The Four Sons
Chapter 8
-Izuku-
Standing between Denki and Ochaco, his best friends firmly glaring back at All Might who seemed surprised at their animosity, Izuku glanced around. The room was tense as the entirety of the class had noticed All Might's glare directed his way. The only one besides Denki and Ochaco who didn't seem surprised was Todoroki, although he might have heard about what happened from Fuyumi.
"Students," All Might's voice snapped Izuku out of his observations, attention once more on the biggest man in the room "today is your first practical heroics class and as I said before, today will be battle training." Izuku could hear the eagerness coming from Bakugo, "You will be divided into pairs and fight two on two. Heroes, against villains." The last word said while pointedly looking at Izuku, the others in the class starting to whisper.
"How will the teams be decided sir?!" Ida asked loudly, starting to hastily chop the air once again before sharply stopping, likely remembering Aizawa's order not to do so.
"Random lots." All Might gestured to a hat filled with numbered balls, "Heroes often have to team up with anyone who might have reached the scene during a crisis so learning how to work with someone unexpected on the fly is a crucial trait for a hero."
"Thank you, sir!" Ida nodded eagerly, shaking in effort to restrain from air chopping.
"Now, for this exercise there's a specific caveat that has to be added." All Might's scowl turned towards Izuku, "Midoriya, you are forbidden from-"
"No, he's not." The cold voice of Aizawa snarled as their homeroom teacher stepped from a shadow, "You were warned All Might."
"This is my class Eraserhead." All Might glared down at the man, "And I will teach it as I see fit."
"I'm sure Nezu will be so eager to hear that you're continuing to disobey orders." Aizawa scoffed before glancing at Izuku much more sympathetically "Izuku, want me to explain it or would you rather the details remain secret?"
"Go ahead," he sighed, "if we don't then who knows what sort of rumors are going to start." Aizawa grimaced at that but nodded, his glowing eyes keeping All Might quiet as Izuku noted the massive number one was pointedly staying out of Aizawa's line of sight.
"Alright, to make this simple, All Might is treating your classmate like that because Midoriya's biological father from a sperm bank donation was a villain he fought. Due to Izuku sharing similar features and a weaker version of said villain's quirk, All Might has decided that Izuku is going to be a villain and has even put forth that Midoriya and his family should be arrested. He's only still employed and keeping his license because the Hero Commission is protecting him."
"That quirk is corrupting by nature. He is a threat." All Might scoffed, clearly expecting for Izuku's classmates to side with him over Aizawa.
"Mina, mind helping me melt all my All Might merch when school lets out?" Kirishima was the first one to talk, the red haired first year looking at All Might with nothing but pure disgust.
"How the fuck is he a Hero?!" a shadowy creature came from the chest of their raven headed classmate.
"Who knew All Might was a bigot, ribbit." A green haired girl held a finger up to her face as more and more of the class started shouting protests at All Might, stating that they planned to destroy his merch, and more.
"Midoriya, your quirk is fully permitted to be used in these exercises, just make sure you return them afterward." Aizawa nodded satisfied as All Might gaped at the amount of protests levied against him.
"Thank you, sir." Izuku nodded as his classmates began to go up and draw their numbers, All Might shunted off to the side as Aizawa took over the class. In the end he was paired with his classmate Ojiro who had a tail, and they were going up against Bakugo and Ida for the first match.
"Finally," Bakugo grinned ferally "I'm going to enjoy putting you in your place you bad dye job!" the blond with the explosive quirk stomped off with a protesting Ida as he and Ojiro were left to wait outside the building.
"Dye job?" Ojiro glanced his way, eyebrow raised questioning.
"I dyed the streak of green in my hair because that used to be the total color, but I didn't think it looked that bad." Izuku frowned in confusion, "Does it?"
"Just looks like a streak of green." A confused Ojiro shrugged "So I saw your quirk before. Some sort of earth control?"
"Planet control." Izuku corrected "Natural earth, plants, and water. It's my first quirk."
"Hold up, I'm sorry, first quirk?" Ojiro looked utterly baffled.
"My secondary quirk lets me take and give quirks, but I can only hold so many." Izuku looked away uncomfortably "It's why All Might is so against me."
"Huh, neat." Ojiro's response threw Izuku off guard, "You'd be able to depower villains and even give quirks from villains to people who were quirkless or had self-harming quirks. That's awesome dude."
"Thanks." Izuku grinned, enthusiasm returning "The only other quirk I have is one from my grandpa who wanted me to take it before he passed away." Izuku brought that power forth as an extra set of spectral psychic arms appeared by him.
"…We're sparring later." Ojiro grinned, a battle junky gleam in his eyes as the tailed marital artist examined the now four armed Izuku.
"You're on." He grinned, fist bumping his partner as they discussed their basic plan before they got the call to start. The second they stepped inside the building he could hear the explosions of Bakugo trying to track them down.
"Ready for plan shock and awe?" Ojiro grinned, lashing his tail through the air.
"Ready." Izuku grinned as he and his partner stood side by side, waiting as the sound of explosions grew ever closer.
"I found you Deku!" Bakugo appeared, manic grin on his face only to gag when Izuku doused him with water from a bottle attached to his hero costume, apparently washing away whatever was causing the explosions. As Bakugo dropped from the sky and rolled, Izuku noted the scent of caramel. Nitroglycerin, if it was washed away that easily then it must be faintly coming from Bakugo. Given the intensity of the dark colors he'd guess through sweat. Now if only he could figure out why that felt familiar.
