"Okay breathe in," Kyudai instructed. The patient's back expanded as he obeyed causing the cold circle of metal that was the stethoscope to shift slightly. A brief pause as Kyudai listened then, "Now breathe out."
He moved the stethoscope from the left of his patient's back to the right, "Again." It was not an order, to order the man he was performing a check up on to do anything was equivalent to suicide and Doctor Kyudai Garaki was by no means a fool, no matter what his fellows might have said decades ago. All For One obeyed, pausing to hold his breath for a few seconds before exhaling at Kyudai's signal.
It was clear to the bald doctor that the man's breathing wasn't as natural as his own. It had a sort of raspiness to it, as if All For One had to force his lungs to gather as much oxygen as they could otherwise he'd come up short. Still, even that was a large improvement over the ventilator or mask the man had been forced to wear even when he was doing nothing other than sitting down.
All For One sat up and Kyudai was quick to withdraw his stethoscope as the man let his white unbuttoned dress shirt fall to cover his formerly exposed back. Looking down at the vanilla folder in his hand filled with various papers, diagrams, and x-rays Kyudai quickly noted down the results he'd just gathered. It was a distraction really, a brief respite as he waited for his Master to speak. He already knew what the man was going to ask and while he wasn't sure how acceptable his answer would be he knew better than to lie to someone like All For One. That never ended well for anyone foolish enough to try it, but the doctor took some comfort in the fact that he at least had evidence and data to back up his response. His Master was not fond of shooting the messenger, nor did he have a habit of cutting loose those who might yet prove useful to him. Kyudai in this case, fortunately, was both.
He was shaken from his thoughts by a single word that broke the silence that had settled around them without his noticing, "Well?"
How could one word spoken in a tone with such casual inquisitiveness birth such dread? The way All For One spoke, he might have been asking about the weather or how the doctor's day had been. It didn't matter, Kyudai gulped all the same. Despite their decades long mutually beneficial partnership he still found All For One unsettling, although he normally tried to hide it. Now though, he looked up at the man who'd sat himself once more on his proverbial throne, blinking owlishly at him through his thick gear framed glasses as he met All For One's crimson colored gaze.
Eyes, a normal feature on almost anyone's face, but after having years to grow used to his master's scarred visage it was almost strange to now find himself once more gazing into those two blood red orbs. For a moment Kyudai wondered what the man saw when he looked at him; a buttoned up lab coat that covered most of his body over a dark shirt with a tie around its collar? A pair of black pants and similarly colored loafers? Kyduai shook his head, now was not the time to be distracted by such things, not when he had yet to answer the man's question.
"To be frank," Kyudai said, lowering his head as he skimmed through his notes once more before looking up, "your current status is a vast improvement over your former state."
"I believe that is evident," All For One replied at the doctor's rather obvious observation.
"Well I needed to make it clear," Kyudai replied with just a bit of snark that All For One let slide. After their years of working together Kyudai knew he was one of the few who the formerly masked man would say he had a more casual relationship with, meaning the doctor could get away with quite a bit more in his presence than most others could. However, even Kyudai had a line, one the man knew better than to test. "I might have practiced my craft for years but my expertise is in Quirks and the human body, not medical science and especially not healing someone who's missing the top half of their head."
Kyudai sighed as he flipped a page over to look at something below it before putting the paper back in its place. "Regardless, your eyes, ears, and nose are functioning meaning you can use them for what they were made for. Your vision is slightly weaker than what it was the last time I gave you a physical exam before your encounter with All Might, as is your rate of healing, which is slightly dulled. However, that might just be from a lack of use and/or possibly having to readjust to having eyes and ears again. I'll check you again in a few weeks and that'll give me more information to go off of."
All For One nodded, "And my lungs?"
The doctor reached up and removed his glasses, closing his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose before he slipped them back into place. This was the main topic he'd dreaded, "Just like you believed, while they have seen improvement they are not as good as they once were." He reached into the folder and pulled out a piece of paper wrapped in plastic that he held out for All For One to examine. The image was obviously of All For One's chest showing the white bone of the man's spine, ribs and collar. The edge of his shoulders was just visible but the main focus of the image was no doubt the black tissue that represented the man's lungs. Kyudai remembered years ago trying to show the man a similar image back after he was first injured but with his lack of eyes All For One had been unable to perceive anything other than the fact the doctor was holding something up, unable to make anything out with the Infrared and Vibration Sensing Quirk the man had stolen in an attempt to overcome his new blind state. Now though, with his eyes restored, All For One could see what he was looking at for himself.
Kyudai could clearly picture in his head the image the man was seeing having been the one to take it in the first place. The organs were black, but that was to be expected with the machine used. What was not expected was the shape of the organs; they were… shriveled, smaller than the cavity they sat in and seemed to be shrunk in around the edge, the veins that covered them prominent to the naked eye. After looking at the photo for a solid minute All For One turned his gaze once more to the doctor and Kyudai understood his Master's silent order to explain.
"After the battle, you were as good as dead," Kyudai said flatly.
"But I'm not." All For One countered his voice more than a little frosty, and Kyudai knew the man wanted answers not willing to be deterred.
"The body doesn't work that way," Kyudai said with a shake of his head. "Your brain was gone, pulverized, reduced to a mix of blood, bone, and gray. Your body survived, but there's a vast difference between survival and living. I told you what happened during that time."
"You recovered my body from the battlefield thanks to Kurogiri," All For One recalled. "You then proceeded to stick me into one of the Nomu growth tanks while you worked to find a way to heal me, providing the nutrients my body needed to stay alive in the meantime."
"Yes," Kyudai nodded, "and eventually we were able to find and retrieve the original owner of Super Regeneration. I was able to artificially activate All For One thanks to a Nomu with a copy of Forced Quirk Activation letting you steal it. However, before you got the Quirk and was 'healed' for weeks, months on end, your body was doing the bare minimum needed to stay alive. By the time you got Super Regeneration, your body was already starting to shut down. Even now us medical experts don't know all the details of how the brain works and operates, but without it, well your body did the best it could to compensate. Even now I believe your former state was better than we could have ever hoped for."
