Quirks Not Required

Chapter XV

Kato didn't know what was worse, waiting for his child to be born or meeting his sensei and taking the poisoned chalice for revenge. But there was now a new distaste rising in his gut; his son Kayama Kazuki hadn't even reached his arms when his sensei had called him "Kato-kun, I bring good news, you've got a press conference; I tried to stall it but the fact you've got a potential cure for spinal paralysis but at this point your subordinate decided to inform everyone."

Kato sighed "Sensei, it's fine, I'll discuss this with Konan-san later."

On the other side of the phone, Garaki smirked but also paled "Kato-san, as much as I approve of your target selection; please remember that you also supervise her daughter's training as a heroine. From my informants in the form of the Monoma and Ojiro families, I strongly suggest you do not target Konan directly."

"Sensei...the thought never crossed my mind. What is being done about those near-extent marsupials known as the 'Eight Precepts?'" Those ragtag downtrodden sacrificial lambs of that sociopathic Leader Chisaki Kai had been notoriously quiet.

"No news is good news…Back to the conference, there are going to be several heroes in attendance along with the HPSC."

"As long as I do not have to shake hands with them, or even have to be exposed to them…it is still a hard thing to stomach."

"We all must sacrifice things for a better future, Daiten-kun. Some more than others. One last thing, please put some effort into looking presentable."

With that Garaki hung up. Chiyo and Asuma had arrived, the next thing Kato knew he was being pulled into a fierce hug "Where are they? Have you seen them?" Chiyo babbled.

"I haven't had much chance; I called you, then I just got off the phone Garaki-sensei. I won't tell you anything other than watch the news tomorrow."

Chiyo and Asuma's eyes widened "You don't mean…"

Kato nodded "Yes. It's happening."

"My boy! A Doctor, A Hero and an unparalleled genius. I could not be prouder." Asuma stated, however, his words and smile didn't properly meet his eyes.

Just then the door to Nemuri's room opened "Daiten-san, would you like to come in? Kayama-san is asking for you." It was a member of Garaki's Hospital Staff; Kato was sure that Garaki was monitoring him and Nemuri; discreetly. "Subtle threat that he and Shigaraki are always watching…No matter our machinations, Garaki is a master in his fields; twisting the letter and spirit of the oaths he swore long ago."

"I'll be in a moment. I need to speak with my father, mother would…" Chiyo was already moving.

Kato stared his father down, who held his gaze "Kato, what have you done?" Asuma questioned "And in the name of your newborn, on whatever honour you have left be truthful."

"What happened?"

The question took his father by surprise "You do not have the…"

"If you say 'the right to dodge the question' then cease this conversation now. I cannot and I will not admit to a crime I have not committed. So, Father, I ask you again what happened?"

"I saw two men, one a living scarecrow comprised of massive burns observing the house and I was followed by a man dressed in purple. I saw the Scarecrow following your mother and brothers on the school run, I saw the purple man following them as well."

Kato nearly cracked the handles of his wheelchair "That…little…unstable man-child fuckboy. He has no concept of the long game! No knowledge of tactics, and definitely no sense of not provoking me." Asuma watched as his son was suddenly engulfed in pure rage, a rage not seen since he had woken from his coma. Asuma had sensed it, Kato was too much like him; their tempers weren't like Chiyo's 'it burned briefly, brightly and intensely', Kato's 'burnt long, cold and brought nothing but ruin'.

"Father, when I was in rehabilitation, Garaki-sensei offered me a chance to work under him. You know I prioritise my research on anyone before I considered approaching them to sponsor me; he found my notebook of my hypothesis…he sponsored me as I found his initial treatise. I leapt at the chance like a drowning man seeking a raft; I have subsequently found myself the custodian to a great many secrets. Secrets that have subsequently drawn you into my mistakes; the Purple Man, I don't know. The Scarecrow, burns you said? Anything else?"

"Piercing blue eyes, considering the amount of close ups everyone gets of Endeavour; Scarecrow's eyes were of a similar colour."

Asuma watched his son display an evil grin "Perfect. He, I, will not be a problem…We are kindred spirits, like calls to like. Leave this to me, keep a low profile and if needed I'll lean on the Principle to see if you can be relocated to UA for protection…No, you're going to be relocated to UA. If the aftermath of my Coma told me anything, the press are going to be absolutely monstrous."

