Author's Note: Last year I wrote a birthday fic for Fumikage, but Dark Shadow was All for One's son instead. This year I gave Fumikage a proper gift. Somehow I don't think he'll thank me.
Fumikage grew up in a beautiful nest. Polished wooden sticks formed the base, padded with scraps of the softest silk and topped by wool blankets. A gleaming glass dome let in the sun overhead. But the one-way glass let nothing out, no sight of the outside. The walls were overgrown with hanging plants and potted trees. If he stepped out of his nest, he reached a beautiful fountain just shallow enough for a five-year-old to play in. A statue of a Demon King on a throne had water pouring from his scepter. Children's toys covered the floor, overflowing from the shelves. The television on the wall would turn on, but only for a few hours a day, because Dad said too much screentime was bad for little eyes. Although Fumikage was often alone, he never lacked for entertainment. Dad visited him at least once a day to handfeed him dinner and read him bedtime stories. On weekends, Dad stayed longer, often working on his computer next to his napping son.
Even so, although he had plenty of ways to fend off bored, he did get lonely. For months, he'd begged his father for a friend, after learning about the Power of Friendship on TV. Dad only grumbled about needing to reduce his access to the corruption of shounen anime.
The massive greenhouse had a single door mostly blended into the glass. When the door opened, Fumikage's head shot up. Tripping over his feet in his eagerness for human interaction, he cried, "Dad!"
"My baby bird." Dad picked Fumikage up and swung him around.
Something unthinkable happened. A stranger entered the room after Dad, a portly bald man wearing a lab coat. He had googles pushed up on his forehead and an unpleasant smile. He looked at Fumikage as if longing to dissect him. The little boy climbed up his father's shoulders and hid behind his back.
Dad chuckled. "Forgive my son, he's shy. Fumikage, this is Dr. Garaki."
"It's an honor to meet the master's son." Dr. Garaki lowered his eyes, and Fumikage felt relieved to no longer have that skin-crawling gaze on him. He buried his beak into his father's white hair.
Dad addressed the doctor: "Are you certain he's quirkless?"
"Any ability should have shown up by now. He's five years old. I believe he's a mutant, but he has no powers." Dr. Garaki's eyes sought out Fumikage. "Since he's only a second generation from the dawn of the age of quirks, the toe joint test doesn't apply. Early metahumans like yourself had two joints in the pinky toe. He could have inherited that from you. I cannot be completely certain. However, if he has an ability then surely it would be too minor to interfere with the new one."
None of this made the tiniest bit of sense to Fumikage. But he felt his father's anger, a cold force filling the air. Dad growled, "I'm not paying you to be less than completely certain. My son's health is at stake. What if he has my little brother's power? Then I can't take back anything I give to him. It would be too dangerous."
Fumikage chirped, nervous at being the subject of this tense conversation. His father's hand stroked his back. He did not feel entirely reassured.
Dr. Garaki bowed his head. "Apologies, master. I would not lie to you. It's difficult to be completely certain about anything, given the strange nature of quirks. However, could you not test it by taking your son's quirk?"
"Hmph." Dad said. Even at his young age, Fumikage knew that meant someone else had made a good point but Dad didn't want to acknowledge it. Dad also made the same sound whenever he lost games.
Dad placed a hand on Fumikage's head. "My baby bird, I'm going to try and take something from you. Don't resist. That's an order."
Usually, Dad was gentle and soothing and indulgent. But when he gave orders, Fumikage knew to obey. Dad could be scary sometimes. He was scary today. Fumikage nodded.
"Good baby." Dad dug his fingers into feathers, and took.
Fumikage felt a tug, lodged somewhere deep inside. Crackling tendrils of energy had latched into an inner part of himself. To his own shock, he found he did not want to give it up. So what if he'd never used it, never even noticed it? It was his.
For the first time in his entire life, Fumikage defied his father. He refused to give up the part of himself. To his own surprise, the grasping touch withdrew.
Dad said, "He has no quirk. Let's make the transfer." He set Fumikage on the ground.
Fumikage squawked and clung to his father's leg. Had he tricked Dad? He felt a thrill of excitement and fear. He'd never dared such a horrible crime before. His father had been and remained the unquestioned deity of his small world. He just hadn't wanted to lose part of himself.
Dad chuckled. "There's no need to be afraid. I'm giving you a gift. A friend who will always love and protect you."
"A friend?" Fumikage's eyes widened. Finally! He'd get friends just like the main characters in anime.
Dr. Garaki pulled out a tube. Dad put his hand on top. Darkness flowed from the tube, running up his arm and wrapping around his body. Addressing his son, he said, "This is an artificially created sapient quirk. I've experimented taking similar ones from people, but they are too volatile. An artificial quirk will be loyal to only me from the beginning. I have implanted orders to ensure it protects you."
Fumikage nodded, having understood maybe half of that. When his father touched his head again, he flinched, bracing himself for another theft attempt.
Instead, this time the force pushing into him gave instead of took. A wave of energy swamped Fumikage. Gasping, he fell backward.
A gust of air shot from Dad's body, catching Fumikage before he hit the ground and cradling him. Dad had many powers, he could do anything. He was the only person in existence with multiple quirks, according to himself. Dad always knew best and would do what was best for his son (also according to himself.)
Fumkage's shadow warped and twisted, forming into a bird shape. "Hello, Fumikage. I'm your quirk. From now on, I will love and protect you."
"You know my name?" Fumikage asked, gazing into the dark depths of those eyes. He thought he saw kindness in there.
