Chapter Text
Izuku was pleasantly surprised by how well his internship with Endeavor, alongside Bakugo and Todoroki, was going. They had encountered a few villains and emerged victorious—an experience he found both thrilling and eventful.
As Izuku stood outside the alleyway, Hawks approached Endeavor, his tone carrying an edge that Izuku couldn't quite place. Hawks' arrival had also made Izuku feel as though they were being watched.
“What are you doing here, Hawks? The press would love to see us together,” Endeavor remarked. Izuku noted that Hawks wasn’t typically in this area—had he come specifically to meet Endeavor?
While Hawks and Endeavor engaged in what Izuku could only half-follow, he used the opportunity to scan his surroundings. His instincts told him that Hawks’ presence had something to do with monitoring the League of Villains (LOV). He knew this from an accidental discovery while fiddling with the Security cams at the HPSC, where he had seen Hawks seeking advice from the Commission's President on how to gain the LOV’s trust.
His attention was suddenly drawn to a phone box across the street, where he spotted something unusual. A closer look revealed Dabi—was the villain actually hiding in a phone box? Izuku was astonished; he had expected heroes to be more vigilant.
He glanced back at Endeavor and Hawks. While he considered warning them, he hesitated. Hawks seemed to be delivering a message discreetly, and interrupting could jeopardize their efforts. Izuku decided to trust that Hawks knew what he was doing.
As Izuku tuned back into their conversation, Endeavor was asking, “Why are you holding a book?”
“This book is one of my favorites. I was planning to give it to you to read,” Hawks replied, handing it over.
Curious, Izuku asked, “Can I have one too?” He had a feeling the book was more significant than Hawks let on.
Hawks hesitated briefly before producing three more copies. “Of course! I always come prepared.” He handed out the books to the three trainees.
Izuku examined the book in his hands—it was titled “Meta Liberation War.”
“If you don’t want to read the whole thing, just focus on the highlighted sections,” Hawks instructed, directing his gaze at Endeavor.
“Why give me a book you know I won’t read?” Endeavor asked, looking annoyed.
“I think it raises some important points. If acted upon, we might find ourselves with more time on our hands,” Hawks replied. Izuku froze at this; it was unusual for Hawks to express a desire for less free time.
“Just,” Hawks began, pausing as he searched for the right words, “pay special attention to the highlighted parts, especially the second part.”
The mention of a ‘second part’ seemed odd to Izuku. Was it a hidden message or just Hawk’s peculiar behavior?
When Izuku looked at Endeavor, the pro hero seemed oblivious to anything amiss. Maybe it was nothing.
Then, Izuku noticed Hawks' peculiar expression—one that seemed to be silently urging Endeavor to notice something. Hawks turned to look at Izuku, who must have displayed some confusion because Hawks tilted his head and mouthed something that looked like, “He really is an idiot.”
Realizing Hawks was indeed hinting at something, Izuku quickly glanced back at Dabi, who remained concealed in the phone box. Dabi wasn’t looking at him but was fixated on something that resembled a phone.
Hawks followed Izuku’s gaze, his eyes widening as he looked back at him. The winged hero made a shushing gesture.
So, Hawks wanted to keep Dabi’s presence a secret. Izuku nodded in understanding—he could manage that. Perhaps the internships weren’t going as smoothly as he had thought.
As the police arrived to arrest the villain they had previously encountered, Hawks prepared to leave, slipping a feather into Izuku’s costume unnoticed by everyone.
Izuku, aware of Hawks' quirk, made a mental note to be cautious about what he said aloud. He knew he had to take action if Endeavor wouldn’t.
Unbeknownst to Hawks, who simply aimed to protect others, the chaos that would unfold would impact not only Japan but also the Meta Liberation Front.
~~~~~
The trio was dropped off in front of UA and made their way into the dorms, only to be immediately swarmed with questions from their peers.
