LEGION: GRIEF
"Death is just the beginning."
The day was silent, and Izuku simply stared ahead into nothingness, he stood next to a cement altar-like block, with plenty of wood next to it.
Soon enough, he could hear them. The clones marched in solemnly in the rain, each carrying a rod on the board that carried Jango's body.
It was hard to believe that it had already been a week.
One Week Ago
Izuku had woken up in pain, but not physical pain, no this pain seared deep into his very soul. He could feel the emptiness that resided within him, a void that could never again be filled, torn open by Jango's death and the deaths of over a thousand clones.
He blearily looked around, finding himself mixed in darkness, around him were various figures, all of them covered in shadows.
One of them extended their hand, and he could swear that he was hearing a female voice speak with him.
The shadows however were washed away, and he was then surrounded by white.
It was everywhere, white walls, white floors, white ceilings...and a white door.
Heading forward, the door opened automatically, surprising him.
He then found himself in another (white, of course) hallway, but with windows that spanned the entire length.
Outside he thought he could see what appeared to be buildings on stilts.
But it was hard to see anything with the hurricane that was battering against the city.
"Welcome home, ori'vod."
Izuku turned and for a moment his heart stopped.
'Jango?'
But as he looked closer, into the clone's eyes, he could see that it wasn't him. The clone in front of him was missing the telltale spark in his eye.
Izuku then realized a horrible truth.
As long as his clones were here, as long as he could look at himself in a mirror, he would always be haunted by Jango's death.
"Where am I?"
"The mindscape, though we've yet to give it a name," The clone started as he began to walk away, Izuku moving to follow.
It was...oddly silent.
"In case you're wondering...we lost a lot of brothers. This was the beginning, the first home for us clones. So...it kinda brings back memories we don't want."
Izuku nodded halfheartedly, he didn't even know how he was going to wake up and go back home...
He took a shaky breath, tears already coming to the corners of his eyes, but he forced the emotions back down.
"What happened?"
"Well...after Jango...died,"
The storm seemed to get even more intense from the words alone.
"You supercharged your quirk with One For All, and forced open a portal, we started heading out, almost two thousand clones fought against that Nomu abomination. We...we lost a lot of brothers, but we finally managed to put that thing down."
Izuku's eyes narrowed and he snorted, filled with a dark satisfaction that the abomination had fallen to his brothers.
Next would be Shigaraki.
Now he had names, all that was left was finding them.
But first...
"And what about my classmates, my friends, are they alright?"
"Yes, the clones split up, multiple squads went to look for the students, all of them were found and escorted to safety, truth be told, the worst of the lot were you, Aizawa, and Thirteen. Yuga and Kyoka both sustained some moderate injuries, but the new clone medics patched them up and they were looked over by Recovery Girl."
"The teachers came then?"
"Yes, too late...but they came. All Might arrived later with Recovery Girl."
Izuku breathed in deeply at his mention, finding it extremely difficult to not want to place the blame on his shoulders.
He should have been there.
He shouldn't have wasted his time.
Maybe then, Jango would still be...
Izuku shook his head and shuddered again, unwilling to finish the thought.
He...couldn't blame him, when nobody expected this to happen in the first place.
But still, he and All Might would have words.
"We have medics now?"
"Yeah, we have an entirely new section, a medical wing, and you will not believe what we've found."
Izuku followed the clone and found himself awed at what his quirk had created, they had entered into a large chamber, and were walking through a tunnel suspended in the air, where through windows he could see everything, around him thousands of clones milling about, some of them were training, others studying, (what they were studying he didn't know), some were, eating?
"While inside the mindscape, the clones do not need to eat per se, but they got used to it after, well, after he would talk all about it."
"How...I can't believe I've never asked this, but how do you guys...survive then?"
The clone sighed, "In here it doesn't matter, but out there, we'd survive off your energy. Jango...discovered that regular food sustains us, he suspected that once we manifested into the real world, we became true biological beings. But there was no way buir would have been able to take care of all of us, she was already struggling with three. Especially after the demagolka left."
Izuku blinked before putting the pieces together. "Wait, so you're telling me, that the reason that I haven't been able to summon more clones, was because of you!" He snarled as he turned towards the clone in front of him.
The entire facility then shook and shuddered, the lights flickering as they stumbled.
Izuku gasped as he stepped backward and the rumbling settled, too shocked to say anything else. Idly he noticed the clones all staring at him.
It was unnerving.
"Please, try and stay calm. We did this for your own good, already Fordo and Jango would have strained you, if you had summoned more, you would have run a serious risk of hurting or even killing yourself. You would have needed One For All to be on constantly just to sustain us. We wanted to join you, but we had no choice, we were given strict orders."
"By who?" Izuku demanded.
"By Jango," The clone whispered and the words punched him in the gut as he shakily walked back again and hit the glass.
"He...he did this? Why didn't he tell me?"
"You were already feeling enough guilt, he didn't want to add more, better to let you think that you were close, but missing the last piece of the puzzle, than to be the entire puzzle."
Izuku half-snorted half-sobbed in a single choked breath while holding back a chuckle.
"That sounds like something Nezu might say but butchered by Jango."
The clone sadly chuckled and nodded. "That it would."
Looking around, he saw that the clones had returned to training, some of them had been focusing on marksmanship, others had been doing hand-to-hand training.
Some were even doing team trials, working together to overcome simulations.
"It's good that you're finally here, we've been waiting for you."
"Yeah, me too..." Izuku trailed off as he continued to follow the clone.
He continued to follow solemnly, not thinking of anything yet everything at once. Making sure to keep his eyes straight ahead, unable to see their face.
His face.
Finally, they made it to the end of the hallway, and the last door opened itself to reveal thousands of clones, all of them marching in formation, Izuku gaped at the sheer amount that resided within him.