"I'd actually say it looks like you found the floor." Ojiro quipped, lashing his tail once again as Bakugo got to his feet, pausing in confusion as he saw Izuku's extra arms.
"What the fu-" Bakugo's confused cursing was cut off as Izuku and Ojiro charged, lashing out as Bakugo worked to fire small explosions in the enclosed space, the water attack from before having apparently washed away most of his 'fuel' so Bakugo had to 'recharge' as it were.
This gave Izuku and Ojiro just the opening they needed.
"Now!" Ojiro called out, sweeping Bakugo's leg as the blond bomber was flipped into the air, Izuku lashing out to grab him, taking Bakugo's quirk away.
"Got it!" Izuku leapt back as Bakugo staggered, Ojiro hastily rushing in to tie the capture tape around Bakugo who was trying, and failing to use his quirk.
"Bakugo is captured." All Might's displeasure was audible in his tone as Izuku and Ojiro shared a grin, running off and leaving a shaken Bakugo on the ground. As they got further up the building, they started to hear Ida practicing a 'villainous monologue' fully earnest.
Getting an idea, and gesturing for Ojiro to follow his lead, Izuku stepped into Ida's line of sight "Well, well, if it isn't my rival." Izuku got into character, deciding to use Ida's earnestness to help his plan "I have to say, you need to get better help. That minion of yours went down far too quickly."
"Aha, I see you have reached me Hero!" Ida didn't even bat an eye, the armored student giving his best evil laugh. Clearly, Ida needed to join a theatre group if he was having this much fun.
"But of course, after all, only one's rival should have the pleasure of defeating the other." Izuku stepped forward, "So what say you my rival, one against one?" he held out a hand, curious if Ida would fall for his ruse. Through his coms he was positive he could hear Aizawa keeping All Might from messing the plan up.
"You sure about this Captain Planet?" Ojiro called out in well faked concern, still throwing in the teasing with that nickname which he swore had better not end up as his Hero title.
"I'm sure Tails." He gave his smirking partner a look, the martial artist completely unrepentant.
"Very well Captain!" Ida apparently didn't realize it was meant to tease Izuku and rolled with it, "Then I, the Speed Villain Reverse Ingenium, shall face you in one-on-one combat!" Ida fell into his ingrained habits as Izuku shook his hand, and stole the engine user's quirk.
"Wait what?!" Ida gaped, staggering as his center of balance was instantly thrown off.
"Yeah, im gonna borrow your quirk for a bit." Izuku grinned as he zoomed past Ida, slapping a palm to the fake bomb. It was only after he did so that he realized he felt fine. His body could only hold so many quirks at once and he could start to feel it when he was one away from his 'max total'. Before, he could only hold six and so he'd kept to three. Now, he had five on hand but didn't feel any strain. His upper limit was going up, he was getting stronger.
-All for One-
Humming eagerly to himself, All for One walked around his office in the robotic body he'd had constructed for himself, relishing being able to do something so simple as move again. Hearing the office phone ring, he picked it up, "Speak." His voice, synthesized though it may be, brokered no argument.
"Hey, it's Giran." The information broker was unphased by his tone, "I found that guy you wanted me to track down, Dabi. He's in meeting room three above the Bourbon Room."
"Very good. Your fee will be sent to you promptly." All for One nodded, respecting the ability that Giran had and knowing it was best to keep a resource like that paid and satisfied.
"Always a pleasure doing business. I will warn you, kid's jumpy as hell and looks close to attacking whoever comes his way. I had to pass on that you had information for him regarding Endeavor like I said was a possibility."
"Thank you for the warning." All for One nodded, hanging up the call "Kurogiri, portal." Seeing the misty gate swirl into being, he stepped through, noting the heavily scarred young man waiting for him.
"The fuck?" the fire user known as Dabi blinked in confusion, "A fuckin robot?"
"A robotic puppet piloted by a quirk." He corrected, "My body is incapable of movement at the present moment."
"Whatever." Dabi scoffed, "Giran said you had information about Endeavor to trade? What's the info and what the hell do you want?"
"The information, is this." All for One knew these rooms were private and soundproof. He'd invested enough to be sure. He played the recording he'd gotten by hacking Endeavor's home security system. Dabi listened as he heard Endeavor mourn him, of why he stopped training him, of Endeavor's concerns over the state of heroics, and of the threats to his siblings by the Commission.
"No…no, no, no!" Dabi was hyperventilating, whisps of blue flames dancing through his fingers, "That bastard never cared about me, he didn't!"
"There's more." All for One kept playing, revealing why Endeavor trained his kids the way he had, and what his own parents had been like."
"Why…why tell me all this? Why get involved?" Dabi demanded, seemingly desperate for some kind of answer.
"Because, your little sister is growing closer to my son." He decided honestly was the best policy here, lying to family had only ever caused him more issues down the line "I fully expect to see her as my daughter in law eventually."
"What?!" Dabi gaped, "Fuyumi is…what?!"
"Indeed." He nodded, "So, I've been trying to do some 'nice things' for the Todoroki family. I thought I'd start with you." The portal opened back up behind him, "I can heal your scars. I can give you a second quirk that will stop your body from being destroyed again by your flames. Come with me, and I will give you all of that and more. You are family now after all." Hesitantly, a confused Dabi followed him through the portal which closed behind them.