Asuma nodded "I can't say I approve or even understand what is going on, is this why you've been closed off from us all?"

"Yes. It is to protect you, and father, this is a warning…what I've got planned, my announcement tomorrow is only the beginning."

Asuma's eyes widened "You're going to bring down Endeavour and quite possibly the Public's Opinion in Heroes."

"Yes, before you say it's selfish…there are roughly 1.6billion people are quirkless; this is…"

Asuma smiled "This is a shout that you don't have to have a quirk to be remembered. I dislike the path but it is the most fitting path. Kato, Chiyo told me what the Principle told you, take the world by storm. Leave no quarter."

"Since when was I ever given a quarter? The Quirkless shall take what we rightly deserve; equality."

Asuma clapped his son's shoulder "I am with you. Whatever assistance I can give, I'll gladly do it."

Kato gulped "Be discreet. Now shall we meet my son, your grandson?"

Nemuri looked shattered. It had been a torturous labour, her water had broken at 4am, considering it was now just after 11pm, but they were alive; of that Nemuri had no doubt; her hair matted with sweat; she was pale and clammy but when Kato and Asuma entered, she let out a tired grin. "Asuma-san, Chiyo-san, Kato-kun; I present to you Daiten-Kayama Kazuki."

"Nemuri-chan, he's adorable. He already looks so much like Kato, but has your hair." Chiyo whispered as Nemuri held her son close to her.

"He's perfect." Aizawa had arrived and with his phone out took a picture of the happy family and sent it to both Kato and Nemuri. It would be kept by Kato, and it would be the last thing he looked at before he rolled out to the conference.

Garaki, was waiting in the car after Neji had knocked on the door of Kato and Nemuri's apartment. "Nervous sir?" He asked as Kato wheeled himself towards the tinted sedan.

"Yes and no. It makes the lack of preparation worth it. Morning, sensei."

Garaki smiled, Kato was certainly dressed to impress, black loakes that shone like torches, black trousers already tailored to him, altered to demonstrate his atrophied legs, a crisp white shirt that looked suspiciously brand new, and a suit jacket with a crevat. "A crevat?"

"Do you know any twenty-somethings who can rock the crevat? Because I point blank refuse a bowtie."

"They're ostentatious and I agree. I'm proud of you."

The grin didn't quite reach Kato's face "Sensei, my apologies, I'm shattered beyond belief. I'm requesting a few days relief, I…became a father a few hours ago."

Garaki smiled "My sincerest congratulations, I'll take care of his college fund do you want me to put your bonuses in as well?"

Kato's eyes widened "I get bonuses?"

"You do, along with royalties and money from the patents…"

"20% into my sons college fund, 30% into my actual account where my salary goes, the rest to go into my pension."

Garaki chuckled "Planning for the future I see?"

"Having a son changes your priorities. Have no worries I am not planning to wheel away." The fear and doubt in Garaki's mind subsided.

"I would like to take one more check, with you, over the schedule for today. Because once the conference is over, the HPSC INSISTED on having you meet several…"

"A publicity. Then I'm to go to the court as no-one can believe that a quirkless and disabled person was able to come up with this idea. In essence I have to fight for my life and for my research."

Thankfully the car was partioned so the conversation was private, however Neji was skilled at lip-reading. As they stopped at a red-light, he tapped on the window. "Yes, Neji?"

"I know a solicitor and lawyer, good friends of mine. I could contact them to investigate, they specialise in corporate law. They've been following you Kato with much interest. They'd be willing to waive their fees to slap down the Court."

"Make it happen, Neji. Speaking of how's your fiancé?"

Neji grinned "We're anticipating a child ourselves."

Kato grinned "I'll talk to Nemuri."

Half-an-hour later, they arrived at the conference hall; which was also used to host anime releases. The paparazzi were swarming like locusts, Garaki got out the car and people started cheering, Neji used the distraction to get Kato into his wheelchair.

"Daiten-san, look at the camera!" Someone shouted.

"Neji, I've got this. Get those cameras out of my face, I'm already despising this but I can't…"

"Can't or won't? This is your moment, you've worked so hard for this. The public will understand if you lose your temper."

