Master Control
Chapter 40
Heroes were often viewed to have very active jobs. Patrols, interviews, photo shoots, villain fights, television, there were many aspects that kept them busy while getting their face out there. To some though, it sounded exhausting. Being an underground hero you don't often do anything beyond tailing individuals, gathering evidence, and making fights quick and quiet.
"The fact that you're quirkless." The radio crackled, Shoto's voice coming from it.
Eraserhead, enjoyed the silence while he could when doing his job.
""Face it Izuku. You're a secret government experiment for creating artificial quirks."
Sitting in the passenger seat of Naomasa's car, he used one of the strands of organic fabric making up his hair to reach out, grab his cup of much needed coffee, and take a sip. They were parked along a road overlooking part of the beach, Naomasa keeping an eye on things with a pair of night vision binoculars with Eraserhead to assist.
"I was really worried for a second." Naomasa muttered aloud, flicking off their microphone so they could continue to listen on while having their own conversation. "You think things might get chaotic tonight?"
"It's possible." Eraserhead answered. "I'll be honest, I am interested to see just what Midoriya has learned from these 'plumbers'."
As the radio kept going with Shoto explaining his deduction, they kept one ear open to the conspiracy as the detective was worried about what Eraserhead implied. "Are you saying we should let them fight?"
"I'd prefer a controlled setting under UA supervision, but Todoroki is limiting himself heavily. He's a strong kid, and it will take many heavy losses for him to realize he needs to let go of his personal grudges if he's going to be better."
"And you plan on using Izuku?"
"I get that you're close with him, and I don't want to put him in any more trouble." The glowing crimson eyes behind his bandages peered towards Naomasa, standing out from the dark of the night. "But the fact is that there are forces beyond this world that are making note of Earth, and so far Midoriya is the most well equipped and knowledgeable of these. He needs to be ready for them."
"So what, we just ignore the law about-"
"We both know we cannot have the law involved in this." Eraserhead cut him off with a harsh reminder. "Less attention, the better."
The two stared down one another, one being a much larger alien hybrid with a frightening appearance and a simple man trying to do what was right.
"Even though I wish I wasn't Endeavor's child, his influence is big enough that I can talk to you about this right now-"
"Don't worry though." Eraserhead folded his arms as he looked back to the scene. "We'll keep an eye on them, and tell Midoriya to pull back if it gets too bad. If Todoroki really does use his quirk, I will make sure he is punished for it."
With a reluctant huff of air, the detective just held back up his binoculars to watch for anything. It sounded like Todoroki was finishing up his explanation anyways. "I really hope that kid doesn't do anything stupid."
"Um, Shoto, how do I explain this?" Izuku's voice came over, Naomasa stepping in to hopefully keep anything drastic from happening.
"Don't deny it, just roll with it." The detective instructed.
"It's too risky, and honestly his story sounds more believable than the truth." Eraserhead added. "He's open to you right now, and if you start denying him he's going to close up. Just pretend you're letting him in on the secret and you won't tell us."
""Y-you got me." Izuku finally told Shoto, feigning surrender. "You won't tell anyone right?"
"Of course not." Shoto easily complied, then hardened his gaze on Izuku. "But you can't tell anyone else what I shared with you."
"You won't have to." Eraserhead explained. "His homeroom teacher a pro hero, and a detective already know now."
"He hasn't actually given us details." Naomasa added beside the man.
"It's enough to warrant an investigation."
"An investigation which stems from the conversation revolving around the omnitrix, something we can not have any more attention brought to. Trust me, I don't like it either. But Izuku, see if you can convince him to talk to us about it in a private setting."
Eraserhead was caught in his own reasoning and the detective knew this. Still, maybe it was better to work like this. Two people to keep one another in check and hold them to a standard agreed upon before. Doesn't mean he had to like it.
"Don't act like you're scared of me!"
And so it begins.
Getting out of the car, Eraserhead made sure he was still in the shadows. "Stay here in the car and keep watch. I'll radio if I need assistance."
