Season V: Apotheosis
Chapters 57-70
'I worry that you will not understand. I worry that you will fail to comprehend. I worry that you will ignore the truths you see. I must go on believing you will understand, otherwise, this will all be for nothing. I am not the hero you believe me to be. I am just a man who could not resist knowledge. This is the first truth I shall speak. Nothing ends. No war, no battle, no death, no quest. It is all one step forward, another part of this endlessly changing cycle. When you reach out and touch another with your influence, you change the fabric of the world. In my youth, I thought it was I who reached out. Have you ever considered that it was not your choice to reach out? Have you ever contemplated that you are not the writer of your story, but merely a puppet on strings?'
—The First Letter from a Renegade as translated by the World Walker.
Today is a good day for Himiko Toga. The weather in Victoria is beautiful, defying every thought she had of Canada being a frozen hellhole, and she's just stolen a dozen blood packs from Victoria General Hospital without being caught. It always feels good to commit a crime successfully.
She takes the bus disguised as a middle-aged man and heads towards a theatre, her ticket burning a hole in her pocket. She's excited to finally see the play. The occasional police checkpoints don't bother her much, even if it means being creative about hiding her blood packs.
The McPherson Playhouse was built in the twentieth century. Following the emergence of quirks, it had been burnt down and rebuilt three separate times, each time getting larger and larger. Now it seats double its original capacity of seven-hundred odd souls.
Himiko knows this because her disguise would know the basic facts about the playhouse. He's not a person who understands theatre, but rather someone who attends it to seem cultured and cultivate the image of an educated gentleman. He's also a pretentious prick.
She speaks to some of the more noteworthy people attending the play tonight, some whom even know her disguise. None so much as notice any discrepancies. There are many villains in attendance today. Well, it is the opening night of Compress' play. 'The Vanguard's Last Dance' is an odd title, but not one she thinks too much on as she makes her way to the private booth. She parts the curtains and almost loses her head.
There is a warp gate around her neck before her eyes adjust to the darkness. Kurogiri is accompanied by Magne and Tomura. With Compress directing the play, that leaves on Himiko and Magne as the remaining members of the Vanguard, the rest dead, or in the case of Spinner, a traitor.
"I told you I'd be in a disguise," she says, letting it fade away. "No need to chop off my head."
The warp gate vanishes. Kurogiri bows his head slightly.
"We cannot be careless. Our numbers have waned and we lack access to most of our resources."
Magne scoffs. "Compress is directing a play. How much money did you give him for that?"
Himiko takes her seat next to Tomura who has been quiet for the last three months. He's lost a lot of the fire that made him entertaining, but he's become harsher and more analytical. Maybe he'll be interesting later.
Or maybe Himiko will have to ditch these losers.
"I heard some of the villains call you the Mist Warlord, the first Warlord since the Dark Ages." Toga gives Kurogiri her most innocent smile. "You shouldn't be scared of anything."
"I don't deserve that title."
"They call Sensei the Third Great Tyrant," she prods, enjoying how Tomura's fists clench. "The last Tyrant was two centuries ago. The last Warlord over a century. You guys became legends. And now Compress is going to make money off your story."
The lights dim as the play begins.
With technology, plays aren't as static as they once were. Hidden subwoofers make the seats vibrate as mist appears on stage. The screen behind shows a stylised map of Japan.
Two actors enter the stage from opposite ends. One wears a pitch-black suit, the other in grey slacks and a jacket.
"The League of Villains led by the Third Great Tyrant All For One, played by Akio Otsuka, and the Mist Warlord Kurogiri portrayed by Takahiro Fujiwara. Together, with a hundred faithful allies, they battled a country and shattered it."
The narration is being done by Compress which makes Himiko roll her eyes. He might not have taken a leading role, but if the rest of the play has this much narration, then he definitely took the most important part.
"This is their story," Compress continues as the two actors bow. "This is the story that defined Japan. This is the story of The Vanguard's Last Dance."
To her mild amusement, after the actors leave, two others enter from opposite ends of the stage. Half of the stage is cast in a green light, the other in red.
The two fight on stage. An image of UA's tournament ground serves as the backdrop. The fighting is well choreographed, the green lighting becoming more prominent as Izuku's actor pushes back Todoroki's red.
More than anything, their battle resembles a dance. Their blows flow together seamlessly, their motions like water. There is grace in the actions of the actors.
It's also fucking hilarious that two are being portrayed by girls. Compress has an odd sense of humour.
"It was on this day that Tomura Shigaraki set in motion the greatest war in Japan's history."
Tomura scoffs when the theatre rumbles, sparks and smoke filling the stage. The backdrop changes to the stadium after the explosion. "He gives me too much credit."
"You should have listened to Sensei," Kurogiri says sharply.
Oh, there's a story there, Toga thinks. Tomura is one long line of tension and Kurogiri looks ready to get up and pace nervously.
She observes the two as they have an entire conversation without saying a single word. All she really gets out of it is that Tomura is apologetic? Or maybe just resigned? It's hard to tell given that Kurogiri is made up of gasses and Tomura isn't the most expressive person alive.
"Compress doesn't like you much," Magne says when the Vanguard are brought together. Kurogiri's actor is distant and cold, almost callous.
"Scared of him," Tomura says.
Himiko finds it entertaining that her character and Mustard's enter together, holding hands. Which is a blatant lie. She might have liked Mustard well enough, and perhaps wanted to fuck him or kill him, maybe both, but she hadn't loved him.
"I guess I have a dead lover now," she mutters.
"At least you're not a flamboyant bastard like Dabi," Magne says. "I would have thought Compress' role would have been more prominent."
Outside of giving his introduction, Compress' actor hasn't said much. Which is nothing like the chatterbox that is the real person.
"The strength of the Vanguard could not be defeated. Despite the losses of honoured Mustard and Muscular, the Vanguard exited stage left with their prizes."
The actors do so. Izuku, Momo, and Kouta's actors have thick ropes binding them together. Toga smiles, remembering how Izuku had come out of his marble kicking and screaming defiance. How the room had gone unnaturally dark. How his green lightning had promised death and misery to everyone who opposed him.
The stage lights come on and the curtains close. An intermission. Good. Himiko hasn't eaten all day. This is a good a time as any to get food.
"I think he started it," Toga says cheerfully.
Tomura grunts. "Hm?"
"The war. Think about it. Compress follows orders. There was no reason to take Izuku. He could have taken his redhead friend."
"He doesn't act like a warmonger."
"He's a performer," Himiko says, gesturing at the performance below them. "He loves telling stories. Wars are the stories people like the most."
Tomura shakes his head. "Too ridiculous. You're trying to say that Compress led to the League's destruction, Sensei and All Might's deaths, most of the top ten heroes gone, millions of civilian deaths, and an invasion from China. That's too convenient."