"Super Regeneration didn't heal me." All For One said flatly, "not fully".
"And I never expected it to," Kyudai countered, his own temper flaring slightly. "Did you not hear me say that you were headless for months on end?! Your brain pulverized into mush? Your body may have been doing the bare minimum needed to stay alive, but that includes cellular proliferation and remodeling to heal your wounds, and it was certainly doing that since your head was practically gone!" Kyudai exaggerated his words at the end, speaking them slowly to drive home just how serious the injuries were. "That's why Super Regeneration could only heal you so much, you'd already started to heal, but you already know that."
"Indeed," All For One murmured, "now tell me what has you so agitated."
Kyudai sighed once more as he rubbed his nose. "My apologies. While I am glad to see you healed up, even if not to your former strength, the way it came about has me… puzzled?"
"Explain."
"When I asked you how you healed yourself you informed me that Midoriya did it by using Overhaul."
"Correct."
"But that doesn't fit," the doctor said as he frowned. His temper was all but gone, replaced instead by a scientific annoyance at the puzzle that now sat before him. "You have eyes, ears, a nose, even hair for gods sake." He gestured at the features as he listed them before making an exaggerated sweep that covered the man himself, "You said that, according to Midoriya, Overhaul was only able to work with what matter was available; that means he should have been incapable of creating them without using some other part of your body or another source for materials."
"Could he have used my lungs as the source?" All For One asked, but Kyudai was already shaking his head no.
"Even those have been strengthened, though they are no longer what they once were." All For One was silent as Kudai began to pace back and forth his mind racing theorizing and discarding ideas nearly as quickly as they came. "My best hypothesis," Kyudai said slowly after a few minutes as his pacing slowed, an idea growing in his head that he mentally tested and found somewhat plausible, "Midoriya wasn't able to heal you completely, so Super Regeneration activated and did the rest. Now normally that would mean it heals you back to your eyeless state, but if Midoriya completely overhauled your head, he would have undone everything about it. If he then tried to 'rebuild' you, Super Regeneration could have potentially latched on to your original state and not your injured one, especially if Midoriya had been able to form even the bare minimum of your features. So long as he formed the basics, the foundation for Super Regeneration to build off of, it's entirely plausible that the Quirk could have…"
Kyudai turned to All For One, his expression distant before he started opening the folder once more and quickly rifling through the pages. "Tell me," Kyudai said as he grabbed a page, quickly skimming through it before he resumed his search, "after you were healed, you said you briefly felt tired, weak, yes?" He looked up, his expression piercing and after a moment All For One nodded. Kyudai's eyes shone with a dark, inner madness as he began to rapidly mumble, quickly grabbing an empty sheet of paper that lay nearby, that he began to scribble notes on, uncaring of how messy said notes might be. He was far more interested in simply getting the information and his ideas down to examine than worrying about sloppy penmanship. "We already knew that Super Regeneration speeds up cellular division by drawing on the user's stamina. If the drain on your stamina was not due to Overhaul, but rather from Super Regeneration, then the Quirk must have played a role in your recovery. I can't say how much without further testing but-"
"But I am restored," All For One said, cutting the doctor off, "maybe not to my former strength, but an improvement nonetheless. Now tell me, what is the status of the materials I provided you with from the Shie Hassaikai raid?" The attempt to change the subject was by no means subtle but Kyudai knew better than to focus on a topic All For One had clearly deemed closed. The man was - if not satisfied - content with his current form, one even Kyudai had to admit was a vast improvement over his previous, crippled state. Kyudai mentally sighed, he could always come back to it another day and as long as he did what All For One requested in a timely manner, the man had no problem with Kyudai taking on passion projects in his free time. Especially when said passion projects often furthered the criminal lords own plans, such as the creation of the Nomu.
"Which project in particular might you be referring to?" Kyudai asked carefully and hadn't that been a surprise when Gigantomachia had come into one of his labs one day, numerous unconscious, wounded bodies draped over his body that the bodyguard simply instructed the doctor to 'Use' before leaving after simply dropping them on the floor. Similar interactions had happened numerous times before, but it was rare for the man to bring him several subjects instead of one or two.
"The copies," All For One replied immediately and Kyudai nodded. It was a predictable request; of course his Master's focus would be on the Quirks he wished to acquire. None of them really stood out by themselves, but several would no doubt serve as secondary boosters to increase the power of his attacks. Now normally, All For One would simply take Quirks from their users himself, but in this case, he had other plans for the former Bullets requesting that Kyudai copy the desired Quirks instead. The process would take weeks if not months to reach completion, but both men knew the importance of patience, their supernatural life spans - thanks to Kyudai's Quirk - had instilled that lesson into them both.
"Crystalize, Strongarm, and Vitality Stealing are already isolated, copied, and in the growth phase," Kyudai reported.
"What about Barrier and Sloshed?" All For One asked.
Kyudai didn't hesitate, "Sloshed is proving more difficult," he begrudgingly admitted, knowing he failed to fully conceal his annoyance. "It's likely just a part of the Quirk itself, but the Quirk factor seems to contain trace amounts of alcohol. Not at amounts that would affect the user's perception or cloud their consciousness; most certainly not to the point of the subject's seemingly permanently intoxicated state, but it has made cloning the Quirk more difficult. I am uncertain what effects alcohol might have on the process. I have one copy of it in the growth phase, but I'm running some experiments and waiting for the results to come back before I attempt to copy it again."
All For One nodded, accepting but clearly annoyed, although Kyudai was uncertain how much of that was directed at the delay and how much was aimed at the previous topic of conversation. One thing he knew with absolute certainty however was that the man had no desire for a Quirk that would affect his thought process detrimentally in any way, regardless of how potentially useful it might be in combat. "And Barrier?"
