-Arc 2-
'Villains Rising'
8 Months Later…
The sounds of muted battle echoed through the deserted halls of Cherry Blossom Manor. Flesh impacting flesh interrupted the sound of trickling water and the slight whisper of a breeze that sent the petals that gave the complex its name fluttering to the ground.
Ducking under a punch, Izuku immediately leaped backwards to avoid having his legs swept out from under him. Using his arm to wipe some sweat from his forehead Izuku grinned at his opponent who gave him a knowing smirk in return. Izuku dodged and weaved between the next two punches before grabbing his foe's arm when they extended it for the third, launching a kick of his own that connected with their left side.
As Momo reeled backwards from the hit Izuku pressed his advantage; turning so his back was to her Izuku positioned her arm over his shoulder and used it as a makeshift lever to pull the ravenette girl over his back flipping her completely in the process.
Momo hit the floor with a resounding thud and let out a pained groan as she lay on her back. Izuku stood victorious for a moment before letting himself fall on his butt as he let his own wounded moans join Momo's in a painful duet.
When Momo had first taken Izuku to the training room the day after they'd met and asked him to punch her the greenete had been adamant in his refusal. That refusal had lasted all of two seconds as that was how long it took for the raven headed girl to punch Izuku in the nose sending the greenete reeling backwards clutching a now broken olfactory organ as blood splattered the padded mats beneath them. Momo had then asked Izuku rather condescendingly how he planned to become powerful enough to accomplish his goals if he didn't even know how to fight. Izuku had, reluctantly, acknowledged the taller girl's point and thrown a half hearted punch which was easily dodged and countered with a blow to the boy's exposed stomach which had left said boy kneeling on the ground throwing up his breakfast before rolling into a fetal position.
It had been almost eight and a half months since then and just as All For One and Itachi Yaoyorozu had predicted the two had become fast friends finding kindred souls and like minds in each other. During that time Izuku had come to see the training as a necessary evil one that he ended up enjoying much to his surprise. Nothing got the emerald eyed boy's blood pumping more than a good fight, a subject which could be seen as surprising or unsurprising considering his experiences growing up, a decade of endless bullying, as well as physical and mental abuse by most of the people around him. However Izuku's training combined with his cunning mind and developing body made the boy a naturally gifted fighter, one who relied not only on their strength but their mind as well.
Time had also had an effect on the two teens, Izuku was slightly taller having gone from 5'4 to 5'6 although he was still shorter than Momo. The greenette's body had also changed thanks to strenuous physical activity and martial arts training overseen by said girl. Izuku's body was now covered in toned muscles with defined abs on his stomach that gave the boy his very own six-pack. Said six-pack was slick with sweat and, thanks to Izuku currently being clad in only black shorts, was bare for the world, or at least his training partner, to admire.
Time had also had an effect on Momo and although she hadn't grown any taller the Yaoyorozu heiress had shed some body fat (gained while gorging so she could use her quirk more) putting on some muscle of her own. Clad in a black sports bra and similar colored booty shorts Momo's outfit highlighted her toned stomach and legs. It also emphasized her large chest and butt both of which had been the only part of her body to naturally grow larger much to the girl's embarrassment.
Drying off with some workout towels the two teens split up heading to their respective rooms to shower before regrouping in Izuku's office. Located on the second floor of the mansion, the entire back wall of the room was a floor to ceiling window that looked out over the garden in the center of the complex. The room had a polished, dark, wooden desk with a comfortable black leather chair for Izuku to work from as well as a small attached sitting area on the right side of the room for meetings to be held in.
The left wall of the room had several bookshelves against it with books covering a wide variety of subjects from anatomy and physics to psychology, ethics, and heroics. Many of the books were quite old, valuable, limited addition, or collectibles of one sort or another and there was even a first edition copy of Meta Liberation War on the shelf for those who paid close attention. However the majority of shelves contents seemed to be dedicated to warfare, strategy, quirks, and manipulations which, while unusual, seemed perfect for an aspiring villain.
On the opposite side of the room in the sitting area the walls were bare except for a single item. Suspended in a glass case on the wall of the sitting area was a long metal baseball bat, slightly bent and misshapen. The bat had once belonged to a pro hero based out of Musutafu and upon being discovered in the wreckage of what was once an apartment complex it had been immediately sent to the hero commission for processing and DNA analysis. When nothing identifiable had been found the bat had been stuffed in a box and forgotten about. All it had taken was a disgruntled Hero Public Safety Commissions officer who wanted to earn some cash on the side and the bat had found it's way onto the black market where it had quickly come into Izuku's possession. A small plaque on the glass provided the identity of the trophy, 'The Baseball Hero Slugger's Bat'.
As Izuku sat in his chair he rested his elbows on the desk and interlocked his hands as he gazed over the numerous files before him. After eight months and hundreds if not thousands of files and hours of searching, pushing his analyzation skills to their limit Izuku had narrowed his ideal quirk down to the ones that rested before him:
Foresight - Belonging to All Might's former sidekick Sir Nighteye this quirk allowed the now independent hero to accurately predict a person's actions for an entire hour. Additionally this quirk could foresee events years into the future although there was no way to predict the exact date said events would occur. While it had the drawback of requiring the user to touch a target before making eye contact with them to see the person's future and a 24 hour interval to occur between activations, Izuku could see the benefits that came with having such a quirk especially since the quirk had proven infallible so far. Even if Izuku doubted that the quirk was 100% accurate it's success rate spoke for itself. Planning his next actions, fighting, raids, all of it could be done with foreknowledge of what his opponents would do, something that highly appealed to Izuku's intelligence. Additionally it would allow Izuku to strike back at the number one hero in a more personal way, one that would likely haunt the man for some time due to his relationship with his former sidekick.
Whirlwind - Although this quirk was labelled Whirlwind Izuku personally thought that Air Manipulation was a more accurate title. Possessed by the U.A. hopeful Inasa Yoarashi it granted the user complete control over the air around him letting him create everything from gales to tornadoes all under the user's control. The only weakness that Izuku could foresee with this quirk was that like all air it would be susceptible to extreme heat and cold potentially disrupting Inasa's control over the air around him.
