Notes: I really don't like to involve too many OCs, so I hope the number isn't too high.
Imprisoners
A My Hero Academia Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Chapter 4: Wipe Unleashed
"I'm telling you, boss, it was nothing like how you said it would be."
Liang leaned back in his chair, carefully considering the man on the other side of the desk. "Everything I told you was accurate, Lazer. You will not be penalized for your failure, but I cannot reward you, either."
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Title: Beam Assassin, Lazer
Alignment: Villain
Affiliation: IllumiNation
...no data found...
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"I'm not worried about that, but your files need updating. When you told me about Mina Bakugo's Acid, you didn't say she could ignite it on command."
Liang slowly frowned at Lazer. "Explain."
"She threw the acid, her eyes flashed, and then it all exploded."
"That," Liang murmured, "has never happened before."
"It happened tonight. Almost killed me."
"Perhaps," Liang said softly, "I was wrong to give you this assignment. Kidnapping is not your area of expertise. But I expected resistance, and thought you would be better suited. Indeed, I have confirmation of one death. You have not lost your touch."
"I'm just sorry that I couldn't get what you wanted. And I'm not so sure I'm the one with the body count, this time. That explosion probably did it. It went off so close to them, I'm amazed they weren't all killed. My first thought was that Mina would rather die than get captured."
"Really," Liang murmured thoughtfully. "That is very interesting, considering her own status at the moment. I would have expected her to prioritize preserving her child's life over all else."
"Maybe she was. She couldn't know what you had planned for her, so she could only assume. Would you call life as a hostage living?"
Before Liang could answer, the speaker on his desk lit up. "Sir, we have a Priority-1 situation at Blightgate!"
Liang sighed and shook his head. "Himiko, you had one job," he muttered. Then he looked at Lazer. "This may be more your speed, if there should be any trouble. And this time, you'll be working with a partner. One with a perfect mission completion record."
Lazer frowned. "No offense, boss, but assisting Himiko isn't exactly a desired assignment."
"Oh? I was under the impression that you had recently failed a mission, and might be hoping to restore your reputation."
Lazer flinched. "Fine, I'll do it."
"Good. This will be a straightforward cleanup mission."
"So anyone we can't trust to stay quiet, can't be allowed to exist. You're right, sounds perfect for me."
"Your partner will handle anything directly related to Himiko. They have a history."
"A pleasant one, I hope."
Liang coughed. "Hardly. There is nothing pleasant about cleaning up when Himiko goes overboard."
It was not quite comfortable, squeezing Mina, Tsuyu, Eri, and Ochaco into the same bedroom. But it was safer, which was all Mina cared about at the moment. Mitsuki would have also been there, but she and Katsuki had stayed up late to talk things out. Katsuki had been moodier than usual, but that was expected, with his father newly dead. Mina had half-expected him to cremate Masaru on the spot, just to speed things along. It wouldn't have been so much callous as convenient: with people targeting them, a funeral was almost entirely out of the question. Not until they knew who and why, at least.
But Mina feared she already did know why. The only thing they had now, that they hadn't had before, was the tiny life growing inside of her. The very thought of someone already being after her baby, when it wasn't even close to being fully-formed yet, made her feel sick. Sick enough where she thought it would be a poor way to repay Ochaco's kindness, possibly vomiting in her bed while they were both in it.
Mina sat up in bed, only to find Eri also sitting up, but on the floor and propped up against the bed. It didn't look like either of them was going to get much sleep tonight.
"I'm really glad you weren't hurt, Mina-san," Eri said.
Mina smiled. "That's so sweet of you to say, Eri-chan. And I didn't say it earlier, but thank you so much for saving Mitsuki. She and I didn't get along when we first met, but after tonight, I'm sure that she's finally started to accept me. I was so upset when I thought I might lose her, and I'm sure she felt the same way. I'm sad about Masaru, but he liked me right away. If Mitsuki had died before I was sure that I had her approval, I don't know what I would have done."
"I didn't know all of that," Eri admitted. "I just meant that I'm glad I didn't have to try to heal you. Pregnant women are tricky for me. I think it's because the baby gets in the way."
Mina blinked. "You mean you have to be careful not to rewind them out of existence?"
"That, and babies are selfish. They don't care what's going on around them, because they're too young to consider anything that doesn't impact them directly. All they know is they like their house comfortable, and they don't like anything that makes the house uncomfortable." She paused and glanced at Mina. "You're the house, by the way."