"After further testing, I deemed it too weak to be worth copying." Kyudai admitted forthright. "The barrier was unable to withstand singular attacks, as well as numerous rapid subsequent attacks, all of which were well below not only All Might's current projected strength, but many of the top fifty heroes. Additionally, since the user is always located at the center of the barrier you would be unable to project it around others without compromising the safety of those inside. If an individual or attack managed to get inside the barrier's range before or after you activated it…" he trailed off the meaning obvious.
"Very well," All For One said, accepting Kyudai's reasoning, something the doctor knew spoke of the level of trust his master had in him. "And what of Overhaul?"
There it was, the question Kyudai had been waiting for since the subject change in conversation, and the one All For One clearly was the most interested in. There was a reason the wounded, but still alive Kai Chisaki had been warped to his lab. After one had their Quirk stolen for a limited amount of time, traces of the Quirk remained in their cells, but only for just under a month, due to how long it took for every cell in their body to be replaced by new ones. In the old days before Quirks, it would have taken seven to ten years for a person's body to complete the daunting task but now all it took was the same amount of time for the moon to complete its cycle and start it again.
"Overhaul is growing," Kyudai reported. "Although Chisaki arrived later than the others, I had no problems when it came to extracting genetic material from him. As of right now, the cells are in the growth tubes."
"Good, when can I expect it to be done?"
Kyudai sighed once more, "You know that the growth tubes stimulate the cells to increase the rate of mitosis. However, by doing this we are basically creating a whole new being, an artificial one. Quirks don't normally appear until the age of four or five but thankfully since we are accelerating the growth to just before that age we don't have to wait years, but months instead. Once we stop the artificial growth, all we have to do is let the body mass develop the Quirk naturally. As it is, you can probably expect Overhaul to be ready sometime in the late summer, while the others will be done slightly earlier since I was able to work on them first."
"Good, very good. Speaking of subjects, did any of them pass your tests when it came to the Nomu creation process?"
"Yes, surprisingly one of the subjects met the criteria needed," Kyudai said, excitement evident in his voice, "he was heavily damaged when he arrived, but has since proven himself to be making a remarkable recovery."
"What about him caught your attention?" All For One asked. Kyudai knew the question was more out of politeness than any actual curiosity, although he couldn't rule it out.
"His desire for battle was quite obvious," Kyudai noted as he took off his glasses and began cleaning them with a cloth he pulled from one of his many pockets. "Due to his injuries, it took him quite some time to awaken. Once he did, he was quite vocal about his desire to move around and fight."
"Similar to Fudo then," All For One noted.
"Incredibly similar," Kyudai nodded, locking eyes with his master.
For a moment the recently recovered man was silent, judging, "You want to try and make him into a High-End." It was a statement, not a question, and Kyudai's affirmation was unnecessary, although the doctor provided it anyway. "Very well," All For One said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "do it. He can be a present to Izuku, a gift for later."
At that, the doctor fell silent, a fact that did not escape his Master's attention. "What?" He asked simply.
"You spoil the boy."
All For One tilted his head and for a moment, Kyudai was reminded of an innocent puppy that didn't understand the words being spoken, if said puppy could kill him and level an entire city, nay a prefecture on a whim. "Hmm? Do you really believe so?"
"Yes," Kyudai nodded. "You're much more involved with Midoriya than you have been with Tomura. Look at your actions: a servant, a base, now a Quirk. The two are about as evenly matched as they can get. Anything more, and you'll be favoring one over the other."
All For One hummed as he leaned back in his chair, a hand coming up to rub at his chin in thought, clearly contemplating the doctor's words. "Gigantomachia," he spoke, the shadows behind his throne shifting as the gargantuan bodyguard stirred at his Master's call.
"Yesss." the man's rumbling reply echoed throughout the room.
"What did you think of Midoriya?"
For a moment the giant behemoth was silent, "He is… strange. He possesses strength…fortitude. He uses his words like you do…" the man trailed off.
"But?" All For One asked, turning his head to the side to peer into the darkness although no one had any doubt he could see just fine.
"He reminded me of… him," the monster growled at the word but all three knew who he'd been referring to. "I challenged him, said he was unworthy…" Gigantomachia growled once more. Raising a hand into the air he brought his fist slamming down to the ground, causing it to shake, "And he questioned my loyalty!"
The giant panted his breath heavy not from exhaustion but rather from his turbulent emotions. Unlike All For One who kept a tight leash on everything he felt focusing on logic and reason to rationalize his actions Gigantomachia was a beast controlled by his sheer loyalty to his Master. His original Quirk, Endurace, allowed him to convert his morale into physical energy and stamina. Initially, it hadn't seemed that special, but then All For One had provided the man with a second Quirk, Gigantification, which allowed Gigantomachia to grow in size when agitated or excited. The two were dangerous by themselves, but in Gigantomachia's possession, they became a particularly deadly pairing. It was these Quirks that caused Gigantomachia to wear his emotions on his sleeve, his loyalty fueling Endurance and his excitement whenever he followed one of his Master's commands powering Gigantification.
All For One and the doctor had been shocked when years had passed and Gigantomachia had shown none of the side effects that usually came from one possessing multiple Quirks. At his Master's command Gigantomachia willingly subjected himself to the doctor's experiments and slowly, he had been gifted with more and more Quirks, until a total of seven resided inside his giant body; all of which did nothing but make the giant of a man even more powerful and even more loyal to his Master, to the point he could now barely function without a command to follow. Gigantomachia had served as the model for Kyudai's Nomu, the one the mindless soldiers were modeled after and what the fallen doctor desired to create. A sentient being of monstrous strength with nothing but absolute loyalty to All For One and those the Emperor deemed worthy of controlling such power.
Kyudai returned to the present as Gigantomachia spoke once more, "I do not acknowledge him, not yet, but…" the giant paused as if deliberating, "he is not without potential," he admitted, albeit grudgingly and clearly with much reluctance.
