And here we are, folks! Back with the new chapter!
Andaeus: Yup, a rewrite! Intended to be an improvement on the past version with the things I personally disliked removed! Hope you will enjoy this as much as you did the original and more!
minatomister9: Ask and you shall receive!
TheAverageJoeIsMe: Otto would go for total doomsday. Physical, emotional and social destruction.
ImHateful: That's dark... I LOVE IT!
Ben: Boy, have I got a surprise for you here!
TehStorm: Trust me, this Izuku won't stay the same for long.
Masterx01: Let's just say he and Bakugou are going to go through some changes before they even get to U.A.
NoNoSquareBoi: Definitely. From Bakugou's perspective, Izuku basically spent his whole life playing him for a fool.
Izuku splashed some cold water against his face, hoping that it would keep him awake. The last night was a sleepless one, the guilt and self-doubt gnawing at his mind like the starving maggots.
"How are you feeling, Izuku? Are you sure you want to go to school today?"
No. No, he didn't.
"Yes... I-I am fine, mom, thanks," she stood by the door, the look of concern on her face too prominent to be brushed off. The look that said she knew he was lying. "Really, mom, I am okay. I am just-"
Afraid? Ashamed? Confused?
"-just fine."
"Okay," she said, tone soothing and understanding. "We can talk when you feel ready."
He didn't miss the tiniest hint of hurt in her voice. He didn't trust her, she probably thought. Worse than that, Izuku couldn't help but feel that was, at least, partially true. He loved his mom but he didn't trust her enough to talk about what happened. What he felt.
How, as brief as it was, he actually...
Izuku poured more cold water onto his head and yet the heat of shame didn't fade. Not as long as the memory of the fight still remained in his head.
"I still fail to see why you are tormenting yourself like this," Doctor said sardonically. "The school won't report the incident. His parents are not pursuing any legal action. Your standing among your peers has improved. And we both know that if anyone deserved some discipline, it is your former friend. Something different is troubling you. Something much bigger than that."
Izuku took a deep breath and stared in the mirror. His body was shivering with the cacophony of emotions that seemed to grow more intense as he went through the events of that day.
"When I activated this power... I didn't realize where it came from but I could feel it. Because of my accelerated perception, I had enough time to feel the charge pass through my fingers and when I- When I looked at Kacchan, I saw his shock and fear... I wanted to stop. Slam my palm into the ground or- Just anything other than what I did."
He swallowed loudly, almost on the verge of a breakdown.
"Then I thought back to all those times he pushed me around. Or all the times he mocked my dreams. And that time when he told me I would be better off dead," his hands were shaking. Anger. Frustration. Remorse. "I just wanted to hurt him back. Make him feel like I did all these years and then I-"
The echoes of Kacchan's screams bounced across Izuku's mind.
The boy hung his head in shame.
"I am scared of how much I enjoyed it, sir," Midoriya whispered in a quiet broken sob. "I enjoyed hurting someone."
Was that it?
"I see," Otto honestly didn't. He tried to but it was beyond him why hurting someone back would cause you emotional turmoil. Regardless, as a mentor, it was his responsibility to help Midoriya through this. He had come too far to let something as small as this incident prevent Midoriya from achieving his goals.
Otto found the whole situation ridiculous. The child was far too hard on himself. Did he really think that all heroes took no joy in what they did? Otto scoffed at the notion. Heroes were, ultimately, human. And no human was without a fault or a sin. As selfless as he was, as much as he sacrificed, even Parker himself couldn't deny the pleasure he took in being the mighty Spider-Man.
He never flaunted it, of course. But Otto had seen into the man's mind. And he knew that there was still the part of Parker that enjoyed having the power. The part of him that would come out ever so rarely and show the world just how terrifying he could be when pushed far enough.
If Benjamin Parker's death was the arachnid hero's greatest regret, then this vindictive and selfish part of his mind was Parker's greatest shame.
"Do you think this makes you a bad person?"
"I... I am not sure," Midoriya looked down at his hands, no doubt replaying the moment in his mind. "But what kind of hero enjoys hurting others?"
