13/09/2022

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The Emperor's Dragon
Emergence 7

"Izuku?"

"Yeah?" he replied to Hitoshi. They were sitting against a wall at PE class. The class was gender split and the girls were currently doing something involving a ball. Izuku wasn't sure what game they were meant to be playing. That meant the boys were waiting their turn. Most were gathered into their small friendship groups, leaning or sitting against the wall as they chatted.

"Were you serious when you offered to help me get fit?" Hitoshi asked.

Izuku frowned. "What do you mean?" He didn't remember offering that but if his friend wanted then sure he'd help.

"At the beginning of the year you said you could come up with a fitness regime for me," the purple haired teen said.

"Did I?" Izuku mused. "Well, of course I'll help."

"Just not your routine," Hitoshi added and Izuku could hear the grin.

"You don't know what my routine is," he objected.

At that, Hitoshi gave a bark of laughter. "True, but I know it's more than I can handle," he admitted before he sighed. "I've been jogging but… that's not really enough," he said.

Izuku was a bit surprised to hear that. Hitoshi hadn't said anything. "What brought this on?" Had Hitoshi been serious about that joke at the beginning of the year, with becoming a hero?

"I just-" his friend began but was overridden by the teacher calling the change. It was the boys turn to play whatever that game was with the ball.

"Tell me tonight?" Izuku pressed. He didn't want to let this go. It would worry him.

"Yeah," Hitoshi said but he didn't appear enthusiastic and before Izuku could press further they were required in class.

-ted-

"Giran," All For One said as he answered his phone.

"I had an interesting client, the other day Sir," the man said without preamble. The broker had learned not to take up his time with chit chat. "She had a striking pendant."

"Ah," All For One replied with a smile. "That is interesting," he said. Giran wouldn't have mistaken the pendant for a fake. He brought to mind those who he knew had them but there was only one girl it could be. "Blonde, with an affinity for blood?" he said, making it a question.

"Indeed. I told her I'd let Dragon know I'd seen her when I saw him and give him her details."

Now, that was interesting. He knew his son still thought about his friend who's details had been lost when Kurogiri was forced to wipe his phone but he had not believed she would continue to think about him. It appeared his son had a skill for picking friends.

"You may do so," All For One said. It wasn't like Giran had contact with Izuku much, and with Izuku in the world, making his own choice, contact was even further reduced. "She is now a client?"

"Of course, Sir," Giran replied, giving him an answer for both his instruction and his question. Giran would give Izuku her details, when he saw Izuku, but the broker understood that would take time and the girl was now a client.

"What did she want?"

There was a pause before Giran answered. All For One knew what that was for. The broker was considering if it was betrayal of client confidentiality to tell him. There was a reason Giran was one of the better brokers. He took things like that seriously. "The type of equipment you'd expect with her quirk," he answered eventually.

"Ah," he replied. It was vague enough that Giran couldn't be accused of telling him, but specific enough that he could figure it out. "Thank you for letting me know, Giran. I will think on this," he told the broker.

"Not a problem, Sir," Giran said before he hung up.

All For One sat for a few moments thinking about Izuku's friend. He felt confident calling her that now. If she was dealing with Giran then she was not just acting casually. That was interesting. He wondered if he could use her to sway his Little Dr- No. He could not do that.

When Izuku came to him, his friend would be there. And that would just reinforce his son's belief in the correctness of his choice.

That would be good and it would be good for Izuku to have a friend who wouldn't question his choice, and would in fact help him with those first steps into true villainy. This girl… she would be more useful than she knew.

He almost felt sorry that Izuku had lost contact with her and that Tomura had not given her Izuku's details that time. Perhaps Izuku wouldn't have needed to be- Again, that was not a thought he could pursue.

He smiled and pushed thoughts on the girl aside. When the time came, she'd be useful, for a number of reasons. For now, it was enough to know. Speculation could wait.

