28/01/2022
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The Emperor's Dragon
Fledgling 42
With dad mentioning he'd tried a quirk like Himiko's to regain his health, Izuku had naturally thought of his friend. He lay on his bed and looked down at his phone. He still didn't have her contact details and the last letter he'd sent had been ignored, again. The message he'd sent her on her birthday was unread but he knew that was the case. He had no idea of her number, and with his changed, she wouldn't know his.
But… he still missed her and had been reminded of that the other day. And every time he thought of her, he sent a joke.
When he got her number, and plugged it in, they would go to her and… He grinned.
It wouldn't make up for the missed time but at least it would show he had been thinking of her.
So what did he send this time? He'd send a vampire one last time so something different now. Izuku grinned and typed, Why do nurses bring red markers to work? It was one of those jokes that had a lot of variants and copies but at least it was still about blood. Himiko would like it.
He really wanted to see her.
-ted-
"How is your investigation going?" Tsukauchi asked his friend.
Toshinori was in his deflated form and sat next to him on the park bench, nursing his coffee.
Naomasa was greedily inhaling the caffeine.
"It's not," Yagi replied with a sigh, putting the cup down beside him. "If I thought he'd gone to ground before, he's completely disappeared this time."
"Him or-?" The Detective didn't finish the sentence.
"Him or," All Might nodded, looking grim.
That was part of the problem facing them. They knew they were chasing a villain but they weren't sure who. Was it All For One, injured but well enough to lead, or was it someone else using his image? The underworld wasn't talking and no one knew for sure.
All they really knew is that All For One's body had disappeared and no one had seen his son. For the last four years. There were hints of him, or at least his forces - the raid in Tsu with the collapsed building said they'd gotten close - but nothing else.
"The thought of someone using his body is bad enough," Yagi said, "but if it's him, if it's actually him, even if he is injured-"
Again, he didn't finish the sentence. Unspoken was the addition on it, that if it was him and he, by some travesty of justice, wasn't injured then…
Then they were in a lot of trouble. It had cost All Might more than the world knew to take out All For One. If he had recovered then, there was no one who could stand against him.
"It's got to be a puppet," Tsukauchi murmured, referring to the possibility that All For One was alive.
"I don't know. I just don't know." And Sir Nighteye didn't know either and it was his vision which had started this.
The Detective sighed heavily. "Inko found his records," he said after a moment.
"What?"
"Inko found his records," Tsukauchi repeated. "She's working for a group that deals with long term missing persons," he told his friend. "They linked the missing Hisashi Riji to Hisashi Midoriya."
From the corner of his eye, he could see how Toshinori's expression collapsed. The Number One Hero's eyes closed as he grimaced in pain. He, like Tsukauchi, wanted to tell Inko more but the reality of the situation was that any knowledge of All For One was dangerous. "What did you tell her?"
"I told her that I went after Izuku in Tsu but couldn't find him, and so hadn't told her about that operation as I didn't want to raise her hopes," Naomasa told his friend. The inflection in his voice was enough to communicate how well that had gone over.
All Might sighed before coughing into his hand. Tsukauchi saw blood but didn't mention it. This was the new reality. "So she wants to know?"
"She does," the Detective confirmed.
They sat in silence for a while. Naomasa drained the last of his coffee and put the cup down on the bench beside him. The world went by. People were jogging and others were just walking through the park. It was a nice, quiet scene. It was the illusion that all was right with the world. He already knew that for Yagi, nothing would be right until All For One was dead, and his body confirmed and destroyed.
"I suppose it is a question of how much danger there is in knowing, and how much danger there is in ignorance," Toshinori said finally.
"Sir Nighteye would maintain ignorance has been safe enough."
"Probably because he doesn't even think about her. Is she searching?" All Might turned to look at him with the question.
Tsukauchi looked up at the sky. It was spring, with the cold of winter giving way to sun. The sky was no longer the washed out blue of winter but was deepening to the richer blue of summer. There were no blossoms yet, but they would be seen soon. "She didn't say, but I expect so," he replied. "Especially if that group of hers gets a hint." He didn't have to explain how a group like that would behave. They searched every day through missing person cases. They would pay special attention to their own.
"Then tell her. Not everything but enough for her to know the danger she is in if he is alive."
Naomasa knew what that meant. Tell Inko her husband was a known villain who was highly dangerous and involved in crimes against humanity but forget to mention that he was All For One, that he was over 200 years old and could take quirks. Don't mention that the only reason that made sense for All For One to have taken their son was that he wasn't quirkless, that he had a copy of his father's quirk, possibly combined with her own.