Toga shakes her head, knowing to her blood that it's true. There's something she's not getting, one piece of Compress' character that she's missing.
"It's a fun theory anyway."
She makes a quick run to get something to snack on. She wears a different disguise this time, a younger lady who stands a head taller than most others in the area. The food is weird but at least she also gains her disguise's affinity for burgers and fries.
Getting back takes her a little longer than she wanted because of some guy who tries flirting with her. He's young so it's adorable, but her heart belongs to one man. One day, Izuku will love her just as much as Toga loves him. And together they'll paint the world red.
First, she just has to break him out of prison.
This time Kurogiri doesn't have a warp gate prepared to kill her. She takes her seat and distributes the snacks she brought to the others.
"The Great Tyrant All For One answered the call of his allies in Vancouver. The Great Ten of China and the greatest collection of heroes this world has ever seen fell to his strength. They could not withstand the blows of the Strongest Man Alive."
It is a short sequence, mostly conducted through the background screen and some artistic interpretations of that fight. It ends with Sensei punching a man with a Chinese flag and raising his hand in victory.
Himiko hopes these events are accurate. She wasn't there and had nothing to do with the events that shaped the city she's living in now.
The city is still tense with no one really knowing what will happen now. The villains won the battle. There aren't any heroes in the Pacific Northwest, Montana and Alberta. The region will likely become its own country, but first, it needs to suffer some growing pains.
"Go forth, my Warlord," All For One's actor says a few scenes later. "Show Japan our power. Show them the strength of villains."
Six masked villains and four in costumes resembling the Nomu enter the stage. They bow before Kurogri as he gives them orders.
"That didn't happen like that," the real Kurogiri says. "I didn't order them to murder everyone in sight."
Tomura shrugs. "How many did your squad kill."
"Twelve thousand combatants. A tiny fraction of what Sensei did. Compress is making me out to be a sociopathic monster."
Himiko chuckles. "Some people think that. And maybe some people will see a man grieving the death of a boy he shouldn't have recruited. Your actor did have an entire soliloquy over Mustard before getting Sensei."
Kurogiri's gasses snap and hiss. "That didn't happen."
"Who cares? This story right here is the one that people will believe. Our words don't matter anymore." She closes her eyes. "Compared to the things I've read, at least we aren't total monsters."
"They sent forth the most powerful heroes of Japan to battle the Great Tyrant of Japan. All Might the Perfect Fighter and Endeavour the Hellfire led the coalition. Together they could win any battle. Supported by their peers, they were unstoppable." This time, All for One's sinister laugh punctuates the narrator's words. "And so, he split them apart. He made their strength a weakness."
All Might alongside Mirko and Gang Orca split off from the group and exit stage right. The lighting changes, red for Endeavour instead of All Might's gold.
The heroes battle through the base, Endeavour at their lead. They are split up by the arrival of some Nomu.
"Win," Hawks' orders, his hand cover his chest. "We will find each other again, fire of my heart."
"Wait for me, my angel."
Himiko cocks her head. She's pretty sure Endeavour is an asshole but being unfaithful isn't one of the things he's done. Another stylistic choice for the audience's sake. One that's overly dramatic at that.
Endeavour breaks down the door on stage, fire consuming the backdrop.
"Your villainy ends today," Endeavour roars, the flames on screen intensifying as well. "I will bring you down."
"Boy, you are not ready to stand on my stage."
The punch sends Endeavour stumbling back. He falls off-stage, the thud resonating across the theatre. All For One chuckles deeply as Endeavour forces himself up and returns to the stage.
Against All For One, it isn't even a fight. He beats down Endeavour with contemptuous ease.
The other heroes enter the stage to the sight of All For One standing above a defeated Endeavour.
"I have seen empires rise and fall. I shaped history, fought wars alone and broke nations with my fists. I witnessed Hero's final battle and spoke to Hawkmoon as an equal. What have you children ever achieved?"
He battles the other heroes. He does so easily. It isn't perfectly accurate. Himiko watched the recording and knows they inflicted multiple injuries on him. But the spirit of the battle is honest. A few injuries to defeat six heroes is an acceptable outcome in any situation.
Actors in military gear stream in from both sides of the stage. All For One merely laughs as they surround him, their bullets doing no harm even as the bang makes Himiko nervous.
"I am the Strongest Man alive!"
The theatre rumbles and the soldiers fall dramatically. The lights turn off, leaving only All For One illuminated.
"Is there no one to challenge me?" All For One asks. "Is this the power of heroes? Can no one stand on my stage?"
For a long moment, the stage is silent.
Thud!
"Never fear."
Thud!
"I am here."
When All Might enters, it is to trumpets. The music is glorious and makes even Himiko want to stand up in support of a hero. She smiles despite herself as gold light floods the stage, dispelling the darkness.
The battle between All For One and All Might is cataclysmic and thunderous. With each blow, the theatre vibrates violently. When All For One summons his wind, a high-pitched whine grates against Himiko's ears.
In the end, All For One only falls after an attack from Izuku. All For One sends the boy flying away, but it is enough for All Might. He strikes a blow to end it just as All For One retaliates.
Together, the two legends who defined this era fall to the ground, dead.
Izuku's actor makes her return. She takes All For One's hand and cradles his head in her lap. The great hero whispers something, but the words belong only to Izuku. Himiko knows the words, the whole world knows the words.
Stand tall. You are next.
She watches in silence as Izuku's actor carries All Might away. There is no music to punctuate this event. As Izuku exits stage right, nameless and faceless actors pick up All For One's body and cart him away.
"What happened to his body?" Tomura asks harshly.
"Safe," Kurogiri says. "I buried him in the one place he would appreciate."
Spinner's actor enters stage left. He has a short sword in hand and moves through a series of forms. They appear more like a kagura dance than anything else. The screen in the back shows Compress turning Toga and Mange into marbles that he then gives to Spinner.
The stage darkens until only one spotlight shines on Spinner who slows in his dance. Then he kneels, almost as if in shame. Toga knows this is the moment he left the marble carrying her and Magne.
Finally, the screen changes to show the hill the war started.
"And thus, the story ends. On the hill the Vanguard started the war, the Vanguard would escape. Spinner the Traitor would fulfil his final act of loyalty. The Vanguard would dance no more."
For a moment, Himiko wonders if this is how the play will end. There's still more that needs to be said and if there isn't then she'll punch Compress in the face.
"For the better part of a century and a half," All For One says from everywhere at once, "I have been called the Strongest Man Alive. Today, I will show you why. Eyes up. If you call yourself a villain, then stand tall and never bend your back."
Slowly, the cast playing the villains and the Vanguard stream in. First is Tomura who set things in motion followed by the dead members of the Vanguard.
"You are stronger than you think. There is no hero more powerful than you. Show no fear and always be strong."