"Magnificent, aren't they?"
He saw one company march down a ramp before halting, facing left, and putting their weapons in present arms.
"That's…American style."
"Yes, Jango taught them after he gained inspiration from All Might's battle with Davy Jones."
Ah, that made sense. That particular battle was back when All Might was doing hero work in the states. He alongside Davy Jones, then America's Number One Hero, had collaborated with the US Military in a mission to defeat Typhon, a villain with a tidal wave quirk who was devastating America's coastlines.
Jango had been a huge fan of Davy Jones' quirk, From the Deep, which could summon watery ghost ships reminiscent of WWII Battleships.
It was also the first time that Congress had seriously considered giving a living foreign national a Medal of Honor.
All Might had denied it, however, wanting to keep the tradition for the dead held in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Izuku closed his eyes at the memory and shoved it down along with the feelings that threatened to rise with it.
"Show me the medical center."
His brother nodded, and Izuku followed him back through the tunnel-like hallway as they headed towards the new section.
Entering, he was surprised to see the healing facilities.
A good amount of clones were simply floating in cylindric glass capped with machinery, filled with fluid. All of them were in their underwear and had a mask over their noses and mouths. They were all peacefully asleep, healing slowly but surely.
"What is this?"
"Our medical wing, we don't know what exactly it is, we're hoping that in the future, Recovery Girl can get a sample and tell its exact chemical composition. But we know that it has healing properties and can help us get back into the fight."
Izuku marveled at the technology stored within his quirk, his hand resting on the glass, staring at the face of one of his clones that was covered in bandages.
"A few brothers managed to drag the injured back to be healed before the portal was closed. The rest are currently being healed by Recovery Girl."
"Amazing…"
Izuku stared for a moment before closing his eyes and sighed deeply.
"You want me to bring this to the world, don't you."
"Yes, quite simply Izuku. Your body is broken right now, you were heavily injured and had no stamina for Recovery Girl to directly heal you. Using One For All like that for any longer would have at the very least put you in a worse coma than what you are right now."
Izuku fell to his knees.
"And it would have killed the rest of you…" He finished.
"Perhaps not those outside, but those of us still here…"
Izuku shivered at the revelation, that because of him, all of his brothers could have died.
"None of that ori'vod, none of this was your fault. But right now, things are a bit unsure. And our brothers on the other side need you."
Izuku breathed deeply, nodding his head.
"Okay, what do I need to do?"
"Hold on to the tank, focus on the outside world, and don't worry. We'll see each other again."
"Thank you…what's your name?" Can't believe he didn't ask earlier.
"Eh, we've kinda been making it a tradition. Once we make it to the outside world we'll start on them. But don't take that as an invitation to rush yourself. Plenty of brothers are already outside. We can all wait."
Izuku nodded and held tight to the tank, focusing, both he and the tank disappeared from the mindscape.
The clone stood alone.
But not for long.
"You did not tell him about us…" Another voice said next to him and the clone turned towards the pale man that stood to the side.
"He'll have too much on his mind, and it's already so cluttered. Once the storm dies down…once he's in better control of his emotions, then, should he know."
The man snorted softly.
"A fine and dandy situation we have ourselves in then, no?"
The clone smirked.
"Fine and dandy indeed."
The man disappeared, and the Second continued his watch over the brothers.
Just as Jango ordered him to.
Izuku woke up to pain once more, but this time the pain was all-encompassing, seeping deep into his bones.
It felt hard to breathe but he could feel hands moving him, removing his iv and other things, stripping his gown, and wrapping something around his groin.
Feeling himself being lowered into the pod, the process was stopped by the sudden shriek.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"
The clones that were helping Izuku stared at Recovery Girl who was gaping at them.
"Helping him, no time to explain, but this will quicken the healing process."
The sudden commotion also had the unintended effect of waking up the room's other two occupants.
Toshinori had been holding Inko Midoriya for the last few hours, the latter having received the emergency call from the school that the USJ had been attacked and that her son was currently in the hospital.
Toshinori had taken it upon himself to reveal the news of Jango's death.
The poor woman had at first tried to deny it and then become inconsolable, shrieking and weeping that it couldn't be.
"Not my Jango! NOT MY BOYYYY!"
She had since then cried herself to sleep clutching to Toshinori with all the grip a grieving mother could muster.
The two had woken up and had immediately cried out the boy's name, clutching the edge of the tube that had yet to close. Izuku looked at the clone who was helping him, the latter nodded in understanding and stood to the side to where Recovery Girl was to better explain what was happening.
With the last of his strength, he lifted his arms, clutching each of their hands.
Inko was already crying again and gently caressed his face.
"Izuku…my baby boy…"
"Buir…I'm so sorry…I, I couldn't save him…"
"Oh Izuku, d-don't worry a-about that now, w-we'll pull throu-" Inko dissolved into sobs again as she simply held on to her son.
Izuku's heart was pained at hearing his mother's tears and he was helpless to stop them, but he had something else to focus on.
"Young Midoriya…" He heard, and he turned his head towards All Might.
"I-I'm so sorry. I failed you, I failed Jango, I failed everybody in your class, it's all my fault." All Might said as he bowed his head towards the boy.
"All Might…buir…I don't blame you for Jango's death…and I forgive you for not being there." Toshinori started to cry at the words, he did not feel that he deserved Izuku's forgiveness.
"But…I have one condition, you must swear to me, that this does not happen again. That we, as your students…come first." Izuku gasped out.
The other clone next to him had already started the process, so a bluish liquid started to fill up the tank, already reaching the bottom of his ears.
"Swear to me…by One For All."
Toshinori vigorously nodded, silent tears streaming down his face.
