Chapter 22
Swallowing Doubts

Darby screamed as he crashed against the wall of a building, landing headfirst on the floor. He made a mental note to not try and kick the Number 6 Pro Hero head-on, otherwise he would end up being tossed around again.

"You best stay down, hero." Vermillion said, getting into character."I'm after your partner only, so I have no need to waste my time on you. You can escape if you wish."

"What...?" Darby blinked in surprise."You'll just let me go? Even though I can very well save myself and pass?"

"Like I've just said, you are not my objective." Vermillion gave him his back."Whatever you do is none of my concern. You should be grateful that you're given a chance to fight for another day." Without another word, the oldest neon user began walking further into the neighborhood.

'Just like that..." Darby was at a loss of words. He could actually just walk away out of here and pass. He stood up, his head full of thoughts.

U.a Highschool, Observation Room, Noon

"But why is Kachidoki's dad a proctor?" Midoriya asked Recovery Girl."He isn't a faculty here, so why would they allow him to do that?"

"It is true that under normal circumstances, Noburo wouldn't be allowed to proctor an exam here at school, even more, if he's testing his own son. Various reasons such as favoritism, and simply because he's not a faculty here. However, I'm sure you both remember what happened to Kachidoki during the Sports Festival."

"Oh, that's right..." Uraraka said somberly."He had a mental breakdown and threatened to attack Bakugo after their fight."

Recovery Girl nodded."After close consideration and observation, we've determined that Takashi Kachidoki is an unstable student. Perhaps it's not his fault. After all, we've received various comments from his siblings and peers about the matter. The problem is that Takashi is afraid of his own father due to past trauma. All of that resentment and hate had built up the ego of being superior in all ways possible. So when he was proven wrong in his match, his facade broke, leaving him exposed and fragile."

"I see..." Midoriya muttered under his breath."So then, this match is to make him overcome that?"

"More so to make straight him up. He has no choice but to face his father head-on. As for his father, he has to find a way to see his son's feelings. Whether he wants to educate him or scold him, it's up to him."

"Okay, but what about Nishikawi? He doesn't have anything to do with them, right?" Uraraka pointed out.

"Aizawa gave us a full report on all of Takashi's social behaviors and habits. His closest friends are Momo Yaoyorozu and Darby Nishikawi. However, the latter seems to have a complicated relationship with him. Rivalry perhaps. But they respect each other on some level. Nishkawi is also the kind of person who takes risks and gambles to help out his teammates. He's selfless but also has his priorities straight. If we put him in a situation regarding family affairs, what would he do?"

They focused back on the screen showing Darby standing in place.

U.A Highschool, City Stage, Noon

"Sorry, Kachidoki..." Darby clenched his fists tightly, glancing at the sky with a solemn look."But I'm not doing this without you." Darby began running as fast as hee could, tailing to where he last saw Kachidoki. He made sure to run a few streets down to avoid alerting Vermillion Ray of him getting closer. Thanks to his enhanced senses, he could tell that his enemy was far from them, around the starting line.

"Why would he still be there?" Darby pondered aloud as he continued running."Maybe he's giving us a head start or may-" He was cut off by a pair of arms grabbing him from a corner and pulling him inside of a house."What the fuck?!"

"Shhhh!" Takashi hushed him immediately, looking outside the windows to see if his father was nearby."How the hell did you find me?"

"Neko Mode not only enhances my Quirk but also all of my skills." Darby explained, leaning against a wall."Your dad is hellbent on finding you."

"No shit." Takashi grumbled."Why are you here anyway?"

"Well, since you weren't kind enough to alert me before you ran away, I had to come looking for you!" Darby went from being sarcastic to being pissed."I get you might have mixed feelings about your dad, but grow a damn pair and help me help you!"

"Stop pretending you have any idea what you're saying, Nishikawi." Takashi got up to his face."Just because my brother told you his perspective of my living, doesn't mean you know jack about this whole thing! Just stay away!"

"I won't abandon you, Kachidoki!" Darby grabbed him by the collar of his shirt."So get a hold of yourself and let's pass together!"

"You think you're tough shit now because you can change your hair color?" He snarled, grabbing him as well."Then think of something or-Huh?"

Darby let go of him and glanced behind him, noticing that he was looking out the kitchen window that gave a full view of the outside and the sky. There, they saw Vermillion Ray at a distance, propelling himself in the air with neon from his feet.