Tell her that there was a chance her son was dead with the infighting that had occurred in the underworld, and if he wasn't dead, and her husband was dead, then her son was most likely a pawn of the strongest faction.
He signed. "Even if we got the kid now, do you think?"
Yagi knew what he was asking. The kid was now thirteen. Being raised by All For One, and his lieutenants… Was Izuku now nothing more than a child villain who hadn't done anything yet, or could he be something more?
Toshinori picked up his coffee. It was probably cold but he took a small sip anyway. "I don't know," he replied. It wasn't the answer All Might would give. "But we have to have faith," he added.
They had to have faith that people could be better than they were.
Except All For One. They already knew he could not change.
"I'll tell her to be careful," Tsukauchi sighed.
At this point, they just had to have hope.
-ted-
Karou rubbed his eyes. "Thank you for your report," he said politely. He didn't want to say it but as an employee of the HSPC he was expected to be polite to heroes, even underground heroes. But he hated when this group came in.
Underground heroes were usually loners. The Trinities were a group. Three underground heroes who worked together. They got the job done, he couldn't argue that, but they could not give a clear report. They always broke into each other's sentences. Now that would be fine, if they were completing them, but mostly they were adding on new information.
"You're welcome," Trinity Blue said. At least he thought it was Trinity Blue.
"Dark Sentinel mentioned something," Karou said before they could disappear. He'd promised that hero he'd ask if anyone else sensed something, so he'd best get to asking.
There was no reply and Karou checked to see that they were still there.
The Trinities were just watching him.
He sighed. "Dark Sentinel said there was something going on in the underworld. He thought it might be someone being trained. Have you noticed anything?"
The three of them looked at each other.
"There's som-"
"I wonder if that's what-"
"Maybe, that was-"
"Argh!" Karou cried. "One at a time please!" He demanded. He'd at least try to get them to speak one at a time. "Trinity Red," he instructed, looking at that underground hero.
"There is something going on," the hero said quickly.
Karou ignored the way the others glared at him. "Something is too vague. Do you have any further ideas?"
Red looked towards Blue and Karou allowed it. He nodded at Blue, indicating that the underground hero should talk.
"There was chaos a few years back," Trinity Blue said. "It's possible that what we are seeing now is the status quo."
"It's not!" Trinity Yellow shook her head emphatically. "It's not status quo. Something is changing."
Karou sighed. "What is changing?"
Yellow and Blue shared a glance. "It could be someone training. But it could also be the rise of a new faction, one that doesn't work the same way as the previous one. Things are settling down but they are still disjointed."
Red nodded at that. "One of the slave rings got taken out," Red offered.
Karou wasn't sure if Red was male or female. "One of the slave rings?" Why hadn't he heard about that?
"No Hero took them out," Blue clarified for him. "Nighteye did the investigation," he added.
At that, the HPSC employee nodded. That's probably why he hadn't heard. "So that incident is related?"
The three Trinities nodded.
He wrote down the observation before sighing. While it was nice that they supported Dark Sentinel's conclusions, sort of, he wasn't sure what he could report to his manager. How do you say that the underground heroes have a 'feeling' that something is wrong? What did you do about it? "Do you have any evidence of anything?"
The Trinities looked at each other. "Nothing definitive. I'm sure Dark Sentinel told you that there's some easy jobs on offer. The requirements have altered. To us that's long term recruiting. Whoever they are, they are seeing who has what skills. Not necessarily for now but for the future."
Karou gave them a skeptical look. That sort of organisation… That was for business, and the heroes. Villains didn't do that.
Trinity Blue saw the look and sighed. "These villains aren't those who go and snatch a purse. This is organised crime," he said. "There's a reason they are organised."
He nodded, accepting the rebuke. Organised villains were the hardest to deal with. "All right," he said. "I don't know what I'll write, but I'll pass it up the chain. I'll tell Dark Sentinel you agree that something is happening as well. Maybe it will make an event make more sense," he offered.
"You do that," Yellow Trinity said as they rose.
Blue and Yellow went out the door silently and Karou was surprised to see Red paused, looking at him. He got the impression he was being grinned at. "Took you long enough," Red murmured.
"Wait, what?" Karou snapped before Red disappeared.
That earned him a laugh. "All you had to do was ask us one at a time," Red said before vanishing, in the moment Karou just stared, running his mind through the conversation.
"Darn you!" He cried when he realised what Red was going on about.
