Magnus: New chapter, and this time is not a special! Enjoy the proper end to the tournament arc, and get ready for the moment you've all been waiting for. Next chapter is the hero name choosing!
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Cursed Blood
Chapter 34
A sinister victory.
As the principal of the most prestigious Hero School on the eastern side of Japan, Nezu had the experience of many years when it came to dealing with the headaches that came with such a role. He'd handled a veritable multitude of students since his hiring; entitled brats to humble titans, believers in strength above all to the courage and cunning. However, this was the first time in his near perfect memory that the Quirked animal could remember having to deal with such a cluster fuck.
"First Year Shoto Todoroki," Nezu intoned, all usual pretenses of friendliness now absent, leaving only the mien of severe authority, "Are you aware of the extent of the consequences of your actions today?"
Before the principal, the youngest Todoroki stood, facing his punishment. However, the boy's demeanor no longer resembled that of a scion of a powerful family, nor of one who proudly owned a powerful Quirk. Instead, the teen now standing before Nezu had his shoulders hunched, head bowed.
He was broken.
"Use of lethal force against another student," Nezu continued, unblinking as his beady eyes bored into Todoroki, "On a live broadcast being televised globally. Even after you explicitly gave your word you'd control yourself."
Never before had Nezu regretted so completely listening to the Board, of humoring the greedy, fearful, hateful humans and their machinations. The risk he'd taken had been calculated, but it appeared he wasn't as good at math as he'd always thought.
"Do you have anything to say?" Nezu asked, raising a brow as he sat back in his chair.
What was there to say? What could he possibly say? Todoroki's mind was a fractured mess, but above all, he'd finally realized just how twisted and poisoned he'd become, how much The Bastard—Endeavor—had already forged him into his perfect little tool. His eyes had been opened to the truth, and he'd despised what he'd seen.
But it had been too late. All it had taken was a momentary hesitation, a mistake borne in the unstable instant of having his worldview turned on its head, and Todoroki had gone too far. Hadn't he? Even now the dual-haired teen couldn't quite remember what he'd been thinking during that last use of his Quirk.
Had he meant to just push the unstoppable force that was Midoriya back and regain some breathing room? Or had he really meant to spear him in the back by pushing him into those ice constructs? The fact he couldn't be sure tore at Todoroki's heart and soul.
Midoriya had survived of course. Even with his heart destroyed and a lung pierced through, it turned out the verdanette hadn't taken enough damage to be kept down permanently. Had he been taken out of commission? At the time, yes. But that in no way made Todoroki's actions any easier to swallow. For Quirks' sake, he could still see—and smell—the blood and guts his classmate had spilled onto the arena floor due to his actions.
And his parting words…
Before the medical bots had carried Midoriya away, the verdanette had had his blonde zombie…partner?... waylay them so that he could leave one last parting message.
"Blessings… Curses… Quirks are quirks. We… we decide. Todoroki… which… which do you choose?"
The Scion of the Todoroki had realized right then and there the true magnitude of what he'd done. He'd used his mother's power… to really hurt someone. Just like The Bastard did with his flames. His mother's sacred gift… the only blessing of hers he had left… he'd used it like his curse…
The mental crisis was still waging a war inside Todoroki's head, and he could feel himself losing his grip by the second.
"Please…"
One of Nezu's rectangular ears twitched at the faint plea, though the principal made no other visible sign of hearing the words of the student in front of him.
Seconds ticked by, but Todoroki could say no more, his body beginning to tremble and shake. Long dried tears pooled in his mismatched eyes, tracking down his cheeks to drip off his chin.
Silence.
"Please… what?" Nezu finally asked, taking note of the singular track of tears on his student's face; the look of guilt also clearly obvious to even the most blind of observers.
"Help me… please…" Todoroki whispered, forcing the long overdue cry for help from between his clenched teeth. Even now, at his lowest point, harsh lessons long ingrained into him caused the heterochromatic teen to fight against asking for aid. His stomach felt like it was reaching up to squeeze his throat, but he fought that feeling down as well.
It had always been one of the highest golden rules, set in stone by Endeavor himself from the time he could begin his 'training.' A Todoroki NEVER asked for help. They were to be the ones that the populace looked up to, the unbreakable who came to the rescue when citizens needed help. They could never, ever be weak enough to need it themselves.
And Shouto had learned that lesson well. He physically couldn't remember the number of beatings he'd taken as a child any time he'd cried for help during or after one of The Bastard's extra-toughening training days. They'd always been brutal, and even a flinch had always made them so much worse. Once upon a time he'd cried and cried, begging for anyone to save him, stop the pain, make it all STOP…
Well it had all stopped, once he couldn't feel anything anymore.
The Bastard's training had carved into him one thing above all else, self-control. He'd learned to freeze himself solid, to be severe, borderline cruel, to keep the pain away. It was better to never show, never feel, anything if being in control at all times meant never showing weakness.
Never getting hurt.
But Midoriya showed him what it meant to truly be unbreakable. Even with the entire world as his enemy, Izuku Midoriya had refused to back down. He'd climbed to the top, unafraid of being hurt in the process even as he did his damnedest not to inflict undue suffering upon others along the way.
Glowing baby… he was going to be sick.
"Very well," Nezu finally replied, silently sending a sideways glare at the members of the soon-to-be-defunct School Board. "UA will give you whatever help you need."
The Quirked animal had known this moment would come. But for once, it hadn't been his brilliant mind that had predicted the inevitable outcome. It had been, in fact, young Midoriya that had been the one to call this outcome from the start, and he'd done so with frightening accuracy.
