Consequences of innovation.

Aiba and Gentle had already been teleported out with Haruto's portals and were likely back in Japan by now.

So I was pretty sure of myself as we stepped into the corridor leading to the top floor lab.

In the lab, we could see Professor David and Sam working frantically on the computers.

Then a beep rang out, as Sam ran over to the vaults.

"You did it, Professor! It's here. Everything's here!" Sam said, excitedly.

"Yes. I've gotten it back." David replied.

"This device and research data are the only things that I wouldn't give to anyone."

"And everything's else is going according to plan isn't it?

It looks like the villains are doing well too!" Sam said.

"Thank you. It's all because you arranged all this for me, Sam." David said, unaware of us listening in.

I looked at Melissa, who seemed shaken by this revelation.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, reassuringly.

"It's okay. Go on." I said.

She looked at me, through tears, and nodded gratefully, before steping forward.

"Papa.....what do you mean by arranged?!" She said, her voice shaking.

"Mel...Melissa!" David stuttered.

"Miss. What are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"What do you mean arranged?" Melissa repeated, angrier this time.

"Papa, don't tell me you're really behind this?" She asked.

"In order to get that device?"

Behind her, Iida whispered.

"How ...how can this be?"

"Didn't I tell you Iida? The world is a dark place. All sorts of things can happen here." I replied.

"I'm sure he has a good reason for doing this!" Momo insisted.

"A reason that justifies holding an entire city hostage?" I asked.

Momo looked down, conflicted at the assertion.

Silently, I asked Deku to keep watch for any intruders.

"Is that true Papa?" Melissa asked.

"It is." David replied.

"What?....Why?...." Melissa muttered.

"The professor is only trying to get to get back what was stolen from him!" Sam interjected.

"This groundbreaking invention that mechanically amplifies quirks!"

"It amplifies quirks?" Deku asked, intrigued.

David took a step closer to the box.

"Do you know that All Might's quirk is weakening? If it goes on like this, soon we won't have a symbol if peace in the world anymore. And then, all light will lost. I can't allow that to happen! So to give him back his light, no, give him, make him even stronger than he was in his prime, I had to do this. All for this device!" David cried, pointing at it.

"It is still in the testing phase, but with this device, unlike with drugs, quirks can be amplified without affecting the body." David explained.

"However, the device and research data were confiscated by the sponsors. The research itself was also frozen." Sam added.

"If this was made known to the world, then the structure of superhuman society would change drastically. Fearing that, the governments from all around the world put pressure on him. That's why the professor..."

"You mean the weak would finally have the strength to stand against their bullies. That it would affect the huge power disparity in society and reduce the sponsors chokehold on quirk soldiers. That finally the governments wouldn't be able run black ops assassin squads to suppress dissent willy nilly." I said, interrupting them.

"Yes! You understand don't you? We're doing this for the benefit of humanity!" Sam replied.

"You must understand how important this technology is!" David added.

"Professor." I said, "What do you think the governments did when they confiscated this data? Do you seriously believe that they just let it sit around gathering dust in a vault somewhere? Are you that naive?"

"No! That's why it's even more important that we do this! We can make it better! Use this..." Sam explained, only to be cut off again.

"No! You don't get it do you?" I responded, rubbing my temples.

"The governments probably already have this tech applied to their militaries. You didn't stop jack shit! Instead, you gave them a weapon greater than the nuclear bomb! Let's say you steal this now, and start research on a better, stronger version. How long will that take? Will you be able to overcome the headstart they have on you? With what money? If you were already so reliant on sponsors that they could make you give up the research without so much as a peep, what do you think you can achieve with just this one set of data?" I chastised.

"This...I...we'll do something about it!" David answered.

"And where exactly will you do this something? When the attack ends, the first thing the governments will do is launch an investigation and check for stolen items. When they find out about the missing amplifier, do you think they'll just let it go? Hell no! They'll lockdown the island indefinitely. Then there'll be no research or that 'something' you'll do about it!

And they aren't as dumb as you make them out to be! They'll have their hounds on you within days.

And that's just considering the fact that everything goes smoothly.

Did you think about what would happen if the villains just killed you and stole the invention? They could now sell it on the black market and bada-bing bada-boom, every tom, dick and harry with a radical ideology, or religious extremist views will have a mini nuke in their hands. Imagine this device in the hands of someone with a power like weather manipulation! They could create mass drought across entire nations, or flood cities at a whim! Do you know how many countless lives will be lost in that? Millions dead, corpses lining the streets, rivers turning red with blood! And it will all be on your hands! You'll never wash that blood away!" I scolded.

"I .... didn't think of that when I was inventing it. I .." David staggered, leaning on the computer.

"Of course you didn't! No inventor thinks about the negative consequences their invention will have. No one likes to think that their work will harm others! But it's precisely because of that, that WMDs are created." I replied.

"Surely it can't be that bad right?" Melissa said.

"Yeah. We can just stop this now and it'll all be fine." Iida suggested.

I sighed with great effect.

"Iida, Melissa, what do you think the governments do in response to terrorism incidents this wide, when tens of thousand so fpeople are affected? Look at history, and think, what track record does the government have in response to widespread assaults on public safety?" I asked.

"They turn authoritarian!" Deku replied, shocked.

"That! Exactly that! And this incident will just give them free reign to implement harsher punishments for minor offences, invasions of privacy and unrestricted surveillance, increasing the power of the police, and worst of all, they just might even use this as an excuse to outfit their soldiers with this device immediately. All in the ineterest of 'public safety' because you geniuses didn't have the slightest fucking bit of forethought before jumping ass first into this woodchipper of a plan!" I explained.

At this point Sam snapped.

"And what do you think we should have done huh? If you're so smart, why don't you tell me how e should have done this!?"

"Sam, don't..." David protested.

"No, no. It's fine. I'll answer him.

It's simple really. You should have embezzled them." I answered.

"What?!" They all exclaimed.

"How?" David asked.

"Professor, tell me, do these sponsor require you to log every failure and wasted resource into a detailed report? Or are you granted some leeway in the use of materials?" I asked.

"Yes. That..why didn't I think of it?!"

David muttered.

"What do you mean Papa?" Melissa asked.

"What he means is that they could have shunted away some resources and written them off as lost materials or failed tests and spirited them away into a new version of this device. That way, they'd not only have a better device, but also the funds for more research. All without needing to use villains or attract any attention.

I mean, who'd have questioned a few failed tests and fudged records from the famous and principled Professor David, right?" I said.

"I was an idiot?!" David said, slapping his head in anger, again and again.

"That you are, Professor." A voice came from the corridor, as the red haired villain walked in, slowly clapping.

"Damnit Deku! Didn't I tell you to keep watch by the corridor!" I cried.

"I ..sorry Haru-chan. Don't worry, I'll get him now." Deku answered.

"No you won't!" The villain said, as metal bands wrapped around my eyes and restricted everyone else before they could react, pinning us all to the wall.

Of course, I knew he was coming, but if I stopped him back there, my plan to get David and Melissa to see me as the future symbol of peace wouldn't work, now would it?

Great plans require great sacrifices, after all. And a little pain, was well worth it, to gain the future support of I-island's best and brightest.

The villain walked forward, until he reached the Professor and raised his gun to the his forehead.

"And now, you'll die for your mistakes!" The villain said, as a clicking sound echoed in the hall.

The cocking of the gun's hammer.

"Goodbye, Professor David!"