13/11/2021

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The Emperor's Dragon
Fledgling 19

All For One sat as he thought. He tapped one finger on his jaw bone as he reviewed his conversation with Izuku. He would not dignify it by calling it a fight. He did not fight with eleven year olds.

He thought he had headed off this particular discussion when he had informed Izuku that he could not contact his friends but obviously his son had thought that was for a far shorter term than he meant. Kurogiri had blocked Izuku's phone and since he controlled the account, it should mean that Izuku couldn't contact his friends until it was safe to do so.

As intelligent as his son was, All For One didn't believe Izuku had the knowledge to hack through that. He was equally sure Izuku could learn but he was almost completely positive Izuku didn't have a particularly strong interest in that sort of thing.

However… it still bothered him that it had come to this.

Izuku was usually… He was not placid but accepting of their situation. That grasp of reality was to be admired but…

All For One sighed. He cast his mind back but couldn't remember if he had a similar disposition when he was eleven. Life had been different then. He'd been fighting almost every day then..

This bothered him. With Tomura he'd… what would he do? He'd have hoped that Kurogiri would have dealt with it or he would let Tomura go out. Tomura didn't have friends, not in the way Izuku did. He had some he teamed up with to play games but Tomura quickly got tired of them and changed. They never had the sheer amount of time the teen had to play.

Why did Izuku's show of spirit bother him? His son was an essential piece in his plan but he had been prepared for other outcomes when he sired him. Gender hadn't been a concern but the quirk had. If Izuku had gotten a copy of his mother's quirk, he would have left. If he got his own quirk, he would have taken it, even if he got the combination. It was the fact that Izuku got some of his brother's quirk as well that had shifted his plans. Now was not the time to find out if Izuku had gotten more from his brother's quirk…

And even if he had, would that change anything now?

All For One took several deep breaths, timing them with the respirator. The Doctor had indicated he could go to a simpler oxygen feed soon which would be a relief. But… if Izuku could give him his quirk would that change anything?

No.

Not now.

Six years ago it would have but not now. Six years ago he would have had Izuku give him his quirk, then probably given him Fire Breath, altered his memory slightly and walked away. Now he wouldn't.

What had changed? Time? Izuku's intelligence? His fight with All Might? He had a thought that there were several factors. But was that so unusual? He deactivated his sight quirk, leaving himself in darkness as he thought.

No, it wasn't unusual. Izuku was his son. It was normal to feel worried for him. To be concerned. But Izuku was going to serve him.

An odd memory came to him. It was one from before quirks. He remembered watching military parades. The soldiers marched in step past their General so that he could inspect them. Now, he recognised the message the state was giving out but then… he'd been too young to really know what to think but he remembered feeling pride. He remembered feeling slightly jealous of the troops who preened under their General's gaze.

It was something like that. He was a General with a prized soldier. He had invested a lot of time and money to ensure Izuku was great, so of course it was natural that he would feel some attachment. It had happened before. He had invested time into his Commanders back in the war, and it had hurt when they were killed. He invested time into Gigantomachia and the man was trusted.

Izuku was no different, except it was a longer investment.

That's why the disagreement now bothered him.

The Emperor of the Underworld sat for a few moments longer before nodding to himself. It was fine. It was better than fine actually. It was good that Izuku had spirit, and had desires. If he didn't, then his son would be quite hollow. As for the disagreement… that would pass.

Izuku would see things his way. He always had, and it wasn't as if he'd lied to his son. It was for his safety and Izuku would appreciate that.

Things would work out. All For One nodded to himself, cataloging what he had learned.

Yes, this was interesting. His son was not some unthinking automaton but had his own desires. He could accommodate them, he was sure, and in the end, it changed nothing.

-ted-

Izuku looked around the room. It was the large room he practiced with Gigantomachia. It was really an empty warehouse with an office space up in the mezzanine area. The floor was padded and there were punching bags hung near the walls. Gigantomachia stood in the shadows near the back wall. The huge man had indicated that today's training session would be different and Izuku knew what he meant when Giran appeared.

"Your Highness," the broker greeted him with a smile.

"Why do you call me that?" Izuku asked. He'd meant to ask the last time he'd seen the broker but that hadn't been possible.