"Thank you," All For One said, causing the giant to preen like a loyal dog that'd just been complimented by its master, which Kyudai had to admit was not that far off the mark. "I understand your concerns," All For One continued, turning his attention back to the good doctor, "but everything I've done so far was to level the playing field between both Tomura and Izuku. As you noted, both have Quirks, a base, and a lieutenant to call their own. I even took steps to remove Kurogiri and Tomura from Izuku's and the Yaoyorozu's memories, not just Momo, but her father as well, and while Momo might be leaving Izuku's side to infiltrate U.A., he already has another who can step up to fill her position as his lieutenant."
"Himiko Toga," Kyudai guessed.
All For One nodded, "The one and only, a prime example of someone who was passed over by society because they could only see the downsides of her Quirk, and none of its potential."
"She's injured," Gigantomachia growled, pointing out what Kyudai had to admit was a rather obvious observation, "hurt."
"Indeed," All For One confirmed, "in the Shie Hassaikai Raid Izuku organized, she lost her left arm to Chisaki when he touched her with his hand. It is quite fortunate the contact was brief, and he was unable to mutilate her any more than he did."
"It will be difficult to fix," Kyudai mused thoughtfully, "she's too young to be able to withstand the strain of a second Quirk for any extended length of time and similarly, since her body is still developing, you're unable to take her Quirk, replace it with Super Regeneration or another healing Quirk, then switch the two again once her wound heals. Hmmm," the doctor hummed as he contemplated the challenge of how to heal the girl, "what about Midoriya's new Quirk, Overhaul?" He offered. "If he has a compatible limb or really any limb at all, he should be able to use it as the necessary source material. And I suppose if he is not yet at that level and the limb needs to be an exact copy, it would not be difficult to spare a growth tube and clone one so long as I have enough of her DNA to form a complete genetic template."
"The offer is appreciated, but that will be unnecessary." All For One spoke up before the doctor could continue. Of course, Kyudai turned to him, his confusion obvious. "You are right in that I have been… lax with Izuku." All For One admitted, "While it is admirable that he was able to defeat young Chiaski with Toga's assistance without Gigantomachia, I am sure that the Bullets would have eluded capture and Yaoyorozu's position among the living would be far more debatable than it currently is. Toga and her missing limb will serve as a reminder to Izuku of what he is fighting for as well as the consequences that shall befall those close to him should he fail or hold back. It might be possible for Izuku to heal her with his Quirk, but he will do so on his own. Neither I nor you," All For One said looking at Kyudai, "will assist him."
Kyudai nodded his head in submission, his Master had spoken and he, his ever loyal servant, would obey. "Do you think he will be able to heal her?" He asked.
"He will find a way." There was no doubt in All For One's voice as he spoke, leaning back in his throne, "Izuku has potential, and while he's accepted what needs to be done to change society, he is not yet ready to implement the measures himself. The raid was a start, as was his willingness to sever Chisaki's hands with his own, rather than through Toga, but that was for his own gain, to get the Quirk he desired. Izuku grew up Quirkless and I gifted him a Quirk for merely a few short hours before taking it back. He might have denied me when I offered him a replacement, instead choosing to find a new one for himself, but make no mistake, Izuku was desperate; he wanted, needed a Quirk. After so many years of being treated as an outcast for the so-called 'disease' of Quirklessness, Izuku has come to accept that it is only with power that things can change. However, now that he has a Quirk, I do not believe that he is as ready or willing to go to… extreme measures, should they be required. Healing Toga's arm will serve as proof of just how far he is willing to go, taking something precious from another and putting it to his own use will seal his path, even if he does it for no other reason than to relieve his own guilty conscience."
Kyudai was silent as All For One finished speaking. He had questions, things he needed to ask, to clarify about his master's intentions when it came to Izuku, but before he could one of the monitors on a nearby desk began to beep. All three turned their attention to it, and putting his hands on his knees, All For One let out a small groan as he pushed himself to his feet. "It's time," the man proclaimed.
"Time?" Gigantomachia rumbled, voicing the same question Kyudai hadn't yet asked.
"Yes," All For One confirmed as he approached the desk. He pressed some keys on the keyboard, inputting commands of some kind before he stopped, turning his head to the side to look at the two men who'd both served him loyally for years. His crimson gaze trapped the two, pulling them in as he smiled darkly. "It is time for me to announce the contest to my heirs," All For One said with finality in his voice, "to reveal to them the existence of the other. As you have said doctor, they are about as close to one another as they can get, waiting is no longer an option. It is time to light the flames of hatred that will bring Japan and the corrupt Hero Society that pervades it burning to the ground."
When Momo entered the Yaoyorozu manor, she wasn't quite sure what words she'd use to label the emotions coursing through her body. Excitement was obvious, being able to see her companions again, but there were others; nervousness, how would the servants react, did they even know the others would be here? And what about if the police found out? If they came storming in screaming that they were all under arrest, what would they do? The last one was a fear Momo had since childhood, when her father had explained to her the true backstory of the family business and the man who'd been so vital in its creation. The fear back then had been childish, the one a child held when they knew their friend had done something wrong, but didn't want them to get in trouble. A child didn't think about the long term consequences, didn't picture the effects being in trouble could have on their life. It was only now as a teenager, almost an adult, that Momo could picture such things and fully understand the creeping dread they brought.
But she couldn't change the path she was on; she couldn't betray her friend in Himiko, or the warm feelings her Master brought her. She couldn't betray her father, or her mother, couldn't betray their expectations of her as the Yaoyorozu heir. Sometimes she wondered how things would have changed if the events of the past were different; if her ancestor hadn't sought out All For One. If Izuku had developed a Quirk of his own. If Himiko hadn't been outcast for her Quirk. What would their lives look like then…
It didn't matter, all she could do was live her life the best she could and let what happens happen. She would support Izuku, help him, and assist him as much as she could. She would spend her time by his side and, for some reason, at the thought her romance novels rose to the forefront of her mind. The ones about a dark, mysterious man who brought the innocent damsel into his shadowy world where they would…
Her face flushed red as Momo lifted her hands to cradle it, feeling her palms burn against the warmth of her cheeks. Of course, that was when her father chose to come see her. "Momo," he called, concern obvious in his voice, "are you alright?"
