The Chains that Guide a Hero
Chapter 2
Ok normally I'd be going into a thing about training with Izuku to get him ready, but I've thought up a way to play this. It'll be a little awkward but I think it should work. So on with the show.
(No POV)
When the ships had docked in Tokyo bay, the press were already swarming the area. All Might was quick to go down and speak to them to alleviate some fears and other matters. For the Neuron officers and the Prime Minister, they took the short route. Or at least most of them were going to. Until Izuku felt his Legion shake a bit. "I think we've got trouble!" Izuku said and started up his IRIS. Sandra fast walked up to the railing with Izuku and did the same. That was when they saw it. A handful of gates opening just above the crowd. Izuku's training and instincts kicked in, as he stepped on the railing and jumped toward the gates. All Might! Get these people clear!" Izuku shouted as he was in the air. Everyone was shocked by what they saw, and when Izuku landed with little issue they were all impressed. Sandra had followed suit and jumped down as well. After Yukin got the nod from Akira he jumped down as well. "I'll stay here and protect the Prime Minister." Akira had said, before shifting into a protective pair with her Legion. Her's being an Arrow Legion that floated above the two. She then took out her X-Baton and a newer piece of equipment: the field guard. A special shield that could operate like the Axe Legion's for a short time. "Let's hurry Minister. My officers should be able to handle this. But I don't want to take any chances." Said man nodded before asking if she had a spare weapon. Akira loaned him one of her extras and showed him the blaster mode.
Down on the docks Izuku told All Might to put on the goggles, and the older hero knew exactly what was going on. After he them on and saw the threat above everyone he directed people away. "I'll be back soon young Midoriya! Hold out until I get back!" With that All Might got the reporters away as fast as was comfortable. Sandra and Yukin just smirked a bit before engaging some of the aberrations and chimeras that had appeared. Izuku smiled a bit as well, before unleashing his Sword Legion. By the time All Might had returned 5 minutes later, the members of Neuron had defeated all of the chimeras. "Wasn't expecting a beast E29. Took a bit longer than it should have." Yukin said as All Might and a few other heroes were arriving. All Might was impressed by how fast and efficient the Neuron agents were. As he was giving some quick praise, Endeavor was looking closely at some of the residual damage. "What the Hell did this All Might?" he asked brusquely. But he didn't notice that there was red matter near him. "No! Stay away from there!" Sandra called out. But it was too late. The red shift had started to infect Endeavor and was changing him. The burning hero tried to resist, but he could stop it from taking him over. All Might and a few of the other heroes were about to step in, but Yukin stopped them. And even with his high voice, he still commanded respect. "Get back! You guys are useless here. You just end up like him or get in our way." Some of the heroes took offense to that, but All Might was quick to agree with the agents. "They may be his only chance to possible survive this." The heroes looked up and they didn't see the usual smile All Might had. Instead, he had a grim expression.
"I'll move in first. Izuku, back me up. Yukin, hang back and cover us." Sandra gave some quick orders and the men just nodded. She then unleashed her Beast Legion and jumped on its back to rush in and dodge the fire Endeavor was launching. Izuku used his Arm Legion and both spread along the sides shooting from blaster mode and the arm cannons before switching to the baton mode. Sandra had gotten close during this and cut the Endeavor with her gladius mode, before her and her Legion started attacking independently. Yukin though was hanging back and firing shots from his blaster, and his Arrow Legion was shooting as well. The sight of this would have been impressive. But most of the pros couldn't tell what was going on. Only All Might had the goggles that let him see the Legions. "What is going on here? Where are those extra blasts and shots coming from? Why does it look like he's getting hit by more than three people?" These were the questions that were asked by the pro heroes.
After a minute or two, Endeavor had started to slow down. But the Legioni were still going strong. So Izuku decided to finish up the fight before blueshifting the man. "Arm! Let's do this!" He called out and the pros saw the young man start floating in the air and then it looked as if a barrage of punches on All Might's level were pummeling Endeavor. "Does he have some sort of telekinetic quirk?" Best Jeanist asked All Might. But the number 1 just shook his head and said, "All of them are quirkless. And it's why they're stronger than all of us." The pros were confused. Especially Miruko. She didn't believe that these people were stronger than her. Even though she could see the number 2 hero being pummeled mercilessly by someone who didn't have a quirk. With one big final punch, that unleashed a large shockwave, the mutated Endeavor was finally down enough for Izuku to blueshift him. "Hold on a little longer." Izuku said as he stopped floating and directed his Sword to drain the red matter.
