Chapter 60

The police station resembles a ruin sight, with metal, detritus, and broken wood scattered in the place that once held a prestigious building. There's a border of yellow tape keeping the civilians from wandering too far into the destruction and getting in the way of the heroes, police officers, firemen, and medics that are currently on the scene. There hadn't been that many people in the building, but most of them got injured in the grand scheme of things. I'm catching the tail end of many conversations, all that paint the events leading up to such destruction. No one had noticed Gigantomachia until it was too late. They don't understand where he could have come from. Next to that, there is also the question as to how Kurogiri had gotten out of his quirk restricting constraints to be able to use his abilities. Shigaraki had gotten out of them as well, if the recounts of the story are to be trusted.

"Funny seeing you here" I hear from behind me and turn in time to have a hand on my head in a simple gesture.

Morgan's eyes gleam in curiosity and concern as she looks at me, the bottom half of her face hidden by the grey mask that may function as a respirator.

"I heard about what happened from Midnight," she says, looking over the destruction with keen eyes. "If things had gone our way you likely would have gotten a ton of information off those guys," she says.

"We're very unlucky" I hear Midnight say as she approaches us. She dusts herself off as she walks, making a face that speaks of her displeasure with how this had gone. When she stands near me, she spares a glance around the scene, eyes seeming to scan everyone present before blue eyes land on Morgan. "It's the Vixen"

In reply, I hear Morgan scoff out a laugh "will you ever get over it?"

"No" is Midnight's blunt reply, before she looks at me. "Does this hero thing run in the family?"

"More or less," Morgan says just as I do, shrugging and everything. "Though I must ask why my baby cousin is still here"

Midnight doesn't seem very convinced by that inquiry. Apparently, Morgan should know why I'm still here.

"Shouldn't you be helping the others move things around?" Midnight asks in turn.

"The big strong men didn't want me to hurt myself" the words are quite mocking as Morgan spares a look at a group of male heroes. "They're new to the business, don't know shit yet. I'll let them break their back for a while" she says, then smiles. "They don't even know that I'm their boss. They think my agency is owned by some big-shot male hero"

Ah, that is one of the reasons Morgan keeps more to herself when it comes to the public knowing too much about her life and the things she does. It's fun to see the media fight each other for her attention in hopes of learning more about her or glimpsing more into her life.

They don't get very far.

"Sorry to interrupt"

Kuma's presence is hard to ignore and I had seen her coming some time ago. She stands with her hands on her hips and a rather lazy smile on her face as she looks around.

"Someone is lying," she says with that same smile. "Someone has to be lying"

The story is too confusing to get any useful information out of it, which makes sense since everything must have happened all at once and all of a sudden. Despite that, Kuma is convinced that someone is lying - or multiple people. She believes someone helped the villains out of their quirk canceling restrictions or at least played a hand in making this such a surprise situation.

"Someone's lying," she says again, looking at me. "Who's lying?"

I suppose the time has come for me to take the hearing aids off. It was fun while it lasted.

Taking them off is quite the experience. Once those things are out of my ear, everything comes flooding toward me like a tsunami. It takes a moment to adjust, I'm not too steady on my feet sometimes, but I've gotten used to it. Multiple emotions suddenly clash, many thoughts filter in, too much for me to properly understand what's going on.

When everything comes crashing down all at once, a headache usually follows.

Sighing, I let the emotional restriction filter out all that does not belong to me while I slowly start to distinguish the buzz of voices in my head.

"Man" I shake my head. "What a trip"

"You okay there?" Midnight asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I reassure, "just needed a moment"

Someone's hand is on my head and I don't need to look to know it's Morgan by the way she smooths out my hair.

"Can you do it?" Kuma asks me with a raised brow. "It's fine if you can't"

I'm a little offended by her lack of trust.

"I can do it" Hell, I've already started focusing on the thoughts of those here with me now.

What's to be done is to listen to every single voice that enters my head, filter out what I can feel from that thought, and keep going until I detect the guilty.

It used to be such a difficult thing for me to do, but now it comes a tad bit easier and it does not take much time.

There are many negative emotions surrounding this incident, but one sticks out, and with it, his thoughts as well. One can be very good at keeping their mouth shut, but there is little they can do about their mind.

