01/03/2022

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The Emperor's Dragon
Fledgling 51

"I have need of your services, Doctor."

Garaki turned to see All For One. "Yes, Sensei?" The man didn't often say he needed something. Usually he expected things to be done but occasionally he would ask. Then he expected perfection.

"It occurs to me that my main issue with the change of shape quirk was not the inability to use another quirk but the shift back. The lack of medication caused me to collapse," All For One announced.

"That is true," Kyudai agreed. Sensei had collapsed because he had been unable to reconnect the oxygen tube and the various drug injectors he was reliant on.

"Then I will need your assistance with the use of the quirk."

That was just like Sensei. He simply decided to do things and expected everyone else to accommodate that. In this case however, it was a simple matter.

"I should be able to facilitate that," Garaki told the other man. "Drug dispensers have been added to your life support helmet," he said.

Izuku had given him the updated designs from his friend. Whoever they were, they knew what they were doing. They were innovative and the design was both practical and functional. As an investment, Izuku had made a very good choice. He had, of course, added an exoskeleton to the design, armoring over the delicate parts because there was no way Sensei would not use his increased mobility to fight. Or, at the very least, to put straying underlings back in their place.

Sensei smiled. Kyudai felt relieved at that expression. All For One had asked for improvements a while back and he had been… he'd been doing his best but mechanical engineering was not his forte!

"I will try it before I go then," Sensei announced.

"Go?" Garaki couldn't help but ask.

"I have need to put in an official appearance before I am declared missing," Sensei said with a grin. He thought it was funny, and it was. Those seeking to take his assets would learn quite a bit about the legal system, even if they were government.

"Your taxes are paid?" Kyudai joked.

"Of course they are, Doctor."

He smiled in return. It appeared that the government, or rather the HPSC might have declared Hisashi Riji missing but the Taxation Department hadn't. A fight between the two behemoths of government would be quite interesting.

"I take it that if Hisashi Riji is not missing, his son Izuku Midoriya can't be missing either?" the Doctor asked.

"Of course not. I will instruct my lawyers to draw up official change of name documentation for Izuku and back date it, as well as sole guardianship papers."

The Doctor nodded. That made sense. While Sensei's lawyers were a very well respected and legitimate business, they had dealt with the underworld long enough to know how to handle these things. And from a safety point of view, a trip to see his lawyers should be safe enough.

"With my Little Dragon-"

Kyudai's good feeling vanished. He knew that tone. He cocked his head slightly.

"While I appreciate that for good scientific method you were obligated to give him another strength quirk, I would appreciate it if you would not give him others."

"Sensei?" Garaki asked. This wasn't quite what he expected.

"You have tested Izuku with two identical strength quirks, and found out that he does not get any benefit from the second one, once it is absorbed, correct?" All For One lifted one hand and tapped at his chin.

Garaki nodded, "Correct," he added the verbal reply. Sensei was very good at picking up movement through his hearing but he couldn't actually see it and Kyudai was never sure when the man had his sight quirk activated.

"Then you gave him another strength quirk, yes?"

"In order to determine if the lack of boost was dependent on the quirks being identical or rather the type of quirk, I had to," he answered. That was how science worked. With experiments you eliminated variables and compared results.

"I understand."

It actually sounded like Sensei did understand.

"But no more."

"Sensei?"

"Do not give my Little Dragon any further quirks," Sensei was firm with the instruction.

Kyudai nodded. "What outcome are you after?"

"I believe it is time my Little Dragon began collecting his own quirks," Sensei replied immediately. "If he asks me, I will consider finding them for him. If he orders Yakuni then that is also acceptable." All For One tapped his chin a few more times, obviously thinking. "I believe he will go that way since it will be morally easier for him. And for now, I will allow that."

Garaki sighed. It carried his doubt. "Are you sure he will be ready?" he was forced to ask. Yes, Izuku was only fourteen. He had another year and a half or so of Middle School before he had three years of High School and then University if he wanted but that was not a lot of time to become what Sensei obviously wanted.

Sensei's head turned towards him but he didn't answer immediately. Then he chuckled. "It is a question of choice," he said. "But I am sure, though I expect my Little Dragon will still need guidance and assistance once he makes that choice."

Kyudai frowned. There was more to that answer than he knew. There was something he almost never heard in Sensei's voice. Doubt. It was surprising to hear.

It was worrying to hear. "You doubt?" He had to force himself to ask.

The question appeared to surprise All For One. He paused before giving a quick head shake to whatever it was that was plaguing him. "Not the outcome," he confirmed for Garaki. "The path. I doubt the path which is why my Little Dragon will still require guidance."

