20/06/2023

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The Emperor's Dragon
Emergence 80 - Scams and Other Messages

Shouto frowned at his phone. The poor device just showed the same screen to him as it had earlier. It was in his messaging app and was displaying a message from an unknown number.

If you want your quirk back, message me.

There was no indication of who it was from and… He didn't know what to think.

Obviously, his quirk being stolen was something that- He still wasn't sure what to think about it. Hound Dog said he was still in shock and that it would take a while to get over it. The counselor had also said he shouldn't compare himself to the others. That recovery would vary for them all.

So while the fact that his quirk had been stolen was known to the public, his phone number was not. Endeavor, for all that he was not the best parent, had insisted on absolute privacy for his children. Shouto could vaguely recall an incident where someone had photoed Fuyumi at her school and Endeavor had been angry. Not at Fuyumi for being photoed but at the photographer and the magazine who had published the images. He didn't remember what had happened exactly but he knew it hadn't happened again.

So his number wasn't well known. And he had made sure that those people he gave it to knew better than to give it out to others. Which made this message…

It could just be spam or phishing or any number of scams.

He'd asked Momo and the others if they'd received anything like that. Momo had told him that her parents had received some bogus calls after the interview but all had been fake. Those had just been fake tip offs, there hadn't been anything that claimed to be able to return her quirk.

Bakugou had simply yelled - in text - that the only way to get their quirks back was to beat up the bastard to who took them. Shouto knew his father would happily do that but 'the bastard' as Bakugou referred to Mitei- Izuku Midoriya - had apparently gone to ground. There were obviously people in the world who knew where he was but they were also people who appeared to be loyal to him because the Police and Heroes hadn't had so much as a whisper of his location or activities.

All Might was reasonably good at hiding his concern but Shouto knew the Number One Hero was worried about it. It kind of made sense. He had dealt with Izuku's father so he probably had a better idea than anyone else what Izuku might really be capable of.

And all of that was an aside… He had to decide what to do with his text.

The obvious thing, the sensible thing would be to ignore it. Except…

He did want his quirk back.

And… at the moment whoever had sent the message just wanted him to reply. They hadn't asked for money or anything else. If it was a scam, eventually they'd demand that and he'd just have lost some time texting. But if, on the 0.00001% chance that it wasn't a scam then…

Shouto worried at one lip. If it wasn't then… The consequences were far deeper than he really wanted to think about but it would all come back to who sent the text.

Who is this?

Shouto typed and hit send before he could second guess himself.

This was just a scam. They'd reveal themselves soon enough. And if it wasn't… Then… He'd just have to see where this went.

-ted-

As the Principal of a Hero High School, Nezu got any Police report that involved any of his students. Mostly that meant he got reports of what his hero students did while on work experience. If they got involved in something on an internship, then the report went to their Hero Agency. Sometimes it meant he got reports of the Third years being a bit rowdy somewhere. Those reports were usually easily rectified with a minimum of fuss. A public apology by the students, and some community service at the venue or for the complainant and the issue went away, the students learned a lesson and people saw that UA did discipline their students.

The reports on his desk now were far more serious.

Two of his students had been attacked. Well, technically only one of his student's had been attacked. Ochaco Uraraka was no longer a UA student but he had still been sent her case file. He read the file, picking out the pertinent details. She'd been attacked at her apartment. There had been multiple attackers and some sort of drug used to subdue her. She was alive but in a coma caused by the beating she'd suffered. Her parents were already on their way from Tsu.

The preliminary medical report, attached to the Police file was not heartening. Nezu sighed and lowered his head for a moment. Even though Uraraka had been denied the chance to be a hero, she should have had a good future. She was moving back to Tsu and would probably have gotten a limited quirk use licence to help out her parents. He would make sure UA sent their condolences and offered support. It was the diplomatic thing to do. Given that Uraraka's attackers used a quirk, he was confident the Police would find her attackers.

The other report was about Bakugou. He had regained consciousness soon after he'd been discovered and had been angry. Katsuki hadn't said immediately who'd attacked him. He'd said that they were extra's and that he was stronger than that. The teen's insistence that he could power through anything was…

Nezu leaned back in his chair. It was necessary for a hero to believe in themselves. It was necessary that they saw hardship as the opportunity to learn and grow but there was a limit. And if he was honest with himself, and the Principal always was, Katsuki pushed that trait too far. He was entirely too confident in his own abilities. He was a very skilled young man and was blessed with a strong body and mind. But he had no humility. Everything was about him. He had no compassion. Heroes didn't rescue victims in Katsuki's eyes, or those who were unlucky, heroes rescued those who were too weak to rescue themselves. He held the people he had to rescue in contempt.

