Chapter Text
*** Midoriya Apartment, Mustafu City, Shizuoka Prefecture***
Saturday, 9:20 AM, June 1, 2216
Izuku decided to take the rest of the day off today to rest and mull around about what happened during the encounter with Endeavor. It was a dangerous gamble to escape, yet thrilling at the same time. Though nearly dying that is would be a wake-up call for Izuku since smarts can only get you so far. Izuku rubbed his hair and scattered it in frustration. He didn't expect Endeavor to show up and forgot about accounting for major heroes and their patrol routes.
'Stupid, Stupid! Why did I not think about it?! ' Izuku smacks his forehead lightly as he pouts to himself. An error that could have cost them everything and landed them straight in jail. Izuku paced around his room to think about what to do next. It's obvious he gained a lot of money from aiding Hanzo steal loads of Scandium, but the thing is he really needed better equipment to combat factors that could complicate his operations. He checks his credit account on his burner phone and saw that the total amount of credits he has is currently at 81,675.
"The greater the risk, the greater the rewards." Izuku said to himself audibly. He looks around and sees his bag that's somewhat ragged a bit from his encounter with Endeavor when trying to escape from him. He then goes to look for his notebooks in his bag and finds the one with his W.I.P sketches of ideas for gadgets to aid him in his quest to build the gauntlet. He looks at the two sketches of the scouter and the portable forcefield generator and decides to go for the scouter first. Though not finished yet, he decides to refine and finish the blueprints and schematics for the scouter.
The Scouter is a device worn like glasses but on one side, covering the right eye, whose functions are to detect quirked users and to assess their quirk's power level. Most likely inspired by a series known as Dragon Ball. This would help him identify the quirk levels of people that he would most likely encounter from here on out and would give him somewhat of a minor advantage.
It took some time, but after a few hours, Izuku had managed to complete the blueprint for the scouter. While he was at it, he also progressed on the schematics of the portable force field generator but is unsure what to officially call it yet. With that finished, Izuku put down his notebook and decided to head out for some fresh air.
***
Time strikes twelve, and noon arrives. Izuku walks around the neighborhood that surrounds his apartment complex and walks all the way to Dagobah Beach, leans on the railings, and stares into the somewhat scenic view of a beach marred with junk. He contemplates his next move in his already secret affair with illegalities. It is obvious that he has to now attain equipment, but he feels like just buying things would feel like shortcuts for him despite the necessity. Izuku wants to also make things of his own and for them to actually function. That will be the next step he needs.
Izuku noticed another thing, his sense of morality in his eyes has degraded slightly. He would be squeamish about minor things during the start of his career, such as helping others steal and create minor destruction, but that's about it. I guess being involved in a secret crime ring for some time tends to do that to people. He still wants to become a hero, and the gauntlet is the only thing that can achieve such a thing from what remains of the fractured dream. But he has begun to see things through his eyes, that many of the crimes, small or minor as they may be at most times, are mostly overlooked or ignored. This nagged Izuku's conscience, as usually heroes would always look into this. But the underground world has taught him in his short time that such crimes, which even he contributes to in a way, often go through with rarely any heroic resistance for some reason. It probably is a good thing for him for now, that is. But he would swear to fix this issue once he achieves creating the gauntlet and exporting it into reality.
*** The Exegol hub, edge of the Kamino Ward ***
Monday, 1:38 PM, June 3, 2216
Izuku enters the hub again after a two-day hiatus on his operations. Yes, it is open on Sundays, but Izuku likes to spend Sundays as rest days. He of course, goes to the concierge that he knows now by muscle memory at this point and greets the kitsune receptionist.
"Good afternoon, Miss Aki-mei" Izuku greeted with a smile.
"Ah, it is good to see you are well, Apotheosis. I take it that the mission was successful?" Akiyama inquired, but she was aware of the details and the encounter with Endeavor from Hanzo two days ago.
"Well... I guess in a way. We had a crazy encounter. I mean literally, we ended up meeting Endeavor randomly. Luckily we escaped him!" Izuku smiled awkwardly with a chuckle coming out of him.
"So I have heard. You are lucky to come back from that ordeal, young kit. Very rarely does one escape from Endeavor, let alone a group of people too," Akiyama grins while producing amused fox sounds.
"Haha yeah, good point. I guess I am very lucky." Izuku rubbed the back of his head but then paused a bit. He then asked another question. "So um... did Hanzo-san and his buddies make it?" Izuku aksed with concern.
"Hehe, don't worry too much about Hanzo; of course he made it. Otherwise he would be in the news channels," Akiyama said.
