02/10/2021

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The Emperor's Dragon
Fledgling 07

"Little Lord," Gigantomachia greeted Izuku happily when the boy appeared through Kurogiri's warp gate.

The misty man reformed behind his passenger and gave All For One a look. When he delivered Izuku and picked him up, it wasn't unusual for his boss to have new instructions. The Emperor of the Underworld shook his head slightly and Kurogiri bowed before disappearing.

"My Little Dragon, is something wrong?" All For One asked. Usually, when Izuku was delivered he happily skipped over to Gigantomachia to tell the giant about his day. Today Izuku had remained where he was standing.

"Nothing's wrong, Daddy," Izuku said to him but he was still looking at Gigantomachia.

"Did you want to ask my bodyguard something?" All For One asked his son.

Izuku thought about that for a few moments, before he nodded. While All For One couldn't see he could imagine the look on Gigantomachia's face. He would be surprised but pleased.

"What does the Little Lord want to know?" the huge man rumbled gently.

"Will you teach me to fight?"

It was safe to say that neither of them were expecting that question.

"Izuku?" All For One said the name as a question.

"Little Lord, you are not like Tomura so you are wort-"

"No!" Izuku interrupted Gigantomachia. "I'm not. But I want to be."

"So you want Gigantomachia to train you?" All For One asked.

"Yes. I want him to teach me to fight," Izuku repeated his request.

The huge man shifted slightly. "Kurogiri is-" he began but stopped when All For One raised one hand.

"Kurogiri is teaching Izuku to use his quirks," the Emperor of the Underworld explained.

The large man understood the unspoken part of the information. It was Gigantomachia's decision if he wished to teach Izuku or not, but All For One knew what the answer would be. There was no way Gigantomachia would deny Izuku.

He saw the huge man nod before he shifted again, looking down at Izuku who was still standing, looking up at him. All For One heard Gigantomachia take several deep breaths.

"Little Lord, I will teach you," he said eventually, "but only if you use your full power."

For a moment, All For One didn't understand what his bodyguard meant but then it became clear. He didn't smile, but it was a close thing. Gigantomachia's condition would force Izuku to accept the reality of combat and that would only help him grow stronger.

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked. He hadn't grasped the implications of the large man's condition.

Gigantomachia shifted, kneeling so that he was slightly closer to Izuku. He still towered above his son but the gesture was not unappreciated. "You must use your quirk. When you fight me, even in practice, you must take a quirk."

"But-" Izuku objected but All For One could tell he wasn't quite sure what he was objecting to.

"When you are in battle, Little Lord, you cannot hesitate. You can take their quirk, so you should do it. This is your greatest advantage and you should use it."

Izuku said nothing. All For One could tell that he was thinking.

"If the quirk is not useful Izuku, you can give it back," All For One reminded his son. "Or if it is useful, you can keep it since you won it in the battle."

"But I won't have earned it," Izuku said.

"In some fights you will, Izuku. Don't limit yourself by society's expectations," All For One explained.

"A battle is not about honour, Little Lord. It is about victory and you must do what you can to gain victory by any means possible. You have the means, so you need to use it," Gigantomachia added.

Izuku nodded but it was easy to tell he was still thinking.

All For One decided another small push would be needed. It was essential that Izuku be able to take quirks even from those who didn't want him too. They had been gentle so far, but if introducing the concept as part of a battle strategy would help then he would back that. "Izuku, I want you to remember something, something you've seen."

"What?" The question sounded harsh but Izuku was curious.

"History is written by the victors," All For One told his son.

Izuku frowned. It was difficult to see but that was the impression Hisashi got. "How?"

"All Might," All For One said, "and Toxic Chainsaw." It was perhaps a risk to refer to that battle but Izuku was moved by it. "You know that All Might did not fight Toxic Chainsaw, but that is what the world believes," he explained. "And there is one more thing they are covering up," he added with a small chuckle.

"What is that?"

"I know what damage I did to him, my Little Dragon. All Might is not as healthy as he appears," he said somewhat proudly. He'd have preferred to have done more, and not received any damage himself but lingering on that might have been was not productive.

He saw Gigantomachia nodding at his statements. "That is why Little Lord, you must always fight to win, and use all the means you have to fight," the large man explained.

"I understand," Izuku said, and he seemed to. "But I can't take a quirk off you, Gigantomachia! You're my friend."

That harkened back to something Izuku had said many years back.

"I think when training with Gigantomachia, you can pretend to take one of his quirks," All For One announced, looking over at his bodyguard. "If he actually took one, it could destabilize you, my old friend," he explained. "However, for your practice sessions, I will give Izuku a random quirk to simulate what he could find himself with."