It wasn't obvious in the classroom. The activities the hero students focused on in first year were those designed to strengthen their quirk and to drill basic survival skills into them. Thus they focused on learning to fight, and plan and to expect the unexpected in first year, along with strengthening what were already usually very strong quirks. In second and third year they focused on other skills, once fitness and survival fighting had become ingrained.

Hound Dog's report on Katsuki's one therapy session after his quirk was stolen was a warning. Not of the events. No one was expecting Katsuki to be attacked but of his reaction to the loss of his quirk. With Izuku, Katsuki seemed to believe that if he encountered the other teen again, all that would be required to get his quirk back would be a very uncouth and uncultured beating. For a teen who was usually so intelligent, it was a telling admission.

And now, instead of calmly telling the Police and Heroes who had beaten him up, Katsuki was insisting that he could take care of them. Nezu didn't shake his head but it was a close thing. Even if Katsuki could somehow find his assailants, they had proven that they could fight him. And if for some reason Katsuki did find them and engage, then he was engaging in common assault. Heroes wouldn't get involved with that, but the Police would and assault would not be looked upon favourably. It couldn't be classed as vigilantism since he wouldn't be using his quirk but a charge of assault, even on his juvenile record would be enough to bar him from heroics. Though, on the other paw, it was probable that if his assailants were even vaguely societal adjacent then he might be able to get away with a warning.

Which would send the exact wrong message.

The Principal sighed. Katsuki had the potential to be a very good hero, even without a quirk. He'd never be number one. Not now anyway. He might have gotten there with his quirk but… Ability played a big role in getting to Number One but so did the ability to market yourself. Katsuki seemed aware of that but equally unaware of how to do the marketing or even how to work with someone to ensure it happened. Still, before his quirk was stolen, he'd had years to learn that. First in UA, and then while a side kick. Now… if he was to be a quirkless hero, he'd have to learn it immediately.

People would be sympathetic but only for a while. After that, they'd simply find Katsuki to be arrogant, grating and annoying. If he had a quirk to back up his skills, they'd tolerate that but without a quirk, even with support equipment, he was going to be at a disadvantage. And that was assuming he could get support equipment.

In UA, the Support Course was obligated to provide equipment for the Hero Students. Once they graduated, there were no such guarantees. Cash helped, but if someone was abusing or annoying, then orders were filled slower and contracts not renewed.

The Principal thought about it for a few minutes. Of all the newly quirkless students, it was Katsuki and Shouto who could probably, realistically, become quirkless heroes. Momo had replied on her quirk too much and her family would find her something else to do. Eijiro hadn't been convinced he wanted to be a hero and would probably find some other work, as would Kaminari. Though, that would be difficult for both of them. The two young men were intelligent and skilled but…

Society did so love their quirks. A graduation certificate from UA would help, as would a few words in the right ears. He'd see what he could do in due course. Tenya was a difficult one. He was likely to attempt to be a hero but- There were many variables with Tenya. His family might step in or he could graduate.

So with Shouto and Katsuki graduating as quirkless heroes, there would be some agencies who would snap them up for the publicity and then… A lot depended on Izuku Midoriya.

Nezu pulled his thoughts back to the present. Speculation on the future was fun but was a distraction. He'd think about it more later and write his predictions down. Then he'd put them in the school vault and see how close he came.

Katsuki had eventually cooperated with Police and had given them details of his assailants. They were both teens. One had a strong spider quirk mutation, which should make finding him easier. That assailant hadn't attacked him though. He'd just watched. The other assailant was named Nobasu Yubikoto. The 'from file' report on him was available. His quirk allowed him to extend and manipulate his fingers at will. He had gone to the same Middle School as Katsuki and was known to engage in bullying those with perceived weakness or differences. The main target was a boy named Tsubasa until his family had taken him out of school. Wait, that was in Elementary and Middle School. There was a note that Tsubasa had been taken out of Middle School in the first year by his family and moved to another school.

Even so Nobasu was noted in the reports as being an accomplice, not the main aggressor. There was no note as to who was. After Tsubasa left, he switched targets. It didn't say to whom but there were still misdemeanours on Nobasu's report that indicated he hadn't changed his ways.

It was an interesting file and offered several hints as to why he'd go after Katsuki. Jealousy was an obvious motive. Katsuki was far more intelligent than Nobasu and had gotten into UA. While it may have been expected, it would generally make some students jealous, especially if they had no reasonable prospects. There was also the possibility that Nobasu had been slighted somehow by Katsuki. That would explain a lot. Jealousy alone shouldn't have led to an attack. Once Nobasu heard that Katsuki was quirkless, then that should have caused to want to gloat but if Nobasu had been slighted by Katsuki then…

And it was very possible that the other teen had been insulted by Katsuki. Nezu allowed himself a small puff of air. Very possible was too mild. It was practically guaranteed. Katsuki insulted his current classmates, who were, far more than his Middle School, his equals.

