Felix peered straight into Midnight's eyes for a few seconds, attempting to detect if there was anything suspicious going on behind his back. He was accustomed to people saying nice things without truly meaning them, but here, he couldn't notice any ill intent in her sky-blue eyes.
"A job? For a guy like me?"
"Like you? Haha!~ I see nothing wrong with you, Mr. Tremblay." Midnight giggled with a genuine grin. "What I see is nothing but a fine man."
"A fine man... Since when do women give compliments?"
"Haha! It's a pleasant surprise, isn't it?"
"Definitely."
Ogling her, he had many compliments to make about her, too, but given the place and the people in the room, he'd shut up for now.
Plus, Rumi can get a bit jealous at times. Don't want her to get all worked up that soon in the afternoon.
—So... They debriefed no one, not even her, about my whereabouts. That's a nice thing. That said, it means they still think they have the upper hand... I guess I still need to be on the same alert level as before. I'm better off like that anyway. I'll have Kaoru and Rumi's help anyway.
Snapping him out of his musings, Midnight handed him a document with a few paper sheets stapled together. It summarized everything expected of the job they talked about, with additional information on pedagogy and ethics.
Ethics. That wasn't his watchword.
"A job offer as a staff medic and chiropractor at UA..."
"Under the tutelage of Recovery Girl."
"Well... I don't know what to say..." Felix beamed, pretending to be surprised but feeling more pleased about the Commission losing even more control over him than about the actual job offer. "I'd be honored."
"Hehe! That's good to hear!" Midnight winked at him. "I'm sadly not authorized to disclose everything to you, Mr. Tremblay. However, if you need any information, here's my professional phone number."
"Oh. Lucky me."
"Mhm. Lucky you. Might I say this is purely professional? Professional!"
"Professional, yeah. Of course."
"Perfect." Midnight chuckled before turning back to Mirko, who watched them, frowning and arms crossed. "I thought I could talk longer with you, Mirko, but you seem adamant about not taking any intern even this year, so..."
"I already told ya that they'd just slow me down."
"Of course, they are learning."
"There's nothin' to learn," Mirko grumbled with a frown. "Everything I do is just jump n' run from city to city and fold bad guys in half. Then, I'm gone."
"Well, yeah. You lack a meaningful goal. That's not new. And what you said may have been true months ago, but it's been a while since you visited another city. It seems to me you're staying around Tokyo these days."
"W-Well... This is..."
"Don't be so butt-clenched." Midnight hummed, shrugging. "I just thought someone like you would like to experience something new for a change."
"Nah. I just want somethin' new to kick, not annoying teenagers whinin' that I'm going too fast for them." Mirko grumbled, rolling her eyes. "This's the same reason I don't have an agency or any sidekicks."
"So! If I find you a student who can go at your pace, you would be willing to?"
"...Arf! Why not! Give me a break!"
"Hehe! Perseverance is a quality of mine."
"Quality... It just makes ya all sort of clingy."
"Oh, well! Haha! I won't bother you anymore, then." Midnight concluded before widening her eyes as she recalled something important. "Now that I think about it!" She exclaimed, turning toward the HPSC's President. "Madam President, I'd like to have an explanation and some help about the Hawks' situation. It's been a fiasco. Still is."
"..."
"..."
Her words led to a stunning silence. These mere sentences exacerbated the already quite grave atmosphere in the room. At this point, fleeing from the topic was impossible, both here and on TV.
—Go girl, go! HAHA!
Doing his best to conceal his glee, Felix watched the President and some of her colleagues turn pale as they heard Midnight speak about this goddamn topic.
Hawks this, Hawks that. Felix this, Felix that... Nagant this... Nagant that...
From the very first moment Felix landed in Japan, wearing a black bag over his head and with his hands cuffed behind his back as he was escorted out of the plane, Hawks was there, watching over as ordered by the HPSC.
Behind this tainted glass in Tartarus was the first time they saw Felix. And Hawks was already a heated topic back then, more than four months ago now.
To think that at that time, even Nagant was close by...
The President couldn't shake off this feeling... Every individual they work with to deal with underground and shady shenanigans is doomed to be a disappointment in one way or another.
Looking at her folders, she first ignored Midnight's remark but finally sighed before acknowledging her as she closed her eyelids to conceal her anxiety.
"I am aware of the gravity of the situation. Thank you very much." She said sarcastically while remaining serious. "What are your worries?"
"I'm apprehensive about some of our students. Not just in UA, but in many other heroic academies."
"—I'm listening."
"...? A student of ours was supposed to start an internship with Hawks this week, but that was canceled. Logically. The issue is that now there are rumors among the students that this particular girl has been having illicit relations with him even if no one has any proof."
