15/01/2022
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The Emperor's Dragon
Fledgling 38
"It will be alright, Tsubasa," Garaki said to his grandson.
The chubby boy was looking around with wide eyes. His shoes were clomping on the floor and Kyudai was thankful that All For One was not present.
"What do you do here?" Tsubasa asked.
"I run experiments into quirks," he replied. "That's why I know I can make yours stronger," he explained.
"What's going to happen?"
Kyudai led his grandson to a tube that had been positioned a little bit away from the others. The clone tube had already been set up but that was Yakuni's role. He was happy that the boy was working out and he knew that the kid was already doing jobs for Hisashi on the side. He'd given Yakuni the genetic sample from Tsubasa earlier.
"I'm going to hook you up to a breathing tube, and sensors," Garaki explained. "Then I am going to get you to stand in there," he added, pointing to the tube. "I'll administer an anesthetic and then when you wake up, you will be stronger."
He'd done the calculations. He wasn't yet able to reliably awaken a quirk but he had a good working theory for how to do it. He had worked out though that if he put Tsubasa through the initial strengthening portion of Nomu creation that would give Tsubasa a stronger quirk. It would also remove the chubby fat from his body which was what he got bullied over. So long as he could maintain his weight there should be nothing for the explosive bully to attack. And the Nomu process should help Tsubasa with that.
However, to ensure that Tsubasa wasn't as passive in future, he would need to awaken his quirk. There was a growing theory that those with awakened quirks were more confident than those who's quirk was normal. He hoped to stimulate a little bit of that by using the first part of his theory. He wouldn't awaken Tsubasa's quirk but he could ensure that his grandson was more confident.
"So I'll be able to fight back when Kats-" Tsubasa didn't finish the sentence.
"You will be able to," Garaki agreed. "Now, hop up," he said, indicating towards the open tube.
Tsubasa obeyed, popping out his wings and using them to fly up to the platform. It was probably a good thing All For One hadn't actually seen the wings, because if he had… well, there would already be a copy in Izuku. The man was ruthless in the aesthetic for his son, even though Izuku could fly perfectly well already.
They ran through the preparations quickly with Tsubasa undressing and putting the sensors on his body at the specified places. The oxygen mask was the last thing and then Garaki took a deep breath when his grandson was ready.
"I'm going to activate it now," he told Tsubasa.
The teen nodded. Kyudai activated the tank. The glass slid down and he heard the seal hiss as it activated. Then the water began flowing in. It was warm. The shock of cold water was sometimes enough to wake some of the other samples. Tsubasa waved at him once he was floating.
Garaki raised his own hand before he hit the last few buttons on the controls. It activated the anesthetic and other drugs. Before long his grandson was asleep and they could begin. He smiled. This would be the first practical application of his work, for someone who wasn't going to be an experiment.
It was good to see it used.
-ted-
"Do you have an update, Doctor?"
Kyudai looked at All For One. He was sitting watching everything with his sightless gaze. "About?" He asked. There were several things Sensei might want an update on.
"Transference," All For One said.
They had discussed the idea years ago and since then Sensei had brought it up every now and then. He was not happy with his current scarred form and the weakness it represented.
"I have looked into options," Kyudai admitted. "I have been unable to find a quirk that would be suitable. Everything is temporary," he reported. He had spent quite a lot of time examining quirk registries and coming up with excuses to examine how specific quirks worked.
"That is disappointing."
Garaki didn't like the sound of that. "I believe there is a way," he told Sensei. "If that transform quirk does not work out."
The man shifted his head slightly, indicating that he should continue.
"You have told me that strong quirks carry a resonance of their owners," Garaki said.
"That is true," Sensei replied. He had come across it over the years, but he was stronger than the spectres of those who accompanied their quirk when he took them.
"Then there may be a way to transfer your mind through All For One," Kyudai reported. He was still working his way through the theory but it was promising.
"You are embodied in All For One. You have resonated with All For One for far longer than most. Therefore, you are imprinted upon it. If you were to give it to someone else, they would take more than just the quirk."
"So you are saying to use All For One to pull my consciousness to a new body."
"In effect, yes but the method isn't that simple as a single transference," the Doctor shook his head slightly. "If you gave All For One to your new host, I do not believe the quirk could carry all of your consciousness."