"I swear Izuku, by One For All, I swear."
Izuku nodded, his eyes fluttering shut and his hands going limp in their grasp.
The two watched with apprehension as his arms were laid carefully by his sides, and a breathing device attached to his face as the water completely covered him, the cover soon sealing the pod.
"Yagi…why did Izuku call you All Might…and what is One For All," Inko asked as she stared deeply into the man's eyes.
Toshinori closed his eyes in resignation, knowing that eventually, this would have happened but still, he would have preferred it under different circumstances.
"Midoriya-san, what I'm about to tell you, is a secret that has been kept for years, and another for generations. I hope that you forgive me after this."
The man slowly grew into the titan that the world knew, and Inko stumbled back.
"You know me as Yagi Toshinori, but in truth, I am All Might…and this is but one of the many secrets that have been kept from you."
Meanwhile, the clone had taken to explaining what the tank was, something they had taken to calling bacta.
How it could heal wounds within days, a downgraded version of her quirk.
How he was the only source, just like her.
Recovery Girl closed her eyes in contemplation, knowing that if this was revealed, combined with what happened at the USJ and the fact that his clones had also applied similar first aid methods to the students, advancing the healing process, all of it would put a target on Izuku's back.
And not just by villains.
"Very well…we'll have to try and keep this under wraps and transfer him back to UA. At the moment the situation is too volatile."
"We'll have to-"
SLAP
The resounding impact echoed through the room, and all of them stared at All Might's bowed head, unmoving from where Inko had struck him.
"That! Was for keeping this a secret from me!"
Toshinori was prepared to make any concession necessary to stand by Izuku and help him control One For All to stay by his side, he faced Midoriya Inko's wrathful eyes and-
She was hugging him?
"And this…is for being there for my sons."
"What? But I-"
"You don't know what Izuku called you, do you?" She murmured into his chest.
"I-no…"
"In Mando'a, buir means parent."
Toshinori fell to his knees at the revelation, completely feeling unworthy of the title.
"But…I…I can't-"
"You have, Yagi." She said while still holding on to him. "I know what you've done for my boys, now even more so. You've cared for them, taught them, trained them, raised them." Inko cursed her watery eyes but damn if she couldn't at least speak to the man.
"But, how can I take that place so easily? What about their father-"
"That demagolka has not been a part of our lives for a long time, Yagi." She spat out the word as if it was a curse, and glared at the ground, harsh memories bubbling up inside of her before she squashed them down.
"And you've done more for them in one year than he has in fifteen."
Toshinori shuddered and nodded, now even more resolute in his decision to stand by Izuku and the vod'e.
"Thank you, Midoriya-san."
"Please, Inko."
"...Toshinori."
The two then stood up once more, and Recovery Girl took the chance to explain what needed to be done, signing all the necessary paperwork, the group left through a private entrance after grabbing a ride from one of Power Loader's custom vehicles.
The group stayed silent but as All Might thought over the events of the day, he remembered something.
"You know…I think Jango almost called me that one day, a few months ago, what was it, buir?" All Might asked as he turned toward the younger woman.
"Yes, you know, he and Izuku always spoke so highly of you, about everything you were teaching them, they've always looked up to you and…and…I'm sorry-" She choked and hunched in on herself, tears flowing down her as her body hitched and she sobbed.
"I just…I just can't believe-he's gone!" She wailed again and clutched him once more. All Might could only nod, unable to say any words.
Simply grieve.
As any parent who loses their child grieves.
And Izuku slept on.
Izuku would wake up in pain later, his eyes slowly opening and adjusting to the light. At first, he was surprised to see himself floating but he quickly remembered all that happened and seeing a few clones next to him, knocked on the glass.
The clones were startled but quickly helped him out of the bacta.
"Easy brother, it's been two days, your wounds are healed better, but hopefully Recovery Girl can help you heal faster."
Izuku merely grunted as the clones supported him, whatever this was, it was potent, to say the least.
Izuku stumbled a bit more, the floor trailing wet after him, his legs were weak and he rested against a bed.
Looking up, he saw a mirror.
"Boss, I-"
Izuku stared at his reflection and held his hand to his face.
Right over the bridge of his nose, was an x-shaped scar, it was faint, but still noticeable, looking at his hand, he saw that it was also lightly scarred and that the scars trailed up his arms.
"What?"
"It's…it's from One For All, ori'vod. Those are the 'veins' I guess you could say from where it traveled through your body, from when you supercharged it."
Izuku continued to stare at the scars in slight wonder, before leaning away from the mirror.
Closing his eyes he breathed in deeply.
"Good."
"...vod?"
"Where is-"
"My baby!"
Izuku oofed as he was barreled into by his mother, the latter already sobbing into his chest, he quickly wrapped his arms around her. The two fell to their knees and Izuku simply held her as she wept for him.
"I'm here, mom. I'm here."
The two simply held each other before Izuku noticed the other guests in the room.
"Mom, we've got company."
Turning around, they were faced with Recovery Girl, Nezu, Yagi, and an officer. The former giving him a towel, and some clothes.
Finding some privacy, he would soon find himself facing the detective, a Tsukauchi Naomasa, apparently a friend of All Might.
Also, apparently, his mother was in on the secret.
Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose. There was way too much going on right now.
"Midoriya…if you're up to it, I'd like to ask a few questions."
Inko tried to protest that it was too soon, but Izuku agreed.
"Alright, from your point of view, what happened when you arrived at the USJ?"
Izuku took a deep breath and started.
"We arrived alright, but as soon as we entered, we were ambushed, I…tried to get Aizawa-sensei to stay, cause I thought that we could use Thirteen to quickly open the door and get out. He could have stopped any quirks from coming near us."
Izuku paused, his jaw moving around as he tried to find himself.