The pros were again confused, but the Prime Minister and Akira decided to speak up. "He's blushifting the man. That fool was dumb enough to get close to where a chimera had landed. And had left red matter behind." When the pros all had confused looks, All Might and the PM passed around their googles. That was when they each saw the Legions, and Akira gave a basic explanation of what they were. "So….. there's some sort of alternate dimension. Where monsters like that are almost everywhere. And you guys captured and basically tamed or enslaved them to fight against others like them." "We didn't have a choice. That fog bank and the Ark that is within it, houses all that is left of humanity in our world." At hearing Akira's grim statement, they could see the reasoning behind it. "Desperate times call for drastic measures, right?" Jeanist said. With a nod, the pros shook off some of the unease about the creatures.
As the conversation was wrapping up, Izuku had finished healing and blueshifting Endeavor. But something that confused the pros was the fact he no longer had flames wreathed around his face. All Might's eyes widened when he realized what had happened. As did the Prime Minister's. But they told everyone not to say anything until later. When the medivacs came, they loaded up Endeavor to take to the hospital. The Minister asked that Akira come with him to the Diet to discuss matters of supplies. She took Yukin along as extra security, and left Izuku and Sandra to go with the pros to get checked over. All Might also said, "These two will explain a few more things when we get there. Endeavor might be awake. And….. he needs to know what happened."
While the pros are confused again, they go along since they respect All Might. When they reach the hospital, Recovery Girl is there as well. "Good to see you All Might. I'm guessing you're here to see Endeavor?" With an affirmative, she takes them to his private room. The large man is still in the hospital bed and looks mostly healed. But the look on his face makes everyone think he had lost everything. When Izuku walks in, Endeavor is quick to rage at the young man. "What did you do to me?! What did you do with my quirk!?" He shouts. This shocks all of the pros in attendance. While All Might, Sandra and Izuku just facepalm. "I would normally say to calm down Endeavor, but I know that won't do any good. Listen you all need to hear this." After Endeavor was caught up to speed on where these people were and more about what happened to him, he has calmed slightly. "But that still doesn't explain what happened to my quirk."
"I can fill in a little gap." Izuku says stepping up. He starts by telling them he was originally from the Japan they were used to. But 15 years ago, he and his family got pulled into the Astral Plane. He then mentioned that he was the only one able to even stand in the Astral Plane and that his parents and the other family with them were getting sicker. "It wasn't as fast as what happened to you Endeavor. But Sandra can attest that my parents and the other family that was pulled with us were starting to change." He then went on to explain that they had been treated for redshift sickness on the other side. "They've had a long time to study it. And back then, both of my parents' quirks were also gone. We've been living on that side since. I came back because I felt we needed to let people on this side know a few more things about what could happen to our world." Most of them were confused, until Sandra came in and showed them some data their scientists had gathered.
When they saw the fact that not only people with quirks were redshifting and mutating extra fast compared to quirkless, but that each of them all had a small amount of redshift in them. Best Jeanist was quick to put the googles All Might had loaned them and saw what she meant. "She's right. We're all showing up similar to those chimera things. Take a look." He said as he handed the goggles around. Each of the pros were more and more terrified at what was implied by the data. Recovery Girl was quick to say, "I guess that could explain a few things. Most of us have forgotten but there was this idea of a quirk singularity. The idea that our quirks could overtake our bodies. In this case… I guess it means we will turn into those chimera things. And eventually have to be killed or controlled to save others." Her morbid statement terrifies a few of the pros.
Endeavor takes this thought in stride, as well as processing the fact he can no longer be a pro hero. "I'm still a bit angry about what happened young man. But I know you were just trying to save me. Thank you. I'll have to retire as a pro, but I guess I can still run my agency." Most were surprised at how well he was taking the matter. But Jeanist put it together that he may just be in a stage of grief. Though he did push through or go around a few of them rather fast. All Might was quick to say that they couldn't let all of this information out at once. With Edgeshot agreeing, noting there would be a huge panic. "We somewhat knew about these attacks and matters given there have been incidents like what young Midoriya went though as a child. The Minister was planning to hold a press conference. And chief Howard was going to attend and provide more information. We don't have a full idea of what it is like on the other side of that fog. But the people there do need some other kinds of help correct." All Might asked, looking toward Sandra and Izuku.