"If you enjoyed it, would you be crying here right now?" Otto inquired. "He tormented you for years, Midoriya. For the past ten years, he used you as his metaphorical and literal punching bag. All without remorse."
The world always came down much harder on those who fought oppression rather than the ones who caused it. The toxic mindset that infected even this child. What was wrong with hurting those who hurt you first? What benefit did leaving your tormentors alone bring you?
If Otto were in Midoriya's shoes, he had no idea what he would do. Only that it would humiliating and immensely painful on the blonde bully.
"The fact that you are condemning yourself over a single instance of doing the same says exactly what kind of hero you will be," Otto gave him a reassuring smile. "A superior hero."
Long as you follow my instructions, was unnecessary to add.
Midoriya remained silent, however. As he closed in on himself further, it became even harder to see what the boy was thinking about. A brief flash of anger on Otto's part was extinguished as the man reminded himself that this compassion for others was exactly why he chose the child in the first place.
If he wished to make Superior Spider-Man a worthy legacy, he needed someone with the strong moral core. Someone who would keep Otto grounded and not falling into his old patterns. It was a taxing affair but he was sure it would be worth it.
He wouldn't accept it otherwise.
)O(
Orudera Junior High was a place that sort of melted into the background. You never heard any celebrities or heroes talk about the ordinary schools like theirs. And places like this were in a manga, you could always count on them being reserved for some background stuff only. No secret conspiracies or fantastic adventures taking place here.
It was a place quite fitting for someone like Kabehana Tobuaki, whose general appearance of black braids and thick-framed glasses made her just another face in the crowd. She was fine with that. She never sought to be the center of attention. It was always much easier to enjoy the show than star in one.
"Shhh, he is here..."
Kabehana managed a small smile. And here came the man of the hour.
All eyes on him, Midoriya wasted no time in getting to his seat and burying his face in the book. For now, nobody tried to approach him. But everyone was more than comfortable enough whispering all around him. About his Quirk. About the fight. About so many more things that Kabehana wondered if any of them were even about Midoriya at all.
And judging by the way he shivered and shifted, the girl noted, he was listening to every ingle word.
She wondered how he felt. For so long, Bakugou was the king of the place in all but a name. A hated one, but it didn't take away from his power. Nobody dared challenge the explosive blonde. Similarly, nobody, except for Yubi and Shiretsu (though she doubted Bakugou even knew their names), wanted to spend any time with him either. The power - and the fear of painful retribution with it - was the wall that separated Bakugou from the rest of them, mere mortals.
But then Midoriya, the school's resident weakling, took him down. A fluke. A sucker punch. A lucky shot. Call it what you want but the fact remained that the school's strongest was taken down by his long-time victim.
The wall was damaged now. Not broken but the crack was big enough for the other kids to take a closer look at Bakugou. And what many saw was nothing all that special.
"Acts all high and mighty just cause he blow shit up."
"I heard Endeavor's kid will be going to U.A. Hope he kicks Bakugou's ass."
"I bet the asshole will be kicked out in the first week."
And, of course, on the opposite end of this little ripple in their small pond was Midoriya. There were still many who stayed wary of him - you never knew if he held a grudge against anyone besides Bakugou. But those were quiet, choosing to wait and see how things would turn out. And so, they were nowhere near as loud as those who relished the change in status quo, however brief it would turn out.
"Oi, Midoriya, so what is your Quirk? It looks really cool!"
Tsuchinaru, the literal blockhead (or rather, block-hair on account of his Quirk), was the first to approach Midoriya. The entire room got quieter, interested in what would happen. Did Midoriya consider them bullies as bad as Bakugou? Kabehana wondered briefly how she would feel in Midoriya's place and it was a nasty little feeling. He could ignore the suddenly friendly boy. Or tell him off. She doubted many would blame him.
Which made her all the more surprised when Midoriya answered without a hint of anger.
"It's a mutant Quirk. Apparently, some of the Quirks skipped a couple of generations and mixed into an entirely new Quirk in me. I am supposed to come for the proper analysis a bit later."