"What's he doing?" Darby inquired, walking closer to the window to get a better view."He's just flying in place."

"He's probably looking for us." Takashi narrowed his eyes."As long as we stay indoors, we might be able to hide from him and pass."

Suddenly, Noburo rose his hand in the air, creating a ball of neon in his hand. Without warning, he began firing a vast number of neon blasts in the air that began raining down like a meteor shower.

Darby's eyes widened, grabbing Takashi and pulling him behind him."They're coming over here!" Darby used all his Black Spheres to create a shield above them, sheltering them in the nick of time of debris and the neon blasts raining upon the house.

"How the hell did he even find us here?!" Takashi growled in annoyance, watching as the whole house began crumbling around them. He glanced up, noticing a few cracks on Darby's Black Shield."At this rate, we'll be buried alive!"

"I'm trying!" Darby gritted his teeth, wincing when he felt some dust fall on his eyes from an opening on his shield. It was beginning to crack due to the constant force and power of the attacks. Takashi activated his Neon Mantle and grabbed Darby by his robe, pulling him out of the house swiftly before it collapsed on them.

"You alright?" Takashi helped Darby up."How the hell did he find us here? Did he see you?"

"No." Darby gulped, coughing some dust out of his lungs."I felt him close to the ground. Not to mention I kept looking behind me and I never saw him. There must have been something more."

"Did you come in contact with him?"

Darby rose his brows slightly."I mean, only when he grabbed me by my ankle and tossed me against a wall. Other than that, no."

Takashi swiftly glanced down and in effect, he noticed a thin red string of neon wrapped around Darby's ankle. With a grunt, he shot a small ball of neon, cutting the string.

"He's extremely crafty. He knew you would come looking for me and assumed you had some idea where I was."

Darby looked horrified at the thought."Even though he told me to just run for the finish line...? Man, your dad is truly something else."

Takashi scoffed, hands on his hips."Anyway, I apologize for running earlier. Something inside of me just snapped and before I knew it, I had dipped. But now, I want to face that bastard alone. You can run if you want. As long as one of us passes, we should be alright."

"Hell no." Darby grinned, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder."I'm not abandoning you here. We're passing together or we're not passing at all. I won't try to change your mind and convince you to run. Your dad won't give us the luxury of escaping together. So, we're going to have to take him down by force and put the cuffs on him."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you do that."

"Hey, thanks!" Darby exclaim in glee."I hope we don't disappoin-" Before he could finish, Vermillion Ray blasted him on the stomach, sending him skidding on the ground until he crashed against a light post.

Takashi couldn't react in time to his father kneeing him in the gut, causing him to cough up saliva. He rose his hands in the air before hammering Takashi against the floor once he swung down, leaving him helpless.

'Just two attacks...and I'm already down...Damn it!' Takashi clenched his fists in frustration.

"Is this really all you've got, Takashi?" His dad asked, pinning him down by stepping on his back."I thought you'd last longer than this."

"Get off of him!" Darby flew over to Noburo using his Black Disk. He jumped out of it, sending it over at Noburo's neck to incapacitate him but he grabbed him with his hands clad in neon."What?!" Darby was hit by his own Black Sphere, sending him against the wall. However, he didn't let the pain stop him and rushed over to Noburo.

"Hmph!" Noburo huffed, standing in front of Darby. They began exchanging attacks, both physically and Quirk wise. When Darby threw a punch and Noburo blocked it, he would send his spheres at him which were countered by Noburo unleashing a barrier of neon, neutralizing the spheres. Noburo threw a neon-charged fist at Darby, which the boy responded by jumping back and standing on a Black Sphere. He used another 3 Black Spheres to get above him and jumped down, spinning on the ground, mimicking the same move he used against Monoma.

"GO BEYOND PLUS ULTR-" Noburo jumped in the air, headbutting Darby on his belly before he could deliver his kick.

"I thought I told you to stay out of this?!" Noburo's voice was muffed by Darby's screams of pain. He clad his fist with neon, punching Darby back to the ground. Before he could finish the job, he put his arms in front of him, shielding himself from the barrage of neon blasts coming his way.

"Yo, Nishikawi! You still breathing?!" Takashi asked, pausing this attack. Once the smoke cleared out, he noticed his father descending to the ground, unscathed."Shit."

"Does wheezing count...?" Darby held his stomach in pain."Had he hit me any harder, I would have lost Neko Mode. And we kind of don't have the time for that."