"Found your liar" I'm quite smug when I do, I won't even pretend.

Oh wait, there's another one. Oh but this one is just drowning in guilt and fear, it's almost nauseating.

Kuma looks quite pleased when I point him out, but doesn't make a move to approach.

"There's another one" I point out, turning this way and that until I locate the next victim. "He would be easier to question. He'll give in quite quickly, I'm certain. He's drowning in guilt and fear, so it shouldn't be hard"

"And the other one?"

"Doesn't feel very guilty" I say. "He's a greedy one and self-satisfied. He's being paid off one way or another, I assume"

After some prying, I do get a bit of a picture.

"Guilty guy was responsible for the portal guy being able to use his quirk" I reveal. "Not so guilty is the only one who had been the one who kept quiet about the big guy"

"How does one not notice him?"

"Because he wasn't that big at first"

Kuma hums. That lazy smile has changed to one that's fully pleased and satisfied. When she ruffles my hair, I'm not entirely bothered by it.

"Thanks kid, you're a great help," she says with a grin, "so continue to help me"

With that, she takes me by the collar again - apparently her way of making sure I follow her - and I'm swept off towards the man dressed in clothing that made him seem like some sort of security guard.

Usually one would interrogate the one that is likely to break easily. But I suppose Kuma assumes this guy must be the instigator or must be using the other in some way for them to be feeling the way they are. I wouldn't be surprised. Next to that, it's sometimes hard to get the proper information out of someone who's in fear of quite possibly their life.

When Kuma greets the man with a very charming smile, he plasters on a smile of his own, only just briefly glancing my way.

It's interesting watching Kuma work. This seems to be the type of thing she usually does as she's quite casual with it and pokes into the holes she can find, leans into the openings, and pinpoints weaknesses. I suppose it makes sense why I was sent with her. Her hands remain pocketed the entire time and that easy smile she wears doesn't falter at all. Her eyes are sharp though, and I don't imagine it's a good feeling to have those eyes on someone.

Despite all of this, the man insists on sticking to his story. He's nervous though, I can feel it in multiple ways. The shoes that go with this costume have very thin soles as well and I have developed my Toph-based skills as the years went by. I don't usually notice such things, but when I'm looking for it or know it's there, it's hard to ignore.

So I watch him as he attempts to get Kuma to go away, all while keeping his cool. He's quite easy to access, though. Quite the weak mind for someone so insistent on telling lies. Usually, such people have stronger barriers than this man.

"Something wrong?" I hear Kuma ask, feigning concern for the man as he winces slightly.

"Yeah, just got a small headache out of nowhere," he says with a small chuckle, a very nervous one at that. "I hope I've answered all your questions, but I should probably go help everyone else"

He says that, but doesn't go anywhere, something pulls a very obvious look of confusion from him.

"You can go," I say to him, smiling in a far more amused manner than Kuma, I'm sure. It's the first time he's actually looking at me. "After you tell the truth"

He couldn't disobey if he tried - which he did. The words came flowing through his mouth as easily as those lies had and I pretend to ignore Kuma's look of surprise.

The security guard is red in the face once everything had been revealed, confused, angry, and terrified all at the same. It's not the best mix and those emotions are forced away almost as soon as I become aware of them. When he looks at me, I only smile.

"What did you do to me?" He asks, sounding very desperate.

I shrug in turn and he takes a step toward me. That's as far as he gets though.

"You should really think twice about trying to harm a minor," I say bluntly. "Hero in training or not" Though I have a feeling I could take him in a good fight. "Please don't put up a fight when people come to take you away"

There are very dangerous thoughts playing behind those emotion-filled eyes but nothing he can do to make them much of a reality. I mean, he can't move and I won't be changing that any time soon.

"Nice" I hear Kuma comment. "I guess that's what Nezu had been talking about"

Well, it makes sense they were talking about me today.

"You'd make the best interrogator, kid," She tells me. "Maybe I'll make you my protege"

"Isn't Toga your protege?"