Gigantomachia nodded. "If you are willing to take quirks, Little Lord, I will teach you," he said.

Izuku took a deep breath. "I am willing," he confirmed.

The huge man smiled. To anyone else, it probably looked threatening. Izuku knew it meant Gigantomachia was pleased.

All For One nodded. No matter what else happened today during Izuku's visit, this was good. His son would grow and learn to use his quirk.

And isn't that what any parent wanted for their child?

Izuku smiled at him. It was nice to see and Hisashi realised that his son must have been nervous about asking. He also wondered why Izuku was asking.

"What brought this on, my Little Dragon?" he asked.

Immediately Izuku looked to the ground. While All For One couldn't see he shared a glance with Gigantomachia. His bodyguard was still kneeling and Izuku had walked up to him now. Gigantomachia scooped him up, putting him on his shoulder.

"I got into a fight," Izuku said quietly.

All For One immediately ran through his memory. While he relegated the day to day care of Izuku to Kurogiri, and had the misty man deal with the school, he was made aware of important events and details. There had been no mention of this and it was the type of thing Kurogiri would mention. "The school has not mentioned anything," he said mildly. He may have to have another word with them.

"It was after school," Izuku admitted.

"But still on the school grounds?"

"Yes."

"My Little Dragon, I'm not upset with you," Hisashi was quick to reassure his son. "I am upset with your school. They are meant to prevent things like that, and in the event that they happen, they are meant to let me know. How did it happen?" Even if Izuku got into a fight, there was no way he should have lost. He had regeneration and increased strength and… All For One sighed inwardly. He wouldn't have used them. He wouldn't have wanted to get caught having multiple quirks.

It was admirable and showed loyalty but they would have to work some way around it. Teaching Izuku to fight would be one way. If he didn't rely on his quirks, or only subtly relied on his quirks then that would go a long way to addressing the problem. It would be much easier when Izuku could openly fight but subterfuge and subtlety were useful skills.

"Ochaco and Hitoshi weren't at school today," Izuku said.

"Is everything all right?" Hisashi asked. He didn't care but the question was expected.

"Ochaco had family things and Hitoshi has a bit of a sniffle," his Little Dragon told him. "I was eating lunch when Gatarui came up. Betsu told me he has been wanting to fight me for a while."

All For One translated the statement. This Gatarui was obviously the one Izuku had fought but he didn't know who Betsu was. Izuku seldom mentioned anyone from his class. "So what happened?" he prompted.

"I wanted to say no," Izuku said. "But they'd been bullying Ochaco while I wasn't there and I got so angry."

Hisashi nodded. Izuku's loyalty to his friends was to be commended. At least for now. Hitoshi wouldn't betray Izuku but Ochaco might yet hurt him. For now, the girl child had done nothing, so he had done nothing. And with him helping her parents, it was possible she wouldn't do anything. She didn't have to become a villain to help out Izuku in future. He would need friends.

"Then I remembered that if I fought and got a cut, regeneration would take effect and they'd know."

"So why didn't you just not go to the fight?" All For One asked. He couldn't keep the amused tone from his voice.

"They hurt Ochaco!" Izuku repeated, and while All For One couldn't see clearly, he could see the way that the outline that was his son trembled. "And I couldn't use my quirk."

"It's all right, my Little Dragon. I know you were protecting me," he reassured his son. Izuku would have wanted to hide his multiple quirks because he knew that would go down on a record and it was possible that the heroes would find out. As far as he knew, they still believed him to be dead but it was better safe than sorry.

"Although, my Little Dragon, there is a way of winning a battle without fighting," All For One said.

"What? How?" Izuku demanded.

"I know you wouldn't have taken his quirk for the same reason you didn't want to have regeneration revealed," Hisashi said. "But, I have noticed there is a difference between our quirks. Do you know what it is?"

"You need to touch someone to take their quirk?" Izuku asked.

All For One smiled at his son even as he shook his head. "Not that difference."

"I don't know then," Izuku said without thinking about it but Hisashi could tell that he was trying to work out what any difference between their quirks had to do with fighting.

"When I take a quirk from someone, my Little Dragon, unless I am careful, they fall unconscious," All For One explained. "But Kurogiri and Giran tell me that when you took the lady's quirk she remained conscious. Is that deliberate?"

At that question, Izuku took on an air of consideration. He was obviously thinking hard. "I don't know," he said.

"Then I think we shall have to find out," All For One said. "But do you see how it could end a fight?"

