Late at night, after a long and exhausting day, four people sat around a small table, sharing a pizza. They lounged on mismatched couches, their postures relaxed but their minds still focused on the night's events. The group consisted of Raiden, Tamaki, Hawks, and Lady Nagant.
"So, what did you find?" Lady Nagant asked as she grabbed a slice of pizza. The four of them were inside a repurposed cargo container, discreetly tucked away within a secure building in the heart of the city.
Hawks leaned back against the couch, stretching his arms behind his head. "Mostly rumors," he admitted. "Everyone seems to think it's AFO's competition making moves. If that's the case, no wonder we didn't find anything before. We were looking in the wrong places."
Lady Nagant frowned, tapping her fingers against the table. "I see... So, we're dealing with an enemy that knows how to stay hidden. Every single one of their operations is ridiculously difficult to track. If they've been working in the shadows for this long, it explains why we've always been one step behind."
At this, Raiden raised his hand slightly, signaling for a pause in the conversation. "Hold on," he said, his expression puzzled. "What do you mean by 'the wrong approach'? Also, two days ago the detective said they didn't find much— just scraps of information about what's been happening. How is that even possible?"
Lady Nagant sighed and leaned forward. "At first, we thought it was just human traffickers. So, we focused on closing off airports, tightening border security, and making sure no one slipped out of the country unnoticed. But as you know, by the time we put those measures in place, it was already too late. Days passed, and when we finally started looking for the missing people, there wasn't a single clue left to follow, it was like chasing ghosts."
Raiden nodded, but his brows furrowed in frustration. "Okay, I get that. But after that, why didn't you do something like what we did tonight? We had a lot of leads—potential people to question, places to check."
"Because of the nature of the people we're dealing with," Lady Nagant replied. She glanced at the others before continuing. "We call them 'The Three Symbols.'"
Raiden frowned. "The Three Symbols? What exactly does that mean? The only one I know of is All Might—the Symbol of Peace."
Lady Nagant took a bite of her pizza, chewing thoughtfully before answering. "Well, villains—organized crime—have their own equivalent to All Might, the Symbol of peace. The difference is that instead of being a guiding light for justice, theirs represents chaos and destruction. AFO—All For One—is the Symbol of Evil. Some call him 'The Accumulator.' He's the exact opposite of All Might. A megalomaniac who thrived in the early decades after Quirks first appeared. He wasn't just a national threat—he was one of the worst terrorists in Japan's history. His influence stretched far beyond our borders. We're talking about a villain on the level of international threats like The Destructor in India, The Black Dragon in Latin America, or The Krakatoa in Africa. Continental threats. He was one of the most dangerous criminals the world had ever seen."
She paused, letting her words sink in.
"But," she continued before anyone could interrupt, "despite all his power, AFO had one major flaw—he worked alone. Sure, he had followers, but real partnerships? Never. His god-like complex wouldn't allow it. And that's where his competitors came in." Lady Nagant said, reaching for another slice of pizza.
She took a bite before continuing. "One of those challengers is known as the Symbol of Progress. He's another key figure in this mess, though we don't know much about him. What we do know is enough to be unsettling. In criminal circles, they call him 'The Evolver.' An incredibly dangerous man. Unlike AFO, he doesn't get his hands dirty—he works through proxies, controlling things from the shadows."
Raiden frowned, his thoughts racing. "I get why AFO is called the Symbol of Evil," he said, glancing at the others. "But why 'The Evolver'?" He already had a theory, based on what they'd heard from the men at the factory and what he saw in the hotel, but he wanted to be sure.
Lady Nagant's expression darkened. "They call him that because of the rumors about his men. It's said that anyone who joins his organization comes out stronger—more dangerous—than before. We suspect he has some kind of Quirk that enhances abilities, maybe a potentiator type. But if he's behind the recent kidnappings, which seems likely, then it's probably not just his Quirk at play. He's most likely using human experimentation to achieve his results."
A tense silence followed. The implications were horrifying.
"A-And the last one?" Tamaki asked hesitantly, his voice quieter than before.
Lady Nagant leaned back, exhaling slowly. "The Symbol of Fear," she said. "He's the most mysterious of the three. Unlike the others, he doesn't seem to care about power or influence. He attacks indiscriminately—criminals, civilians, and heros. No one knows his true goal. The only thing we do know is his method. He doesn't strike in the real world—he attacks in your dreams."
Raiden stiffened. "Dreams?"
She nodded. "His Quirk allows him to make things that happen in dreams a reality. He's been operating for a long time, but despite that, we've found almost nothing on him. No real identity, no clear trail to follow. Just victims left with scars they can't explain, seeing the victims relates is like seeing a horror movie."
A heavy silence settled over the room. The weight of what they were up against was sinking in.
"So now we are against one of the greater villains in japan... what's the plan?" Raiden finally asked.
Hawks smirked, leaning forward with a glint of mischief in his eyes. "If we can't go to the source, we'll force them to come to us," he said. "We'll spread false information about you two and see who takes the bait. Whoever shows up will lead us straight to The Evolver."
Raiden and Tamaki exchanged uneasy glances.
"But for that to work," Hawks continued, cracking his knuckles, "you two need to be stronger than you are now. So, before anything else—we train."