The former agreed and said that they were hoping to, "try and make some areas where we can grow more crops. There's millions of us on the Ark, and we have to get by with imitation foods and the like." With Izuku chiming in that it was one of the worst things about being stuck on that side. "You can't get a really good katsudon or bowl of real ramen on that side." A few chuckled at that, with Miruko and Jeanist offering to treat them to dinner. As well as…. "I think you could use a few clothes from this side young man. And you as well miss. I'm guessing you'll be staying on this side?" Jeanist said with a smile veiled by his costume. Izuku rubbed the back of his neck before agreeing to the offer. "Come on girl. I'll treat you to some real food. And…. Maybe we could spar later. I don't even mind if you use the Legion thingy." Miruko said to Sandra. Who was curious on what the people of their side had been missing out on.
With those plans set, the pros left Endeavor. Who had asked for a phone so he could make some calls. Over the next few days, the Prime Minister, Akira, and All Might had been in a few press conferences to explain matters. While most were amazed about the fact there was a city full of people in the massive fog bank in the pacific, more were terrified of what Akira had told them destroyed their world. And what was starting to come into theirs. "So if we can't see these things, how are the police and heroes supposed to fight them?" one reporter asked. Akira then explained the task force she was a part of on her side, and that they could share some of the technology. "We can also train people who can fight against these threats. One of my officers was in fact from your side originally. Izuku" Akira addressed the young mand standing behind her who took off his police cap and explained who he was and what had happened to him and his family 15 years ago.
This rocked more of the world. But it shook especially for 2 specific families. The Bakugos were watching the conference at home when they saw the boy who had once been Katsuki's friend (a person they thought was dead) alive and well. And apparently working as a super cop and fighting against an alien menace that only a few can see. "If Izu is alive. Then Inko and Hisashi." Mitsuki said with tears welling up in her eyes. Masaru was in much the same place, and so happy to see the little boy he had thought of as a nephew was still alive. Katsuki himself was also happy. When he thought Izuku and his family had died, he vowed to be a hero like Izuku would have wanted. One who protected people. As well as following his own will that a hero always wins. At seeing Izuku on the screen, Katsuki rubbed his face a few times to push back any tears. "Damnit Izu." He said with a small smile.
For the Yaoyorozu's though, all of them saw the boy who had tried to save them from a threat they couldn't see all those years ago, all grown-up. For a long time, they had put money into trying to find them again. And now that they knew what happened, they knew what they had to do with their money and resources. "I want to bring the board up to speed right away. As soon as they pass any of the tech, I want our minds helping to create more. I won't let the years that boy lost from this side go to waste. Get me in touch with UA as well. I'm going to see if we can swing another recommended student." Momo's father said over the phone after seeing the conference. For Momo though….. she saw the sweet little boy she had met all those years ago again. And he had stood by his dream and will to save people. "Izuku…." She said as she was tearing up. She had already been planning to go to UA to learn to be a hero. But now she had a different objective.
While there were other bouts of chaos due to the big reveals, especially Endeavor's retirement and the loss of his quirk, most were more interested to see where this new age would take them. Even though Endeavor could no longer do direct hero work, his agency was still one of the most efficient and effective forces in the country. "I may not be able to fight beside you anymore, but I still have more experience than most. If you feel you can't follow me, I understand. But know this: even if I have to rebuild from scratch, I will still stand to save lives in anyway I can. I will uphold the tenets of what it means to be a hero." He says this with poise and a fire that even without his quirk, his sidekicks all can feel. At the end of the day, not one of them leaves his agency. "Gotta admit I'm surprised boss. Didn't think you'd speak that way with us." Burnin jokes after Endeavor had named her the lead hero for the agency. Endeavor smiles a bit before explaining he had a lot to think about both before and after he lost his quirk. "When the redshift took me over, I started to see parts of my life playing over and over in my mind. When I first woke up after that Midoriya boy beat me, I was more panicked about the lost of my quirk and the thought that he took it away. But after they explained a few matters to me and I had more time to think about my life and all I had done, I had to realize how much I had obsessed and agonized over my position." "Guess the end of the world in a sense kinda helps with that. Still do you think anyone will put it together? About quirks and redshift? And what they're doing to us?" Burnin asked. Endeavor had told her about more of the details he had learned, and what possible fate could come. Endeavor look out the window of his office, and with a sigh just says, "I don't know. Only time will tell."
And done. This might seem a bit nuts but I not only have a plan with this, but I've got some other things in mind with Izuku and his role. Please review if you enjoyed the chapter.