Mina just stared. She was only a few weeks pregnant, so the comment did not have the same sting it would have after several months of pregnancy. Even so, she had to remind herself that Eri wasn't trying to be insulting.
"You should be careful," Eri continued. "Your little guy doesn't realize how strong he is. He'll protect you, but since he doesn't know friend from foe yet, he might hurt people he shouldn't. You need to teach him to recognize his family."
"How do you know this?" Mina asked softly.
"Izuku taught me to always pay attention. Mitsuki and Masaru were hurt in two completely different ways. Only one of those ways runs in the family. Your husband wasn't there, and if Masaru had been the one responsible, you would have noticed it."
"No, I meant... how do you know it's a boy?"
Eri blinked. "Oh. I don't know how I know. He just feels like a boy. Don't you think?"
"Honestly, I haven't felt anything like that yet. I'd be happy with a boy or a girl. And I hope they'll be happy with me."
"Sure, they will. You're really nice. You'll be a great mom. It's the scary dad I'd be worried about."
Mina laughed softly. "You don't know Katsuki like I do. He looks scary on the outside, but if you look deeper, he's a very good man. This baby is lucky to have a father like him."
Eri was no longer listening, however. She was staring in horror at her blinking wristband. It was linked to Izuku's own, and they were only supposed to blink if the life signs they detected from their partner were fading.
When Izuku opened his eyes, there was a chubby boy wearing a VR helmet and black gloves leaning over him.
"Wassup, bro," the boy said around whatever he was chewing. "You good?"
Izuku blinked. "Yes. Um, who are you?"
"Oh yeah. You can call me Save Point."
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Title: Reset Kid, Save Point
Alignment: Unknown
Affiliation: IllumiNation
Quirk: SAVE YOUR GAME
"Never lose your progress!" is Save Point's motto! No matter what happens after, so long as someone went through a door, he can restore them to the point just before they entered! But a lesson felt is a lesson learned, so the person gains a physical scar with a faint memory of their "Game Over" embedded in it!
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Izuku slowly sat up. He gradually recognized that he was in a cell at Blightgate Prison. Judging by the size of the bed, the video game posters on the wall, the numerous game platforms stacked against one wall, and the huge TV next to them, this could only be Save Point's cell. Although it seemed more like a vacation home than a cell.
It was strange, though. Izuku had never actually visited any prisoner at Blightgate other than Himiko, or looked into their cells, but he felt certain this setup was unusual. The thought of Himiko caused a curious ache in his neck, and he rubbed the sensitive skin there.
"Better not mess with that too much," Save Point advised, passing him a handheld mirror.
Izuku slowly took the mirror and gasped. There were two rather large holes in his neck, or at least there had been, judging by the freshly healed scars. And suddenly, he had a brief vision of Himiko, smiling sweetly at him with blood coating the lower half of her face... his blood.
"Did she... try to kill me?" he whispered.
He had seen Himiko's file. In her twisted mind, bloodshed was an act of love. Repeated bloodshed was basis enough for a romantic relationship. Actually draining someone enough to kill them, to her, was the purest expression of love in existence. So it wasn't that she hated him. Just the opposite: she thought herself in love with him, and wanted him dead to prove the strength of her feelings. His "breaking up" with her had been the trigger, but she had always intended to kill him, eventually.
Hadn't she?
It was hard to say. In all of their encounters since she'd been locked up, never had Himiko tried to take things too far. Never had he felt his life was in real danger. And nowhere in her file was there a romantic relationship that had lasted more than a few months. But Himiko had been in Blightgate for years. Why was it so different this time? Why was Izuku different from every other guy she'd been interested in? It was pointless to just ask her, especially now, but what other way was there?
But, now that Izuku thought about it, he had no idea how he'd ended up in Save Point's cell. Didn't even know where in the prison it was. Or how or why he'd come to this cell in the first place. He had only ever come to visit Himiko.
Something wasn't adding up. Izuku could not even say for sure how fresh the memory of Himiko's mouth being covered in blood was, and it didn't seem like something that would be easy to forget.
"Save Point, could you-?"
"Better play it cool, bro," Save Point interrupted, turning his back to Izuku. "They're here."
The cell door slid open. Izuku was a little surprised to see Denki inside the prison, but the person with him was the bigger surprise, in that Izuku had never seen them among the prison guards, or at all. And Izuku did not typically forget cloaked people with full face masks that only revealed their eyes.
"Denki, do you know what's happening around here?" Izuku asked.
The look that Denki gave him was so cold and unexpected that Izuku had no response. It was almost like Denki hated him.