"I got Jango and Fordo to cover Aizawa-sensei, then the warp guy came. Eventually, we got separated, by the warp villain, Kurogiri, and I was able to beat him, but before I could blow open the doors, he warped the both of us away."
He started to trembled and gripped the fabric around his knees, his bones creaking in protest.
"He, the main guy, tried going after Asui, and I blew him away, but my punch got caught by that abomination," He snarled, "It easily took out me and Aizawa-sensei. Jango, he, he-"
He was shaking, and there was a knot in his throat, clenching his jaw he forced himself to continue.
"Jango tried to fight back, but that creature, cr-, krr, he-, he just laughed, he was gone- and, he was just…laughing." Izuku grit out, glaring at the floor below him.
The slightest sparks appeared before the pain made them go away.
"After that…I blacked out. I don't remember what happened after, only that I finally entered the mindscape, and learned that the clones had finally been released into the world and that the abomination was dead." He spat, his fists were clenched so tight that the slightest hints of blood were appearing.
"I'm sorry, young man. All Might explained to me what Jango meant to your family. He truly died a hero."
Izuku merely bowed his head, unwilling to look away from the ground.
"Now, I'm afraid that I must ask you about some of the actions that your clones took."
"What?"
"We have, reports of three deaths. The first obvious one was that creature, we managed to get what remained of its body, its head was decimated, however. No trace was left."
Midoriya was silent.
"Good."
"Geh, young Midoriya!"
"You weren't there! You didn't hear as that bastard gloated of the different quirks that abomination held. Super-strengths, speed, high-speed regeneration, shock absorption, it was made to kill you, All Might!" Izuku snarled and All Might blinked in shock before nodding slowly, gulping slightly.
"We know that Aizawa testified the same, and also vouched for the necessity. Even I would…but that's not the problem here, that was far too rapid a response, but we'll have to focus on that later." All Might said before motioning Tsukauchi to continue.
He nodded, although he was also shocked at the hatred he could hear in the young man's voice.
"Two other villains were also killed, the first was from a sniper round by one of your rifles. The second was absolutely riddled with holes."
Izuku grimaced, now it really was different, the Nomu he could understand, but two random villains? Why? Did his brothers take preemptive vengeance?
"Many others suffered critical injuries and are only now pulling through."
Izuku's expression darkened even more as the detective continued, he knew what this meant. Had studied extensively the laws behind vigilantism and killing on the job.
This could burn his career down before it even started.
"Fortunately, however, we have evidence and testimonials from multiple students that had they not been stopped, serious injury, if not death would have occurred."
"What?" Izuku asked.
"One of the villains is-was a known sex offender and had threatened two of your classmates while holding one hostage, even causing her moderate electrical burns. He had been in the process of charging up a devastating electric discharge before the shot killed him. Had it not it may have killed the three of them."
Izuku stared as Tsukauchi continued.
"The second was another known villain with multiple kills under his belt, who'd been hunting one of your classmates. He'd even been offered the chance for surrender but instead went for a killing blow."
…
"Then, why-"
"Because regardless of the justification, they are still your clones, young man. They're still your responsibility. Besides, you're a kid, you shouldn't have had to take lives in the first place." Tsukauchi reminded him, in truth the detective was sorrowed by the entire situation at hand.
None of the students should have been faced with what they did.
Least of all the boy in front of him.
"Who took the shots?"
"One of the clones was named Fordo, and the other gave me a number...CT-411."
Izuku gasped at the revelation.
"You know them." A statement more than a question.
"Fordo was the second clone I ever summoned. 411, If that's his number, then he's one of the few survivors of the First Generation."
"I'm sorry?"
"What do you know about my quirk, sir?"
"I know that you make clones, and that you have armaments and armor, and that the…strength aspect of your quirk, comes from the clones still inside you. Principal Nezu has already put in the paperwork to name it, Legion, as originally desired."
Izuku smirked and gave a small snort before the expression fell.
"What do you know of my clones?"
"Just what All Might told me, that they're their own person but still come from you, and that they call you their older brother."
"That is true, but there is more…my clones aren't just copies or even creations. They are people, and they live lives, shackled to mine. They have their own identities. No two clones are the same. So when one…dies…" Izuku began but he cut himself off as he started to shake. His mother had already dissolved into tears as their worst fears came true.
"They're lost forever, aren't they?"
Izuku shakily nodded his head and started to breathe rapidly, trembling and shivering as he started to lose control of his body.
"Do you know? What it's like, to feel something missing, and only that it is because it was always filled?" He whispered and Naomasa froze at the question.
"Because I do…they're gone, detective. All of them, all of my brothers. Gone. They can never come back. I could summon…create, a thousand more clones. And it won't change the fact that they're gone." Izuku rasped out as he bowed his head.
Tears gathered but refused to fall from his face.
"He's gone."
Naomasa gulped.
"Thank you for your time, Midoriya-san. This will…help in the investigation. I'm sorry for your loss."
Naomasa nodded to All Might who was gently hugging both Midoriyas although the younger simply sat there, unresponsive. Turning, he then nodded to Nezu and Recovery Girl who nodded back and made his way out the door.
"Detective."
He paused and turned back.
"Kurogiri, Warp Gate-like quirk. He's mostly made out of black mist, but he has a solid body under there, with a metal collar that's susceptible to physical attacks. The…ringleader, Shigaraki Tomura, I heard that much. Wears black, light blue hair. Has dismembered hands all over his body."
The detective quickly wrote down the information and looked to thank the boy.
He gulped at the sheer amount of hatred in his eyes.
"T-thank you, have a-thank you." Making his way out, he set out to make some calls.
'Oh Toshi, you've certainly picked an interesting kid to mentor.'