The surviving members of the Vanguard enter, Himiko and Magne walking together. They are followed by Kurogiri who stands ahead of Tomura.
Himiko winces, knowing how angry that slight will make Tomura later.
"Remember that we are patient. Remember that we endure. And when we are ready, we strike, even if only to destroy the weakness within us."
The other actors enter, standing behind the villains. It isn't a subtle metaphor in the slightest.
Finally, All For One enters, the brightest lights on him. He is an overwhelming presence compared to the rest.
"Tonight, I will show you the meaning of power. Tomorrow, remember my strength. Remember my glory. Hold it tight to your heart and make your own future."
All For One bows to the audience. The other actors follow suit as the lights even out, allowing everyone to be seen.
The screen shows an image of Kamino Ward after the war. Much of the city is flattened to the ground, skyscrapers tipped over and thousands of deep gouges throughout the city.
More images appear, one city after another. Each shows the devastation wrought by the war. Bridges that are collapsed. People drowning in the aftermath of tidal waves. Towns shattered by rockslides. A long stretch of coastal cities in Okinawa now underwater.
Finally, a number shows up in the middle of the screen.
12 361 002
Eight innocuous figures. Pocket change for the wealthiest in the world. But each number has a life attached to it. Names show up on the screen, the largest amongst them 'All For One' and 'Toshinori Yagi'. The others are innumerable and illegible. But still, that number stands out.
This is the cost of the war.
The stage darkens, obscuring the actors. But still, that number is an ominous and looming presence in their minds.
The applause from the audience is thunderous. It isn't only the villains, but the general audience as well. The only people not particularly enthused are those who lived through events. Tomura will need to be restrained before he kills Compress. Magne as well.
Then she asks a question she's wondered for months. "How did our marbles get to that hill?"
"Spinner."
"Why didn't Compress just take them himself? Even then, why that place? Why the place the war started?"
"Because he wanted to make a statement."
"Exactly," Himiko says. "And what statement is bigger than that number? Then an era ending?"
"Oh shit," Tomura says slowly. "He started the war."
"And he got away with it."
Himiko can't help but laugh hysterically.
-TDB-
The first student to grace both the hallowed walls of UA academy and the besmirched grills of a Tartarus Prison cell is Izuku Midoriya, shadowking of the abyss and the most controversial boy to ever live.
His name is known across the world and always for a different reason. Some called him the most exciting prospect at UA's Sports Festival. Others called him a hero after defeating Stain when the pros failed. After his interview in Hokkaido, some called him an exemplar of peace and compassion and others still claimed him a misguided political puppet.
What will they say after his latest stunt? The world knows he is heir to the Fourth Great Tyrant, All For One, and the hero who slew him, All Might. He revealed some of the greatest quirk secrets without a moment of hesitation, upturning whatever views they had of him. Maybe they'll call him a villain and maybe they'll call him a hero.
Izuku could leave his tiny isolation cell anytime he wants. The walls certainly won't hold back his strength and his immortality negates the fear of an explosive collar. In his first few hours, he had met an admiral who had offered him immediate release—an offer Izuku laughed at—before his father had entered.
"Come home," his father had said. "Kouta's crying."
"Tell him I'll be back when it's time. Tell him to be strong for me." Had he smiled to hide his pain? Maybe. "Tell him this is part of my promise."
"We just got you back. Three months isn't long."
"No, it isn't. I risked a lot for one kid. Make sure he's treated well. And…" He swallows, hesitant. "Tell mum I'll see her again when I'm a free man."
That had been two days ago. Since then he has had a tiny cell for company. It's an easy circuit, six steps in one direction before hitting the wall. Another four steps and you hit another wall. The toilet is technically clean but he picks up some acrid scent from it. The bed isn't terrible but meditating is much more comfortable.
You're so boring now, Mikumo says, shuffling a deck of cards in Izuku's head. You're just being lazy again.
"Oh, fuck off."
The grate slides open. A mechanical actuator delivers his food with cold, unfeeling precision. There is enough food to last an entire day. A rather simple precaution. Feed a prisoner once a day and you only need to worry about one possible security flaw. Use only foods that require no utensils and you remove their potential to use a fork as a shiv.
Seven days pass in isolation before things change. The lights flash between yellow and green, a quiet alarm playing. He cocks his head, sensing the shadows of six—no, that's seven—guards approaching his cell. Two break off and stand on either side of his cell.
"Kneel down and place your hands behind your back," someone orders from a speaker. "This is for your own health and safety."
Izuku rolls his eyes but complies with the order. A few moments later, the fibres of his clothes stiffen. They pull back uncomfortably, reminding Izuku all too much of Aizawa's capture equipment. His trousers do the same. For anyone else, this might count as being immobilised. For Izuku, he's got One For All in his soul. There are no restraints that can ever hold him.
The door hisses, clicking and clacking as it opens. The two guards are in full riot suppression gear, their weapons non-lethal but powerful: spray-foam to immobilise, tasers and stun-batons to paralyse, rubber bullets arming their guns. All of it utterly futile in the face of a god's strength.
Quickly, they move behind him and train their weapons on his back.
"Prisoner secured."
"Permission granted to move him," the voice from the speaker says once more. "Izuku Midoriya, you are to be released into the general prison population. Misconduct will result in isolation time. Do you understand?"
"I understand that I'm being held without trial."
"Do you understand the consequence of misconduct?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever. Let's get this over with."
They wheel the contraption in. Izuku regrets his life decisions immediately. It looks like the lovechild of a wheelchair and a torture device. They strap him in securely.
They push him forward, their aim always unerringly accurate. Once the second gate unlocks, he sees the other guards. They encircle him, weapons trained on his still form.
Izuku smiles at them. The amount of work just to move him a hundred metres is commendable even if it is wasteful. It does show how much they fear him. And maybe, just maybe, they respect him as well.
Chaos is what he expects when he enters the general area. Order greets him instead. The tables are in neat rows, warm light from large windows cascading down on them. It makes some areas much darker, but the vibrancy of genuine sunlight is startling after a week in isolation.
The prisoners are grouped together by their affiliations. He recognises many of them from All For One's files, vigilantes and villains of immense reputation imprisoned by heroes. Many more are foreign to him. What he does know is that no child should be in this place.
He counts five who appear younger than he is.
Hate sparks in his chest, deep and bloodcurdling. This is hatred that will see the world change, hate that threatens his faith in humanity. Every step he takes seems to reveal the worst that humanity has to offer and it is never hidden.
He walks forward, unburdened by his clothes being stiffened. He notices that only a few of the prisoners have explosive collars around their necks.
Everyone watches him so Izuku keeps his head high and his back straight. He chose to come here, to stand undaunted against the world if that is the cost of a better future. What have they achieved compared to him? What right do they have to gaze at him with contempt?