If he had lined up the timeline correctly, then Midoriya had spent the time between being taken from the arena to arriving at the infirmary for some much deserved respite to send a message to him. The text had been short, just a simple request that should Todoroki verbally ask for help, said aid would be granted.
Nezu chose to ignore thinking too long upon the follow up text, the one that declared UA's support for Todoroki would be acceptable reparations for allowing such underhanded tactics to be inflicted upon Midoriya's participation in their Sports Festival.
The principal truly admired his successor's heart sometimes, not to mention his tenacity and wit. Such a simple statement, yet so much veiled threats just below the surface.
The cinnamon roll could be vindictive it seemed.
How entertaining.
"Due to your actions Todoroki-san, you will agree to submit to a battery of thorough psychiatric evaluations," Nezu said, delivering the heterochromatic teen's sentence as flatly as his higher-pitched voice could go. The Quirked animal knew very well just what kind of skeletons would be brought out of some very high profile closets when the boy began those evaluations, and was preparing for the fallout. Quite a bit of heat would fall on UA very soon, quite literally. "Until each and every one is cleared, you are hereby suspended."
Instead of replying, or even showing any sign at all that he'd heard anything Nezu had said, Shouto only continued to cry. Now that he'd let the dam break, the heterochromatic teen found it nearly impossible to keep his roiling emotions down. What little actual thinking he could manage found itself locked in a spiral of self-recrimination and disgust.
To Shouto, any punishment he received was too kind for what he really deserved.
UA's Sports Festival Stadium, Awards Podiums…
The final match had finally come and gone, and it was time to award the students who'd prevailed through the day's challenges. Unfortunately, the Sports Festival had taken an unfortunate turn and come to a messy end, and if he were honest with himself, the Symbol of Peace would have had to say he did not like the end result.
Traditionally, the award ceremony at the end of each festival for the three years of students was meant to be a momentous occasion. The students who'd emerged victorious were given their deserved recognition, the civilians were able to see up-and-coming heroes in a generally safe environment, and UA received a boost in its public image. Everyone got something out of the event.
But this time, the First Year Sports Festival was different.
Instead of cheering, the stadium was filled with the somber murmurings of the unsure and worried. The mood was lower than it had ever been, and All Might felt the weight of it pressing down on his shoulders even now.
Two students walked to the lowest raised platforms, taking their places as two of the four most important competitors of the day. Neither appeared to look like the students the Symbol of Peace had seen in their places in the past either, no prideful smiles or victories grins to be seen.
It was almost as if they were acting like they were at a funeral.
"Young Yaoyorozu," All Might boomed through his mic, his great voice easily filling the stadium. The giant blond's smile flashed brighter, and every soul watching felt like they'd just seen the break of dawn. "Let it be known far and wide that today, your stalwart effort and incredible intelligence gave you the strength to stand where you are right now. You are sure to grow into a fine heroine!"
Momo… couldn't bear to look at the larger-than-life hero standing proudly before her. The ravenette felt absolutely undeserving of taking the third place spot; she'd been outclassed by the competition by a landslide repeatedly to the point she'd only advanced due to a forfeit. As All Might placed the bronze medal around her slim neck, the weight of the award felt too heavy for her to support.
If only she could give it to Tokoyami; he'd proved himself the better hero to the end when he'd stepped down instead of continuing to fight when he realized his emotions had been compromised.
The Symbol of Peace knew that the young woman before him would need more than his simple words. From what he'd seen of her so far in class and in the festival, she'd need further assurance that she was truly worthy before she'd even begin to believe. But, there was no time for that now. He could only walk away from her, to the next student on the other side of the podium, and hope that the opportunity to offer his continued support to her came soon.
"Young Tetsutetsu," All Might announced, once again reverberating through the stadium. The Number One Hero gave a shining smile, pushed as much heroic bravado as he could into it, but still the steely teen looked depressed where he stood. "Today you showed us what real heroes are made of—Pure. Determination! And a heart that never gives up or gives in! Walk proudly as a man who can proclaim he never broke before the challenges before him!"
Tears. That's all Tetsutetsu could see as the salty drops filled his vision. He'd given it his best, sure, but it still hadn't been enough. And even though he felt like he'd let everyone in 1-B down, let HER down, what really hurt was that All Might still tried to give him a title someone else truly deserved. How could he be 'the man who never broke' after what happened to Midoriya? Fuck, he didn't even really deserve second place either, only getting the silver medal due to Todoroki's disqualification.
Holding back a sigh, All Might realized that the first years' festival really had gotten screwed plus ultra. Young Midoriya might've been a catalyst, true, but in no way was the boy responsible for the machinations that ultimately affected one of UA's most hallowed occasions so negatively. The Board had really stepped in it this time, extending their influence too far and applying too much pressure to see their desired results to the point their wrongdoings were unavoidably brought to light.
But even that knowledge hardly lessened the bitter taste in the Symbol of Peace's mouth. The image of the renowned hero academy of the east was irrevocably dirtied with mistrust now, and the stain would last for a long time to come. A massive fist clenched as the blond's thoughts flowed into the future, foreseeing the struggles of this year's graduates.
It would be a wonder if they didn't have every decision and choice they'd made during school reviewed now by any agency they applied at, expenditures due to their personal actions scrutinized to be completely above board and crucial. Hell, even then he knew that the third years would have a hard time being accepted by the hero community at large right off the bat.
"And now, for our first place…" All Might's deep timber petered out as he turned to the tallest, and emptiest, platform.