"I see. Well, I'll be going to my workspace now. Nice speaking with you, Miss Aki-mei," Izuku says, waving his hand while walking towards the direction of his designated sector.
"Nice chatting with you, Apotheosis." Akiyama responded back with a slight bow.
Izuku arrived in his small stall and began doing his usual thing. Set up shop and think of ideas on gadgets to aid him, strategies, and the long waiting game at times. Naturally he has customers, but it seems that now there are more than usual. Some potential clients approached him, to his surprise, to praise him.
"So you are Apotheosis? The famous strategist? I heard that you managed to encounter and escape Endeavor. That must be insane to pull that one!"
"How did you outwit him?!"
"Your strategies must be that good then. A pleasure to have the opportunity to work with you."
"You're the one who worked with Ghost on his heist and escaped Endeavor?! Huge respect, bro."
Izuku is met with a bit of shock from the sudden barrage of conversations and questions from the people in front of him. 'Who is Ghost?' He asked mentally but then digested the words until he deduced that Ghost was probably Hanzo's alias. Second is that as much as he liked the praise, he tried to tell people that Endeavor was just a random, unlucky happenstance, but he couldn't get to explain since he was a bit overwhelmed by many questions and convos at the same time. But he decided to just deal with this sudden fame bit by bit slowly. He addressed his customers one at a time, and afterwards they calmed down. They still were there for the infamous strategist's consultation, and consultation they got. With each customer or client satisfied, Izuku gets his credits and thus another profitable and productive day.
After the ordeal, he decides to check out the components stall located at the neighboring sector of the hub. He met the man with the robotic arm and goggles again, approaching him, and decided to buy the necessary material for the scouter while he has the time.
"Good day Sir, I am here to buy components for a project I'm working on. Oh, and military grade if available," Izuku said, getting straight to the point. The man then turned around and saw Izuku; he smiled.
"Ahh, it's you kid. You have the credits to purchase my surplus?" the man asked while showing his robotic arm and gesturing it to him.
"Indeed I have them." Izuku just shrugs it.
"So, what do you wish to buy?" The man asks.
"I would like to buy the three HPSC military-grade quirk detection optical sensors, two HPSC motion detection sensors, a thermal sensor, an x-ray view micro camera, a nano gallium-nitride array radar bandwidth chip, and EMP-resistant circuitry boards." Izuku said, listing his demanded items in a technical fashion.
"I have all in stock, but sheesh kid, those items are like for grownups. But I'm not complaining when one as smart as you comes around here." The man was perplexed at the demanded items but smiled in admiration of such youth being so motivated, even if it is illicit by nature. "That would be 23,800 credits, please."
Izuku then hands over his hub credit card and pays the amount, which drops his credit count to 57,875. 'Damn, all of these components are just for the functions and features of the scouter, yet it costs almost the same amount as the heist me and Hanzo-san's group pulled and narrowly died for.' Izuku looked in disbelief, but this is how things are. He knew if he wanted more money, intel, and equipment for the gauntlet, he'd have no choice but to dive into danger. Even more dangerous scenarios if necessary. "Thank you very much." Izuku thanks the man as he is given back his card.
"Thanks for the purchase, kid! Come back anytime if you need more awesome technologies." The man thanked Izuku delightedly for such a huge purchase.
Izuku goes back to his stall and then nerds around the components. His mind is racing with so many calculations and applications, and he is very excited to begin piecing together the scouter. He just needs wires, transparent screen glass, and precision aluminum cutouts to complete the scouter. He waited around again, and he got a few more customers to serve. Izuku noticed that Hanzo isn't around. Probably since he could be busy. He's only able to greet him from time to time.
***Near the rendezvous point, edge of the Kamino Ward ***
Monday, 6:38 PM, June 3, 2216
Izuku walks out of the hub entrance point and walks into the dark alleyways. He sees the city streets in sight when he hears a call from behind.
"Hey kid, it's good that you're doing ok," greeted a masked man behind him leaning on the walls.
" Oh! Hanzo-san you made it!" Izuku smiled, knowing that he's ok. " Of course you would appear out of nowhere or I just didn't notice you because of Notice Me Not" Izuku compliments.
"HAHAH I see you're getting used to me now, huh? By the way, how does it feel to successfully execute a heist while being chased by heroes? Not my first time, but hey, you have to learn a bit, no?" Hanzo asks and teases him.
"Obviously it was scary, but it felt... weirdly exhilarating," Izuku admitted.
