A guest reviewer mentioned that the action scene in the previous chapter was rushed and anticlimactic. Which was the point, call me uncreative but I prefer to keep combat relatively realistic, that is to say brutal and short, unless the objective is to buy time. The chapter title was more relating to the challenges he's already piled onto himself.

I'll confess to not being much of a conversationalist and thus dialogue is one of the weak points in my writing.

Retainer Mark Poll has been taken down due to lack of interest. As author I now present the eight warriors (Four marked retainers and their significant others) who shall form the basis of what will become the new Dragon Clan:

(Marked) Shoto Todoroki x Setsuna Tokage

(Marked) Nejire Hado X Fumikage Tokoyami

(Marked) Ibara Shiozaki X Tenya Iida

(Marked) Denki Kaminari X Saiko Intelli

There might be a name or two you don't recognize on that list if so catch up on the manga dammit. Finally decided on Izuku's pairing as well and that as a result of Izuku's Mate Mark on her she'll be able to call upon the power of Tiamat.


Two weeks had passed since Izuku defeated the sludge villain and no contact from All Might. Then on the sixteenth day an email arrived:

MIdoriya, I took your advice and went on a date. My first ever in fact. Had a great time, and managed to finagle a second. Meet me here [A beach park was listed] next saturday at eight AM to receive my power and do a bit of real hero work even before you've got your license. It's not gonna be fun but it will be necessary.

Izuku gave a smile. He doubted All Might would try anything too dangerous so it was probably the sort of thing that most heroes would ignore entirely. The situation suited Izuku right to the ground though as he was trying to make a difference not an impression. "Hey mom! I've got plans for next Saturday." he yelled.

Inko Midoriya came around the corner and said "Oh does it have to do with the training you mentioned?" The woman had been curious as to just how All Might could step up the already rigorous and effective training program. Or at least it seemed effective to younger members of her book club.

To the outside observer it looked like Izuku was a bit of a player. To the trained eye however, Izuku's romantic history had a pattern. He was looking for someone who was equal parts strong and caring, and if the girl happened to be a hero aspirant as well, so much the better. In other words the boy's hero obsession had spread to his love life.

It worried Inko but Izuku had detailed plans to prevent the fate most 'true heroes' landed in from taking him too. Something he had called the Draconic Code. The code was a set of rules detailing a brutal and pragmatic style of fighting villains, either those who were openly scum or those who hid behind prestigious positions. The world wouldn't know what hit it.

The appointed day came and Izuku arrived ten minutes early as he'd been seriously looking forward to whatever All Might had planned. After all it was going to be heroic even it was likely to not be glamorous.

It's very odd day when someone can be completely un-surprised by having someone else expect them to clean up a literal mountain of trash. It's an odder day when the first of those people is completely fine with it. All Might arrived on the scene and gave a brief explanation about the place used to be beautiful "You've got the power, and you've got the goal. Prove to me that you have the grit and clean up this beach before the entrance exam!"

"Yes All Might Sensei!" Izuku set about his work without hesitating. Bahamut refused to lend his power for such a menial task, however Izuku was physically fit, mentally brilliant, and heavily determined, thus his work was made all the quicker. However one more person needed to learn the truth of All Might...


It was three months into their relationship, far too early for Toshinori to propose but she'd received a text saying that he had something serious to discuss. It was probably bad news, he wasn't planning on breaking up with her was he?

No that wasn't it, he had invited her to his home, he wouldn't do that to break up with her, would he? When she arrived at the apartment indicated she was greeted by two bickering male voices. "If it wasn't for you insisting on my getting a girlfriend I wouldn't be in this position, so you need to help me explain to her about the situation." Spoke the pleasantly lazy voice of her boyfriend.

"If you had thought that fight five years ago through instead of charging off on your own the moment that bastard showed his ugly mug, the same would apply." Came another male voice, it sounded like a teenager, one whom was darkly amused at that.

