01/08/2023

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The Emperor's Dragon
Emergence 92 - Above My Paygrade

The instant his friend, Hansou, came through the door of Misuborashi, Bokusen knew his time was up. He didn't stop to see who the hero following him was. Instead he vaulted over the bar, and rolled to go through the door to the small kitchen that was behind the bar. The heroes couldn't keep him safe! They hadn't kept the other's safe. Bokusen ignored the shout from behind him as he ran to the far door. If he could get out to the alleyway, then he could…

He wasn't really thinking beyond the moment. It was a surprise when he yanked open the back door and was confronted by green.

"Shit!"

It was only because, as Edge Dart, he was more than passingly fit that he avoided the grab that was made for him.

Bokusen had never seen the man before him but he knew who it was. Dragon.

He'd been a vigilante long enough to know that villains felt different from heroes. The guy at the back door felt like a villain.

Bokusen scrambled back and then realised he was trapped. He looked back and forth once, trying to think.

There really was no choice. One side would try to protect him while the other wanted him dead. He'd take the chance of life, even if he didn't think it was a good chance. Dragon had gotten to the others. He could only hope the Heroes had learned.

Bokusen barreled back through the kitchen door and slammed into the bar. It kept him upright and this time he got a look at the hero who'd come.

He froze. He thought he could be forgiven for freezing. No vigilante he'd ever heard of had All Might come after them. Bokusen almost didn't notice the door behind him crash open as Dragon raced after him and it was certainly no consolation that the pillar of the underworld seemed as surprised as he was.

The fact that All Might was surprised didn't even register. Bokusen threw himself down the bar, as his head snapped between the two. The other inhabitants in the bar raced for the door. Dragon and All Might ignored them but they became aware of each other at the same time.

There was an electric tension in the air that had nothing to do with quirks. As a vigilante Edge Dart could project his presence. He did when he took out villain support groups. It didn't always work but when it did, it gave him a longer time to use his quirk. But what he could do was nothing against the display he was feeling now.

Both Dragon and All Might projected the sense of their presence. Bokusen felt flattened and he thought All Might was a bit stronger but his presence was tinged with regret and Dragon wasn't backing down. It was only then that he realised how short Dragon was. All Might was over two metres tall. Dragon was a good half metre shorter than him but…

While he might feel slightly weaker, there was a grim determination to Dragon's presence.

"Young man, you don't-" All Might said, his voice full of regret.

"I just want him," Dragon replied confidently.

"It's not worth it, Young Man," All Might said firmly.

"Oh, and tell me what would have happened if I just left the others, if I just leave him to you?" There was a surprising note of challenge in his voice. And a sense that Dragon already knew the answer.

"They would have been charged with assault, just as he will be," the Number One Hero replied, except Bokusen could tell it was not the answer to the question Dragon had asked. Not really.

"As villains?"

That was a loaded question. There were two charges of assault. One was for villains, and the other was what was known as common assault. It was the older law, made before quirks, and it generally carried a far lesser punishment.

"Only one used their quirk," All Might had to admit.

Dragon snarled at the response. "So Ochaco has to go through all that fear, all that pain and now lies in hospital, where no one knows if she will awaken, and her family once again worries about their money, and they just get to walk away?"

"I assure you, Izuku, they will not walk away," All Might replied.

Dragon cocked his head at the response. Bokusen was grabbing the bar. It was the only thing keeping him upright and he could feel his legs trembling. Belatedly he realised that All Might had used a name. The Number One Hero knew who Dragon was. It kind of made sense… except… wasn't Izuku the name of the UA Student who'd taken the other's quirks?

He was Dragon? No. No. No! That wasn't possible.

Dragon was one of the underworld! Not a snot nosed brat! He was powerful. He was… He wasn't a child except…

All Might had called Dragon Izuku. Bokusen trembled. He wasn't sure what to think anymore.

"Do you think I'm a fool?" Dragon mocked. "I know what the penalty is for common assault. If they get a halfway decent lawyer, it will be a slap on the wrist and a fine, that won't even cover a day of Ochaco's hospital bill. And as for him, don't make me laugh," Dragon spat.

All Might looked troubled. "I will speak on Ochaco's behalf," he said.

"That's not justice!" Dragon yelled. "That's not justice," he repeated, sounding almost sad. "And you know it, but it's all you can offer, because you don't have the courage to change the system."

