17/09/2022
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The Emperor's Dragon
Emergence 8 - This is Important
"Easy, my Little Dragon," All For One cautioned his son as he received his usual welcome hug. He was robust but Izuku was very strong, and didn't always seem to notice when he activated his strength quirks.
"I miss you, Dad," Izuku replied, turning his face slightly.
All For One could hear his son take several deep breaths and he felt his lips give a half smile. He knew what that was for. He'd done the same the one time Izuku had caught him using a quirk that simulated full health for him. "I smell good?" He teased.
"I miss you," Izuku repeated.
At that, the premier villain in the world took his own deep breath. "I miss you too, my Little Dragon but this is important."
"I know," Izuku whispered.
From Izuku's tone, All For One, or as he was known now Fukahi Desuwa, was surprised at the level of understanding he could hear there. He hadn't expected his son to understand his decision to let him go into the world to make his own choices, and while he was sure Izuku didn't understand it all, it seemed he understood enough.
"I know," Izuku said again. "I just wish I could make a decision faster," he added.
"You cannot rush this," All For One said softly. Izuku could not rush it, no matter how much he wanted him to. "You have to be sure."
He felt Izuku nod against his chest. His son was still short but he was solid. He was sure, in the future, his son would be able to project his presence so that no one noticed his stature.
"Now, my Little Dragon, what should we talk about today?"
Unlike last year, there were many topics he avoided with his son. If Izuku was to be devoted, was to have no regrets, then he had to make his own choice. And that meant he couldn't influence it. That meant, quite a lot of what they had previously discussed was no longer possible. Thankfully Izuku recognised that. It had taken him a month or two to understand but he did.
"School?" Izuku suggested.
All For One gave a small snort of laughter. "How terribly mundane," he muttered.
"I meant High School," his son corrected, not offended by his laugh.
"How do you mean?" Izuku would go to High School next year. His son was not stupid but school educated him in so much more than just book learning. Watching the little dramas play out in the microcosm that was most schools would give Izuku lessons he could apply in the wider world.
"Where am I going to go?" Izuku asked, though from his inflection it wasn't a straightforward question and after a moment of thought, All For One understood his son's real question.
"Ah," he sighed as Izuku pulled back, allowing him to sit down again.
Izuku went to his bodyguard and gave Gigantomachia a hug as All For One thought about the real question. Where was immaterial. There were many good high schools his son would qualify for. The real question was his identity and living arrangements.
If Izuku had made a decision by then, then the answer was easy. He would get in tutors for his son, or things would be arranged such that his High School experience fitted in with his long term plans. But if Izuku hadn't… and that was the most likely outcome then…
"I see," All For One said as Izuku returned to his side. He was sitting at a table and Izuku took one of the other chairs. Sometimes they ate together but not today. "Where would you like to go?"
Izuku was silent for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts. "No matter what I know I'm not going to be a hero, so I was thinking a general or management course somewhere," he said.
All For One shook his head. "No, you weren't, my Little Dragon. You were thinking of a specific place," he chided gently.
His son sighed. "UA is the top High School," he whispered, with obvious regret.
The ancient villain thought about the statement for a few seconds. Unfortunately, it was true. UA wasn't just the top Hero School, though that is what they were primarily known for, they were the top High School for their other courses. Even as he acknowledged that, his mind was working on the issue of getting Izuku there, without risk to him and his operation but it was such a trivial issue that the answers came to him immediately. "That is not a problem, my Little Dragon," he said firmly.
"It's not?"
To his sight quirk he saw Izuku look up at him and could imagine the incredulous look gracing his son's features. The surprise was evident in his tone.
"It's not," he repeated. "There is some small risk," he acknowledged. "But only if someone is truly determined to look into your past and they care more about their precious hero students than their management stream," he added with a huff of laughter.
Izuku said nothing so he continued, explaining the solution.
"You will need a new name, though I believe Chui is a generic enough surname to pose no risk. I will then have your records, all of them, transferred to that name. It happens often enough when parents change their names and their children follow suit."
"It does?"
"It does," he confirmed. "My Little Dragon, when people get married, they still take their partner's name," he pointed out. In Japan, it was still mostly the woman taking the man's name but there were enough instances of it going the other way for his son to be aware of it. And there were enough remarriages where children's surnames were altered.
Silently he admitted to himself it would be easier if he still had the Minister under control but the man had lost his nerve and was no longer an option. Plus, there was no guarantee he would still be Minister for Education, even if he was around. His party had regained control in the last election but… they did so like their cabinet reshuffles. At any rate, the Minister was not an option but he was certain he could make the arrangements without him. That's what Hawein, Mori and Nishimura, and the alliance of law firms they represented, were for. Taking care of the paperwork.
"So, what would you like your new name to be?" All For One asked in jest.
"Hmm," Izuku murmured. "Chui… Chui…" he said his current surname a few times as if testing it out. All For One knew what he was doing. He was sounding out potential names to go with the surname. He did it after all, when selecting a new name for his identity. While he was never known officially as Hisashi Shigaraki, Hisashi had been tested with his surname for fit. It was the same as Fukahi. Fukahi Shigaraki passed his test, unlike Sakerarenai. That potential name had just been too long.
