It was almost two in the morning.
Reiji made his way through the narrow alleys of an industrial area in Musutafu. His footsteps were light, barely audible. He wore a loose-fitting, dark jacket with a hood covering his face. A black mask covered the lower half of his face.
His blood seeped invisibly beneath his clothes, ready for any surprise attack. It was one of the things he'd learned from Nagant over the past three days, though he was still perfecting it.
His ntor and partner on this mission was already in position, ready to give orders once Reiji arrived. It didn't take the boy long to reach the sa spot he'd been at weeks ago; he could still feel the child's gaze, now more present than ever.
"In position"
"Okay, await instructions"
His voice was barely audible, but enough for the other end of the line to respond. That night, everything was different. He wasn't just going to watch. If the situation demanded it, he would act.
The warehouse was brighter than he'd expected. Voices could be heard—many of them. Adults arguing with each other, old machinery being dragged around, the sharp clang of tools, and… children's voices. Soft cries. Orders barked out harshly.
"The shipnt's over there—we only have 20 minutes left. Hurry up!"
The scene was very similar to the one he'd observed that day, but now he had more information than before. The charges remained the sa—arms trafficking and illegal possession of hero technology—along with the use of children for their operations.
What had changed was the number of mbers in the organization. According to Nagant's sources, the organization consisted of about forty mbers—larger than expected.
It was rare, especially during the era of peace All Might had created in Japan, but not impossible.
"Move, find a better angle. Take advantage of the darkness."
Reiji didn't respond and used his Quirk as a bridge to move between buildings with ease. There was no moon tonight, making the night much darker—perfect for this kind of mission.
From the new angle, he saw a dozen n, ard and dressed in ordinary clothes, directing several children as they organized boxes and goods. So of the boys wore bandages on their wrists; others had marks from recent burns. Among them, he saw him: the sa boy he'd observed days earlier, with the sa sunken eyes, now carrying boxes with a constant tremor in his legs.
"On position"
Although he recognized him, he didn't react and remained alert; if everything went as planned, he could disable the facility without having to fight.
"Alright, wait for the boss to show up. Once he's eliminated, our job is done"
That was the mission: eliminate the organization's boss and dismantle the entire chain of command. After that, the heroes and the police could step in to capture the remaining cell of the organization.
Without a leader, it would be very difficult for them to face the heroes.
"Copy that."
As soon as he confird the instruction, sothing slipped through the shadows. If not for his heightened alertness, he wouldn't have noticed.
He turned his head to look for the shadow; he was fairly certain he'd gone unnoticed in his position, but he didn't want to take any chances. He didn't alert Nagant and trusted his reaction, the blood covering him beneath his clothes.
A figure leapt silently, appearing above the warehouse's large window. Reiji watched as it looked at the guard just below its position and fell with an almost inhuman fluidity to knock out the first man.
It was a single, sharp blow—silent and without confrontation. The light of the place revealed the figure even more clearly to Reiji's eyes. A white scarf that moved like a whip, unkempt hair that fell to his shoulders, and an all-black outfit with fluid, silent movents.
Reiji recognized him imdiately; due to his reputation as a nocturnal hero, he was soone Reiji had studied to avoid encountering on missions like this one.
Eraser Head, or better known as Aizawa.
"The hero Eraser Head is with us; he infiltrated the building."
All Reiji could do was inform his superior and wait for orders; otherwise, he risked the entire operation.
"Alright, let's proceed as planned. Let's try to use his presence as a distraction. Keep him under observation and assist him if necessary—don't reveal yourself."
Reiji said nothing and slipped down silently. Eraser had already slipped past the side of the warehouse, disappearing from view. He slipped through a side slit and made his way into the back of the warehouse.
'If Eraser finds , he'll probably try to stop . Villain or not, I'm using my Quirk illegally. I have to be careful in a 1-on-1 fight; I don't stand a chance against him.'
Eraser Head had already begun moving with precision, slipping between the shelves like a living shadow. His experience and agility were evident in his ability to take down the guards with ease.
Reiji could barely keep up, guided only by the unconscious bodies of the guards. He could sll a chemical near the criminals—the one that induced sleep—but he couldn't identify which one it was.
'Does he plan to take them all out by himself?'
The question was natural, seeing how he took down every mber they encountered without much effort. However, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Eraser was ambushed by a criminal.
From the north wing of the warehouse, soone shouted:
"They're attacking us!!"
The hum of an old engine kicked in sowhere in the warehouse, followed by a series of ergency lights that bathed everything in a dull, uneven red, casting distorted shadows between the tal structures and the rows of stacked boxes.
Reiji didn't need confirmation from Nagant to know.
The mission had escalated.
"ACTIVATE DEFENSE PROTOCOL!"
The shout echoed from the center of the structure. In a matter of seconds, what had been a contained operation turned into an open conflict zone. Gunfire began to ring out from different angles, mixed with the activation of Quirks: electrical sparks, bursts of heat, objects being violently hurled about.
Reiji adjusted his stance imdiately, lowering his center of gravity while analyzing the surroundings in fractions of a second. The routes that had previously been viable were now compromised. The main entrance was out of the question. The side exits were his best option.
"Get out of there, Agent. We have more heroes on the periter."
Nagant's voice ca through clearly.
No room for interpretation.
'More heroes…?'
That changed everything.
"Roger."