"Copy that." The man reluctantly complied, as was always the case for cops whenever a hero showed up on the scene.
Eraserhead sprinted to try to keep up. But between how fast Midoriya kept moving, and how far he was throwing Todoroki around, it was extremely difficult. He had to hand it to both of them, their idiocy was reaching new heights he never imagined. Todoroki should have seen how useless the fight was when Midoriya kept escaping his ice and landing repeated hits, or at least tried something new. And while he was aware that Midoriya was holding back, he didn't need to switch between so many different forms. It was like he was just playing around with all his different forms.
This wasn't supposed to be a serious fight, but he could see several instances where it could have ended.
Was Midoriya really pushing Todoroki to use his fire?
Seeing the vortex of fire off in the distance, he found Midoriya was successful.
*BOOM*
The explosion rang out from their fight, a wave of heat rushing over everything. Was Todoroki actually capable of this?
By the time he got close enough, he saw one of the boys on the ground while the other was a walking campfire. They were both standing at least, well one of them barely as Midoriya changed back and helped Todoroki away from the fight.
Eraserhead would have stopped this earlier, if he managed to get close enough before Todoroki was thrown to the otherside. It got too big, too noisy, who knows who might have heard and come to investigate.
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"
Of course, the headache grows.
Unwrapping part of his arm, a small part of himself brought the radio up beside his face. "We've drawn attention."
"I'm on my way, but who?"
"Bakugo."
"Ah great, not this kid again."
Izuku will admit his life had been rough at times. Between facing aliens and villains, trying to keep the omnitrix a secret, helping his friends, and trying to have a decent life, Izuku knows he's been through a lot. It all seemed to overshadow the smaller things he experienced, like what it really was like to grow up quirkless.
His new life made him forget for a time, but there were still a few things that made him remember how harsh the world he protected could be. Someone he once saw as a friend, was one of the biggest sources of his torment as a child.
He was very hesitant hearing that Bakugo made it into UA despite his background, but part of him wanted to trust they investigated his background after his mother nearly sued the Bakugos of everything they had. Bakugo, had proven himself to be changed now.
Yet, all Izuku could see right now is the same kid who wouldn't hold back using his quirk on others.
"WHAT THE HELL DEK-MIDORIYA!" Bakugo screamed as he jumped down from the cement wall, letting out an explosion to cushion his landing. "You better explain yourself before I…I…GRAH!"
He threw an explosion into the sand, making a cloud of smoke and dust in a failed attempt to quelch his rage.
"Do you even realize how wrong this all is?!" Bakugo threw his finger towards Izuku, Shoto trying to stand between them.
"Why are you here?" The boy demanded.
"Don't get involved in this you shriveled dick piece of shit! The only reason I'm here is because I thought you were going to do something against Midoriya, and guess what! I'm right!"
Shoto didn't back down, and despite how his aches could barely let him stand he still stood in Bakugo's way. "So you have been watching me."
"Not that hard when people are always watching your house and obsessing over getting dirt on your dad. Now back off, and stop being such an obvious simp! It's fucking gross."
"...simp?"
Izuku pulled Shoto back, finally standing up to someone after all these years. "I'll talk to him, I can handle myself."
"I guess so." Not entirely sure how the interaction would go, Shoto stepped back to sit down, getting some much deserved rest.
"What do you want?" Izuku demanded, wary of the twitching hands that could collapse buildings.
"How long?" Bakugo sneered as he kept flexing out his fingers and bringing them back into fists.
"How long what?" He kept his distance, Izuku feeling his anxiety rise over Bakugo's agitation.
"How long could you do that?! And don't act like you didn't just turn into a bunch of quirked up freaks!"
Well, there was no hiding it now. "I discovered back at the sports festival."
"When." Bakugo growled.
"My match with Shoto."
"Of course!" Bakugo clenched his fists tighter, his veins pumping even harder as they threatened to tear his skin. "I THREW THAT MATCH FOR NOTHING!"
He punched the solid concrete wall behind himself, Izuku wincing from the sound of his knuckles cracking against it.