To be fair, this wasn't the first time one of the three medalists of a sports festival had been absent from the award ceremony. From injuries to time-sensitive personal affairs, students of UA had beggared absence for a multitude of reasons in the past.
But this… this was different. For all the wrong reasons.
Not only was this year's gold medalist the center of a hot-button controversy, but the lad had found himself in the middle of a mess of a legal issue. Even if the teen had been able to wrestle himself free, appearing on stage might not have been to his ultimate benefit. The Board stepping in to name him the winner of the tournament no doubt did the complete opposite of helping as well.
'Perhaps… perhaps this year, it's for the best,' All Might groused as he lifted a mighty hand, holding the much-coveted prize of the number one student of the tournament. It was time to work his magic and set the hearts of the public in the right direction with a heroic speech. The problem in front of him might not have been one he could punch, but as the Symbol of Peace he had to do something!
GASP!
The loud gasps fell like a cascading avalanche, blanketing the stadium in renewed silence as it swept through the stands. From his decades as a pro, All Might could hear in the very intakes of air the mix of awe and horror that filled them.
"Oi! You fucking better not be starting without the boss!" The sudden vulgar exclamation easily clawed through the air even without the aid of a microphone. For once, hardly anyone winced at the rudeness. "He fucking bled for that shitty piece of gold you pricks, so you'd better bet your collective asses he's bloody well going to accept it in person dammit!"
From the northeast gate's tunnel, aided by all three of his zombified partners, Izuku stepped into the light of the arena. Saki held one of the verdanette's arms over her shoulders, offering the muscle to support his walking mostly upright. Tae worked in conjunction with her blonde sister, holding her master by the elbow of the other arm as extra support and counterbalance. Lily, too small to be a physical aid, walked in front of the trio, giving her moral support with every step.
Momo gasped, paling in horror as she finally laid eyes on her injured friend. Tetsutetsu grit his teeth and clenched his hands so tightly they instinctively flashed to steel for a moment.
All Might… was a hair's breadth from stepping back at the sight before him.
Izuku Midoriya hadn't survived his last fight without sacrifice. 'Cursed Blood' might've held a ludicrously potent regeneration aspect, but Todoroki's mistake had pushed even that to the limit. No one had expected the green-haired teen to wake up before the following day at the earliest.
And that was him being lucky. A regenerator with even slightly less potency would've just died on the spot.
Seeing him now, awake and on the field… it was hard to believe that Midoriya wasn't actually as immortal as he appeared.
"Sorry… for being… late," Izuku gasped through labored breaths, inching his way toward his platform with help from Tae and Saki. "Turns out… losing your heart… and a lung… at the same time… is quite… detrimental… to one's health."
If the viewers there in person and abroad at home hadn't been horrified by the verdanette's display before, they were now.
"You shouldn't push yourself so hard Young Midoriya," All Might said, speaking as softly as his larger-than-life voice could, "No one's going to steal your medal, much less your victory here today, if you take it easy after your injury."
Honestly, it pulled at the frayed heartstrings of the Symbol of Peace. Izuku Midoriya had entered the festival a dark horse competitor and had set about waging an uphill battle against not only his class and year-mates but also against an entire system hell-bent on keeping him down. His actions had been derided from all sides, and even the public had openly cheered against him every step of the way.
Truly, he deserved his prize more than nearly every other victor who'd stood on the first place podium before him.
"We worked… too hard to stand… here," Izuku replied, eyes still full of burning determination. Had All Might been paying attention to the teen instead of wallowing in his pity for him, he might have noticed the bubbling malice as well. "There's no way… we were going to miss… this moment. Not on… your life."
The tournament might've been over, but Izuku's victory, his personal triumph, had yet to be completed.
Over the many years of bullying, torture, and societal neglect and mistreatment, Izuku Midoriya had become quite the vindictive individual. And this characteristic became doubly potent when those the teen cared about became involved in the situation at hand.
The Sports Festival had been used to try and hurt him. That was expected. Izuku knew it was coming and had prepared himself for it. But what really made his blood boil? Those pulling the strings had been far too sweeping in their cruelties. They'd hurt or caused his loved ones to be hurt, not always necessarily physically, but hurt all the same.
And he wasn't above taking his pound of flesh back… with interest.
"Young Midoriya, you—"
"GRRRRRRRR!"
Just as All Might had begun to speak, Tae had let out a low, warning growl ferocious enough to stop even the Number One Hero's words cold. A deadly glare from the rebellious blonde beside Izuku and a mighty pout from the adorable bluenette in front of him were quick to follow.
"Young Midoriya, and his faithful partners…" All Might wisely restarted, once again pushing down the disquiet he still felt at acknowledging the existence of the undead trio. "Against all odds before you. Against all machinations made to undermine you. Against the very biases of our society set against you. You prevailed against it all and proved you have what it takes to be a hero. You showed strength and resolve, adaptability and resourcefulness, a cunningness and wit, and above all, courage. In you, I see a future hero capable of tackling any and all hurdles—"
For a moment, Izuku almost felt bad as he listened to All Might ramble on. The Symbol of Peace meant well, he knew that, but it was far too late for his well-meaning words and assurances. Once he received his medal, he'd be given the mic to personally give a few words as the First Year Champion as was tradition, and then he'd unleash everything that had festered inside of him since he was four years old.