Giran laughed. "Some people call your dad an Emperor, so what else should you call the Prince?"

From playing games with Tomura, Izuku knew what the titles meant. There were often Kings and Queens and Emperors and Princes and Princesses in the games Tomura played. But he'd never heard anyone called that in real life.

"Why do they call Dad Emperor?" Izuku was curious.

"Because he's a very powerful man," the broker told him.

Izuku didn't know about that. Dad was Dad.

"Do you know what you are doing today?" Giran asked before he could say anything else.

"Today is my training time with Gigantomachia!" Izuku said happily. The huge man had taught him so much! And while he had yet to beat Gigantomachia, he knew he was getting better. He had to be. There wasn't much else to do! Dad still said he couldn't contact Ochaco or Hitoshi! And there were only so many games he could play with Tomura. He'd met every Nomu the Doctor was working on and had spent hours talking with his Dad about business and relationships and everything else.

He was also working through his school work. It was a good thing Kurogiri had bought the last two years worth of books for his Elementary School, so he hoped he wasn't behind there. But working through it alone, even when he asked Kurogiri for help was actually quicker than going to school. He could work at his own pace and he was almost through the entire year. He'd find out how he was going at the Middle School Exams. Dad had said he could take them. It should be safe enough then.

Izuku wanted to take them, and he wanted to go to Middle School in Mie so he could see his friends again. Dad was thinking about that but Izuku was quietly hopeful.

"It is! And today you are going to practice taking quirks," Giran told him, casting a glance towards the huge man who was still standing at the back wall.

"I am?" Izuku's eyes went wide. He mimed taking a quirk from Gigantomachia at the beginning of each session but he'd really only taken a quirk from his dad, Tomura or Saisho Kijo. And in most cases he gave them back.

"You are," Giran confirmed. "First you are going to practice on me. And then I have some other people who will come."

Izuku bounced on the balls of his feet. This was going to be so much fun!

The broker smiled at his obvious excitement. "Now first, your Highness, you need to change your appearance," he said. "Think of it as practice," Giran added at the face Izuku made.

He changed his hair and eye colour after that. Grey hair with pink eyes. The broker laughed.

"Now take my quirk," he instructed, holding out one hand.

Izuku concentrated, reaching out to feel Giran's quirk. It was a misty grey colour, much like his hair and seemed like fog. Izuku tugged at it and pulled it to him.

Before him, Giran blinked but he remained conscious. "That's odd," he said, shivering.

"Little Lord, you have the quirk?" Gigantomachia asked.

"Yes," Izuku replied, poking at Giran's grey quirk. It even moved like fog!

"Give it back and try again. This time, try to knock him unconscious," the huge man gave the instruction.

Izuku nodded. That was the point of this training after all. His Dad was pleased he had such a delicate touch but had pointed out that sometimes, delicacy could be a hindrance. They were now trying to find out if he could knock someone unconscious as he took their quirk. Gigantomachia and his Dad were correct. If he could do that, then he could win a lot of fights in a hurry.

Izuku looked back at the broker and shoved the grey, misty quirk back at it's owner. Giran shivered again as his quirk returned.

"That is definitely an odd feeling, Your Highness," he said.

"Is it?" Izuku asked. He didn't really know what it felt like.

"Yes," the broker nodded. "It kind of tingles," he explained. "Now, try again," he instructed.

Izuku had discussed taking quirks with his Dad. There was obviously some difference since Dad needed to touch someone and Izuku didn't but despite what they had discussed, they hadn't been able to come up with a definitive difference between their techniques. But there had to be something. After all, he got his ability to take quirks from his Dad!

"I'll try yanking it this time," he said. He reached out again, this time attempting to wrap his own quirk around Giran's before he pulled it to him. He couldn't quite reach around the misty boundaries of the quirk but he did pull back as hard as he could. The quirk almost seemed to hit him like a flying ball.

Giran didn't shiver this time. Instead he staggered. He managed to hold himself upright and bent over, resting his arms on his legs to brace himself. Izuku saw him take several deep breaths. "That's closer," he said. "Woo! What a head rush," he added softly before standing up right again.

"Better," Gigantomachia said.