Izuku tried to slip away quietly to his room, but Todoroki gave him an understanding look and a nod towards the book, indicating that he too had noticed something.
Once alone in his room, Izuku pulled out the book and flipped through its pages, recalling Hawks’ instructions: “Read the highlighted parts closely,” and “Pay special attention to the second part.”
He turned to the highlighted sections, puzzled. Was “the second part” referring to the second half of each highlighted passage? Or perhaps the second word? He decided to focus on the second word of each highlighted segment.
The first highlighted phrase read: ‘The enemy is the liberation army.’
Izuku frowned. What was this about? It was something he would need to investigate further.
The next highlighted section stated: ‘They number over 100,000.’
The implications were staggering.
And then: ‘In four months…’
Panic set in. If Endeavor didn't grasp the gravity of this situation, he might dismiss Hawks' cryptic message as mere eccentricity. Izuku's hands trembled as the book slipped from his grasp. This was far worse than he had imagined.
‘The enemy is the liberation army. They number over 100,000. In four months…’
Izuku knew he needed help. Despite Endeavor being the number 1 hero, Izuku doubted his ability to piece together this critical information on his own.
He also remembers hearing something about the League of Villains joining them while listening to one of Hawks’s phone calls. This means that Shigaraki is one of the main leaders. But, he hasn't heard anything from the villain for a while. Did something happen?
If the L.O.V is involved with the Liberation army, then All for One has ties to it. And what stops All for One from telling Shigaraki about getting One for All. After all, Shigaraki doesn't exactly like Izuku.
The heroes would be unprepared for the scale of this threat if they charged in blindly. It was up to Izuku to take the lead.
He hurried to his notebook and began outlining a plan. After finishing the book, Izuku identified the key players needed to counter the Liberation Army:
For brute strength:
Tamaki Amajiki
Bakugo Katsuki
Todoroki Shoto
Kirishima Eijiro
For stealth and intelligence gathering:
Jiro Kyako
Shinso Hitoshi
For combat support:
Kaminari Denki
Monoma Neito
For technical support:
Hatsume Mei, renowned for her rapid hero gear creations, and one who would likely accept the challenge.
Izuku also remembered the look Hawks had given him during their conversation with Endeavor. It would be inconsiderate to exclude him from the plan. Additionally, he knew it was pointless to try and keep this from Nedzu, the intelligent principal of UA. With an IQ of 280, Nedzu would inevitably be involved in the planning phase.
As Izuku prepared for the task ahead, he realized just how crucial it was to act quickly and decisively.
~~~~~
In the early morning before school, Izuku’s thoughts were consumed by the book.
He had been contemplating the best way to rally support. Initially, he considered asking his classmates directly during class while Aizawa was asleep, but he quickly realized that plan wouldn’t work. Despite appearances, Aizawa was never truly asleep.
He knew Aizawa would never approve of the mission; he would deem it too reckless and illogical. So, Izuku decided to take a different approach—he would send out letters instructing his peers to meet him at a designated spot tomorrow after school.
He carefully penned each letter with the same message, varying only the names on the envelopes. After putting them in his backpack, he hurried downstairs, having missed breakfast. In the common room, he encountered two of his eight targets: Kaminari and Jiro. He handed them their letters.
“What’s this about?” Jiro asked, opening her envelope.
“Just read them,” Izuku replied, already heading for the door.
As he approached Class 1-A’s door, Izuku realized the most challenging part of his plan was yet to come. He needed to be cautious not to draw Aizawa’s attention.
On his way to his desk, he discreetly slipped Bakugou his letter and Kirishima’s. Bakugou shot him a curious glance but handed Kirishima his letter without comment. Once seated, Izuku passed Shinso Todoroki’s letter and instructed him to deliver it. After Todoroki received his letter, he handed Shinso his own and turned back to his work. The remaining letters could be delivered during lunch. As Aizawa approached the classroom, Izuku pushed his concerns about the Meta Liberation Front to the back of his mind, focusing on the lessons ahead.