More and more he is coming to understand Sensei's contempt.
Someone extends their leg to trip him. Izuku activates a fragment of One For All and steps on his boot. He ignores the screams of pain. They need to understand quickly that he isn't prey.
The table is occupied but only one person holds Izuku's interest. Without his armour or red cloth, Stain looks painfully normal.
His smirk is arrogant and his eyes dance with malicious humour.
"Izuku Midoriya as I live and breathe. How does it feel being one of us?"
Izuku rolls his eyes. "Stop being a condescending prick."
"Coming from the man looking for good to uplift."
"Yes, yes, yes, you were right about Stormwind."
Stain bares his teeth but gestures to the free chair. Izuku takes it, ignoring the started looks from the others at the table.
"What brings you to my humble abode?" Stain gestures broadly, encompassing Tartarus itself. "For a hellhole, it isn't so terrible."
"I want to win at their own game," Izuku says, uncaring that everyone is listening to their conversation. "The rules are rigged and the deck stacked, but I don't give a damn. Do you know what it means if the government lets me walk free after I spat on everything they uphold? They'll legitimise me and my words."
Stain… No, his name is Chizome Akaguro. Izuku is the only person with permission to call him that. He'll show him that much respect at the very least.
Chizome snorts. "You think they'll give you a chance? You'll be just like every other failed revolutionary." Chizome looks around and finds someone in the back. "Hey Shinobu, how's freeing Shikoku going for you?"
"Your mother's a whore!"
Izuku rolls his eyes. Katsuki knew worse curses when they were six.
"Oh, they made a mistake. They put me in here without trial. Me." Maybe it's arrogance, but he knows the weight his name carries. "In three months, everyone will know Japan's government believes in imprisonment without trial. In six months, every case will be reopened. Within a year, I'll walk free. Maybe a lot of you will as well."
Chizome stares at him for a long minute. Then he laughs, dry and raspy and filled with amusement.
"I'll take you up on that bet." He flicks a finger at the woman beside Izuku. "Introduce yourselves."
They do so and Izuku commits their names to memory, refusing to let them be forgotten. They all have a story and it takes a bit of work to pry even the smallest portion of it out of them.
They fall silent as someone approaches the table. By his shadow and footsteps, the man is massive. He stops right behind Izuku. Chizome simply raises a brow, refusing to involve himself.
Izuku sighs. "You think because I have a shock collar that you can take me on because you're bigger than me?"
The man doesn't respond with words. He brings his fist down over Izuku.
His arm stops in Izuku's palm, all momentum arrested. There are gasps from some around him, but Izuku ignores them. Instead, he looks at Stain.
"What's the usual procedure for this?" he asks, ignoring the man as he squirms, trying to pry his arm free.
Chizome grins. "Beat the shit out of each other. The guards don't particularly care."
Izuku grins back. There's a spot two rows ahead that looks pretty clear. Casually, Izuku throws the brawny man across the room. In the process, he finally gets a look at his mutations, ox-like and built for pure strength.
"Excuse me," he says to the table. "I have to relieve some stress."
Izuku stands and walks towards the man calmly, utterly relaxed. The mutant has only just gotten up when Izuku backhands him across the face.
Blood and teeth come out from the blow. Izuku frowns. He'd thought the mutant could handle five percent of One For All. It's so little that the collar's usual shock is instead an annoying buzz.
Distracted, Izuku doesn't dodge the fist as cleanly as he'd like. He dodges the next blow and slides around the mutant. He kicks the man in the back of the knee.
He collapses to the ground, grunting in pain. At least with him on his knees, Izuku doesn't need to jump to knee the mutant.
Like a sack of forgotten potatoes, the mutant collapses to the ground. It is the only sound in the common area. Neither the prisoners nor the villains speak.
"All Might put a lot of you behind bars. I get that you're angry and upset, but I'm not him. I may have inherited his legacy, but I'm not Toshinori Yagi." Izuku smiles. "I'm nowhere near as nice. He played by the rules because he had a goal that he could only achieve by following them. My only goal is to break the rules."
He grips his collar. "This? This is nothing."
He summons a large portion of One For All which makes the collar activate. He grits his teeth through the sudden surge of electricity through his system, shunting as much of One For All as he can to counteract the spasms.
His hand covers the explosive portion of the collar and then he squeezes.
Boom.
With deliberate ease, he pulls the collar off and drops it.
"You know, the funny thing is that All For One used these exact collars." He enjoys their surprise. "I'm not here because they can hold me. Please, don't make the mistake of assuming I'm weak and defenceless."
He may happen to be looking at the security guards when he says that.
Things settle into a rhythm after that. Izuku Midoriya is someone no one knows how to deal with. He follows the schedule to avoid disrupting things too much. The conditions aren't horrendous: three meals a day, though he only eats every few days; indefinite shower time and clean clothing; and a library with a stock of new books on all subjects.
Over the next few weeks, he learns those who wore his lightning bolt proudly before finding themselves here. There aren't many but with him here, they're the most powerful faction. He goes about collecting the younger inmates and making sure they're protected.
You're forcibly recruiting them into your gang regardless of how they feel, Mikumo says one evening.
"I'm not. I just won't leave kids younger than me to get hurt."
But you gave them no choice.
"I'll save them regardless of how they feel about it."
If that's your wish, young Warlord.
Izuku sits up in his bed, livid. "Fuck you."
Mikumo doesn't respond. He's long gone, hiding somewhere deep in the recesses of Izuku's mind. Izuku wants to scream and rage at his brother but forces his anger down, refusing to let the entire prison know he talks to the voices in his head.
"You're a dumbass for thinking things were like this before," Stain says caustically the next day. "Things were shit then you got sent here. And now we have an overabundance of supplies. Well, us at least. I don't know what Tartarus is like."
"This is Tartarus."
"No, this is a general holding facility. You haven't seen Tartarus. That's below the water."
Izuku blinks, startled. He'd thought this entire time he had seen what the prison had to hold. Terrible for the way it is used to hold people without trial, but not horrendous in and of itself.
"Do you know anyone who came out of Tartarus?" Stain nods. "Show me."
If Stain himself didn't get into Tartarus, then it must truly be reserved for the worst villains. Maybe people who have decimated cities or directly attacked the government. In Izuku's case, he has too many powerful allies for anyone to treat him badly.
"This is the one."
What he doesn't expect is a teenager. Izuku looks at the boy. He's not much older than Izuku should be, no more than seventeen.
He's also terrified from the way he flinches away from Stain singling him out. He masters it quickly, affecting a semblance of composure.
"You wanna hear my dark and tragic backstory," the boy says. "You've been asking everyone else."
"I'd prefer the abridged version," Izuku says dryly.
The teen laughs. "Fine. I saw the world was wrong so I got some of my friends and tried to start a revolution. It failed. They sent a military battalion. Killed my friends. I killed them back. Now, I'm in prison. Short enough for you?"