Back with the mourning family, Nezu approached them somberly and asked to speak with them about something important.
"It brings me great shame to ask this but-"
"You need me to dispel the bodies," Izuku whispered out.
"Yes," Nezu admitted with a bowed head "…but first, I'd like to, in the name of UA, offer out services to host a memorial in memory of the fallen clones, and a funeral service for Jango."
Both gasped at the offer, and Izuku grit his teeth as a new feeling arose in him.
Gratitude.
"You-, I-, thank you, principal Nezu, you- you are one of the few people to ever recognize the Vod'e. Thank you."
Inko nodded her gratitude as well and thanked the principal.
Izuku let go of his mother and rose, motioning for Nezu to lead. His fur stiffened and Recovery Girl immediately protested, saying that he needed a lot more rest and healing.
Izuku merely walked out the door and found himself next to the teachers who'd been outside the door. Almost all of them looked away in shame.
Only Midnight and Present Mic looked at him, without their usual antics, they looked quite…human.
"It's fine…it needs to be done."
They both looked at him with regret, but as Izuku turned away and followed Nezu, Recovery Girl, All Might, and Inko trailing behind him.
"Hizashi…"
"I know, Nemuri, I know."
If Shota was here, the comparison would be uncanny, to say the least.
Present Day
It started softly, from the clones next to him, but soon enough, all of them joined.
A song taught to them by Jango, to unify them and serve as a warning to others.
Kote...
Kandosii sa ka'rota, Vode An
Ochako stood close by with her friends, soft tears trailing down her cheeks from the death of one of her close friends. But more importantly, she was worried for Izuku.
Ever since he had woken up from that weird bacta tank thing, he'd stayed quiet.
Oh so very quiet.
His eyes remained dead, having lost that spark that made him, him.
Tenya stood next to her, his thoughts in turmoil, truth be told, he didn't know what to think. He couldn't imagine the pain that Izuku was going through after practically losing his brother.
He could only wonder as to what thoughts rested in his mind.
And Tenya pondered, what would he have done? Had it been Tensei?
Behind them stood their families, showing silent support, Tensei himself kept a firm grip on Tenya's shoulder, having lost many friends in the line of duty.
Ochako's parents also held onto their baby girl, Nezu himself having provided transportation for them to come and show their support.
They'd only heard about Jango and Izuku from Ochako, and while they thought it a bit odd, mourning a clone, knowing that they treated each other as family helped them understand a bit better.
Mustufasu a'den mhi, Vode An
Yuga stared quietly, haunted by everything that had happened, he stared at Fordo who stood as one of the pallbearers along with some of the other newly-designated clone commanders.
And wasn't that a shock to find out?
He…hadn't had an opportunity to talk with Fordo about what had happened at the USJ.
His regrets, his inaction, his weakness.
How he knew that Fordo had dealt a killing blow.
He sorely wished to help him.
His parents had been unable to attend, but he stood next to the clones that had helped him and marveled at the song they were singing.
But what could he do?
Bal kote...darasuum kote
Kyoka and Momo stood together, each holding onto each other, they had been traumatized by the USJ and had found comfort in each other, next to them were some of the clones that had rescued them, the girls having taken the opportunity to get to know them better.
Their parents had gotten to know each other a little better as well, all of them had been worried when they received the call, and when the girls had decided to show their support for Izuku, Jango, and the rest of the clones, they had to stand with them.
Shoji stood off to the side, showing his support, his mother was next to him, even though he towered over her, she brought him much comfort.
He had revealed to her and her alone that he had heard Jango's last moments before he was crushed.
She had held him and talked him through his feelings and asked if he wished to continue being a hero.
He nodded and replied.
"Jango's last actions, I...I can't let them go in vain. I want to be a hero, I want to be one."
His mother merely smiled and held him through the nightmares.
Koji was comforted by his animals, who seemed to resonate with the song being sung, each one gave their own sad tune as if Nature itself was mourning the loss of life.
The rest of the students stood by, all of them showing their support in one way or another. Many of them did not shed tears, having not known Jango that well, but still decided to show solidarity for Izuku's family.
Except for two.
Jorso'ran...kando a tome…
Todoroki had stayed home, and while he told himself that it was because he didn't see the point in having a funeral for a clone, the truth lingered in the back of his mind.
He tried the best he could to push down the guilt, the fear, the anger.
His ice had done nothing.
And when he closed his eyes, he could see that beast, shrugging off glaciers like they were snowballs, debris crashing around him.
Crushing…around him.
So yes, Todoroki told himself that the reason he didn't attend the funeral was that he found it odd to have one for a clone in the first place.
And refused to think of the ones he-it killed.
And while the boy didn't understand how a clone could be considered family.
He imagined that either way it was still important to them.
Bakugo simply stayed home, sure his parents had gone to support Auntie Inko, but it didn't make sense.
It was just a clone!
Some pitiful attempt from Deku at having friends. Sure it lasted longer, and it definitely had the balls to stand up to him.
But why mourn something that you could just make again?
Why mourn a quirk?
He angrily shoved down what seemed like the smallest hints of regret deep within him.
It was just a clone.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad,
The teachers all stood together, Aizawa was heavily bandaged, but it could have been worse, Thirteen was in a wheelchair. They had all decided unanimously to support their student.
All of them had been shocked and even traumatized by the sheer amount of death that they had witnessed, it had been hard, but they couldn't let the clones gather their brothers alone. Each teacher had worked alongside the clones, piling the bodies together, forced to look at the face of one of their students repeatedly.
The clones told them to focus on the ones with helmets still on.
Some of the teachers were ashamed to say that they had accepted the escape.
Cementoss had then created a large cube, one that contained all of their bodies, and had worked diligently to wipe away the remnants left behind.