"I see..."
"Given that Hawks was a much-loved hero, this isn't an isolated case. Shiketsu Academy also has several instances of the same issue between classmates. In addition, they lose their internships and their idol..."
"What's the problem? Harassment is your job to handle, not ours."
"...What?"
"Our hands are already full. I think you're aware of what happens in the underground world these days, so don't see that as negligence, but we won't take drastic measures for only a few kids. Tough choices need to be made... Ethics doesn't have its place because of today's critical situation."
All the people in the room widened their eyes. Was she real?
What could worry them so much that they would abandon kids needing help?
All Might, who remained silent till now, advanced from the other end of the room and threw his hands on the table, making it crack despite his controlling his strength.
"These kids are from heroic academies!"
In turn, widening her eyes, surprised by who raised his voice, the President frowned, doing her best to stand her ground against the few piercing gazes staring daggers at her.
"You're abandoning future heroes! Is that how you want to attract kiddos to the good side!?"
"This isn't so easy! And you know it! Especially you!"
"Then I'm taking care of Hawks! I'll find him out and bring justice to these poor girls and all the other students who suffered because of his wrongdoings! So focus on what Midnight asked for!"
"I'm down to help." Mirko volunteered, looking overly serious. "I'll ask Shishida and Hound Hog-"
"Usagiyama, you're in no position to make any decisions. Be aware of where you stand."
"Then fuckin' do somethin'! Instead of hiding spies everywhere!"
"—We do more than just something!" The President gritted her teeth before turning to the n°1 hero. "All Might... given your current health, I wouldn't advise chasing Hawks."
"W-What...? Everything I do is protect the innocent! That's our job! Us all! You too! And now, you ask us not to do that!? With Hawks around, other girls could get assaulted!"
"—I know it sounds absurd... but the situation is different." She answered, tidying up her stuff. "We're doing everything we can to track him, and a good amount of the workforce is currently tasked to collect information to know his exact location."
"I'm not sure to understand..." Midnight muttered, crossing her arms. "Why not ask the Wild Wild Pussycat's help? They're experts in finding missing people."
"Hound Hog and Shishida are my buddies," Mirko uttered, taking a step toward the President. "Why not ask 'em to land a hand, goddammit? We're a good trio. A'm sure they would be willin' to help. Felix could even boost 'em so they could have a better sense of smell."
Heaving a sigh, the President grunted and was about to explain to them something while proceeding to leave, but one of her colleagues, a guy with an exhausted air, spoke in her stead.
"So... Um... You guys, please calm down..." He mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear. "We... uh... have already detected Hawks. He was last seen by one of our spies in Jakku City-"
"Then-!"
"However, he... changes his hiding spot several times daily and can fly above the cloud for hours without being tired out. Tracking him is a struggle, and we suspect he might flee to another country... However, even if he wanted to do this, from the last information we got, Hawks seemed wounded... probably preventing him from escaping as he would have liked.
"So...?"
"So, he was likely injured by a vigilante... We don't know what happened, but... Hawks is likely panicking. Even like this... our main issue is... his speed. He can almost rival All Might's speed and can also easily outmaneuver him..."
"Besides..." The President sighed, placing both hands on the table before her and tilting her head. "Hawks is smart. Very smart. We know that. He knows when he can and cannot pick a fight."
"Really?" Felix asked, concealing his glee. "Wasn't he wounded by a vigilante?"
"This is only a possibility!" She clamored, looking at Felix with spiteful eyes. "Speculation will lead us nowhere!"
Her yellings led to another silence, making everyone feel even more tense. If it hadn't been evident until then that even the Commission was freaking out, now it was a sure thing.
"Haha!"
"What's so funny!?"
"This is no laughing matter, Mr. Tremblay." Midnight said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Please refrain."
"My bad... I'm just laughing nervously at all this. It's just how I react to a stressful situation. Don't mind me." Felix sighed, closing his eyelids, finally unable to hide his glee, even if just for a second. "Geez."
"So..." Midnight sighed, asking the President something. "All you ask us to do is sit and watch?"
"What can you do except that, Kayama?"
"—! I'd have thought you'd put all that worthless banker's money to good use, Takeyama."
"Aren't you the one who told Mt. Lady to stop acting like a child? Stop the immature bickering. It's time to grow up. There are more important things to do than try to have the last word."
"Yeah...! No matter. I won't dilly-dally any longer. I've got to grade copies of my students. Everything I do is for these kids to see a brighter tomorrow. Please keep this in mind." Midnight rasped before walking away. "I guess if the situation goes out of control in the future, you'll be the first to ask for our help, won't you?"
"Yes, helping is supposed to be your job, Kayama."