It was a simple answer that said almost nothing. And yet it was enough to attract others to him. What could he do? For how long could he do it? Was he planning to go U.A. now? Could he beat Bakugou if the blonde came for a rematch? Kabehana watched the whole ordeal with an amused smile right until the class began.
And quickly fell silent as Bakugou walked in behind the teacher.
If their teacher sensed any shift in the mood, he ignored it and went through the usual morning routine. But the man's droning about the pre-Quirk era and significant events of the time were nowhere near as interesting as observing Midoriya and Bakugou. No, rather, it was waiting for something to happen that was the most exciting thing in the class.
And that something finally happened, though only once the class was over.
The whole class stood quiet as they watched Bakugou whisper something into Midoriya's ear. None of them dared come closer enough to hear what was said. Once he was done, the blonde spoke in his usual booming voice.
"If you don't show up, you are dead meat."
And with that, Bakugou left the room. Notably, without his lackeys following behind.
Now, Kabehana smiled, just where could she and others enjoy the show?
)O(
Sitting in his room, Izuku quietly worked on the pair of goggles under Doctor Octavius' instructions. The things he hadn't yet understood about the device, the scientist had him write down for further revision. Which included almost everything with how preoccupied his mind was.
"He wants a fight."
Kacchan told him to be at Hokori, the long-abandoned part of the city. Show up or die, as he put it.
"You have no obligation to go there. Let the brute wait for you all night if he wishes to."
There was not much Bakugou could do to him if he didn't come. He valued his future too much to throw it away by trying to kill him. And there was nothing for Izuku to gain by actually going there either. Nothing except for the chance to resolve whatever mess their relationship has become.
"You are not going there to apologize, are you?"
Izuku could tell how much the idea of it sickened Doctor. Still, he was not entirely wrong.
"I will apologize to him for what I did. Whether he accepts or not, I will live with that and continue on with my dreams but..." It simply had to be done. And he would rather resolve this issue before they both tried out for U.A. "We can't continue like this. I need to resolve all of this mess with Kacchan before it gets worse. Whether we become friends again or ignore each other entirely from now on, it is better than letting this whole thing fester into something ugly."
Izuku took another look at his hand, summoning a small current of bioelectricity. It would take less than a moment to ruin them both. And over what? Something they could resolve here and now. There was simply no other way to get this over with.
"I will trust your judgement on that. For now, you are finished with the prototype of AME. Try them on."
AME or Absolute-Monitoring-Eyes. Light in weight but packed with circuitry and tech that ate up whatever remained of Izuku's savings. Doctor had assured him it was all worth it, however. Gently putting them on, Izuku waited a couple of minutes before the whole thing started up. The single minute of waiting did not prepare him for the device's power at all.
The world all but exploded in wave of data. From the date of purchase of the various All Might merchandise pieces to their current market value. In the right corner of the HUD, he could see the several icons each one for the specific task.
His amazement only grew as he left home and headed to the station to get to Hokori.
Everything around him could be broken down into data. And the AME did just that, scanning and pulling up all the relevant information on the world around him. How old the buildings around him were. Whether they passed all the necessary inspections or contained any chemicals or material that could harm a regular person.
Reports of the villains in the nearby areas with special notes on whether there was a pattern to them. The places where the surveillance cameras were either removed or out of order. Potential routes for escape if such was required. And that didn't even mention the amounts of data he got from looking at the other people on the streets.
He could see everything.
He had access to every phone in his sight. The faces of everyone he so much as glanced at were put through the system in seconds. Their addresses, criminal and medical histories, their social media accounts and even their current phone activities. And yet, as amazing as it was, it also felt wrong.
"I don't think people would enjoy a hero spying on them."
"They don't have to know."
"Keeping that a secret isn't much better. Maps, news feeds and the like are good enough for me," Izuku let out a soft sigh. He could see how it could be an advantage. Such tech... It promised so many things. But at the cost of essentially keeping everyone under constant surveillance? It just didn't seem right. "I want to be the hero people can put their trust in."