Ryuko Tsuchikawa drew in a breath and opened the door to see Toshinori sitting at a table with a green haired and heavily muscled young man of perhaps sixteen. Toshinori was wearing his usual baggy jeans and shirt whereas the youth was wearing khaki cargo pants and a loose dark green hoodie, odd choices for the warm weather but his presence was more important than his attire.

"I'm sorry, did I get here too early?" She asked "It seems like you are having a serious enough discussion as it is."

"Nope, Yagi-sensei has been hiding something fairly major from you. Since I was the one who browbeat him into finding a girlfriend in the first place, he says I've got to be on hand when he spills the beans." The youth spoke in a dismissive manner. "I'm Izuku Midoriya by the way. Pleasure to meet you."

"Ryuko Tsuchikawa, but I'd imagine you'd already known that." The woman said, not sure what the big deal was that a third party had to be involved with telling her one of her boyfriend's secrets.

"The secret affects me as well." The youth said which spooked her was this kid a mind reader? Then he spoke again "Relax, I'm not telepathic or anything, just a people person." This Midoriya kid (Wait doesn't Midoriya mean green?) was proving to be troublesome.

"Are you Toshinori's love-child or something?" Ryuko ventured.

"I don't think this cheeky brat biological relation to me." Toshinori said. "However he was the one who convinced me to try finding a girlfriend, and he has a major connection to my secret." Knowing no other way to tell her that he was the number one hero simply went to muscle form. "I'm not All Might's Secretary! All Might is me and I am All Might."

"He's also not going to be able to be All Might for much longer." The youth wasted no time dropping that particular bombshell. "His power is fading. Which is where I come in. Bluntly put the world needs a new symbol of peace and I am looking to fit that bill."

Ryuko was a pro hero herself, Pixie Bob, part of a team referred to as the 'Wild Pussycats' however the news that the unreachable pillar known as All Might was about to fall wasn't pleasant. Particularly if a cheeky punk like Midoriya was going to replace him. And she had just said that out loud hadn't she?

"Yup. and if you think a guy like me is a bad idea as a symbol of peace, wait until I air Endeavor's dirty laundry." Izuku said.

Ryuko had to ask "You're kidding right? He's got a wife and four kids. The flame hero has been often pointed to as a symbol of how a hero can still have a family."

"His wife has been in a mental hospital for the past eight years, two of his children apparently don't take a yen from him and he's never seen with either of the other two in public." Izuku stated "His youngest child, a boy who happens to be my age has had a burn mark on his face since he was six years old."

"Well it's possible that he just likes to make his children earn their own way? Come to think of it, how do you know whether Endeavor's kids are spending his money?" Ryuko was grasping straws. No way the number two hero could be so bad. Though that mark was fairly damning.

Izuku frowned. "It seems far fetched, you'd think he would be under too much scrutiny to make this sort of thing possible, but the numbers don't lie. Toya Kanzaki, nee Todoroki runs a diner with his quirkless husband, and there's a sign outside the door that says 'Use of Fire quirks inside is strictly prohibited.'" Izuku continued his assault on Hero number Two.

"Natsuo Todoroki works double shifts at a butcher to put himself through medical school and lives in a six mat apartment with a roommate. Lives halfway across the country from his father to boot. This leaves Shoto, with the burn scar and never smiling, and Fuyumi who is a lovely woman but never goes on a date." Izuku reeled off the results of his investigation.

"The only conclusion I can draw is that Enji Todoroki is nothing more then a manipulative and abusive relic of a bygone era hiding behind his status as a hero. Unfortunately I don't have anything that would hold up in a court of law." Izuku ended the lecturing. "Though considering the fact that I was followed here that might be about to change." Heading for the door "Work out your relationship issues from here on your own."

A dull thud indicated that Tsuchikawa had fainted, so Izuku did the Heroic thing and hefted her onto Toshinori's couch. "You might want to take the credit for this." he suggested to his mentor. "I've got garbage to haul."