There must have been something in the way he moved because Sensei fixed him with a blind eye stare. Garaki shook his head. In his experience, those who had to be led often had doubts and those doubts generally took down others. If Izuku was not suited, it would be better to cut him loose now, since Garaki knew All For One would not let him experiment on Izuku. The ancient villain was surprisingly sentimental like that.

"It will do no harm for Izuku to be seen as a part of society for a while," All For One said. "He understands the truth but he may need to see it fully, in an adult context before he can truly embrace the right path," he added. "But he will. The first time my Little Dragon kills someone, will be a passionate kill. It will be at the end of his tolerance, and he will then need assistance to see that it was okay, that he is not evil."

It was surprising to hear Sensei speak like this. Not of killing. That was simply the price of business but of how it was different for others. Tomura killed without thinking. Izuku wouldn't, Garaki realised. But All For One was confident that his son would kill. He would just be more considered. It wouldn't necessarily be his first solution to problems as it was with Tomura and he might even come to enjoy it, though that would be a long way off.

"I will, of course, give him that guidance and support," All For One said confidently with a grin. "Because I will always support my son's choices."

Kyudai gave him a look before he turned away. There was something else going on there, but what, he didn't know and it wasn't his concern. "I will have the helmet and other facilities on standby," he indicated, looping back to Sensei's original concern. If he was there to reconnect the air tube and other drugs then there should not be a repeat of last time.

All For One nodded. "Very good, Doctor," he said. "I look forward to testing the upgrades," he added.

Unseen, Garaki grimaced, and made a mental note to make a second life support helmet. He had a feeling he might need it.

-ted-

Sir Nighteye sat at the kitchen table, ignoring the tea in front of him. The woman from the HPSC sat beside him and Inko Midoriya was on the far side. They were at her apartment. It was a small, two bedroom unit that most would describe as cozy. The kitchen table was separated from the living area by enough space to call a walkway but not by much. The rug on the floor was the main divider.

It was hard to imagine All For One living here but according to Inko's records, he had. By all reports they had been a normal couple with Inko doting on their son, Izuku and All For One going to the office every day.

It was a quaint fantasy.

It was… It was not the sort of environment he had expected All For One's bint to be living in. Maybe she wa- No, it might not be the environment he expected but that was simply because All For One was a master of hiding.

Inko was waiting for them to speak. Her green eyes were both soft and hard and she too was ignoring the tea. The teapot sat between them on the table like a steaming, silent judge.

"Thank you for seeing us," Mirai said politely.

Her lips creased but it was not a real smile. "My son?"

"The operation you have requested information on is highly classified," the woman from the HPSC said sharply.

Inko raised one eyebrow. She might look like a harmless housewife but in that moment, Mirai knew she was anything but harmless. "A publicised battle between the Number One Hero and Toxic Chainsaw is classified?" There was justified skepticism in her voice and when phrased like that, Mirai knew that almost everyone would agree with her.

The HPSC woman sighed. "There are aspects of the operation which are classified," she corrected her statement.

At that, Inko nodded. "And I am not asking about them," she allowed. "I simply wish to know details of the decision making process about one of the supporting operations."

"For operational reasons, decision justifications are not provided to civilians," the woman replied. She sounded quite smug at that. Mirai knew it was a bad answer.

"With respect," Inko replied, "that is not true. There are several precedents for the decision making process to be released. Off the top of my head, I am aware of three, but I am certain there are others."

There were. In those cases where a Hero was taken to court for some reason, they were required to document their decision making process before the hearing. Allowance was made for decisions made in the field being somewhat uninformed but the decision Inko was interested in had not been made in the field. It was a call that had been made beforehand, as part of the way the operation was to run.

"What my colleague is trying to say is that this case is somewhat more complicated than a regular Hero versus Villain battle. And unlocking some information may compromise the operational security of other, ongoing investigations," Sir Nighteye said before the woman from the HPSC could reply.

Soukan's successor, Kouki Sozo, had sent her along. He wished Kouki had sent someone with more experience, and potentially understanding of the case. He didn't know how much the woman knew and didn't want to give away anything.

Inko was silent for a few moments, then her expression became hard. "So you are still tracking my son?"

"We can'-"

Mirai held up one hand. "Unfortunately not, ma'am," he replied. If they let her believe they were tracking her son, that would be even worse for the Commission. Izuku was a minor. If they were deliberately leaving a minor with a known villain then… yes, the general public would not understand that Izuku was going to be a villain. They would see it the way Yagi did, that they had failed. That would be especially true if All Might backed Inko and he had a horrible feeling that Toshinori would, if he thought they had deceived Inko.