"Izaki? Izashi? Izoku? Izoki?"
"While it will be harder, it may be better not to start with an I," he pointed out.
His son nodded at that but said nothing as he continued to think. All For One could hear his son whispering names under his breath. He was testing them out against his surname.
"Mitei Chui," Izuku finally announced.
He felt his lips quirk into a smile. "Are you sure?"
Izuku nodded and All For One heard his son's breath. "It should only be for a little while," he said.
"There is no rush."
"I know, but…"
"It will take as long as it takes," he told his son. On this, while he would prefer not to be patient, he knew he had to be. If he rushed then… Well, he'd never be sure and he wasn't going to let that happen again. Not with family. "I will have the paperwork drawn up," he assured Izuku.
"Thank you, Daddy," Izuku said.
With his son, he could always hear the sincerity in his voice. It was rather refreshing. He usually heard sincerity when someone was begging for their life. Then it was tinged with desperation.
"I told you, I will support you, my son," All For One said softly, his mind already sorting through other issues of Izuku attending UA. Accommodation could be easily taken care of but… Yes, perhaps it would be best if two apartments were readied. In the same block but different floors. Izuku would be registered to live in one but reside in the other. It was a flimsy precaution but one that might buy his son a few seconds if something happened, and he knew seconds were often all you needed.
The matter of his new parenthood would be settled easily enough. One of JBQC's shell companies was operated by a Windy Chui. She could become Izuku's new mother, and since her husband had been hurt in the Toxic Chainsaw raid, Izuku could tell people that honestly, which would add to the believability of the cover story. And…
There was more to think about but for now, he allowed himself to enjoy the company of his son.
Izuku nodded and they lapsed into silence. Sometimes, that was enough.
-ted-
After Kurogiri had collected Izuku, All For One sat in silence for a few moments. He deactivated his sight quirks and allowed himself to think. He knew he was taking the right path with Izuku but… It would be so easy to just… No, he couldn't think that.
Instead he focused on the future. Garaki had finally gotten a good copy of All For One. It wasn't complete though. He could feel it when he went to examine it. His quirk apparently didn't want to be copied but this copy did appear to be better than previous ones. They would have to juggle quirks to make sure his consciousness was properly transferred but Kyudai was sure it could be managed.
Tomura was being prepared now to accept his quirk. And he was mentally preparing himself. The more of himself that he could focus into the initial transfer, the better. He was sure his quirk understood that. It was after all, for its long term survival as well, and there was one thing he was sure of, his quirk wanted to live. So… in due course, Tomura would be given his original quirk and the best impression of him as he could manage, and then as Tomura took further quirks from him, more of his memories and consciousness would transfer until…
All For One nodded to himself. That would continue until Tomura was him. And at that point he could shed this body entirely. It would be best if Izuku didn't see that. He wasn't sure what his son would think and if enough time passed, then Izuku would make his decision only after he was in control of Tomura's body. With the added maturity that would give his son, he was sure he could explain why he'd made those choices.
Yes, there was no rush on Izuku's decision.
But there was a rush on Tomura. The teen was no longer content to simply be involved with planning. He wanted to do things. All For One could accept that. He could even encourage it, to a limited degree. Having Tomura known to the wider community would make his possession of the teens body and the transition of power smoother. He just had to be sure Tomura wouldn't do anything stupid.
Still he had time, and he could therefore plan Tomura's initial forays into the world but… He always planned for contingency, even the ones he didn't like, which meant...
"Gigantomachia," he said. His bodyguard was in the room with him, meaning that the silence wasn't complete. His hearing was so much better than it had been.
"My Lord?" came the immediate response.
All For One took a breath before acknowledging his bodyguard. "I do not expect anything to happen to me," he began, ignoring the way Gigantomachia stiffened, "but if I does then I will need you to-"
"Help the Little Lord," his bodyguard interrupted.
He cocked his head towards Gigantomachia, silently asking for clarification. With his vision quirk once again active he saw the way the large man moved slightly. "Yes, I want you to help Izuku but you may also need to help-"
"No." There was a note of something in Gigantomachia's voice that he rarely heard. His bodyguard was going to insist because no matter how much Gigantomachia was family and put his views and opinions first, there were things upon which the man would not be moved. This appeared to be one such issue.
All For One shifted again, the gesture demanding that his servant explain further.
"I will help the Little Lord. I will not help the brat," came the explanation.
He smiled. "Even with the plan?" All For One knew Gigantomachia was not stupid. The man knew what the plan was for Tomura's body.
He could imagine the look that crossed his bodyguard's features. It would be one of resigned acceptance. "If he is you, then that is different," Gigantomachia allowed.
At that, he nodded. "Keep him physically safe," he instructed. "He will after all have a large part of me."
Gigantomachia nodded. "I am loyal to you, my Lord, and then the Little Lord."
