Summer vacation ended very quickly as it only consisted of me hanging out with my friends, Rumi, or both while training in between. I've been in contact with Cathy so she didn't do another random visit, though she couldn't anyway as she was prepping like us for her final year. Once we came back to our third year our first month was a harsh reminder of what we learned in the last two years. Everyone who wanted to make changes to their hero costume could before the sidekick training began and lasted most of the year. Shota and I being the only ones becoming a sidekick to an underground hero had to incorporate a mask into our costume.
My hero costume now consisted of an all black tight suit and back mask with very tinted eye covers incorporated into the mask. With my eyesight, I can see in really any environment it seems, so even in the darkest of areas I can see just as I normally could in day time. Shota's hero costume has changed over the years, like mine it is all black with some dark gray parts, a special scarf that sometimes I feel has a mind of its own and he also is wearing a black mask but with special goggles for his eyes. We all said our goodbyes to our classmates for the time being, our class is also one of the very few that all remained the same throughout the three years at U.A.
After grabbing what we were told to bring for the next seven months or so, Shota and I were in our normal clothes as we got onto the train to Tokyo. After an hour or so train ride Shota and I arrived in Tokyo, then following the street signs made our way to the address given to us. It brought us to what looked like a normal apartment complex, walking inside the receptionist at the front door stopped us.
"Hello, can I help you both? As you both aren't residents here," the younger woman says to us, as Shota and I share a quick look not sure how to proceed.
"We have a meeting with one of the residents... I believe this is the right address," I say and repeating the address to the woman.
"Ah, you are the two students who want to join our little group. Follow me," the woman says before walking past us to lock the door and then walking over to an elevator in the building.
"Well come on!" the woman says turning to us as Shota and I stood confused for a second, then quickly got into the elevator with the woman.
"So you are the newest recruits, yes I know you are here for 'training' from your school. Though to be honest we have already looked at your files and since you want to join us…..well then the first two months are going to be intense training and seeing if you can handle what we do. Then you will be brought out into the field where you will be tested under supervision. After passing that, you both will be given a final solo mission, if you pass it then you will be considered underground heroes. Before the final mission, you both will have to return to your school to finish graduating. But if both of your files are right, then neither of you should have a problem graduating," the woman says as the elevator takes us to a basement that seems to take us several stories down.
"After graduating you will be contacted by someone in our agency to give you your final mission and on success, you will receive your underground IDs and level of clearance. Depending on your capabilities and the number of successful missions, the higher the clearance you get and it can be improved with time. The higher the clearance the more pay and better benefits you get, but also much harder jobs. Now I can't explain more until you become officially a part of us, but it goes without saying to not tell anyone about anything you experience with your time here with us," the woman says to us as the elevator doors open showing us a long hallway. Shota and I just nod our heads listening to all the information dumped on us.
"Now enter this room and wait there until your instructor arrives," the woman says after we walk past a few doors and motions to one on her right.
Shota and I enter the room and take seats at the singular desk in the center of the room with three chairs around it. The woman closes the door behind us and the room we are in, looks just like a police interrogation room in the TV shows, but without any one-way mirrors. Shota and I just sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, before the door on the other side of the room opens as a man walked inside it and he takes a seat across from us at the table. The man was wearing a black trench coat with a three-piece suit underneath it and he had a black mask with no holes in it to see out of.
"So you two are Shota Aizawa and Akihiko Yagi....I've read your files and heard a decent amount about you both from your teacher Gran Torino. You both could make exceptionally good underground heroes, but your powers alone won't make you good underground heroes. It takes a lot of will and resolve to become one of us, as the more time you spend in our profession, the harder it becomes," the man says to us in a very deep voice while tossing two files on the table that have our names on them. Curious I open mine seeing everything that the school and government know about my quirk, with some of the things I accomplish at school and during my time under heroes.
"I'm sure our lookout told you about what we have planned for you before either of you becomes one of us," the man says while looking at us.
"Yeah she did, though I have a question," I say and Shota nods his head agreeing with me.
"Shoot," the man says before leaning back in the chair and looking at me.