Overhaul - One of the most powerful quirks Izuku had ever come across and possessed by the acting leader of a group of Yakuza Overhaul let one Kai Chisaki disassemble and reassemble all matter with a mere touch of his hands. However Izuku had noted that the quirk was limited to his hands meaning if they were rendered useless neither Kai nor Izuku would be able to access the quirk.
Overclock - Possessed by the former Pro Hero O'Clock and one of Izuku's favorite quirks, Overclock allowed the user to stimulate their brain, speeding up their perception and thoughts relative to others as well as granting heightened senses letting the user see, hear, and think at hyper speeds. This not only let O'Clock move faster than normal but also allowed him to read a person's subconscious reactions letting him react before a person even acted in the first place.
However this quirk came with several notable weaknesses requiring a cooldown period between uses and only being able to be used continuously for a few seconds at a time. Also based on the information he'd received Izuku suspected that O'Clock had lost his quirk seeing as how said man had dropped his hero persona and was currently running around as a vigilante in Naruhata. Although Izuku knew who'd likely taken Overclock Izuku was also unsure if the quirk was even still within All For One's possession making him slightly hesitant to ask the man for it.
Weather Manipulation - Another powerful quirk this one allowed a small-time villain named Akoku Kyu to control the weather. From rain, to winds, to tornadoes, and lightning strikes the possible applications of this quirk had Izuku practically salivating but there was only one problem. As powerful as the quirk was it had one of the worst drawbacks the greenette had come across causing cellular degeneration and immense pain which means this quirk could only be used sparingly. Besides cellular degeneration Akoku had also begun recruiting a team of outcasts for some nefarious purpose and although Izuku had an interest in the group he was unsure if facing the man at this time was the wisest idea.
Transforming Arms - The last quirk Izuku was still considering as well as one of the ones initially offered to him by All For One this quirk allowed the user to shapeshift their arms as desired. From wings to fly with, stretching them out, to even splitting them to attack from multiple angles the sheer variety was what attracted Izuku to this quirk. It, unlike most of the others, didn't even have any notable drawbacks other than the fact that it was limited only to his arms which meant if they were immobilized or he lost them Izuku would be back to square one.
Six quirks. Six quirks that he could choose from to be his very own. Closing his eyes for a moment Izuku briefly imagined what it would be like to use each one from flying with Whirlwind to controlling the weather. From seeing the future to simply speeding up his brain. The possibilities were numerous and varied from quirk to quirk yet as he looked them over Izuku couldn't help but focus on one of the quirks over the other. It seemed to call to him, speak to him and as he thought about it Izuku couldn't help but agree that such a quirk seemed hand made just for him.
The sound of the door to his office opening caused the greenette to open his eyes and settle them on his friend. It was still so strange to the boy that he had to literally resort to villainy to meet the first person he could call a friend since the age of four. Dressed now in a simple red t-shirt that exposed her toned belly and a black jacket with similar colored jeans and thigh length boots Momo was dressed and ready for action.
In comparison the greenette was wearing a simple black t-shirt with a black chain around his neck and black athletic shorts that stopped just above his knees. "You certainly look ready," Izuku noted looking the girl up and down.
"It is the recommendation exam," Momo explained standing attentively knowing that now was not the time for anything other than serious business. "Reports say that they administer the written test and the interview first before allowing you to change for the practical test. I plan to change before the latter and play up the clueless rich girl if needed during the interview."
"Good," Izuku said with a slow nod of approval. "Give them what they expect to see, the smart rich girl clueless about what's normal for others when compared to yourself especially relating to money. Make sure to emphasize that this is almost a form of rebellion for you trying to be a hero when your parents would rather you simply stay in the money part of the hero business although make it clear that you are serious about being a hero and this isn't a passing whim. If questioned on the recommendations provided for you simply say that the heroes and teachers were impressed by your quirk, we don't need U.A. investigating them to try and find the bank deposits or hidden accounts we paid your recommenders with."
Momo nodded her understanding and after reminding Izuku about his meeting with All For One left to head for her limo. When Izuku had first asked her to attend U.A. she would honestly admit that she had thought the boy had snapped. After all she was from a family of villains and was serving him, a boy who had more than a decent chance of being the heir to the so called Symbol of Evil.
Yet when Izuku had presented his case Momo had been unable to deny the boy. As a spy she'd be able to provide Izuku with insider knowledge on both the heroes and her classmates, look for potential allies, and simply sabotage any plans that targeted her young master. Momo had been unable to offer any rebuttal other than the dangers of if she got caught, or that she would be distanced from Izuku unable to provide assistance if needed.
Izuku had acknowledged the risks but assured her he had plans to keep her safe and protected. Although he didn't tell her what said plans were, Momo couldn't help but relax at his assurances. She knew Izuku and trusted that he wouldn't abandon her. So saying the Yaoyorozu heiress silently swore to live up to her Master's expectations. However her main concern remained and as she watched her limo pull to a stop in front of the gates of U.A. the ravenette couldn't help but wonder, if she was going to be attending high school then who would be assisting Izuku?
Despite being prepared Izuku couldn't help dropping to his knees as he was warped to All For One. Coughing and sputtering, Izuku tried to get the stink out of his nose and mouth while the villain looked on impassively if not, Izuku couldn't help but think disgruntledly, amused at his protege's reaction.
"Remind me again," Izuku practically growled, "why I have to be warped to you using that quirk. Kurogiri isn't only more comfortable but his warp doesn't come with a stink attached that makes my mouth and nose feel like I just gorged myself on rotting sushi made from Sebastian and Flounder from the Little Mermaid."
"As I've said before," All For One replied calmly, "Kurogiri is unavailable to you at this time. He is working on... another projects of mine, one that you should be meeting relatively soon. So tell me, how goes your search for your oh so important quirk?"