"What not going on a date this weekend?" Toshinori spoke "I thought you were a ladies man." He'd done a bit of research on this, but hadn't asked any questions about Izuku's parents. Apparently right after Izuku hit puberty he'd started having a different girl on his arm each month. It had given him a reputation at Orudera Junior high and nigh legendary reputation with the fathers in the region.

Izuku glared at him. "All Might, I haven't gone on a date since you started training me. Figure I'll have an easier time finding a proper partner at a school where everyone's already decided on being a hero." The teen walked out the door, careful to make sure he didn't close it too hard and fired up his sensory range.

Yup there's the tail he'd picked up recently. He'd noticed that someone had been following him about a week earlier, but didn't particularly feel like doing something about it. However this time it seemed as though the stalker was intent upon trying something a little more direct with him.

Deliberately leading the tail into a dark alley was laughably easy, then whoever he was facing made the mistake of using a mental based quirk against him. A side effect of having one's Aura unlocked (Izuku had unlocked All Might's aura without a retainers mark, to make him more comfy in retirement) was that quirks of the mind walking and mind controlling variety became worse than useless.

Case in point: Detective Inokane, as the resulting mental confrontation revealed his name to be, had a quirk that would under ordinary circumstances allow him to home in on the most shameful secrets a person hides within their hearts. Useful quirk for someone who made most of his money by stalking spouses suspected of being unfaithful.

When he used it against Izuku however, Izuku's Aura reflected the mental attack instead allowing the young Dragon Contractor to ferret out just why Inokane had been following him, among other things. The worst part for the sleazy private detective was that he could feel the brat learning about every skeleton he'd ever buried, and could help but feel as though the boy was about to brandish a shovel.

When the quirk cancelled "Unfortunately this isn't enough to convict you, but if certain groups heard you used your quirk on a kid it'd be the end of your business. Lucky for you I need you free for the moment, but tell Endeavor that I'm squeaky clean, apart from what I must admit is something of an attitude problem."

Inokane sputted "Y-you're not gonna have me hauled in?" This was completely unexpected.

"Of course not Inokane-san. You're a cat's paw, and frankly quirk memories aren't enough to arrest someone for a murder. That said If I ever hear about you pulling anymore stunts like the Rei Todoroki incident, or what you just tried against me, there are plenty of other skeletons in your closet I can use to bury you." Izuku warned politely. "Off you trot, and keep your marriage cases divorce related from now on. As long as you behave and I won't start exposing your secrets one by one."

Inokane had struck the jackpot, as far as not being turned in was concerned. He'd been terrified that the kid would drag him right into the nearest police station if he'd gotten caught, and the plump private detective didn't think he could escape the kid's speed. As for Endeavor he'd just explain that the kid was a real stand-up-guy and that there wasn't any lever to find.

Every now and again those types showed up, the kind of guy who really couldn't be bought, bullied, or blackmailed. You want to convince a guy like that you'd need to be completely on the up and up when you tried to talk 'em into it. Which is why Endeavor's quest would likely as not lead him nowhere short of something too big and obvious for old man Masayoshi, that is to say the justice system, to ignore…


So while Enji Todoroki's plots shattered, the ones Fuyumi had been cooking up had just get off the ground. With that monster she had to call a father looking at someone so much younger for her potential husband she'd be largely ignored for sometime and as such this was the perfect opportunity to gather the evidence she needed to put that Darwinist sociopathic monster in a cage where he belonged.

Fuyumi Todoroki was something of a snake in the grass. Her father had seen to that. She'd hidden her quirk in the hopes of stopping her father's quest for power. A failed attempt, but now that Izuku Midoriya was keeping her from being hounded by potential suitors she'd have her spare time for the case.

Maybe she'd actually take the guy on a date sometime, after all his very existence might just be what she needed to help her bring down the false idol known as Endeavor. Once he was gone it would be a simple matter to enroll in a late start Hero Track, and after that it wouldn't be too hard to arrange a chance meeting to see if the kid really was a good match for her, after all, even a broken clock will eventually get something right.