The way Sensei twitched told him he needed to explain further.
"I believe that, if suitably prepared, if you gave All For One to your host body, it would carry a very good impression of you, but the impression would not be complete. Therefore, the impression would work at preparing the new host body."
"Would it take control?" Sensei asked pointedly.
"Possibly but that may not be necessary. Once the preparation is complete, or even before then, other parts of your consciousness would attach themselves to the quirks you have. Then when the host body used All For One on you, to take further quirks, the rest of your consciousness would be transferred," Garaki explained.
The look Sensei gave him was not confident.
The Doctor could see why. If half of his consciousness was in another body, how would his first body remain functional?
"The host body would take on more and more of your consciousness and there may be a point at which your original body will require life support in order to function. By that stage most of your consciousness should have been transferred."
"How many quirks need to be transferred?" Sensei asked.
Kyudai took a deep breath. "I am not entirely certain, Sensei," he had to admit. "This is a theory. And before getting to that point, we would have to test for rejection."
"Rejection?"
"From the host body and its consciousness." He released his breath in an audible sigh. "Sensei, for this part, I believe it would be better to have a genetic relationship. That would assist in the transfer, especially of multiple quirks, and reduce the chance for rejection."
At that, All For One chuckled. "While I agree that Izuku's body would be able to cope with having multiple quirks more naturally, his Dragon's Hoard would fight every moment."
"But wouldn't Izuku and his quirk recognise you as their sire?"
"That's the problem. Dragon's Hoard recognises All For One as its sire, but also recognises All For One as the quirk that tried to remove it from Izuku when he was a child."
Kyudai blinked. He hadn't considered that. "It remembers?" He asked. The implications were fantastic!
"I believe so. It certainly enjoys taking quirks from me," Sensei told him. It was almost childish in the way it seemed to say to him 'I'm taking quirks off you, while you couldn't take me!'
"With Tomura then, it may take longer. And I expect your consciousness will have to fight Tomura's at some stage."
That earned him a smile before the ancient man actually laughed. "That would be necessary, no matter the body."
"If it was Izuku, he may be more willing to allow yo-"
All For One held up his hand. "My Little Dragon and Dragon's Hoard would not," he said firmly. "Make no mistake, Doctor, my Little Dragon has his own dreams and desires. He may seem to be passive, but he will fight."
Kyudai bowed his head, acknowledging the rebuke. "Tomura is easier to control?"
"Tomura is equally devoted to his ideals but they are limited. It is that which makes him the better candidate."
The scientist thought about it for a few moments. Psychology was still not his strong point but he had made more of a study of it over the last few years. He'd had to have an understanding of it when Izuku was younger but he'd looked into all the studies of the mind, both physical and mental in the last few years, seeking a method to transfer Sensei's consciousness. He had a far better understanding of psychology now.
Tomura was strong. There was no doubt of that. All For One wouldn't have kept him for so long if he wasn't. But he was also single minded. Once he settled on something, even if it seemed as if he settled on a whim, he kept at it.
"You believe his single minded resolve to kill All Might will allow him to be distracted?" Garaki settled on that word as the best he could come up with.
"His desire to destroy all heroes, starting with All Might," Sensei corrected. "But yes. If what you have said is true, then that single goal is also a weakness."
It went without saying that All For One would exploit that weakness.
"How long will it take?"
That was a question he really didn't know the answer for. "It will take time for the version of you in All For One to establish himself. But before that, I will need to copy All For One," The Doctor said without bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice.
"You could try Mr Tanaihito's new method."
"I will but your quirk is difficult," Kyudai said, knowing already that he didn't need to remind Sensei of that.
"I'm sure you will manage."
The Doctor was not impressed with the answer but there wasn't anything else that could be said. "I will start immediately?" The question was superfluous.
"Of course," Sensei replied.
He nodded to himself. There was still time to pursue other options, as this would not be quick. But for now, he knew Sensei wanted to be whole and all means would be pursued.
"Now, what of the Nomu?" All For One asked, moving on.
"They are progressing," Kyudai replied. This was more familiar ground. He was happy with that.
-ted-
All For One sat as he thought. He was alone in his bedroom. He slept but at two hundred years old, he did not require much.