"I had it narrowed down to seven," Izuku said, standing up and facing the scarred face of the man who'd changed his life forever. When Izuku had first seen All For One's face it'd taken everything the teen had to keep from vomiting on the floor. The villain's face was disgusting, nauseating, a mass of scar tissue that completely covered everything from his mouth upwards leaving the man with no nose, ears, or eyes at all. Only the outline of eye sockets remained, giving the man's face the slightest bit of normalcy in something that otherwise looked like it belonged in a horror movie.
Izuku had questioned how the man had survived injuries that would kill anybody else and All For One had reluctantly admitted that his current appearance and status was after the application of multiple quirks including several the man had to keep running permanently to keep his current state from deteriorating more.
Izuku had asked, quite bluntly, who could inflict such devastating injuries to the man and despite All For One's reluctance to give a clear answer Izuku had managed to garner several clues. The first was that the person who'd inflicted the injuries had been the most recent of several individuals to inherit a quirk passed on from generation to generation. It was uniquely similar to Yaoyorozu's Bloodline quirk in that it was a fusion of two quirks: one that stockpiled power within the user's body and another that could pass the power onwards although unlike Bloodline this mystery quirk fusion was passed on to a single chosen individual, not the user's direct offspring.
The second clue was that the individual who'd injured All For One had been a pro-hero. Although the likeliest option it had still been important that Izuku consider all the possibilities from vigilante, to villain, to a simple paid mercenary. The fact that the person was, or at least had been, a pro hero merely narrowed the sizable list down.
The final clue was that the individual had been male, something Izuku had inferred based on the sheer amount of hatred All For One seemed to possess for an individual the man would only refer to as, him. However now was not the time to think about who could harm the Symbol of Evil, no now was the time for Izuku to choose his quirk.
"Seven quirks belonging to a variety of people including established villains, heroes, vigilanties, and even students. They were all powerful and all of them could be utilized in their own way but of the seven only one stuck out to me; spoke to me on a personal level."
"Yes?" All For One asked leaning forward eagerly like a child waiting they could be told to open their present and who could blame the man. What the villain had thought would take Izuku a mere few weeks had instead gone on for months on end. Several times the scarred villain had been tempted to go back on his word and merely force a quirk on Izuku but All For One had been able to restrain himself. Izuku was not Tomura and the greenette put thought behind his choices unlike the elder boy who merely launched himself as challenges as they appeared. The difference in their thought process, actions, and behavior while vastly contracting was also similar. They embodied different ideals All For One possessed but both had the drive and determination to succeed the legendary villain in time.
"After careful study I have determined that the quirk I desire is… Overhaul."
"I see…" All For One said leaning back in his throne as he brought a hand up to rub his chin. "A powerful quirk and one with a wide variety of uses, quite useful I will admit. However you said the quirk called to you, what did you mean?"
"I meant that the quirk suits me," Izuku said, shifting his feet and appearing hesitant? Flushed? No, embarrassed All For One decided with concealed amusement.
"I intend to tear society down, exposing the injustice and flaws that are covered up and hidden underneath but I also intend to rebuild. To make a society to replace it where no one has to face the problems and abuse that I and so many others have faced whether it be because we're quirkless, or because the quirks in question are considered weak or villainous. Overhaul reflects that, it's a quirk that can destroy with a touch of a finger but it can also rebuild what was broken, fixing it in the process."
For a moment All For One was silent and Izuku wondered if the man approved of either the quirk or his reasoning for desiring it. However after a minute All For One merely changed the subject entirely. "The quirk is possessed by quite the young man if I remember correctly," the villain said as he resumed stroking his chin, "Kai Chisaki, the acting head of the Shie Hassaikai after their former boss, a man Kai respects greatly, became comatose."
"Yes," Izuku agreed, "and the fact is Kai is most likely the one who put him there. He is quite capable and his quirk makes him incredibly dangerous to anyone trying to fight him at close range while the fact he was willing to turn on the man who essentially raised him shows how far Kai is willing to go to achieve his goals. Not to mention he's apparently quite charismatic, with eight loyal subordinates he calls the Eight Precepts of Death or the Eight Bullets not to mention the other low level grunts and thugs under him."
"So what's your plan?" All For One asked, turning his head so his eyeless sockets locked onto Izuku.
"A targeted strike." Izuku replied confidently, clearly having given the matter a lot of thought. "Aimed at Kai and those close to him I'll use low class villains from the surrounding area as distractions with the promise of money or valuables once we succeed. Those low level thugs will deal with the foot soldiers of the Shie Hassaiakai and serve as a distraction for any heroes that may show up. Meanwhile I expect Kai to try and escape so I'll head to where the exit is located and wait to ambush him. I'll knock him out and then transport him to you so you can transfer his quirk to me before he awakens. I'll then dispose of Kai and attempt to recruit the remnants of his organization to work for me."
"A decent plan, but one with several flaws." All For One said, raising a hand to stop Izuku's protests before they could begin. "Tell me where will Momo be in all of this? When do you plan to raid their base? How do you plan to deal with the Eight Precepts? And most importantly how do you know where the escape tunnel is located and what assurances do you have that Kai will be alone in all of this?" Seeing Izuku opening and closing his mouth but no words coming out, All For One let out a sigh as he rested his head on his right hand.
"Be careful Izuku," the man warned, raising his free hand to point at the boy, "I got these injuries because I underestimated an opponent, a mistake I do not intend to make again. Normally mistakes don't risk your life but as a villain the smallest flaw, the slightest mishap can cost you everything. I once ruled the entirety of Japan's underground and no one dared to stand against me but I got overconfident. One loss was all it took for my decades of hard work to disappear into thin air."
For a moment Izuku was silent, clearly pondering All For One's words before raising his head to look at the villain. "I plan to raid them on the day of the U.A. Entrance Exam. It's a busy day not just in Musutafu but all over Japan and many heroes will be focusing on the schools and the surrounding areas. Additionally, Momo will likely have been accepted into U.A. already-"
"What?" All For One questioned.
