AN: I don't own MHA
You
It happened a very long time ago. Back before All Might existed, he was still a little boy in training, under the wing of his previous master. The boy could remember that day clearly. He and his master finished training. They sat side by side near a riverbank. The water reflected the sun bleeding rays that painted across the sky. It was like any other day. Peaceful and quiet. Yet the boy could tell something was off. His master was quieter than usual. Her brows knotted worriedly while she unconsciously bit her lip. Something weighed on her mind. There was a fragment of fear in her eyes. Her words were choked by hesitation, yet he patiently waited for her to speak.
Eventually, she cracked, "There's something you need to know."
"What is it, master?"
Nana solemnly gazed at the child next to her. He was so young. Younger than she was when she first took on the mantle. It was times like these, looking at his innocent sky-blue eyes, that she began to question if this was the right choice. To put such a heavy burden on such a young boy. There was nothing to be done about it now, unfortunately. She could only hope that some good will come from it. "A very bad man has been trying to find me. He tries to find all of us. The successors of our power," she explained. It was akin to a curse. While the power was incredible that didn't stop the devil from coming for it. That cursed demon will keep chasing them until it gets what it desires. She had to make a lot of heart-breaking choices because of that demon. A brief flash of a lovable child came to mind. It twisted her heart with a knife. "I had to sacrifice something precious."
The boy watched his master carefully. It was rare to see her in such a state. Curled in herself while a shiver ran down her body. She had mentioned something like this before. About once having a child that meant the world to her. They were her everything, yet she was forced to give them up. Of course, it was hard. However, if the child stayed with her, they would be put in the line of fire. For their safety, she had to say goodbye to them. Even if it meant never seeing them again.
"I hoped I'd be the one to end the cycle, but I'm not strong enough." She then bowed deeply to her student. Both to show her deep sincerity and hide the tears that were running down her cheeks. She prayed that day would never come but the underworld was stirring. Little by little the demon was sending ripples on their once peaceful still waters. Soon they will breach from the depths. She was not prepared. "Please forgive me. But I fear that burden might fall on to you."
Intuitively, the boy hugged his master. He couldn't bear seeing her so distorted. Forcing her head to his shoulder, he rubbed her back and proclaimed. "Don't worry master! I promise I'll work really hard." It was a promise he planned to keep. No matter how difficult. "I'll become so stronger no one can defeat me."
With a sniffle, Nana wiped her tears away. Truly, she couldn't say she is regretting choosing this boy. His bright smile could challenge any rainy day, and his will was tougher than any metal. There was no doubt in her mind he will become a great hero…she just hoped she'll be there to see it. "Remember this name, Toshinori."
"You. You're the one behind this?" All Might growled. There was an unusual amount of aggression in the hero's tone. What was once a bright smiling face bringing hope and positivity was now clouded with something dark. A bitterness that made the veins on his head pulsed. His eyes glared sharply at the man above them. He could never forget that monster's face. They still had the same smug pair of eyes that looked down on him as a teen. That sickening gleeful expression they had while they were half soaked in blood. Her blood. He could never forget their name. "All for One."
They chuckled at the amusing reaction. "Ah, Nana's little successor. All Might, correct?" He greeted with a tone of whimsy and power. There was something ominous about the man. The way they spoke was so elegantly yet harsh. With confident movements and wondering eyes. They read the group closely. "You've caused a lot of trouble for my friends in the states. Who would have thought that little runway boy would become such a thorn? Making up for her failures I see."
"Shut your mouth!" All Might was ready to rush the villain. He was stopped when he felt something pull him back.
It was Arata, eyes glowed while he used his quirk to keep the hero from taking another step. He even gripped the hero's hand as tightly as they could to get their attention. Only to receive a scowl from the hero. The hearted in their eyes. It was deep and burning like the flaming pits of hell. They clearly didn't appreciate being stopped, but he had a reason for stopping them.
His eyes then gestured behind him. All Might followed the line of sight and was suddenly remained of something is important. There was a child present.
Little Izuku looked confused and disgusted as he held on to his father for comfort. Talk about an 'out of the pan and into the fire' situation. The fear in their big green eyes was clear. No number of sweet words from his father seemed to get rid of them completely.
When their eyes met, All Might's chest clenched. How could he forget why they're here to begin with? The child they worked so hard to get back was here in this dangerous situation. No matter what they needed to get them out of here. A head-to-head battle would only endanger them further. There was only one thing to do in a situation like this. Call for backup and retreat. The hero tried to active the earpiece that was kept on his person, but when his finger felt for it, there was nothing. It was missing.
"Looking for something?" All For One asked almost mockingly. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes while the group glared up at him. It was rather amusing. He then held out an open palm. "Kurogiri."