When Izuku had woken up, to their shame they had asked if he could do something about the bodies.
It was fortunate, that they found out he could dispel them.
Nothing, however, could dispel the look in his eyes, as he stared blankly at them as they disappeared into the air.
How dead inside he looked once he saw Jango's body.
Aizawa himself mourned deeply for the boy, which was odd considering how little he knew him, but he couldn't help but feel shaken, at the young life that had been cut short.
Aizawa may have known him for a short time, but he knew that Jango was more than just a clone.
He had been Izuku's brother.
And he knew all too well the pain of losing a brother.
'Oboro…'
He felt Hizashi's hand on his shoulder squeeze just a bit tighter, and Nemuri on his arm. Both of them assured themselves that their friend was still here.
Aizawa was known as cruel, mercilessly expelling his students, and while yes, they would come back…everything was for a purpose.
They needed to realize that this job, this lifestyle was no joke.
People have, and will die.
Civilians, friends, family…anything was possible.
But he admitted to himself that he had hoped to keep this lesson from them for just a little longer.
Aizawa closed his eyes and bowed his head.
For another hero who died too soon.
Vode an
Izuku stood silently, his arm being held by his mother, and All Might behind them, they stared as Jango's body was set down on the pyre, and a clone next to him held a stick that would be used to light it in flames.
"Young Midoriya, would you like to say any words?" He heard Nezu ask.
Izuku paused before nodding and walking towards the altar.
"Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la, in the words of Mando'a, of the Vod'e, we mean to say, 'Not gone, merely marching far away.' Jango was my brother, the oldest of the clones. But he, nor any of the clones that died, were just clones." He grabbed the stick from the clone next to him and lit it on fire before burying it deep in the altar.
"They all died as heroes."
The words tasted like ash in his mouth. And Izuku merely stared into the flames as they consumed Jango.
Truthfully this was all symbolic, and completely unnecessary, but Izuku and Nezu had wanted to do something.
The Vod'e had taken to calling it the kote kyr'am.
The 'glory death'.
As the fire consumed Jango's body, Izuku released the grip he had on it, just like the thousand brothers from before.
It started slowly, but as the fire burned, Jango's body started to turn to embers and float away.
He could hear his brothers sing again.
Bal~
Motir~ ca'tra nau tracinya~
Gra'tua~ cuun hett su~ dralshy'a~
cuun hett su…
"Our vengeance burns brighter still…" Izuku whispered as the last embers of Jango disappeared into the wind.
Izuku stared at the embers floating in the sky and glared.
'One day, I will find you.'
"Shigaraki Tomura."
"I want to show you something, young Midoriya," Nezu said, Izuku raised his brow and followed along with his mother and All Might, leaving the rest of the guests at the…reception.
They walked towards the main entrance of the school, and Izuku marveled at what appeared to be a memorial.
"We…wished to do something to honor their sacrifices. Take a look."
Getting closer, Izuku saw that the memorial was a pedestal with two helmets, one was Jango's, restored to its former glory, and the other was from one of the regular troopers that died.
"On Wednesday, April 13th, 2XXX, villains attacked UA in an attempt to snuff out the futures of Class 1-A alongside Pro Heroes Eraserhead, and Thirteen. It is only thanks to the sacrifices made by Midoriya Jango, student and brother, and 1,137 clone troopers of the Vod'e who willingly gave their lives, that the rest of the class was saved.
They honor this institution with their sacrifice, and will always be remembered.
Let it be known that they were never just clones. They were Heroes."
Izuku stared at the plaque in silence, from behind the others could see him trembling, he sniffed and wiped his arm over his face.
Turning to face Nezu, he nodded.
"Thank you."
Nezu smiled sadly.
Izuku's eyes were dead.
They had been given a few days off before the funeral, and a few more to cope with their near-death experiences. All of the students had been placed with mandatory sessions with Hound Dog, most of the students had positive results.
Except for three.
Aizawa walked into a classroom that was quieter than he was used to.
He expected it, really.
"Alright, I'm sorry to bring this up on you all, I know that it's only been two weeks since the USJ, and less since the…kote kyr'am."
"The what?" Kaminari asked, slightly confused.
"The clones have asked that we refer to Jango's…funeral as the kote kyr'am, it's a culture thing. If you can't pronounce it, then it is still appropriate to say funeral, I know that this may seem odd, but they sacrificed a lot for us. It's the least we can do."
Izuku could feel the various gazes peering at him, but paid them no mind, simply staring forward.
"Anyway, I'm sorry to say this, but the fight's not over yet."
At that the students started to slightly panic, many asking if it was villains again.
The sudden flash shocked everybody, but it wasn't from Aizawa's eyes, rather it was the lightning that sparked from Izuku.
As it was, it did have the intended effect of silencing the class.
Aizawa simply shrugged it off.
"It's not villains again, is it Sensei…it's the Sports Festival," Izuku muttered.
Silence filled the room.
"Yes."
At that, the students started to argue.
"Wait, after what just happened? We're still going through with that!"
"What if we get attacked again?"
"I…I don't think this is a good idea."
Aizawa raised his hand, and the class settled down.
'Huh, looks like I really don't have to use my normal trick.' Not that he wanted to anyway, might not be helpful at this point of their recovery.
"We understand your concerns. In truth, we didn't want to do the Sports Festival anyway, but UA needs to show the world that this attack will not stop us and that we are stronger for it."
His students looked at him grimly, Momo in particular glared at her desk, realizing that this was all business and politics.
"That being said, security will be 10 times as great this year. Pro Heroes will be patrolling the area, and I'm sure you've all noticed the clones still around the school. They've volunteered themselves as even more manpower and security during the Festival."
And wasn't that an interesting conversation?