The Principal nodded to himself. That explained things. Nobasu had been insulted by Katsuki in the past, and hearing that he was quirkless had decided to extract some revenge. It was a good thing that he didn't know what he was doing or he could have strangled Katsuki to death. Or… Nezu looked at the preliminary report. There was nothing to suggest he did know what he was doing but given his quirk and history of bullying… There was a chance that he had done this before. Strangling someone wasn't something you did lightly. It took dedication and the photographs of the bruises on Katsuki's neck showed that Nobasu had used his quirk enhanced fingers.

Maybe he should look into the previous bullying. Maybe there was an incident that had caused Tsubasa's family to have him transfer schools, something that hadn't gone on Nobasu's record but was serious. It wouldn't be the first time something like that had been just swept under the radar because it was far easier just to let it go than actually deal with the problem.

Nezu looked back at the report. Nobasu was the accomplice in his previous attacks… And there was nothing on the main assailant from Elementary and Middle School. Katsuki looked down upon the people heroes were expected to rescue… Katsuki and Nobasu went to the same schools… What if this wasn't jealousy, or Nobasu being insulted… or rather what if it was? Because Katsuki had a clean record and Nobasu didn't, when it was Katsuki who'd lead the bullying.

UA did some background checks on their students and Nezu already knew that Katsuki's file was not completely perfect. A completely perfect file for someone with a quirk like his was a massive red flag. There were always incidents. And there were incidents in his file but they were minor things. Some property damage when he'd accidentally blown up a desk or damaged something else. Some outburst, but it was never hinted… never mentioned that he'd used his quirk against someone.

What if that was the case? Katsuki was the instigator of the childhood bullying, Nobasu was his accomplice and for some reason the school never noted it on Katsuki's record?

Why wouldn't they- The answer was trivial. If they thought Katsuki had a good quirk for heroics, and he did, then they'd have protected that reputation.

But surely someone would have noted something? To sweep it all under the rug… It could be done but it would take dedication and…

It was a theory for the moment. One that fit the evidence but one that wasn't proven. And until it was proven it would remain a theory. Just one though. Because Nezu could think of others and pure jealousy on Nobasu's part would also explain things without Katsuki being a bully.

The Principal wrote some notes. He'd have to get Katsuki to undergo more therapy and then hope that the teen saw reality otherwise- Well, UA did their best to prepare their students for the real world but sometimes, even that wasn't enough.

-ted-

Someone who can make a deal with Dragon

Shouto stared at the message. He hadn't been expecting something like that. He'd been expecting something far more evasive, something designed to… Well, this message was designed to lead him on but the wording…

The Yaoyorozu's interview had named Mitei Chui as Izuku Midoriya, and the probable son of the villain All Might had taken out, though no one had really said much about him. If the reply was the one he got, he'd have expected it to say 'Someone who can make a deal with Midoriya' or 'Mitei' or 'Chui' or any of the teen's known names.

Dragon was new.

Dragon was a name his father had growled about being involved in the case without ever giving any details. Dragon was… Shouto had no idea who Dragon was but the message seemed to indicate that Dragon was Izuku Midoriya. Still, the message implied payment. The sender only said they could make a deal with Dragon, not that he, Shouto Todoroki wouldn't have to meet the terms of that deal.

And what would this deal cost me? He typed the message and looked at it. Hesitating.

Did he send it? Did he even entertain the thought that the person messaging him could do anything? The Police were looking for Midoriya. The Heroes were. Everyone was. So could someone just randomly message him to say they could make a deal with him. Did he believe that?

Shouto closed his eyes and turned his face to the ceiling. He felt his hair fall back, over his shoulders as he hesitated further.

Was this actual hope, or was it, as Momo's parents had already experienced, just a scam? Was it something he could trust?

He hovered his fingers over his phone, and took a deep breath and then, without looking, lowered his finger to the screen.

Swoup.

The sound was loud in the silence and before he looked down again, Shouto tapped the screen again to go to another app. Any app. It didn't matter.

He'd hold on to hope, just a little bit longer.

-ted-

Dabi's gone the direct route with Shouto but you can imagine it wasn't a done thing. There'd be scammers who could say they can get the quirk back just try ... a whole list of things.

And Nezu has the Police reports so you now know what happened. Of course... no one has told Izuku yet.

My discord is on this code: TcBnRN7aDn FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out. There's a heap of other authors there, so come along and chat to us all!

-ted-

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