A few weeks passed and our internships couldn't have been going better. Everyone in the class had compelling stories to share about their experiences with their respective heroes. Kirishima made his hero debut with a bang, using his 'Unbreakable' move to take down a villain who was hyped up on a new type of drug. Ochako and Tsu aided Ryoku and Nejire in taking down two giant battling villains. They weren't the only ones with crazy tales to tell.

Kacchan told us about a group of villains Mirko and he took down in a warehouse. I heard the official story on the news, but it was even more enthralling as Kacchan told it to Kiri, Kyoka and I in his bedroom, the late evening sunlight washing his face pumpkin orange.

"We weren't even looking for the fuckers, Usagiyama and I were just running around the back alleys of this shit part of town when she heard these suspicious noises coming from an abandoned warehouse." Kacchan started the story, a look of satisfaction on his face as all three of us looked up at him from the floor.

"You're allowed to call her by her name?" Kirishima asked in awe.

"Tch. Course I am, Shitty Hair. Now shut up otherwise I won't be able to tell the story." Kacchan tutted at Kiri.

"Sorry, Babe." Kiri apologised, full shark-toothed grin in place as Kacchan's ears glowed red at the term of endearment.

"Anyway, Usagiyama told me to stay quiet and not fuck up otherwise she would kick my ass when we finished patrol. So I stayed quiet and we moved into the building only to see that there were like 10 guys all huddled around a crate full of bioweapons. The shitheads were talking about how they were going to set them on the city. Like how dumb do you have to be to talk about that shit in an abandoned warehouse where any fucker can hear you." Kacchan snorted.

"We only waited long enough for Usagiyama to know what was going on fully before we went in and attacked. Of course, we were outnumbered 10 to 2, but Mirko had no trouble taking down 2 of the bastards with her first blow. The bitch knows how to get shit done, ya know. I went after this fucker with a quirk which let him create bubbles full of fire. He tried to do shit but he was a weakling so I dealt with him easily. Just blew him onto his ass and knocked him out gently." Kacchan shrugged. I wanted to question how you knocked someone out gently, but I doubted Kacchan would appreciate my questions.

"The fight lasted around 15 minutes maybe. I took out 4 of those weirdos whilst Usagiyama took out 6. She made me call the police, something about getting used to it, and then we left. She told me I did well by punching me on the arm. Don't look at me like that, it wasn't even that hard. That's how we communicate dumbasses. She's a really good hero." Kacchan said assertively with a firm nod.

Aside from Kacchan's internship, Shoto told me that he had been learning a lot from Burnin and that she knew quite a few of his father's techniques after working with him for so long. He was learning a lot and I couldn't be happier for him. The progress on his and his sibling's case against his father was slow going, but it appeared as though they had already won. From the sounds of it, Endeavour wasn't trying all too hard to keep his kids. Shows how much he loves them. Shoto was nearly in his sister's custody, where he belonged.

Kyoka, Kami and Papa were all having a whale of the time in their internship. Most nights, they all appeared on Papa's radio show, joking around and listening to music. I had a feeling that most of the music choices were made by Kyoka. I made sure to listen to it live as much as I could, but sometimes I had to listen to the recording. It wasn't all fun and games for Kyoka and Kami though, after all, they were training to be heroes, not radio show hosts. They two of them had resolved quite a few crimes and minor villains attacks. Nothing over the top, but still quite dangerous.

Hitoshi (he had told me to call him that after only a week of us being brothers) and I had moved passed silently observing Dad's actions in alleyways. We were allowed to go out within 3 blocks of Dad's location and help people on our own. Within the last few weeks, I've stopped 5 robberies, 10 assaults, helped 2 lost children, stopped 6 sexual harassments/ assaults and aided Dad and Hitoshi take down a rampaging villain. Every time I put on my hero costume and stepped out onto the streets, I couldn't help but feel a surge of power and responsibility. The feeling could be stifling at times, but I took that feeling in strife, never allowing it to consume me, but using it as motivation to move forwards and help as many people as I can. Just like my mum would want me to.

"A meeting? Why are we going to a meeting?" I asked with an inquisitive tilt of my head. Dad looked back at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, Problem Child, if you would let me speak, you would find out why, wouldn't you?" Dad asked, his tone suggesting he was a mixture of amused and annoyed at my question. I blushed ever so slightly and nodded my head quickly.