-ted-

It wasn't until lunch time, three days later that Izuku managed to spear Hitoshi with a stare that told the purple haired teen that he wanted an explanation.

"Yeah, all right, all right," he said defensively.

Ochaco picked up on the interaction. "What is it?" she asked, taking out her lunch.

It was winter so they weren't sitting outside, and while there was already homework assigned for the day, they had to eat. They were sitting in Hitoshi's classroom. Most of the other students were fighting it out at the cafeteria which meant the room was mostly empty. Those remaining were already engrossed in their own conversations or something on their phone.

"'Hitoshi promised me an explanation in PE but has avoided it since then," Izuku said with a grin.

"Oh," Ochaco said as she turned her gaze to Hitoshi. She didn't know what had been said then. "Come on, spill!" came the instruction.

"It's not that big," Hitoshi defended himself. "I just asked Izuku for a couple of tips to help with fitness," he explained, downplaying the situation. "Not whatever it is that he does, 'cos I doubt I could survive that."

Ochaco sniggered at that statement and nodded.

"And I'm happy to do that," Izuku said. "I've got some things I can show you here," he added. There were some simple exercises you could do while sitting. Everyone thought you needed equipment to train. You didn't. You could work out against your own body weight if you knew what to do. Even if you didn't, just the attempt was good as it put you in the right mindset and you could feel when you were getting results. "But I wanted to know why now," he reminded his friend.

Ochaco looked interested in that too.

Hitoshi sighed heavily. "I just thought being a bit fitter never hurt," he said.

Ochaco laughed. "Do you want to try the hero exam?" she asked.

The purple haired teen said nothing but radiated an air of insult.

"If you do, then great!" Ochaco said quickly. "You'd be a great hero," she added.

"What do you mean?" Hitoshi demanded as Izuku watched on.

Did Hitoshi really want to try to be a hero? He felt a bit sick at that. Hitoshi knew what the world was like. He knew what heroes were like… why would he want to be one? Did he want to be one? Izuku asked himself forcefully. It was Ochaco who'd said that.

She sighed. "I know everyone says your quirk is a great villain's quirk," Ochaco said, not shying away from what had been said, "and yeah, in some ways they are right. But the opposite is true," she added cheerfully.

"It wouldn't be a great villain quirk," Hitoshi countered. "Sure, I'd get away with a few things but then the word would spread and the heroes would know not to answer me and then-" he shrugged.

"You'd still be a great hero," Ochaco pressed. "Maybe not as a patrol hero," she added with a grin. Patrol heroes were those who actively went looking for villains to arrest. "But as a rescue hero you could keep people calm. As a hostage negotiator you'd be the best they'd ever seen! Or as an underground hero. You could probably get whole cartels to turn themselves in!"

Izuku laughed at the scenarios. They were true. Even Hitoshi cracked a smile. All the mirth Izuku felt disappeared. Was his friend actually considering it?

"The same thing applies, you know," Hitoshi said.

"What do you mean?" Ochaco demanded.

"A lot of villains get arrested on their first foray," he said. "Others don't and they talk. I'd be in the same situation and no one would answer me."

"Not as an underground hero," Ochaco said. "Then they wouldn't even be sure who did what."

Hitoshi closed his eyes briefly and snorted softly. "Yeah maybe," he agreed before he sighed. "I'm not a villain, and I'm not a hero, 'cos I think I'd just be a statistic if I wanted to be either."

"You aren't a statistic," Izuku said immediately. Hitoshi shouldn't think that about himself. "You're my friend."

That got him a smile and Izuku felt better about the situation. "I'll give you some ideas," Izuku told him.

"Thanks."

"I want them too!" Ochaco announced before she looked at Izuku. "I want to try to be a hero," she said seriously, "but I promise you, Little Dragon, I'm going to be a revolutionary hero."

Izuku frowned at that. "Revolutionary hero?" he said the words as a question.