Kato nodded, he turned around to find the caller already kneeling to take a photo. Kato wheeled, with a smooth movement, akin to grabbing a scalpel plucked the camera and twisted the straps cutting off the blood flow "I despise photographer's, I despise the limelight, and what is worse I despise pushy, rag chasing little shits like you." This was followed by a hard shove and the photographer fell backwards.

"My jacket please." With that Kato joined Garaki as they headed towards the changing rooms.

"An overly pushy photographer? You didn't kill him did you?"

"Strangled him momentarily with his camera and shoved him over. Someone's got the full incident. I honestly couldn't give a fuck."

As the duo waited in baited silence the door barged open, revealing four black-suited individuals and with them were Hawks, Endeavour and Best Jeanist."

Kato went pale, he quickly schooled his features "The HPSC and three of their Top Ten attack dogs. Let me be explicitly clear, fuck right off. Especially Endeavour."

"Daiten-san, surely you know and must respect the…"

"No, I don't know. You demand my respect, my respect for you is lesser than the shit I excrete from my anus and flush in the morning. Furthermore, I respect my sons diapers more than you. You're demanding my attention, you have it and now I'm telling you all to fuck off. I didn't consent for this nationwide coverage. I consented to a nationwide conference between my potential teachers and peers as this is revolutionary; I did not and do not consent to having narrow-minded, selfish and quite frankly the most discriminatory and prejudiced people in Japan even attended. Thanks to several factors, after this farce I must then defend my thesis and quite frankly my life's work, yes this is all I've wanted to achieve, in the High Courts." Kato finished his diatribe, to his glee, the Heroes and a few members of the Commission had the decency to look sheepish.

"Daiten-san, I'm Hawks, I genuinely had no idea you had such grievances against Heroes and the HPSC; for that I cannot apologise but I only apologise for myself and with that I'm sorry and I apologise."

"I follow my colleague's statements." Jeanist echoed.

Endeavour grunted, Todoroki Enji, found himself looking at someone who possessed a grudge against him. Daiten Kato sounded familiar to him but he couldn't place the name, since the name and face couldn't be placed he dismissed it. He turned "If he doesn't want me here that's fine. I have no need to be, congratulations doctor on your monumental achievement." To have potentially found a way to repair old injuries…that was something.

"Do you want to us to leave, truly?" One Officer asked.

"Does being part of the HPSC require being hard of hearing? I do not want any of you within a mile of this building. I'd prefer it if you never existed considering none of you even remember who the fuck I am."

"Enough. I remember who you are, I will not let you slander the HPSC any further than you have. I have documents that you will sign."

Kato took the moment to look through the papers, his eyes hardened "No…I was willing, all too willing, to leave the HSPC alone, and approach you with this technology as a gesture of good faith; now consider it revoked. Now get out. You will receive notice from my solicitors."

Garaki took the chance to record the people who had accosted them. Kato had deflected them perfectly and had easily riled them up with some well placed , harsh but honest words. The representative turned on his heel and stormed out "Kato, you need to rest, you remind me too much of our friend your financer. I might sponsor you, and my pockets are deep but I have my limits; please reign in your catastrophic temper before you burn yourself too much. You're already on their radar."

"Tell the man-child to back the fuck away from my family. The fact I had not been in contact with them until twenty-four hours ago was supposed to be their protection."

Garaki's eyes glinted "He what…"

"He was trying to intimidate me by saying 'I can reach your family'. Little shit, I'm already on Nighteye's radar for the pharmaceutical raids and purchases and my supposed links to the Shie Hasaki. Nemuri has got Eraserhead snooping around you, he only knows you're ancient but not sure of what else. Aizawa knows I'm close to you, again, he has a good pokerface. I've got you sending your own minions to keep an eye on me, then there's the fact that I'm working in UA…and now this…I would appreciate it if I could get some breathing space."

Garaki nodded and smirked "Having regrets?"

"No. Aside from having all of this bullshit hitting me at once. Garaki, if I'm to truly be useful I need you firmly in my corner."

"Kato, I, Garaki Kyudai have your back. How can I not, you've been nothing but exemplary…you've been able to get your hands on various quirks from STUDENTS. Now, enough of this! We have two worlds, the actual world and the medical world to amaze and astound. You wanted to be remembered in History, this is your beginning."