He'd call out the Board, call out the hypocrisy of the public, point out each and every failure in the system. Then he'd rip off his new medal and throw it to the ground. If he didn't stomp on it first he'd spit on it, announce it as a tainted piece of trash that was utterly worthless so long as UA refused to change its ways and issue a public apology to his loved ones who'd gotten harmed due to the machinations of those affiliated with it who were outside of the public eye.
And if he was expelled for his protest? Then it proved his point that UA was rotten at its core and undeserving of its title of Japan's leading hero school. If that happened, then he'd turn his gaze to Shiketsu, see if that institution could back up its claims of excellence.
Coming back to himself as All Might leaned over to present the gold medal to him, Izuku tilted his head so that the prize could be placed around his neck. At his side, Saki grinned widely at the sight of her boss refusing to bow like the other idiots in his year.
A few seconds later, All Might present Izuku with the mic, thoughtlessly expecting the following moments to play out as they had for so many generations now. He could even faintly remember back in the day when he'd been a student, accepting the very same mic to say the same, traditional, phrases of acceptance and promises of future success.
Izuku took the mic firmly in hand, steeling his resolve for what he was about to do. This was it. His big, opening swing against the system!
BBBBZZZZZZZZTTTTT!
The massive screens populated around the stadium suddenly snapped to static-filled life, the sound of audio-snow capturing everyone's attention whether they wished it to or not. Less than a handful of seconds later, the chaotic screens flickered and turned black, only a large Arabic number one at their center.
"A medal…"
The lightly synthesized voice that purred from the speakers was glaringly feminine, and heavily laden with contempt.
"After all the suffering you shouldered upon these younglings. After forcing them into gladiatorial games over and over again, after pushing them to throw out their intellect, their ethics and moralities, their true potentials in favor of raw strength and ferocity. After stripping them of their humanity so you all could enjoy your fill of violence without guilt. Their reward for surviving all of that is… a medal…"
While listening to the intruder from his place on the first place podium, Izuku could tell one thing for sure. All Might, the Symbol of Peace, was a hairsbreadth from losing his cool. The titanic blond was literally grinding his teeth and clenching his fists so hard the bones in his knuckles creaked. It was unsettling to see the buoyant smile the Number One Hero always wore become a snarling mask.
"Stay where you are!" All Might heard Aizawa bark through the communication bead in his ear. "Whoever's hacking us is doing the same to every channel and news station currently linked to our systems. If you do anything stupid you'll only make yourself look like an idiot for breaking a video screen while being unable to do anything to actually stop this."
If there was one thing All Might hated, it was being useless. But this was the nature of his only real weakness. He could defeat any physical foe, punch through any tangible obstacle… but he was utterly helpless if he couldn't use his fists.
"But perhaps this yearly atrocity shouldn't really be surprising hmm? After all, this is the venerable UA we're talking about here. A world-class Hero School that allowed and promoted horrors like this…!"
While Aizawa and Hizashi desperately fought to regain control of the system up above, down below Izuku felt his stomach drop as the dark screens around the stadium flickered again, this time settling on a very familiar group of teenagers arguing within one of the tunnels leading out to the arena.
"I'm sure I don't need to tell any of you what a Quirk Marriage is right?" Even filtered as it was, it was clear to all that the voice coming through the speakers sounded as hate filled and wrathful as it did hurt. "Whatever you think you know, the truth is hundreds, no—thousands of times worse."
Gasps echoed not just in UA's stadium, but everywhere the world over as Shouto Todoroki's shadowed face came into focus on the screens, the other teens present kept to silhouettes. Quirk Marriages were a rather common practice in many parts of the world today, but that was an accepted reality only so long as both parties were in agreement with everything such unions meant.
"My mother was sold to my… father… for money and empty promises…"
For the son of the Number Two Hero to say such things…?
As the recording continued, and the heterochromatic teen explained his nightmarish situation, a great divide began to take shape between people the world over. There were those that even then defended the practice unquestioningly, arguing that if it meant better heroes, better quirks, for the future a little toughness should be accepted. Others, a slowly gaining majority, began to voice a discomfort; aiming to create better quirks was all well and good, but it should never mean torturing a child.
Below it all, Izuku felt his blood, already hot, begin to heat up even further, rage swelling in his chest. Todoroki needed all the help he could get, and part of that meant tearing himself from his father's shadow and revealing the horrors he'd endured.
But not to the entire fucking world!
"But don't just blame Endeavor for this travesty. The system is to blame as well. After all, when monsters are glorified for being monsters, why wouldn't they think to commit such atrocities and expect further praise? Why would they even understand when someone tells them no?"
The screens flickered and changed again, this time broadcasting the image of a small room from a corner angle. One of the previous silhouettes from the tunnel was now sitting at a table. Across from the figure… sat the blazing form of the Number Two Hero himself.
At that moment, Izuku really wanted to beat the ever-living shit out of whoever was doing this. After all she'd been through, his mother didn't need to know this event ever even happened, especially not like this.
"This is the deal, boy. You will marry my daughter, and conceive with her at least one female that develops your quirk or an improved variant," the Endeavor on the screens said, stone cold and as demanding as he ever was. "In return, you'll become a member of my family and secure a place at my agency as a sidekick. If you happen to breed addition female offspring with your quirk or variants after… hmph, I suppose further compensation can be discussed upon delivery."
Around the world, the words of Japan's Number Two Hero made stomachs heave and twist in disgust. Quirkist ideals were a part of life, yes, but the blood of 'Hellflame' mixing with this new and monstrous 'Cursed Blood' purely to attain greater power? Cries of censure against Endeavor went viral in under five seconds as many shuddered at the idea of an Endeavor who could never be harmed.
