Chapter 1: Prologue: St Coleman’s

Principal Nezu wasn’t a religious man. He wasn’t entirely what most would consider a man at all. But the sight before him sometimes made him wish he was. Perhaps then he’d finally understand the joy his students felt when the winter greeted them at the end of the year. Or why they weren’t concerned with the idea of a big, red man breaking into their house to deliver presents. 

Maybe if he got to see those flying reindeer, he could get behind the idea. It would be nice to converse with another animal with a Quirk. He could also brag about it to his students and make himself the most popular teacher at U.A. High School. The thought almost made him giggle. Almost. 

The empty hallways of U.A. magnified the echoes of Principal Nezu’s footsteps. Despite the absence of sunlight as the night took hold, the school remained vibrant as ever. Its corridors were decorated with tinsel and cotton snow. Paper snowmen and Christmas tree stickers filled its plain walls. Baubles and paper chains hung from its ceiling. All done by the students and staff who embraced the Christmas spirit.

He removed the tinsel from the door handle and entered his office. Its vacant walls heavily contrasted the decorations outside. His room was simple. A table, a chair and some bookshelves — it only needed to hold the bare necessities. As much as he would like to have decorated, he had the image of being the Principal of the best Hero School in Japan to uphold. Or maybe that was his excuse for not finding the time this year. Or maybe he couldn’t find the Christmas spirit after coming across some devastating information.

At least a cup of tea will alleviate the build up of stress. Putting the kettle on, he settled down. The pile of papers on his desk beckoned him. But he chose to ignore them. He had already memorised its content and there was no need to upset himself further. He turned his attention to pouring hot water into his teapot, before welcoming the warmth of freshly brewed tea in his hands. He was about to take a sip, when a knock at the door drew his attention. It was the answer to his problem.  

“Come in,” he said, pouring another cup for his guest.

The door creaked open, revealing a large, looming man. His iconic two tufts of hair sticking up from his head gave away his identity immediately. All Might ducked under the door frame; his build was too big to simply walk in. His chiselled features, which usually carried his famous smile, now held a worried expression. It was not every day the Principal called him. And it was even rarer that he called him for help. 

But Nezu smiled at the sight of one of his former students. The biggest success story U.A. had to offer. And hopefully, someone that could help him with what he had found. He offered him tea, which the Symbol of Peace gratefully accepted. Before a small puff of smoke circled around him, revealing a scrawny man who was a ghost of his former self. Or would it be more accurate to say that this form was who he really was now.

Anxiety fluttered in Nezu's stomach. Would it be a mistake to depend on him like this? But he shook the thought out of his head. This matter needed to be resolved. But it also needed the utmost compassion and empathy. And there was no one other than the Symbol of Hope and the Number One Hero who could do the job. 

Especially with the number of victims. 

A shiver travelled down Nezu's spine. All Might noticed that he held his cup a little tighter. The two of them sat in silence, ruminating about the current events. It wasn’t until All Might’s gaze landed on Nezu’s desk, did he break the silence. 

“Did you find out more information?” He gestured towards the papers.

Nezu fought the sigh that had crept up. “Sort of. It’s more confirmation of what I had suspected than anything new.”

He got up and handed the Number One Hero the papers. All Might sieved through them; skimming through snippets of newspaper articles and police reports. Although they seemed unrelated, from missing people to pamphlets about small businesses, All Might could already see a pattern; the brewing of a criminal organisation that had begun to settle into Japan. Well, all of them followed the pattern, except for one news article.

The Veiled Duchess Caught On Fire.

It detailed an explosion on a ferry near the coast of the British Isles that shook the global population. Hundreds of passengers were aboard the fallen ship. A familiar headache crept up as All Might remembered the discourse. 

The tragedy led to revising an old argument, as the British Government blamed the incompetence of Vigilantes who interfered with the work of the emergency services. This led to the global debate about the work of Vigilantes, but ultimately led to harsher sanctions about using Quirks in public. 

You are reading story MHA Hope Agency: Wounds that will not Heal Vol.1 at novel35.com

This was always brought up during any interview All Might took part in, but he always tried his best to remain neutral. He was already familiar with the successful efforts of some Vigilantes and he couldn’t bring himself to discredit their work. But he understood the pain of the public who were angered by the loss of so many lives. 

But why was this with the other documents?

Dread filled his chest, as he pointed the article towards Nezu. “Is this connected?” 

“I don’t want it to be but…” The Principal lowered his gaze. “As I was analysing the activities of this new group it led me to a similar organisation in the UK, which disappeared after the fires. I don’t know if they’re connected but if another tragedy is on the coast of Japan, we need to step in before it's too late.” 

All Might gulped. He couldn’t imagine the weight Principal Nezu carried when he learnt about this. But for it to be connected to the Veiled Duchess, no wonder he wanted to rely on the Number One Hero despite his current predicament and injuries. “What else did you find?”

Principal Nezu rubbed his temples. “Well, during my investigation about the incident, I found out that the ferry was actually used for human trafficking.”

Nausea hit All Might like a wave as the words sunk in. There were no reports about any of this at all, even amongst the off-the-record conversations between the police and the Pro Heroes. “Why would they hide something like that?” His eyes darkened as he spoke.

“I don’t know. But what’s even stranger was that one of the casualties was found alive in Japan a few weeks ago.”

All Might’s eyes widened. “What? How?”

“I’m not sure, but it does suggest that whatever happened in the UK may already be here in Japan.” 

“Does that mean there are others alive as well?”

“I’m afraid I am as clueless as you,” he sighed. “The only ones that know for sure were the Vigilantes, but they’ve gone missing. Probably hiding to avoid prosecution. But there was something else I found,” Nezu leaned in closer, almost whispering to All Might, despite the two of them being alone. “I tracked the survivor’s movement and found they recently visited a facility in the UK before completely disappearing.”

“And you need me to go track them down?”

Principal Nezu nodded. “I believe if we can gather more information about what happened to the Veiled Duchess, we can prevent another tragedy from happening in Japan.”

All Might hummed in agreement. There was nothing more valuable than knowledge. Especially when it involved saving so many lives. “So, where should I start investigating?”

Nezu leaned back in his seat. The weight on his shoulders decreased with the Symbol of Hope taking initiative. “Well, the last place they were seen at was St Coleman’s in London.”