (Chapter 11 Will be rewritten soon!) ☢️☢️☢️