"As I was going to say before I was interrupted, we'll be going to a meeting with the Nighteye Agency and some others as well. The meeting is tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock and I expect you both to get there on yourselves. I'm not your dad-" Dad paused for a second, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried again. "When your older I won't be around to make sure you get where you need to go so you both need to sort yourselves out, got it?" Dad asked.

"Yes, Dad."

"Of course, Shota."

Hitoshi and I both replied. Dad nodded and dismissed us, waving for us to leave the teacher's lounge and head towards the dorms. We walked in a familiar silence which settled in our bones and radiated simple comfort and developing familial bonds. It had been like that ever since Hitoshi was officially adopted, we weren't cautious around each other, we were already fairly good friends, so we could walk in comfortable silences.

"I bet tomorrow will be really interesting," I said, breaking the heavy silence which had settled over us like a weighted blanket. Shinso nodded his head silently and hummed.

"Yeah, I hope it will be. If it's not, I might fall asleep." Hitoshi replied with a slight smirk. I laughed gently, my chiming laughter spiralling through the air and floating around the two of us.

It wasn't long before we made it to the dorms and went our separate ways. Hitoshi to his bedroom and me to Kyoka's so that we could initiate band practice.

The next morning dawned blindingly bright and a complete contrast to the subject matter of the meeting which I was so oblivious to when I walked down the streets of my prefecture, accompanied by Ochako, Tsu, Kiri and Hitoshi.

We all laughed amongst ourselves as we rode the train to the city in which the meeting place was. We giggled as we crossed the road and saw a funny-looking cat staring at us with bulging electric green eyes. We greeted our upperclassmen at the door of the Nighteye building. We entered the conference room smiling, only to have our grins drop when the atmosphere of the room his us at full force.

My heart stuttered at the disgusted and solemn looks on every adult's face. They were all reading from thick wads of paper which rested on the table in front of them. "You've arrived," Dad commented as he walked over to all 8 of us, "Take a seat by your mentor and take a look at the meeting brief. The meeting will officially start in five minutes.". We all nodded and split up to sit with our respective mentors. Shinso and I took our seats with Dad sat between the two of us.

I looked down at the crisp pieces of paper in front of me that contained details enough to disgust even some of the best pro-heroes that I know. As I read through the paper, my stomach turned over and over again. The Shie Hassaikai group, more importantly, their leader Kai Chisaki aka Overhaul, were putting out quirk enhancing drugs as well as developing drugs which could erase quirks entirely. Just the thought of someone's quirk being erased made my heart leap from my chest. Not to mention the gargantuan fact that a little girl's body was being used to create the drugs. I wanted to throw up. What kind of sick bastard does that to a six-year-old child? It was a pointless question to ask. I knew what type of people did that sort of stuff. Villains. People like Hisashi. Dreadful people who mascarade as heroes. Like Endeavour.

"Now that everyone is present, let us begin this meeting." The curt voice of Sir Nighteye spoke from the head of the table. I raised my head, looking past Rock Lock and towards the tall bespeckled man. Sir Nighteye was dressed, as always in a grey suit with a red tie. His green and yellow hair was pressed firmly against his head in a neat hairstyle.

"You are all here because I think that you can be beneficial in the taking down of the Shie Hassaikai group, more specifically the leader Kai Chisaki. He is also known as Overhaul. Chisaki's quirk is known as Overhaul, which of course is the origin of his alias. His quirk allows him to disassemble and reassemble matter with his bare hands." Nighteye explained. A photo of Chisaki flashed onto the screen behind Nighteye.

I assessed the photo of this dangerous villain. He looked normal, overall, dark brown hair, golden eyes. The only thing out of place was the beak-like mask which protruded from the man's face. It was a dull red and gold. The purpose of the mask could range from intimidation to being a germaphobe. The latter seemed plausible given the fact that the man was wearing gloves in every photo which we were shown of him.

"The intel we have gathered suggests that Chisaki may be using this little girl to create drugs which can eliminate or deactivate the quirk gene entirely. We need to take him down before he can mass-produce the drug and push our already fragile hero society over the edge." Nighteye continued.

The slideshow continued and showed a picture of a sweet, white-haired girl with wide vermillion eye and bandage wrapped arms. Anger swelled in me like a balloon at the sight of the poor girl. How could anyone harm a hair on her head? She was so innocent looking and the scared look in her eyes was too genuine for her to be putting on an act.

"As I said before, you are all here because you will be beneficial in taking down this man. Fatgum, you have experience with drugs, yes?" Nighteye asked.