Doctor Octavius sighed, clearly dissatisfied but still accepting his answer. It was a sign of mutual respect between the two. That even if the Doctor didn't agree with him entirely, Izuku could still make his own choices. He had no doubt the man would still try and convince him otherwise but for now, AME would only be used on inanimate objects.
Turning the more invasive functions off, Izuku arrived at the station where, in the next twenty or so minutes, the train to Hokori would arrive.
"Oof, sorry, sir," Izuku apologized to the man in the black hood. "Please, let me help you u-"
Blood. That was the only thing Izuku saw before his Spider-Sense screamed to get the hell away. He jumped back, bumping or even knocking down the people behind him. Their angry shouts and groans faded into background as the Spider-Sense continued to blare. Just who the hell was this man? And why was his Spider-Sense on such high alert? What was happeni-
"Get down!"
Izuku looked around, unaware who shouted that. Until he realized it was his voice that yelled out the command to the people nearby. Until he found his body moving to tackle several more the people down to the ground. Those that yelled at him were quickly silenced as the rows of blades passed through the air where, mere seconds ago, everyone's heads were.
The blades slowly went back towards the only man that stood on both feet. Having discarded his hoodie, the man was clad in a leather straitjacket, all of his skin concealed save only for the mouth from which the blades came. Twitching and drooling, the man twisted his body around as if he could see them.
The people watched him with quiet terror. They wanted to run. Wanted to scream and call for help. But, as it happened, they froze in fear and could only pray that the man left them alone. His words, barely distinguishable among the gibberish and animalistic sounds, turned those prayers into dust.
"F... Flesh... So... So much... So much flesh..."
Just who the hell was this man?!
"Midoriya!" Doctor's voice was no longer the usual calm or collected tone. Instead, it was one filled with the same dread as Izuku felt just moments before. "Turn on the AME right now! We need all the information on this man we can find!"
One glance. And the man's rap sheet was on the full display.
Gichibera Kajiya AKA Moonfish.
Thirty-one years old man arrested for fifteen counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder. He was captured by Edgeshot three weeks ago. Incarcerated and awaiting the death penalty as of last week. And yet he was here, with no heroes in sight and plenty of people to attack.
The man moaned and twitched. Even with his eyes covered, Izuku could feel the man's piercing and hungry gaze on him. On them all.
"Fleeeeesh... I want. Please, oh God... So beautiful... I want... So tempting... Please, please, please, please... Pleeeeease... NnnnhGiiiii... ve meeee..."
Spider-Sense blared and the man screeched along with it.
"YOUR FLEEEEESH!"
He launched forth into the crowd, finally shaking people out of the stupor. Izuku moved to intercept him, slamming into the serial killer and throwing him off his intended target.
"Go!" He yelled at the man, no doubt sounding as scared as the rest of the people here felt. "Run! Run and call for help!"
No one called the heroes yet, they were far too out of it to consider that. The security team must have contacted the nearby hero offices for help though. The heroes would come soon. Ten minutes at most. But how much damage could this man do in just ten minutes? Izuku didn't wish to find that out.
With webshooters equipped, Izuku stood ready, hoping that he managed to knock the maniac out.
"Fleshhhhh... Hurts... Hurts so bad... Why... Just wanted some fresh... Flesh..."
He didn't pray hard enough, it seemed.
"P-Pain... -ecomes pleasure... J-Joy... j-Joy is for..." the man twisted his neck and turned to Midoriya. "Break... Time..."
His Quirk, Blade-Tooth, was a weird but no less dangerous power. The fact that Izuku experienced firsthand as the blade almost beheaded him before another shot fast as a bullet towards his stomach. Twisting his body around, he avoided the second and then the third blade. He raised his leg and broke two of them before jumping onto the roof of the station.
Taking the aim, he pressed the switch and the ropes of webfluid shot towards the maniac. He reacted just as fast and let his teeth run wild. That was a big mistake on his part as the formula quickly proved much sturdier than the man expected, coating the blades completely and rendering them too heavy to move freely.
And then, the man snapped his jaw shut, shattering the blades away from his mouth.
