The Disfigured World: Hunting for Pathfinders

- Help me! Save us! - No! no! Don't come any closer! I don't want to die! - Mother! Dad! Where are you?! I'm scared! - Somebody! Help!       And so it is every time. Every fucking time I just want to close my eyes.       Midoriya Izuku had already stopped counting the days since that incident. It was as if all hell was over, he and his friends had been saved, and life was about to return to normal. But no. This didn't happen. It was as if it was getting worse every day.       Their class was suspended. The police took each of them on their own recognizance not to leave. All of his classmates went home to their families, so the UA management thought that this would help Aizawa's students cope with the stress that was piling up. But one thing they did not take into account - the crippling specifics of the experience that they experienced on that ill-fated practice. And the interrogations of the investigators who paid them home visits to investigate the disaster that had died down only brought them back to those unfortunate days in their minds.       After all, this was the first time their class had encountered death. With real human deaths.       All that was left for them at the moment was to wait for a joint verdict from the Commission on Emergency Situations and the UA Pedagogical Council. Whether they will return to the academy to continue their studies, or whether their class will be disbanded , is not up to them to decide. Of course, Izuku assumed that the Almighty was pulling strings to get their class back on track, or at least continue training his successor. But I had to admit that the ex-superhero #1 also has far from unlimited authority to take decisions of such situations entirely under his responsibility. There is little hope of his patronage.       And the guys themselves have not spoken to each other for several days. The group chat has been idle for too long. No one called each other. They tried not to leave the house due to emotional injuries. It's ironic that even stoics like Bakugou and Todoroki also succumbed to the circumstances, so what about the rest of us?       On the one hand, what could we say to each other in such a situation with its monstrous mark on the soul of everyone who was not lucky enough to get hit?       But on the upside, they had their own unspoken commitment to each other and their new "friends" - everything that happened on the island must remain on the island.       I hope that girl's instructions weren't a stupid joke and she knew what she was doing.       But against the background of nightmares, it all just disappears from my head. Every memory of those days... Images of live-action images of those unknown monsters killing them... With just a touch, they cause their bodies to disintegrate into weightless black dust. Even to see such a thing is already an unbearable test for an untrained person.       And these images come back to him every night. And each time, Midoriya wakes up screaming in a cold sweat, her own heartbeat echoing wildly in her head.       Even Inko didn't know how to help her son. It hurt her to look at him from the outside-how he pretended that everything was normal with him, even though it didn't even smell like" normal " here. For all her distrust of the path he'd chosen as an aspiring professional hero, she'd already considered turning to the Almighty for help... After all, Izuku didn't go into the details of what had happened on Naboo with her. But with his idol, Izuku can be more open and tell everything that even the police couldn't get out of him...       Midoriya's nightmares didn't go away, but the panic effect wasn't what it used to be. He was just tired of worrying about it. Yes, many people died because they and their classmates were not ready for this. But even the Almighty can't turn back time, and Izuku-as the new One-for-All host-is even less so. He couldn't stop working himself up over it, but he didn't see the point in reflecting on something that wasn't in his power, either.       With these thoughts, he lay on the bed in his room. I turned my head and saw a computer running next to me with the messenger open in the browser. Only now something subconscious prevents you from connecting and communicating with your classmates. Something that says in my head: "No, I need more time." Maybe he still wanted to speak out in front of them, to tell them everything that he wanted - or to listen and support one of his own people with a word, if they were as bad at heart as he was. At the very least, that's what his conscience wanted him to do.       But the mind was a more progmatic opinion. First of all, when you turn your soul inside out in front of someone, you can either shake up too much, or express yourself incorrectly-and thereby aggravate the situation. It's fine if Bakugou gets bombed again and goes to the mats, but he doesn't want to put the others in an awkward position. And secondly, the police probably know what their class is silent about, so they could hack their correspondence and find out everything. And that's if they didn't squeeze the truth out of one of them during the interrogation.       No, the latter is unlikely. If the police had found out about what happened there, Aizawa would have found out about it, and he would definitely have given their class a scolding for withholding critical information and the carnage that had taken place. If he hadn't done any favors for their group during the rescue of Bakugou from All-for-One, why would he be so generous now? But on the other hand, Aizawa is their homeroom teacher, and it's rather strange that he hasn't done anything to investigate this case yet. Maybe he's doing something himself. Or he was given the go-ahead from above not to climb to the children. Perhaps he was questioning the survivors of the island.       A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.       - Izuku, son, - my mother said carefully. - So... they came to you.       - To me? Who's there?       - I don't... There are some guys out there. They said they went to school with you.       The feeling of a dirty trick literally turned everything in his head upside down. Elementary school classmates? And you're only interested in it now? No, there's something wrong here. Besides, judging by my mother's hesitant tone, she didn't recognize them. And they showed up just when Izuku was least expecting an unscheduled visit.       There's definitely something wrong here.       Midoriya thought about this as he walked to the front door. His gut told him that they definitely weren't his classmates from school. And if they are not fellow students from the academy, then... Oh, my God.       He carefully opened the front door.       "They..." - the guy caught his breath at the sight of the visitors, - "But why?"       There were two of them - a guy and a girl. The worst and most surprising thing about this situation is that this is not their first meeting. They were there, too, on the island. Yes, they, along with the rest of their comrades, helped protect the locals and saved their entire class more than once. But there was a dark side to their situation - the circumstances of their acquaintance. It's rude to say this, but they were and still are a part of everything that happened there. The explanations they gave were critically short, but even worse, their mutual "friend" insisted that their class keep the existence of their mutual friends a secret. For the time being, but it's necessary.       Of course, it was possible to take all the credit for resolving the incident, but at the same time attract public attention. And in such circumstances, it was critically difficult to keep a secret, even if you realized how serious it was.       And now the two of them, ignoring their incognito status, came to Midoriya's house.       - Guys, - he said uncertainly, - You are...       Without another word, the girl ran to him and hugged him. It was as if she cared about him in her own way - her hands closed around Izuku's back, not too hard (for her small stature), but even through her gray hoodie and jeans, he could feel the warmth and softness of her skin. Her breathing is a barely audible sob. The soothing scent of sage wafted from her not-too-long brown hair to her neck. She was glad to see him again, but she had to restrain herself from getting emotional.       - She was worried about you, - her companion said, catching Midoriya's questioning gaze.       It was a 16-year-old guy in a black jacket that vaguely resembled an army jacket. It was basically the same outfit Izuku had seen him in on the island, except that he was wearing a smaller body kit now: no pouches, no hood, no katana scabbard on his back. Because of the hood and mask, he was rarely seen with his head uncovered, but now Izuku could see that his head was crowned with black hair, a few curls of which were dyed red on the left temple - this went quite well with his scarlet eyes, as well as with the strange-looking brace tag attached around the edge his right ear.       - Are you okay? - girl pulled away from Midoriya, looking up into his face with her light brown eyes and giving him a good-natured smile.       - Y-yes... - Gathering his thoughts, he asked, - But what are you doing here?       - I hope you're not busy, - the guy said, nodding toward the stairs. - Need a talk.       - OK. I am now.       Closing the door, Midoriya ran into the room.       - Son, is everything all right? - Inko asked.       - Mom, I need to go for a walk, - he was already hurriedly changing, - It's urgent. I'll be back soon.       - Izuku, they are... - Looking around cautiously, she lowered her voice to a loud whisper, - These guys aren't from your school, are they? And not even from UA?       The guy just nodded.       - Them... from there?       - Yes.       - What do they want from you?       - I don't know. But they saved us all then. We need to at least listen to them...       - Or I can call the police.       - I`m... Mother, I'll vouch for them. They are their own.       Hibiki and Yuito. In the rush of emotions, Midoriya even remembered the two men's names. They weren't exactly his enemies, but they wouldn't just come to his house, either. They need something from him. It's not exactly a condition he can meet, but they've saved him so many times that it's just a matter of decency to listen to them.       After 5 minutes, he came out.       - Where are we going? - Izuku asked, buttoning up his jacket as he walked.       - There's a shopping center nearby, isn't there? - the girl's question was addressed, I think, to her companion, - If there is a food court, we can safely talk there.       - Or we could here...       - That won't do. Moreover, another one is already waiting for us there.       - So why do you need me?       - We have a conversation.       Their answers were too monosyllabic to even suggest what they wanted from him. In fact, they don't really seem to be in great need of anything, especially with their resources, competent command from above, and well-coordinated command synergyin their actions. But it seemed so only at first glance - although they shed light on their past, but clearly not completely, so that others would have an idea of their life experience. Besides, Midoriya thinks that some of them there are no quirks, but this does not negate the presence of combat skills that they could put professional heroes under their belt. Well, and those of them who have quirks... they were quite masterful with them-but this was the level of regular military personnel, not civilian guardians of order.       And there were also those whose powers were not exactly quirks, if only because of the principles of their operation. But the power they demonstrate is still impressive.       In total, Izuku only mentally emphasized the confirmed data that he knew about them - it was a team of at least 3 factions of unlicensed heroes (possibly military or legalized PMCs) who work together. And this is despite all their differences in tactics and training. Almost like their class in UA, only they succeeded in interacting with each other.       