03/07/2021
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The Emperor's Dragon
Nestling 57
"Tomura," Izuku called to the teen softly.
He was staring at a TV, viciously punching buttons on a controller. Izuku looked at the screen and felt his eyes widen. The game looked like Hero Kombat XXXIV but it wasn't quite right. All Might wasn't one of the characters but he was on the screen, being brutally beaten up by what looked like a fluffy pink bunny.
The screen was soon splattered in electronic blood and the game announced that All Might was dead before Tomura turned to look at him.
"You found a patch?" Izuku asked, realising what must have given the graphics.
The teen grinned at him. "At least this way I can kill All Might," he announced.
Izuku nodded. He was tempted to ask for a turn but he knew from experience that Tomura wouldn't let him. "I wanted to thank you," he said instead.
"For what?" Tomura asked suspiciously, tilting his head to the side.
"For helping get the quirk," Izuku said.
"It was for Sensei," the teen shrugged.
Izuku nodded his agreement. "I think… Do you think we'll be able to help each other again?"
Tomura looked at him. Izuku saw the ways the teen's eyes narrowed before he snorted. Tomura put the controller down and grabbed the disembodied hand that had been gripping his forearm before fitting it over his face. "What are you wanting to get?" The question was laden with suspicion.
Izuku sighed. "Toxic Chainsaw," he said the name.
The teen snarled. "Weakling! You don't want All Might?"
Izuku levelled a look at the older boy. "I thought you would get him," he said. He wasn't sure what he thought of that but he couldn't really bring himself to care that much. The Hero had hurt dad!
That cut through Tomura's rising anger. "So you'd actually help me kill a hero?" he asked pointedly.
Izuku knew better than to stall. "I don't think either of us can kill All Might," he said instead. He deliberately didn't think about what he felt about the thought of killing.
"Not yet," Tomura dismissed his statement. "But I won't be weak forever."
"So," Izuku bit the inside of his lip to suppress his natural reluctance. There was nothing to say that Tomura would succeed and it might not amount to anything. "You help me and I help you?" he offered.
Tomura glared at him, red eyes narrowed and fierce from behind the hand. "Not that I will expect much help from you but sure. What do you actually want with Toxic Chainsaw?"
That was a good question. It was difficult to put into words. "It's-" Izuku tried before he growled. "It's bad enough that the heroes came after dad," he said finally, "but to then put the blame on someone else?" He shook his head. "And Toxic Chainsaw isn't-" Again, Izuku paused.
"Isn't that strong?" Tomura prompted.
"Has no reputation," Izuku agreed. "If they are going to cover it up then, I want it to be someone who at least deserves the attention."
"Oh?" Tomura almost laughed. "Who?"
"I don't know," Izuku huffed. "I just don't like it."
This time Tomura did laugh. "All right," he said finally. "You help me kill All Might, and I help you do something to Toxic Chainsaw."
"And the HPSC," Izuku added.
"And the HPSC," Tomura agreed before he held out his hand, with his ring and little finger curled in to touch his palm.
Izuku grasped the offered fingers and they shook.
When they released each other's hand, Tomura speared his red gaze into Izuku's green orbs. "I'm gonna hold you to that, you know," he said.
The green haired boy took a deep breath and then nodded, clenching his teeth. "I don't care that he is a part of the system, he shouldn't have hurt dad."
In the end, that's really what it came down to.
Tomura leaned in close. "And he will pay," the teen whispered.
Izuku didn't look away.
"Now, get out of here brat. I wanna kill him again."
-ted-
"Tsukauchi, your dedication to this case is admirable but it's time to go back to the precinct. Our precinct."
The Detective gave his companion a look. "But the kid was here!"
"Was here," the other officer said. She'd been sent from the Tokyo precinct to accompany him. "But he's not now." Her name was Josei Keikan, and she had a scent quirk. It was very useful for Detective work as she could smell when someone had been at a site. That's why she was shadowing him, in preparation for a promotion to Detective.