"Both of them?" the masked person asked in a tinny voice.
Denki shook his head. "The fat kid is one of ours. Don't bother with him."
"Very well." The masked person approached Izuku, who immediately tensed. "Calm yourself, Midoriya. If we wanted you hurt, we would have just let you bleed out."
Izuku froze. "Wait. That was-?"
"Real. Very much so. Too much so, in fact. But relax. It will not happen again."
"Who are you?" Izuku asked.
"They call me Wipe." The masked person stretched a hand toward Izuku. "You will soon not find out why."
Izuku's world began to spin, and he collapsed.
Inko was not sure what to make of Deku Force's newest member. He did not seem all that approachable, but proved to be polite and fairly well-mannered despite that. She had come across people who had imposing physical appearances before, but there was something about Hitoshi Shinso... people were not meant to get close to him, and he seemed to prefer that.
Even so, he was a Deku Force member, and that meant he was family. Izuku would certainly never allow someone into his family unless he trusted them to do no harm to it.
With the rest of the team dealing with the attack on the Bakugo family, and Izuku away on personal business, this was the first time Inko had found herself alone in the base with Shinso. Although he had planned to spend the rest of the night reviewing files, Inko, hoping to get to know him, had invited him to have tea with her. Shinso agreed, but she sensed some reluctance on his part.
Shinso steered the conversation almost entirely away from himself. He spoke briefly of his time at UA, and working for various agencies and teams, but mostly he described their respective environments or the work itself, not how he took to them. Not surprisingly, Inko was most interested in his time at UA. Even though Shinso's exposure to Izuku's class had been limited, he still had a better idea of the things they'd gone through than Inko ever had, and of course Izuku never had told her everything.
At some point, Inko recognized that she had learned very little about Shinso, but he clearly wasn't ready to open up yet. She believed that would come, in time. Eri had been the same way with her, at first. But once they'd shared a good cry or two, Eri proved just as warm and eager as anyone else hoping to be part of something.
It was only when they started to clean up that things took a strange turn.
"There's something I've been wondering," Shinso murmured as he carefully dried the dishes. "What was it about Ochaco that you didn't approve of?"
Inko stared at him in shock. "What do you mean? Ochaco is a lovely girl, and I've always thought so!"
"I was under the impression that you had some objection to her former relationship with Izuku?"
"My only objection was that they ended it, and no one would give me a clear answer as to why! They both said it was a work-related issue, and since there was no moving past it, that they agreed to disagree on it. But it was big enough where Ochaco left the team entirely. I didn't want to blame either one of them, but Izuku just seemed so convinced that it was his fault. I hoped they would find their way back to each other, but once I saw how Eijiro looked at Ochaco, I knew Izuku had lost her for good. At this point, I'm just glad they were all able to remain friendly."
"So," Shinso said slowly. "Do you approve of Tsuyu?"
Inko sighed. "Yes. But I also approved of Ochaco. And I think I'm starting to see the same signs again. I don't know what Izuku is doing that these girls can't or won't accept, but I'm afraid it's going to drive Tsuyu away, as well." She paused. "I don't suppose you know?"
"Your son and I were never close. I don't think I am someone he would take into confidence about something like this. However, I do not wish to see him sabotage his own life. If I find myself in a position to address the situation directly, I will do so. I have always given him my honest opinion, and I will continue to do so. That much, I can promise you, Inko-san."
Inko smiled in relief. "Thank you."
Shinso did not smile, but she hadn't really expected him to. He did nod before turning away, though, so she had to be satisfied with that.
Eri had lost the first family she belonged to. The how was not as important as the fact that they had not been very good people. In fact, the treatment she had endured at their hands might have left any other girl with the idea that being part of a family was to be avoided at all costs.
But Eri had been fortunate, to eventually meet good people who showed her that a proper family was nothing like the one she'd been raised in. So instead of fearing family, she had clung to the idea that a true family was something to be desired and cherished. And also, that losing it was one of the worst things that could ever happen to a person.
Izuku was not just family. He was the center of her family. Without him, the family would collapse. He could not be lost. The family had to live on, no matter the cost.
Much as she didn't like to think about her previous family, Eri had to admit that they were similar to her current family in one important way. Her blood relatives had all but abandoned her, and left her in the "care" of extended family. Likewise, it was not Deku Force that Eri needed now, but her extended family, who specialized in just what was called for at the moment.