Suddenly, a dark swirling mist appeared beside them. It grew and grew until it created a shape a phantom flame. A wispy pair of what could be amused were eyes flickered in the black mist. The eyes eerily sweep the room before landing on the villain's hand. Its shape shifted with distortion. An unsteady line of mist slowly reached out of the open palm. Then something dropped from the cloud. It was All Might's communication earpiece along with two other communication devices presuming belonged to the other two heroes.
The speaker on the earpiece screamed loudly: "All Might! All Might! What happened? Where are you? Answer me!"
Crack!
All For one chuckled while he effortlessly crushed the devices in one hand. He then let the scrap pieces full enjoying the shocked looks of the heroes below him. "We can't have anyone ruin our fun, can we? I do prefer my battles with my little brother's successors to be more intimate." He then let out a heinous cackle. His eyes aimed directly at the number 1. "Then again the last one was so boring. Perhaps you'll be more entertaining with some friends to back you. Hopefully, for you, they won't run away."
After that, All Might couldn't contain his rage and dashed towards the man. Those who rounded him were knocked away from the sheer air pressure he created as the concrete beneath him cracked. The was a spiking pain in his leg but he ignored it. It was infuriating hearing this villain mocked his late master. He leapt into the air ready for a smash.
Effortlessly, All for One raised his hand. Not soon after that the hero was forced back and sent flying in the opposite direction. They crashed into the wall out of sight. It was chilling. Never before had anyone seen the number 1 hero pushed back like nothing.
Bored, the man then sent his attention to another member of the group. His eye widened with interest. "What do we have here?" Within seconds he made his way in front of Arata. From pure shock, Arata fell from his feet allowing the man to loom over. Towering him with their presences alone. Their hungry red eyes watched them as if he was a slice of the sweetest cake. "You're a surprise to see. Subject 5A1K1 form the Nozomi group, I believe. You've disappeared from our radar. We even checked the corpses the commission threw away. Yet you were not amongst them. The doctor was very disappointed. You would have been quite the foundation for our newest project."
"You're mistaken. I don't know that name," he lied. May it be the shock that they knew of that old codename or his hatred towards it. One thing was for certain. This man clearly isn't ordinary.
They hummed while circling around the dark-haired man with blonde tips. "They did say you're rather forgetful. An unfortunate weakness of a truly interesting quirk. The purest is the definition of a blessing and a curse." Suddenly, they leaned into their face. Eyes widened with hungry glee. His hand slowly inched closer towards their face. No matter how hard they tried they couldn't move. Nor could they scream. "Would you like me to take it from you? Ease your pain?"
"Leave him alone," Enji yelled cutting between the two of them with a flaming fist. This man should not be trifled with or underestimated. Getting anywhere near them was clearly a death wish. Protectively, he stood before the psychic user who seemed to be stuck in place.
With a pout, the man jumped away from the fire. Bored, he glared at the flaming hero. As if he was nothing more than a useless rock in his way. "I almost forgot about you," He sighed as he held out an arm. "Arguably, the worst." Suddenly, a cyber black tendril shot of one of his fingertips. Enji had no time to react as they priced his stomach. With a yell of agony, the man carelessly lifted the hero up making the tendril dig deeper into their body. It was a horrific sight. With a jarring motion, they were brought before the man. His eyes watched them as they struggled in the tendril. "Your quirk isn't worth the space." Then Enji was tossed out of his way. Like the rock they were. Daring to bock his path.
Izuku watch the horrifying scene. His father stabbed before his eyes. Their blood dripping down those monstrous tendrils. It made his heart stop. "Father!" He screamed as he ran towards them.
Altered to the boy's voice, the man turned to watch them desperately run to the flame hero. He couldn't have that happen. "Kurogiri."
Suddenly, a purple-black mist blocked the child's path. They tried to run from it, but it crashed into them like a wave of shadows. They were instantly hit with the same dizziness as before. His body was light as he stumbled in the shadows. It seemed endless until a sliver of light tore through the mist. He ran to it but was met with a tariffing sight. The black-suited man grinning at him. Fear shot through his body stunning him in place.
"There you are little one," he greeted walking closer to the child. A curious glint in their eyes. "Let me take a look at you."
"Smash!"
The man was stopped as the number 1 hero came charging at him with furry. He quickly put his arms up across his face. Both of which somehow grew a protective rocky layer. Still, the blow didn't stop him from flying off their feet. "Kurogiri," he called while punching the hero back.
The mist screamed at the name. It roared an inhuman howl as its height diminished. Conceding down to a human-like form made of nothing but black mist. Its outline resembled that of a teen around the same age as his brother. Izuku watched the thing collapse before him with a screech. It clawed the concrete lifted its head up to the child. There some kind of outlined through the clouds that formed a face with soft features and puffy wave hair. They looked like they were in pain. So much pain. "s—sho—sho-0oooo."