"Yeah. Back when I first emerged I worked case after case centred around emerging quick enhancement drugs." Fatgum nodded firmly.

"Eraserhead, do you think you could shed any light about the intricacies of the underground world and the erasure of quirks?" Nighteye asked.

"My quirk most likely doesn't operate in the same way as this drug does. When I use my quirk, it's like I'm temporarily blocking somebody's ability to use their quirk. Of course, it only works on emitter and transformation types. Mutation type quirks aren't just to do with the quirk gene but something much more as well." Dad explained to the occupants of the room.

"The underworld is always full of promises of drugs which can do a whole manner of things. It's hard to distinguish what's real and what's fiction. However, there has been a buzz recently within some of the more tame villain circles that The Leauge and another group are going to cooperate to get a drug out which will help take down heroes. I can only assume that this is what they were talking about." Dad continued, his eyes straying down to glance at the information in front of him before he looked back up at Nighteye. "I would say that this is a lot bigger than just a drug potentially getting out if this includes the Leauge of Villains this could lead to a mass terrorist attack against hero society.".

There were several displeased mutters around the table as the meeting continued. Nighteye instructed separate heroes to keep an eye on their areas and what to look out for. Warning us that in a few weeks, we would be storming the Shie Hassaikai's base of operation. I thought the meeting was over by this point, but Nighteye had other ideas.

"I nearly forgot. I have one more job which must be done." Nighteye said, his eye immediately fell onto me, causing me to break out in a cold sweat due to the severity behind his eyes.

"The best way to ensure that this operation passes as smoothly as possible is to have an inside man," Nighteye continued, his gaze never wavering as he continued to stare me down. "And in my professional opinion, the best way to do that is by having someone with a transformation quirk take one of the member's places.".

There was uproar at this. Dad shot up out of his chair and started vehemently dismissing the idea. Rock Lock also jumped up, shouting that Nighteye was going too far and that I would be in danger. He had expressed his opinion earlier in the meeting that school children, especially first years, shouldn't be involved in an operation which could go bad quickly. I was inclined to agree with Rock Lock. There was a very distinct difference in being attacked by a villain group whilst we're training to saving people when we're a suitable age and being used child soldiers. Maybe it would give us experience, but I thought we should probably save big operations, such as the one we were about to partake in, for the third year. It seems, however, that Nighteye wouldn't take no for an answer.

"I was reluctant to even allow my students to be on the scene of this operation, they are only 15 or 16 years old, they shouldn't be in that situation. But this, putting a 16-year-old directly into the villains' den, is too much! I won't allow this." Dad snarled, glaring directly into Nighteye's eyes. Nighteye looked unbothered by Shota's protests.

"I agree with Eraser! I didn't like the idea of these kids fighting before, what makes you think that it is morally correct to endanger him," Rock Lock asked, waving his hand behind him and nearly hitting me in the face. "He's not ready for this! He's too young!".

Again, Nighteye looked on with complete disinterest. "Are you two done? This is the fastest way to do this. Trust me, if I could, I wouldn't have him doing this, but unfortunately, the hero commission had demanded that this is what happens. I can do nothing against this. I've tried, but they seem to have no regard for the fact that they are using children as weapons. I am simply the messenger of this unfortunate news." Sir Nighteye replied in an even voice. I searched the man's body language, a skill I had been taught by both Dad and Kacchan, and saw that he appeared to be telling the truth.

I felt my heartbeat begin to thunder in my ears as arguments still raged around me. I knew that the hero commission was getting desperate and ruthless in its techniques, but was sending me into a villain's swarming hive really the best course of action. Surely there was a hero out there who had a quirk similar to mine?

As if he could read my mind, Sir Nighteye answer my internal question, though he was looking at Ryukyu as he answered, indicating that she had most likely asked the question which had been on my mind. "Unfortunately, only Aizawa-Midoriya's quirk was deemed good enough for the commission's standards. There are heroes who can change their appearances. There are heroes who can use other people's quirks. But there is no hero in the entirety of Japan who has a combination of those two quirks." Nighteyes answered, finally a solemn tone slipped into his otherwise emotionless voice.

With this, it seems as if everyone in the room deflated. There was no way around this. It was well known by every hero, even amongst us hero students, that once the hero commission wanted something, they got it by any means necessary. I was screwed. 

 Guess who's exams have been cancelled due to Covid? That's right, mine. And I actually wanted to do these exams as well. Anyway, thank you for reading Chapter 30 of Phenomenon and I hope you have a wonderful day wherever you are.