Chapter 8: Ignorance is Bliss

Chapter Text

"...so in conclusion I want Ainz to help me out with a few classes. Just say no if you don't want him. I can still operate alone, but if I am receiving an aide, I want him."

The caller on the principal's earpiece said all this with a tired drawl, Expected considering that it is currently three in the morning. The principal of UA, Nezu, takes a sip from a china cup while thinking of a way to convince a man on the brink of burnout 'no.' Despite the dreadfully long list of reasons Aizawa believes Ainz is a good candidate, he never specified why he wants an aide in the first place.

"Aizawa. Calm down, please. I thank you dearly for the amount of information you have given me concerning your need to ameliorate my school," Nezu leans back in his leather chair. "However, I see no need to hire you an aide. Last year you did spectacularly, and the other teachers haven't seen anything wrong with you."

A minute of silence follows Nezu's words before a sigh, "Fine. During the quirk exercises I had prepared for the kids tod-...yesterday, I started seeing visions about the presence of the Arbiter. Knowing your 'expertise' in surveillance, you either already know or you can just watch the footage of that event and distinctly see me looking off in random directions."

Visions? A lapse in sanity perhaps? Or early signs of PTSD?

"I've heard from Naomosa about y'all's…debacle with the Arbiter. He hasn't been seen in the underground since the successful hit on Hazmat. Or I suppose they haven't been caught considering they aren't exactly human" An unsaid 'much like myself' hung over the call.

Nezu was the chef d'oeuvre of humanity's malice. A literal lab rat used for experimentation with one caveat: he possessed the quirk High Specs which gave him an IQ of around 250~. Abandoned, used, tortured, mutilated; Nezu touched the scar on his eye. A trophy symbolizing his escape and extermination of those that wronged him.

Aizawa wasn't dumb enough to miss Nezu slipping into one of his 'lapses,' "Just give me an answer before class begins. I'll be napping."

I'm docking his pay, Nezu noted before ending the call. He took another sip from his caffeine-infused tea, "So 3-A isn't going to be the only problem class."

The rat-bear-dog principal began skimmed the security footage. It was largely unhelpful. Everytime Aizawa looked somewhere strangely, it was always out of the camera's view, I can't just place a million cameras to cover every blindspot. As much as I want to, the board will not allow me to turn the school into a glorified city-state. Let's just put a pin in that…along with signing Aizawa up with an appointment with Hound Dog. 

"Al," Nezu spoke aloud to his computer. "Please check the rest of the footage for the day and notify me if anything is out of the ordinary. Prioritize class 1-A's activities."

Al was Nezu's virtual assistant. Nothing fancy like A.I. It just helps Nezu do two things at once. Time to figure out who Ainz is. 

A first look into the government database showed Ainz recently had his information updated, but the timeline is vague. Could've been either thirty minutes to six months ago. The information that is given is scarce. Age: 35. No parents or siblings. Apparently gained the permission to adopt a child. And works as a freelance quirk analyst. Photo ID does show a man in his thirties with already gray hair. His quirk is Pocket, which makes a seemingly infinite 'pocket' that he can put his hand and other objects through as long as they can be held in one's hand. Other than that… That's it? No school, work information, home address, social security number, or hospital visit? I would almost certainly place this as fake if it wasn't for the fact he has a daughter. If you're faking an ID, why bring such an unnecessary burden? Obviously, I'm not letting Aizawa bring him here to the school. Sure the quirk is great, but this man is too much of an enigma. I'll tip off Naomosa to this oddity.

"{Footage scanning complete. You have one anomaly detected}."

Nezu perked up at that, "Bring it up on screen."

The footage of Al picked up was located in the hospital room right after Aizawa's exercise. Interesting. Recovery Girl admonished All Might's new successor for being reckless. Very unsurprising. Like mentor like student-

Suddenly, a very familiar daughter & father pair appeared in front of Midoriya. The curtain blocks the boy, but he can very clearly see Ainz. Дерьмо! How the hell did the security not trip him up? He just appeared out of thin air! Nezu's mind was working on three hours of sleep, four cups of tea, and overtime in general. Aizawa wasn't seeing visions. He was honest to God seeing Ainz instead, but…why did he say it was the Arbiter? Wait… Backdraft mentioned that the Arbiter had a child with him on one of his hits. Ainz also has a child of similar age and gender. Aizawa may have actually seen the Arbiter. Aizawa is being manipulated by the Arbiter to hire him at UA!