Ochaco grinned. "Yep, a revolutionary hero," she confirmed. "My stats are not going to look like other heroes! And I'm going to ask and point out why others are so bad and demand they do better."

For a moment Izuku could see it. Ochaco in a hero costume, complete with cape, her hands on her hips as she yelled at the combined top 10 about their stats. It was a funny thing to contemplate. But then reality crept in. There was no way the Commission would let that happen. Except… It was obvious Ochaco wanted to try. And maybe… maybe that's what it would take to change the system. Someone inside demanding that they do better.

He smiled at her as he nodded. He still wasn't sure how it would go but maybe it would be one of the little steps… Internally he frowned at the thought. That sounded like he'd made a decision but the instant he poked at his mind he knew he hadn't. It was just… His dad was right. He needed to reexamine everything and really think about what he wanted, not what… not what he knew was expected even if that was the easier thought to have..

"A revolutionary hero?" He said again. "Yeah… I like the sound of that," he told her.

Ochaco beamed at him. Hitoshi even looked somewhat happy and Izuku laughed.

They'd work it out. Somehow.

-ted-

"Hitoshi," Izuku said his friend's name softly. Ochaco had gone home for the day but the two of them had remained a little longer to get some more homework done. Her parents would still be at work so the house was quiet. For them… Well, Izuku had Kurogiri and Tomura and while the misty man would try to be quiet, Tomura didn't care. Hitoshi had his siblings, all of whom would demand his attention as soon as he got home. It was better to stay in the library.

"Yeah?" His friend replied, but his mind was obviously on whatever problem he was working through on the page. Izuku could tell Hitoshi's expression was particularly disgusted at whatever it was.

"You weren't serious, were you?"

At that, Hitoshi looked up and frowned at him. "About what?"

"I know you," Izuku said. "You never said you didn't want to try to be a hero," he elaborated, referring to their earlier conversation. Hitoshi had a habit of just letting things go. Well, not really letting them go but not clarifying things so that you made your own assumptions, which weren't necessarily right. All he'd said earlier was that he wasn't a hero and he wasn't a villain. Both were true. But he'd never said he didn't want to try to be a hero. No one really said they wanted to try to be a villain.

At the statement, Hitoshi put down his pen. He closed his eyes briefly and when he reopened them, Izuku could tell his friend was serious. "I'm not gonna lie. A part of me would really love to be a hero," Hitoshi said. He gave a wan smile. "Everyone who ever said I have a villain's quirk would have to eat their words," he explained, with an odd note of wistfulness. "I kind of like that thought," he added in a tone that showed a slight vindictive note of pleasure before he sighed heavily. "But I know exactly what it would be like."

"Do you?" Izuku asked pointedly.

"Yeah," Hitoshi told him. "I'd have to be an underground hero and so they'd never know."

"What about the Commission?" Izuku asked.

At that, Hitoshi frowned. "What about the Commission?" he returned the question with obvious confusion.

Izuku made a face. He had hoped Hitoshi would realise what he meant. He speared his friend with a determined look. "Once they realise what you can do, they'd never let you be free," he said seriously.

It took Hitoshi a moment to reply. "They wouldn't!" He said, sounding shocked.

"Why not?" Izuku pressed. "You can leave subliminal messages. They'd want that. They wouldn't let you go. You'd be a prisoner for them."

"They couldn't do that!"

Izuku shook his head. This was like what his dad said would happen to him. Hitoshi's quirk wasn't his dad's but Izuku could see the same trap for his friend. "They could, and more importantly, they would. They'd set up something, someone, who would say you used your quirk on them, without permission. It would be a lie but it wouldn't matter. The case would go against you or… it wouldn't matter. You'd be beholden to them."

Hitoshi gave him a look. "Aren't you going a bit far?"

"Am I?" His shook his head again. "They'd let you be a hero for a while, settle in as it were, so they could learn your quirk and then... " He shrugged because for him the outcome was a forgone conclusion. Izuku took an audible breath.