"I think I see the difference," Izuku said slowly. He thought about how he'd taken Giran's quirk the second time. It was almost like he'd wrapped it up. He'd never had to do that before. Was that what his Dad did?

Giran took another few breaths. "Okay, give it back and try again," he instructed, though Izuku could tell from his tone that he wasn't looking forward to it.

"Okay," he said slowly. Izuku pushed the quirk back to its owner and took a deep breath. He narrowed his eyes slightly and reached out again. This time he went slower, stretching his quirk over the grey mist that was the broker's quirk. He managed to cover it entirely before he pulled it back.

This time Giran gasped, and then slowly toppled to the ground.

Izuku felt like he should join him but before he could fall, Gigantomachia was there and Izuku simply fell into the huge man's hand. He gasped for air. It felt like he'd sprinted a mile or so. "It worked," he managed to say.

"It did," Gigantomachia rumbled. There was a note of pride in his voice.

"I'm tired," Izuku said.

"Stay awake. You need to give back his quirk," the huge man said. Izuku felt them move, and he realised Gigantomachia was taking him to the broker. "Little Lord, can you use the quirk?" Gigantomachia asked.

Izuku poked at the grey quirk he now had. It seemed easy enough. "I think so," he told the man carrying him.

"Use it on him, and then give it back. Then you can rest."

Rest seemed like a wonderful idea! Izuku nodded and Gigantomachia waited. "I need to touch him," the currently grey haired boy said. The quirk told him that.

The large man lowered him. Izuku reached out to touch the broker's head as he activated the man's quirk. It didn't feel odd and he didn't feel any feedback but he knew it had worked. Then he shoved the quirk back towards Giran. "Huh?" Izuku slurred.

"Little Lord?" Gigantomachia asked.

"It won't go back," Izuku said. The worry was making him both more exhausted and more awake.

"Try again, Little Lord. Be calm," Gigantomachia advised.

Izuku took a deep breath, and then pushed the quirk again. It still didn't move but he was close enough to the broker that he could reach out to touch Giran again. When he was touching the man, the quirk finally shifted and he breathed a sigh of relief when it went back to its owner. He wasn't meant to keep that one.

"It's gone," he reported.

He didn't see Gigantomachia grin. Instead his eyes slid closed and soon the huge man was holding him as he slept.

On the floor, Giran stirred. He blinked as he woke up and wondered why he was on the floor. He rolled over and got up.

"You have done well, Giran." A voice he recognised said.

The broker looked around. He saw Gigantomachia moving away from him.

"That's good," he said, still trying to recall the last few minutes.

"You can inform the others that they won't be required today, however work opportunities will be available in future," the voice continued.

"Sure thing," Giran replied. The Emperor of the Underworld had wanted a lot people for a short job. It had to do with quirks, because everything with the Emperor had to do with quirks. But this job also involved His Highness, so he'd actually volunteered to be the first. He could remember volunteering and coming here. He could remember standing, waiting for His Highness and now… Nope, he couldn't remember what happened next.

They'd probably used some quirk on him.

Pink eyes flew open.

Not some quirk.

His quirk.

"It worked?" he asked. He could remember the details of the job but he couldn't remember performing it. That was definitely his quirk.

"It did," Sensei replied. "You have my thanks."

To himself Giran added 'and my payment' because the man recognised that payment was necessary.

"I will arrange another time with you in the future for this to continue."

Giran nodded before he smirked. "I'll remember that?" he asked.

The Emperor chuckled. "You will," he said, recognising instantly what the question represented.

"Good," he replied as he dusted himself off. He pulled out a cigarette. He needed it.

The broker took a deep drag and walked himself to the door. Gigantomachia had obviously taken His Highness away, and really, all he had to remember was that if Sensei was pleased, then he'd done a good job.

And he got paid for that.

-ted-

AFO is struggling with emotion. Be kind. It can't be easy to realise after 200 years that he actually cares for someone! Because let's face it, for all he said he cares for his brother, the instant his brother disagreed with him, he threw him into a small, sealed room with bars on the windows. Not exactly a loving gesture.

And Izuku is now experimenting with new and fun ways of using his quirk. Come hither has never meant to much.

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

-ted-

Loved it? Hated it? Found a spelling mistake? Let me know please!