09/04/2022
Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You are the greatest!
The Emperor's Dragon
Fledgling 62
It said quite a lot about All For One's career that he had more than a passing familiarity with warehouses. Those people who knew him as Hisashi Riji, the exceedingly well dressed owner of JBQC would probably be surprised but despite what they thought, they were not the people Hisashi Riji had built his career around.
His career had been built around the type of people who worked in warehouses. Some would find it odd that a supervillain knew so much about the working man. Those sorts of people generally despised the working man but All For One was quite fond of them.
They were usually good, hard-working people, who saw the world as it was. They didn't have the illusions those with money held. They couldn't afford them. Instead, they knew power, and they knew to respect power. And there were always a lot of them looking for some miraculous way out of their position that didn't involve hard work. That's how he'd managed to recruit so many volunteers to the Nomu program.
The people standing in the warehouse now were not the usual low class bum that Garaki recruited. These men knew the value of hard work, as evidenced by the muscles on display and the hard look in their eyes. These were the candidates for the special Nomu. There were five men and they were standing together under the one light that was turned on.
All For One was standing in the shadows at one end of the warehouse. Gigantomachia was with him and they were both critically assessing the men.
The way they were twitching was interesting. It wasn't because they sensed they were being watched. Not yet, anyway. Both All For One and Gigantomachia were skilled at hiding their presence when they wanted. Instead, the men were twitching in the presence of each other. Even if his eyesight was undamaged, All For One knew he wouldn't recognise any of the men but he knew their type. The muscles told him enough. These were fighters. They probably enjoyed a reasonable amount of success in the underground fighting circles, which meant, if they kept their mind, then the resulting Nomu would have at least some knowledge of fighting techniques.
He was here to test what the limit of those skills were. In the gloom, All For One tilted his head upwards, giving Gigantomachia a nod. The large man saw the movement and after a moment All For One could feel his bodyguard. Not that he didn't feel him previously but Gigantomachia was no longer hiding his presence. He focused on the men standing under the light. This was a question of how sensitive they were.
None of them reacted instantly. That wasn't surprising. Gigantomachia was just letting it be known he was watching them and it would take a little while for someone to realise that. As he watched, All For One was pleased to see two of the men start to shift slightly. He couldn't see the exact movement but he could see enough. They were trying to look around, trying to determine if the feeling was just the others or something else.
The group had been instructed to stand in the light. Failure to do so would mean they wouldn't get paid. They might not live as close to the edge as some, but they wanted the money. The payment was generous. Even if standing together it was obvious they didn't like each other. They were standing as far apart as they could.
He gave Gigantomachia another signal and felt his bodyguard increase the pressure of his regard.
Three of the men, including the two who had noticed earlier, immediately twitched, which brought the attention of the others. One tried to brush off the feeling, the other did nothing and one… He couldn't be completely sure but they seemed confused.
So three were astute enough to feel when they were being watched and two were completely unaware of their surroundings. Gigantomachia went back to hiding his presence.
They continued waiting. All For One had gotten used to waiting years ago. It was something of a necessity in his chosen field. Most so-called villains acted on impulse, they acted at the earliest opportunity, which is why they were so easily captured. True villains knew the benefits of waiting, of striking at the most opportune moment.
The men shifted. They relaxed as the feeling of being watched disappeared but then he could tell some of them were getting bored. They weren't sure what to do. It showed in the way they shifted and twitched and prowled around the area defined by the light.
"This is stupid!" One announced. His voice was rough but he spoke in a manner that said he was sure of himself. This was a man who was used to being obeyed, not kept waiting. Even so, it was interesting to note that he didn't move outside of the light.
All For One waited some more. When you weren't used to it, the seconds crawled by and every minute felt like at least five. These men did not know the value of patience but they did know the value of money. Even so he saw the exact moment one of them broke. The first step towards the door was impossible to miss.
It was what he had been waiting for. Gigantomachia could have done this but All For One did it himself. He let his presence be felt. Unlike Gigantomachia, he didn't let them feel him watching, this time, he let the men know he would fight them. It was a simple enough trick to do. Even his son understood the basic concept. He was not his son. His presence was far more potent.
All five of the gathered men noticed. They froze. All For One wasn't projecting his full strength. He wasn't imagining how nice it would be to have All Might at his feet but he was projecting a part of his will. Bloodlust most would call it but it hardly mattered. Those with will did what they wanted.