A Few Days Ago
The teachers had been having a…very spirited meeting about what to do for the Sports Festival, Nezu had made it clear that because of the HPSC, they could not afford to cancel or even postpone it, or they may use the attack as an excuse to gain a stronger foothold.
The idea of having Pros come by to help with security had merit, but also increased the risk of crime rising in their usual patrol areas. While they could bring in heroes, they could not bring in enough to safely ensure the well-being of the Festival patrons.
Then somebody knocked on their door.
All of them paused and turned as one to the door, Nezu himself was confused but had an inkling as to who was behind the door.
"Enter."
Recognizing one of Izuku's clones, he saluted and stood at attention.
"Good afternoon, sirs, ma'ams."
"How can we help you? Mr?"
"CT-2224, sir."
"Ah…do you by chance have a name?"
The clone stood still before nodding, "I've taken a liking to Cody…"
"A transliteration of kote, meaning glory."
The clone's head jerked minutely, not expecting the reasoning to be discovered so soon.
"Yes sir, how did?"
"I've studied Mando'a a great deal during my free time, why, it's currently in the process of becoming an official language."
The clone was slightly shocked but snorted in amusement. Jango was right about Nezu.
"How can we help you, Cody?"
"Sir, I'm currently the commanding officer of the Vod'e, right after Izuku. At the moment, we can't return to the mindscape and we want to be useful. We don't want any more surprises, and so on behalf of the Vod'e, we're offering our services as security forces for the school. We've studied military tactics and security measures. And all of us, want to make sure that the students are safe. That none of them go through what we just did."
The room was silent, many of the teachers looked at each other warily, some even in shock.
Nezu merely grinned.
"Well then, I see no issue with that at all, is there anything that your men need?"
"Principal Nezu, you can't be serious, they're just-"
"Just what?" Nezu interrupted, he had an idea as to what Ectoplasm would say, but it could be 50-50.
"They're just kids…Nezu, we just watched over a thousand of them turn to dust. They just watched a thousand of their brothers turn to dust. Are we really going to have them serve as a security force?"
Ectoplasm had long since had a conversation with Jango and Izuku over the topic of their quirks, he had been absolutely fascinated by the clones being sentient beings instead of mere copies like his own quirk.
He wondered if that whole doomsday theory had some credit to it.
He also wondered exactly what Nezu expected him to say.
"All due respect sir, we know we're young. But we've also been made to fight. And right now, we're rearing for a fight. This is our home now, and we'll be damned if we let another sorry villain set one foot on these grounds."
The teachers looked at each other again and nodded, inspired by the clone's words.
One, however.
"Oh, such passion! It's so invigorating, kya!" Midnight squealed.
Cody sweatdropped.
Ignoring Midnight's…antics, Nezu continued.
"Are there any special accommodations you need, Cody?"
"Just enough food to eat and a place to sleep."
The clones hadn't revealed it yet, but they had taken to sleeping in little encampments near the USJ.
It was macabre, to say the least.
Nezu's eyes gleamed.
"Oh, I believe we can come to an arrangement." The teachers shivered at the principal's tone but were long since used to it.
"Now as to the matter of payment."
"Wait, what?"
That time it was Cody who asked in shock.
But that was an entirely different conversation.
Present Day
"As it is, you'll be seeing the clones often, regardless of any personal feelings on the matter. Treat them with respect and in the case of an emergency, listen to their orders. Principal Nezu has been drilling into them proper protocols and responses. They'll be standing guard around the gates, and patrolling the grounds and campus."
"W-wait!" Momo interjected. "What about Japan's gun laws? Won't that interfere with their weaponry?"
"Good question, fortunately, it's kinda mute, although we at UA recognize the Vod'e as sentient beings, not just clones (a scoff from the side), the world still recognizes them as a part of a quirk, so gun laws, and for that matter, a lot of laws fall into a sort of a grey area."
"Even vigilantism?"
"Mm, think grey leaning black."
Earlier, they'd had an entire conversation with Midoriya and Cody, Marshal Commander Cody apparently as Jango had established an entire hierarchy.
He did plan for everything.
Sometimes he shuddered to think about that force being on the side of villainy.
Organization, unity, and numbers.
Of all the villain organizations he'd seen throughout the years, very few had two of the three, none had all.
As it was, they had discussed some very important topics with the newly established clone leadership some of the leaders had died against the Nomu.
Together with the clone commanders and captains, they had set up rules and regulations for action against any threats.
Primarily was the fact that the clones couldn't actively be hunting down villains, which made sense because, A, Izuku still didn't even have a license, and B, they were guarding the school anyway.
Nezu had, however, stipulated that should an attack happen again, they were authorized to use force short of deadly, and that only by his, or another teacher's authorization would deadly force be authorized.
The clones had readily agreed, some of them even asking for counseling from Hound Dog.
They knew that they had made the right decision, didn't mean that it didn't haunt them a little.
Fordo had taken a liking to Hound Dog, while the silent, and newly named Ponds, had found a camaraderie with Aizawa, the latter having spoken about some of the harsh decisions he'd been forced to make throughout his career.
Ponds had also taken a liking to the juice packs, Hizashi and Nemuri nearly had heart attacks at seeing Shota share them so freely.
All Aizawa could think was about how difficult it really was to see the clones as just clones.
He at first thought, that Jango was an outlet for Izuku. The latter being more reserved and the former an expression of his more unrestrained emotions. He'd seen it before and thought that a similar situation had arisen.
Talking with Ponds, however, alongside a few other clones, had changed his mind.
Shota Aizawa sighed tiredly, not because of his usual lack of sleep, but from the deep tiredness that seeped into his bones. Of seeing atrocities and horrors, of friends and families that were taken away.
Of seeing bright stars being snuffed out.