Noburo glared at his youngest child, earning a yelp from him."That wasn't as good as I thought it would be. If you plan on defeating me, you have to be merciless!" Noburo rushed over to Takashi, grabbing him by the head as he used neon on his feet to fly against a house, smashing his son against a door."Did that wake you up?"

A groan was all he got as a response. He shook his head."Not only did you bring shame to our family in the Sports Festival, but you also brought trouble to the Intelli Household! You gave me shit for sending you there, and Guren was kind enough to accept a troubled child like you and for what? For you to disobey his orders and end up in the hospital? People are suspecting you."

"What...?"

"Naturally, your excuse of "I didn't see anything" isn't working out." Noburo bellowed him."Your story doesn't match up with what happened with those creatures that attacked in Hosu or the Hero Killer. There's something you haven't said!"

"Shut up..." Takashi whimpered, feeling impotent.

Noburo rose his hand, prepared to start beating some sense into his son, however, he noticed something black on the ground. A small black liquid had appeared by his feet, and before he could brush it off, spikes came out of it that forced him to jump back. As he was in the air, he turned around just in time to stop a kick from Darby, who then bent forward to punch him in the arm and forcing him to let go of Takashi.

"This boy..." Noburo frowned, preparing a ball of neon in his hands.

Darby quickly recalled the Spheres on the ground and put them in front of him, combing them to protect himself from the incoming attack. Unfortunately for him, Noburo's attack was potent enough to break through his Black Shield, forcing him to stagger backward.

"Still here?" Noburo was starting to get annoyed at the boy's constant meddlesome behavior.

"I told you, I'm not leaving without him," Darby responded, spitting some blood from his mouth on the floor. With a battle cry, he ran over to Noburo, locking hands with him as they both tried to push each other.

'Shit!' Darby cursed, feeling himself being pushed away. Noburo had an iron grip on him, neatly crushing his hands as he continued pushing him.'Even with Neko Mode, I'm not able to do anything!'

"I'm tired of this!" Takashi caught their attention. He had his arms in front of him, creating a powerful blast of neon in his hands."I'm not going to keep hiding in your shadow, dad! And Nishikawi! Don't think for a second I need you to carry me around, you little shit! Cataclysm Blaster!" He fired the humongous ball of neon at them.

"Wait! Kachidoki! I'm right here!" Darby protested, only to be thrown away like trash by a kick in the side by Noburo.

"Not a bad attack, my son!" Noburo smirked."But you're still green! Light Breaker!" Noburo leveled his hand in front of the attack, manifesting a crimson ball of neon that he fired against the incoming attack. Takashi's attack became smaller and smaller while Noburo grew bigger and stronger. Before he knew it, Takashi was met face-to-face with the attack, sending him crashing against numerous houses before the attack exploded.

U.A. Highschool, Observation Room, Noon

"No...this is too much..." Uraraka covered her mouth, unable to watch more.

"So even if Nishikawi refuses to escape alone, they are still unable to do anything?" Midoriya frowned."Still, he's going overboard with those attacks."

Recovery Girl merely hummed to herself."Just what are you hoping to accomplish, Noburo...?"

U.A Highschool, City Stage, Noon

A fit of coughing could be heard from within the smoke. The brown-haired teen was leaning against a wall, clenching his arm.

Before he had a chance to recuperate, his dad came out of the smoke, rushing full speed at him. He clicked his tongue, getting into position as fast as he could only for his dad to disappear when he was mere inches away from him.

"Huh?" He looked up at the ceiling of a house in front of him, noticing Darby and his father were already clashing fists again.

"He's not the only one you're facing, you hear me?!" Darby cried out, blocking with difficulty Noburo's punches.

Noburo huffed in response, managing to punch Darby in the face, causing him to fall off the house and land on a tree branch."You just don't know when to step down? Even when I'm giving you the perfect chance to escape and pass the test? Why? Why would you go so far just to make sure my useless son passes?"

"He's my friend." Darby responded, ignoring the pain going throughout his body."Is there any better reason than that? I wouldn't abandon a friend just so I can live or pass some damn test. I'll keep on fighting until both of us make it past the finish line. Hey, Takashi!"

Takashi bit his lower lip."What...Darby?"

Darby stood and jumped back to the ground."Make a curtain of smoke! I have a plan and I want to try something that could work on him!"

