Ashes, Ashes

[5]

Delegates from across the world appear on holo-screens in front of the students, who sit as a quiet audience to the conference. A few of the representatives cast the teenagers confused and wary looks before turning their attention back to the main matter at hand. Ashido pulls at the cuff of her neat dress-shirt and brushes invisible dust off her black slacks as her nerves dance wildly.

"Thank you for being able to attend, everyone." A member of the United States' government speaks, his hologram depicting a tall man in his early forties. The name Russel Stephenson is printed in bold letters on the screen covering the area where his waist disappears below the view of the camera. A chorus of acknowledgements and stiff greetings are exchanged before everyone settles into business personas. "As you all are aware, we have a crisis on our hands. Has everyone read the itinerary?" A loud huff nearly cuts the man off, and two young Russian representatives take the stage. Ashido reads a young woman as Izelda Dmitriyev and an equally-as-young-looking man as Grisha Rasskazov. The pink-skinned girl shrinks back slightly at the intense looks on the two delegates' faces.

"And you believe this to be some fanciful greeting?" Izelda speaks loudly, her English heavily accented, her 's's and 'th's sounding like 'z's. Ashido watches as Russel scowls at her, prompting Grisha to step forward.

"With all due respect, sir," he says, crossing his arms loosely across his chest, "reading an itinerary was not a priority of ours."

"They have a point." Another man cuts in, and Ashido reads his name as Elias Schafer as she watches him smooth back his sleek brown hair and cast an uneasy glance between the Russians and the American. "I, myself, scanned through the material before this, but I figured we would be discussing the more... important... matter at hand."

"We concur." Aizawa finally steps forward, and Ashido lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Seeing her teacher capture everyone's attention with his commanding presence is a somewhat comforting sight to her weary eyes. The hero-in-training keeps her posture straight even as she feels Hagakure lean into her side, seeking solace in the silent gesture. "Over half of the students in my charge have vanished. All Might has even witnessed what happened to his own protege." This catches Izelda's attention, and the woman gives the men her full attention. Ashido sees a sorrowful look in her eye as she gazes at Aizawa and All Might, and suddenly the girl doesn't think she is so scary anymore.

"I deeply apologize for your loss." She says, placing her thumb, pointer finger, and pinky finger over her heart as some sort of gesture Ashido doesn't recognize. "I had to see my son just... flake away, as if he never existed at all." Grisha sets a comforting hand on her shoulder, a moment of weakness shining through his exterior, as well.

"Is painful feeling."  He says quietly.

"We are all feeling the same, miss." A small, severe-looking Chinese woman named Jiao Yang steps forward. To Ashido, the woman seems like a lieutenant of some sort. "And by no means are we unsympathetic to your loss, but the entire globe is experiencing the same thing. We're here as representatives of our countries to figure out why."

"Thank you, Miss Yang." Russel speaks up, drawing everyone's attention once more. "And before we get to this, I must ask you, Mister Aizawa and All Might of Japan," the room's attention shifts back to the two Pro-Heroes, "why did you bring children to this meeting? Surely you understand the confidentiality of what is spoken here?"

"Everyone will find out 'what was spoken here' eventually, Stephenson." A man from Australia named John Brown speaks up, his accent thick. Ashido immediately decides that she likes this man by the soft yet firm tone of his voice. "I think you mean to say why do you think that they deserve to be here, hearing us discuss this issue directly."

"A-ah," Russel brings a hand to pull at the collar of his suit, fixing his appearance before nodding, "yes, that is what I meant."

"To answer your question, this group of students is the next generation of Pro-Heroes." All Might speaks, his voice booming over the intercoms. "Over half of their fellow heroes-in-training are... gone, but they are determined to help the world recover and get their friends back!"

"No matter the cost." Aizawa adds, his deadpan expression giving way to the determination in his voice. The students stare ahead with varying states of braveness and determination, eyes alight with hope for the future. Ashido straightens her already-impossibly-straight posture, and she sees Izelda smile. And, despite the situation, despite everything that's happened, the girl feels the strength of her resolve bring her peace.  I will do everything in my power to bring back my friends! She vows silently, nodding firmly to herself.

"If that is their reason, I have no problem."

"Okay then, let's get started. As you all know, the crisis began on April 27th." Russel takes a deep breath, his posture hunching a little as sorrow weighs on his shoulders.

"It ended then, too."