The young boy's heart stood on edge. A part of him was fearful. This thing had a powerful teleportation quirk. If he got closer there's a chance he'd be taken away again. Then who knows what will happen to him. Then there's the part that panicked with concern. They looked so hurt. Ultimately, his soft heart gave out as the boy timidly reach out to the black mist villain. "Are you ok?"
While matching the All Might blow for blow, the suited villain clicked their tongue. In the corner of his eye, he saw their latest experiment switching out of control. Still unstable. "How annoying." They leapt away from the hero and dug out a phone from under his blazer's pocket. He brought to his ear completely ignoring the hero as they tried to punch him. They were only a minor inconvenience as they tried and failed to land a good hit. "Doctor, you can take it away now. It's clearly not ready."
Suddenly, the mist creature coughed hysterically. A black oozing substance shot out from their mouths. A painfully horrific sight that made Izuku's mind gone blank, and his body turn cold. The muck consumed them whole and melted into nothing. The child could only blandly stare at the spot they once occupied.
Arata stayed on the ground semi-forgotten while his body slowly got feeling back. His mind raced as every fibre in his being was screaming at him to move. He saw this man fight head to toe with their country's symbol of peace. Their strongest hero. To think that there was someone out there that could match them. Then there was their quirk. What in the world was it? They fought as if they had several. Yet, how could that be possible? He watched them fight fiercely. Well, one of them at least. All Might gave his all while the villain looked bored. That was the most frightening thing.
It became crystal clear they were no match for this demon in human skin. Which left only one option: Run.
Swiftly, Arata scanned the area. He saw Izuku in one end. Eyes filled with horror as they stared at the stop the clouded figure once laid. On another side laid Enji partly bleeding out, but thankfully still alive and moving. A sudden shiver zapped him as he remembered those cold days. The dark consumed him bit by bit each day. Finally, he found some light again and he refused to lose it. He needed to get them out of there.
With conviction, his eyes glowed brightly. He dashed towards Izuku since the child was the closes. Scooping him up in one arm, he never stopped his motion. Along the way, he spotted the boy's fallen bag. Some bandages seem to have rolled out form it's opening. They glowed with his quirk's light and came to life. The bag soon flew to Izuku's side as they boy instinctively hugged it. As for the bandages, they shot straight to Enji's torso. It wasn't ideal, but they needed to stop the bleeding quickly. The bandages hastily wrapped themselves around the hero's torso while his body flew upwards. Arata grabbed the fire hero by the collar of their consumes and made a break for it to the nearest exit.
It was right there in reach. He'd need to break a window. Even cut out a wall. Anything if it meant he could get those two out of there. Neither of which became possible.
"And where do you think you're going?" The villain was suddenly appeared before them with an unamused look in their eyes. There was no time to react as he raised his arm. A violent gust of wind swatted Arata out of the air. The gust was so shockingly powerful he lost the concentration of his quirk, dropping both Izuku and Enji.
The child fell screaming as he saw himself fall closer to the metal railings. Fearfully, be closed his eyes and held on to his bag tightly. He waited for impact, but it never came. Instead, he found himself landing on a bed of fluff. He wasn't sure what it was made of. It was fluffy and warm like wool but where did it come from? He didn't have much time to think about it as a scene of doziness took over. He couldn't fight the heaviness on his eyes.
Enji and Arata weren't so lucky. They both landed hard on the concrete flooring. Arata could feel a couple of his bones crack on impact. He blacked out for a second. His version hazy. All he saw was that man walking towards. Their eyes glared down at him as if they spotted perfect prey and they were a predator really to claim it. What was worst was he couldn't move, and his mind was buzzing too much from the impact to activate his quirk.
Arata watch helplessly as the man reached out his hand. The tips of their fingers turning black as they extended to dark tendrils. This was going to hurt.
Stab!
Blood spatter but not his own. Arata's eyes readjusted themselves to find the back of the Symbol of peace. Their blood decorated their white uniform. The black tendrils pierced the side of their stomach deeply. Only stopped by the hero's bare hands.
Looking over his shoulder, All Might smiled at the shocked Arata. "Don't worry," he assured them with a pained hiss. "I'm here."
"You fool!" Arata screamed. His hands reached for one of the swords at his side. Slashing them free, sliced the tendrils from the hero's body with a clean cut. He then carefully, kicked the hero away while dashing forward to engage in the confrontation. Where this sudden will to fight came from he wasn't sure. All he knew was he couldn't sit back and let this villain have his way. With blades in his hand, he ferociously slashed away at the tendrils coming at him in all directions. His eyes then glowed as his remaining blades flew out of their holder to protect their master.
Mildly, taken back by the sudden burst of violence in all directions, the villain retreated backwards. All the while Arata, plunged forward slicing away at any attacks that tried to stop them. Dozens of tendrils met their fate to the sharp blades. Soon they clattered on the floor. A minor obstacle that was easily avoided thanks to Arata's light and quick foot work. What couldn't be where the tendrils constant growth. It was like a hydra. Cut one 2 more grew to replace it. Still, slowly but surely, Arata was pushing closer. The villain was so distracted, he didn't notice the flaming fist flanking his right side.
