Meta-Liberation Army's Withdrawal and The Puppy's Growth

*Dozens of insignias of unknown origins have emerged throughout metropolitan Tokyo. No one knows what or why they smothered throughout the city, but there is one thing sure.*

*These symbols are the work of a villain!* 

*The first of them appeared yesterday in an alleyway soaked in blood. It was a horrific sight that caused some investigators from the police force nightmares.*

*According to the police force, the blood was real, but it couldn't be identified in the public record.*

*Two theories emerged from this fact. The blood might be too blended with one another, causing some problems. And the other was that the blood might have come from villains.*

*Nonetheless, the fact that a massacre occurred in the capital caused citizens throughout the country to be doubtful of surrounding hero agencies.*

*Will the heroes continue protecting us? Or will we have to safeguard ourselves once again?"

*The answers to these questions will come soon. But as citizens of our peaceful country. I feel we must have the right to protect ourselves in these troubled times.* 

*Good sir, what do you think about the current circumstances of the capital?* 

*I think that pro-heroes have gotten complacent.*

*To be honest, it's time to take matters into our own hands as independent individuals.* 

*It looks like we have an upstanding citizen here. Even the alarmed people of Tokyo want to see some change.*

*So-*

*So...*

*What the-*

*What's happening. I feel strange?*

*I-I am sorry! They paid me to talk about it! It wasn't my fault!*

*I'm innocent! It wasn't my intention!*

*Miss? Are you okay!?*

*I don't want to di-*

*Splat!*

*AHHhhhH!!!*

*Sh-*

*Splat!*

The camera fell to the ground as crimson red was splattered throughout the sidewalk. The video was somewhat horrifying, but it was what happened a few hours ago.

....

In an unknown underground complex, the leading members of the Meta-Liberation Army were watching the terrifying video on a large screen. 

Most of them couldn't utter a single word since it was the first for their operatives to meet such a gruesome death. 

But amongst them was a lady who was angered by such actions. Her codename was Curious, also known as the executive director of Shoowaysha Publishing, Kizuki Chitose. 

She wasn't happy about the incident since the news team was part of her department. Their deaths on live television brought attention to her.

This resulted in some pressure amongst her fellow executives. 

"Someone actually dared to murder a newscaster live."

"This damnable villain!"

She cursed with great intensity. Others looked at her and didn't utter a single word. In their entire operational time as the MLA, this was the first it happened.

"We don't know much about what happened. But my intelligence network is confident that the one who created the strange symbols in Tokyo is the culprit of the incident." 

A leading member of the MLA, commonly called Skeptic, gave his thoughts about the matter. Many of his comrades turned their gaze at him, expecting to know more.

Skeptic rubbed his hair with a complicated expression and continued.

"As I said, we don't know much about the culprit. The villain seems to have recently appeared in Tokyo and appears violent. Nonetheless, we don't know about their motives."

The surrounding MLA leaders sighed in disappointment except for one. 

He was Hanabata Koku, codenamed Trumpet. This man was the leader of the Hearts and Mind Party. He was a political figure in the MLA. 

"From what I can see... This was a warning."

"Through the information we have gained, we can conclude that the culprit targeted major factions." 

His words made his colleagues frown. Someone targeting giant factions from the villain or heroic side of society was a madman. 

"The culprit's first target was the gathering of villains who answered All For One's call. This means the culprit isn't a good friend of the Symbol of Evil." 

"The second target was our newscaster. They could have just targeted any newscaster, but they specifically killed ours. A warning to the Meta-Liberation Army."

"The third target should be..."

"Tokyo Hero Public Safety Commission."

Interrupting Trumpet's words was the supreme leader of the MLA, Re-Destro. He was the CEO of the Detnerat Company, Yotsubashi Rikiya. 

"The culprit is making an example to those who dared to cause trouble in Tokyo. Anyone that brings a problem to the city will be squashed into a puddle of blood."

"We don't know how their quirk works, but let's avoid entering metropolitan Tokyo for now."

"We need to refrain from sending assets to the city-"

*Bam!*

Re-Destroy couldn't continue as Curious hit the table in anger. She looked at Re-Destroy in hatred and remarked.

"How could we retreat from a simple villain?"

"Shouldn't we take care of this bastard? Especially now that they had bothered us?"

This would be how the usual MLA would act. If anyone dared to make problems for them, that person would disappear from the face of the earth.