"I intend for Momo to join the U.A. hero course," Izuku explained, his emerald eyes as hard as the jewels. "Not only will she be able to provide me with insider information on the heroes and their plans but she'll also be able to keep an eye on the students. Numerous students within the school are quite powerful and multiple applicants were on the list of quirks I was interested in. I intend for Momo to get in to U.A. through the recommendation exam so that she will be available for the raid in question. I've utilized her family's connections and resources over the last three months to secure recommendations for her as well as to build up a fake paper trail that will hold up under scrutiny."
All For One was quiet for a moment, considering. He'd already had plans to insert a spy into U.A. and to feed the information to his proteges but for Izuku to do so already… He'd have to think more on this matter and how it would affect his little contest.
"When it comes to the Eight Precepts I intend for Momo and a few of the criminals I recruit to hold them off; not win but merely delay them while I deal with Kai. I learned about the escape tunnel from an information broker who provided me with the information on Kai and his quirk. He was a member of the Hassaikai loyal to the original boss and was most dissatisfied with Kai's leadership and the direction he seemed to be taking the organization. He told me where the tunnel was located and even gave me a map of the compound but I haven't heard from him recently so he's most likely been discovered and dealt with." Izuku continued when All For One didn't enquire further into Momo's insertion into U.A.
"And how do you know Kai will be alone?" All For One asked once again.
"I don't," Izuku admitted, "but my informant said-"
"It's good to have insider information Izuku," All For One interrupted, "but do not put all your eggs into one basket. You have a plan, one I will admit despite its flaws had merit. However there are flaws and with the likely demise of your informant all your information becomes questionable. How do you know he didn't reveal all of the information he'd leaked before he was killed? Kai could very well know that someone was asking questions about him and be building up his defenses in preparation for the very attack you're planning to launch."
Seeing the greenette's expression falling into one of despair and depression, All For One decided to give Izuku the push he needed. "Remember Izuku," the man said softly in a fatherly tone; "remember what I said to you all those months ago?"
"Sensei," Izuku said softly, weakly showing that despite all his confidence and bravado there was still a scared, quirkless kid underneath, "please... help me."
"Of course Izuku!" All For One replied, throwing his hands up in the air, "I am here to help you and I know just the person you need."
"You do?"
"Yes," All For One said, letting his arms fall back onto the armrest of his chair, "I do. Tell me when and where you plan to gather your men before the attack and I will make sure he is there for you."
"How will I know who he is?" Izuku asked, his eyes flashing with excitement and curiosity at the idea of meeting another of All For One's acquaintances.
"Oh," All For One said with a chuckle, "trust me when I say that you will know him when you see him."
As he warped Izuku away, All For One reflected on what Izuku had told him about Momo attending U.A. "That was an unexpected move Izuku, one that even I have never considered due to how valuable the Yaoyorozu quirk is. However if you are sending your lieutenant away you will need somebody to replace them. I wonder how he will react to you?" All For One wondered.
"You will have all the help you need Izuku," All For One said to the empty room. "Like I said all those months ago, 'Everything is for you.'"
Elsewhere:
In a distant range of mountains covered by a forest of dense trees sunlight streamed down from the sky into a clearing below illuminating the large figure sitting down within it. The figure was unique in many ways but the first feature anyone who saw him would notice was his large size. Although he was sitting down the figure was still easily several meters taller the average individual and if standing would be similar in height to that of a large tree.
The second thing one would notice once they moved on from the figure's size would be his strange appearance. The figure was extremely muscular and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it appeared like he was a monster that had been carved from stone. Such a misconception would only grow when one looked at the figure's back which jutted out in sharp mounds making it appear like small mountains were growing from the back of his body. His prominent teeth were pointed and his lower canines protruding out of his mouth on either side of his jaw only adding to the figure's monstrous looks.
He was clad only in a pair of black tight fitting pants that were ripped off just below his knees and clung tightly to the figure's legs revealing the powerful muscles hidden underneath. His spiky brown hair was littered with dried leaves, small twigs, and other small pieces of woodland that might decorate the hide of a wild animal. Combined with his tanned skin it was no lie to say that the thing seemed more creature than man something that seemed to fit with the fact that the figure was the only person for miles in any direction. He was alone in the mountains with only the inhabitants of nature for company.
Or at least that was how it would have been if were not for one thing, a portable radio that was currently resting on a stump before the figure. As strange as this would be the image only grew stranger when one realized the sheer amount of worship the figure held for the small electronic sitting before it almost worshipfully, head bowed in subservience. The sight was almost humorous, the towering behemoth that looked like he could tear down a building with little to no effort bowing to a radio that was smaller than the palm of his hand.
However as he listened to the radio, head down the creature looked up when a burst of static interrupted a news program describing the latest hero killing by a murderer the news was of coursing naming 'the Hero Killer'. Hesitantly the figure called out a single name with so much awe and respect one would think the creature was looking upon one of the Gods, "Master?"
One Week Later:
The alley was dark, covered in shadows, and reeked of spilt trash and fresh urine. Wrinkling his nose in disgust Izuku wondered if recruiting such low level villains was really worth the effort he was putting in. They were little more than thugs, disposable bodies meant to deal with the grunts of the Shie Hassaikai and waste the time of any police officers or heroes that showed up. However Izuku had just under a month before his raid was scheduled to take place so he couldn't really afford to be picky at the moment. Beggars can't be choosers as the saying goes. Normally Momo would be with him but since her acceptance into U.A.'s hero course the girl had needed to go home to meet with her parents and get the materials she needed for class. She even had to design a heroics costume for herself.
Making his way further into the alley Izuku let out a groan of disgust when he stepped into something sticky. Mentally cursing whoever had decided to relieve themself in the middle of the alley Izuku lifted his right shoe to inspect the bottom of it but immediately froze upon catching sight the bright red liquid dyeing the sole of his shoe and dripping down to the concrete below. Blood.
Instincts screaming, Izuku dived to the ground and heard the swish of a blade slicing the empty air where his head had just been; so close he swore he felt himself lose a few hairs. Rolling Izuku came up in a crouch having turned mid roll so he was facing his opponent, his eyes locked onto his assailant, although they widened in shock upon seeing who it was. He had been attacked by a girl; she was clothed in a dark blue school uniform with white highlights over which she wore an oversized beige cardigan. A red scarf was tied loosely under the collar of her uniform but it hung lifelessly against the girl's ample bosom.