Before he could move, a figure erged from his blind spot and ramd into him with force. The impact forced him to stumble back several steps, absorbing the blow with his arms before regaining his balance. The attacker didn't hesitate to follow up, landing a second blow directly to his torso.
Reiji twisted his body; the blow struck the ground, and the man's face contorted slightly with anger.
Due to the presence of heroes in the area, Reiji had to think of another way to use his Quirk to prevent any caras or heroes from seeing his true abilities.
His fist was covered in a crimson layer and struck the man's face with enough force to unbalance him. The attacker stumbled backward, colliding with another figure advancing from the front.
Reiji didn't pursue him.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Reiji got to his feet and began planning his escape.
The shadows cast by the ergency lights worked in his favor. The noise masked his footsteps. The clashes between heroes and criminals absorbed everyone's attention.
But he couldn't let his guard down.
Because he was also a target if anyone recognized him.
He took a sharp corner, jumped onto a tal container, and dropped to the other side without making a sound, absorbing the impact with his legs before continuing.
He had to disappear.
He turned sharply toward a partially collapsed section of the warehouse, where several boxes had been knocked over during the confrontation. He dove between them, sliding along the floor before getting to his feet on the other side.
He grabbed a jacket lying on the ground. He pulled it on as he ran.
Two criminals passed him without stopping, mistaking the jacket for an ally.
Nagant's voice ca on again.
"They've set up a periter 500 ters away. Find a way out. New rendezvous point, 400 ters southwest"
Reiji said nothing as he kept running. He tossed the jacket into the middle of the street without breaking stride. As he moved away, the sound of gunfire began to fade, slowly replaced by distant sirens and shouted orders that dissolved among the industrial buildings.
The night air was cold and dry, contrasting with the stifling heat inside.
As he moved down a wider street, he could see it. Flashing lights reflecting off the windows, vehicles blocking access points, silhouettes moving in an organized manner. Heroes. Police. Both.
The direct route was blocked.
He paused for a second at a corner, just long enough to assess the situation without drawing attention. He couldn't cross there. Nor could he go back. He needed a route that didn't involve confrontation or exposure.
He turned.
He slipped into a side alley. His mind was racing, trying to find a way to escape. The periter cordon wasn't a perfect continuous line; there were always spots where it was weaker than others.
As if the solution had fallen from the sky, a column of fire shot up into the dark night, illuminating the streets accompanied by a loud roar.
A shockwave erupted from the direction of the warehouse, sweeping through the open streets with enough force to kick up dust, shake lightweight structures, and force those in its path to take cover. Reiji bent his knees and shielded his eyes with one hand, absorbing the impact without falling.
It wasn't enough to knock him down, but it was enough to disrupt the overall balance of the area.
So of the personnel turned toward the source of the explosion. Others were recovering thanks to their heightened senses in such situations, a result of their Quirks.
From his position, he tilted his face just enough to observe without being obvious. The containnt line hadn't disappeared, but it had weakened. So officers were no longer at their original posts; others were arguing briefly before moving toward the warehouse.
"We need reinforcents inside."
Upon hearing the police radio, Reiji decided to hold his position until the number of officers decreased.
When the blind spot had solidified enough, he stepped away from the wall without making a sudden move; only two n remained covering the area. As he prepared to run between them, a criminal bolted, trying to escape the scene.
"Stop!"
"Hands up!"
Both officers went to arrest the criminal; Reiji saw his chance and slipped through the blind spot between the two guards.
***
"The target escaped."
Nagant's voice didn't change as he said it. There was no obvious frustration, but no resignation either. His gaze remained fixed on the distance, where a thick column of smoke continued to rise above the warehouse structure.
In the distance, ergency lights flashed, and firefighters began to deploy to contain the fire that had already overwheld any initial attempts at control.
Reiji didn't speak imdiately. He simply stood beside Nagant and looked at the disaster that had unfolded.
"The heroes' presence wasn't anticipated. My sources didn't report anything, and neither did the Commission."
Nagant analyzed the situation with resignation; it was rare for sothing this big to go unnoticed by her and, more importantly, by the Commission. It wasn't impossible, but so improbable that it hadn't even been considered.
"Were you spotted by any heroes or police?" she asked in return, barely glancing at Reiji.
Reiji shook his head slightly.
"I made eye contact with Eraser Head, but he barely had a chance to see before soone attacked him, and I slipped away among the criminals. Then I took advantage of a blind spot created by the explosion to jump the periter."
Nagant watched him in silence. Then she looked down at her phone, reviewing information with quick but controlled movents. Her thumb paused for a mont before locking the screen.
He nodded.
Just once.
"Withdraw," he said bluntly. "I'll handle the report."
He put the device away without changing his posture.
"You'll likely be assigned to track the primary target. If the leader of that organization is still active, this doesn't end here."
Reiji nodded. He didn't want to say more; the longer they stayed in the area, the greater the risk of being discovered sohow. They both knew that.
Reiji spun on his heel, ready to leave.
"You did well."
Nagant's voice stopped him mid-step.
"Just focus on improving, but don't get bogged down by things we can't control."
Reiji didn't respond.
There was no need.
He simply resud walking, moving away from the spot without looking back, while the sound of sirens and fire remained behind, gradually fading into the distance.
The mission had failed, but the operation still had a chance to continue.
And most importantly for Reiji, the children would likely be saved after today's disaster.
***
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