Takashi nodded, raising his hands to create a ball of neon and throwing it on the ground, destroying the asphalt they were standing on. Noburo narrowed his eyes, watching eye corner carefully to make sure they didn't get away."They're fast." He noted, noticing they had completely fooled him."Are they going to the finish line? No. Takashi wouldn't do something like that. He'd try to face me head-on, even if he loses. That speech that Nishikawi kid gave must have knocked some sense into him."

The current head of the Kachidoki family walked quietly through the streets, observing every corner.' Luckily for me, I left some traps near the finishing line, which are connected to my fingertips. If they get close to them, I'll be able to sense them.'

"NOW!" He stopped in his tracks, watching from the corner of his eyes as Darby and Takashi came out of bushes on opposite sides.

"CATACLYSM...!" Takashi had his hands in front of him while Darby on the other side had his 6 Black Spheres in a circle pattern, rotating them in place. He concentrated nature energy as he did against Stain, creating a white ball with a black aura.

"Onyx..."

"BLASTER/SCORCH!" Both of them fired their attacks. Takashi's a stream of purple energy and Darby a stream of white energy with black lightning covering it. Noburo gasps, concentrating his neon in his arms to shoot himself in the air."Damn it!" He cursed as the attacks were fast enough to stop him from moving.

"Did we get him?" Takashi asked, covering himself from the smoke.

Darby fell on his knees, coughing his saliva. He looked at his hands and noticed his skin color was going back to normal."I used too much power...and I didn't measure how much I had left..."

Takashi jumped over to him, helping him up by wrapping his arm around his shoulder."Let's hurry up and go. I don't know how much time we bought ourselves."

"It's no use...he's right behind us..." Darby grumbled, glancing over his shoulder. In effect, Noburo stood in the crater they had created, his arms in front of him to cover himself.

"You think you can go back to that cat mode of yours?" Takashi swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Yeah...but it will take some time. Probably a couple of minutes, depending on how fast I can concentrate and gather energy. You're going to have to get him off my back and distract him."

"So, it all comes down to that, huh." Takashi smirked nervously."You better pull this off. I have a plan, but I really need you to be in top condition. You've taken more punishment than me, so you should take advantage and rest a bit."

They walked back to the main road, Takashi helping Darby down to the ground."Alright. I'm off then."

"Wait." Darby called out to him."Listen, all I need you to do is buy me some time. So don't and try to be a hero and try to take him out. You don't have to win this. He's going after you and you are his sole objective. So naturally, he won't show you any mercy. Please...stay safe."

Takashi spat near his foot."Thanks for the advice. But I know what I'm doing. Alright, here goes." Takashi placed his arms on the side, screaming as he powered up. His neon aura returned as his Neon Mantle activated. He took a running position, swiftly going off into the distance at an incredible speed, running up walls.

"Guess I should start preparing as well." Darby crossed his legs as he began to meditate.

Noburo removed his jacket off, noting it was torn to pieces to due the attacks he had to endure."That coordinated attack...what did that Nishikawi kid do? His Quirk is Black Spheres, so how did he just fire that attack?" He noticed something weird on his shadow. A smaller shadow was growing bigger and bigger by the second. He looked up, locking eyes with his son as he had a huge ball of neon on top of him.

"Take this! Supernova!" He yelled out, throwing the neon ball at the older Kachidoki. Noburo stopped it with his hands, to which Takashi had no more choice but to start firing more neon spheres repeatedly.

U.A Highschool, Observation Room, Noon

"Alright! He's doing it!" Uraraka cheered on."If he keeps that up, they'll be able to beat him!"

"Yeah, you might be right." Midoriya smiled in excitement."Now that they are coordinating their attacks and not taking turns, they might pull this off."

"I wonder..." Recovery Girl rubbed her chin. Midoriya seemed confused by her words, but soon realized what she meant. Vermillion Ray had managed to get our of the attack range and was sneaking up on Takashi.

"Oh, no!" Midoriya gasped, internally hoping the younger neon user would notice.

U.A Highschool, City Stage, Noon

Takashi continued firing endlessly, not caring whether he was draining his neon reserves or not. All he had in mind was hoping to catch his father off guard like he once did as a child.

"Is spamming neon blasts your specialty?" He heard a voice from behind him. He turned around but was met by a foot grinding against his cheek, sending him crashing on the street. Noburo didn't stop his attack and grabbed Takashi, kneeing him on the back before connecting a neon ball on his body, sending him flying against a wall.