"I don't want Ochaco to be a hero because the system will hurt her but the same applies to you. I just think it will hurt you in a different way," Izuku told his friend.

"Don't you think you are stretching a bit too far?"

"Am I?" Izuku didn't answer directly. "You didn't instantly dismiss the possibility, so you know on some level I might be right," he continued. "Hitoshi, you'd be a brilliant underground hero, or hostage negotiator, or lots of different heroic jobs. Absolutely brilliant, don't even doubt that. You wouldn't be as flashy as All Might or destructive as Endeavor and you may never rank but you'd get the job done. And the more villains you brought in, the more dangerous the Commission would see you as being and the more they will want control.

"That's what it is about, Hitoshi. Control. Plus-" Izuku snorted. "They are politicians. They would want you to talk to their political enemies and persuade them," he said ,holding up his hands to 'quote' the word persuade.

Hitoshi was silent.

"I don't want Ochaco to get hurt but-" Izuku sighed. There wasn't anything more he could say there. Ochaco had made up her mind. "Maybe she can be a revolutionary hero," he said, referencing what she'd said earlier. "I hope she can. I'll be cheering her on all the way and doing what I can to help but-" Again, he didn't finish. "I think they will hurt you as well, just in a different way," Izuku continued, switching to Hitoshi. "I know you won't be a villain, 'cos you don't want to prove all those morons right, and I can see how being a hero would be one in their eye but, is that really a good reason? Especially given all the baggage?"

"It's not," Hitoshi admitted. "It's just-" It was his turn to sigh. "It's not that I'd love to spite them. It's partially that, but I know they wouldn't know about it 'cos to be effective I'd have to be underground, but… Ochaco's right you know. You help people just by being there. It would be nice to be able to help people."

"So become a psychologist?" Izuku suggested. "With a quirk license."

"Wouldn't that attract the Commission's attention?"

"It would but it puts what your quirk can do on public record. People would then know if they were pressuring you. It's protection by being open," Izuku replied. "It's not perfect, but being a hero would guarantee their attention." He snorted derisively. "Being a villain would as well, if we're honest. And would be worse. They'd make servitude part of your punishment," he said.

"Yeah, but I'm not going to be a villain," Hitoshi reassured him.

"It would be worse."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Izuku thought Hitoshi wanted to say something else but didn't know how to say it. Eventually he looked up at the ceiling. "It's not my decision, Hitoshi," Izuku said. "If you want to be a hero, or even a villain," he said that with a smirk, "it's not my decision, it's yours. But as your friend, I just don't want you to be hurt."

"You'll be my friend though, won't you?"

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked.

"Even if I chose to be a hero, you'll be my friend," Hitoshi pressed.

"Of course I will," Izuku reassured him. "Even if you are a villain," he added. "I just want you to be happy."

Hitoshi gave him a smile. "You are a good friend, Izuku," he said softly.

He didn't know what to say to that. Everything that came to mind seemed self serving. "So are you," Izuku settled on. It was the truth. Hitoshi was a great friend and those who called his quirk villainous were missing out but eh, that just meant he got his friend to himself. "And I'll still give you those fitness tips, no matter what."

Hitoshi nodded. "No matter what I decide, I promise I'll be careful." He smirked. "Even if it is a cafe with cats!"

Izuku laughed at that and the tension that had been between them broke. "Well," Izuku said, "at least I'll know where to get my coffee."

Hitoshi snorted and everything was fine again but Izuku knew his friend had heard him and would consider his words. That's all he could ask.

-ted-

AFO, this is not the time to play fair on letting your son make his choice. He'd much prefer to have Himiko on speed dial again!

And Izuku, you don't need to give Hitoshi a choice, he'll do whatever you ask. Your dad guaranteed it.

My discord is on this code: ZX2R5h2cEm FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out.

-ted-

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