"—And protecting your people is supposed to be yours!"
Undaunted, the President watched Midnight leave like all the others before her while All Might, standing behind, rubbed his forehead before following in the heroine's footsteps.
Gazing at Felix with his eery, somber eyes, he gave him a nod of approbation before disappearing into the corridor.
Sighing, Recovery Girl muttered something to herself. She knew the tension would escalate at some point because of the current atmosphere in the herosphere.
It was inevitable.
The problem was whether the HPSC fully understood how their situation might change if a disruptive element were to sow discord within their ranks. Bowling a strike when all the pins are tottering is much easier than most people believe. Once two or three fall to the side, the rest follows.
If it happened now, it would be a catastrophe, mainly since they already had their hands full and skeletons in their closets.
Gladly for her, Recovery Girl knew nothing about her student shenanigans.
"One cannot lure a fish too long with the same bait..."
"A Chinese proverb?"
"I don't know..." Recovery Girl mumbled. "Felix, you should do what I'm about to do. Meaning heading back home. This headache has gone on far too long."
"Well, I'll help you with your satchels then." He said, taking her bag full of paperwork. "It's your husband picking you up today?"
"My son. The old man's too busy sleeping. It's nap time at any time of the day for him... I swear, that one... Sleeping while I work. He couldn't live without me!"
"Now you really sound old, you know?"
"Because I'm old, dummy." His teacher grumbled, using her cane to walk but soon halting. "Felix... I can ask someone else for help. You are already a big help. Why don't you go to spend some time with your girlfriend?"
Turning back to Rumi, Felix saw her speaking with the President. They both had loud mouths, so their talks ended the same way every time—passive-aggressive sneerings at each other.
Rumi said no to something, refusing to follow them, to which the President frowned.
Thinking about it now, he met his greatest ally, Rumi, thanks to the HPSC. So, could he really be that mad at them? They risk being partisans of their own demise now.
They handed him one of the strongest female heroes to boost her so she could settle the Underground Maskerade issue. Well, now, all of this was gone to the shitter. They sure progressed, but it was thanks to him and because of Mt. Lady linking him to this case, allowing him to know that she was the President's daughter and also allowing him to meet the Utsushimi family, which proved to be great allies.
In the end, they were all helping each other while at the same time getting in each other's way—a battle of attrition.
"My girlfriend, huh..."
"She isn't?"
"No, no, you're right. I guess she is," Felix muttered pensively. "It's just that it's hard for me to see it that way, but yeah, she's my girlfriend."
"Very good. You go with her then. It's an order."
"Eh, aye." He chortled. "See you Monday?"
"See you Monday, kiddo."
A girlfriend. How many years since he heard that word?
High school? Yeah, definitely. Samantha. He never used his quirk on her back then. Not on his friends. Not on his family. Not on anyone. Only him. He had different values and ethics back then, ones closer to what society dictated.
He was like most middle and high school guys. He wanted to be that cool superhero loved by girls and admired, even envied by guys. Being strong and respected.
But once people knew about his power, whether he used it or not, the result was the same. Again, again and again.
All because of him.
All because of this other guy, too.
All paranoid at the thought of being magically controlled by hormones. As if it was that simple. As if it was what he wanted.
The other girls after her weren't girlfriends, just girls. It filled a void.
Could he really love anyone at this point?
Hadn't he told himself when in jail that he was too far gone?
Now, why was he doing all of this? Why was he plotting against the HPSC? Why boost people? Why fucking that much?
—Everything I do... is for myself...
Himself. Really? This was more than an internal conflict for him. Of how often he got betrayed and how awful it felt, he never felt as bad as this time.
But Rumi and Kaoru made him feel safe. This much was true. He had to open up, or he'd end up devoid of feelings. This much was true, too. Being strong doesn't mean running away from your feelings; it means facing them.
This is what his grandmother, Grandma Natasha, told him. He wanted to believe these words.
"Why are ya staring at my face like a dumbass...?"
"Huh? I was just telling myself that I love you."
"S-Shaddup!"
"Hey, shouldn't you be happy?"
"Erm... I... I g-guess I should, b-but..."
"It's the first time I see you blush. You're only cute when you're not trying-"
"Shaddup!"
"Hahaha!- Ouch..."
Taking a kick to the leg, he was reminded of the saucy discipline he had planned for her. He didn't mind her being fierce, which made her appealing, but his balls needed revenge for this two times.
Now that they could finally leave, they had some time to slack. It was only Rumi and him for a while.
Mei was too preoccupied with her creation to care for Felix that much. She cared more about what was inside his wallet even though they both fucked now. She was too weird to care about this stuff. For now. She wanted to bioengineer his cum to select his best sperm cells, so yeah, she wasn't devoid of lust.