Momo quickly straightened herself, trying to force down her blush as her hands fell to smooth out any wrinkles in her school skirt. "Yes Father, I'm fine."
The man looked at her for a moment, his doubt clear, but he set it aside with a sigh as he pulled on a black long coat that he buttoned up and tied around his waist. "Alright, your," he paused for a moment, "friends are in my secondary study. I don't know what message He wanted to send, but he sent it to my account and I was told to not be present when it was played. If you need anything, let me know, and afterwards if you all would retreat to the main dining room, I'll send a servant with some snacks and tea for you all. Are there any brands in particular you want?"
"I imagine Harron's and Wedgewood should be fine," Momo said, raising a hand to her chin in thought, "but if you can think of any others, you can have those brought up as well."
"Fair enough," her father nodded, "I'll leave it up to the servants since I have a meeting in the city I need to get to. Your Mother should be at a party until late tonight, so you and your friends will have the manor to yourselves sans the servants. However," the Yaoyorozu senior's face contorted darkly as his eyes seemed to look into his daughter's soul, "I expect you and the Midoriya boy to not be in the same room alone. Actually, I don't expect you to be within fifty feet of him without someone else there. In fact, now that I think about it, maybe I should stay here, keep an eye on you all."
Reaching up, the man had just put his hands on the top button of his coat when his daughter had grabbed him and begun dragging him towards the door. "Just go," she said, ignoring her father's protest. "Or would you rather delay him by keeping me." That shut the man up the look of clashing ideals clear on his face.
After a moment he sighed once more, his defeat obvious, "Fine, just, stay safe. Okay?"
Momo smiled softly, "I will," she wrapped her father in a hug, resting her head on the crook of his neck while he rested his head on top of hers, a silent reminder that while she was tall for her age, he was still taller.
"I love you Creati."
She laughed, "I know Father," she gave him a light push, "now go. Don't keep whoever is waiting waiting."
The man shuddered for dramatic effect, "I wouldn't dream of it." Then he was gone.
Momo let out the breath she'd drawn with a shake of her head. Her father was so dramatic at times, and his overprotectiveness was certainly a pain to deal with when it was aroused but he was her father, and she loved him for that. While she knew time was of the essence, she didn't head immediately for her father's study, instead heading to her room to drop off her school bag and change into some more casual clothes. It was only once she was dressed in a comfortable light lime green top and black skirt over a pair of black leggings held tight to her waist by a belt, that Momo made her way to the instructed room.
At the door Momo paused, remembering the argument between her and Izuku the day before, and how cold he'd been when she'd told him about Bakugo just that morning. Was he still upset? Did he blame her? Part of her didn't want to open the door, didn't want to face him, especially with all these strange feelings he seemed to awaken within her, but she had her instructions and she would obey. Turning the handle, she pulled the door open and stepped into the room.
Her gaze was immediately drawn to her father's desk, which stood across from her. The large intimidating leather chair the man sometimes worked from was currently occupied by a blonde vampire in a beige cardigan that seemed to be taking it for a spin rather literally spinning the chair around in circles at a rapid speed. "Himiko?" Momo couldn't help but ask and at her voice, the chair came to a quick stop, the girl that occupied it quickly turning to look at Momo as her face split into a wide grin.
"Momochi!" Himiko squealed, standing up and rushing over to pull the Yaoyorozu heiress into a tight hug. Momo stilled at the touch as the cat-like vampire nuzzled against her awkwardly patting the girl's back. A movement behind the chair drew her attention, and looking towards it, Momo found herself looking at Izuku.
He'd been standing by a large window set into the room's back wall in order to let in some natural lighting. Dressed simply in a black athletic t-shirt and long pants of a similar color and style, his hair was as messy as ever, but his skin was paler than she remembered, and looking closely, she could see the beginning of dark circles forming under his eyes.
"You need more sleep," she said, her traitorous mouth moving before her brain as she mentally cursed it.
He responded with a smile, not the wide, innocent, childlike grin that had faded so long ago, but rather a smaller one that was more an upturning of his mouth and lips with no teeth showing whatsoever. Momo didn't know why, but to her that new quiet smile seemed more real to her than his other one had ever been. "Probably," he admitted, his voice no longer containing a stutter whatsoever.
The two fell silent, and an awkward silence quickly arose between them, the two teens clearly unsure how to speak to one another. Himiko picked up on the atmosphere, quickly letting go of Momo to step back, looking back and forth between the two teens. "Oh come on," she complained, "it hasn't even been a month since you last saw each other, and you spoke this morning."
"Himiko!" The two shouted before looking at each other, quickly averting their gaze and blushing red. Himiko merely shook her head, muttering under her breath as she walked back to the chair. "Come on, let's get this over with and see what Mr. Formerly Masked Guy wants."
The two teens sighed at the blonde's antics before obeying, with Izuku sitting down in the chair, Himiko moving quickly to sit on the chair's right arm draping herself over both the top of the chair and Izuku. Momo meanwhile, stood to Izuku's left slightly behind both him and the chair while standing straight. The three focused their attention on the open computer that sat before them. The screen was white, with nothing else on it except for two underlined black words in the center of the screen that were clearly a link, 'Play Me'.
Himiko looked at Izuku, and at the greenete's nod, reached forward, moving the mouse to the link and clicking it. Immediately the screen went black, except for the top right corner of the screen where a small speaker system and the words AUDIO ONLY were displayed in white. Then the voice of All For One spoke.
"Hello Izuku."
"Sensei." Izuku muttered in response but the man continued without pause, proving to the trio that they were watching a recording, not a live video.
"It has been a few weeks since we last spoke but I am pleased to say that your attempt to heal me has drastically improved my state of health. As they say one does not know what they have until they lose it, and now being able to once more see with my own eyes and breathe without aid I can say, with confidence, that there is truth in those words. As such I thank you Izuku Midoriya. I believed in you, and your efforts have proven that my faith was not misplaced." A sigh echoed from the speakers.