She was petite with fair-skin and pale, dirty ash-blonde hair rather reminiscent of Izuku's childhood bully in it's color. Said hair was styled into two messy buns, with numerous wild strands that stuck out at odd angles. Two chin-length bangs rested on either side of her face framing it like a photograph. She had bright yellow eyes with thin slits resembling that of a cat, something that went rather well with the girl's prolonged canines which only added to her feline looks. Izuku took this all in just a few seconds but the entire time his eyes remained firmly focused on the box cutter currently clutched in the girl's right hand.
"Who are you?" Izuku asked. The greenete's eyes narrowed as he noticed something poking out of the small mountain of garbage bags that rested against the alley wall behind the girl; located between a half eaten sandwich crust and a crumpled up gallon of milk was a disembodied, blood stained arm littered with cuts. If the vague humanoid shapes underneath the garbage bags were anything to go by then that's where the bodies of the three villains Izuku had come to meet were currently located. "And are you the one who killed those three?"
The girl didn't respond instead letting out a feral growl as she bared her teeth like a wild animal, which let Izuku clearly see the crimson liquid that coated her teeth and lips. Izuku's brain barely had time to process the fact that his opponent was either a vampire, a cannibal, or someone who reeeally enjoyed drinking fruit punch before said girl was upon him swinging her boxcutter towards Izuku's jugular.
Dodging out of the way Izuku kept his eyes locked onto the small blade weaving around the girl's wild slashes while he retreated backwards. The attacks were wild, frenzied and unpredictable but still controlled to a degree; the girl didn't overextend and the speed of her attacks showed that even if she didn't have formal training in wielding a blade she still had either experience or practice to fall back on. Ducking under a slash Izuku found himself unprepared for the sudden kick the girl delivered to the front of his chest. Sent flying backwards a few feet Izuku collided with the alley's brick wall, the breath in his lungs escaping in a sudden exhale from the impact.
The girl didn't hesitate to follow up on her advantage extending her right arm to stab at Izuku's head like a fencer their lunge. It was only the months of training spent building up his body and instincts that kept Izuku from being impaled on the blonde's blade, a slight tilt of his head downwards and to the left caused the blade to cut his right cheek instead of impaling him through the throat.
Diving towards the center of the alley Izuku rolled coming up with one knee bent and the other out ready to attempt a leg sweep if needed. Ready to continue the fight Izuku instead found himself confused seeing that the girl who'd attacked him was crouched on the ground shivering while her tongue trailed along the shiny, silver blade of her boxcutter lapping up the blood on it.
The girl was so focused on the blood that it was like she'd forgotten Izuku was even there and after a moment's hesitation Izuku rose up out of his fighting stance to stand tall. It was all coming together for him: the girl's fangs, the cuts on the minor villain's arm which looked like amateur bloodletting techniques, her beastial attitude, and her immediate focus on his blood once she'd cut him.
"You're suffering from quirk dependency, aren't you?"
The girl's head shot up at his voice and for a moment Izuku once again found himself face to face with the beast. However this time the girl made no move to attack, instead shifting her body as if to protect the prize clutched in her hands, her precious boxcutter and the blood on it. The girl's tongue continued to lap at the blade despite having already licked all the blood off of it but her eyes remained focused on Izuku which allowed the greenete to watch as gradually the wild look in her eyes disappeared, replaced by one of intelligence, fear, and...sadness?"
The last emotion disappeared the fastest and as her mind returned the blonde rose from her crouch so she was standing upright alongside Izuku although she continued to lick at the boxcutter as if it was a lollipop making sure the not even a microscopic drop remained on the blade. "Who are you?" The girl asked when she finished, twirling the now clean blade expertly in between her fingers "and what happened?"
"I'm Izuku Midoriya, I was making my way through this alley when you attacked me. I dodged around a bit but you eventually cut me. You then immediately started licking up my blood at which point your mind seemed to return. I'm going to ask again, you're suffering from quirk dependency aren't you?" Since he'd been looking at the blonde's face as he spoke Izuku saw the way her eyes widened minusculely at the term, the way the corner of her mouth twitched creating a slight sneer.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," the girl said curtly, her voice, though flat, was filled with barely hidden emotion. The girl gave a small bow to Izuku as she spoke with her head down preventing the greenete from seeing her face, "I'm sorry for hurting you, please forgive me for my actions. Once I return home I shall contact the local authorities and you can be reimbursed for the damage I caused." With that the girl spun around and began to stride off leaving the green haired boy behind in the ally with three bodies.
"It's blood isn't it."
The girl froze in the mouth of the alleyway, in front of her crowds passed by in both directions while sunlight streamed down on them from above. Behind her Izuku stood in the shadows cast by the buildings on either side of the alley, his left hand in his pocket while his right arm hung casually at his side. Two sides, a choice to either go forward or back to the boy who hadn't run away. Toga licked her lips, she could still taste the sweetness of his blood, the clarity of it. It had been so clean when compared to the three muggers who'd attempted to feel her up when she'd passed through the alley. Their blood had been tinged by alcohol and drugs which always reminded the blonde of rotting fish, where as the greenete's blood had reminded her of a clean mountain stream, fresh, flowing, and teeming with life.
Flashback:
She'd run away a little over a year ago, immediately after the 'incident'. She'd lost control and hadn't been able to resist the bruises and blood that had covered his body, it had just been too appealing. Normally she'd be able to resist, she had her blood bags and pills to help her but she'd gotten in trouble recently for bringing home a B on a recent test so Mommy Dearest had decided the little freak didn't need her medicine. The sight of the bruises covering his body, the scent of fresh flowing blood had been euphoric after a week of nothing. Her throat had been so dry it physically hurt but she'd held back, resisted, been normal. She'd bitten the inside of her cheek so hard it bled and used her own blood to try and sate the thirst but just like always it only made the need worse.
She'd sworn that as soon as she got home she would get one of the blood bags Daddy always hid away in his private fridge for emergencies. She'd had a plan, no one would notice all she had to do was make it through final period and she'd be free to go about like normal. Then he'd come and talked to her.