"Yes! If I could take his quirk, and knock him out, then Gatarui would have just collapsed. I could have given him his quirk back and no one would have known what was happening," Izuku gushed. He already sounded a lot more confident about the thought of taking quirks.

All For One nodded. "That's it exactly, my Little Dragon," he praised. He'd have to work on the 'give it back' bit but for the moment, Izuku was correct, giving it back would raise less questions, especially at his school.

"Actually, Daddy," Izuku looked at him. "What happens when we take a mutant quirk?"

Now that was an interesting question and it revealed more than his son knew. This Gatarui must have a mutant type quirk. "It varies, my Little Dragon," All For One replied confidently. He had experimented with this many years ago. "Can you tell me the three types of quirks?"

Izuku immediately nodded. "Emitter, transformer and mutant."

"Very good! Now, within each type there is a lot of variety. There are those people who look to have mutant quirks, but actually have emitter quirks," Hisashi explained. "Can you think of some examples?"

He thought his son blinked a few times before he nodded. "Kurogiri!" He said.

"Tell me how?"

"Kurogiri looks to have a mutant type quirk but actually has an emitter quirk."

"Exactly!" All For One replied. "So, that's why I say it varies. You don't always know what type of quirk they have. Mutant type quirks are not impossible to take. You have taken one once you know."

"I have?"

Hisashi smiled. "Regeneration," he told Izuku. "That is a mutant type quirk, and I actually have a copy of Doctor Garaki's quirk, and it is a mutant type quirk."

"It is?"

He nodded. "But those quirks are what I call hidden mutant type quirks or emitter mutant types. They are mutant type, but they leave no evidence on the owner's body, like a lot of emitter type quirks. Other mutant quirks are more obvious. When you take one of those, the effect varies. It depends on how much of the quirk relied on the visible mutation," All For One explained.

"So, for someone with a tail, they'd still have the tail, but… what would I get if I took their quirk?" Hisashi could hear the frown in Izuku's voice.

"The person has a mutant type quirk that gives them a tail?" he clarified.

"Yes."

"I don't see why you'd want that quirk but you would get the ability to manipulate a tail," he said.

"But would I get a tail?"

"No," All For One said instantly. "If the quirk is only mutant, and does not have any transformation aspect, then you would simply get the ability to manipulate a tail you don't have."

"Oh," Izuku said and All For One could tell he was thinking about Gatarui.

"What is Gatarui's mutation?" He asked.

"Spider," came Izuku's reply.

"Hmm, if you took his quirk, and kept it, he might then suffer physical complications," All For One said.

"What do you mean?"

"Someone with a tail would suffer minimal complications from the loss of their quirk, because their body would be able to handle having the tail, especially if it is a tail that comes from another mammal. But a spider type quirk is mixing arachnid characteristics with a mammal. There could be medical complications if you kept his quirk."

"Then I can't take it!" Izuku cried.

"It would take a while, my Little Dragon. You could take his quirk to end the fight and give it back and there would be no harm," he reassured his son. "We can take mutant type quirks, but sometimes they aren't worth it, except for the other effects," he explained.

Izuku nodded, apparently comforted by the knowledge that he wouldn't do permanent damage immediately.

"So, if you get into a fight with him again?" All For One prompted.

Izuku shook his head. "First I have to learn to take quirks like you! Then, if we get into a fight-" he didn't finish.

All For One chuckled. Gigantomachia echoed his sentiment. His son was so precious.

"Exactly," Hisashi praised.

Izuku smiled down at him from Gigantomachia's shoulder. He couldn't see it but he knew it was blinding and that his son was happy and for a moment, all was right with the world.

-ted-

Unless the quirk has a transformation part in it, I don't see how it makes logical sense that AFO or Izuku could take a mutant type quirk and the person then 'reverts to normal'. Let's say they took Jiro's quirk. In my view, she'd still have the earphone jacks on her ears but she'd lose the ability to use them and move them around. Izuku or his dad would gain the ability to use them, but they don't physically have them, so it's a useless quirk to steal. Regeneration is a mutant type quirk but to me it's also transformation if I'm just using the three classifications, because it transforms the body from injured to healed. So, if AFO or Izuku take a mutant type quirk, it's more unless the physical mutation comes from a transformation aspect of a quirk, then the physical state of the person will be unchanged if they lose their quirk but they may lose something vital for their health. Going back to Jiro, she'd be fine if her quirk was taken, though the earphones would get in the way. In Gatarui's case, because he's mixing biologies, can't be sure what might happen. He'd still look the same but he might not be physically able. I don't really want to get into what combining mammal and arachnid characteristics would do to someone's biology!

-ted-

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