The conference room inside the Pro Hero Headquarters buzzed with unease. Walls lined with digital screens displayed heat maps, live feeds, and scrolling threat assessments. The tension was thick, like a pressure pressing against everyone's lungs. Endeavor stood at the front, arms crossed, his expression carved in stone. Hawks leaned casually against a pillar, but the tension in his eyes betrayed his usual cool. Edgeshot, Best Jeanist, and Tsukauchi were seated, reviewing reports, murmuring over the latest data feeds. A hollow silence occasionally punctuated the room whenever a new incident report popped up on the screen.
All Might, though no longer active, watched quietly from the corner. Though retired, his presence added weight to the meeting. The younger heroes glanced his way often, seeking reassurance. His arms were folded, brows furrowed in thought.
Standing beside the main console was Reiji—silent but observant. His eyes scanned the scrolling data with intensity. Unlike the others, his expression held neither fear nor tension—only focus.
"For them to strike multiple locations like this in tight succession," Edgeshot said, voice low and clipped, "they had to be coordinated. This wasn't a prison break; it was a strategy. A message."
Tsukauchi flipped through surveillance images. "We've confirmed villain movement in six different districts. And each time, they vanish before reinforcements can respond. It's almost like they know our routes."
Reiji stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "They're not attacking at random. They're testing how fast we can respond. Watching who arrives, how we fight, and who we protect first. This is surveillance by force."
Best Jeanist looked up from a satellite map. "And who do you think is pulling the strings?"
Reiji didn't hesitate. "All For One."
A silence fell over the room like a dropped curtain. The gravity of the name lingered in the air.
Hawks broke it with a sigh, brushing his bangs back. "Can't argue with that. This feels like the prelude to something worse."
All Might stepped forward at last, his expression somber. "Then we need to prepare. Because if he's watching… he's planning. And we're already behind."
Endeavor finally spoke, voice rough. "Then we'll make the next move his last."
Back at UA's dormitory, Class 1-A gathered in the common room. The television played muted news coverage of the destruction caused by the recent villain attacks. The bright glow of the screen bathed their serious faces in cold light. Midoriya sat on the couch, hands clasped tightly in front of him. Bakugo leaned against the wall, arms crossed, scowling at nothing in particular. Iida stood near Todoroki, who silently stared out the window at the darkening sky.
"They say Reiji fought both Muscular and Moonfish by himself," Kirishima said, tone mixed with awe and disbelief. "And won."
"Is that even possible?" Mina whispered, leaning forward.
Midoriya frowned. "It is… for him. He's gotten stronger than any of us expected." He paused. "But there's something about the way he fights… it feels like he's holding back, or trying to control something."
"You sound worried," Uraraka noted gently, sitting beside him.
"I am," Midoriya admitted. "He's strong, but it feels like he's being pulled into something none of us understand. Like something big is coming, and he's right in the center of it."
Bakugo scoffed. "If he's strong, then he should be fine. Don't get soft, Deku."
Todoroki finally spoke, his voice low. "Still… it's not just strength. Something about him has changed. He looks… heavier. Like he's carrying something none of us can see."
The conversation fell quiet as everyone stared at the screen, where images of Moonfish's rampage looped. Reiji's silhouette appeared briefly in the footage—just a flash—but it was enough to silence the room.
That night, in his private room at the dorms, Reiji sat cross-legged on his bed. The lights were off, and the only glow came from the hovering system interface in front of him. A soft hum filled the room, mixing with the occasional rustle of the wind outside.
He focused, channeling his energy into the system. As the interface loaded, he noted an irregularity—data latency and memory loopback failures.
[System Status: Internal Sync Disruption Detected]
"What's causing this?" he muttered, pulling up deeper diagnostics.
There was no sign of external tampering. All access logs pointed to normal use. But the instability felt… familiar. Almost like deja vu.
Suddenly, a spike in feedback hit his senses—sharp, but internal.
A wave of phantom pain passed through him, flashing visions of a cloaked figure wielding shadows. The imagery wasn't external—it was buried within the system's memory archive. A remnant of a past template, not an intruder.
[Archived Template Phantom Signature Detected]
Reiji exhaled slowly. "So it's not someone else… it's the system itself processing leftover data."
He isolated the template, tagging it for suppression.
"I need to be more careful when unlocking deeper powers," he whispered. "Fragments might still echo through the system's core."
The message faded.
[Template Fragment Contained. Instability Resolved.]
He stared at his hand as a flicker of cold flame licked along his knuckles—black, ethereal, and gone in an instant.
He narrowed his eyes. "That was a warning… not from the outside—but from within."
Elsewhere, hidden deep in a crumbling ruin surrounded by decay, the League of Villains gathered in the shadows. Shigaraki stood at the head of a stone table, where Dabi, Spinner, Twice, and Mr. Compress were seated. Behind them, monitors played recordings of recent battles.
"It's time," Shigaraki said, his voice devoid of emotion. "The boy's getting in our way."
Dabi smirked, blue flame licking the corner of his hand. "Then we burn him first."
Shigaraki raised a hand, halting him. "No. We draw him out. That strange power of his... it's not like any Quirk we've seen. It feels… borrowed. Artificial."
Twice tilted his head. "So he's got a cheat code?"
Spinner leaned forward. "Whatever it is, he's masking something. And that makes him dangerous."
Mr. Compress twirled a coin through his fingers. "It's a game of masks and secrets now. Let's see who slips first."
Reiji stood at the edge of the dorm's rooftop, staring out at the quiet horizon. The sky was clouded, the breeze carrying a hint of smoke—faint but distinct.
[System Notice: Upcoming Threat Level Reassessment Pending]
He closed his eyes.
"They don't know what I am," he muttered, "and I'll keep it that way."
He turned as the wind shifted again. The distant scent of burning, barely perceptible, curled through the air.
"If they're coming… I'll be ready."
To be continued...
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