Enji came roaring in landing a clean hit on their opponent's face. The satisfaction of seeing them caught off guard made him grin. The pressure was enough for the villain to retract their black tendrils, as he was forced to defend himself from the oncoming onslaught of flaming fists. Coupled that with swords quickly surrounded them, striking at them with the threat of decapitation or a lost limb, they had to be a little careful.
All Might watch the fight only a little bit in pain. Sure, some cyber style back tendrils are embedded in his stomach, but it really isn't that bad. Just imagine being stabbed 5 times in the same spot by a sword. If anything, these things were very uncomfortable. He could feel one of them scraping his bottom rib. The sensation was aggravatingly…unique. He needed to take them out and he was going to fight. He would have to if it wasn't for this blue light keeping them in place.
"Medical 101. Didn't take out protruding objects from your body without proper care at the ready. Unless you want to bleed to death." Arata yelled as a remainder while he and Enji faced their monstrous opponent. Enji getting as closer as he could lunching flames after flames. Meanwhile, Arata backed him by keeping those tendrils at bay. They were being to from a pile…almost on purpose.
The villain grinned devilishly at the comment. "That is true. For the most part." There was a wicked gleam in their eyes as they slowly brought his figures together.
The action seemed innocent, but something was ringing in Arata's mind. He turned back to All Might in a panic. Those tendrils. All around them. He needed to take them. Before the man could snap his fingers Arata was ahead by a second. He pulled Enji away from the pieces he chopped off earlier and flew themselves high above them. Simultaneously, he yanked the ones in All Might's side and tosses them as far as he could. All while randomly slicing away at their opponent with his free swords.
BOOM!
All Might shirked at the sudden action as his blood gushed out of the open wound. It hurt like pure agonising torture, but it would have hurt more if they stayed in him. The second the suited man snapped his fingers the loose tendrils exploded with a loud roar. Although the piece were out of him All Might still felt the impact of the explosive waves that collided with his wound. Ripping it wider. The others formed a line of craters, deep cracks, and large smoke clouds.
Swiftly, Arata flew through the smoke breaking the chain of his outer coat. Then quickly wrapping it over the hero's open wound. He frantically twisted and tore the fabric into a makeshift bandage. The blood leaked out colouring the blue and white fabric with red. It was a messy job but all he could do for a wound that massive.
Meanwhile, a free Enji was slamming away at the villain. Fist ablaze and occasionally shooting them, but nothing fazed the villain. Honestly, they looked completely bored as they leapt out of the way of each hit. It fuelled him to hit harder. Faster. But nothing landed. Even with the sword flying around them taking a jab at the man every so often lost their edge. They were completely unbothered. It was all a predictable simple dance allowing the villain's mind to wander elsewhere.
Where it landed was at the psychic user tending the number 1 hero's wound. What a foolish action. So ready to leave them behind, but now trying to help them. It was rather amusing watching them work. Not only tending to the wound but also attacking him. He moved to the side as another sword dived down. Its sharp edge barely grazed him, but they lost the bite they once had. Now slowed with the lack of attention. After a few minutes, it was easy to tell their pattern and how to counter. He wondered what would happen if the man seriously faced him. With a quirk like theirs it might be an amusing challenge. Then again, that wasn't what he wanted right now. In fact, he was getting rather bored of this little song a dance. So, his mind went through his mental catalogue in such for something to spice things up. All while he blocked another flamed fist and kicking a sword away. Soon he found something he never used before. It seemed rather perfect for this situation. Why not give it a chance?
With a grin, the man from his hand to a gun-like shape. Its index finger grew a hole. "I wonder what to happen if I do this?"
Suddenly, a black bullet shot from the finger. Upon fire, Enji tried to alert the others, but it was too late. Hearing the flame heroes' yells, Arata wiped his head in their direction. A mistake. The bullet splattered across his face. It was thick and sticky like molasses. Arata tried to claw it off his face, but it was no use. It was stuck. The substance them began to wriggle. Almost like some slime creature was slithering over the groves of his face. It bubbled and sifted wriggling its way to the Arata's eyes. It slipped through the gaps of his eyelids. It was an indescribable sensation. The closest thing to it was something moving directly on his eyes. A sickly warm feeling as it pressed against it's under the eye. When he tried to open them but saw nothing. Only darkness.
AN: well…long story short I've been dealing with some stressful family matters. Thankfully, most of those matters have been settled. I was hoping to comeback earlier but now hell broken lose …well at least writing would be a pleasant distraction.
Anonymousness – all will be revealed in due time. Maybe quicker since this is half of the original event. It was getting too long.