He shook his head. There were times he hated his job.
Dealing with underground heroes was definitely one of those times.
-ted-
All For One 'watched' as Tomura practiced. The teen had requested several concrete blocks be set up in the training area. Each one was covered. Some had a laminate finish, others had multiple layers of wood, and metal before the concrete centre. The teen was working his way through them, disintegrating each, though to the villain's eyes, he could tell that Tomura wasn't satisfied with what was happening.
"Something is troubling you," All For One announced.
Tomura stabbed his hand forward, disintegrating one more block. "I can do this!" he snarled.
"You can do what?" Sensei asked.
"I can go through multiple layers at once," he snapped back.
That was news to him. "You've done that before?"
"Yes." Another stab but while All For One could not see clearly from the frustrated huff he could tell that only the first layer of covering had disintegrated away.
"Then you need to relax. Calm Tomura, and think of what you were feeling then," he advised.
That seemed to make the teen pause. He saw Tomura make a fist with his hand as he nodded. Then his fingers uncurled and he reached out. It was slower this time, the movement more deliberate. All For One watched as Tomura placed each finger carefully. The hiss of frustration was enough to tell him that it hadn't worked.
"I can do this! I know I can!" Tomura growled.
All For One moved closer and ran his hand over the block Tomura was targeting. He could feel the ridges from the disintegration but could tell that the layers were intact. "Perhaps you need to rest for a moment," he suggested.
The teen was wise enough to realise that the suggestion was for more than a rest.
"What do you want, Sensei?" Tomura demanded.
He ignored the rudeness. It was part of being a teenager, though Tomura should have been past this.
"Do you remember you asked me for a secondary quirk?" Sensei asked.
While he could not see precisely he saw when Tomura flinched at the memory.
"It's been a few years since then, but I believe you should have a secondary quirk."
"But-"
He could imagine Tomura's eyes going wide at the suggestion, though the teen was wise enough not to attack him.
"Sensei, I won't be a Nomu!" Tomura managed to say.
"Tomura," All For One chided, shaking his head. "If I gave you a random quirk, then that is what would happen, but I do not intend that. I have decided that if you are to properly bear my name, then you should also bear my abilities."
At that he heard the teen gasp.
"My quirk will allow you to have multiple secondary quirks."
"But you-" It was odd for Tomura to think of someone else.
"The Doctor will make a copy of my quirk, and several others for you," All For One indicated. It wasn't like he was going to go without his quirk.
"Why?" Tomura demanded. Suspicion dripped from his tone.
All For One took a few deep breaths. "I have tried various quirks to heal myself, Tomura," he explained. "And barring something new, I am as healed as I am ever going to be. I had hoped for something better but I deal with reality, Tomura. As such, I believe, when you are able to fight for yourself, you will need the extra boost. I have promised to support you, Tomura, and I will but there are things you will have to do for yourself, and having a copy of my quirk will assist, and provide you with more options."
The teen listened to the explanation. "I'll kill him," he growled. There was no need to say who he was.
"One day, you will," All For One agreed. "I will help you," he once again affirmed for Tomura. "And my quirk will help you," he added.
"When will I get it?" Tomura was greedy but knew enough to control that greed.
"Not for a little while," he replied immediately. "My quirk is difficult to copy, and so the Doctor will need some time before it is done."
He saw Tomura nod. "There is one condition on this," All For One continued.
"Sensei?"
"You cannot tell Izuku," he said.
"Sensei?"
"You are older, Tomura. You are more able to accept some truths. Izuku still needs time to come to terms with what has happened, and what it will mean for me in the long term. I will tell him but for now, he does not need to know that I will give you my quirk," All For One explained.
"You coddle him," came the old complaint.
"Your path was set early, Tomura," All For One said. "You will find that others do not find their paths until much later. Izuku will need to make a choice."
At that Tomura nodded but internally All For One froze.
A choice.
The word reverberated through him. The meaning. The implications.
Izuku had a choice.
He turned and left Tomura to his practice, not hearing what the teen said. Yoichi's voice echoed in his ear.
How could he be sure Izuku made the right choice? How could he be sure that Izuku would not make the same mistakes as his brother?
He needed to think.
-ted-
Inko's going to get some information. She might not like it but she'll get what they should have told her years back!
Dragon is becoming very well established in the underworld but no one really knows who or what he is! They just know that he's there.
And Tomura has realised that he can't repeat the feat he managed with Izuku. He'd better harness that mindless rage!
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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