"Like dopamine to the mind. But seriously, don't catch yourself lacking, kid. If you want to succeed more on heists and always be free to see another day, you need to always be alert and keep your guard up, as well as making sure you never let up on clues that would give away your identity. Like as in your real name and stuff." Hanzo's tone shifts to a stern one like that of a veteran warning rookies because it is.
"I see... but does it get easier when doing it more often?" Izuku probes.
"Depends. It would as you gain experience. Seasons you to become a professional, but it's never easy. Heists are like puzzles and mazes, they differ in difficulty and in situations, so they are risky but rewarding," Hanzo explains.
"So I guess this is my—or our routine now, huh?" he tells Hanzo.
"Aye, perhaps it is." The two smile at each other and go about on separate ways.
***
Izuku returned to his apartment complex at night and began to unload his bag heavy with components and military-grade tech. These are considered illegal since they are smuggled into the black market, so he hides them well to prevent his mother from finding them. After that he eats dinner with his mom, finishes, and heads back to his room and locks his door. He then takes out his schematics for the scouter as well as the components. He begins to tinker with it and to see if the design works in theory. Izuku stops tinkering and looks at his window, then around to his empty plain walls. He feels down at how plain-looking his room is. A dream that has fractured and been hastily rebuilt with a foundation that is shaky at best. He reminisces about everything and sighs.
"Welp, this is my routine now."
*** Rural Bank of Japan, Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture ***
Wednesday, 10:22 PM , August 7, 2216
It's been two months since Izuku's first heist, he followed a routine he made for himself. And as that amount of time passed, he gained popularity in the underground. A well-respected strategist that has actually not failed a single task so far. He has given such great results that gangs would ask him for plans on heists and at times requested his physical presence with them. Though his habits tend to rub people a bit off, such as the awkwardness, the muttering, and the stuttering, they didn't mind so long as their plans succeed. And as of now, he is currently with a gang that is about to rob a bank on Silent Night.
"Alright, is everybody ready?" Izuku asked with confidence. The gang of criminals looked at him but did not say anything as they tried to understand what kind of kid Apotheosis is. Well, this kid was not at all what they expected.
"Alright, I don't know what else to say." Izuku chuckled, rubbing his head awkwardly. "Well g-good luck everyone."
"Whatever kid" one of the masked thugs said as he rolled his eyes. "This plan of yours better work"
"It will" Izuku said with the same asserted confidence from earlier. He already helped criminal groups knock over different banks during the months and has learned and adapted new yet very effective strategies. With his experience, this next one will be child's play. The men exited the black van while the green-haired boy stayed behind inside, sitting on one of the car chairs, and on his lap was an untraceable laptop, which he paid for from one of his previous gigs.
From the screen he received live footage of the inside of RBJ. Izuku hacked into the security systems and ran a virus that he created. Nicknamed the Phantom Program, it basically took over the footage in all the cameras, looped whatever recording he wanted, and blocked the current feed. That meant that the criminals that hired him were completely invisible as they broke into the bank that is closed today. The unauthorization proximity alarm was also deactivated to make sure they don't alert the cops.
"This is going very well." he said, mumbling into his headset while he watched them break open the vault. One of them had a magnetic quirk that allowed them to manipulate the tumblers and locks in the doors to open anything. Very handy for a bank robbery. Thirty minutes later they had all the money bagged and ready to be taken to the van. Izuku took a sip of his coffee, he timed everything perfectly, down to the last detail. Even this next part.
"Stop right there!" The thugs froze when they heard a voice shout from the open entrance of the bank.
"Dammit! A hero!" One of them growled. Standing out in the darkness was a relatively new hero, by somewhat two years, called Flare. A hero with a quirk called 'Flaming Fists' that covered his hands in fire and allowed him to throw balls of flame that were small but in barrages.
"Hehe... As I planned." Izuku said through the headset. He expected the hero to arrive as he had knowledge of his patrol routes, and this is a perfectly timed encounter due to the schedule of their bank robbery.
"You knew he would show up!?" one of the criminals yelled into the mic.
"Of course." Izuku had planned exactly for this. He knew that this area was a sort of nexus point where some heroes frequently patrol. He analyzed their patrol patterns and picked this night specifically so that this particular hero, who is easy to deal with, would be here rather than any of the other more difficult and stronger heroes.
"You little brat!" Another criminal shouted through the mic. They pointed their guns at Flare just as the hero clenched his fists and was about to launch some fire balls at them.