"However, I must inform you that I have also, in a sense, deceived you. Do you remember the words I said to you all those months ago when you resolved to pursue your current path? I spoke four simple words, 'everything is for you.' That was not a lie, but neither was it the whole truth." All For One paused, "You see, there is another; someone else who caught my attention. Someone just as strong, just as passionate and just as driven as you are. Like you, I see potential in them, and like them I see the same potential in you. The potential to be great, to be powerful, to stand above others and lead them. Within the two of you, I see the potential to secede me.
You two are my heirs, the ones I chose for the role, and who I've supported as you've both grown into the individuals you are today. However, while I see the same potential in each of you I have no intention of dividing my empire. There is only one throne and only one of you can ascend to sit upon it. That is the other part of this message, an announcement about the contest I have created to decide which of you two should secede me."
"A contest?" Momo asked, her confusion obvious. She glanced at Izuku but the greenete's face was blank, his expression unreadable.
"The goal is simple," All For One continued, "defeat your rival." All three teens got the feeling that the supervillain had thrown his arms wide at the statement. "Kill them, ruin them, the means do not matter, and in this contest there are no rules to hold you back. Use everything you have, every trick, every resource, and know that victory will only be yours when you ensure that there remains none to stand against you.
However, I will not leave you alone, abandon you without support. Each of you has a lieutenant, a base, and as time goes by both of you will have the same resources from me to draw upon." All For One sighed, an audible exhale that seemed both sad and resigned.
"My students, the time to hide in the darkness has passed. Make known your intent, and let the world know of your existence. My throne, my empire, my power awaits you. Your future now lies in your hands.
Oh, and Izuku, one last thing. A payment if you will, for healing me as much as you could. The Hero Commission has begun to investigate the sudden destruction of the Shie Hassaikai, and they have decided to assign the case to one of the Commission's more... subservient heroes. I believe you might have heard of her, the Sniper Hero: Lady Nagant."
At the final word, the computer turned itself off with a simple -bzzt-, leaving the three teens facing a blank black screen. For a moment none spoke, alone with their thoughts, before, as one, Momo and Himiko both turned to look at their green haired boss.
"Izuku."
"Izu-kun." The two spoke at the same time but the greenete didn't respond to them, his eyes still focused on the screen. At some point during the message he'd raised his hands and clasped them together in front of his mouth, concealing it from view.
"Izuku," Momo tried again, "talk to us, tell us what you're thinking."
For a moment, Izuku once more was silent before he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. His shoulders fell as he lowered his hand to rest on the arms of the chair, or in the case of his right hand, on Himiko's left leg, although he didn't notice, and the blonde felt no reason to point it out. "I-I'm not sure how I feel to be honest." Izuku said. He didn't stutter but he fumbled nonetheless, his uncertainty on full display to the two girls.
"Sensei has done so much for me. It's because of him I got a Quirk. Because of him, I have a home after my last one was destroyed, and it's because of him that I got to meet the both of you."
"But," Himiko encouraged, sensing there was more Izuku wanted to say.
"But now, now I'm not sure what to do." Izuku said as he raised his head to look at them, allowing the two girls to see the confusion on his face. "How much of what Sensei's done has been for my own benefit, and how much of it was to mold me into this role as his heir? Do I even want to be his heir? Do I want to secede him?"
Izuku lowered his head, both hands coming up to cradle it on either side, "For so long I've wanted nothing more than to be a hero, to help others and make them smile. That dream was destroyed with my mother's death and afterwards all my attention was focused on finding the perfect Quirk and getting it for myself. I- I just don't know what I want to do anymore. Am I even still me? How can I go from wanting to save everyone to someone willing to kill, mutilate, and manipulate others for his own means? I'm… a villain." Izuku said the disbelief in his voice clear, "Why am I so willing to tear others down if it benefits me? Is this- is this who I really am?"
He turned to the girls looking between them, "What if," he began hesitantly, "what if I lose myself? Stop being Izuku Midoriya? What if at some point I have to choose between sacrificing you two for my own gain or protecting you? And what if-'' he paused, "what if I'm willing to do it?"
Before Izuku could say anything else he found himself wrapped up into a hug, Himiko on his right side squeezing him from the side while Momo did the same from his left. "It's alright," Momo said soothingly, running her hand through Izuku's green mane. "Do you want to know why?" Izuku, unable to speak, could do nothing but nod. "It's alright because we'll be there with you," Momo said with a kind smile that reminded Izuku all too much of his mother. "Wherever you go and whatever you do we'll be right beside you, helping you every step of the way"
"Yeah," Himiko chirped in, "and besides, it's like Mr. Formerly Masked Guy said isn't it?" She hummed cheerfully, "'Your future now lies in your hands,' that's what he said right? Who cares if you want to be his heir or not, if you don't want to be, just say no." She looked at Izuku and the greenete found himself looking into the vampiric school girl's golden eyes, "Either way, me and Momochi will help you all we can."
"You will?" Izuku asked uncertainly.
The two rolled their eyes, "Of course."
"Obviously."
Izuku was silent for a moment, "Thank you," he whispered quietly.
"So Izuku," Momo asked, "what do you want to do?"
"I need to think," Izuku responded immediately. "All of that information, I need to go over it, think about it."
Momo nodded, taking charge of the situation, "Okay then, let's relocate to the dining room. My father said he'd send someone later with food and I'd rather we eat at a proper table where we each can have our own chairs, than try to cram us all into my father's work one."
The other two obeyed Momo, following her as she led the way to the correct room where they all took their appropriate seats; Izuku at the head, Momo at his right and Himiko straight across from the ravenette to Izuku's left. Izuku was quiet as he thought, while Momo and Himiko talked in hushed voices, but all three fell silent at a knocking on the door.
Into the room strode a beautiful woman with pale porcelain skin and straight black raven colored hair upon which rested a white lace headband not unlike those worn by maids. Her outfit fit the headpiece as she was dressed in stereotypical maid attire; an elegant long sleeved black dress with white trim that reached down to just above her knees, hugging and highlighting her every supple curve. A white half lace apron was tied around her ample hips and black stockings covered what was visible of her long, slender legs that ended in black heels.