"Why, did you throw that match?" Izuku asked. "I didn't expect to get that far, and I never expected to win. I was even about to forfeit because I didn't see a way to win."
In a cold rage, Bakugo took his bloodied knuckles off the wall and glared at Izuku without yelling. "Ever since that day in the park, where you turned that kid into walking poprocks, I was treated like a villain. They put me in a 'troubled quirk' center, where everyone around me was a piping hot mess. The guards, the teachers, the doctors, the therapists, all of them kept telling me how I was pretty much a villain for hurting people who couldn't defend themselves. Even when I was cleared to go home, the way my own parents looked at me…"
The way Bakugo clawed at his own arm, it almost made Izuku feel guilty. He never asked, never looked into what happened to Bakugo. Should he? Bakugo was the one who hurt him, but they were just kids and everyone around only seemed to encourage it.
How many kids grew up being told what they were doing was right, only to have the world flip on them and treat them like villains for the behavior they encouraged?
What Bakugo did was undeniably wrong, and he knows that now. Isn't that all that mattered in the end?
"But, I gave up." With a growl Bakugo's hands sparked with tiny explosions. "I never give up. I talked myself into letting you have the gold for something I could have won just because I was too scared! All Might said I was demonstrating restraint, but now that I know you could have fought back, that I could have won that medal?! IT'S NOT FAIR!"
"I couldn't reveal the omnitrix!" Izuku tried to calm Bakugo down before things escalated, not that it ever worked for him.
"You used it against him!" Bakugo pointed off towards where Shoto was watching in the distance. "And he brought you out here to fight! What, you think he's better than me, that he was born to be a hero and all I can be is a villain?!"
"I never said that!"
"IT'S WHAT EVERYONE'S SAID TO ME FOR YEARS NOW! They used to say I could be a hero, then all they said was I was on the path of a villain, and then UA said I could be a hero, but were they lying?! Do you think I'm a villain?!"
"Enough."
All three of them looked up to the top of the wall, Eraserhead standing menacingly in the dark. He hopped down, slowly floating until he landed without a sound on the sand.
"Teach." Bakugo shoved his hands in his pockets. "Should've known you would be here."
"You should also know better, all of you." Eraserhead spared a glance towards Shoto. "Keep what you learned a secret, and I'll keep what happened tonight a secret. But you are not going unpunished for assaulting a fellow student with your quirk. Midoriya."
"Y-yes sir!"
"I warned you to not engage with him in a fight. Even when we allowed you to handle it you kept the fight going for too long and made too much noise."
"Understood."
"Bakugo." The man addressed the most recent problem. "You will keep what you saw today a secret, because-"
"One condition." Bakugo instantly demanded, the teacher listening for the request. "Let me fight Midoriya."
"He's not a hero student."
"Yeah?!" The teen uncaring for the difference in height tried to square up to the hero. "From what you just said you let breath mint and someone who's supposed to be quirkless duke it out! I'm here, getting a permission from a UA teacher and a licensed pro hero to supervise a battle that was encouraged to happen for the last round of the sports festival."
"You know what, sure. Why not?"
"Eraserhead?!" Izuku sputtered in surprise, the man stepping back towards where Shoto was currently sitting.
"Same rules as the sports festival." Eraserhead announced with his back turned. "Only no boundaries, no aerial combat, and nothing big enough to attract unwanted attention. If it goes too far I'll let you know, and you will stop fighting immediately. Oh, and Midoriya. You only get to pick one transformation to use."
Bakugo was already rolling his shoulders, cracking his knuckles as his quirk popped with each one.
"Sir?! Why are you allowing this?!" Izuku yelled in panic to his teacher.
"Several reasons." Leaning against the wall, Eraserhead lazily watched the two. "Bakugo's right. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't let him fight you, and at least he asked."
Giving a quick glare towards Shoto, the boy began to realize that this was far from the end for him.
"Plus." Eraserhead continued. "It's a reasonable request to keep something like this a secret."