It was a recipe for an ultimate, hellish villain.
Aichi Prefecture, the Asui Household…
Far away from the events unfolding at UA, two mothers were gripping the armrests of the sofa they sat on, radiating murderous intent. What they were hearing and seeing had made their blood boil and was keeping the flames set on high. One mother was seething due to the fact that her child, her baby boy, had been forced to confront such a sick, demanding man in a place where he should've been safe. The other mother, she was beyond incensed at the fact that fucking Endeavor had finally gone too far and she'd almost missed her chance to take down the burning pile of garbage when there'd been recorded proof.
In the kitchen, Ganma Asui was doing his best to distract his little tadpoles from the happenings in the room beyond.
"Now, now you two, kero," the frog-man said, doing his best to sound neutral, "I know you wanted to see Izuku get his medal, kero, but these cookies won't bake themselves. Don't you think Izuku would like some when he gets back?"
Samidare and Satsuki Asui nodded reluctantly, still upset that their father had taken them to the kitchen while their new big bro was beating the ice guy. As if making the cookie dough at such a bad time hadn't been bad enough, after finishing the task, he'd then insisted they watch the oven!
They just wanted to watch Izu-nii kick butt!
UA's Sports Festival Stadium…
Among the many spectators reacting to the revelations shown on the screens, the students of classes 1-A and 1-B were dealing with churning stomachs and pale faces. Listening to Endeavor's sick demands, his spelling out his plans as if they were already an assured thing, and then witnessing Midoriya's reckless bravery and defiance… All gathered were in various stages of deep thought.
How would they have reacted in such a situation? What would've been their answer to such demands?
"I…" Sero Hanta said, sweating profusely as he drew himself under the attention of his classmates, "I don't… I don't think I could've said no like that… you know?"
It was an honest answer, one that was easy to understand.
"I'm totally up for getting a girlfriend, but…" Kaminari added in, fumbling to offer some form of support, "That's messed up."
The blond's attempt fell flat, but it was an honest attempt nonetheless.
The rest of his classmates hardly thought to blame the blond though. Endeavor had always been an intimidating figure, and his demands, while insane, had still been couched to sound like business proposals. No doubt so the man's lawyers would be able to spin believable defenses should anyone overhear the conversation or Midoriya himself attempt to report him.
In the stadium's infirmary, well away from the rest of the chaos unfolding outside, two teens quickly gave resolute reassurances to the girls currently embracing them that no such demands had been made on them and they held no interest in any girls other than their current company. A third male, off to the side, never even noticed what was going on as he continued to block out the world around him to resolutely focus on his pink-hued princess as he held her hand.
"The whole system is rotten to the core, and that includes UA and the heroes it produces. To think, even someone as venerable as All Might could only issue threats instead of taking action. It just goes to show how enmeshed pro heroes, our supposed protectors, are with the corruption behind the scenes…"
Back out in the world, the voice had continued on, taking less than a second to cut in after the second video had ended with All Might entering the room where Endeavor and Midoriya had begun to square off. The public as a whole were in a state of confused disbelief. Surely the Symbol of Peace hadn't let Endeavor go without setting him straight, right?
"Of all the times for you to stick your nose in my business, my family, why now?"
The screen cut out again, landing on an image of the Top Two confronting one another in one of the numerous underground tunnels beneath the stadium.
"You should be more concerned with the problems your family already has?"
Horrified gasps filled the stands, homes, and business everywhere. All Might had just all but admitted to knowing about Endeavor's activities. And he'd obviously let the Number Two Hero continue them. That realization hardly had time to settle before the scene continued, cutting around the two heroes, and only growing worse.
Generally speaking, Quirkist ideals were all about empowering the right people with the right quirks. However, even hardliners could claim some level of familial affection in their lives. To hear one of the most prominent pro heroes, who was supposed to stand as a societal pillar for others to look to as an example, speak so disconnectedly about their own child, as if he were no more than a tool… it was truly harrowing.
On top of that, the knowledge that the reckless girl who'd challenged the Todoroki scion had been in actual danger…?
The revelations were eye opening for many. UA, the proclaimed 'greatest hero school in Japan,' was clearly not as prepared as it should've been to deal with its own students. The long-held ideal that the academy was infallible, and retained a professional-grade staff of pro heroes ready and able to tackle any situation, save death, slowly but surely… shattered. Worldwide, the reputation of UA plummeted.
"If Young Todoroki is unable to keep himself from harming others, the faculty will have no choice but to have him expelled… and admitted to a program for those with Quirks that require specialized methods of control."
For all it had been delivered in such a grim tone, watching and listening to All Might on the recording made the hero's words seem… empty.
As everyone watching had expected, Endeavor responded to most everything with a clear lack of concern, for the safety of any involved or that any punishments against him and his would be carried out. Conversely, All Might's concern came off as if his threat wasn't meant to actually stop Endeavor or his son, but more to ensure the public never discovered just how close the situation had come to becoming fatal.
Still frozen in place, All Might drowned in impotent rage as he glared balefully at the surrounding screens. The Symbol of Peace ached to do something, to act. He needed to break the monitors, yell at those watching that what they were being shown wasn't the full extent of the situation. The video was cutting out important parts, manipulating the conversation to conveniently only show the bits that would make him look weak and uncaring.