Of course he had, he was a saint, a wannabe hero that tried to look out and take care of everyone. Heck the bruises and cuts had been from a trio of bullies that had been picking on a first year kid who was quirkless. He'd driven them off but he had gotten hurt in the process, been weakened. 'He's hurt,' a dark part of her mind whispered. 'He won't be able to fight you off."
'No.'
'Why not? He's asking what he can do to help you, he wants to help. Let him. Use him. Drink.'
'No.'
'Why? Because Mommy said not to? Because that bitch wants you to be normal? Chained? Broken like a dog?'
'Mommy just wants to help me!'
'She sure has a funny way of showing it,' the voice whispered. 'Taking away your blood, keeping it away from you. You've seen the way she looks at you, the disgust and hatred. She despises you.'
'Mommy loves me!'
'When did it all begin do you think? When you got your quirk? When you first drank blood?'
'St-stop.'
'No? I didn't think so, you see I think it started back when you brought her that bird. You remember don't you, the poor little baby bird that had fallen out of the tree and broken it's wing.'
'Stop! Please.'
'You'd found it there, shivering in the grass from the cold and pain. Do you remember cupping it in your hands; how it'd leaned into you for warmth.'
'Please, no more,' Toga begged but the voice had been ruthless.
'Do you remember feeling it's heartbeat, the rapid pace settling down as it realized you meant it no harm. You held it up didn't you? Looked at it, but then you brought it closer. You brought it up to your mouth...'
Toga could only sob mentally as the voice continued.
'And then you bit down, sank your fangs into the small body cupped in your hands. That warm red blood coated your lips, your teeth, and the litlte heartbeat which had slowed down began to beat like a jackrabbit. When it died you took it to Mommy and Daddy didn't you? Do you remember what you asked them as you stood there with it's body in your hands and it's blood staining your mouth? Do you remember showing it to them all proud and saying how you found it-'
'Pretty.' Toga whispered her eyes locked onto him, Saito her classmate, her friend, her crush. After all what other word was there for these feelings she was having for him, the one's she'd pushed downwards as Mommy and Daddy had told her to do all those years ago. Toga had never had a boyfriend or girlfriend, she'd never been in a relationship. She only knew from secondhand stories what crushes, what love was. So, she reasoned, if she'd never felt this way about anyone before then it must be because she was in love.
Toga asked Saito to meet her behind the storage shed after school let out and as she waited there for him to appear she blushed wildly as she imagined what the two of them would get up to. Dates, movies, holding hands, hugs, kisses. Burying her head in her hands at the last one Toga felt herself blush, she was acting strange, she was never like this but that was okay, she was in love after all and people always said love made you do crazy things. Saito's voice shocked Toga back into reality "Toga-chan, are you okay," but as she looked up Himiko Toga's smile died.
Saito stood there, looking a little nervous and unsure, and Toga would even swear the boy was blushing. That wasn't the problem though, the problem was that the boy was healed, he had not cuts, no bruises, no blood.
"Wrong." Toga whispered, her voice barely above a murmur as her ashen blonde hair fell in front of her eyes hiding them from view.
"What?" Saito asked, leaning in.
"I said it's wrong!" Toga yelled as she lashed out at the boy. Saito stumbled backwards letting out a yelp as he tripped and fell on his back but Toga didn't care. Why, why, why, whywhywhywhywhywhy didn't she like him anymore. WHY DIDN'T SHE LOVE HIM ANYMORE!
"Ouch," Saito murmured and as Toga focused on her classmate she froze. Saito was examining his hand which had been scraped when he'd fallen to the ground and as Toga watched a drop of blood emerged from the wound, trailing along the lines on Saito's hand before it fell to the ground leaving a crimson trail in it's wake. The blood awoke something in Toga, something primal and the blonde girl felt the feelings for Saito she'd lost only moments ago return with hurricane force.
Saito was surprised when Toga suddenly launched herself at him knocking him onto his back as she sat on his chest straddling him. Truthfully he hadn't been completely sure what to expect from the blonde when she'd asked to meet him after school. She was normally quite outspoken, and was almost always surrounded by a group of friends but the last few days she'd been quiet, withdrawn. He hadn't been the only one to notice but he had been the only one to ask if she was alright. He hadn't expected his question to lead to him being straddled after school by the blonde but the black haired boy wasn't complaining nor was his 'little buddy' if the stiffening in his pants was anything to go by.
He shivered as Toga brought her mouth to his ear but his racing heart, dirty mind, and shiver kept him from hearing what she said. "Sorry, what was that?" He asked, the sheepish smile that made the girls fall all over themselves plastering itself onto his face.
"I said thank you," Toga whispered, again slightly louder. "Thanks to you I finally know what I consider to be beautiful." Saito grinned as the blonde drew her head backwards, a blush on her face. Gods he was going to get sooo lucky. A flash of steel across his chest caused the black haired boy to look down in confusion. A cut had suddenly appeared in his school uniform and as he watched blood flowed from the wound turning his white button up red. He didn't feel any pain and so the boy wondered where the injury had come from. Looking up he froze upon catching sight of the girl on his chest.
Toga's mouth was curled into a lovesick grin, her tongue wetting her lips as she cupped her hands to her cheeks. A blush still covered her face and her eyes flashed with fondness but clutched in the girl's right hand was a boxcutter.
"I was right," Toga said and Saito shivered at her lovesick tone, "you do look so much better when you're covered in blood. Let me make you even prettier." The wound on his chest began to burn and Saito screamed as Toga brought the blade in her hand to his chest. Thankfully before she could begin cutting him the darkness of unconsciousness bore Saito away.
Toga grinned as she admired her handiwork, Saito's jumper had been torn away and his entire torso was littered with cuts and blood both fresh and dried. He looked even better than he had earlier and Toga could only praise her obvious talent and skill for how well Saito had turned out. However as she looked down on her crush Toga couldn't help but feel incomplete, as if something was still keeping Saito from being perfect. As if in response to her train of thought the burning in her throat which had faded returned and Toga couldn't help but hit herself on the forehead. Just as she'd drank the bird's blood as a child so too did she need to drink Saito's blood to make him 'perfect'.