Izuku nods, his throat tight. That could have very easily been him. What would he have done if they'd rolled in tanks instead of accepting his peaceful surrender? If they'd threatened his mother and Kouta?
You would have torn their hearts out.
Even Izuku can't refute Mikumo's claim.
"Tell me about Tartarus."
The boy stiffens, frozen by terror.
"No."
Izuku kneels beside him and offers the kindest smile he can. It is the same smile All Might would give; the kind that makes people stand taller. It makes people forget their fears and weaknesses. It is a smile that asks for you to try and will forgive you no matter how often you fail.
All Might is gone. It falls onto Izuku to offer that kindness in this new world.
"I know what it's like to be afraid of the dark," Izuku says. "I know what it's like to be scared and alone. I don't know you but I think you know me. I promise you that you'll never go back there. Just please, I need to know."
"I don't know how far down it is," the boy says haltingly. "It feels like the underworld. The clothes make it so you can't move a single muscle. There's something wonky with the gravity because you're kept in the middle, unable to touch anything."
"You're doing great."
"There's no sound. No touch. Nothing to see. Nothing to hear." The boy looks up, something feral in his gaze. "Do you know how fucking loud your heartbeat is?"
"Oh," Stain says slowly. "Tartarus is a sensory deprivation chamber."
"No fucking shit."
Izuku smiles. "Don't worry, I'll make sure no one ever goes to Tartarus again."
That's a promise he doesn't mean to break.
-TDB-
Inko Midoriya doesn't know how to feel as she watches UA suffer. She wanted revenge, yes, but it tastes like ash without Izuku here beside her. And no matter how much she likes Kouta, he is no substitute for her son. Oh, she'll care for him and protect him as fiercely as she did Izuku, but he'll never be Izuku. If not for her son, she wouldn't even know Kouta's name.
That bitterness extends to Mitsuki Bakugou. They may have made amends and done their best to move on, but Inko can never forget the fact that Katsuki Bakugou is at home, safe and protected, despite all he's done. She can't ever forget that Mitsuki's family is fine and that they hardly suffered compared to the Midoriya family.
"I knew they were doing terrible things but not like this," Mitsuki says, watching the newscaster speak on Nezu's institute.
"Fifty-one UA students have been placed in this institute over the last two decades. The institute was built in a hidden wing of Musutafu Psychiatric facility after extensive donations from UA. None of the patients were harmed during the Kamino Ward War, however, two have been missing since before then. Unfortunately, with casualty counts as they are, contacting next of kin has proven a challenge for the authorities."
She knows the names of the two students that went missing. Hagakure and Mineta's Nomu corpses are currently held in a testing facility jointly held by the Imperial Household and the navy, which she only knows because of Hisashi.
"This isn't the worst of it," Inko says, watching as the staff are arrested. "But at least now the world knows. At least now UA won't ever commit another crime."
"They still haven't found Nezu."
Inko forces her fist to unclench at the reminder. "No. Him and Snipe and Midnight all escaped during the war. Any of the staff that survived are being interrogated right now."
"Recovery Girl's been blacklisted by the JMA. She won't ever be able to practice in a tiny clinic on some random mountain."
"That's the least that will happen to her. Within a week, she'll be in prison for the rest of her short life."
Mitsuki glances at her, saying nothing for a beat. Then she picks up her glass and takes a sip of water, gathering her words.
"Intake for hero courses has dropped dramatically. Ketsubutsu had to lower the admission age and they still couldn't get a full-sized class. It's even worse with second and third-year students across the country. They're refusing to come back after what happened to the UA classes."
"Good. People forgot being a hero meant being willing to die and now they've been reminded of that cost."
"I don't think heroics is going to survive," Mitsuki admits sadly. "Because of what we've done."
"No, not us. Powerful people like Nezu and All For One and all the rest, people who weren't ever held accountable. People who did as they pleased."
"Like Hisashi."
"I'm fully aware of my own hypocrisy, Mitsuki. But we need allies, no matter how imperfect they are. Hisashi isn't a good man, but he'll listen to me. And you'll tell me if I'm doing something wrong."
"I can't be your morals. I'm not a good person as well."
"You're better than most."
Being able to admit your wrongdoings makes you better than most people in the world as far as Inko is concerned. And being willing to stand against an organisation as powerful as UA, an organisation with a seat in the highest echelons of power, makes you a good friend.
"...Amidst growing unrest following the incarceration of Izuku Midoriya, the Lightning Bolts have issued a statement censuring the judicial system and the remains of the heroics industry."
Inko keeps calm at the reminder of her son's imprisonment. He could walk out anytime he wanted, but for some unfathomable reason, he thinks this is necessary. He thinks playing along with the farce of a judicial system they have is important. Winning by their systems would legitimise him further, but Inko disagrees. The greatest form of legitimisation is overwhelming strength.
Stormwind. Titan. Hero. Hawkmoon. All For One. Each a legend and each legitimised through their power. They may have all perished, but they all changed the world.
"And Izuku?"
"What about him?"
"You can't protect him anymore. He made an enemy out of everyone in power. He made an enemy out of Hisashi—"
"Hisashi is a lot of things but he's loyal to me and Izuku first." She meets Mitsuki's gaze with her own, one heavy with the weight of the abyss. "We've reached an accord with them. We'll steer Izuku clear of them and they'll ignore him."
"You know he won't accept that forever."
"No, but he'll be strong enough to win against them by then."
When she thinks of the strength he'll need one day, she hears the chittering of a thousand spiders. She imagines fangs that will eat the world and poison to spoil the world's lifeblood.
"... only three of the top-ten heroes alive, vigilantism has seen a surge in popularity..."
"Katsuki still wants to be a hero but he wants to try something different. I didn't think the bastard could read but there's a stack of history books in his room. A lot of stuff on Vancouver."
She smiles. "He wants to make something new out of his broken dreams and shattered hope. Just like Izuku did. All we can do is guide them as best we can."
Later, when Mitsuki is gone, she cracks open the door to Izuku's room. Kouta is sleeping, clutching Izuku's favourite hoodie. She can just barely make out the salt trail running down the boy's cheek.
She hears Hisashi long before he places his hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly. She permits him to run his hand down her arm and even lets him clasp their hands together.
"I feel sorry for Kouta," she says softly. "Loving a Midoriya man isn't an easy thing. They're headstrong and secretive and once they decide on something, they chase it relentlessly, even if it means they leave those that love them behind."
The grief in his eyes is old but she will never mistake the depths of his love.
"I love you," he croaks out. "Everything I did was for this family. For you. I chased after you."