"For years, I've backed UA with my money and contacts. For years, I was blinded by the continually undelivered promise of a better world protected by noble heroes whose education I would be helping to finance. Today, that foolish and blind faith was shattered. From this moment forward, until this corrupted system is changed, until it's purged of every failure and parasite profiting from its rot, I refuse to sponsor UA any longer. I also call upon all of the academy's backers to personally take a closer look at what we've all been shown here today for themselves. Demand—"
Suddenly, the screens blanked, returning to normal.
But the world would never be the same.
As the murmurings of the crowds in the stands grew in volume to fill the void left by the unknown intruder, down in the arena All Might shook with fury. The massive blond's eyes literally glowed, twin lamps of blazing sapphire shining out from under dark and furrowed brows.
The Symbol of Peace's thoughts were a mess. Rage, shock, indignation, fury, hate, concern… these and more pushed and shoved the hero through the emotional spectrum as he locked on to one thought, one belief that grounded him.
All for One. This was all that man's doing.
The attack on the USJ had been too direct, too obvious. The impact to UA's reputation had been ultimately negligible as far as he was concerned, and that should've raised a red flag immediately. Of course the king of snakes would've been planning a second, far more deadly and elaborate trap.
All Might gritted his teeth, going over the words spoken by the voice from the hack. It might've sounded feminine, but the Number One Hero felt it in his bones… that had been All For One himself. Who else could espouse worry for society while seeding social unrest and anti-hero sentiment at the same time?
Every word had been fucking bullshit!
From his podium, Izuku stood there, still mostly unaware as to the repercussions of what he'd just witnessed.
Of course, he knew on an intellectual level that any successful hacking of the prestigious UA would be a rather big deal. It was said to be almost harder to crack UA and Shiketsu's mainframes than the governments after all. And while he was still upset with society as a whole and its quirkist ideals that had handicapped him today, he hadn't been planning on causing outright chaos with his protest.
His refusal of the first place medal had been conceived as a personal objection, something to inspire other victims of quirkism. He'd wanted to stand as an example of the faults in people's beliefs, not get his school shut down.
"Hey boss?" Saki abruptly whispered to Izuku, her words barely reaching him even being so close thanks to the rising sea of noise from the stands. "Are we still doing the thing?"
To her credit, the blonde delinquent had asked in honest hesitance and confusion.
Izuku took a moment to think. He still felt the need for vindication, yes. However, as things stood with the hacker riling up the public?
"No," Izuku whispered back, annoyed rather than upset or dejected. "There's no merit in beating a dead horse."
The verdanette had had more than his fair share of life experience with volatile situations. Right at that moment, everything felt as if it were a giant pile of dynamite floating in the middle of a lake of gasoline. He was a lot of things, but he wouldn't be the match that lit this particular light show.
"Lily agrees," Lily added, sounding far more tired than should be allowed. "Izu-nii needs to eat, get hugs, and find a nice place to take a good sleep. And Lily thinks we should do the same too."
True exhaustion and actual pain would forever be a foreign concept to the zombie trio moving forward, the sensation no longer something 'Cursed Blood' allowed their brains to process. That being said, they could feel their master's. At that moment, it was clear to all three just how clearly every fiber of the verdanette's being was screaming for rest, his stomach was threatening to start eating itself, and even his brain was nearing the point of shutting itself down.
Izuku might've been able to appear as if he were invincible to the masses right now, but the truth was the teen was running on fumes and quickly dwindling willpower.
[REDACTED], [REDACTED]…
Sniggering.
The low noise was by far the only sound that broke the monotonous tones produced by a bevy of life support instruments and machines and their connected monitors.
"Ah victory…" A tired feminine voice began before morphing mid-sentence into that of an aged, beaten, and still tired man. "Sweet victory. Hello again."
A powerful blow had been dealt to heroes this day. The implicit trust given to them so freely by the public had been called into question and found wanting. Their sickeningly pristine image of upstanding virtue had shattered under the weight of the delightfully nauseating reality.
All by his will.
And the best part? All Might had only been able to stand there and do nothing.
"So easy…" The man continued, enthralled with the world-bending power he still wielded even as broken as he was. "Yet still so sweet…"
What really tickled the man, however, was that this blow, the one so freshly delivered right in the faces of the heroes, was only the most glaring. His defeat all those years ago might have been unplanned, but his ultimate, master plan had barely been slowed at all.
In truth, that muscle-bound fool who'd rendered him bedridden had been dancing to his tune without even knowing, his inaction action enough. All because the idiot couldn't see underneath the underneath. And as today had shown, without a physical enemy to fight head on, the so-called Symbol of Peace was still utterly useless.
As it was, he'd never even think to consider the danger he'd worked so hard to extinguish had only continued to grow.
Fear.
It was a powerful tool and an addictive one to control.
The more fear the people had, the easier it was to get that fear to grow even further.
So-called heroes loved their status and the power it granted them, and they feared others taking it. The everyday person feared being weak and taken advantage of, and coveted strength to keep their fear at bay. Quirkism placated a great many fears for both groups quite nicely.
The concept had seeped into the common masses with almost no resistance, generating a ready-made caste system almost too perfect to have been believed. Without any manipulation on his part, undesirables were segregated from the whole that would exist purely as targets for the fear-fueled violence of the remainder.
And these undesirables? Oh they'd naturally be pushed through every harsh life condition imaginable, which would ultimately lead them to lives of villainy.
And his open arms.
Just like poor little Tomura.