Naomasa took a deep breath. He shook his head. "I just… If we were… If Sir Nig-" He didn't finish the sentence.
Josei nodded, understanding what he was trying to say. If Sir Nighteye had let them run a simultaneous mission they would have had the kid, and Naomasa's first case as a Detective would have been solved.
"The kid's still out there," she said. "You'll get another chance, Sir."
Tsukauchi watched the last few stragglers run through the gates of the Elementary School. None of them had green hair. He'd spoken to the Principal but that had been a pointless exercise. All the details they had on Izuku Chui were wrong. He had thought to talk to Izuku's friends but had discovered he was friendly with only one girl here. His observations of her had shown she was just as worried as everyone else.
He had debated approaching her but… there were two options for Izuku. He was with his father's loyal followers, or he was with a rival faction. If he approached the girl and then she passed on a message…
The kid would be hidden even further or dead. He couldn't risk that. He could just ask her not to contact Izuku and he'd know if the girl told him the truth when she answered that question but she was just as likely to change her mind afterwards. He knew children. They didn't see danger the same way adults did.
He sighed and turned away, walking down the road towards the commercial area. He needed coffee. Josei followed him.
"I may not get another chance," Naomasa told her as she fell into step beside him.
"What do you mean, Sir?"
His quirk let him detect lies and because of that, he'd been asked to interrogate a lot of perps and witnesses, Tsukauchi could tell a lot from the subtle tones of voice and the way people asked questions. Josei was genuinely curious.
"The head of the underworld has been taken out. We're already seeing the fall out." That's how they were describing Hisashi Riji, at least internally. Externally he was still known as the missing head of JBQC. Within the Police Force, it was now that he was an underworld figure. Not All For One. All For One would remain a myth.
Josei had followed Naomasa for the last two weeks so knew that even if it seemed he was going on a tangent, it would all feed back into answering her original question. "You mean the DireScorpian case?" she asked.
The Detective nodded. They weren't involved in the case, but it was brutal. DireScorpian was a known villain and his brutalised corpse had been fished out of the Tone River the other day. "With the head gone, the underlings are fighting it out for supremacy and that's why I wanted the kid."
"Oh," Josei said, understanding coming to her.
"Some of the underlings will remain loyal to the idea of their boss. They'll probably take care of the kid but others won't. They'll just see him as a resource at best, and an obstacle at worst."
"Shit."
"Yeah," Tsukauchi agreed. "I want to solve this case for Inko but I also want to solve it for Izuku. He's only nine. He shouldn't be caught up in all of this."
"But-" The orders not to take Izuku into custody had come from the HPSC and while technically they had no jurisdiction over the Police, if you knew what was good for you, then you made sure to comply.
"Those are just the likely outcomes," Naomasa said.
"What are others?" She asked. She'd just been told that the kid would be dead or used as a tool. What else was there?
"In the event that the loyal faction has him, they could then groom him to take his Father's place. He may have some power, but I imagine he'll be a figurehead, who will probably die tragically if he tries to gain any real power, or whenever the faction feels secure enough." Tsukauchi grimaced at that, thinking what it might mean. He couldn't tell Josei but it was something that Sir Nighteye should consider. The sidekick would probably say he had considered it but Naomasa wanted answers. He looked over to his companion. "We don't know what his quirk is. Inko said he was quirkless. The school indicates his quirk is fire breath. One of the other schools he attended agrees with the quirkless theory, and another one has papers to say that his quirk is fire proofing. There's a theme there which agrees with what Hisashi Riji's registered quirk was. However, it does mean we don't know what his quirk is. He could have something odd, and powerful and potentially dangerous, now that quirk is in the hands of villains." That was a good way of explaining the facts without actually revealing the potential real quirk.
"You've got to put in a complaint," Josei said.
The Police Force could complain about the actions of Heroes. There were forms for it. Obviously the forms usually got drowned in the associated paperwork and complaints were therefore dealt with by the precinct Captains talking with the Hero Agency one on one. But you could file a complaint.