"I can have more than one"

"That's just being greedy"

"What do you usually do?" I ask her as she easily cuffs our very compliant criminal here. "I'm not sure if you're a hero or not"

"Well, not many would think so," she says with a laugh. "Being quirkless and all"

Hmm, I figured she was one of the twenty percent. It's not hard to when I'm constantly in everyone's head. What surprises me is that Izuku hasn't figured it out yet.

"Awe, you made the others think you have a quirk" I point out.

"Well, one would consider my incredible martial skill a quirk on its own" She replies. "That's what everyone thinks my quirk is anyway. Mastery of any fighting style. I'm quite flattered really, but I'm just a really good fighter"

"Nothing but lies" Midnight appears behind me with surprisingly soft hands on my shoulder. She pulls me towards her in something of a small hug, which I don't complain about. "Kuma here is an unnaturally quick learner and can copy any move someone has performed by watching it once. She can understand how someone fights just by watching them and immediately know how to defeat them. Not to mention she's very good with weapons and even better at getting information out of people"

Kuma pretends to be bashful about the praise, but she's grinning too smugly for it to fool anyone.

"You flatter me," she says, all too pleased.

"But you should stop telling kids you have a quirk that revolves around fighting. You have them breaking their heads trying to figure it out every time" Midnight says.

"That's the whole point"

Yeah, it does sound like the whole point. Sounds fun too.

"Imagine their surprise when they learn that I'm captain powerless" she laughs this mischievious thing. "Oh the looks on their faces"

"I don't know what you lot are talking about, but don't care enough to ask" I hear Morgan say and watch her approach with a terrified officer. A young officer too, he must have started recently. It would explain why he appeared so jumpy. "Since you two took care of that guy, I went for this one. Was easy and a bit sad"

I could imagine.

"A simple threat is all it took for him to 'forget about the restraints' apparently" Morgan reveals. "If you're going to be intimidated by a simple threat, this job is not for you man"

Yeah, it isn't. He wouldn't have made it very far in his career like this, I'm sure.

Morgan forces him to his knees while he blubber, and he is powerless when metallic chains sprout from the ground to wrap around his body, holding him firmly in place.

Quite the useful ability Morgan has there. Much like myself, she has two quirks, but unlike me, it isn't so obviously a variation of her parents'. Though I do see a connection between the chains sprouting out of the ground and Israel pulling a microphone out of a wall. Perhaps their abilities are similar.

I'm a bit jealous she has some sort of self-healing quirk. Must be such a good life knowing you can recover from a stab to the stomach. Hell, she said she could recover from an injured organ.