"I heard there are two types of underground heroes, how do I join the other type?" I ask since I'm more interested in joining ones that I feel do real work, though Shota looks at me confused having not heard that before. The man goes silent while seemingly judging me for a few seconds.
"If you do well during your time under me and depending on how well you handle your solo mission, a member of their group will reach out to you. As you heard about them, then you should know not even we know who are members of them," the man says after a few seconds of silence. I just nod my head in understanding.
"What are you talking about Akihiko?" Shota asks me confused.
"He is referring to the group of underground heroes, whose identities are considered top-secret. They have the highest clearance level among us all and only certain government officials know who is a part of them. They are used for doing missions that can only be handled by certain...abilities," the man says explaining what he knows about them to Shota, who just looks surprised.
"I thought all underground heroes' identities are kept a secret," Shota says confused.
"Yes and no, some underground heroes are known as it makes recruiting new members easier. Though they are usually volunteers who are ok with releasing their identities or retirees," the man explains to Shota who just nods his head.
"Now if there are no more questions, then we can begin," the man says while looking at us and we both nod.
"Good, follow me," the man says standing up and guiding us to the locker room to change into our hero costumes, he said the rest of our things would be brought to an apartment upstairs where we'd be staying during our time here. It seems Shota and I would be sharing an apartment for the time being.
"Now you are going to face me one on one, so I can see what you both are capable of in person," the man says to us and gestures for one of us to step forward, since Shota hesitated I stepped up.
"Come at me anytime," the man says before disappearing from sight. It seems he can turn invisible, but my eyes can still let me see the sins he's committed or the guilt he feels.
I easily notice him slowly and quietly moving behind me to strike me. I just move in front of him and spartan kick him in the chest holding back enough to only bruise his ribs. He falls to the ground in pain as it also knocked the air out of his chest.
"Fuck! You really are crazy strong! We heard you defeated All Might, but didn't think that was true," the man says after struggling to stand up and holding his bruised chest. I just shrug indifferently.
Then it was Shota's turn and before the man even turned invisible Shota canceled out his quirk. Then it became a very fierce one on one hand to hand fight, Shota has gotten much more skilled in all sorts of martial arts, but it seems the man has more experience still. However, the fight seems to be even only because I injured his side earlier, which Shota uses to subdue him, by landing a few strikes there of his own.
"Ok seems you two are very skilled, well maybe Akihiko is more of just a brute force user," the man says with a pained chuckle.
"I know how to box and some kickboxing," I say with an annoyed look, though he just shrugs at me.
"Well anyway, I'm going to teach you both some more martial arts. Then we will go over the laws and rules that we don't have to follow since we have more leeway than normal heroes. After I feel you both are ready for the field, we will then take missions under my supervision. You both can call me Incognito, as that is my hero name," Incognito says to us.
The first two months felt like they took forever, as the training was extremely easy for me, but it helped Shota a lot which is good. Same with the rules and laws we had to memorize, it only took me a single read over. Then we finally finished the training under Incognito and could take on our first mission. Shota and I were given code names as our hero names will only be used after we get our hero license. Shota was called 'Emo' and I was called 'Moody', Incognito picked the names.
"Emo, Moody, are you both ready for your first mission?" Incognito asks us as he walks over to us with a teasing voice since our nicknames piss us off.
"What the fuck is the mission?" I say annoyed while looking at him and Shota just sighs annoyed.
"Both living up to your nicknames, I appreciate that. Anyway, the mission is to locate and subdue a drug ring led by a yakuza group in the city. They are a new small group, which is why they've been left alone for a bit, but have been getting out of control so we have to end them," Incognito says to us making Shota and I more annoyed, but nod listening to the first mission given to us.
"Remember what you can and cannot do as underground heroes. I will be watching from a distance, you two will work together to take them all down. Killing is authorized for this mission," Incognito continues to say as we listen.
"Now let's go find us some drug dealers to get info out of," Incognito says after we read over the mission file and we follow him out of the underground facility. They have secret entrances leading up to the city from the underground place, as this is apparently the HQ of all the Underground heroes. We are only allowed access to the first level of the facility.