"Break... Time..." the man moaned out, suddenly looking off to the side. Izuku followed the direction the man was facing. And felt his blood freeze in terror. "No working... On a break... Break... break... break?... Lunch break...!"
A boy and a girl, barely older than ten. They must have hidden in panic but now the maniac had his eyes on them. His unseen hungry eyes.
Izuku moved to shoot another stream of webbing and get the man down. His webshooter clicked empty. When did he- How did he- His panicked thoughts were interrupted by the man's delighted screech.
"BREAK!"
Izuku jumped and crashed into the man, pinning him down with his body weight. He had no technique or even a remote idea of how to properly do it so all he could do was give it all of his strength. Hold him down, don't let go. Get enough space to knock him out. He had to do something. But he needed those kids out of here just in case the man-
"Raaaaargh!"
The man smashed his face into Izuku's nose. Not breaking it but shocking him for a second. A second that proved a mistake as Moonfish seized the opportunity to reverse their situation. Not letting up for a second, the man proceeded to smash his steel-like skull into Izuku's chest and face over and over again.
The weakness in his voice was gone as he growled and frothed at his mouth like a rabid beast, "Break! Break! Break! Break! Break! Break! Break! Break! Break! Break! Break! Break! Break! Break!"
With the mad roar, the escapee bit into Izuku's shoulder. Doctor screamed at him to move. And Spider-Sense blared in wild panic. But those were immediately drowned out by the bloodcurdling cry of pain that came from him as the serial killer activated his Quirk.
Three seconds. That's how long it took Izuku to tear the man away from himself and push him back. Three seconds was all it took for the maniac to rip through his shoulder with his regrown teeth. The pain was too much. So much blood. He felt cold. So cold and weak.
"Flesh!" the man cheered, raising his head and letting the few bits and pieces of Izuku's shoulder meat slide down the metal and into his throat. "So long... So long without flesh! Delicious! Sweet! MORE!" the man raised his head, ready to dive in for more and screamed, "FLESH!"
A fast-thrown rock interrupted the meal.
It was one of the kids - the little girl that threw that stone even as she couldn't stop crying. Then another. And another. It was ineffective. Suicidal. And only seemed to amuse Moonfish.
Enough to shift his focus towards her and her brother.
"NEW MEAT!"
The kids ran screaming. Moonfish jumped and skipped clearly intending to drag out this sick hunt. Izuku forced himself to move. But the maniac, driven by his insane hunger, sent more blades his way without even looking.
Izuku ran at them, dodging and breaking them along the way. His Spider-Sense was overloaded. His body felt so much weaker. So much heavier.
"Hyaaaarghh!"
One of blades caught him again, ripping through the fabric of his clothes and his flesh. The fear gripped his heart as he realized he was not ready. He was not strong enough to defeat a villain yet. And because of his weakness, someone would die...
"HELP!" the boy yelled as Moonfish started catching up to them.
No, not because he was weak.
Someone would die because he was afraid of his own power. Because he held back. Because all this time, he was holding himself back.
"FLESH! YOUNG BEATIFUL FLESH!"
"Help!"
"Mommy!"
How selfish of him.
Gripping the blade still stuck in his shoulder with both hands, Izuku let the lightning course through his hands. No doubt about using. No hesitation. No guilt. No fear. He pictured the energy gather and grow in his hands. Screaming for release. Begging for freedom. Bursting at the very tips of his fingers.
And then he let it run wild.
He was too inexperienced with this power to channel it. Couldn't make it into a proper blast even if he wanted to. But he trusted the metal in his hands to do its jobs as a conduit.
The bright yellow charge travelled through the blade in seconds. Moving so fast that only Izuku could see it. It reached the target inches away from the children. His mouth wide open and ready to tear into them, the man's expression shifted from euphoria to agony.
"Gyaaaaaaah!"
The man's cries only grew louder as the charge continued to rip its way through his body. The man turned around, eyes bloodshot and wild. Through the pain, he snapped his jaw shut and cut off the blade that connected the two. His mask slipped off the head, revealing a pale skin and deranged bloodshot eyes that seemed to try and rip into his very soul.
He let out a roar and ran towards Izuku. This time, he would finish the job.