"And you still left me for a decade. You might have been born Hisashi Atakani, but you behave like all the Midoriya men. My father died because he couldn't leave well enough alone and learnt things that got him and my mother killed. My grandfather died saving some random stranger in a fire. My great-grandfather and his brother fought to the death playing at vigilante. And now my son is going to force the world to change. Kouta has no idea what it means to be part of this family."
He smiles, nervous around her as always.
"You broke one of the three greatest hero institutes and ordered an Emperor. You're the mother to the boy who succeeded All Might and All For One. You're just as headstrong as the rest."
"The difference is that I know when to stop. I don't leave my family." She let's go of his hand and takes a step back. "Like you're about to leave."
"I'll stay if you need me to, but I've ensured Kouta is protected. Fumikage has agents making sure Izuku is treated well."
"You're a terrible husband."
"I know. But once I got my first taste of the abyss, I could never stop chasing after new secrets. I need to know the first truth. I need to know why the abyss ever touched our world."
She sighs. "Go. I'll be here, waiting for you as always."
"I love you."
I love you as well, you fool.
"Kouta will miss you."
He barks out a laugh. "The little shit won't even notice I'm gone."
-TDB-
Hisashi Midoriya doesn't leave that evening. There are still things that need to be settled, promises to keep and warnings to give.
His first destination is Vancouver Island, the seat of a budding nation. The first thing he notices is the heightened police presence and the rather silent streets. It takes him a moment to see a group of soldiers arguing with a villain. They look ready to fire, but they must know how foolish that is. That villain likely took part in the battle against the Hero Conglomerate.
It'll take time before people are used to the new normal. A nation claimed by villains for villains isn't something the world has ever seen. But when he thinks about it, every nation was built on who could spill the most blood. A compromise will have to be found. The villains might have the power to destroy the island, but no one wants to destroy their home.
It won't be easy or comfortable, but it is what needs to be done. Peace can only be had by people willing to set aside their differences and realise more unites them then divides them.
Finding his target is the work of a few hours. All For Once's informant network is still operational here and Hisashi's authorization codes still work. And looking like a spitting image Izuku in fifty years helps quite a bit.
His target is hiding amongst the peaks of Mount Washington, dressed in a simple vest and crisp shirt despite the cold.
Kurogiri has a warp gate around Hisashi's neck the moment he fully materialises.
"We had an accord," Kurogiri warns. "I did what your family asked. I stuck to my end of the bargain. And don't you dare ask me to come back. I am never working with them again."
Hisashi smiles. "You know as well as I do what it means to be part of that family. But no, I just came to see the first Warlord of the last century."
Kurogiri's gasses snap and hiss. The warp gate threatening to decapitate Hisashi vanishes.
"Tell me why you're here and get out."
Hisashi smirks. "My son's better than yours. Even All For One thought so."
"Your son's in prison."
"You think he can't walk out anytime he wants?"
"I think he won't."
Hisashi opens a doorway and leaves before he does something he regrets. Maybe needlessly antagonising Kurogiri hadn't been necessary, but it had been worth it for a few precious seconds. And it had served the purpose of reminding the former villain that the world is a very small place.
His next destination is the Imperial Villa. The damage to the heart of the Imperial City is negligible compared to the rest of the country. With the Emperor himself here during All For One's attack, the damage had been greatly mitigated. The power to destroy mountains can sometimes be used to protect and build.
Regardless, the Villa itself is quieter than usual. From the casualty reports, half of the household's combat agents suffered casualties from battling China's invasion force and the Vancouver Island Villain Association. They won't be remembered or praised, but without their contribution, Japan would be under foreign rule.
"Fumikage."
The young god doesn't look up from the game he's playing with a bunch of children. Hisashi doesn't know them, though all are mutants. They're likely new additions to the household under Fumikage's authority. And whilst Hisashi is important, his status amongst the household has waned greatly. Doors once open to him are barred and information he could pull up a month ago is hidden. He wonders if it is Itinerant stymieing him or someone else amongst the royal lines.
It doesn't matter. He hasn't had any true loyalty to the Chrysanthemum since he met Inko and certainly not after Izuku was born. In truth, his loyalty to the household died with his parents. After Izuku's birth, he had done everything to become his own entity, to become someone capable of sitting at the same table as the Strongest Man Alive.
Now, his son is a god. No matter what happens going forward, his son will be strong enough to rule the world. With Fumikage as an ally and Shouto as… not hostile, then nothing will truly stop them.
"Did you at least say goodbye?"
He startles, meeting Fumikage's patient gaze. Despite the time they spent together in the abyss, it surprises him that Fumikage is taller than him now. Nowhere close to Shouto's height, but tall nonetheless.
He decides against deceit. "I did."
"What do you need?"
"My family."
Fumikage nods once. "I do not need a reminder, Hisashi. We're stretched thin so we can't monitor them constantly, but your wife and Kouta will be safe."
"Thank you." He glances at the children fighting on the grass and feels just the slightest twinge of regret. "I need another favour from you."
"Yes?"
He removes the envelope in his jacket and hands it to Fumikage. Dark Shadow materialises a claw and takes the envelope.
"Give it to the Emperor's daughter and tell her… I guess that I'll visit when I'm back."
Fumikage blinks. "As you say, Hisashi. Godspeed."
Hisashi huffs. From anyone else, it would be an empty platitude. From Fumikage, someone who can affect the universe itself, well, it feels like a benediction—a genuine blessing from god. With that protection, he travels to the abyss without fear.
The world resolves in a flash of green lightning. Where once the floor was endless and reflected the light of creation, it is now a lattice of black flames. The creatures that fought for a tiny chance to survive a never-ending cycle are gone and nothing has replaced them.
This place is a strange land, one under the control of the godflame which shouldn't happen. He's far too deep for the flame of creation to have any sway over this land. But, then again, the three kings changed the very nature of the abyss.
The important part is that the train is still present. The purple locomotive doesn't seem to care for the flames beneath it, refusing to burn or crack against their power.
He takes his time inspecting the train and learning more and more about his son's journey through the abyss with Shouto. Here is a train cart flooded and with a few dozen punctures. There is a kitchen broken by raw strength. Blood splatters and teeth and crystal shards on the floors, in the walls, and hidden in random nooks and crannies.
That doesn't concern him as much as the fact that one thing is missing, the same thing that's been bothering him for so long.
"It should be here," Hisashi says for the umpteenth time. "In every reality, his body is always with his train. So why not this one?"
Hisashi would be satisfied if he could at least find Master Railroad's clothes, but no, nothing remains of his body.
Unknown, the World Walker hiding in the depths of his mind says. Interference of shadowking and scorchking a possibility.
He rubs his face. "I just want answers."
The train shudders, nearly making Hisashi trip. He runs towards the front of the train as it speeds up, pausing only once to see it chew up mile upon mile of distance in the span of a few seconds. In the conductor's cabin, he finds the train operating itself.
