Compulsion

Chapter 16: The Tower of Babylon

Midoriya Izuku rolled his shoulder as he jaunted down the steps of the student dorms. He adjusted the Shiketsu cap, finding it well fitting now that a majority of his hair was in a ponytail. A quick check of his phone led him to conclude, "I woke up way too early today..." He yawned as he walked onto the sidewalk, "Maybe I'll catch Shinso for once... Or... I might wait for Kaminari to wake up..." He turned, looking up the dorm's stairwell from a distance. His look flattened before he turned away, "Maybe I'll get some coffee..." He started his way down the sidewalk, looking to his phone for entertainment. "No Hero Killer articles today...? That's surprising... Feels like it was all they could talk about for the past week...", he thought.

He blinked when he got a text from his mother, "Good morning, Izuku! I'm heading to work a short shift at the clinic today – just to cover Honoka's shift. I won't be there for the opening ceremony, but I will be there for your tournament! See you soon and stay safe!" He smiled at the message before sending a simple reply.

He looked up as he neared a crosswalk, and his eye caught something. In the distance, just poking out the mouth of a wide alleyway, there was an armored bumper of a car – a police car. "The lights might not be flashing, but they're still a dead giveaway..." From there, his gaze drifted. Across the intersection, there were two police officers and they were speaking about something before parting – one moving down the sidewalk and the other; into an alley.

"Excuse me, young man," chimed an entering voice.

Izuku turned to see an officer in uniform, walking up to him, "Oh, uh, sorry sir. Y-Yes, sir?"

"That's a Shiketsu uniform – you heading to school?" asked the officer.

Izuku coughed, "I was... going to grab some breakfast at a cafe before I went."

He nodded, "Hm, well, you shouldn't drift off like that – especially so close to the street. Enjoy your breakfast and then head straight to school, okay?"

"Of course, sir," concurred Izuku.

The officer nodded before moving down the sidewalk, the opposite direction.

Izuku's gaze lingered, "Weird... Definitely concerning..." He turned back around and noticed the once white light turned glow a still red, "Aw, man, I missed the light...!"

-XX-

Izuku lifted the porcelain cup to his lips, staring out the window. More students in uniform were making their way down the street – towards the school. The head start he once had diminished; the cup was brought to his lips once more before finding the cup empty. He slotted the porcelain away for the workers to grab. He began to make his way to the exit before colliding with someone and stumbling back. "O-Oh, uh, sorry."

"No, it's okay," she replied, waving her hand. He had the height on her which explained the collision. She had notably straight teeth and long dark hair – to match her pitch-black eyes.

It was a striking visage, a recognizable one, "Oh... uh, aren't you Enigma?"

"Oh, you recognize me?"

Izuku scratched his cheek, "Yeah, you're... with Team Idaten, right? With Ingenium?"

"Got it in one," she nodded.

Izuku chuckled, "W-Wow, it's, uh, awesome to meet you."

He extended his hand which she accepted, "Thanks – always nice to meet a fan."

Izuku pulled his hand back, "Actually, could you..." He reached into his bag, "Could you sign something for me?"

Enigma blinked; her eyes widened as he handed her a notebook and marker, "Sure, no problem." She chuckled, "Not many people ask for my autograph."