So Eri made her excuses to Mina, slipped into bathroom, and quickly wrote a note: thanking everyone, assuring them that she was fine, and promising to return with Izuku. Then she stepped into the glowing wormhole beside her, and dropped onto a mattress an instant later.
Soft but cool hands grasped Eri's shoulders and pulled her upright. "How are you feeling, Eri-chan?" a concerned voice asked.
"I'll feel better when Izuku is back, Rei-san," Eri said.
"I think most of us here feel that way."
Eri stared up at the woman. More than once, they had been mistaken for mother and child, due to them both having long, white hair. And if it had been true, Eri wouldn't have hated it. Even if Rei had been her mother, they would each still each have a tragic past filled with abuse. Perhaps they would have clung to each other even more, and perhaps not. But their respective pasts allowed them to be kind to each other now, and that was enough for them both.
"Ahaha! Another successful transport for my ultra-cute baby, Corey-chan!" said a new voice, and both females braced for impact as a third bounced up to them, no doubt aided somewhat by the thick, humming boots on her feet. She peered at them eagerly, as always, through a pair of thick goggles.
"Too loud, Hatsume," complained the first male that appeared, tugging at his messy, golden hair. "And I don't like how you say that, as if you were expecting the transport to fail and cut Eri in half or something."
Hatsume turned on him at once and stuck a finger in his face. "Take that back! Corey-chan has never failed us!"
"I think you mean that this version hasn't failed us. Yet."
Their conversation dissolved into the familiar good-natured bickering, which was essentially just the background music in this place. The group's focus shifted to the final man, who immediately walked over to Eri. Though his appearance was thin, and somewhat unsettling, it didn't bother Eri in the least when he knelt down to embrace her tenderly.
"Eri-chan," he murmured into her hair.
"Oji-san," she said, clinging to his neck.
"I know what you are feeling. I can see it in your eyes. You have every right to be worried. But I cannot allow that to continue. Why?" He drew back slightly, gazing at her steadily with glowing blue eyes. "Because we are here."
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Title: Major Hazard, the Walking Plague
Quirk: None
Trait: Quirk-Less
Eri has restored his health, but he will never be the Symbol of Peace again. Yet in the absence of his lost Quirk, his undying will has manifested in a mysterious way.
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Eri nodded and looked at the others expectantly.
"We can leave at any time, Toshinori-san! Corey-chan is already locked onto Izuku's last location!" Hatsume hefted a metal box over her head. It instantly began to whine, and what looked like a giant, green, ghostly worm emerged from the box, bearing a set of very sharp teeth.
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Title: Mama Mechanica, the Patent Fiend
Quirk: ZOOM
Trait: Tinker
A proud mother whose mechanical babies are still revolutionizing hero work! Her latest bundle of joy: Corey, the Hole-Worm Generator!
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Eri looked to the white-haired woman next. "What about you?"
The woman nodded. "Izuku was there for my son at a time when no one else could reach him. I want to return that favor, if I can."
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Title: Frosty, the Walking Winter
Quirk: ICEBOX
Trait: Zero Temp
Beneath her calm exterior lies an enormous, undefeated power. Only those who have glimpsed and embraced the true nature of her heart can hope to stand against her.
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"And you?" Eri asked, looking to the golden-haired man.
He shrugged. "If everyone else is in, guess I am, too.
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Title: Sinferno, the Hellfire Human
Quirk: Pyro-Person
Trait: High Temp
His body transforms into living flames. Tests have confirmed that he has Todoroki blood, but no living Todoroki's DNA has proven a close enough match to say definitively that he originated from them. However, his Trait is proof enough of his origin. Also, to date, he is one of only two flame-users who can melt Rei's thickest ice.
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"Then we are agreed," Toshinori said. "Our mission is to bring Izuku home, safe and sound. We can only imagine what dangers await us, but there is one thing we know for sure: his last known location was Blightgate Prison. We now have reason to believe that it is not as Quirkless as its reputation suggests."
"Oh, I can't wait!" Hatsume gushed. "My babies are just dying to see their Papa again!"
Everyone present knew that Izuku was Hatsume's preferred guinea pig when it came to her inventions, so much so that she had given him the questionable distinction of being the "father" of her babies. Anyone who hadn't known Hatsume for years would have immediately misunderstood, of course.
"We're going to save Izuku, no matter what. And if Blightgate isn't Quirkless already, it will be when we're done," Eri swore.
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Title: Eraserhead II, the Anti-Quirk Girl
Affiliation: QSF (a.k.a. Quirk Suppression Force, a.k.a. Loss Prevention Squad)
Quirk: "Blank Shot"
Trait: Cell Blood
In her bloodstream dwells the power to shut down any Quirk. Formerly used against her will, now this ability is meant only to stop those who would use their Quirks for evil deeds.
