As a magician, Atsuhiro Sako knew the best place to hide was in plain sight.
Today, he hid directly under a spotlight. A black and white mask covered his face and blinding lights gleamed off his azure brooch. Packed high in the bleachers above, the crowd cheered. He doffed his top hat and swung his cane behind him as he bowed.
The movement of his hat distracted the audience from the smoke bomb puffing out of his cane. Yuga Aoyama used the smoke as cover to roll into the ring and land on his knees. The audience gasped as he rose up and bowed, too. His sparkly purple costume included a sequined mask to cover his face. He'd dyed his hair purple to be further unrecognizable.
The spotlight shifted to Toru Hagakure on a tightrope. The invisible girl's presence was only hinted at by the slight weight pushing down the rope. Then she switched off her quirk to reveal a green-haired girl wearing a leotard and a tutu. She elegantly bowed, making it look easy to remain balanced on the rope. The crowd went wild. They always loved it when Hagakure revealed her face at the end of the show.
Hagakure had joined Mr. Compress' Traveling Magician Show to work off her debt after he'd given her a quirk that let her remove her invisibility at will. Atsuhiro kept it a strict secret that he had his father's ability to give and take quirks, but somehow she'd found out. He'd kept her by his side partly to make certain she wasn't an agent for his father. The bounty on Atsuhiro and his little brother was very high in the underworld. So far she seemed oblivious.
Aoyama, on the other hand, knew exactly who Atsuhiro and Izuku were. He'd sought them out fleeing from a bad bargain with All for One. He was on the run, too.
The last member of the magician troupe, Izuku, was in the booth manning the special effects. Atsuhiro considered it too risky to let his dear little brother appear on the same stage as him. All for One had eyes everywhere. Better if his two runaway sons weren't seen together in public. Besides, Izuku wanted to become a hero and attend U.A. That meant he needed to carefully safeguard his reputation. Atsuhiro's magic show indulged in a bit of petty theft on the side. He refused to let his little brother get caught up in that.
After the final bows, the crowd departed the bright red tent. A few people stopped at the popcorn stand at the bottom of the bleachers to buy more snacks.
Atsuhiro stepped into the special effects booth and took off his mask. It felt good to run his fingers through his sweaty hair and feel fresh air on his face. Izuku sat in a wheely chair staring at the console with a frown. Atsuhiro slapped his little brother on the back. "You did a great job with the special effects today."
Izuku didn't react, still looking down.
Were his little brother's insecurities acting up again? Atsuhiro repeated, "You did a great job. I mean it. The way you used lighting to follow Hagakure while she was invisible was quite brilliant. Or are you worried about the U.A. entrance exam? You've been training your heart out. You're completely prepared."
"It's not that. Or not exactly that." Izuku swallowed. "You got a letter from Dad—from All for One." He held up an envelope.
Atsuhiro's heart nearly stopped. He reached for his mask by habit. But no, their father couldn't have found them. If All for One knew, then he would have arrived with an army of Nomus to drag back his rebellious sons.
Izuku said, "I already opened it, sorry. I couldn't wait. He wants to hire 'Mr. Compress' for a burglary job. I don't think he has any idea about us. He threw in a jab about how your skills and reputation will barely suffice."
Atsuhiro swallowed. "Then there's still a chance to trick him. I have to take the job. No petty criminal would dare turn down All for One."
Izuku whispered, "Or we could change identities and run."
But the U.A. entrance exam was in a week. Izuku had been training for years. Being quirkless, he'd received special permission to enter using support equipment. If they changed identities, there was no way Izuku would be able to take the exam. His dream would be over.
Atsuhiro ruffled his little brother's curls. "It's fine! This is a minor job, barely worthy of the Lord of the Underworld's attention. I doubt I'll ever even meet All for One."
Unfortunately, when Atsuhiro arrived at the bar, All for One himself sat on a stool sipping from a wineglass. A man with purple shadows for a face refilled the glass.
As All for One turned around, Atsuhiro suppressed a flinch. He'd fled home shortly after his father had been injured in his fight with All Might. It had been their only opportunity while All for One had been unconscious and unable to chase them. Atsuhiro had left before ever seeing the extent of his father's injuries. Even with scars and raspy life support equipment, All for One still had that terrible presence that could cow every villain in the underworld and bring silence to the dining room table.
Atsuhiro slid onto the stool next to All for One. His voice changer gave his words a crackly edge. "I'll have what he's having. It must be quite a drink to have drawn a dead man back from the grave."
Though the people who knew him now would find it hard to believe, Atsuhiro had been a very shy child. His father had frightened him, especially after his mother's disappearance. After his little brother had been born, Atsuhiro had taken on the role of family peacekeeper to appease All for One. When Atsuhiro had crafted his Mr. Compress personality, he'd made it the opposite of himself. It was all part of his show. But Atsuhiro had found that he liked being Mr. Compress, who was flashy, funny, arrogant, and afraid of nothing. Now he prayed the act would be enough.
"You're a cocky one. I bet you'd get along with my ward Tomura." All for One sounded amused rather than angry. Yet even so, the force of the ancient villain's presence nearly made Atsuhiro face-plant on the table. He added an extra prayer that his father wouldn't kill him without knowing who he was.
Without a word, the shadowy bartender slid a glass on a napkin in front of Atsuhiro.
Fortunately the voice modifier prevented Atsuhiro's voice from shaking too much. "I'll work for even a devil who crawled his way back from hell if he pays well enough."
All for One tilted his head, his respirator rattling. "There's something a little familiar about you. Have we met? I don't normally bother to remember every ant that crosses my path."
A younger Atsuhiro would have run screaming from the room. He summoned all his improvisation ability. "Nope, I've never preformed on such a high-level stage as yours before. My great-great-grandfather was the famous thief Oji Harima." This was of course a lie, but Atsuhiro admired the chivalrous thief and would have rather been related to him than All for One. "Perhaps you met him before."
All for One's face was unreadable behind his mask. "In that case, I'll have high expectations for you on this job."
Practice prevented Atsuhiro from breathing a sigh of relief. He just had to get through this meeting, then he could go home and hug his little brother.
Unless, of course, his father knew full well who he was and planned to follow him back home to Izuku.
Atsuhiro stiffened. He must be too paranoid. That couldn't be true. Right? Nevertheless, perhaps Atsuhiro would not return home any time soon. It would be better for a future hero like Izuku not to have any association with a criminal.
OMAKE TIME!
Omake: After the Job
All for One: Marvelously done. You seem like a villain with a flair for the dramatic—just how I like it. I'm going to mentor you from now on. No need to thank me.
Mr. Compress: (Sobbing) Is this all bad luck or does he know and he's just screwing with me?