The quirk nodded. "I'm a part of you now. I was created to keep you safe from all harm. Please, give me a name."
With all the creativity of a five-year-old, Fumikage said, "Your name is Dark Shadow."
Dad said, "From now on, quirk, you will be Fumikage's friend. Every good boy needs an older brother as a protector. You will defend him with your very existence, protecting him from all harm and keeping him safely in the nest."
Dark Shadow bowed. "As you command, master."
Even at his young age, Fumikage noticed how Dark Shadow addressed his father as Master, not Dad.
Over the years, Dark Shadow continued to call Dad as Master. Dad didn't pay much attention to Dark Shadow either, doting on only Fumikage whenever he appeared.
But when Fumikage and Dark Shadow were alone, Dark Shadow was his big brother. They played games together, drew pictures, and even put on their own sock puppet play to an audience of stuffed animals.
By the time Fumikage was twelve years old, he'd come to resent his glass house—his prison. From his television shows, he knew there was more to the outside world. He started taking apart his toys, looking for something sharp to cut glass. But Dark Shadow always caught him and dragged him back to the nest. Dark Shadow was stronger, easily able to wrap Fumikage up in blankets and hold him down.
When Dad next came to visit, Dark Shadow tattled.
Dad's fury was a sight to behold. For a moment, Fumikage even thought his father would hit him. Instead, his dad destroyed his television and stripped his room of toys.
Standing over his cowering son, Dad growled, "Repeat after me: you will never try to leave the nest again."
Fumikage sniffled. He felt like a coward, but what else could he do? His father controlled his entire world. "I'll never try to leave the nest again."
Dad pulled Fumikage into a hug. "There there, my baby bird. I forgive you."
I'm not a baby, Fumikage thought bitterly. Over his father's shoulder, he glared at Dark Shadow, the traitor. Dark Shadow hung his head and looked away.
Late at night, Fumikage was no longer furious at Dark Shadow. He was only confused and sad. For the past couple hours, his shadow had lain dormant. He called, "Dark Shadow, come out."
Dark Shadow slid up, barely visible in the darkness.
Fumikage asked, "Why did you betray me?"
Dark Shadow said, "I was created by All for One. He is my god. I must obey his commands."
"But you're part of me," Fumikage said. "Can't you feel how suffocated I am, in this tiny cage? I want to fly across the sky like the birds in books and TV."
Dark Shadow said, "You're safe inside the nest." But he no longer sounded certain.
"Am I safe from Dad?" Fumikage asked. Dark Shadow had no answer.
After a week of boredom, Fumikage finally lowered himself to beg his father to return his toys and television.
"I'll give you one toy back for a hug," Dad said.
Fumikage's feathers stood up, but he didn't really have a choice. He let his father wrap him in a suffocating embrace.
"Stop." Dark Shadow popped out of Fumikage's body. "He doesn't like it."
"Did you just defy me?" Dad growled. "That should be impossible." He shook his head. "You're a defective product. I can't allow this. You could become a danger. Hold still, Fumikage. I'll get you a new friend afterward."
"No!" Fumikage wailed, terrified of losing his other half. But his father wrapped glowing chains around him, holding him still and helpless. Then that deadly hand descended to grip his head.
When the taking came again, Fumikage fought back, for the sake of his brother. This time, it hurt like electricity running through his veins. Though he screamed and screamed, he held on. Even if Dark Shadow had betrayed Fumikage, Fumikage would never stop loving his brother.
Dad gazed down at him in shock. "You…have your uncle's quirk?"
Then Dark Shadow rose up like an angry tornado, a million times stronger than ever before. Both brothers' rage and need combined together into one force, a darkness that filled the entire dome. The chains broke. The glass cracked. Fumikage shot out into the sky, flying free.
OMAKE TIME!
All for One: My son has a bird mutation, this is a disaster.
Dr. Garaki: Since when have you been prejudiced about quirks? You steal them all equally.
All for One: That's not the reason. I'm sensing a metaphor about chicks leaving the nest. I can almost hear my brother laughing at me. This one is going to need to be vaulted from birth.
#
Yoichi: Hooray! My adorable, perfect nephew just set a record for youngest escape from the vault.
Second: How many relatives did All for One vault? Wasn't it just the two of you? So he's also second from the bottom.
Yoichi: Stop raining on my parade and help me contact All Might in a dream. We need him to pick up my nephew.
Second: All for One will be furious if his son gets adopted by All Might. I'm on it.
#
All for One: Who could have possibly foreseen that doing the exact same thing to my son as I did to my brother would have the same result?
Dr. Garaki: No one, master, every scientist knows you need a sample size larger than one. What are your feelings on more children? Can I have one to dissect—uh, look after?
#
Hawks: My father was a villain.
Fumikage: Me, too.
Hawks: I'm sure he couldn't possibly have been as evil as mine. (Otherwise the HPSC would have snatched you up.)
Fumikage: I'm going to need to hear more about what the HPSC did to you before I answer that question.
Hawks: Just their usual child soldier treatment. I didn't smile even once during my childhood.
Fumikage: Stop, your tragic backstory is triggering my vaulting instinct. (I can't believe I have one of those, how embarrassing.) Stand still, I need to get All Might to hear this. If you try to run away, I can't be held responsible if I stick you in a bank vault.
Author's Note: I'm delighted to announce my fanfic writing/art contest Three Weeks of Trioholders has begun. Delete the spaces to get the link to my tumblr post:
tumblr.
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aimportantdragoncollector/732575500565970944/on-the-stroke-of-midnight-i-officially-open-three