"Izuku, you need to run."
"He will kill everyone here if I do."
"He will kill you if you don't! I need you to retreat, now! That's an order!"
Izuku tuned the man out. He couldn't leave. Not now. Not after those kids risked their lives in order to save his. The man jumped towards him and Izuku stepped out of the way. The insane and illogical movement against his Spider-Sense was a losing battle now that the man was damaged by the bio-charge.
Not that Izuku, with his bleeding shoulder and numerous cuts, was in a better shape. He lost his footing for a moment and Moonfish took his chance to deliver the finishing attack once he mounted Izuku.
"FLESH!"
Just as planned.
With the yellow lightning coiling around his fist and forearm, Izuku delivered a vicious uppercut to the maniac. The man screamed as the direct attack finally seemed to do its job. Eyes rolling back into his skull and body collapsing onto his, Moonfish was out cold.
Izuku pushed the man off himself. His head was swimming and he felt like he would throw up any second now. He still forced himself onto his feet. He needed to check up on those kids. He needed to thank the girl for saving him. Saving him when it should have been the other way around. He needed to apologize for that, too.
His vision blurred and his body felt cold. Adrenal fatigue washed over him, bringing him down. Somebody caught him before he kissed the pavement though.
"Not bad, kid. Not bad at all," the man whispered. He didn't have the strength to raise his head to take a look at him. "Now let's go and patch you up before any of the false ones arrive."
His consciousness slowly fading away, Izuku could only weakly say, "Thank you."
Stain looked at the reckless runt. He rarely if ever received the words of gratitude. Not that he cared much for those. Gratitude, admiration and reward? Those were the roots of their rot in the garden of heroes. Still... It was nice to be appreciated by someone.
Especially with all the promise this one had shown.
)O(
The night fell over the city.
The office of HPSC always stood out among the other buildings in the area. Though not looking that much different from your standard office building, there has always been a certain air of power surrounding it. At least, that was how Keigo always felt about this place.
It was the closest place he had to home. It was the place that gave him purpose.
This place was going to be the death of him, too, he could feel it in his bones.
The halls were empty, though still illuminated by the gentle white light. Most of the employees have either left by now or locked up in their offices to sleep. Good. No need to draw anymore attention from anyone than necessary.
Stepping inside the office, he gave a polite bow.
"Arisama-dono."
Ishigoro Arisama, the closest thing he had to a mother.
"Hawks," the woman greeted him in return. Her features were soft, more so from the age than any inherent kindness in the woman. "Please, take a seat."
Their conversation went as usual. They talked about his hero activities, his arrests and investigations. The ongoing affairs in the hero community. As usual, he was asked an opinion on different heroes and their prospects. Officially, of course, neither he nor any other hero had any say in each other's standing. Such practice was once attempted and lasted barely a year before it was deemed a failure.
But, behind these closed doors, Hawks was perhaps one of the few heroes privy to how heroes were evaluated. And how much attention the HPSC really paid to the affairs of the heroes.
"All Might booked a flight to I-Island last week," Arisama-dono said placing down her cup of tea. "Apparently, Dr. Shield has suffered a fatal accident and he decided to attend the funeral. We are not yet sure if he will be staying there to take care of the man's daughter."
"I am sure he will be back soon," Keigo heard the news. A horrible tragedy, indeed. But he knew that there was more to this topic than the sympathy for their top hero and his deceased friend. "Do you think any of the other researchers could help finish Dr. Shield's work?"
"Not as far as we know," the President said. "Dr. Shield was very secretive about his work regarding All Might. I wouldn't be surprised if even his daughter wasn't aware of it. Hopefully, our contacts in the Superhuman Department will be able to salvage at least some parts of it."
Hopefully. Keigo wished they could rely on something more than hope here.
All Might was the man who always won. The hero who always smiled. To the general public, he was the man who could not die. But the upper echelons of HPSC as well as himself were well aware of how little time the man had now. Three hours a day was all the country's mightiest hero could do these days.