"Izuku, I-"

The way Dragon twitched stopped whatever All Might was going to say. Instead the Number One Hero stared for a moment before he shook his head. "I cannot let you leave," All Might announced.

Bokusen knew if the hero had said that to him, he'd have already been nodding and agreeing to go with the hero. Dragon shook his head in return.

"So you expect me to come with you and what? Contritely apologise for using my quirk? Give back the others and then have everyone look at me as if I am the criminal, for doing something they do every day?" Dragon chuckled.

"You did steal their quirks," All Might pointed out.

"They're alive," Dragon shrugged. "And if the world was kinder to the quirkless, it wouldn't make a difference if they have a quirk or not."

"That is not your only crime. Why did you kill her?" All Might asked.

"Kill who?" Dragon countered, but the smile ghosting around his lips indicated he knew exactly who All Might was talking about.

Bokusen shivered. It didn't really matter if Dragon was Izuku, a UA Student, he obviously had the balls to be someone in the underworld. He probably had the skills as well… and it seemed he had the contacts or he wouldn't be here.

All Might shook his head at the statement. He seemed genuinely sad and Bokusen got the impression that he was about to move. Just before he could, Dragon spoke. "So what do you think happens if I go with you?"

"You will be put on trial for her murder, and your other crimes and then after you serve punishment you can rejoin society," All Might said.

Murder was still one of those crimes that did not have dual penalties.

Dragon gave him a look that clearly said the Number One Hero was wrong. "We both know that wouldn't happen. I'd be put on trial but not correctly and that's the problem, All Might. The world is too flexible now but too prejudiced to see it. There are those who have power, and those who don't. You say what I did was bad but how is it any worse than what they did to Ochaco!"

"She's dead!" All Might roared.

"I killed her, yes but you know I would not get justice. She would be an excuse and I would be, at best enslaved, so no, I'm not going to come with you. I'm going to take him and leave," Dragon announced, once again gesturing towards him.

"I won't let you do that."

"It's not your choice," Dragon announced confidently.

The shock of something yanking at his ankle caused Bokusen to cry out. It pulled him off balance, towards Dragon and then All Might was there. In a single bound he'd crossed the bar and come down on the chain that had grabbed him.

It shattered and Bokusen watched stupidly as it retreated back to Dragon. "So now you are protecting him?" Dragon hissed.

"I won't let you kill someone else," All Might declared.

Dragon actually laughed. "Do you know, there's only been two people I've ever really, really wanted to kill?" he asked.

"Me," All Might replied, and it seemed as if he knew why Dragon would want that.

"Yes," Dragon agreed and then squinted slightly. "But while you still have my uncle's quirk I can't," he added.

Bokusen wasn't the only one who started at that information. The man who'd followed Dragon looked at the villain oddly. He just looked at All Might. The notion that a quirk could be taken was something that was myth a few weeks ago but Dragon had changed that. Not by himself. Daiki Yaoyorozu had helped. Now the world knew that it was possible to steal a quirk and to give it back.

To suggest that All Might's wasn't his, or that he had two… was unthinkable. But if anyone knew about someone having a quirk that wasn't theirs, surely it was the man who could take quirks?

Bokusen wasn't sure what to think. All he could really see was All Might's back with the way the hero was standing but he knew better than to relax. All Might lunged at Dragon.

Bokusen couldn't be sure but he thought Dragon braced because from what he could see, an instant later, the two of them were engaged in a test of strength. He took the chance to move, putting one hand on the bar for leverage as he jumped over it, heading towards the door All Might had come through.

The man who was with Dragon, a villain obviously but not one Bokusen knew, moved. "Now is not the time to leave," he said firmly and reached out to him.

His vigilante senses screamed and he flinched away. The man missed touching him. He snarled and the villain merely cocked his head towards him in an acknowledgement of what he had tried. Bokusen backed away to a point where he could see the villain and Dragon.

Dragon was engaged in a test of strength with All Might and the size difference between the two of them was even more noticeable and while it was obvious that Dragon wasn't as strong as All Might, he was managing to hold the Hero back. Bokusen felt a chill pass through him at that. No one had stood against All Might. The only villain who had come close was the other the other week… They were coming out of the woodwork!

Dragon knew he was losing and snarled before he blew fire at the Number One Hero. Bokusen watched as All Might flinched back. It was instinctive and before he could recover, Dragon landed a heavy blow to All Might's left side.