"Soon…" All for One muttered, calming down after realizing he'd allowed his respiratory system to quicken beyond sustainable levels. He refused to experience that racking chest pain ever again if he could help it. "Soon…"
Everything was developing at an acceptable pace now, but there were many steps still left to go before the big dance number. His protégé still needed time to grow and develop. All Might still needed to burn through the embers of One for All he still so stubbornly clung to. He still needed to discover the identity of his nemesis for this generation. And the Necromancer…
He still needed to fall.
Yes indeed. The path was still so long, but the destination was so much clearer now.
UA's Sports Festival Stadium, Lounge Room R6…
While the rest of the world trembled at the fallout from the transmission during the first years' award ceremony, one student found himself trembling for an entirely different reason.
"W-what?" Tenya Iida nearly shouted into his phone, the news he'd just received far too shocking for him to immediately believe, "What do you mean he's gravely injured?!"
Tenya had wandered into this particular room while searching for snacks to buy and share with Uraraka, a rather novel experience for the rich teen who'd never expected there to be vending machines that existed that didn't accept his credit card. It was a puzzling conundrum to be sure, especially considering the ones on UA's main campus readily accepted his card without issue.
And then his phone had gone off.
It had been his mother, the normally strong woman crying a river. Through tears and sobs, she'd tried to explain the situation.
His older brother, his idol and inspiration to becoming a hero, the ever popular and perfect Ingenium, had fallen to the Hero Killer while patrolling Hosu.
The mere idea of Tensei being cut down by what the news had labeled a third-rate villain just that morning, one that preyed on rookies and the unaware, would've been almost laughable. Even now Tenya could feel his mind trying to slip into a blanket of shock that assured him this was all a prank.
But his mother's sobs over the phone and anguished wails were very much real. And the words she could get out that detailed his older brother's condition were worse than gut-wrenching.
"P-please… please tell me it's a lie…" Tenya choked out, breaking down as he stumbled his way toward the lounge's exit. He needed to leave, post haste. His family needed him. "It has to be a lie! My brother can't be—"
Unable to keep his voice from breaking and unable to keep still, Tenya broke into a sprint. He exited the stadium's halls in under a minute, and when he felt sunlight on his skin once more he activated his quirk without even thinking.
Tensei was fighting for his life, and the doctors had asked his family members to be close at hand in case…
In case they couldn't save him.
Magnus: Did you expect the good guys to always win? Did you expect All for One to be a one dimensional cartoon villain? I personally believe he would be a sneaky bastard that work a lot behind the scenes to create the perfect recipe for chaos.
Omake – His Dark Roots…
Fumikage Tokoyami was, not for the first time, sitting in front of his middle school principal. It was, however, the first time that the adult accompanying him on this venture was his mother, and not his easier-to-handle father.
"So. What's the meaning of… this?" Asked the woman standing beside Fumikage with a voice that came out as a solid mix between a raspy whisper and a hiss. The woman, the boy's mother, was of a slender build with midnight black hair that was only beaten in darkness by her eyes. "Why has my son been separated from his class like some sort of dangerous animal?"
Fumikage, being only ten years old at the moment, didn't know exactly how the world of adults operated, but he was perceptive enough to have long ago learned how to tell when his mother was upset. And by his reckoning, the longhaired ravenette had long passed that point.
That was NOT a good sign.
"Mrs. Tokoyami…" The principal, an elderly lady who had long prided herself in being strict yet inspiring, began. From the woman's tone, it was clear she was valiantly pushing down some sort of fear as she spoke to the mother across from her. "Your son was involved in a fight this morning that left seven students bruised and several of them traumatized. That isn't something that can just be overlooked!"
"Students? You mean that gang of delinquents?" The Tokoyami matriarch scoffed with clear distain, "The same delinquents that were supposed to be reprimanded and suspended last year for suicide baiting another student you mean?"
Fumikage sat even stiffer in his chair than he had been. His mother was moving passed upset and moving into truly angry.
If only his big sister hadn't won first place in that science fair. Then Father would've been the one here, and things would've gone much more smoothly. Heck, even just having his little sister present would've kept his mother's nerves calmer than they were now.
"Past misconduct aside…" The principal said weakly, trying to get the conversation back on track. The elderly woman was sweating bullets from this confrontation; even though the room's temperature was gradually lowering the longer she spoke to the Tokoyami matriarch. "The fact remains that this time, it was your son who showed unnecessary aggression towards fellow students."
"Unnecessary?" The dark-haired mother asked softly, her genuine incredulity sparking briefly before being rolled back into her building rage. She turned to her son in question. "Fumi dear. Did those boys deserve it?"
Fumikage nodded without hesitation.
"Yes mother," the raven-headed child replied, "They needed to be punished so they would learn their lesson this time."
Fumikage had very understanding parents, not that he was at an age where he was fully cognizant of what that fact actually entailed just yet. The two adult members of the Tokoyami household knew that the world outside the walls of their home was much more complex than simple absolutes of good and evil could encompass. They also knew, even from a young age, that their son held an incredibly strong sense of justice.
That being the case, instead of bothering to fill his head with classical ideas of chivalry and fairness, they'd instead opted to teach their son self-restraint and moderation. The goal was for them to lay a solid foundation on how to conduct himself and then for him to decide for himself what was right and what was wrong.
So really, the little gang of bullies could've had it much, MUCH worse.
"I see," Fumikage's mother replied, appearing to take her son's words at complete face value. In fact, to the principal, it appeared as if the matriarch lacked any sense of concern, or even empathy for the injured boys in question. "There you have it."
Such blatant disregard took the principal aback. Normally, when the boy's father was the one who came in, things would move along much more amicably. She would get a sincere apology with a charming smile, a promise to give the younger Tokoyami an appropriate reprimand at home alongside a double serving of family-taught lessons on self-control. She'd even seen the man give his son a stern look or two the last time before departing.