—Wouldn't be surprised if she's an asperger or something akin to it.
Kaoruko had some things to handle with Nighteye and Wash, and because of that, she wouldn't be there for a short while.
Camie and Daphnee were both waiting for the perfect time to come out of the shadows, so, for now, nothing could be done with them. Same with Mt. Lady.
Who knows... Manami also showed some interest for the last week too.
The only one that could be there was this crazy girl, Himiko. She managed to get into his flat even when he closed his door and shut his windows. She was agile and fast as a cat. In a way, she and Rumi were alike while simultaneously being poles apart.
Now... since she helped him fence against Hawks, he didn't feel like she would do anything crazy, even more so thanks to their deal.
"Wanna have a drink?"
"A'm down for a protein shake."
"Stop thinking with your fitness addict brain."
"—Ya're one to talk, Mr. Sex Addict."
"If I weren't like this, you would find sex boring and unsatisfying, though."
"P-Probably..."
"Haha!"
"I-I don't understand what's so funny about me liking it hard..."
"That's not what's funny.~ It's you being all shy about it... 'Cause you sure aren't when we're in bed."
"Y-Yeah..."
Seeing that now she struggled to think about something other than sex, he stopped teasing her and guided her to a bar.
"What about a Whiskey Sour?"
"You already know I can't deal with alcohol..."
"That's where the fun is."
"Fun for you."
"You sure had your fun last time you were drunk."
"W-Whateva..."
"Alright, we're going.~"
Looming over them on top of a building as they headed toward a bar, Cameleon Man, the first person Felix met in Japan—when he was still in Tartarus—watched them from the top of a building using his camouflage while someone talked to him through his earpiece.
{Anything suspicious, Asui? Rumi refused to follow us... so we thought Fortier had something planned.}
"As of right now, nothing." He cleared his throat, making it enlarge like a toad. "Except for this girl, Mei Hatsume, with whom he works to create gadgets, I've seen nothing strange going on. Even today."
{We're already trailing this girl. So, what about his neighbor you talked about before? Manami Aiba. Any news?}
Jumping from roof to roof, Asui followed Felix and Rumi from afar, making as little noise as possible. He knew the rabbit hero had some of the best ears in Japan, so he was better safe than sorry.
Avoiding suspicion was his job as a spy and a dad of three. He had to come back home.
"I think that Aiba-san is irrelevant." The spy muttered as he continued using his camouflage to hide from sight as people could see him from their balcony. "She's a hikikomori. As you told me, she doesn't go outside, have a job, or have a social life. Most of the time, she's on the internet, brooding in her room."
{Didn't she enter his apartment a few times?}
"It was to complain about the noise he was making. Apart from that, she seems to have been helping him tidy up things..."
{We'll see what we can do to... limit their interactions... We'll probably have him relocated by the end of the year to a place closer to our field of action. At last. Since the neighbors and the homeowners complain about the noise without even knowing it's him.}
"About the thing I heard inside the meeting room..."
{I know... Your daughter will probably join UA next year... That's her dream. You don't have to worry about that. At this point, we'll have Fortier under our grasp.}
"I'm really thinking about sending her to Shiketsu instead... but I believe that she won't listen to me."
{...Do what you must, Asui. Just know that she'll be protected if she goes to UA. For now, our goal is to destroy the Underground Maskerade. It lasted for far too long. The next step is getting rid of Fortier. We already have two pawns for this to happen...}
"You really wanna get rid of such an asset?"
{Getting rid of someone doesn't mean killing them. There's a lot more way to get someone to do your bidding. We'll have some leverage on him... But killing him might be our last solution if nothing else works... In this scenario, you'll be the one in charge. Doing your work from the shadows, as always.}
"Roger..."
{Continue to tail him off from afar so even Mirko can't detect you. We can't have two beloved pro heroes going against us. Hawks is enough... Asui, everything we do is for peace and order. This must continue. For your child and any other child and every innocent person, this might be cynical, but some people must do the dirty work. As ever, thanks for your work. Until then.}
The spy earpiece became silent again as his ear suffered from tinnitus soon after his boss cut the conversation short.
Gazing from afar, he focused on Rumi and Felix, his sharp vision, a mix between those of a toad and a chameleon, staring daggers at Felix, the man he met back then in the white room of Tartarus.
Looking at both of them like this, entering a bar, made him remember his young adult life when he met his wife. Muttering something to himself, he mourned that they could be like him and his wife one day...
"Everything I do... Everything I'll do is for them, my kids... and my wife... Beru, Satsuki, Samidare, and you too, Tsuyu..."