Even with him taking the position in U.A., how long would it take someone to notice that? To try and take the man down? All it would take was some careful planning and even a second-rate villain could become the one to destroy the Symbol of Peace. And then the whole thing would fall apart like a poorly made house of cards.
Pushing the man to retire, however, wasn't an option either.
All Might built the modern Era of Peace around his image. The Symbol of such magnitude was almost impossible to replace. Especially when everyone thought the man was in peak condition. As thing were right now, they had no other choice but look into ways of maintaining the man's health while also fortifying their defenses from the shadows.
"I think we should introduce more joint operations between other top heroes and All Might," Keigo suggested. "All heroes from the Top Ten have proven their individual capabilities. Having them work together with All Might could help raise their public profile closer to his level."
Nothing said that equality better than heroes working side-by-side.
"I will bring this up during the next meeting with the rest of the committee." Arisama-dono said. They continued to discuss things they could do to better allocate resources and manpower. Which, inevitably, led to Keigo's dreaded part of the conversation. "I need you to investigate and, if necessary, apprehend the following heroes."
Keigo looked at the files. Two heroes this time.
Coldfront, sixty-eight years old. Retired ten years ago due to sustaining a serious injury on his assignment. Recently was spotted bribing some thugs to stage attacks for him. That made him a potential PR risk for the whole organization. The exposure could also lead to numerous villains using this precedent to prove they were bribed or forced into a crime. It wouldn't hold up but reputational damage and court of public opinion would be a mess.
High Road, twenty-one years old. A rookie fresh out of Kuroen Hero Course. Attempted murder of a two villains who claimed to have surrendered. Another one of them, huh. Sometimes Hawks wondered if shutting down that hero course would be for the best. They had a very strong combat program but everyone who made it usually came out with the kind of attitude Endeavor would find extreme.
"Is that really all we got this month?" Keigo asked with dry amusement.
"No, those two were simply the ones we need your personal insight for. Coldfront is a risk but he also did a very good job before his retirement. His power is not the same as before but if we can convince him to stick to certain areas of the city instead of going on active patrols, we can make a proper use of his abilities. What we need you to find out is whether he actually wants to help people or is simply looking to get back into fame."
"And High Road?"
"We are not yet certain whether those men indeed surrendered. Or if they were planning to come along peacefully. One of them had the Quirk that allowed him to explode things from the distance so High Road claims to have knocked him out for transportation. Normally, her testimony would be enough but with the reputation Kuroen has, we think it's best if you assess her psyche personally."
"Understood," he took the files, wondering if he could deal with these two without any unnecessary conflict. You never knew how one could react when backed into a corner. Or when they simply felt like they were. Worst case scenario, they would be stripped of their hero licenses and fined. Neither was big enough to require harsher punishments. But if they chose to fight...
Well, he hoped it wouldn't come to that.
"Anything else?"
Arisama-dono looked at him, her features briefly growing softer. Her eyes, though on him, seemed to look somewhere far away from here. He recognized that look immediately.
"No," she let out a small sigh of exhaustion. She gave him a small smile - a sight very few people here could boast witnessing. "That will be all for today. Thank you for your work, Hawks."
He returned the same.
"No problem."
All for the sake of a better world.
)O(
Ishigoro watched the man soar through the night skies, his scarlet wings visible even in the dead of the night. She could still remember the day they found him, a quiet and confused child who wore dirty and tattered clothes. And yet someone who had the gift you could see only once or twice per generation. They did their best to make him into the hero he wanted to be, not just the one they needed.
And yet, whenever she looked at him these days, she couldn't help but feel she failed him all the same.
Just like her predecessor had failed Lady Nagant, was she slowly pushing Hawks towards the same fate as the fallen heroine?
It was the necessary evil, she told herself these days. The price they all paid for peace and progress of their life. She could still remember her grandfather's retellings of the world that only discovered the Quirks. The chaos and destruction that ran through the streets of the cities like wildfire. It was the end of the world, he would often say.
And then the heroes came and, suddenly, things started going back to normal.