But it was different against someone or something unknown. They had no information against the assailant, so they could only back off.

"I hope you won't compromise our covenant for your petty vengeance, Curious." 

Re-Destro warned the executive lady since she was stepping out of the line. Questioning his orders wasn't advisable, especially when it was done for their organization. 

Hearing the words of Re-Destro, Curious stopped speaking and controlled her brimming anger. She understood this was an excellent choice for the MLA.

"I'm glad you understand, Curious."

"We will not be retreating without doing anything. The only thing we need to do is collect information about the villain." 

"Then, compile it and find any weaknesses we could use against them."

"Until then, the MLA will not cause any problems, and our assets must be protected."

The leading members of the Meta-Liberation Army agreed with their leader's plan. It was a logical path that they could take.

After all, none of them wanted to waste a decade or two of hard work because of this mere incident. 

"Since we have decided the path we take in our circumstances."

"The meeting is adjourned."

Re-Destro stood up, and the leading members followed. They slightly bowed towards their supreme leader and took their leave from the secret meeting room. 

The supreme leader of the Meta-Liberation Army was left alone, enveloped in silence. His thoughts were about the recent happenings in the country.

'The interior government is acting strange. The Symbol of Evil is making a move. And the Hero Public Safety Commission has begun investigating our existence.'

'All of these problems don't do good for the MLA.'

'They must be dealt with before they could get worse.'

'But before I can do that. I must find the source of these problems. After all, unless the central culprit gets cleared, the MLA will continue facing such problems.'

Re-Destro shook his head and sighed. His stress levels were rising, which didn't feel great for the CEO. Troubled times were ahead of him.

But he must be prepared for the sake of his dreams. A society where people wouldn't have to limit their quirks. 

He walked out of the secret meeting room and silently muttered to himself.

"I need a vacation." 

...

A couple of days later... In the wilderness were two individuals fighting against one another. Each of their strikes brought ripples in the air, and they fought as though their life depended on it.

One was a young teenage girl with chestnut hair, while the other was a beautiful lady with amethyst-colored hair. 

They were Uraraka Ochako and Lady Nagant, the Student and Teacher. 

It has been a while since they started training with one another, and Ochako has learned a lot from her Teacher. 

Lady Nagant taught her two fighting styles, Punishment and Subjugation. Of the two, Ochako preferred the Subjugation Fighting Style since it complemented well with her world views.

Nevertheless, she also learned the Punishment Fighting Style. According to her Teacher, it was a vital thing to comprehend.

Especially if she wanted to impress her Master.

*Bam!*

Lady Nagant threw a kick to Ochako, which the girl barely blocked. Without hesitation, she sent a punch, but the girl countered with a right jab.

Ochako almost hit Lady Nagant, but she was too slow against the fast lady. Lady Nagant dodged and was about to throw a kick.

However, Ochako hopped and disappeared from Lady Nagant's line of sight. 

Lady Nagant's battle instincts weren't to be underestimated. No surprise attacks could pass through her.

Ochako's ambush was efficiently avoided by Lady Nagant, and the girl could only back away to gain some ground. They looked at one another before starting another bout.

The two fought at incredibly swift speeds. Ochako's quirk manipulation went leaps and bounds as she could immediately decide what part of her body to affect and what part not to. 

Because of this, the teenage student could throw a fast punch, and she would return to her ordinary weight, causing a tremendous impact. Her applications didn't even end there.

She also used some body weight tools and manipulated them to become lighter. Afterward, when she tried to attack a vital spot, she would deactivate the effects of her quirk, making her punch heavy.

For now, her great control was limited to her body. But perhaps in the future, she might be able to control her wider surroundings without touching them.

Though, that was for the future. 

Lady Nagant easily dodged each of Ochako's attacks. And soon, she noticed her student slowing down, so she threw a counter. 

The fallen heroine's punch managed to make contact. However, it was through Ochako's palms. Lady Nagant raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"I guess this is what you were going for."

Ochako grinned and activated her quirk. Lady Nagant's body became lighter, and Ochako punched the gorgeous lady's stomach. 

*Bam!*

"Ack!"

Unexpectedly, it was the teenage student who cried out. Ochako felt her fingers aching in pain and gritted her teeth to contain the tears that threatened to leave her eyes.

While she did manage to get a hit, her Teacher's body was like a concrete wall.

Hard and Durable.