"I already have," Naomasa told her as they came to a cafe. He walked in, and went straight to the counter.
The barrister looked over at him. "Ready in a minute," the woman said.
Tsukauchi nodded and then swiped his phone over the pay point. Josei followed suit and they moved back to wait for the coffee.
"I just," Naomasa said softly, "really wanted to do right by this kid. You know, give him a better option in life than just villainy."
"You will. One day," Josei sought to comfort him.
"Yeah, maybe," he said. He sounded dejected.
There wasn't a lot she could say to that.
-ted-
"I think you are going to have to lay low for a bit longer, Hisashi."
"What makes you say that, my friend?" All For One asked.
"The Commissioner has managed to keep it on the down low that they've lost your- ahem - body, but I don't know if that story will stick."
"Ah," Hisashi chuckled theatrically. "See what you can do to reinforce the belief. If I have to, I'll release some research which they can supposedly 'discover'."
"That would cover it," the man on the phone said.
"Now," All For One's voice was sharp. "What about this Detective Tsukauchi? He's been looking for Izuku."
Beside him, Izuku looked up at him with wide eyes. Hisashi raised one hand to tell him to relax.
"He's been recalled," the man said.
"Very good, Captain Saitsu," All For One said. "Though why was he trying?"
Saitsu sighed heavily. "Tsukauchi is the precinct's main liaison with Hero agencies, so he knew about the operation but, I believe Izuku was his first case."
That explained a lot. Hisashi had owned enough policemen and women at all levels to know that their first cases were special, especially if it wasn't solved. Briefly he debated the benefits of making the Detective disappear but… If the man was the main liaison with the Hero agencies, right at the moment, the problems were probably not worth the benefit.
"He should be back in Tokyo within the week," Saitsu continued.
"Make sure it happens," All For One instructed.
"Of course," Saitsu said, and didn't even sound offended. "Was there anything else you needed?"
"Not at the moment," Hisashi said. "Thank you for your work Captain. You've done well."
There was the impression that Saitsu wanted to say something but he didn't. Instead, his image simply nodded and then the call was cut.
All For One turned to his son. He knew what the Captain wanted to say. The man would apologise for not warning him about the raid but it was a Hero raid. While the Police had been involved, Saitsu's branch hadn't. He couldn't have given warning. It was good that the man had decided not to apologise for something he couldn't have prevented anyway.
Izuku was sitting on a stool beside the bed and Hisashi was thankful that he could lean back into the pillows. He was recovering but he tired quickly. Even so, he was enjoying having Izuku with him as he re-established himself. Not that there was much re-establishment that had to be done.
He'd been gone for a while, but not that long. Not really but a few people had forgotten. Most just needed to be contacted to fall in line again. There were others he knew would require a more physical confrontation before they obeyed him again. He was leaving them for the moment. Some might come around. Some wouldn't.
It would be a good test.
"You see, my Little Dragon. Not everyone I have helped has betrayed me."
Izuku nodded.
"So you mustn't be afraid of helping people."
Again, Izuku nodded. "What about those who-" Izuku paused, seeking the right words.
Hisashi was saying betrayal, but Izuku wasn't quite there yet. His son still had the view that if you helped someone, you shouldn't expect repayment but he was rapidly coming around.
It was actually interesting seeing the parts of Izuku that were focused and those that were still childish. His deal with Tomura spoke of gathering maturity but All For One was aware that Izuku was still only nine. He followed their lead, but he was still held back by his expectations of society. Even so, he was looking forward to Izuku discussing Toxic Chainsaw with him. The fact that his son was offended by that was rather charming.
"Break their agreements with me?" All For One offered the alternative explanation.
The wording seemed to be more agreeable to his son. Izuku nodded.
"You remember when you came to work with me?"
"Yes. That was fun!"
"What happened when SFC wouldn't honour that contract?" All For One asked.
Izuku's face scrunched up as he thought. "You called the Legal Department," he remembered.