On the seat is a single sheaf of paper. He reads it, letting the World Walker deal with translating the ontological grammar clauses, before setting it down.
The train will guide you, Operator.
"I know, but who the hell is the Renegade. I thought we knew all the players on the board."
Perhaps the one who stole the corpse. The abyss is infinite in its possibilities.
Hisashi leans back and puts his feet on the console. "I guess we're gonna get answers."
-TDB-
Izuku Midoriya isn't afraid of being in prison. The other inmates are terrified of him, yes, and the guards aren't willing to get near him. Well, given that the local weather pattern changes when he's annoyed, it is a reasonable fear.
He has a legal team courtesy of the Yaoyorozu family, which reminds Izuku that he will need to thank her personally. They've never really interacted and already she's doing this much for him.
The court proceedings are happening in private given the complicated and tangled web he's involved in. All For One. All Might. His father and the Imperial Household. Even the navy and military. It's as volatile as it gets without actual bloodshed. From what the lawyers tell him, there's a major push to get him released for his power if nothing else. Whoever manages that expects Izuku to owe him a favour.
Izuku barks out a laugh. "I walked in here of my own volition. I can walk out if I want to. I don't want that. I want the courts to proclaim my innocence. I want them to legitimise my cause."
A week later, Izuku is hauled away from the general area and carted towards a meeting room. It is plain and unadorned but for two stools and a titanium table. They cuff Izuku to the table, which he thinks is cute, but says nothing.
You've become arrogant in your strength, Mikumo says.
"Shut up," he mutters.
The door slides open with a long-drawn hiss. A man enters the room dressed in a simple uniform. Izuku has met him before. Right after the end of the Kamino Ward War when he was a guest of the army, this man had been his main interrogator.
"If you're here to offer me a deal then you're a few months late," Izuku says casually. "The navy offered some great benefits."
The interrogator doesn't react to that but for a minor twitch in a neck muscle. Good self-control. Very good.
"Are you completely incapable of not stirring the pot?"
"I have a strong personality."
The interrogator scoffs. "A recent development. UA records show that you were emotionally unstable, suffered extreme symptoms of psychosis and schizophrenia that ultimately culminated in a psychotic break."
Izuku grits his teeth, hating the reminder of what he was like before. He's come so far since then that to have a stranger open that old wound is a grave insult.
"What's your point?"
"That you weren't always a headstrong ideologue. That's a learned behaviour. Last time we spoke you kept the secret of your wind quirk."
"It wasn't your place to know."
"I think it is. No one person should have that kind of power. When that happens, we get Warlords and Tyrants."
"And you get Hawkmoon and Hero and All Might."
"Yes, the only three most people can remember. We've had Three Great Tyrants and you inherited power from one of them. Do you understand what your actions did to the international community?"
Izuku shrugs. "Not my main concern."
"I have it on good authority that every nuclear power now has a protocol just for you. If you fuck up, the entire world is willing to see Japan burn before they allow another Great Tyrant to rise."
"I'm not a—"
"Your mentor influenced a quarter of the world. Twelve nations have been loyal to his cause for the last century. In one year, he destroyed the two largest hero collectives in the world. Soon enough, a new nation built by villains will rise in the Pacific Northwest. There'll be more bloodshed. Maybe it won't be as terrible as what happened here, but we came this close to a World War."
"Maybe the issue is the world that gave rise to him."
"You think the system is the issue. Don't be an idiot. Ever since quirks came about, villains and Warlords have existed."
Izuku rolls his eyes. "Yeah, and heroes rose with them. If we change the nature of the power structures, then one day we'll move past heroes and villains. And I'm willing to fight to make that change."
"Can you listen to yourself for one moment? Japan just went through a war. Twelve million people dead. Twelve million. That was only six months ago." The man shakes his head. "And now you want to start another war for your fucking beliefs."
"Yes."
The man stares at him incredulously. "You're insane. You're genuinely insane. You have no concept of human life."
"That's all I'm fighting for."
"No, you're fighting for your ego," he snarls. "Izuku Midoriya, the man who brought change. You just want to be remembered. The man who brought peace on the corpses of millions."
Izuku narrows his eyes. "The only people who will fight me are those benefitting from the system as it stands."
"I can say with complete certainty that you aren't a villain." He pauses for a bit. "You're much worse. They'll call you a Warlord and then a Tyrant. You'll earn those titles one life at a time."
"People can be better. People can lay down their arms. I'll show them that path."
"No, you won't. Izuku Midoriya, you are an enemy to Japan. An enemy to peace and stability. I hope you prove me wrong. I hope you're more All Might than All For One." The interrogator stands. "For the sake of the world, I hope you don't look up to Stormwind."
Despite his hard expression, that conversation shakes Izuku. He'd known since the very beginning that he would have to fight but he never considered all the suffering that would occur in the process. No, he only saw an end goal and walked towards it unerringly.
The others don't know what causes the change to his personality or even how to pull him out of his shell. He may still observe the prison and events surrounding it, but he isn't as loud, charismatic and bombastic as he was.
He is like that for a month before he gets his second visitor. It is a simple visitation room, steel and ballistic glass keeping inmate and visitor from one another.
"Fumikage."
He's grown up since Izuku last spoke to him eight, maybe nine months ago. It had been the final exam if he remembers correctly, the same day Fumikage was expelled. Back then, Fumikage had been awkward in his own skin, uncertain of his place in the world. Now, however, he wears his white coat proudly, the Chrysanthemum seated in the centre of his black uniform.
His loyalties are evident and he bears the weight of them with dignity.
"Hello, my friend."
Izuku startles. "Your voice is deeper."
"Oh?" Fumikage twitches awkwardly. "Maybe it is. You've… I can't say your appearance has changed much."
"Well, I hope you don't get tired of seeing the same face."
"I think a piece of familiarity over the centuries will do me good. All of us, really."
"Are you happy? With them?" Izuku nods towards the emblem on his chest.
"Are you disappointed?"
"Is this the path you want to walk?"
"I believe so."
Izuku smiles. Finally, an answer.
"Of course, I'm not disappointed in you. I should be asking you that. Here I am in prison and it's been what, nearly a year since we last talked."
"A bit less, but yes." Fumikage sighs. "I had worried distance would make us drift."
"You and me and Shouto till the very end. That was the promise, right? I don't mean to break it."
And just like that, they are friends again. Izuku talks and Fumikage listens. He is like an anchor keeping Izuku in place in the churning sea of his self-doubt. Fumikage's endless patience hasn't changed and it leaves Izuku breathless knowing that his friend will be with him forever.
"I don't want to cause more suffering but I can't stand the world right now."
"It's impossible to change things like that without death. People won't just lay down as you break the system they benefited from."
"And the innocents?" Izuku asks.
"Maybe you fail to save one person today if it means ten more are saved later."