Takashi grabbed a nearby piece of rubble and crushed it to dust, using his fury as motivation to stand up again. His face was bloody, and his costume was torn in some places. Noburo beckoned him to come after him, infuriating Takashi further. He activated his Neon Mantle and dashed over to his father. Before Noburo could land another hit, Takashi slid under his legs, appearing behind him and delivering a powerful kick to the back of his neck.

"Ngh!" Noburo swallowed the pain, throwing a backhand which was dodge by Takashi after jumping using his arm as support. Takashi spiral-kicked him on the face and without wasting time jumped back, using a wall as a footing to knee his father in the stomach. Before he could deliver another attack, Noburo grabbed him by the head and headbutted him in the nose, breaking it upon impact. He began a barrage of punches that were so fast that Takashi couldn't block any of the punches and took them all. Noburo charged one final fist with neon, punching his son right in the solar plexus and using his other arm to hold him to avoid sending him flying away.

Takashi coughed up blood, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Before his limp body fell to the ground, Noburo fired a neon blast to his back, sending him crashing on the floor and creating a create.

"It's over." Noburo frowned upon seeing his son, beat up and bloody on the floor. He wasn't moving or making any noises. Noburo sighed in exasperation."I expected more from you. Perhaps I made a mistake by thinking you would be a good heir to our family. Well, it's not too late to train you again and teach you some values. You could need them." Noburo began walking away back to Darby's direction."Now, to finish off the other boy."

"Not...so fast...dad..." Takashi groaned in agony, climbing up the crater to face his progenitor once again.

"You can still stand?" Noburo was perplexed. He hadn't expected him to get up after that beating.

Takashi was wheezing, trying to get as much oxygen as he could into his body. He felt lightheaded and close to passing out. But if he did, their plan would be ruined."You really think I'll be defeated by those stupid attacks of you? Huh, old man? I would rather die than be defeated again, even by my own father. I'll keep on standing up...until you're down on the floor. And then you'll have no choice...but to acknowledge me! As the strongest! So be ready..." Takashi walked up to Noburo, standing a few inches away."Because I'm going to wipe that stupid smile off your face."

Noburo chuckled."Bring i-"

Takashi threw a punch at him, only for it to be blocked. He threw another one but no luck, but he managed to lock hands with his dad. Both of their respective neon auras flared up as they tried to push each other out. Takashi screamed, putting all his power into his hands.

Noburo was impressed at how much power his son was outputting. He took advantage of his size and grabbed him by his writs, pulling him forward to knee him in the chest so hard that he was sent flying up in the air.

"It's over." Noburo's right arm flared up in neon as he took aim."Scatter Sho-" Noburo was interrupted by Darby, who delivered a kick with all his might at his face, sending the man rolling around the street. He quickly stood up, realizing that they were back at the beginning. He glanced behind him, surprised to see his traps hadn't been activated and the finish line was deserted."So, you didn't escape after all."

Darby caught Takashi in mid-air, setting up back on the ground."You alright? Sorry for taking so long."

"You did it..." Takashi chuckled, noticing his friend back to Neko Mode."Alright...time to get the plan s-ugh!" Takashi grabbed his sides in pain, falling to his knees.

"You're injured!" Darby knelt next to him."Look, take a break while I go distract your dad. You'll pass out at thi-"

"For what? So he can beat you up, you lose that form, and then we'll be back to square one? I'm fine..." Takashi stood up, standing side to side with him."I'm assuming that look of yours isn't just for show. So, did the range of your Black Spheres increased?"

"Yeah. Double of what I could before." He explained."Why, though?"

"Get ready. Synchronize your moves with mine." Takashi stated, his hands sparking with neon. He glanced down at his bell, sighing after realizing he had about 10% of neon left."Get ready! We're going to do our very first combo move. I'll use your Spheres, so get them in front of us. You should be able to figure out the rest."

"What should we call it?" Darby asked, bringing forth his black spheres in front of them.

"Black Neon Rain. Now, let's go!" Takashi touched the first two Black Spheres, charging them with neon as these turned red."FIRE" The spheres shot over to Noburo at an incredible speed.

He side-stepped jumped and dodged all the 6 Black Spheres without trouble."What's this?"