In front of her the woman pushed a wooden cart on top of which rested a set of fine china with four teapots, and numerous teacups as well as several small plates. The china was white, with blue vines and rose designs decorating them. Several desserts also rested on top of the cart; various small pastries and cakes that looked more like pieces of art than snacks for the trio to eat.
All together it caused Izuku and Himiko to immediately dismiss the woman taking her to be the servant Momo's father said he would send in after All For One had finished speaking to them. A small squeak caught the duo's attention and they turned towards Momo who'd placed her hands on top of the table to pull herself to her feet. Her arms were outstretched in front of her, her eyes wide as she looked at the maid in obvious disbelief, mouth hanging open.
"Momo, are you alright," Izuku asked in concern, but Momo paid him no mind, her mouth moving as she stuttered.
"M-M-Mother!"
Silence followed as Izuku and Himiko processed the ravenette's word before, together, the two turned at the same time to look once more at the maid, their mouths falling open as they screamed wordlessly in shock. The maid responded by sticking out her plump red lips in an obvious pout, "Momo," she complained, "why'd you tell them? I wanted it to be a surprise."
Momo was the first of the three teens to recover from her shock, turning to her friends she gestured at the woman. "Izuku, Himiko, this is my mother, Izumi Yaoyorozu. Mother what are you doing here? I thought you had a party you needed to attend."
"I did," the woman responded before waving a hand in the air dismissively, "I was on my way to Ohime's when Sebastian messaged me that you would be entertaining friends after school. Of course I immediately had Untensha turn the car around and bring me back so I would have a chance to meet them."
"But isn't Ohime one of your best friends?"
The Yaoyorozu matron once more waved her hand dismissively, "Yes, yes but I'm sure she'll understand. I needed to put her in her place soon anyway, her egos only grown after I favored her over Amatera. Besides I couldn't afford to miss meeting your friends, it's been so long since you've last had any over."
"Fine, but why are you dressed like that?" Momo said, gesturing to her mother's outfit.
"What's wrong with my outfit?" Mrs. Yaoyorozu asked, looking down at her maid attire spinning slightly in place to get a good look at it, "I think it looks good on me?"
"The problem is you're dressed like Meido," Momo complained. "Did you take her outfit?"
"No," her mother denied, looking to the side as she attempted to whistle, albeit rather poorly, her guilt obvious to those looking on.
"Borrow it then?"
"...Okay, yes I borrowed it," the Yaoyorozu woman admitted, "but I always knew it'd look good on me and how else was I supposed to get close to your friends? When you were younger you always complained about me being too intimidating."
"That's because every time I had someone over you wore a sleeveless black dress that showed off your sleeves!"
"Sleeves?" Himiko whispered questioningly, turning to Izuku who responded with a slight shrug.
Momo groaned, lowering her head to her table as her mother turned to Himiko with a smile, "Yes my sleeves. They're from my youth, something of a family tradition you could say, and I'll admit, I never really thought about how they'd look on me when I was older, but I believe they still hold a beauty of their own." The woman said as she pulled up the long sleeves of her dress, though it quickly became apparent that her clothing wasn't the sleeves she'd been referring to. Ink dyed the woman's arms, turning the pale porcelain white skin black, except for the numerous flowers of various colors and pink sakura petals that covered it. There was no denying that they were beautiful and Himiko said as much. "Thank you," Momo's mom replied to the blonde's compliment.
"Your tattoos aren't the point Mother," Momo said raising her head to look at the one who'd birthed her, "the point is how many upper class children expect to go over to their friend's house and see tattoo sleeves on their friend's mom? The sight of you sent nearly all of them running away in tears."
"Your friends' parents nearly all came over afterwards to apologize."
"That's-ugh," Momo closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before slowly letting it out. "Mother," she tried again, forcing herself to speak in a calm, even tone, "can you please, please just leave."
"Fine, fine, I'll leave you and your friends to discuss whatever it is you were talking about,'' the woman agreed, as she lowered the sleeves of her dress to once more hide her ink from view. "But can I please just serve the tea first? It's cooling fast and it's always best to drink tea while it's still hot."
Momo grunted in response, more of a growl really, but her mother smiled, seemingly taking the possible threat as her daughter's approval. Pushing the cart forward next to the long wooden table she set about swiftly emptying the cart of its contents, setting the cakes and china plates atop the table while keeping the teapots and teacups upon the cart which she pushed towards Izuku.
"What can I get for you, sweetie?" The woman asked, her voice as bright and as innocent as a meadow in spring. "We have Harrod's, Wedgewood, Kokana, and Ocha. Momo's father likes to drink Harrod's, while I'm more partial to Wedgewood myself." She leaned in close to Izuku, her eyes gleaming as a mischievous smirk rose to her face while her voice dropped to a whisper, "Momo takes after me so she likes Wedgewood too."
"Mother!" Momo screamed her face cherry red as she stood up quickly having obviously overheard. "Why would you tell him that?"
"Oh, my apologies," Mrs. Yaoyorozu said, raising a hand to cover her mouth, pausing briefly before speaking again. "I didn't realize you wanted to tell him yourself."
"What? No- I wasn't going to tell him at all." Momo stammered.
Her mother tilted her head to the side, her eyes wide and doe like in their innocence, "Then how is Izuku-kun supposed to know what your favorite drink is?"
"He doesn't need to know!"
"Why not?"
"Because it's not important!"
"Momo Yaoyorozu!" the Yaoyorozu matron said in obvious shock, "I cannot believe this! To think you would hide your favorite drink from your friends," she closed her eyes raising a hand to her forehead dramatically in mock shock. "Where did we go wrong, what mistake did we make in raising you?"