Enji Todoroki had been wrong plenty of times, and some part of her wanted to think that he'd be able to have at least one good idea despite all the bad ones he had thought up over the years. This Izuku Midoriya seemed like a decent guy with a powerful quirk, but as her own parents proved, a powerful coupling doesn't make a marriage happy.

That said, it was all academic as to whether she was willing to date him or not, as A) she hadn't even met the dude yet. And B) She still had a fairly dangerous Villain in Heroic clothing to deal with. She couldn't possibly have known that the boy she was thinking about had a similar agenda with regards to her scumbag father's downfall…


Enji Todoroki was just plain furious, the guy he'd paid a not insignificant chunk of money to investigate Midoriya had just informed him in no uncertain terms that the boy pretty much untouchable. Which was a bad thing for the plans of the fake Hero known as Endeavor. No means of manipulating him, and the responses from his parents weren't encouraging either.

From Hizashi Midoriya.

Endeavor-san, I'll be brief. I was an orphan as such I never had to worry about familial pressures, and when I met Inko our relationship sort of snapped into place. As a consequence of my relatively idyllic love life I'm not the sort to talk of arranged marriages. I'm not sure your daughter would be a good match for my son, but if they decide that for themselves I'll approve despite the not inconsiderable age-gap.

Hizashi Midoriya.

Most would consider that a relatively positive response. Endeavor in his twisted mind considered it a flat out refusal. Despite this Inko Midoriya, nee Yagi worded her response in a far less ambiguous manner.

Todoroki-san, your letter mentioned that this was a quirk marriage offer. I will not mince words here. I have no patience or tolerance for such an outrageous arrangement due to the disownment of my elder brother for being quirkless. As such barring Izuku and Fuyumi deciding to date or get married on their own I will oppose any attempts by you and your broken excuse of a family to push them into such an arrangement with every ounce of legal expertise I have and every single marker in my contact book.

Inko Midoriya nee Yagi

P.S There's nothing you can blackmail me or my husband with, and trying to use money to force the issue will be too expensive for even you.

Considering that Izuku had done a fairly good job of inundating his parent's minds with evidence against the number two Professional Hero, the fact that coarser language hadn't been used was a miracle. To Endeavor's mind however despite them being "We won't oppose it if it happens but we won't let you make it happen." They had spurned the rather generous offers he had made in a most impolite fashion.

They were however largely correct in that his legal avenues of manipulation were limited in the extreme. At this point all he could do without looking like a villain was to arrange for the two to cross paths, something which would need to wait anyways.

It was around noon, and ordinarily the worst villain in the Hero Profession wouldn't drink so early in the day, but Endeavor was stressed and couldn't be seen having an affair, so he pulled a gourd of sake from his desk's hidden compartment. It wasn't much of a slip, and it was nowhere near the smoking gun that two people were hoping for, but it was enough to set tongues wagging in his office.

Alcohol has a habit of leaving surfaces slippery, and loose lips sink ships. Before long Endeavor would be under scrutiny from the officials and after that one squealer could blow his case wide open. Enji Todoroki couldn't possibly realize that what he was planning would put himself in checkmate, but he still had plenty of time to bask in the glow of his maniacal and doomed scheme.


Okay so Endeavor's managed to put himself in checkmate without realizing it, Toshinori and Inko (whom are brother and sister in this fic as opposed to the romantic pairing people tend to put them in) haven't found out that they are just inches apart after years away from each other.

As for Izuku not connecting the dots yet, well he doesn't know there are dots to connect. His mom doesn't talk about her parents and double doesn't talk about her older brother whom for all she knows was brutally murdered hours after the last time she saw him. Next chapter will go into that tragedy, and explain a bit about why they haven't tracked each other down before this point.

Last bit- I've been considering doing a card-lore type Yu-gi-Oh GX fic, following the struggles of the Elemental Heroes. That or a fic where in a certain character gains the ability to call them into the very real battles of their world. Thoughts?