Tonight his mind wouldn't settle. In the past, he'd have gone out and dealt with the problem but tonight, and with this problem it wasn't one that he could simply put down. His mind had fixated on the conversation he had with the Doctor.
Usually, with those conversations, he simply filed the most important information and forgot the rest. This time… he kept coming back to one line.
I believe it would be better to have a genetic relationship.
He'd agreed. There was no point in denying it. He paid the Doctor to be an expert in these kinds of things but inwardly he'd been raging. Beyond what he had told Kyudai, that Izuku and Dragon's Hoard would fight, he would not use his son that way.
He'd known that immediately. The strength of his rejection of the idea startled him especially since he felt nothing about using Tomura.
He sat in darkness as he thought. Both teens were important to his plans. They always had been. Tomura, when he came of age, would be a powerful symbol to the still living All Might. The grandson of his master, determined to see him die. It would make a delicious drama. And Izuku would be moving in the background, reminding the underworld of his dominance.
They were both necessary but if this worked, and he could transfer his consciousness to Tomura then that would change the situation. He would potentially be in a body that All Might would be loath to harm. That was an advantage but his original genetics, his ability to sire further children who carried All For One would be forever gone. If he transferred to Izuku that possibility remained, and he'd have access to an improved form of All For One.
Yes, Dragon's Hoard would fight him but… He could deal with one quirk, he could prepare Izuku for this. He could work his way around those problems.
Yet he didn't want to. That's what he immediately felt.
True, the advantage of possessing a body All Might would be loath to damage would be good but… It was just All Might. Other heroes would not have that restraint. Possessing Izuku- had far more advantages. And if done right he could even clone Izuku and work some way of transferring his mind into that new body-
No. That wasn't going to happen. If that worked, there would be no reason he couldn't clone himself and move to that body. He doubted it was a viable possibility. The Doctor couldn't be certain but he thought the quirks had to be taken to possess an imprint of their previous owner.
Although… He frowned, as much as he could with the scar tissue. Could a quirk be given that had the impression? A couple of things the previous owners of his brother's quirk had said over the years seemed to imply that. No…
All For One huffed. He was being sentimental.
Why were his emotions so strong on this? Emotion was subject to logic. He should be able to control it. Logically, Izuku was better, yet, he just didn't want to contemplate it.
He took several deep breaths to calm himself.
Instead of wondering why he didn't want to use Izuku, maybe he should look at why he was willing to use Tomura. Pro, All Might would not attack Tomura, not once he knew who he was. Satisfying fact, it would cause All Might distress to know that his Master's grandson was a villain, but that point could happen even if he didn't possess Tomura's body. Pro, Tomura was older, which meant could potentially be far more active more quickly. Con, he would not be able to sire another child with All For One. Counter, Izuku could, and Izuku's version was better. Pro, he wouldn't be taking over Izu-
No, he wasn't thinking about his son, he was meant to be thinking about Tomura. Though…
It wasn't simply blood, was it? Was that why he didn't want to use Izuku?
All For One sat quietly, or as quietly as he could get with the hiss of oxygen, as he thought. What were the pros of using Izuku?
Pro, he'd have a better version of All For One. Pro, he would maintain his ability to sire other children with All For One. Either way, with Izuku or Tomura, there would be only one body capable of breeding further copies of All For One. Con, Dragon's Hoard would probably absorb All For One, therefore there'd be one less copy of the quirk. Con, Tomura could not take quirks. Con, even if he was older, Tomura was not as functional as Izuku. Con, if he took his son's younger body, he'd have to wait to be active.
He nodded. There was his answer. He hadn't finished the list for Izuku but already it was filled with cons. Tomura was the better choice.
All For One smiled. He would admit that there might be some sentiment involved in his decision but it was firmly backed by logic. He released a breath, feeling much calmer now and he could feel that his mind was already settling, to allow him to rest.
He ignored the part that was laughing, the part that told him there was more to his lists than logic. Let others keep their irrational emotion, he would keep his leashed by logic.
Just as he always had.
-ted-
So... The Doctor has found a practical application for his research. A certain someone might be in for a surprise when his grandson returns to school and clocks him... At least, if everything goes well. :D
And AFO hasn't lived as long as he has without learning to control his emotions, no matter how recalcitrant they are. They are subject to logic after all and his logic will justify almost any emotion.
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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