"Not done yet!" Takashi cried out as he was grabbed by the shirt by Darby, who was being pulled by his Black Spheres after them going further than their standard range. Darby used his enhanced strength to throw Takashi at Noburo, clashing against his neon barrier.

"Do you think you're strong enough to break through my barrier?!" Noburo asked his son."Whatever your plan is, it won't work!"

"You might be right if you were fighting me alone..." Takashi gave him a sardonic smirk."But this is OUR plan! Do it, Darby!"

Noburo gasped. He had completely forgotten about the blue-haired teen who was flying down at him. Behind him were his Black Spheres merging together to create a single huge black sphere powered up by neon.

"HIT HIM IN THE BACK!" Takashi screamed at the top of his lungs."The scar on his back is his weakness!"

"Takashi...!" Noburo's eyes widened. He rose his left hand to fire a neon blast, but it was too late.

"BLACK NEON RAIN!" Both of them yelled as the Black Spheres hit Noburo on his back, breaking his concentration and destroying his neon barrier, which allowed Takashi to delivered his attack on his body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Both of them gave it their all as Noburo howled in pain as the attacks consumed him. A huge explosion went off, forcing the teens to rolled on the ground. Takashi immediately used the remaining neon in his body to propelled him in the air and crashing against Darby's body as he once did at the Sports Festival.

"Almost there!" Darby grinding his teeth together, suppressing the pain on his back. However, the neon abruptly turned off, making them land on the ground and roll on the floor uncontrollably as they passed the finishing line.

Darby's Neko Mode disappeared, leaving the blonde eating dirty on the floor. Takashi was laying on his back, passed out, They had passed the test, and yet, they weren't aware of it since they knocked themselves out after landing harshly on the floor.

Noburo crawled his way out of the hole the explosion create, the back of his costume torn and exposing a massive scar on his back. "I should have expected Takashi to take advantage of my injury..." He chuckled, immediately groaning in pain."An injury he himself made when he was a mere child. Still..."

"I would rather die than be defeated again, even by my own father. I'll keep on standing up...until you're down on the floor. And then you'll have no choice...but to acknowledge me! As the strongest!"

Noburo frowned, the words his son spoke echoing in his mind."Not yet, my son. You are not ready yet. I have to push you more if you ever want to surpass me."

U.A Highschool, Infirmary, After School

Pain was the first thing Darby felt once he came to after being knocked out. His whole body ached and begged him to keep laying down. He looked at his body, noticing he was bandaged up in the torso, arms, and even his face.

"Don't force yourself. Recovery Girl said that you should keep resting. So don't get up." He recognized that voice. He glanced up to meet Takashi's older brother, Hisashi."Heya."

"Hisashi-senpai..." Darby muttered, noticing his voice was hoarse."What...are you doing...here?"

Hisashi sighed, allowing himself a small smile."Dad was in a pretty rough condition, so my sister came to take him back home. Aizawa-sensei called me in and told me to check up on Takashi. He told me mostly what happened during your exam." He shifted his gaze to the second bed on the opposite side, smiling at the peaceful expression his brother had."He hasn't woken up yet. And if what Recovery Girl told me is true, he took a beating. Oh, if you're wondering where she is, she's currently in the other room attending two other students from your class. Seems you guys are a group of trouble makers."

"Guess so..." Darby rubbed his temples."So...did we pass or what...?"

"Yeah, you did. Congrats." Hisashi said with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck."Though you will probably get an earful from Aizawa-sensei due to you guys recklessly destroying everything around you. The purpose of the exam was not only to beat or escape from your enemy but to keep minimum damage. Takashi going nuts and firing neon everywhere doesn't help as much as you being tossed around."

"Damn it..." Darby groaned."Well, whatever. I'll have to pay attention to that next time..."

"You don't seem excited." Hisashi pointed out, rubbing his hands.

"I didn't do as good as I hoped to do." Darby confessed, recalling he was pretty much useless throughout the test."I know I was facing a Pro Hero, but I was completely helpless. Even with Neko Mode, I wasn't able to do anything."

"Neko Mode...?" Hisashi hummed to himself."Ah, you mean that thing that turns your hair blue and grows cat ears?"

"Uh, yeah...to put it bluntly, yes."

"So, that's what happened." Hisashi landed a fist on his open palm.

"What are you talking about?" Darby asked, not sure where this was going.