Quirks were no longer a sign of apocalypse or some divine gift. They were just tools for a new work in their civilization. Nothing more. Nothing less. But to uphold this new and brave world, heroes had to be perfect. They had to be an example of everything one should have done with their Quirks. And if they were not- if they threatened their fragile peace... What other choice did they leave the HPSC?
The President never lied to herself about what kind of person she was.
She was not a hero. She was far from a good person, too. She was pragmatic. She was result-oriented. And if it meant that tomorrow the world would still be running, she was fine with going to whatever place people like her were sent to.
Which meant that, as conflicted as she was, she would still look for any opportunity to ensure the safety of their way of life.
On her screen is the violent madman known as Moonfish. She felt sorry for people like him. Whether fueled by their Quirks or simply a defective gene, she always felt pity for those who had no control over their actions. But her sympathy went only so far. So even she couldn't help that ugly feeling of satisfaction she felt as she watched the man's body collapse to the surge of yellow energy.
The fight was a disaster and it was clear the boy had no combat experience. His support device was an effective weapon but the boy panicked at the beginning and used up all of the material needed. He had no technique or even an idea of what he should have done.
He had raw power, however. And the resolve that so many more talented people lacked. Moonfish was neither weak nor incompetent. As much of a lunatic he was, the man was able to successfully evade capture for almost a month after his third victim. And while the luck played a certain part in the man's downfall, she could not deny the potential in the kid.
And luckily for her, his identity was no secret.
The goggles and the hood he pulled over his head would normally hide his identity well enough. But not when his face was only recently shown on the news.
"Midoriya Izuku," she read his profile carefully over the last night. No prior criminal record. His parents were also clean, save for the couple parking tickets his father got almost eight years ago. No suspicious online activity. No signs of any criminal activity whatsoever. And yet there was one part in his file that caught her eye.
"Quirkless."
Fifteen years without a Quirk. And then, out of nowhere, he awakened one.
One that granted him, from the footage, enhanced physical abilities and some sort of electrokinesis. Normally, it would be chalked up to him being a late bloomer. And the strange powerset could always be a rare though still possible combination of Quirks. And just like that, she would have dismissed the entire thing and let the police handle a young vigilante.
But then came his blood results.
One single positive result and she used the vast resources and connections of HPSC to bury the entire incident. The video was gone before it could get any actual traction. And thanks to their swift actions, the credit for the capture of Moonfish was safely given to the unnamed underground hero. Which only left the matter of dealing with Midoriya Izuku himself.
TEST NAME: Omega Component Presence
IN RANGE: POSITIVE
She felt somewhat sorry for the poor kid. He had become part of the much larger universe without even realizing it. But he would learn that soon enough. Whether he liked it or not.
"Perhaps I should pay him a personal visit."
)O(
[Note on the NAMES]
Ishigoro Arisama. Her name consists of the below parts:
Ishi - Will. A bit of double meaning as it Ishi means "will/resolution" while Isho means "testament/posthumous work". Thus it reflects her determination to continue her predecessor's work.
Hogo - Protection. Said work is centered around protecting the things her predecessor did.
Arisama - Double meaning. It means 'Truth' and 'Ideal State'. Basically, she is dedicated to continue protecting the state of the current hero society as the Truth even if it said state is a lie.
With Moonfish, I just used the words for Slingjaw (a type of wrasse that can extend their jaws) and blacksmith (relating to his teeth being blades).
And so the seeds are sown for some of the changes with the timeline. HPSC gains an interest (Quick note here: Stain disabled the cameras before going to pick up Izuku so HPSC doesn't know about his involvement) and so does the Stain! Who knows, Meta-Liberation Army might want some of that Deku for themselves as well? Quite possible!
When I rewrote this chapter, I really wanted to show just how unprepared Izuku would be in the situation. In the original version, he manages to subdue Moonfish much faster and easier since Otto convinced him to play vigilante a little. Now here? With no actual training and no experience in a fight, it is only by miracle that Izuku manages to win.
Onto Izuku, this is where he will start shifting towards more assertive self as he now realises that he can't just hold back and remain the same shy and meek nerd he is.
Time to start training, for real!
As usual, always happy to see your reviews and thoughts on the chapter! They are the fuel of the fic!