"Unfortunately, you'll only have a week to prepare instead of two, we wanted to postpone it, at least by another week to help you train, but it's impossible."
"Sir…if, our participation, isn't it supposed to affect our internships?" Asui asked as the class continued to listen.
"Yes, but we'll discuss more about that later…look, I know you've all just gone through something traumatic, lives were on the line, and a lot of people died," Aizawa noticed Izuku perk up at Aizawa's choice of wording, good. "But in the end, what matters is all of you moving forward, not putting this behind you, but learning from it."
He stared out to the window, eyes lost in memory. It was odd for the class to see.
"The Sports Festival is your chance to show off to the world, in Japan, it's even overcome the Olympics of old as the most-watched event in the country."
"Villains already know who you are. Now it's up to you to show the rest."
Aizawa wasn't one for speeches, but he could tell that his words were affecting them as they all began to perk up and looked back at him determined.
Hopefully, they would keep it.
"I have to take care of some things, take the rest of the class as a study hall, then go to lunch."
As the students began to excitedly chatter, something that was sorely missing from the classroom for a few days now, about the Sports Festival, Ochako turned to look at Izuku.
He simply sat there, elbows on his desk with his hands as fists, his chin lightly resting on them.
She felt as if she wanted to say something, needed, to say something.
'Who helps the heroes, when they need saving?'
But she could not do it. Not right now at least.
The study hall continued, and the students discussed all sorts of strategies and training plans to prepare until the bell rang. As they tried and leave for lunch, however-
"Uh, who are all of you guys?"
Kurogiri absentmindedly wiped down another glass as Shigaraki raged, he made a mental note of replacing the tv with the long list of things that needed to be replaced as it disintegrated from the outburst.
"-ALL OF IT FOR NOTHING! JUST SOME CLONES!" Shigaraki finished as he panted, the one eye that could be seen was bloodshot and wide, completely consumed with rage.
"Perhaps not for nothing, Tomura." A voice said, its origin coming from the tv in the corner of the room that said 'Audio Only'.
"Sensei…" Shigaraki muttered as he stared at the tv.
"The news report said something quite interesting, all you need to do is take a closer look. Focus, on the smaller details. For example, the clone was named, and UA even held a funeral in his honor alongside a memorial. What could that mean? Think about it in those video game analogies you prefer to use."
Shigaraki finally calmed down and forced himself to think.
"The clone was special then, wasn't just a mob or an NPC. I remember the guy that I thought was his twin. The pain he felt, the rage and hatred he directed at me…it wasn't fake."
"Yes, good. You're learning from past experiences, taking clues." The voice purred, and Shigraki smiled at the approval.
"That means that the clone was real, at least to them, somebody important enough to have a name. A backstory, no, the backstory to the miniboss." Shigaraki muttered as he remembered the sheer amount of clones that came from what he presumed was the original source student.
"A miniboss with mobs at his beck and call, that can use super strength as his specialty. A hero that cares about his minions, thinks them important. Somebody that can be broken."
He smirked.
"Somebody that has been broken." He chuckled as he remembered the hatred in those eyes.
Kurogiri had already gained the reports from the police station, the Nomu had been absolutely devastated, only its swiss cheese-like body remained, no trace of its head.
Alongside two other bodies.
Somebody who had killed.
"I wonder, Midoriya Jango," He said as he finally remembered the name, "who exactly is your creator?"
"There we go, Shigaraki Tomura, now you're asking the right questions, gathering evidence, and making conclusions. Very important."
Shigaraki preened.
"Now…you said something about super strength?"
"Yeah, the brat had a punch that rivaled All Might's he even dented Kurogiri's collar."
The bartender's eyes narrowed as he absentmindedly rubbed his chest, a new collar already in use.
"Interesting…"
"Sensei?"
"Nothing to concern yourself with now, Tomura. Now then, what will you do next?"
"The villains that we recruited were absolutely useless, sniped down like cannon fodder, we need heavy hitters. Actual players."
"Good, soon one of my contacts will be in touch with you, he will provide you with what you need."
"Thank you, Sensei. I live to make you proud."
"And you have, Shigaraki Tomura."'
The connection cut off and All For One rested back on his chair slightly, his head lightly resting on his fist as he palmed a queen chess piece in his hand.
"It seems that our successors have met then, All Might. Blood has been spilled on the battlefield, and pieces have been removed off the board." He motioned to a black and white pawn on the side of the board.
"It seems that the game has begun already."
He set the queen down on the board again, back in its right spot.
He smiled grandly.
"How exciting."
AND THAT IS IT FOR TODAY! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE!
Please review and give me your thoughts, see a mistake? Let me know and I'll fix it. This was already a pain to make and it sucked.
Anyway, Mando'a
From the last chapter Wayii - is basically a curse or exclamation of shock.
Vode An - A Mandalorian war song that if you want to know more or less how the clones were singing it, imagine Samuel Kim's (on Youtube) Vode An remixes but slower with a mournful tune. I made a slight change though.
Glory!
One indomitable heart, Brothers all.
We, the wrath of Mustufasu, Brothers all.
And glory, eternal glory.
We shall bear its weight together.
Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers all.
The second part is also a part of the official Vode An lyrics but was sung to the tune Mandalorian Funeral Chant by vhetin1138 on Youtube, the song is also fanonly called Aay'Han, which in Mandalorian culture, describes the bittersweet feeling of being among those alive while remembering the dead.
And...
Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.
Our vengeance burns brighter still.
Kote ky'ram: glory death! Literally translated to that but a part of Mandalorian culture due to my research. Similar to Jedi funeral pyres, although with a lot more drinking and fighting.
And some clone names Whoo!
Again, please tell me your thoughts and thank you, until next time!