The world knew it was his weak side and while Bokusem didn't know what quirk or quirks Dragon had, but he thought a strength enhancement one was likely. From the sound of the punch, it seemed to be true. All Might didn't stagger, but he did grimace and take a step back as he instinctively clutched at his side. Dragon tried to follow up the punch but while All Might was injured, he had not maintained his position by not being able to react. The hero dodged and used his superior height to drop a punch on to Dragon, who threw himself backwards before he leapt forward again.

Edge Dart didn't know if Dragon had always had claws but the smaller villain drove them at All Might, snagging his costume and ripping it away. It revealed the hero's horrendous wounds. He had to leap back again and before Dragon could do anything further, All Might went on the offensive.

He threw several quick punches that should have had Dragon backing up but the villain just returned All Might's punches.

Bokusen felt his eyes widen. This was ridiculous! Villains who could fight All Might should not be just appearing!

"Shock Absorption," All Might said.

As far as he could tell Dragon didn't give anything away but he could also tell that All Might knew he was right. He wasn't sure, all Bokusen could see was that Dragon was soaking up the punishment the Number One Hero was inflicting and delivering his own. It was often forgotten how long it took to heal from injuries, especially when those with healing quirks were involved, but Bokusen wasn't the only one who saw the thin trail of blood coming from All Might's mouth.

The villain a few weeks ago had injured him badly but apparently All Might had thought about what that might mean. Instead of backing off, he lunged forward, embracing Dragon. It could have almost been tender, except for the hatred that graced Dragon's features. That quickly turned to panic as he realised what All Might was doing. It wasn't subtle. All Might simply squeezed.

"I can defeat Shock Absorption but I am taking you in," All Might said, ignoring the fire Dragon was blowing at him as he squeezed.

Dragon groaned and hit him, struggling to slip out of the Number One Hero's embrace but All Might was gripping him too strongly. He gritted his teeth and braced his hands on All Might's shoulder. His talons pressed against the still intact costume as Dragon tried to push himself away. All that seemed to do was allow All Might to get a better grip around him and there was a solid crack as something broke.

Bokusen didn't know what it was, but a moment later Dragon went limp, slumping over the hero. All Might sighed and laid the villain on the floor and Bokusen could see that he was still conscious. His eyes were sharp, not showing the pain he had to be in. He was snarling up at All Might.

"I'm sorry, Izuku, I cannot allow you to follow your father's path," All Might said before he turned to the other villain. "And I will not allow you to take my quirk."

That man had a top hat and mask on and wisely raised his hands as he slipped away from the door.

"Cuffs!" All Might yelled at the heroes who had to be outside.

Bokusen kept his eyes on Dragon. His breath was short and his claws were digging gouges in the floor. But as the vigilante watched, the way Dragon was writhing changed and his eyes, which had been clouded with hate and pain, had once again became calculating. Bokusen had a bad feeling.

"Compress," Dragon managed to say.

All Might glanced back but the villain hadn't moved.

"Do you trust me?" Dragon whispered.

Compress nodded.

"Touch me," the villain instructed.

Bokusen watched. He couldn't do anything else. He had no idea what difference this would make. Compress squatted and reached out to touch Dragon.

All Might turned and his eyes were horrified. "No!" He yelled, jumping to stop whatever was happening.

Bokusen didn't know what happened. All he knew was things seemed to happen at once. The instant after Compress touched Dragon the villain disappeared and Dragon leapt up, grabbing something from the floor. Whatever All Might had broken must have fixed itself. Bokusen watched as Dragon levelled one arm at him. Something flew at him. They were green and sharp.

All Might suddenly loomed in his vision and whatever those green things were impacted into the hero. Bokusen saw Dragon disappear back through the door to the kitchen but he still had no idea where Compress had gone. All Might yelled and sprung after the villain, crashing through the door, with the green things dropping to the floor. Sir Nighteye came through the front door at the same time and Bokusen collapsed to the floor.

He'd dealt with adrenalin as a vigilante but this was different. This was… He felt exhausted and he'd done nothing. He didn't even resist as Sir Nighteye cuffed him.

"Just, get me out of here," Bokusen whispered.

He didn't want to deal with anything anymore.

-ted-

Well...

Well...

Izuku is good but he's still not up to All Might. And yes, this leaves the particular encounter as one all since Izuku got the other morons, but the heroes got the vigilante, and you can beat they are going to be much more careful with him than they were the ones Izuku took from the holding cells.

And now... the chase is on!

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-

Loved it? Hated it? Found a spelling mistake? Let me know please!