[3 months later]
It was almost the end of summer vacation. Mei, Momo, and I, along with our 'sons,' Angel and Flare, decided to go to Momo's private beach to celebrate our progress and recharge for the last real year Mei and I would spend in a regular institution. Angel and Flare were already spending most of their time learning about various fields that their 'mothers' are interested in, although they both have a strong affinity for fighting. After they were created, I decided to give them quirks that could help them in the future. For Angel, I gave her the Blood Angel power, and for Flare, I gave her Snake's Temptation. This drastically changed their affinities and combat styles.
Angel is more of a close-quarters combatant, relying on the extreme speed her wings provide to get up close and personal with her foes. She either uses her wings to attack or her fists if she doesn't want to injure her enemies too badly. Flare, on the other hand, is almost the complete opposite. She primarily relies on the superior strength her body and power provide, so she practices different kinds of weapon arts with Momo, such as knives, bo staffs, swords, and spears. She strives for perfection in almost everything. Thankfully, we can keep her from spiraling out of control by supporting and reinforcing her belief in herself. For some reason, both girls believed they were unworthy of us, so they strived to be 'perfect.' Flare focuses more on different arts, general knowledge, and mastery in everything, while Angel focuses more on her mentality, morals, and outlook on life.
We managed to keep cheering them up with small gestures, like this trip. The first time we realized how much they craved recognition was when Momo and Mei decided to give them nicknames, and they were almost crushed by the strength of their 'sons'' hugs amidst their relieved crying. I had to ask Thrawn and Breen for advice. Hell, I even called Nezu just to get his opinion on the matter. They all had different perspectives, but they led to the same conclusion: keep them occupied and support them with small gestures.
The first of these gestures to keep us connected to the girls, much to Thrawn's dismay, was a D&D campaign with him as the Dungeon Master and the five of us as the players. This became a weekly event, where we gathered every Friday in Mei's repaired apartment for a session in her workshop. Thrawn wouldn't admit it, but I could see he really enjoys being in control of the storyline and the actions within it.
Nezu extended his special recommendation to my 'sons' as well, since if we all went through the normal recommendation exam, we would push out other candidates. So we will get a special exam from Principal Nezu himself, except Mei and Momo, since they are just one person each, and even though they are leagues above anyone else, they wouldn't stand out as much. So yeah, I'm basically in the unofficial Class N. Nezu said that Angel, Flare, and I will learn together and work with Class A, but we won't take up official seats in it.
The beach party went well, and everyone enjoyed themselves. The only bump in the fun was when Mei had the not-so-bright idea to have Angel and Flare throw her into the water. What she didn't count on was that, even without using their full strength, they flung her hundreds of meters into the air. Thankfully, Angel managed to fly after her and catch her before she could get injured. No one was hurt, and Mei said she really liked it once she was no longer in grave danger. However, this event dampened my 'sons'' moods, as their inferiority complexes started to kick in because of their perceived failure. I knew I had to reach them, so I said, "Look, I know you might feel like you're not worthy of your power or that I only call you my 'sons' to make you feel better, but know this: I am really proud of both of you. Even if we're not related to me and the girls by blood, and you're just constructs of my power, you're still yourselves. You're like family to me and the girls. I call you my 'sons' because it's the highest title I can grant someone. No matter how powerful or smart my other puppets are or will be, you two are truly unique and irreplaceable to me, just like Wilhelm was. Yes, I may be able to create similar constructs in the future using the same procedure, but they will never be the same as you. You are my first true creations, into whom I poured all my energy, hopes, and dreams. You're literally modeled after two of the most important women in my life, whom I love with all my heart. Since I molded you with their help into almost copies of them, how could I not love you as well? Even if in the future I become capable of mass-producing similarly strong beings as you, you will remain unique, and I will never try to replicate you for any reason."
I felt the intensity of their emotions rise with every sentence I spoke, and when I finished, they couldn't control themselves. They picked me up and hugged me tightly—too tightly for me to be comfortable, but I didn't want to ruin the moment by telling them they were crushing me between their muscles and breasts, so I stayed there for who knows how long. In my opinion, it was worth it. They are important to me, so I should treat them well.
