Midori the Phoenix

To Build or not To Build

Author's Note: As much as I like Bakugo's real hero name from MHA chapter 293, I'm not changing it to match canon. I chose the name Ground Zero for him at the start, and I'm sticking to it until the end.

"We're not seriously considering this are we?" Bakugo demanded as he paced around the room. "They're villains! If we let them make the decision, and walk all over us then the public will lose what little respect they have left for us."

"It doesn't look like we've got much of a choice, Bakugo." Kirishima pointed out as he took his own gander at the plans that had been included in the case. "You heard what Karma said. If we don't agree to it, she'll enrage outright war... how else do you expect us to protect people?"

"By finding her before any of that happens. The bitch gave us two weeks to decide right?" He stabbed a finger in the table. "So we use those two weeks to track her and take her down once and for all."

"You make it sound easy." Kaminari threw his hands up in the air. "We've been searching for their base for years but we always come up empty."

"Except this time we've got leads. Kota and Eri would know where their base is. It's about time we stopped treating them like helpless kids and start treating them like the villains they chose to become."

"Ground Zero is right." The Vice President agreed, slamming his fist and standing up. "The Heroics Committee has never bowed to villain terms before, and we're not about to start now. I don't care if they're minors, I don't care if you think they're innocents in all this. The bottom line is they chose to be villains so we should treat them as such. Interrogate them further, force the truth for them anyway you can."

"With all due respect Mr. Vice President..." Tsukauchi stood narrowing his eyes at him. "I decline. I'm not about to treat a couple of scared, confused kids like they're dangerous psychopaths and knock them around an interrogation room."

"Who said anything about knocking them around? What about that reporter who helps you out on cases from time to time. He can force the truth for them by just talking to them. He's dealt with Karma before."

"Compromised..." Tsukauchi explained. "We've reason to believe he's been the one leaking information to Karma and the league. The problem is, is we've no proof of his involvement. He's too good at covering his tracks and keeping off the radar."

"There's gotta be others like him. He's got family doesn't he? Others who have similar quirks. The Hassaikai had a member like that." Bakugo rationalized.

"Possible, but without a license to use it we cannot just ask a random person to use such a quirk on civilians. We'd be, to use Karma's phrase, dipping into a grey area."

"Ahem..." Rikiya cleared his throat and stood up from his spot at the table. "Might I speak my mind on this matter?"

"Oh please..." Hawks spread out his arms, sounding carefree but eyeing him suspiciously. "Feel free."

"Did it ever occur to any of you that this plan of Karma's might actually be a good thing?" He picked up the disk with the blueprints and turned it on. "I mean, for starters if we agree to her terms it'll bring her and the league out into the light, and in a place where we'll be able to keep our eye on her."

There was a murmur of hesitant agreement, but Rikiya knew he'd have to push a little further to get the tougher cases on board.

"On top of that she's got the complete support and trust of those behind her. Who knows how many more she can rally to her cause given time. It's best to give her an answer and straight away or it could just become a larger problem."