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The one thing Hitomi hated, more than anything else, was not being in control. Control was her specialty. When she was in control, everything made sense and happened the way she wanted it to.
She had never been able to control Himiko. It was due to a combination of Hitomi's unwillingness to force her beloved older sister to do anything, and Himiko's mild resistance to most light-based Quirks. Hikaru was just as helpless: one smile from Himiko would erase his will entirely.
So when someone had been able to control Himiko, Hitomi had hoped that it would be a good thing. Himiko was prone to impulsive, violent outbursts at some of the worst possible times, so reducing those had seemed like a good idea, at first. But Hitomi now realized that Himiko being under control was not her natural state. She was happy, or looked it and said she was, but Himiko saw her sister doing things that were completely outside her nature now.
Always, when Himiko spoke of being in love before, she had referred to a process by which she eventually murdered and became the person, temporarily. But it wasn't like that with Izuku. She actually seemed to be genuinely obsessed with him being her plaything, with no end date in sight. And the worst part was, Hitomi wasn't sure if Himiko had decided that on her own, or if she'd been made to think that way by someone else. They all had the serve the Light, and it was possible, even likely, that Himiko's fixation on Izuku had been directed or encouraged. But no one had ever been able to alter Himiko's process, only slow it down, and only so much. But it was different with Izuku.
Which made the current situation even worse.
Izuku had come with the intent to end his visits. Predictably, Himiko had wanted to prevent that at all costs, and attacked him. A bit too violently, all things considered, but Izuku had survived worse, and they had gotten him medical treatment immediately. Still, when Hitomi threw open the cell door, and saw Himiko lovingly cradling Izuku in her arms, she could not shake her first thought.
"She'll be so sad if he dies."
Himiko was never sad when the objects of her love died. Oh, she would mourn, but in a way that more closely resembled orgasmic ecstasy, complete with awkward touching and noises best left to the imagination. But there had been genuine tears in Himiko's eyes when Hikaru finally managed to drag her away from Izuku's limp body. Thankfully, that limpness was due mostly to Hitomi's influence: Izuku still thought he was effectively Quirkless within Blightgate, as nearly all visitors did. Only those loyal to IllumiNation were aware of the truth.
Himiko had overreacted to the thought of Izuku leaving her. If she had meant to kill him, then she would have killed him, and then lost interest in his body seconds after his pulse stopped. Instead, she had only seriously wounded him, and then showed concern for his survival. She could have easily finished tearing Izuku's throat open, in the time it took Hitomi to reach them. But she hadn't.
Irregular as all that was, Hitomi knew the standard protocol for whenever Himiko went overboard. Hikaru had already requested a cleanup crew. Memories would be erased, mouths would be silenced. Himiko probably wouldn't even know who Izuku was by tomorrow morning. And maybe that was for the best. She had clearly gotten too close. But that also meant that the three siblings would likely be reassigned. Hitomi viewed that as a good thing, but she knew the only way Himiko would... was if she had no memory of the fact that she was really supposed to hate it.
It would be better this way.
And yet, when Hitomi looked up to find Wipe approaching Himiko's cell, it was impossible to ignore the dread she felt.
"I am finished with Midoriya," Wipe explained. "You should stress to your brother: Midoriya is to be returned unharmed. Failure to comply with that order would be a huge mistake."
"Understood," Hitomi murmured. "I guess you'll need to see my sister now."
"Do not worry. Your sister is a valuable asset. I always take extra care not to damage her memories."
"I know. That's not what I'm concerned about, not really. Just... no, forget it." Hitomi opened the cell. "Please prepare yourself, she might be a little upset."
"That is to be expect-" Wipe began to say, then paused.
Himiko was sitting calmly on her bed, humming to herself. She turned to door, a bright smile on her face. But with an almost audible thunk, her gaze landed on Wipe, and the blood drained from her face.
Wipe had been expecting that Himiko's bad reaction might be due to the current circumstances. What she hadn't expected was that Himiko might react badly to Wipe herself. But that was clearly what was happening, and it was bad for two reasons.
The first that was that Wipe was very careful to suppress any past memories of herself in her targets. Himiko shouldn't have had any reaction to her at all.
The second was that Himiko clearly knew why Wipe was there, which was only going to make this more difficult.