Hisashi smiled. "I did. But agreements with me personally, aren't subject to the same rules. Do you know what a gentlemen's agreement is? Or your word of honour?"
"Yes."
That was to be expected. Japan hadn't changed that much. A word of honour and a promise was a good agreement, even for children.
"Agreements with me personally are like that. So instead of calling the legal department, those who were subject to the agreement meet each other to work out the issues."
All For One activated his sight quirk to look at Izuku. His son was surrounded by a green aura and his features displayed that he was thinking. With a small start, Hisashi realised he couldn't see Izuku's freckles and for a moment a wave of rage threatened to overwhelm him.
All Might owed him a lot. More than just his Brother's quirk, the Hero owed him personally now. He was going to take a great deal of pleasure in watching him brought low. Tomura would do it. With the appropriate support.
Izuku looked down to the floor. "Wouldn't they try to avoid you?" he asked.
"They do, yes, but I have my ways," Hisashi said but again felt anger. In the past, he'd have just gone to see the one who betrayed him. Now, at least right now, he was reliant on Gigantomachia and Kurogiri. He kept his hands from forming fists in frustration only through force of will. Izuku didn't deserve his anger.
"What do you do then?"
"We discuss things. Some see the error of their ways, and recommit to their agreement. Others wish to break it. Quirks are the basis of agreements with me, so, My Little Dragon, I'm sure you can see how the agreement can be annulled."
It took Izuku a moment to realise what he was talking about, then to All For One's new sight, his son's head swung up and he knew green eyes were wide with shock. "You take their quirk?" The question carried a mix of outrage, shock and confusion.
"I remove their quirk," All For One confirmed calmly. "My Little Dragon, I was the one who gave them the quirk," he explained, "so it was never theirs."
He could tell Izuku was still confused. "I have made many agreements with people. It's just like buying something. I provide a service, and they provide a payment. If they are no longer providing payment, then the service is removed. It's just like when you bought those cup noodles. You paid the store with money, and they gave you the noodles. This is just a bit different."
Izuku nodded at that. He understood economics. "But, when you help someone, why do you want payment?"
"My Little Dragon," All For One sighed. "Are you thinking that Heroes help people from the goodness of their hearts?"
His son looked down but Hisashi knew that was agreement.
"Heroes get paid, Izuku. Gargoyle gets paid by the Hero Public Safety Commission and can make extra money from merchandise."
"He does?"
"Yes, My Little Dragon, he does. They all do. Did you not know that?"
He could see the way Izuku shook his head.
"All Heroes get paid. They get paid a base rate on missions, experience and by the area they patrol. They can earn extra money through merchandising. But not all of them do that. You know about Underground Heroes, yes?" All For One didn't wait for the ascent from his son. "Since they do not have merchandising contracts, they rely upon the HPSC for their payments."
"Oh," Izuku said and Hisashi could almost hear his values adjusting and inwardly he chuckled. If he'd known Izuku didn't know Heroes got paid, he would have made sure his son was much more aware of the economics of Heroes earlier. But, it was a lesson that would be administered now and over the next few weeks. Especially the economics of the upper tier Heroes.
"So you see, me asking for some information in exchange for my help isn't an onerous cost, is it?" he pressed. "I don't ask for anything else. I don't take a share of their merchandising income or anything else."
"Okay," Izuku said slowly.
Inwardly, Hisashi smiled. It was not complete agreement. He wouldn't get that quite yet, but any remaining faith Izuku had in the system was being eroded. He might have preferred it to be already gone but he was realistic. You couldn't teach everything at once but now that the shine was gone from Heroes, Izuku would more easily come to see that he was right. He was already on the way to it, but soon, they would be able to ease him into the less than pleasant aspects.
Izuku was only nine, there was no need to rush.
-ted-
I am kind of curious as to how long Tomura had to look around for that patch but it was worth it damn it! It was worth it!
Not all of AFO's contacts will betray him so Izuku gets to find out that helping people does pay... and that heroes get paid! When you are nine, who knew that? :D
-ted-
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