"Then Hisashi?" Inko immediately asked.

"Hisashi Riji is missing, most likely dead," the woman from the HPSC said firmly.

"I am aware he has been declared missing," Inko responded. "But there is missing, and missing," she added emphasis to the second word. There was missing and missing for convenience. "Believe me, I am aware of all the differences."

Mirai rather thought she was. He'd researched what she had been doing in recent years. She was working with a small group who searched for clues on missing persons. No doubt they were aware of all the subtleties that went with the official missing designation. Though the true question should be if she was aware that Hisashi Riji was still alive, and that missing designation was a ploy to gain his assets? Even examining her, he wasn't sure.

"If you are no longer tracking my son, and are not tracking my husband, and Toxic Chainsaw is in prison, then I do not see a reason to delay providing the information," Inko told them.

"That is a civilian point of view," the woman said dismissively.

Sir Nighteye knew Inko Midoriya would not be put off so easily. She'd already put her request in via the law firm Beacon, and no doubt she would pursue it. Though… how? He looked around again. She was not well off. The furniture was well kept but old. The crockery was not new. There was a chip here and there. She did not have a large income.

Could that be the way to shut this down? She could probably afford the costs to put in the forms but anything further? He would have to investigate.

Inko shook her head at the statement. "I believe if you look at my application, I will be awarded the information. And we can avoid that now. I am given to understand that Sir Nighteye was highly involved in the operational planning of all aspects of the raid and thus I'm sure he could provide some insight now."

Oh, she was good. The threat of further legal action was just right. Not too blatant but not soft either. He was better. She couldn't afford it. Especially if she had to go to another lawyer and a word with Beacon from the Commission should have them reviewing her case.

Though... the reference to her application was interesting. He already knew she wasn't asking for everything, which would go well before a judge because if her request was that specific, and could be shown not to impact on any of the confidential parts of the file, then she would win her case.

And the media would have a field day. They had to avoid that.

"Mrs Midoriya, I appreciate you are desperate for any information about your son, but the case in Tsu was large, and there are many confidential parts. I'm afraid I cannot give you the information you desire. The case was and is more complicated than you know and now is not the time to reveal that."

She looked at him with sharp green eyes before shaking her head. "This case is merely about my son, and your part in ensuring he remains with a villain," Inko said softly, holding up one hand to forestall any objections. From the way the woman from the HPSC quivered, it was obvious she wanted to say something. "I am aware that Hisashi is a villain. One of Toxic Chainsaw's underlings, so not one who was merely there by accident, but I would bid you remember, I am not a villain. My son is not a villain and I object to him being treated as if he is."

There was a definite challenge with her statement.

"We are not treating Izuku as if he is a villain," Mirai said quickly.

"Then you will understand my skepticism that almost five years after the event there is operational security to be considered," Inko pressed.

He sighed. "I had hoped, now that you knew Hisashi was a villain, you would understand the delicacy of the situation."

"There is no delicacy. This is about my son."

Mirai shook his head as he rose. "No," he said sadly. "Unfortunately, that is where you are wrong and I had hoped we could explain it today. The case is not about your son, it is about more than that and I am sorry that we cannot help you," he added.

"And I'm sorry this couldn't be resolved amicably," Inko replied.

She didn't say anything about seeing them in court. She didn't have to. They both knew what the options were now.

"Indeed," Mirai said, giving her a sad smile. It was unfortunate but she wouldn't be taking them to court. Not once he had a few words with people. It was unfortunate that she still pinned for her son and he could admit that, in her own way, she was one of the casualties created by All For One but that didn't change reality or the need to keep the knowledge of All For One from the public.

In this, she was wrong. She was so fixated on Izuku that she couldn't see the bigger picture. He should have expected that. Still, as a hero he had to have hope.

He was just usually better at knowing when to apply it.

-ted-

In the first conversation with Kyudai, AFO's mind is reminding him that it's about choice, and that he has controlled Izuku's choices. He can't admit that to Garaki, and for the moment, he's having trouble admitting it to himself but we'll get there. And when we do… well that's going to be an interesting junction in life.

And while Sir Nighteye is facing the consequences of his actions, those consequences aren't really biting yet. They will. The little old ladies are determined and now have a hint about Izuku. Their job is to find information that might help find missing persons... if Sir Nighteye and everyone else involved in the cover up think that they are going to let go of a lead on one of their own... they are about to get schooled.

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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