"Dad said you fired some type of attack, similar to one of our neon blasts. However, your Quirk has never displayed something like that, at least from what we've got from the Sports Festival. My guess is that this "Neko Mode" of yours allowed you to do that, right? What did you do, exactly?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. You see, the major thing that Neko Mode has is that I can gather nature energy around me and use it in combat. There's a technique my master taught me during my internship that allows me to draw energy from around me, and concentrate it in one point. I used my Black Spheres to create a sphere of energy and then release it in one blast. However, this time I used energy I had collected already, but I didn't measure it properly so I used too much, reverting me back to normal."

"I see. So you used your energy to fire that attack. You know, a dear friend of mine has a Quirk that works kind of like that. Maybe I can get her to teach you some cool stuff."

"Really?" Darby's eyes sparkled in glee."I get to learn from my senpais?!"

"Sure thing. There's no much I can teach you, but my friends will without a doubt help you. Give me your phone number and I'll set up a day where we can meet. Is that okay?"

"Yes, please!" Darby immediately pulled out his phone."I'm ready whenever you are!"

Kachidoki Residence, Living Room, Night

In contrast to its usual loud and cheery environment, the Kachidoki residence was completely silent tonight. Takashi was in sitting on the couch, watching movies, and eating nachos. His face was covered in bandages and was ordered to keep them until the next day, which was a pain, to say the least. Itsuka had asked him to facetime with him, but he denied her request for obvious reasons.

"Everything okay, dear?" His mom asked from the kitchen, finishing washing dishes."Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine." Takashi replied, not bothering to say anything else."Where's Ayushi?"

"Well, since your father is currently in no condition to patrol, she and her boyfriend are taking over for the night."

Takashi rose a brow, looking around to make sure no one else was listening."What, they made it official? Does dad know?"

"Don't be silly." She stifled a chuckle."Your dad hasn't accepted Nero-kun quite yet. He gives him so much trouble when they work together that I'm surprised Nero-kun hasn't run off yet."

"More like dad has to keep an eye on him." He muttered under his breath. This wasn't left unheard by his mom, who sat down next to him and pulled his cheek."Ouch! Mom, I'm wounded."

"I know." She stopped pinching him, changing to caressing his cheeks gently."What happened in that test?"

"What do you think?" He narrowed his eyes."Dad beat the hell out of me for a change. What we did to him was just what he deserved."

She sighed, shaking her head."Your dad really loves you, Takashi. He does the things he does because he cares about you. I'm sure he had the best of intentions duri-

"Could have fooled me." He retorded, brushing her hand off."What, does he giving me so much shit the best for me? All those horrible things he made me do as a kid? The painful and agonizing training sessions?! For what?! What could possibly be so important for him to force that on me?! Why me?!"

Before he could keep rambling on, his mother engulfed him in a hug, silencing him. She rubbed the back of his head gently."I'm sorry. I know when the time is right, your father will tell you. But you can be sure that your dad and I love you very much. You are our child." She pulled away, tears streaming down her face."I know you must feel so bad and confused, but I trust your dad. If you can't trust him, please, trust me. Can you do that for me?"

Takashi bit his lower lip, glancing down. "Okay."

"Thank you." She gave him a kiss on his forehead, standing up."I love you."

"I love you too mom." He replied, allowing himself a warm smile on his face. He watched as his mother exited the living room, leaving him alone once again. He turned off the t.v, allowing the darkness of his room to fill him up. He just sat there, confused and tired. Did his father really have reasons for making his childhood a living hell?

"Maybe I'm letting him down...?" He pondered, clenchis his right fist."After all, I did act like a brat and stopped training. Not to mention..." He recalled his test and how Darby was outclassing him in every way. He was the only one of the two who could withstand a fight against his father without taking major damage as he did."How did the close the gap so fast? He shouldn't be that strong. I should be...!"

"It should be damn obvious why this is happening. You sat your lazy ass around while the rest of us were training our asses off! Of course, we'd get stronger! Right now, you're nothing special. So get off your damn high horse already."

"Maybe Bakugo was right." He leaned back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling."I'm so full of shit. Everyone probably surpassed me by now, so Darby doing it shouldn't be surprising..." He was about to close his eyes when he felt something vibrating on his leg. He absentmindedly looked inside his pocket, trying to scramble for his phone. When he finally pulled it out, his eyes widened at what he was holding. The phone the Yakuza had given him was ringing."How...this phone is supposed to only make calls..." He clenched the phone and ran out of the house to the garden, hiding behind a tree. He shakily answered the phone call, bringing the phone to his ear."Hello...?'