Was telling Midoriya something about them that still made Midoriya uneasy: if they weren't professional heroes and had to hide their existence from the public, then who were they really? With their powers, it would be possible to prevent any natural disaster in the bud. With them, Shigaraki's gang could be put to rest - Izuku had a hunch that tracking down the iden heirs of All-for-One wouldn't be difficult. So many casualties could have been avoided if they had acted openly...       But then Midoriya remembered Red's words. She said you can't give them away. It is still too early for the community to know about their existence - at least because millions of lives are at stake. - Millions, plus the two others who started it all, - she'd said. - And I'm the one who hasn't yet determined whether these two can be saved." But in any case, you don't have the right to make a mistake, and I certainly don't.       And something told Izuku that she not about his entourage.       The three of them were walking along one of the streets of Muzutafu that separated the residential area from the business district. The facades of most of the buildings they came across were either lobbies of large offices and offices, or storefronts and cafe verandas. It was a Thursday morning in October, so the streets were less crowded, although traffic was surprisingly heavy for the current hour.       They tried to be as casual as possible, if only on the surface. Midoriya was nervous, mentally preparing for any outcome of their meeting, be it good or bad. The girl looked around with interest and hummed a tune to herself. The guy just looked around warily, his hands tensely in his jacket pockets.       - You have a beautiful city, Izuku, - the girl seemed to sense the tension between the three of them, so she decided to defuse the situation, - You have so many shops here! I'd love to go shopping if we weren't broke.       - Hibiki, - the guy said.       - I'm sorry. It's just so nice here that you can't help but think of home.       - And we have not built up cities like this for a long time. When monsters are constantly attacking, hiding places are more practical than places of leisure.       - Do you have a problem with monsters, too?       - Yes. Only they're not like yours. They don't turn people to dust, but it's not pleasant to get in touch with them either. Therefore, we immediately shoot to kill.       - Oh, my God... And how do you survive there?       - Guys, - Izuku began uncertainly, - So you're all here...       - ...from different worlds? Yeah, - the guy said, - But it just so happens that I'll have to live next door to you. If anything , it's not our whim either.              - What a sickener you are, Yuito! - the girl pouted jokingly. She turned to Midoriya: - You'll have to forgive him. It's not easy for all of us right now. Each house has a load of its own unresolved problems, and then there's this...       - By the way, - he said, turning to the others, - I think we're here.       As agreed, the meeting place was the Forku Shopping Center near Midoriya's house. It was an angular 3-storey complex (plus a "zero" floor underground), but because of the high ceilings, it felt much larger and more spacious from the inside than it looked from the outside. Many galleries and advertising banners invited its visitors to get acquainted with the range of products and services for every taste. Somewhere on either side of it was a movie theater, a private fitness club with a swimming pool, and a gaming club with arcade machines. But the teenagers weren't interested in them this time.       On the 3rd floor, there was a food court in the form of a small courtyard with tables, surrounded by a semicircle of various eateries from local large companies and foreign brands. On weekends, it is crowded because of the prevailing hype - some people spend dates here, others have friendly gatherings or celebrate family shopping trips. In the morning and afternoon hours, there are not so many visitors here-often they are either tourists interested in local cuisine, or office plankton for a private direct meeting with each other or potential customers.       This was good for the guys - they will have to warm their ears less with discussions that do not concern them.       - I'm going to order something, - Yuito said, - Midoriya, can I get you something?       - Um... no.       The guy went to order food, and Izuku was left alone with the girl.       - I thought you didn't have the money...       - We save local money very hard. But for the sake of distraction, you can order something for one time, right?       - Well, yes, but...       - It's all right. Don't worry. We know that you and your classmates didn't turn us in...       - How do you know that? Were you following us?       - He and I don't. It's all twins. For the past few days, they've been collecting information about local customs...       - And that's about how you found me. We just tracked the address.       - Heh! How did you guess?       - You were quite confident in navigating the city for people who were in our world recently. They must have been studying maps of the city.       - Exactly. But as you already understood, not all information is easy to get on the Internet. Something can be extracted from a person only through communication.       - You mean me? And what did you learn from me?       - That you're a good guy, Izuku. That you always wanted to help people. That in the most hopeless situation, you can always reach out to anyone who needs it. You and I are very similar in this respect.       - Yes, - he said. - I noticed that, too...       Midoriya was about to say something else when a familiar voice called out:       - DAMN DEKU!!!       The guy automatically turned around.       - Kacchan?       It was true - a classmate from elementary school and UA, known for his heavy temper, was briskly approaching the table where Midoriya was sitting with the girl. Moreover, he was moving so fast, as if he wanted to punch him in the face on the spot.       - You... What are you doing here?       - Why the hell aren't you writing shit in the chat? At least Uraraka or Iida would have called first! Those two are worried about you too, you idiot!..       - Oh, hello! - Hibiki gave him a friendly wave.       - What the hell are you doing with him? Not only that cunt that we were dragged into, but also decided to sit on the neck of this mumbler?       - Kacchan, that's not the point at all, - Izuku knew that it would be almost useless to calm down Bakugou's bloated appearance, but he also needed to give him some sort of rebuke. - They contacted me to...       - An appointment was made a few words about what had happened? Yes, I know about it. Why the fuck didn't you mention it?       - Because we went to his house about an hour ago, - Yuito had already returned with a tray, - And we called him alone.       - By the way, - Hibiki looked at the blonde questioningly, - How did you know about our meeting?       - She told me, - he said, nodding toward his companion.       Another girl was slowly approaching the table from the side. She looks like a 14-15-year-old girl with long dark scarlet hair in two pigtails tied with black ribbons. She was wearing what looked vaguely like a school uniform - a white blouse with a black tie and black piping at the collar, and a red skirt just below the knees. Otherwise, her legs were covered with black stockings. Her "uniform" also had a jacket, but she wore it like a cape-just draped over her shoulders.       - Captain? - Yuito raised an eyebrow in surprise.       - I'm the Commander, you blockhead! - she snapped. - You serve in the army yourself, but you still get confused in your ranks. Pathetic!       - My bad.       - I think we were supposed to be met by your brother, - Hibiki scratched her forehead thoughtfully.       - I plowed him into another job. And it would be better for someone from the command to be present at the negotiations. Also, compared to Gen and Fu, I look less suspicious. Right?       - You look like a juvenile delinquent, - Bakugou said smugly.       For which he immediately received an elbow in the stomach from the short man. For all her small stature, the blow was so painful that the blond man staggered back with a hiss of curses.       - Even though you're studying to be a hero, Bakugou, someone has to smack your lips, - her scarlet eyes glared at him with a sadistic squint, - Maybe I should do it?       - Em... Can I ask you something? - Midoriya raised his hand, - Why exactly did you gather Kacchan and me here?       - You're asking the right question, Izuku, - she said, taking a seat at the table with the others. Bakugou pulled up a chair from the next table and sat down last, still glaring at the girl. - It was enough to call you alone, but your 'friend' will clearly confirm everything you hear here. This is just in case UA doesn't believe you.       - Stop pulling the cat's balls! Just tell me what the fuck you want from us, - Bakugou was starting to get back his high spirits.       - In short, - Yuito said, - Our top brass decided to make some adjustments to the plan proposed by Red. If you're in cahoots with us, you should know about it.       - To be more precise, we want you to tell your teachers about us, - the new girl said, - Whether they will share this information with the police or the special services is up to them to decide. But we want to organize negotiations with the UA management.       Even Bakugou was taken aback by those words, much less Midoriya.       - But after all...       - So many days disguised, and now you decided to show your face, - the blonde chuckled, - Conscience tormented?       - With all the firepower of our alliance, we are limited in terms of resources and means, - Hibiki explained, - We don't want to fight anyone, but we are unlikely to be able to disperse to our own worlds in the near future. Therefore...       - So we want to work with these 'professional heroes' of yours, "the second thought finished," your world, your community, your rules. We are not criminals, so we try to act within the law, even if it is foreign to us. Moreover, as the events on that island showed, even if you, the students, have no experience in dealing with this otherworldly crap, then how can your teachers have it? And this is with your rather harsh level of training!..       - We'll help you in any way we can. But on your own terms, - Yuito summed up.       - All you have to do is tell it exactly as it was to your so - called 'Almighty'. He may be a retired hero, but he still has a lot of authority. We are counting on his cooperation.       - And better warn your classmates about our request. Considering how much you all had to endure while you had to cover for us, it wouldn't be surprising if someone started acting weird after our revelation.       - All clear, boys? - Shorty gave both students a cold look, - All you have to do is deliver a message. What to talk to them about, we'll figure it out for ourselves, - after that, she turned to Midoriya's escort: - We're done here.       The three of them got up from the table and were about to leave when Izuku caught up with them:       - Wait! - When he had caught his breath, he asked: - What about the other two? Do you know where they are?       The girls looked at each other in puzzlement, not knowing what to say.       - No, - their commander said, - We don't even have any guesses.       They turned and left. Midoriya just stood there, watching them go, his mind still racing with uneasy thoughts.       - That's why I managed to contact them, - He didn't notice that Bakugou was standing at his side, also escorting their new acquaintances.       - What do you think of them, Kacchan?       - They may be heroes like us, but I can smell a lot of trouble on my ass.       - They helped us then...       - That doesn't make them any less annoying.       - Do you like anyone at all, Kacchan?       - You know me, dumbass - I don't like anyone.