I'm sure All Might wishes he had such an ability.

~~~~~~~~~

We spent hours at the destroyed police station today. I was quiet most of the time and simply followed after Midnight, Kuma, or Morgan if I was allowed to. I watched Morgan humiliate the men she had been working with, which was quite enjoyable. There's this look of hopelessness that dawned on their faces when they realized they had been very misogynistic and sexist to their boss that brings a smile to my face. They're new, just as Morgan had said. And young as well, so she didn't express much surprise with their attitude. Normally she wouldn't have brought them with her. Gigantomachia looked like a serious threat - which he is - and she wasn't going to bring them into such danger.

But they ignored everything she said and came anyway. She didn't try to stop them when they expressed how amazing they were and that they could handle such a threat.

From what she told me, if she wasn't around, one of them would be seriously injured right now.

Eventually, Midnight came to get me, and unlike Kuma, she holds me by my wrist and not my collar. Though, I still don't get why they see the need to hold onto me as if I'll wander off like some child.

I wave goodbye to Morgan as I go and earn a lazy salute in turn.

"I got food" Is the first thing Kuma says when I get in the car. I had wondered where she went. "Have at it"

I'm given my bag of food and a cup of blueberry slush, while Midnight is offered another iced coffee.

Huh, Kuma was kind enough to get Eijiro and the rest food for me. That works out fine.

On the drive, I'm more focused on eating, more than anything else, but I do hear Midnight mumble something about breaking the news to Nezu - if he hasn't already caught wind of it. There was a swarm of reporters there less than ten minutes after the whole incident.

Speaking of my animal principal, I wonder if he had his talk with Aoyama and how that went. If Aoyama knows where their base is he might tell Nezu if he played his cards right. If not, I'm certain I could find it if they allow me to go on patrol with one of my teachers some time. With the range I have, it's not a fetch to assume I would eventually pinpoint a bar crawling with evil doers.

Sitting here now, I think back to the whole Gigantomachia thing. If I had more time and if things weren't so chaotic, I may have been able to do something useful while the giant man was around.

Alas

"Kid, when it's time to choose your mentors, remember that I'll gladly steal you," says Kuma with a bright grin. "I'll buy you food every day"

Midnight snorts, "are you really attempting to bribe her with food"

"Maybe," Kuma says, still smiling. "Would that work"

I feel as if my stuffed mouth should be answer enough and Midnight seems to think so too because she laughs at me.

"I think it would," she says around giggles. "I'll have to remember that"

"Don't tell me you want to poach me too"

"You would be great with me" is her defense. "Your ability is perfect for the type of work I usually do"

"And what is that?"

I have always wondered what Midnight specializes in. A hero is a hero no matter what, but often they have a category they stick to. Certain crimes they are suited for, certain jobs, and the likes.

"Well, I like to go after scum who think it's okay to treat people however they like" she reveals with a very sadistic smile, though it doesn't last long. "Often times people like that aren't brought to justice, which is ridiculous. It's disturbing how many people get away with assaulting another, especially those who go after children, they're the worst of all"

I see. For some reason, it makes sense that the over sexualized hero goes after sex offenders.

"The problem is that people ignore these problems or don't believe when the victims open up about it, especially if the victim is male - in that case, they'll either tell him to man up or act as if it were not a traumatizing thing to have happen to a person" she continues. "For some reason, if the suspect simply says that they didn't do it, or the victim wanted it, or try to come up with a sob story, they are let off pretty easily if they don't get to walk free"

"But with your quirk" Midnight laughs this dangerous thing. "With your quirk, you can get them to admit everything, spill all the dirty things they have done and make them list down all the reasons they should be put behind bars for the rest of their lives"

"You're quite frightening when you get like this" Kuma says when Midnight's sadistic smile returns.

There's a sort of satisfaction that rolls off her when she thinks of punishing such scum and watching them rot in a cell. She keeps count of all the cases of such nature that she's handled, remembers all the names of the people who couldn't even begin to express their gratitude, who had cried in sheer disbelief and gratefulness. As it were, she sometimes visits these people, which is very kind of her.

Huh, and people try to pass her off as this sadistic domme woman, whose only appeal is her sexuality.

Ah, but that much is to be expected.

"Take me with you next time?" it's a question as much as a suggestion. "I would like to come along"

"Sure about that, kid?" Kuma raises a brow in what could be concern. "Think you can handle cases like that?"

"You'd be surprised by the things I can stomach," I say absently. "Nothing much bothers me when my quirk keeps me so calm. Yeah, I might feel disgusted, sad, angry and everything else that comes with such things, but I wouldn't freeze up or back out"

The three of us fall back into silence, with the only sound being the bouncy song that plays quietly on the radio. Midnight has already decided to take me with her the next time, but there are things she has to work around to get permission to do so. And Kuma, well, Kuma's also thinking of ways to get me to follow her on missions. Mainly she still wonders if I can be bribed with food. She's quite entertaining.

Midnight breaks the silence"You don't feel fear"

Well, that's not a question I expected.

"No"

She hums.

"Certain?"

I nod, "I feel many things, but fear is not one of them. It's a very irrational emotion, so I understand if my quirk is the cause of my inability to feel it. It could also be that that's just how I am, it's not something I concerned myself about"

Fear is as useful as every other emotion, but it's the one I don't mind lacking. No one likes to experience fear, after all. It's such an ugly emotion that always used to make me feel weak and helpless. I never liked it.

"If that's so, is there a chance you would feel it if you wear those things?" she asks, gesturing to my ears.

"Possibly" there is a chance. "I experience emotions just like everyone else when my quirk is dampened, though it takes me a bit longer to get there than most. I'm not easy to anger, for example,"

I've never truly been angry before. Annoyed and bothered, yes, but angry?

It's not something I can recall. I've grown so accustomed to the calmness that's always settled over me that I'm in that state even when my quirk isn't functioning.

For something to truly anger me, it would have to be something incredibly despicable.

Like finishing all my juice, for example.