Pulling out a straw that she'd put in her pocket during lunch Toga let out a slightly insane giggle as she stuck the tip of the straw into one of Saito's cuts and began to drink. As the liquid flowed up the tube and into her throat Toga couldn't help but let out a groan of ecstasy. The fresh blood tasted orgasmic and was ten, no a hundred, no a thousand times better than the blood bags she had at home. However as she drank she felt something on her face. Thinking it was a stray drop of blood Toga reached up with her free hand to pick up the drop, it wouldn't do to waste such delicious blood after all. But it wasn't blood on her finger it was a drop of salty water. Staring at the tiny drop in confusion Toga began to feel more and more drops on her face. Brushing them off with her forearm Toga looked to the sky but it wasn't raining which meant, was she, crying?
A sudden shout brought Toga back to reality and turning she found herself facing not only a student but a horrified teacher as well. Realizing where she was and how this must have looked Toga opened her mouth to explain when the dark voice returned, dark and eager, 'More blood.' Terrified of both herself and what she might do if she stayed Toga did the only thing she felt she could do, she ran.
Back to Present:
"Yes," the blonde girl said, her voice soft, weak, "I need blood. If I don't have it the voice, it comes back and I lose control. I lost it once at school, attacked a classmate. I-I still don't know if he's okay, or if I, if I killed him." The girl's voice broke up at the admission as she began to cry softly.
Izuku stood there for a moment looking at the girl who'd fallen backwards to sob softly against the alley wall, her knees pulled to her chest while she buried her face in between her thighs. While he didn't know a lot about her, her past he did know one things, she was broken just like he was. The thought brought a slight smile to Izuku's face, Momo for as good a friend and as loyal as she was didn't understand the hardships he'd been through, the way all of society had turned on him. How could she when from the moment she was born she'd had a silver spoon in her mouth and servants waiting on her hand and foot. She was a friend but she just didn't understand all of him, she couldn't at least not yet.
But this girl, she knew. Izuku knew about quirk dependency, some quirks required particular substances or items to work and often times these substances brought an addictive euphoric feeling when the user consumed them. Izuku remembered reading an article on a man whose quirk allowed him to improve his memory but required the man to take medicine meant for people with Alzheimers. The man had been caught swiping his mother's medicine while telling her that she'd already taken it for the day. He hadn't even been apologetic instead describing the rush as the pills worked as 'a million times better than the best experience you've ever had. My memories became as clear as crystal, I could remember the slightest detail from the smallest nick in a piece of wood to even the dust floating in the air. I could remember where the dust was floating in the air when I was three! Do any of you have any idea what that's like?' The man had been sent to jail but it hadn't been Izuku's only experience with quirk dependency.
Two members of the Eight Bullets suffered from quirk dependency from what Izuku could tell. Soramitsu Tabe's quirk was simply titled food and allowed the man to chew through and consume any solid substance from metal to diamond to people. However the quirk made Tabe constantly hungry and had in fact driven the man insane due to his need to eat. Deidoro Sakaki on the other hand wasn't insane but was an alcoholic, constantly drinking booze, sake, anything with alcohol in it. Izuku thought that such a dependency was likely due to the man's quirk Sloshed, which allowed Deidoro to induce a sense of severe dizziness and inhibit the sense of balance of those near him. Sloshed might required Deidoro to be drunk to work or store up the alcohol he consumed for later use but Izuku couldn't say either way for sure.
Toga felt a hand on her wrist and looked up through bleary red eyes to see the face of the boy she'd attacked. He was standing there expression unreadable and Toga braced herself for the attack that was sure to come. However she was shocked when instead of hitting her the boy merely held his wrist in front of her face, "Drink," he commanded, his voice firm, commanding.
Hesitantly Toga did as she was ordered sinking her fangs into the greenete's wrist, noticing in the back of her mind that the boy didn't even flinch as she did so. The blood was as good as she remembered and as she drank she felt something for the boy. It was like what she'd felt for Saito, for Yuki, and all the other's that she'd developed crushes on over the last year but it was also different, more genuine. The boy hadn't run from her, hadn't fled instead he'd fed her. Offered her his own blood freely. Toga didn't want to hurt her savior and she swore in that moment that she would do whatever she could to help him, to pay him back for treating her like a person, something no one else - not even her parents - had ever done.
When the girl drew back licking her lips to catch any stray blood on them Izuku let a small smile cross his face. He'd been able to help the girl the same way that All For One had been able to help him but he had to go. He didn't have time to help the girl any more than he already had and he needed more recruits to take on the Shie Hassaikai, he'd wasted enough time here as it was. To Izuku's surprise though when he'd stood up the girl had as well, when he'd walked she'd followed him.
"What are you doing," Izuku asked, slightly annoyed.
"Following you."
"Why?"
"Because I want to help you," the girl's voice was soft and her head was down so Izuku couldn't see her face. Her tone was strange though, flustered if Izuku had to put a name to it.
Izuku was silent for a moment, "What's your name?"
"Toga, Himiko Toga."
"Well Toga-chan, I'm not a good guy. I've killed people before including a hero."
"I have too."
"But I intend to kill more Toga, I intend to tear down this society where people are judged based on their quirks. I want to destroy it all with my own hands and once I do I want to rebuild it as a world I desire. To reshape society however I wish. To do that I will kill people, use people, lead people to their deaths."
"AND I WANT TO HELP YOU!" Toga screamed. Izuku's clam façade dropped for a second in shock before the greenete was able to get it back in place. "Do you know," Toga asked as she clutched at her cardigan, her eyes frantic, glistening with tears. "Do you know what it feels like to be hated for your quirk. For needing to drink blood, to want to drink blood, all because of something that was out of your control. To want to ask for help but knowing that if you do you'll be hated, treated with disgust and contempt because of a quirk you didn't ask for! Please," Toga asked as she dropped to her knees on the stone ground and planted her face in the dirt in a dogeza to prostrate herself before Izuku, "please let me help you."