"Fire detected in the vicinity of the bank." Izuku said smoothly while pushing a button on his keyboard. The fire sprinklers suddenly activated, dousing the entire building in water and causing the hero's burning fists to fizzle out. With his abilities completely neutralized, one of the accomplices used his low-level speed quirk to run up and knock Flare upside the head with his gun, rendering him unconscious.
"I thought you guys would have a bit more faith in me. You can trust that I would never set you up." Izuku chuckled. Of all the heroes that could have been patrolling the area, Flare would have been the easiest to neutralize, by simply setting off the sprinkler system. Like he said, he planned this perfectly. "Can you guys lock Flare in the vault, please? Also gather up the bags quick because we have less than..." Izuku examined his watch. "Ten minutes before the fire fighters arrive."
"Damn. I really underestimated you kid." the man with the magnetic quirk said sounding impressed. The others too were equally impressed. Now in their eyes, Apotheosis really is a genius to plan a heist like this.
"Job success. Great haul, everyone." Izuku smiled.
"A successful job done indeed" the group of thugs were happy, and with that they pay his cut. Izuku probably has more than enough to start getting his projects that he sketched in his notebook.
As Izuku returns to Mustafu via train, he checks his credit account on his phone. 146,338 credits. Huge sums of money for him to get a hold of the much more expensive components for his other projects. He is almost complete with the scouter. He just needs another HPSC military-grade quirk detection optical sensor due to a skill issue he had while wiring the sensor, he forgot to account for voltage resistance, thus busting a capacitor and that sensor. It was a pain to deal with considering that the surplus of components he buys from the man with the robot arm has a limited amount of those sensors, so he has to be more careful.
Izuku safely reaches his home and greets his mother, who got worried, as it is rare for Izuku to stay up outside this late. He had to make an excuse about seeing a hero event that distracted him from time, which worked. But his mom is getting worried as he's always outside doing "training for U.A.," and she thinks he's pushing himself too much as a means of compensating for his "quirklessness." Izuku tells her to not worry much, as he is fine, and goes to sleep.
***Midoriya Apartment, Mustafu City, Shizuoka Prefecture***
Thursday, 9:15 AM, August 8, 2216
Izuku spends half the morning tinkering and fixing the scouter so that he can begin testing it once it is operational. He fixes the circuitry and added a new resistor and a new capacitor. He just needs to buy the sensor off of the robot arm man. Suddenly he got a stray thought that bloomed into curiosity.
'I wonder if I should check out the bank we just robbed last night.' He thought of it. It was risky, but considering no one knows his identity and he is relatively small in the greater scale of things, against rational judgement, he decides to dip again into Shinshiro City to check on the bank just for the love of the game. He began packing his things and heading for the city while telling his mom he was heading out.
***Rural Bank of Japan, Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture ***
Thursday, 10:55 AM , August 8, 2216
Izuku walked towards the direction of the bank. It would take a few minutes to arrive by walking. He sights the bank from the distance, and as expected, there are police and fire trucks, but... The bank looks like it was burnt down instead.
'What the hell...? hell...? Izuku thought. It was not like that last night, as clearly he and the gang of criminals from last night had no fire quirk. Something is wrong here.He immediately rushed towards the bank. It was surrounded by police tape, and as Izuku inspected the building closer, almost the entire bank had burned down. He ended up succumbing to a compulsion to ask the policeman about it.
"Excuse me, o-officer? What happened around here?" the green-headed boy asked nervously.
"The bank was robbed and was set on fire last night," the policeman just answered.
"O-oh I see." Izuku blurted out with genuine shock. This is not what happened last night since he was here when it all happened. He was about to ask another question, but the police somewhat answered his question to this.
"You should stand back kid, let us adults continue our work here. Right now the hero Flare is helping us since he was here when it all happened." The policeman then returns back to the crime scene.
Izuku can't get it off of his mind, the nagging feeling. There is genuinely something wrong here. He and the gang last night were no arsonists, so something must have happened after? Then he remembered the hero Flare. He had a fire-related quirk.
'No... That can't be. But he's a hero! Surely it was something else.' Izuku pondered tensely at that notion. He did not realize that he was already walking away when he heard voices through the narrow pathways in between buildings behind the burnt bank. He walked slowly and stealthily to the source of the voices. He peeked from behind the wall and saw the hero Flare with a bunch of what looks like to be the bank employees. From there he overheard the conversation the hero is having with the employees.
"All of you are to remain silent about this. If any of you speak out against me, I will bring down my lawyers against you all for defamation." Flare sounded very threatening saying this.
Izuku went blank. He can't believe what he's hearing. Defamation? For what exactly? Then he realized something, he maybe discovered something he probably was never meant to hear in the first place.