"How is this reasonable?!" Izuku shouted back, but the man was unwavering in the decision. Hanging his head, Izuku turned back around to face Bakugo, who seemed to actually look hesitant as he locked eyes with him.
Why did Bakugo look so nervous about this, this is what he wanted right?
"Change." Bakugo demanded.
"Now? Before the fight?"
"I can't fight you like this so change already! Then I'll kick your ass."
If Izuku was actually given the time to pick, but it had to be a good one. Lifting up the omnitrix, Izuku cycled through the options. Can't be flashy, had to be quick and maneuverable, could take a hit, and most importantly disable Bakugo's quirk.
With the selection made, Izuku's hand hovered over the dial, giving Bakugo one last chance. "We don't have to do this."
"You don't, I do."
With no other options, Izuku slammed down on the dial. Bakugo rushing in with explosions to boost his speed towards the green flash.
*BWOOSH*
He threw his palm forward, ready to blast either whatever Kirishima was made from, or one of the other heavy hitters he saw before.
*SPLAT*
His hand went straight into a body of green slime, Bakugo recoiling over the sensation. "Disgusting."
He tried to pull back, but then the humanoid slime was pulled by a small metal disc that swerved through the air to swirl around him. Izuku began wrapping around Bakugo, the teen swinging with his other arm to ignite even more explosions.
Bakugo tried to use his quirk in his other palm as he felt his legs wrapped up in the slime, but something was inhibiting it, absorbing his sweat and rendering it useless to ignite. "What is this shit?! Grah!"
He tried to fight it, but Izuku wrapped himself around Bakugo until he was coated in slime everywhere but his face. The teen tried to force his way out, but under Izuku's control he was brought to his knees, his arms flexing as he fought for freedom.
"RAAAH!" Bakugo screamed out as he forced more sweat out of his body, but whatever Izuku was made of kept absorbing it before he could make enough to make anything more than a few pops. Against his will his arms were pulled behind his back, Bakugo gritting his teeth as he no longer had control over his body. "What is this shit?! I thought we were going to have a fight?!"
The disc flew around, pulling enough slime away from Bakugo's chest to form a head with two eyes on it to have a conversation 'face to face'.
"The fight's over." Izuku's gurgled voice spoke out from it. "I win."
"This isn't winning, it's a stalemate!"
"Wrong." Eraserhead came forward, both their heads turning towards him. "He successfully has you pinned, and by sports festival standards he won. It's over."
With the official decree, Izuku pulled himself off Bakugo, the boy falling onto the sand in defeat. He pushed himself up off his belly, his hands digging into the sand as he cursed himself for losing so fast, like he was a child being overpowered with minimal effort. "DAMNIT!"
He threw his fist on the ground, feeling all his efforts were wasted.
"Um, Bakugo?" Izuku's alien form tried to reach out.
"Don't bother." Eraserhead cut Izuku off. "He needs to deal with this on his own, learn how to manage his own emotions without intervention."
With nothing else happening, Izuku turned back to human, watching Bakugo grip his own dirtied shirt as he slammed his forehead into the beach. It didn't feel right, leaving him here like this, he wanted to help but wasn't sure how or if he should.
Life was complicated, and people made it more confusing.
"Come on." Eraserhead put one of his fingers on Izuku's shoulder. "Tsukauchi won't stop yelling at me in my ear."
So he left, with no feeling of victory and a tangled mess of emotions that he had no reason to have.
By the time Izuku was dropped off at home, Izuku was done for the night.
"What happened?" Inko immediately asked, and to Izuku's short luck Naomasa was there to help.
"There was a couple of kids from UA that wanted to meet Izuku." The detective began to explain, leading his mother to the couch for more details. "They, had some accurate suspicions that needed to be addressed immediately."
Letting the man who could sway his mother so much easier than himself, Izuku didn't even bother going to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Opening the door to his room, he cursed himself when the light from the living room refracted in the icy dome over his kids' metal nest.
The children began to stir, whining as their sleep was interrupted.