All For One knew in Gigantomachia's mind, there was nothing more to add to the sentence. Tomura was a convenience, nothing more. He was a part of a plan and now a future body, but nothing more than that. Except… "Why?" He asked. He knew his bodyguard would answer.
There was no need to explain Gigantomachia's loyalty to himself. He already knew that. But why was Izuku seen as more worthy than Tomura? It would be more than simply the blood relationship. Even without eyes, All For One caught the look from his bodyguard that told him clearly that he should already know why but he did not retract his question.
"The Little Lord is not ready," Gigantomachia rumbled. "But he is aware of that. The brat expects loyalty without question."
It was an interesting assessment and it wasn't untrue but he was a bit surprised Gigantomachia had picked up on those subtleties. Not because he was unperceptive but because he didn't have much to do with Tomura. "He will learn," All For One said.
Again he picked up on the look his bodyguard gave him. It told him clearly that the large man doubted the statement. Even so, he would not say anything against it. "And if he doesn't," All For One continued, "that hardly matters."
That got a smile from Gigantomachia. Tomura didn't have to learn. He just had to submit.
"I will help the Little Lord," his bodyguard confirmed again.
"He's going to be-" All For One didn't finish the sentence. Instead he titled his head upwards as he thought about the future he wanted. The one where things were as he planned. Izuku stood beside him and they were in full agreement. It didn't feel quite right to imagine himself in Tomura's body and his vision didn't include that. Instead, somehow he was healed and Tomura was… The teen wasn't in this vision. Not this bit anyway. He knew it was the eve of total victory and he could see that Izuku had his own lieutenants and informants. They were absolutely loyal to his son and were already working to make sure the transition of power was smooth. The sheeple would object less then.
All Might was a bloody, broken body laid at his feet and Izuku turned to him with a smile that said clearly all was ready.
It was a glorious vision. It was… not yet reality.
But it could be. And he would do everything in his not inconsiderable power to make it so. It might take time. Izuku would need to make the initial decision and then be guided but…
All For One smiled. It would happen. And in the meantime he could entertain himself by watching Tomura tie All Might into knots with his heritage.
He just had to be patient and over the years, he had gotten better at that. He could afford to wait for now, especially when the rewards were so rich. After all, what better way to pass the time than with some light entertainment before the main event?
-ted-
Izuku looked over at Hitoshi and Ochaco. They were both reading their textbooks, studying for the exams they knew were coming. He should be reading them as well but he had something to tell them, except he didn't know how it would go.
"What is it?" Hitoshi asked, without looking up.
"What do you mean?" Izuku demanded.
"You are fidgeting, Little Dragon," Ochaco answered for him. "What do you want to tell us?" She at least had the good taste to put down her textbook and look towards him.
Izuku sighed. "When we go to UA-"
"I like the confidence," Hitoshi interrupted, putting down his book.
Izuku rolled his eyes, lifting one hand to sweep back his currently almost metallic blue-black hair. "My dad apparently made a silly promise to my mum," he said, instead of going back to his previous opening.
That got their attention. He couldn't ever remember talking about his mum with either of them. Not anything in depth.
"What's this got to do with UA?" Ochaco asked.
"I'll get there."
"Before they were married, dad apparently made her a silly promise. They were discussing what quirk I might get," he elaborated. "And it led into names and... " He shook his head. "I don't really know," he said. "Except that dad made a promise to her."
"What did he promise?"
"That if I got into UA, I'd be entered with the name she wanted to call me," Izuku told them.
Hitoshi frowned. "Isn't your dad separated from your mum?" He asked.
Izuku nodded. "Sometimes he just… I don't think he feels he owes her, I think it's more dad doesn't like to break promises, so he does make sure he keeps them, even if mum will probably never know," he explained.
Ochaco sighed. "So what name is it?"
"Mitei," he told them. "Mitei Chui."
The two of them thought about it for a few moments before they nodded.
"It's not that bad," Hitoshi decided.
"It's just so silly," Izuku sighed.
"It's kind of sweet," Ochaco replied. "Even if your mum never knows, it's still sweet that your dad remembers her."
Izuku nodded. "I just wanted to let you know, so that you don't panic when Izuku Chui isn't on the pass list," he told them. "It'll be Mitei Chui."
Ochaco smiled. "It's still you, Little Dragon, so it's not a problem."
Hitoshi backed her up with his nod.
Izuku felt relieved and he grinned at his friends. They were great friends. "Well, it's not going to be any of us, unless we get back to study," he said.
"True," Ochaco admitted, pulling her book back and looking down at it, before making a face.
"I could almost live with that," Hitoshi muttered, as he turned back to his textbook as well.
They chuckled and then went back to studying.
UA awaited.
-ted-
I'm sure this chapter answers a few questions for people :D Entrance exams are in three chapters though. A few people have to meet each other first :D
AFO is getting delusional in his old age but he would really love to see his vision come true. The question is of course if Izuku will want it as well.
My discord is on this code: ZX2R5h2cEm FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out.
-ted-
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