When we returned to Momo's mansion, with Mei even joining us for the night, we all noticed, thanks to our training, the strange atmosphere. Some guards and staff members looked rather shifty and tense. I got a really bad feeling and signaled the girls to follow me to Momo's wing of the mansion. I sent a secret, silent message to Nezu, simply writing: "We are being watched. Something is likely going to happen. Be ready."
After we arrived in the room, I closed the door and tried to make sure no one could listen in or watch us. We started talking:
"Alright, something is definitely not right here. Almost everyone is on edge, like they're waiting for something to happen. I don't think we should risk it, so I already alerted Nezu, but we should prepare for the worst. This isn't a joke; someone is most likely planning something here in the mansion. Sanguinius, you're in charge of keeping Momo's parents safe."
Over the past couple of months, I had created four new units, and I hoped to god I wouldn't need to use the last one. But with the current situation, I couldn't take any chances. I had created the Elite Combat Harvester Unit, with a quirk combination called Guardian Angel. Don't let the name fool you—these cyborgs are anything but angelic. I also created the Elite Combat Artillery Unit to support them. Their quirk is a combination of Rifle and Mechanical Body, called Gatling Frame, which allows them to fire high-powered kinetic or plasma rounds at their foes from their wrists and palms. Since their bodies are mechanical, they cannot regenerate, but they're not in any real danger unless their brain is damaged or destroyed. The force of their projectiles depends on the amount and type of energy they use to fire. The kinetic bullets from their wrists are faster and can be shot in rapid succession, while the plasma shots from their palms are slower but more powerful. Overusing the quirk, especially the plasma shots, can lead to exhaustion and overheating issues.
These two units were specially designed to be nearly unstoppable until the very end. The next unit type is arguably more important: the Elite Utility Dispatcher Unit. They have a combination quirk called Radiant Messenger, made by combining Radiation and Voice. In simplest terms, this allows the unit to tap into any network or frequency that transmits soundwaves, enabling communication over long distances.
The last unit, however, is the most dangerous—so dangerous that I've only made two of them. I even created a whole new class just for them, named after their quirk. They are the Elite Anomaly Dominator Unit. They possess a power so dangerous I don't plan to use them for everyday fights. Their combination power is called Anomaly, made by combining Black Hole with Mechanical Body. This essentially turns the user into a living black hole with a functioning mechanical body. Due to the body trapping and harnessing the head's power, it has almost unlimited energy. They can manipulate the objects around them in a short range by controlling their acceleration and deceleration. Since the body shields their surroundings from the black hole's harmful effects, they are relatively safe to be around. However, if the body becomes too damaged, it can no longer stabilize the black hole, and the resulting energy release could erase entire buildings for miles ahead.
"Now, Sanguinius, you will get 4 of the Harvesters, 2 of the Artillery units, as well as one of the Makimas to help you command your troops and maintain communication with us through radio. If you can't reach us safely, bunker down and report back. We, on the other hand, will move into the cinema room and set up a command center there since it's spacious and in a highly defensible position. Sanguinius, you should try to make your way back here as well. Momo, please make plenty of gas masks, especially for your mom and dad, and give them to Angel. Fulgrim, you're in charge of securing the hallway in case of an attack. You will get 4 Builders to set up defenses, 20 Combat Engineers to defend the hall, and 6 Toxics to fill the hall with tear gas. I know you don't need a gas mask, just like Angel, but make sure your soldiers wear them. I'm also assigning you the other Makima for easier communication and reports. I'll stay here with the girls and prepare for a possible breach. Thrawn will give you more specific orders while I set up the 2 Anomalies and the 4 Dispatchers here. Mei, I need you to keep an eye out for any suspicious movements around the entrances."
Everyone nodded, understanding their part of the plan.
I summoned every unit, and they all went to their designated areas. In the command center, things quickly took a turn.
"Thrawn, are the communication networks online?" I asked, a bit impatient.
"Yes, sir, everything is in order. The network is active and stable. It seems your hunch was correct—multiple unmarked vehicles are headed here. However, there's a big problem. Through some cameras, we managed to trace the vehicles' origins, and they appear to be from known black sites of the HPSC."