"How many have you watched die?"
"Too many."
"That's you trying to deflect."
"I suppose I don't want to disappoint you."
Izuku sighs. "I think I could have saved the Pussycats, but I gave up on them from the beginning. Do you really think I wouldn't forgive you?"
Fumikage smiles. Izuku has always been so simple at his core. He's kind and forgiving, even if it's been tempered by violence, anger and hypocrisy.
"The abyss corrupts humans so easily. And when it happens, you just have to burn away the infection."
"I told you that."
"Yes."
"I led you down this road. All of it. Aizawa. The Guard. Everything you've done since then."
Fumikage frowns severely. "Do not attempt to take away my free will, Midoriya. When China invaded, I fought at the forefront so you would have a home to come back to."
Izuku winces, but nods once, accepting the rebuke.
"I made my choices because they were right," Fumikage continues. "Our stories are intertwined, but we are always free to make our own choices."
The lights flash, cycling between green and orange. Their time is coming to an end.
"I need a favour from you."
"Anything."
"Tartarus, the prison beneath this prison, is a sensory deprivation chamber of the worst kind. It needs to be stopped."
"I'll see to it."
Izuku watches him leave, feeling cold and uncertain. It's all so big, bigger than any one person should carry. But he has friends and allies whom he can trust. Most of them are outside the prison, but some are stuck in here with him.
Chizome Akaguro, Stain, is a constant in his life. Not as a protector or friend, but maybe two equals who respect each other. They debate anything and everything. Were Titan's death squads given an unfair punishment since their families were held hostage? The navy's rise to power since the Dark Age and how they shaped the future. Stormwind's Sacking of Minsk.
All the while he learns the stories of those in the prison. Many are unrepentant criminals but some are here without cause, incarcerated by an almost draconian government.
"I've never seen him before," Stain says, pointing at an elderly man.
"New inmate?"
"No, we'd know if that was the case. Unless…"
"Stain?"
Stain doesn't respond to him that day. As the week goes by, more and more people start showing up. They've been here before by the way they fall into certain cliques or go off on their own. Prison routine is something they all know how to deal with.
"They're from Tartarus."
It is the boy who told Izuku the truth of Tartarus that speaks. He's fallen in line with the other people Izuku's keeping safe.
"Oh."
"Here five months and you're already changing things," Stain says. "Though I'm still going to win our bet."
Stain does win. Six months pass by and no prisoner cases are reopened. Izuku accepts the loss with dignity, deciding to use it as a learning experience. Sometimes things are messy and unpredictable, plans often going off the rails. You just have to take the blow and keep walking.
He does his best to keep appraised of things happening in the rest of the world. Canada and America are on the verge of a civil war after the Vancouver Island Villain Association won. China's military and navy are being mobilised. Europe is suffering from civil unrest and all of it has to do with Izuku's power and his words. To hold a wind quirk equal to Stormwind and then to quote her had done some odd things to the European psyche.
He receives his third and final visitor in prison at the end of his sixth month. The woman is one he knows from one interaction. At the end of his trip to Hokkaido, he had accepted an interview from Quirk News Network. He'd laid bare his heart and soul to a stranger just so his words could be heard.
"Hello again, Izuku. You will still let me call you that, won't you?"
"You've already taken the liberty." Despite that, he respects her. "How did you get here? I know they're not letting the press see me."
"Your friend. The avian mutant. I wasn't going to say no to the opportunity."
"Will you listen to my story?"
"I think the entire world wants to listen to your story."
Izuku sighs.
"Which story do you want first? Do you want the story of my illegal imprisonment? Last I checked, our laws require trials before incarceration." He grins. "Do you want the story of why I drew a line in the sand and said no." He swings his arms out, gesturing to encompass everything. "Or maybe you want the story of All For One, the Great Tyrant of our age."
"No. I don't want any of those stories."
He tilts his head. "Then what do you want?"
"I want Izuku Midoriya to tell me his story. I want the kid crying after visiting Hokkaido. I want the kid who cares so much he started a movement with his words. I don't want the grandstanding or arrogance. I just want your story. Not the story you think will sound right."
That drains him of his bombastic energy. His arms fall to his side, lifeless. She's watching him and telling the truth.
"Alright, I'll tell you." He takes a shuddering breath.
"Tell me your story, Izuku."
For a moment, he isn't certain where to begin. Then he realises the beginning is the only appropriate place.
"It starts two centuries ago, on the day of Hero's final victory. This is the day a young child sees her victory and decides the true meaning of strength is the power to kill your enemies. This boy will one day become All For One, the Strongest Man Alive, founder of the League of Villains and the first vigilante of Japan. All For One and One For All defined the last two centuries. Can you imagine that? An argument between two brothers reshaped history, broke nations, and killed millions.
"One For All failed to kill his brother. He passed down his quirk for generations, all in the hope of one day finishing an act of filicide. Nana Shimura the Brave. All Might the Perfect Fighter. Me. Maybe one day I'll earn a name." He snorts, surprised by his arrogance. "I know All For One better than anyone else alive. He took me and in me, he saw someone willing to fight the society he had failed to change. He hoped I would succeed in his beliefs. It would his downfall."
He speaks of All For One's great struggle to change things, to gain power and reshape the world to his beliefs. He speaks of All For One's failings, his inability to adapt to the present, to uphold human dignity and be empathetic.
"It was Hawkmoon who changed him. She taught him to set lines he wouldn't cross." Izuku shakes his head. "In the end, even those teachings fell to the wayside. People can change, I believe that. I wish All For One had been a good man. I sincerely hope he found some measure of peace before the end."
She smiles at him. "Maybe he did when he gave you that quirk."
"Maybe. Or maybe he had just given up. Maybe he washed his hands of it all. Living isn't easy. Living for centuries breaks you down. All Might was in his fifties and he was so tired. I can't imagine carrying that burden for two centuries.
"Those two centuries are the legacy I have to carry. Within me is the weight of every moment of grief and agony those two brothers caused by their foolish argument. All For One and One For All. Nana and Toshi. Hawkmoon and Stormwind. I think every hero and villain carry bits and pieces of their legacy. I'm not even seventeen, but somehow, I'm expected to decide the future. All because I refuse to let people suffer silently. What kind of world is that?"
"It's the world we have."
"My name is Izuku MIdoria," he says softly. "My only dream in life is to make this world a better place. I want to see Hokkaido prosper. I want kids in Shikoku to never know a military curfew. I want a Japan where we can trust the government. I want heroes who aren't in it for wealth."
He wipes away his tears.
"Is that so wrong?"
A/N:
Welcome to the fifth and final season of the Dark Below. This, in many ways, serves as an extended epilogue for this story. Things are gonna get wild. We'll be picking up on plot threads I think most of you have forgotten.
Get ready. It's finally time to end this.