Heavy breathing could be heard from the line along with blood-curling music playing in the background."Hello, Takashi. It's very nice to finally hear your voice." A voice spoke from the other line. It was deep and seemed to have some sort of emulator to add in an echo to it.

"Who are you?"

"Ah, where are my manners? The music suddenly stopped."Apologies. I was currently in my study, enjoying a cup of coffee while sorting my paperwo-"

"I SAID WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!" He exploded, allowing his nerves to take control of him.

A sigh could be heard from the other line."A little impatient, are we? Very well. My name is The Baron. I'm sure you've heard of me from my subordinates."

"So it was you who ordered that hit on me that day!" Takashi paced around the backyard, making sure he wasn't being trailed."What do you want from me?"

"I think you've got that question backward." He rose a brow at that. Before he could demand to know what he meant, he proceeded."I think you are the one who wants something from me. You want power, correct?"

"Wha-What? How do you-"

"Otherwise, why keep the phone?" That sent chills down his spine."You could have easily given it to the police for them to use as evidence and try to track us down. Even though it wouldn't have worked. And yet, you lied your way around the police and your family, denying the participation of a third party during the attack on Hosu City. You were waiting for this moment."

"Even if that's the case, I was supposed to make a call, not the other way around."

"Correct. But I have information you might find useful. Regarding your family."

Takashi clicked his tongue."What kind of information could you possibly have?"

"The Kachidoki Family." He drawled, the noise of papers being shuffled following after."A prestigious family whose whole gimmick is their precious "Neon" Quirk that all members of the family share. They've been notorious regarding heroic deeds, this is mostly shown by each generation being on the Top 10 of the ranking. However, your family hides a dark secret within them."

"Secret?"

"Indeed. Do you know how Quirks work, Takashi? Quirks are passed down by generation. Quirks become stronger as time goes by. This is called the Quirk Evolution Theory. Two parents often produce an offspring that shares their Quirks or inherite one from their parents. A fair example is your classmate, Todoroki Shoto, who inherited his father's fire and his mother's ice Quirks respectively."

"Is there a point to any of this?" Takashi felt a cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck.

"I'm getting to that. You see, keeping the theory in mind, how come your family is widely known for their Neon Quirks? If so much time has passed, why has their precious Quirk remain the same? Do you not find it strange that absolutely everyone in your household have the same Quirks."

"That's not true." Takashi snapped, his grip tightening on the phone."My mom doesn't have a Quirk-" His heart skipped a beat. One sentence was enough to break his concentration and leaving him bewildered.

"I see you've finally realized it." The Baron chuckled."You are quite impressive, let me tell you. Back to the matter at hand, your mother is without a doubt Quirkless. What can you deduce from that?"

"It has to be a coincidence." Takashi tried to convince him even though he was trying to convince himself."It happens. It's not unheard of a person with a Quirk marrying a Quirkless one."

"That is true. However, based on your family history, which are open sources, so don't get suspicious of me, all women have been known to be Quirkless. Was your grandmother Quirkless?"

"Yes..." Takashi slowly brought his hand to cover his mouth."You're telling me that the secret of keeping our Neon quirk and preserve it through generations is marrying Quirkless people?"

"Bravo! Bravissimo!" He heard Baron clapped."I'm surprised you didn't know. Or perhaps you did but forgot?"

"I hope you're not getting too attached to that Itsuka girl." His father told him during the Sports Festival."You know our family rules."

"No...I did know...but I had forgotten..."

"Because you were so determined on surpassing your father and changing your family. I understand. So if you don't hurry up and make a change, you will never be able to be with the girl you love. It's all in your hands. Before I leave you for the night, I have one final piece of advice. Is everything in your family what it seems to be?"

"Huh?"

"Don't let looks deceive you. You should try finding a pattern soon enough, given your capabilities. Do some research and you'll find out what I mean."

"What, are you ta-Hey!" Takashi shouted to no avail. The Baron had hung up the call, leaving the boy in the quietness of the night. Takashi put the phone away, glancing up at the moon with a thoughtful expression.

"Not what it seems to be...I wonder what that means..."

Sorry this chapter took a while. I've been busy with school and trying to finish my yugioh story. Hope everyone is alright and enjoyed the chapter. I'll post one up probably next week or so stay tuned.