How could such a charming gentleman have ended up with such a witch?!
"Ma'am you cannot seriously believe such a claim?!" The principal shouted, unable to contain herself any longer. "Even if those boys were the ones in the wrong, your son knows he should limit himself to bringing any problems to a teacher instead of handling them himself. This is a clear cut case of him taking justice into his own hands. It's unacceptable!"
"I do believe my son, yes. But let's humor you for a minute shall we?" The venom that lashed out with the mother's words was searing. "Fumi. Why did those boys deserve the punishment you handed them?"
Fumikage took only a moment to get his thoughts in order. He'd been prepared for this moment since the principal's secretary had revealed it was his mother coming to get him rather than his father.
"They were harassing a classmate Mother. It started with verbal abuse, and when their victim still refused to comply with their demands, they began issuing threats of physical violence," Fumikage summarized succinctly. The nonexistent patience of the Tokoyami matriarch was not something to be tested. By anyone. "I stepped in and sided with their victim, who happened to be a classmate of mine. I offered to escort her home if needed and they dispersed at the time. However, during lunch they ambushed us on the roof. It was there that I reluctantly came to accept that violence was the only language they understood."
The principal rubbed at her temples in annoyance. Why did this particular problem keep coming up? She knew of the group of brats this whole incident was centered around. She knew they acted like a gang and mistreated other students when no teachers were looking. And she definitely knew that they'd all been reprimanded many times over by now, to little effect.
But their parents were richer than most others at her school, and due to that, it seemed like she couldn't even get transfer papers for them written up without some nameless higher up strangling her efforts until all that was left for her to do was another detention, another suspension.
And she knew the classmate of the Tokoyami boy as well. The poor girl was pretty plain as most would see it; a little chubby and a kind sweetheart with no apparent potential for… well, anything besides a boring desk job or becoming a quiet housewife. And apparently that was all that was needed for someone with power to decide she wasn't worth angering those brats' parents.
"And you didn't think of getting your homeroom teacher involved?" The principal tried, instantly regretting doing so.
"We did," Fumikage replied, nodding as his beak-mouth almost betrayed a wicked grin with a twitch. "He said that 'boys will be boys.' That simple schoolyard threats meant nothing and that we shouldn't bother him unless we have actionable proof of misconduct."
The room temperature dropped sharply.
"Impossible!" The principal shouted, enraged to the point of slamming her gnarled hands on her desk. "No teacher of mine, at my school, would be so—"
"I had Dark Shadow record it on my phone," Fumikage interrupted as if the principal hadn't spoken. "I gave Ami-chan a copy as well. She should be showing it to her parents right about now."
Mrs. Tokoyami gave a small smile of approval at her son's cunning. The look bore a striking resemblance to the image of an overly cruel Hannya mask in the principal's opinion.
"Well, well, well…" The mother of three rasped as she turned a cold glare onto the shaking principal. "Just what should we do about this wonderful piece of evidence, hmm?"
As his mother descended into a flurry of threats and promise so low pitched even his excellent hearing could only catch every fifth word or so, Fumikage decided now was the best time to zone out. He knew that she always meant well, and that she loved him and his sisters with all of her heart, but the truth was that his mother's lack of kindness towards anyone not family was a glaring issue.
Once again, the raven-headed boy wished his father hadn't been otherwise indisposed. He'd thought he'd be in the clear since no officers or other law-inclined persons had bothered their family this morning, but somehow he'd forgotten the science fair.
Owning and operating A Certain Café might have looked like simple and easygoing work for a middle-aged man to keep himself occupied with to an outside observer, but for some reason police and lawyers of all stripes loved to visit the locale. Most of the time, those self-same men and women would, instead of ordering a cup of coffee or omelet, seek out his father's assistance in solving their cases or tackling difficult clients in need of defending.
And his father would never say no, always willing to help with a smile and a scratch to the back of his head. In fact, there was only one case Fumikage could ever remember his father ever refusing to involve himself in. It involved the unsolved mystery surrounding a deranged supervillainess that had once basically ruled the country of Egypt from the shadows.
Literally.
Foreign heroes, detectives, even a spook from the UN had all come in over the years asking his father to look into the case, but he'd talked his way out of it each and every time. It had always confused Fumikage. The last substantiated report on the supervillainess had placed her on a ferry, apparently moving to personally take out a mark, but then vanishing without a trace before dealing the killing blow.
His father had done more with less, but it was just something he refused to touch.
"We're leaving now," the Tokoyami matriarch declared with an authority that belied her delicate features. "Next time there will be no leniency for this institution."
Leaving behind the principal, who'd taken on a ghastly appearance, the mother and son pair walked in silence until they'd exited the school's grounds.
"You know you're free to pursue your dreams of being a hero, right Fumi dear?" His mother asked as they entered their family's second car. "I just want you to remember that heroes are hardly, if ever, thanked the way they should be. Don't let that fact surprise you in the future alright?"
"Yes Mother/Ma," Fumikage replied, Dark Shadow joining in as the dark entity finally emerged from the raven-headed boy's body. It was always the worst when the school enforced its 'no-quirks' policy. At least their mother was always generous with her head pats afterward.
For Fumikage, he'd already learned that true heroism was a thankless profession. Ami-chan hadn't thanked him yet, after all, and most likely never would.
But that was alright. He didn't do it for the glory.
He just really hated bullies.