~~~~~
Izuku walked into the cafeteria and looked around for Class 1b. He spotted them in the far corner of the cafeteria, and started walking over to them. He takes a deep breath before walking up the Monoma.
Anyone with half a brain cell knows how much Monoma hates Class 1a students, so Izuku knows this isn't going to go too smoothly.
“Hey Monoma!” Izuku said as he reached the table.
“What do you want?” Monoma says back, with a snarky tone.
“I wanted to give you this.” he says while he hands him the envelope. Izuku leans closer to his ear and whispers, “Don’t show it to anyone,” before going into the lunch line to get food.
Izuku watches from afar as Monoma slowly opens the envelope and reads its contents. He has a scowl on his face but nods slightly to himself like he made up his mind. Izkuku can only hope he decides to show up.
While in line, Izuku thinks of how to give Tamaki, a third year student, his letter. He suddenly remembers that the big three are going to be in their heroics class. He can give it to him then.
~~~~~
During lunch, Izuku reviews the list of people he still needs to deliver letters to. Only Hatsume and Tamaki remain. He already has a plan for Tamaki, so that just leaves Mei.
Knowing her, she’s probably in the lab, but just to be sure, he approaches a table where he recognizes a few support course students.
“Hey, have you guys seen Hatsume?”
The students glance at him briefly before returning to their meals.
“Yeah, she’s still in the lab with Power Loader,” one of them replies.
“Thanks!” Izuku says, dashing off toward Class 1-H.
When he reaches the lab, he cracks the door open slightly (it’s honestly a miracle it hasn’t been blown off its hinges… again) to confirm she’s inside. She is.
“Umm… Hatsume?” he calls, tapping lightly on the doorframe.
“One sec,” she replies absentmindedly, tinkering with a piece of metal.
While waiting, Izuku glances around the lab. Power Loader sits at his desk, quietly observing him and Hatsume.
“What do you need?” she asks without looking up.
“Could you step outside for a moment?” Izuku requests.
She follows him into the hallway, where he hands her a letter. “Could you read this when you have time?”
“Sure,” she says, her focus already drifting back to her project.
Izuku watches her return to the lab, hoping she’ll agree to help. Out of all the support course students, Hatsume might have blown up the most stuff, but she’s also created the most inventions—or, as she likes to call them, her “babies.”
As he closes the door (still amazed it’s somehow intact), Izuku heads back to class. Now all that’s left is to deliver Tamaki’s letter during heroics.
~~~~~
Izuku honestly felt bad for Amajiki. The third-year hero student stood in the corner of the training room, muttering, “I want to go home,” over and over again. Izuku really couldn’t blame him.
Joint training exercises were tough enough on their own, but now they were pitted against the Big Three instead of Class 1-B.
While another team from Class 1-A was being utterly demolished by Mirio, Izuku decided to approach Amajiki.
“Hello, Amajiki-senpai! How’s your day been?” Izuku asked cheerfully.
Amajiki visibly flinched, his shoulders stiffening before he answered in a shaky voice, “G-g-good,” quickly turning back to face the wall.
Undeterred, Izuku reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter he had prepared.
“I have this for you,” he said, holding it out. “Please don’t tell anyone else about it, okay?”
Amajiki hesitated, his expression a mix of suspicion and confusion, but after a moment, he reluctantly nodded and took the letter.
~~~~~
Later that evening, Izuku collapsed into his bed, utterly exhausted. The weight of what lay ahead felt crushing.
He still needed to hold the first meeting with the others, pray that nobody betrayed their trust, and somehow take down the number one villain—and his massive army. Izuku still couldn’t wrap his head around how many people they’d have to face.
And he only had four months. Four months to pull off something that felt nearly impossible.
Taking a deep breath, Izuku forced himself to calm down. He couldn’t afford to panic now. He needed a clear head if his plan was going to succeed.
For now, all he could do was hope. Hope that everything would work out in the end