"Sorry." Izuku felt the cold starting to bite through his human skin. In a quick slap on the wrist, Izuku turned into his Big Chill form.
Rumi and Tensei phased through the nest, starting to flutter about the room in distress until Izuku plucked them from the air and folded his wings around them. "There there, everything's fine. Let's all go to sleep."
With Enji and Keigo poking their heads out of the nest, they saw that their parent was in his more compatible form. They soon flew over, quickly finding spots along his body in which they could snuggle against.
"Right right, everyone find a spot. What about you Shinji?"
The last one only splayed himself out in the empty nest, enjoying his solitude.
"Ok then." In his alien form, Izuku let out a cold breath to create a large bowl of ice for him to lay in, with a bundle of little swadlings in his arms. His family was with him, safe, reminding him that despite the uncertainties he faced the only thing he needed was a simple goal to satisfy his mind.
Making his loved ones happy.
Itsuka, despite her hesitations at first was starting to see how much her father truly cared. Now that he was here on Earth, he had been spending lots of time taking care of her mother and doing so much to help her out. He was an absent father, and life was harsh, but protecting the universe was a big responsibility.
"So this is where you usually do your morning routine?" Her father adjusted his suit jacket, looking over the long beach.
"Yep." She proudly showed off her lifestyle to him. "I start with a run here to help wake myself up, then I do a quick review over school content, show up to help plan out class activities and regulations, it's a little tiresome but it's worth it. What about you?"
The man looked over the peaceful site of the beach, illuminated by the orange glow of the rising star, smiling over the simplicity of it all. "Lately my mornings consist of making you and your mother breakfast, doing some quick laundry, cleaning, just however I can help. Your mother won't let me create her a mansion so I'll settle for maintaining the simple apartment."
"Including changing the decor to a new theme every week?" Itsuka teased as she began her morning stretches.
Her father briefly examined her activity, questioning the purpose until he saw the way her muscles reacted. "Ah, I forget how tedious maintaining a body is for carbon life."
"Wait." She paused her activity. "Don't you have a body?"
"I created this one to inhabit." He flexed one of his arms. "I adapt or change it how I see fit, but I can keep its state fixed."
"Doesn't that mean you don't need sleep?"
"Yes." He admitted with a shrug, before giving the girl a smug grin. "But I love spending every minute I can with your mother, even if it's just laying in bed with her."
"As sweet as that is, please don't mention it again."
"Oh there's plenty I'm not mentioning."
"Dad gross!"
He laughed over seeing the way his daughter tried to hide behind her own hands. "Though there are times when I do some patrols over the planet. It's quiet compared to most but that's exactly why I want to keep it safe. Luckily hardly anyone in the Galactic Federation is aware this planet exists."
"Are you employed by the Galactic Federation?"
He appreciated her innocence, the man ruffling her hair as he saw how the rising sun glimmered against the sand, making it sparkle in a unique way. "I have a higher authority than the local government. Come on, I want to try this exercise you speak so frequently of. The beach in particular looks very inviting."
"Yeah." Finishing her stretches, Itsuka squinted her eyes as she saw how the sand was notably brighter than she ever saw. "Actually, it looks different, like there's something new in it."
"Really?" The man wasn't necessarily looking towards the sand, but the opportunity within. "Then how about I show you what else you can learn."
"Seriously?!" With excitement, Itsuka followed him down to the beach as he strolled without a care towards it.
"Believe it or not, there is intelligence in matter." The man waved his hands over the beach, the particles of sand and parts of water overcome by a blue aura as they sputtered and danced. Random points exploded, while others shifted with footsteps appearing and disappearing. "With enough practice, you can revert it to previous positions and states, so long as the original matter is present."
A long path was made unbroken, a pathway of rough glass carved into the beach appearing.
He narrowed his eyes towards the footsteps present, leaning down towards a pair that had burned itself into the beach. Two large toes in the front, with one stretching from the back heel. "A pyronite?"
"Something with a ton of heat must have washed through here." Itsuka examined the empty battle ground that recreated itself, massive structures of ice suddenly appearing and vanishing as the particles kept reversing in position. "These are just like Todoroki's. Or maybe…the Frozen Mothman?"