The footage now showed Midoriya being blasted by…something by Ainz. 

"Papa! Why did you kill him?!"

"I didn't kill him! We are simply going to…change how he thinks. He thought I was a dangerous supervillain!"

Neither of the two seemed disturbed at their own actions. Nezu, for the first time since he escaped the lab, was sweating bullets. Those with knowledge are superior to all other beings without. This is the fact of life. Only one thing stands above knowledge and that is the unknown. What Nezu witnessed is the apotheosis of the unknown. A being so powerful that there is no point in even thinking of resisting. Nezu may have built himself a fortress, yet it never mattered.

"I AM SO SORRY! I never meant for anybody to get hurt. I will never forgive myself for the amount of guilt I have obtained from hurting Bob. My sins will haunt me forevermore! Please forgive this wretched evildoer!"

Controlled Izuku makes a terrifying apology over the video. Another ability…Aizawa stated that his Erasure did nothing against the man. The impossibly obvious solution being that Ainz/Arbiter doesn't have a quirk. To do such abilities with no quirks is…otherworldly.  

Nezu's eyes snap open. Hold on. Everything makes sense. They really aren't human or originated from Earth. All roads lead to Ma-...

*KNOCK KNOCK*

As much as someone knocking on Nezu's office door so late at night without him knowing should've scared him, he was expecting it.

"You could've just teleported in." Nezu dryly stated. He checked his door's camera. No one is there. Of course not. Why wouldn't they possess invisibility?

The door opens revealing not the Arbiter, not Ainz, not even a skeleton, it was a man dressed up in the most bizarre of clothes. A yellow neo-nazi outfit with an enormous overcoat that is somehow fluttering in the wind. His build could have tricked anybody of him being human if it wasn't for his garishly long fingers and his face. Nezu read the interrogation documents and saw the photo of Arbiter's 'face.' Looking back on it now it was probably another ability. The man in front of him currently had zero distinctive features except for three holes where the eyes and mouth should be.

"Zank you for ze invitation, Herr Schulleiter," The thing said with a grossly exaggerated bow. "You may refer to me as ze Director! Mein Vater wishes to make an offer for his…hiring.."

German accent and attire. Clear code words. They are using the school for something. The thing referred to Ainz as 'father.' Reproduction must work differently if 'that' can be birthed. On the positive side, they haven't killed or wiped my memory yet. I'm still of use, however they need proof. The principal refilled his cup of tea, "I would offer you a cup of tea, but I'm ignorant to Martian body composition. Not sure what could be digested or not."

'Director' straightened his coat, "Why of course! It would be rude of me to refuse a glass."

"Glad I could oblige," Nezu hand-...paws Pandora a cup of tea.

"On to business Schulleiter. Our offer is very simple," The Director takes a sip of the tea through one of his holes. "Let ze supreme being Ainz Ooal Gown use ze school for a stage play. In exchange we promise not to interfere with ze normalcy you have created."

Use the school as a stage. With all of this the man. "My my, you're not even going to offer me anything?" Nezu chirped playfully.

The three-holed man tilted his head, "I was informed zat you were smarter. Although you are correct, we will offer you personally five playthings every month along with ze proper tools."

The bluff worked. They know me well. I value the safety of my students while trying to hide my deep-seeded malice for all of mankind. I have no choice here. To the rest of the world: I am sorry, but we will live. "Guarantee me the safety of all of the children in this school no matter what your plans may be and we have a deal.."

Director puts his cup down, stands up, and sticks his hand in front of him, "Glad zis was settled peacefully, Producer."

Nezu stands up on his desk and shakes the monster's hand, "Hah. The feeling's mutual."