I widened my eyes and immediately started adjusting the plan. Some people had obviously sold either me or Momo out for our quirks. It's not widely known, but well-connected people like Nezu or Momo's parents are aware that the HPSC sometimes forcibly recruits people with strong quirks into their ranks—just like they did with Hawks, and if I had to guess, Lady Nagant as well.
I quickly called Nezu.
"Hello, young John. I got your message, and the whole staff is on alert. So, what's the problem?" Nezu's cheerful voice would soon turn to fury when I spoke.
"It's the HPSC! Someone sold us out. Me, and possibly Momo, are their targets. We noticed the staff and guards in the mansion looking at us with greed and excitement. At first, I thought they were working with villains, so I set up a command center here. Thrawn, with the help of my new Dispatchers, managed to trace the vehicles back to one of the HPSC's black sites. I'm not joking, Nezu, activate Plan 13."
Nezu quickly snapped out of his spiraling thoughts of anger. "What? But that's suicide! The radiation from the nuclear fallout is still present in most areas, not to mention the unstable climate. You wouldn't last a year there, let alone five."
I knew this was risky, but it was the only way to get the HPSC off my back for a while. Area 13 is one of the irradiated wastelands that formerly belonged to Russia. This specific area comprises the former Sakhalin and Kuril Islands, which were destroyed by nuclear strikes from Russia during the Dawn of the Quirks. An army of Japanese and Russian quirked individuals had attempted to take over the region after defeating the local armed forces. More than 27 places around the world have suffered similar fates due to negligence, prejudice, or simply a lack of manpower. Over 100 years ago, these places were declared neutral territories—essentially no man's lands—because of the radiation. To this day, the area is so irradiated that it's dangerous for normal people to even enter its perimeter. Nezu had found a relatively safe spot in the middle of the largest island and wanted to establish a base there, out of the HPSC's reach. However, due to unstable weather conditions, he had abandoned the idea. Now, I had no choice.
"I know, Nezu, but it will only be me and Momo. The others, the HPSC doesn't know about yet. We can figure out something later, but for now, this is our only chance to avoid becoming villains in the public and heroes' eyes, being puppets of the HPSC, or ending up dead in a ditch somewhere."
Nezu sighed. "Okay, I'll get the jet copter ready at the rendezvous point. From my informants, I've learned you only have five minutes. Leave discreetly, don't leave any evidence behind, and please, for the love of god, cover your face and head. Even if they know it's you, they can't pin it on you. One last thing: only use units that can't be traced back to you, at least for a while."
I agreed and hung up the phone. I relayed the plan to the others. They didn't want to agree, but we were running out of time. I ordered Sanguinius to inform Momo's parents where we were going, then to escape with Mei and Fulgrim back to their place. I put on my gas mask, a helmet, and some nondescript black clothing. Momo, Thrawn, and the Toxic squad members did the same. My final order to the two Makimas was to go to UA with their teams and lay low. I didn't have time to take everyone back to my Vault, so I could only quickly take my Dispatcher team away. I said goodbye to Mei and my 'sons' because I knew it would be some time before the heat died down and I could return under Nezu's protection.
There were four teams that needed a distraction, so I ordered all Toxin units to produce a thick smoke from their bodies to create a smoke screen while we escaped. With the help of Thrawn and Momo, we hijacked one of Momo's family's service vans during the confusion. We all got into the van, with Thrawn instructing Momo on the route to the meeting point, as I couldn't drive yet, and neither could Thrawn. Luckily, Momo had started taking driving lessons last year, as a license was required for some of the vehicles she could create. Me, the two Dominators, and the six Toxics were all crammed into the back. The van had some trouble starting due to the weight of the Dominators' android bodies, but we managed to get it going after I temporarily put the Dominators away.
The last thing I did before breaking my phone to go dark was to confirm that everyone had gotten away. Mei had no trouble, thanks to the sheer speed of my 'sons,' and both of the Makima squads decided to evacuate through the sewers together. This would be our last day together for a while. I knew I would miss Mei, my two 'sons,' Nezu, and even Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu. I wanted to fall into despair, but I couldn't—not yet. First, we needed to reach the evac point. Then, I'd have to find a way for Momo, Thrawn, and me to survive and thrive in Area 13.