Three of the men collapsed. They sank to their knees once they realised what they felt. Of the other two, one spun quickly, trying to locate the source of hostility and All For One could see he was becoming more panicked when he couldn't locate it. The smell of his sweat mingled with the others and eventually, with a sharp cry, he ran off into the darkness. Gigantomachia moved and because All For One's eyesight was not dependent on light he saw as his bodyguard efficiently knocked him out, leaving his body to fall with a thump that three of the other men shuddered to hear.
The last man was more careful. All For One could see that the man was looking around slowly. He flared his presence slightly and the man locked on to his location as Gigantomachia returned to his side.
The man didn't move. He stared. All For One could hear his breathing. It was harsh and heavy. He shifted slightly. He didn't bow or hunch over. Instead, he stood upright. Posturing most would call it but All For One knew what it meant. It was a challenge. He let the feel of his presence increase slightly. The man reacted again and All For One felt the man's presence in return.
If that hadn't been the reaction he was looking for, he would have allowed Gigantomachia to teach the man a lesson. However, the release of fight spirit, no matter how feeble, was what he was looking for. The Doctor had explained that to survive the process, the candidate would need will but hadn't said how much. The other candidates would fail. This one… may still fail, All For One allowed but at least he would fight it.
"You pass," he said from the darkness.
The man knew he was speaking to him and it was almost comical to see him remember that he had been here for a job.
"The rest of you, I still have work for you, just not this job," All For One continued. He'd already discussed this with Kyudai. They would try the process to create a special Nomu on the others to see how close they came. It would help establish exactly how strong the individual had to be to survive the process.
"Please see the Doctor for your pay and further instructions," he added as the lights on the far side of the warehouse came on to show the Doctor there.
The man who had shown strength strutted over to Garaki while the others more meekly followed. All For One shook his head slightly. If they didn't recover quicker than that, they wouldn't even make acceptable normal Nomus! And in that case… well, he hoped their quirks were at least interesting.
Nothing else about them seemed to be.
The matter was dismissed as he turned away. It was time he checked up on his dearest Inko, and how her campaign was coming.
-ted-
"Shunin, it's good to see you again," Inko greeted her lawyer as he made his way to her. She actually meant it. The man had proven to be ruthless in his pursuit of the Commission in regards to Izuku.
She wasn't stupid. She knew he was doing it for the money but she also knew he didn't have to be quite as on the ball as he appeared to be.
"Likewise," he agreed, and took the seat opposite her. His suit was sharp and he wore it comfortably which reminded her of Hisashi and while Shunin and Hisashi shared some traits, they were very different. Shunin had jet black hair, split eyes like a cat with a soft orange iris and his skin tone was just a bit too yellow to be called normal.
They were in a small cafe that was near the courthouse. They weren't going to court today. Instead today was another mediation attempt. Shunin had explained that mediation helped to keep the courts free for the cases that needed it, though he also admitted he thought her case would go to court. Still, they had to go through the procedures.
"What can I expect today?" Inko asked, not bothering with any other pleasantries.
Shunin took a sip of his coffee. "I imagine it will be similar to last time. More stonewalling," he told her.
The previous mediation session had been a disaster. The Commission sent someone Shunin told her was a senior lawyer but they appeared to have no idea of any of the details of her case and Request for Information and as such had spent most of the time in mediation, wasting their time.
At least the mediator had recognised that and had put it on their file. Shunin indicated that when her case got to court, he would be using that mark against the Commission. He'd been quite happy with the outcome.
Inko would much prefer to have the information about Izuku but… as the ladies at work had reminded her, you had to go through the steps to get where you where you wanted to go.
"Another mark?" She asked.
"That would be the best outcome," Shunin told her. "With two marks I can apply to have the court case brought forward, because it was obvious mediation was never going to work."
In an odd way, that made her feel slightly better about mediation failing.
"But I don't think they will allow that," he told her before she could get her hopes up. "I'm told the Commission is sending someone with more information this time," he added with a somewhat vicious smile.
Inko nodded and waited for Shunin to take another few sips of coffee. "So what will that mean?"
"It means they will be more skillful at attempting to dismiss your case and so the one piece of advice I have for you today is no tears. No matter what they say, do not get emotional," he counselled.
She gave him a smile. "Save tears for a camera," Inko said, parroting words he'd given her previously.