For a solid minute silence ruled the air between the two teenagers. Toga didn't dare raise her head to look at her savior's face not wanting to know the expression that rested upon it. She'd wanted to help him and during his speech that feeling she'd felt had grown all the more, he wanted to help others like her; those whose quirks were labelled villainous or evil. She felt herself growing hot and for a second she'd thought it was a fever but when he'd threatened to leave her behind she knew she couldn't be separated from him. He had saved her so it was only right that she spent the rest of her life helping him, serving him, working to achieve his dream.
"What's your quirk?" the voice of her savior was soft, angelic but also curious and Toga blushed knowing that it was directed at her. That he was looking at her.
Raising her head the girl gave a smile exposing her fangs as she licked her lips that were as red as blood. "If you want to destroy society," she said flashing Izuku a sadistic smirk as she imagined all the ways her savior could put her quirk to use, "something tells me that you're just going to love it." Then as Izuku watched Himiko Toga began to change.
Author's Note
Hello everybody and welcome to the first chapter of Arc 2 which is ironically the longest chapter I've ever written coming in at 11,360 words which is more than 1,000 above the previous record holder chapter 2 which comes in at 9,875 words exactly. Before we go on I will explain the delay in updating. First school is finally out meaning I have officially graduated high school (YAY!)*insert cheering and wild applause here*, but I also need to prepare for college in the Fall. I am working two jobs, have graduation parties to attend, scholarships to apply for, and all while getting ready to be an adult living on my own for the first time.
Second I FINALLY got my P-atreon account set up. For those of you who want to support me or get access to chapters early you can find it at P-atreon /dyavolucifer. I have a lot of fun rewards set up for those of you willing to pay for it. The next chapter is up right now but be aware that I plan to eventually get to the point where I have the next three chapters of my story on there for those who want to read them early. So whether you want to read the next chapter of my story or simply show your support please check it out and don't hesitate to donate. It all goes towards my college tuition and it really means a lot to me since we all know how expensive higher education is.
Now for this chapter holy All Might did a lot happen. We finally know what quirk Izuku wants and as most of you wanted *mutters* and guessed *pouts in a cute but evil way* it's Overhaul. Not only do I like the meaning of it which I went into a bit here but I also just think that it's a nice quirk overall that Izuku would be able to use rather well. Plus it's a kind of counter for Tomura's Decay both break things down and require touch to be used but only Overhaul can rebuild or rather reassemble what it destroys, kind of like what Izuku wants to do with society compared to Tomura who just wants to destroy it all. Man all these metaphors would have an English teacher salvitating. The other six quirks I mentioned in this chapter were the ones that I considered for Izuku to get but overall only Overhaul seemed to go well with what I have planned.
So Izuku plans to raid the Shie Hassaikai and kidnap Kai to steal his quirk. I wonder if that means he'll come across a little unicorn in the process and how said unicorn could be involved in the story? Anyway Momo's being shipped off to U.A. as Izuku's spy although she will remain one of Izuku's lieutenants. Just as Tomura has nine lieutenants in the PLF Izuku will have several lieutenants of his own. One will be Momo and another will be Toga who you all get to meet this chapter too. Toga has always been a fun character to me and is one I hope to use well while maintaining her brand of crazy, something other MHA fanfics discard in favor of turning her normal. I'm picturing a Bellatrix or Harley Quinn style madness with the same level of devotion only aimed at Izuku instead of old snake face or Joker. For those of you that know Toga's past her wanting to destroy society for the way they treat quirks isn't that strange of a reason for her to join Izuku, a past I was happy to explore in this chapter since most fics just skip over it.
Also we get to see some more All For One and I will be the first to admit that the man's making more appearances in this story than I honestly expected him to but then again he is an interesting character; an evil mastermind that we surprisingly don't know a whole lot about and starts off in an already weakened state, something that is very rare since most authors want their big bad to be in prime evil condition. Heck we don't even know AFO's real name though we finally got the first wielder of OFA, the legendary Yoichi Shigaraki. Okay so maybe his name was little disappointing but it's still cool to actually know. Anyway All For One has a new lieutenant in mind for Izuku who could it be (although it is pretty obvious considering the switch in perspectives)?
Anyway that covers most of the main stuff in this chapter so tell me what you guys think of Lady Nagant. I love her and you can definitely expect her to make an appearance in my story. Her quirk, Rifle, alone has me practically drooling at the possibilities and with what I have planned Izuku could finally possibly have the ranged fighter his elite team needed. Since we don't know a whole lot about her past or her for that matter when she does show up expect her to be a little OC. Still she's awesome and definitely right next to Momo, Miruko, Mina, Mitsuki, and Midnight as best MHA girls I'd like to spend some private time with. *wink, wink* Also what's the deal with all the best girls starting with M?
Also for those of you who are wondering about Slugger's bat hanging on the wall of Izuku's office I just think it'd be cool for Izuku to keep a collection of trophies from either events, people, or battles that either had an impact on him or he wants to honor or remember in some way. This will be his sort of memorial wall and I wouldn't be surprised if the last chapter of the story was a victorious Izuku standing in front of the wall reminiscing about his rise as an infamous villain.
Anyway that's all the major stuff and thanks to those of you who read these Author's Notes I write. Make sure to check out my P-atreon if you want to read the next chapter of the story and as always please leave a comment on what you thought. I read them and your comments are what keep me writing.
Until next time this is the man whose wall is decorated with anime katanas and pop figurines of Voldy with Nagini, Ryuk, Alice Angel, Ultimate Quirk Combination AFO, Golden Freddy, finger cracking Kaneki, and half demon Yūichirō Hyakuya signing off,
D'yavol Lucifer 3:)
*IMPORTANT NOTICE*
All the coverart for my stories are ones I found online. I am really interested in using fanart provided by you the readers to replace them. If you're interested draw something up and pm me so I can send you the details on where to send it or pm me and I'll give you some details so you can draw one. As I say in my bio if I use it I may add you as an oc in one of my stories! Isn't that exciting!
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