Looking back to see if her father had answers, she saw him absorbed in his investigation. Following a certain pair of footsteps as they kept changing. "Gimlinopithecus, Kineceleran, Piscciss Volann, Appoplexian, Loboan, Polar Manzardill."
So many species and some he didn't recognize, but all of them replacing a single set of footprints in the sand. One being, that could change between so many species so fast and use their powers.
"The omnitrix." He whispered in awe.
It was here, it really was.
The man's smile widened, everything else to find here no longer mattered as he had confirmed his suspicions. "Itsuka, have you gotten permission from your school yet for you to spend your internship with me."
"Yeah, just yesterday."
"Good, because either way I need your help with something."
Turning towards his own spawn, he leaned down to meet her gaze on equal ground. Itsuka was seeing something new on her father's face. No longer did she see the gentle smile that set all worries aside, but instead one that carried the weight of all of reality with it. "The fate of the universe depends on us."
Ok, this chapter wasn't that much different than the last, but now we're setting up for some big stuff. Kendo's dad knows about the omnitrix, and connects it to something very important. Without trying to push Bakugo to use some aspect of his quirk, Izuku fought smarter to end it fast.
Bakugo is a mess.
Izuku just wants to relax and focus on his life.
Eraserhead has to somehow balance secrets, hero, and teacher life and work with kids who are mixing them all up.
Next chapter we WILL begin internships and get things started with Hosu arc.
List of Hybrids (In order of splicing):
Eijiro Kirishima & Petrosapien/Diamondhead
Himiko Midoriya & Lenopan/Sludgepuppy
Kyoka Jiro & Sonorosian/Echo Echo
Reiko Yanagi & Ectonurite/Ghostfreak
Shota Aizawa/Eraserhead & Thep Khufan/Snare-oh
Denki Kaminari & Nosedeenian/Buzzshock
Tensei Ida & Citrakayah/Fasttrack
Any grammar errors please point it out.
Credit for helping me make this story goes to Animeguy1101
Planar-Walking-Entertainment: If anyone is needed to bring the beat down advice, it's Rath.
Chronosign: No, I don't think I will.
Chronosign: It would be fun to have those little interactions, but we've already moved past that arc.
Dakrakboy: They will eventually meet, but I don't believe there ever was an anodite left in charge of the omnitrix. Are you by chance thinking of Xylene? She's not an anodite.
Preston2006: Iida with a capital i not an L. The previous chapters are already available to read, so if you feel you need to refresh on the events you have all the information you could want at your fingertips.
Izuku will still assist from sidelines regarding some aspects, but after being taught how and why he should handle things himself he's going to be more involved and jumping into danger. He's going to fulfill both roles now.
I already gave a hint about how powerful the alien is, when they were introduced when Esta's homeworld was destroyed.
I do really love ultimate Echo Echo, easily my favorite ultimate alien. But Izuku does not have the ultimatrix.
I have been updating on a near daily basis.
Whywouldidothat2230: Yeah, I won't rush it but we could see an increase to their growth and intelligence.
HeartGemHolder: Unfortunately if he came home with Big Chill DNA his dad would launch a massive investigation to find the person responsible. Wouldn't be hard after looking into his classmates a little more.
leoromerocalvo: Yeah, unless we have a big time skip we won't see them get much bigger than they are now.
alquimeizer: Reiko was never a love interest.
The 13: Yeah, it makes sense they would mature quickly but I wouldn't accelerate it past a five year mark.
AnimeFan13579: Izuku does not have the ultimatrix.
ppsspp: Yeah, but his Dad would probably freak out and launch a personal investigation. But to have heatblast and big chill DNA isn't an option for several reasons.
Guest: No, undoing large plot devices and events kills the weight of the situations. What's the point of someone discovering a secret if you know they can be made to forget it? Or bringing someone back from the dead? It makes anything else seem less severe if Izuku can just undo any unfortunate thing that happens.