"Calm down, onee-chan," Hitomi said in a soothing tone. "Wipe is only here because-"
"Don't let her, Hitomi!" Himiko shrieked, wrapping her arms over her head. "Don't let her take Izuku away from me!"
"I would never let that happen," Hitomi assured her with a smile. "But even if it did, I'm sure it wouldn't matter. The strength of your love for Izuku is second to none, right?"
Himiko smiled hesitantly. "T-That's right," she murmured. "Even if she made me forget, I'd still remember him!"
"Of course you would. And that's not why Wipe is here, anyway. Save Point is being moved, and there can't be any record of him being here."
"Oh. That makes sense." Himiko grinned weakly. "Guess I was silly to worry."
"You are never silly," Hitomi said firmly, squeezing Himiko's hands. "But you don't have to worry. Hikaru and I will always look out for you. Just relax and let Wipe do her job. I'll be here with you the whole time, okay?"
"It won't take long, Himiko-san," Wipe promised. "From what your sister tells me, you have had very little interaction with Save Point, so this should be over very soon."
"Right," Himiko said softly, glancing between them. "Don't know what I was worried about!"
Katsuki was pacing outside the bedroom where his wife and her friends were sleeping when he first heard the voice in his head.
"I know you can hear me, Katsuki. And no, you aren't dreaming or hallucinating. I am actually talking to you, right now."
Katsuki knew that voice, still heard it in his nightmares. "All for One. What the hell do you want? How are you doing this?"
"Let us just say that Tartarus still hasn't come up with a complete list of my Quirks, and leave it at that. As for what I want? No, dear boy. This is about what you want and need. You need to know why these people are after your family, don't you?"
"Was it you?!" Katsuki demanded.
"No, no. I have no reason to do such a thing, or have such a thing done. If I wanted you, I would come for you in person. But I am familiar with those who did this. Who they are is unimportant. Why they want your family is important. You are extremely blessed, Katsuki. Such a powerful and versatile Quirk. And you have passed that talent on to the next generation. Do you understand? They want your child's Quirk."
"Don't be stupid, the baby is barely more than an idea at this point!"
"But it is more, and that's all it takes. You are exceptional, and so is your child. They want that baby. And if you are unable to protect it, you may end up just like my own student: with your family completely gone, and a newfound hatred for all of the heroes who failed to save you. Wouldn't that be something?"
Katsuki smirked. "That would never happen to me. I'm not weak like he was. I don't wait for a hero to show up and save me, I save myself! I'll be my own hero! And if I fail, it's no one's fault but mine! I bet Shigaraki was never smart enough to say, 'The heroes didn't save my family, but you didn't either, you creepy faceless bastard!' And if he's that stupid, either you're not much of a teacher, or you just like keeping your student dumb enough where he's easy to control."
There was a long silence. Katsuki started to think that All for One had cut the connection. But then:
"Well said, Katsuki. He never did ask that question. I never gave him reason to. And if he had asked, I would have lied, of course. I knew exactly who he and his family were, and I kept a close eye on them. I don't mind telling you this, because he'd never believe it, coming from you. But I have no more time. Consider this a friendly warning, as well as a sneak-peek. You're welcome."
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Baby Bakugo
Quirk: IGNITION
...data incomplete...
...can ignite targets remotely via unknown means...
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"Always remember, Katsuki. I could have turned you into Shigaraki, if I wanted to. Always remember that I didn't have to tell you any of this. So perhaps the next time we talk, you'd be wise to keep that in mind."
"I didn't ask for your help and I don't owe you a thing," Katsuki spat.
"True enough. Maybe I will pose that question to your child, one day. I wonder if they will see things the same way that you do..."
"No way in hell," Katsuki growled. He stomped into the kitchen, where his mother was making a fresh pot of coffee.
"Katsuki, do you-?" she began to ask.
"No time!" he snapped. "Going out!"
Mitsuki blinked and began to swell up, the infamous Bakugo temper about to explode from her. But then she noticed the look in her son's eyes, and deflated as he walked out of the house. Best to leave him alone, she knew. Whoever he did decide to unleash his temper on, she almost felt sorry for them.
End of Chapter 4.
Continued in Chapter 5: The Broken Family
Eri isn't the best judge of a family's quality. All she cares about is that hers works, and it stays together... no matter who it has to run over in the process.
Endnotes:
Not much to say this time around. More on the QSF and Traits next time.
Taking some artistic license with what I think Rei's Quirk is, or may be now.
Sinferno is not Dabi. I did consider it briefly, though.
Wipe's intro card has been purposely delayed.