At another place
While the two Pro Heroes and their aspiring protégés strategized their next move, deep inside a secluded laboratory, another plan was already in motion. The same man responsible for altering the structure of those at the hotel was conducting yet another experiment.
With a voice recorder in hand, he meticulously documented his findings.
In front of him, a man lay restrained on a cold metal bed, bound by straps made of a glossy black material that resembled leather but had an unnatural sheen. The test subject's breathing was shallow, his body twitching slightly under the dim, sterile light of the lab.
"Test subject number twelve," the scientist began, his voice detached, clinical. "Following the results from the first experiment, where the subject exhibited excessive cellular growth and aged at an accelerated rate matching their Quirk activity, I have reached several conclusions regarding the function of each genetic sample."
He paced slowly, glancing at a nearby monitor filled with complex data streams.
"Matrix 01: Suneater," he continued. "This sample displayed a high level of cellular adaptation. However, adaptation does not equal compatibility. When introduced into a test subject, the cells responded by accelerating aging beyond natural limits, ultimately rejecting the host."
He exhaled, tapping his fingers against the edge of a workstation before shifting his attention to another vial of extracted material.
"Matrix 02: The free DNA from this source demonstrated clear potentiator properties and adaptability to different kinds of stimulus. When introduced into a human body, it rapidly pushed the subject's Quirk to change. However, outside of its original host, the DNA destabilizes, triggering rampant mutations, and creating aberrants. The stabilizing factors necessary to prevent this degradation are absent from the extracted chains. They are most likely embedded in the primary genetic sequences of the original user, but until now, it had proven impossible to isolate, I still don't understand this Quirk in his whole, but I can work with parts of it"
The scientist turned, walking toward a large white machine that hummed faintly in the background. His movements were precise and straight.
"First test, genetic modification attempt one: The goal is to 'tame' the cellular division within Matrix 01 by removing specific amino acids and shortening cellular telomeres to limit division capacity."
He inputted a series of commands into the machine, his expression neutral as he retrieved a fresh sample of Raiden's blood. Holding the vial up to the light, he observed the dark red liquid before setting it into a specialized compartment.
"Isolating and encoding fragmented DNA chains," he muttered, adjusting the settings. "For this trial, I will reintegrate only a partial sequence of the previous sample to observe whether controlled insertion prevents rejection."
Satisfied with the setup, he pressed a button, setting the machine into motion. The soft hum intensified, and data streams flickered across the monitor.
Without a second glance, he turned away, walking toward a small kitchenette in the corner of the lab. Methodically, he began preparing himself a cup of coffee, as if his work had become as routine as a morning ritual.
After preparing the coffee, he turned away and picked up a book, flipping through the pages absentmindedly as he waited. The low hum of machinery filled the sterile lab, a rhythmic background noise that blended seamlessly into his routine. Time passed slowly, but he remained patient. Only when the mechanical whirring finally ceased, an hour later, did he glance up.
"Good," he muttered to himself, closing the book with a quiet snap.
He stepped forward, eyes scanning the data as he prepared for the next phase. "Second test," he recorded aloud. "Running simulations for compatibility between Matrix 01, Matrix 02, and the designated test subjects."
The program initiated, filling the screen with cascading streams of information. One by one, results poured in. Failure. Mutation. Accelerated aging. Immediate death. Some subjects even experienced age regression before inevitably succumbing. He watched impassively as each simulation ended in red-screened failure.
Minutes turned to hours. The failures piled up—134 unsuccessful attempts. He tapped his fingers against the workstation, a rare flicker of frustration crossing his face. But then—The screen suddenly flashed green.
The words Successful Simulation appeared, accompanied by a confirmation chime. His breath caught for a moment before a slow grin spread across his face.
Then he laughed. A deep, almost manic laugh that echoed through the lab.
"Hahahaha! I'm a genius! An absolute genius!" He turned to his recorder, his excitement barely contained. "Log entry… after 135 simulations, I've finally achieved success. The results indicate that reducing telomerase alone wasn't sufficient. I also had to cut the DNA sequence in half and supplement it with amino acids from the test subject to enhance compatibility, and use a virus, as a medium to endure the stress provoked by the rapid mutation."
His fingers flew over the controls as he moved to another machine, programming it to replicate the conditions of the successful simulation. With swift precision, he inserted two vials into the designated slots. The machine flickered to life, its interface glowing as a countdown timer appeared on the side screen:
01:59:59
"Perfect," he muttered, watching the timer tick down.
He then turned to the restrained man lying on the cold metal bed. The subject's breathing was ragged, his body tensed in fear. The scientist approached, looming over him before speaking in a deceptively casual tone.
"Alright, listen up. You've got a chance here," he said, his voice eerily calm. "I'm about to test something on you. If you survive it… you can go free."
The man's eyes widened in disbelief. His lips trembled as he forced out a shaky response.
"I-I… really? I can go?" he muttered, barely able to process the words.
The scientist grinned, ruffling the man's hair in an unsettlingly familiar gesture.
"That depends," he said, his tone almost playful. "Let's see if you can endure it."
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hello guys, here is today chapter, if you like it drop some power stones.
Enjoy the reading :)