"MOM!" Momo screamed, her face burning red. Looking at the scene playing out before him Izuku could barely contain his laughter. This was the first time he could remember seeing Momo so flustered, and looking around at the women surrounding him Izuku knew his decision had already been made. This, all of it was worth fighting for. He wasn't ready to give up everything he now had, and so the greenette mentally resigned himself to play Sensei's game. He would find this other heir, whoever it may be, and just like he'd done with Chisaki, Izuku would destroy him. Not because he wanted to, but because it was the only way to protect those that now mattered the most to him.
In a dimly lit bar in Kamino, a television resting against a wooden wall shut itself off with a simple -bzzt-. For a minute, the bar's two sole occupants were quiet. One, a man in a suit with a metal brace around his neck, whose body seemed to be composed of dark mist, stood behind the counter, a cloth in one hand that he had been using just minutes before to dry the shot glass that he held in the other. Now, however, the misty bartender's hands were still, his task long forgotten as he shifted his attention from the now powered down television to his companion who sat on a barstool on the other side of the counter.
The young man - for despite his mentality [and the bartender's private thoughts], he was too old to be called a boy - glared at the television with his one visible eye, staring at it through the fingers of the disembodied hand that covered his face, one of the numerous that gripped various parts of his body. His hands rested on top of the counter and the being made of mist noticed that, at some point, he'd slipped his right one out of the glove that now rested on the counter next to it. Said hand was clenching, curling into a fist, before unclenching, as the man repeated the motions unconsciously. His left hand, at least, still sported its glove, a product that had been specially designed for the boy by one of Sensei's servants, for it lacked the tips on the end of the middle and pinky fingers just like its twin.
"Tomura," the barkeeper said, his voice low and calm in an attempt to cool the emotions rising visibly rising within his charge but all he did instead was act as the trigger.
The man leapt to his feet; with a murderous, wordless yell of frustration; he screamed as he raised his right hand into the air before bringing it down onto the bar, slamming it onto the countertop with his fingers spread. Immediately, cracks began to spread through the counter, emitting from where the boy's fingers made contact. The wood shriveled, drying and decaying as it turned to dust at the man's touch. His tantrum continued as he slammed the clenched fist of his left hand into the bar stool he'd been sitting atop just moments ago, sending it tumbling to the dirty floor end over end.
For a moment the man stood there, his body trembling from the sheer hatred and rage running through his body. However, as the barkeeper watched, the man took a deep breath, as he brought his rage under control before slowly, deliberately reaching down to retrieve the black glove that had been buried in the pile of dust that was once the counter. Pulling the glove back onto his right hand the man turned towards the barkeeper. The two locking eyes despite one's lack of a solid face and the embalmed hand that covered the other's.
"Kurogiri," Tomura Shigaraki growled as his hands rose to scratch at his neck in frustration, his gloves serving as the only obstacle between the sharp nails at the end of most of his fingers and the flesh of his neck, "we're changing the plan. If Sensei wants to introduce a rival character now we can't just plan on a simple dungeon raid accomplishing our goals." Though the hand that covered his face hid Tomura's mouth from view Kurogiri knew instinctively that the grayish-blue haired man was baring his teeth in a dark, beastial snarl.
"What will we do then?" Kurogiri asked, a blink the only sign of his surprise at his charge's sudden, albeit limited, maturity.
"Simple," Tomura said as he shifted his gaze to stare at the dark screen of the television, "we need to impress Sensei. I need to show him that this 'rival' of mine is nothing more than another useless NPC."
"And how will you do that?"
"By standing out." Tomura responded as he looked at a corkboard Kurogiri had put up on the wall next to the bar. Various advertisements, posters, and papers dotted the board, but Kurogiri was easily able to find the one that had captured Tomura's gaze. It displayed a young man, a teenager in an instantly recognizable blue and white school gym uniform holding his hand up in the air in a clear display of victory. He stood in the middle of a cheering stadium, his pose and golden blond hair - of which two tufts stuck upwards towards the blue sky dotted with white clouds - making it clear that the boy was supposed to resemble a certain #1 Pro Hero.
"Are you sure?" Kurogiri couldn't help but ask. "Many have tried to ruin the-"
"Kurogiri," Tomura said, his voice firm, not even bothering to look at the man. "Get Giran to tell the gutter trash that there's been a change of plans. Tell them," once more Kurogiri got the overwhelming sense that Tomura was smiling, "tell them that instead of a simple dungeon raid we'll instead be participating in a special event."
"I-" Kurogiri began to protest but before he could his shoulders fell in obvious resignation, clearly giving up on changing the man-child's mind, "I understand."
Author's Note:
Hello everybody, I'm back with a new chapter for Rival Heirs. It's been a while since I've updated this story but do not fear, now that I've settled into college I have no doubt that updates will be much more common so long as the creative juices keep flowing. As for this chapter not only do we find out more about All For One's thought process but we also get some more of Gigantomachia as well as a first look at Kyudai Garaki and Tomura too. The contest is also announced and sorry for those of you who were coming up with elaborate plots or contests but all it is, as per the description of this story, is a find and destroy mission. Over two years and I'm only now getting to the actual contest, didn't think that would happen. We also have a look at Izuku, Momo, and Himiko both of whom are supportive of Izuku whose resolved himself to do what he has to do for his friends.
Also like I said I will explain some more about Himiko's arm situation and why she isn't getting a replacement, at least for right now. Basically All For One is punishing Izuku by making him solve the issue himself and while Izuku's control is growing he's both not yet at a point to use Overhaul to restore limbs nor is he willing to take someone's arm. We'll get there though, don't worry.
Otherwise yeah favorite and follow, yada yada, make sure to leave a comment since I like reading them and they motivate me to write faster. Check me out on P-atreon for early access (I have rewrites of the first four chapters of my Harry Potter's Familiar Cat up on there as well as the rest of this arc) to new chapters. Special thanks to my new proofreader and editor DutchHorizon for his hard work. I hope that all of you in schools around the world enjoy the torturous existence that is education and don't worry I'm experiencing it right alongside you all. Until next time this is the ultimate lord of the MHA alternate universe I rule over signing off,
D'yavol Lucifer 3:)
*IMPORTANT NOTICE*
All the cover art 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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