Shunin seemed oddly pleased that she remembered. "Exactly."
The advice had been hard to hear but made sense. The Commission didn't care about Izuku. They would say they cared, and as individuals some in the Commission would care about Izuku. As an organisation, they didn't care. Izuku was just a statistic to them and not an important one. As the supposed child of a villain, he wasn't considered important.
If it came to it, Shunin had indicated she was to emphasize that no charges had ever been brought against Hisashi, even in absentia, therefore he could not be a villain and that Izuku was only nine at the time, and as a child, could not be a villain. But those statements were to be before a camera, where she could cry and show some vulnerability because it was expected.
In mediation, she had to be strong, emotionless. In court, Shunin, had explained, there would be times for her to cry but at others she had to remain stoic.
It had hurt to realise that a lot of the system was really just a stage and that the best actors got the best outcomes.
For Izuku though… Oscars, BAFTAs, Emmy's, even JMCA's. They'd be piling the awards on for the performance she'd give.
Shunin downed the last of his coffee. "Well then, let's give a good impression by arriving early, and get your court date set."
Inko nodded and rose with him. It was time to show the Commission that she wasn't going away and Izuku was more than just a statistic.
He would always be more than a statistic to her.
-ted-
Izuku smiled at Ochaco as he held out the package. It was tied off in a green ribbon. Hitoshi had given her his friendship chocolate earlier in the day as he had to rush home today for a family event. That meant Izuku could give it to Ochaco after school.
"Friendship chocolate," he confirmed.
He'd gotten the chocolate the other day and had asked Kurogiri for a bit of paper to wrap them in. The misty man hadn't commented but Izuku now knew why Ochaco had been so nervous about giving him the chocolate.
He knew that she was somewhat expecting it, especially since White Day was well established but he still felt a bit nervous.
Ochaco returned his smile as she took the package. "Thank you," she said happily. "You didn't have to."
"I wanted to," Izuku assured her. He'd been slightly surprised when he realised that he really had wanted to. "You're my friend."
If anything her smile became brighter as they took two seats in the library's group working area.
"I figured we'd be too busy next year," Ochaco offered the explanation.
"Busy?" Izuku asked.
"High School entrance exams?" she prompted.
He felt a flush pass over his features as he nodded. "And career counselling," he murmured.
Ochaco chuckled.
"Do you know what you want to do?" Izuku continued. He was curious. He sort of knew what his dad wanted him to do and it seemed okay. He'd have to go to High School but then he could go into business. There'd be a lot he had to learn on the job but he was sure the people his dad had running the businesses would teach him, and he could always ask his dad for advice.
Ochaco gave him a distant look. "It would be nice to be a hero," she said "A real hero but-" she sighed.
Izuku nodded understandingly. In a world where heroes were actually heroes, and not just overpaid, over privileged - he didn't want to call them public servants but that was technically what they were - then it would be nice to be a hero. You could help so many people but… as his dad always said in the face of his ongoing injury, he needed to deal with reality, not with what he wished it would be. In dealing with reality, he could maybe make it more like he wanted it to be.
"I don't know," Ochaco finished.
"You could always help your mum and dad?" he suggested.
"Like you're going to?"
He chuckled. "Yeah," Izuku agreed. "Though… there's so many other things to do out there."
"Do you want to do something else?" Ochaco asked.
It was Izuku's turn to sigh. "Maybe," he admitted. "I don't mind helping dad but-"
"It might be nice to do something for yourself?"
He nodded. He'd still want to help his dad, but it might be nice to find his own way to do it.
They sat together for a few moments, both understanding the other before Izuku took a deep breath. "We'd better get started on our homework," he said, shifting the conversation from potential careers.
They both needed to think about the future and in one way it was nice that he wasn't alone not knowing what he wanted to do. He could support Ochaco and Hitoshi and they would support him and each other and… yeah… it was good to have friends.
-ted-
I know in canon AFO had a longer working relationship with the man who became High End but I thought this test would be a good one to see who was likely to be strong.
Inko has a good lawyer who is ripping into the Commission but procedures are procedures and one must go through them. When/if her case is picked up by the media, then she can cry on que at the appropriate times. And Izuku has confirmed his friendship with Ochaco. He knows that one day he may have to make a choice but he doesn't really want to think about that. Ochaco, after all, is his first friend.
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!