Chapter three:

The child lives despite not wanting to for why should they cherish a life that can disappear in moments as they can be thrust into another world at any time

They grow resentful

Each day as death refuses them as life takes them and they are welcomed to world after world after world they have lived as nobles, beggars, commoners criminals now, now they wish only for the cycle to stop

And so every world they thrust their weapon into every being and every time despite their efforts they grow attached and they find that two have followed them through every lifetime through every hardship

They find a reason to live their reason live they shall always be there for those who are with them

Doku watches as his older brother gets beaten up, but that isn't his brother because Doku is an only child. So he turns to Itsuki and says, "My siblings mean everything to me, Deku is not my relative."

Doku had known since he had been young that he was different, not special because of some silly quirk, but because he knew things others didn't. He knew of another world, no – two worlds. It was vague, so very vague, but he knew, and he took full advantage of it.

His brother, Izuku, or Deku, he supposed was awfully boring. He already knew his brother's character, and Neutral Good characters were always boring. There were so many of them, so many who would save others for what reason? Their hero complex? Then again, this world is centered around Heroes and their hero complexes.

Though the name is supposed to be degrading towards his brother, it only serves to anger Doku. Deku, the boy, was called Deku, puppet, fool. It was stupid to get angered over such a small, insignificant detail such as the similar sounds of the two names, so he adopted his own little nickname. He doesn't care that it's feminine because it's his, Akumu or Nightmare. He likes it. The other children call him a freak but are too scared to say it to his face. He still hears the whispers. He finds it... cute in a weird, twisted way that apparently only he sees. Doku doesn't mind, though. After all, they are all just NPCs in his campaign. Except no, he is in the process of creating his backstory at the moment, deciding his stats and skills, as well as his class. His race had been chosen already.

He will embrace his other self, if only for the knowledge that comes with it. He will make sure that everything goes just as he wants it to, and so he bothers his mother's friend's second son. The boy was plain-looking but also adorable. There was something that just pulled him into the boy's gaze.

He smiled as brightly as he could and did everything to make the other boy, Itsuki, happy. He loved how Itsuki wouldn't put his guard down. It was fun to poke and prod and see how far he'd get before the boy became truly mad. The glare the boy gave him sent a chill down his spine, and he couldn't be happier. That day, the infamous glare was finally established. Doku couldn't help but make fun of it.

His friend would begrudgingly allow it, and Doku grinned. "Baby steps," he'd tell himself. The next step was naturally to get the boy used to physical contact, but with him especially. "All in due time." Itsuki glanced at him questioningly. He smiled back before falling into the grassy hills. "I heard your quirk came in!" Itsuki nodded, and Doku couldn't help but make grabby hands at the other boy.

The boy rolled his eyes and lay down before turning his hand palm side up. "It's got multiple layers, but right now I've got a vision-like ability and regeneration." Doku frowned at that. "Do you?" He asked almost menacingly.

It's clear that Itsuki noticed, but he didn't comment. "Mm." Doku put a smile back on his face, but it was as menacing as his voice had sounded. Chills ran down Itsuki's spine, but he hid it as best as he could. "And how did you figure out the regeneration part?" The brunet opened his mouth before closing it and opening it again. "I cut my arm, and things just happened, you?" he shrugged.

Itsuki tried to redirect, though it was hopelessly obvious. Doku sighed then complied with his friends wishes. "My quirk is a sort of energy manipulation thing, but it's not really energy. It's more like life-force, something along those lines." Doku's serious tone had not disappeared, and Itsuki started to get worried about him before remembering that he himself is the reason his friend is like that.

Doku reached out a hand and clamped it tightly on Itsuki's shoulder, the one he wasn't laying on, and tugged harshly. The brunet turned and looked with his eternally tired brown eyes, with way too deep eyebags for his age, especially since they aren't supposed to have eyebags. "How about we just put a rain check on this conversation?" The brunet nodded, and they both went their separate ways. Going home was an interesting ordeal. He knew that his father was mistreating his older brother. The only reason the guy isn't in America or something is because of Doku, and Doku knows that. He also knows that his father would've preferred someone with a pyrokinesis quirk or something like that, but it's fine.

He hopes they don't try for another one, with how old his mother is getting. He is afraid she might not make it. He doesn't care, he never has, but living on the streets or alone with their father would be annoying at best.

Perhaps he could convince their friends and family to take them in? Unless, of course, they weren't financially stable. Doku is certain he could get adopted easily with how strong his quirk could theoretically be. His other self, on the other hand... Doku may not remember everything, but he believes that his past self was well acquainted with the law and government. He doesn't know why, but he doesn't really want to become a part of the government. As Ken Poirot said, "Wherever there is power, greed, and money, there is corruption." The government is filled with power. There is also some distinctly 'boring' feeling whenever he thinks about it. He also doesn't trust the HPSC; there's something 'off' about them that he doesn't trust, and he is pretty good at following his gut. He doesn't even know what led him to the HPSC in the first place. I mean, how does searching quirk laws come to—oh wait, no, he understands the connection. Honestly, sometimes it's almost like his consciousness is trying to catch up to his subconscious, which could be true. Not too sure though.

Doku falls onto his bed, the raven completely ready to just pass out already, but he can't. His mind is working a mile a minute, or is trying to at least, so he needs to just— he tries to block out all thoughts as the raven begins to type on his computer. It's not something a four-year-old like he should have, but he does, and he uses it for everything to write his own thoughts. It's just faster this way, and plus, once he is done, he can transcribe it in a notebook. He'll have to see if there is any other note app they could get him because the one he is currently using is a bit annoying. He can't even change the font or size. With a pout, he starts searching for different ones. His mind itches, wanting to find out more about the pre-quirk era. He doesn't understand his own fascination with that era in particular, but he likes to pretend his past self was from that era, except he knows he isn't. Yet he is, something similar maybe? He'll just have to wait and one day remember. But until then, he was just a normal kid with a bit of an obsession over the pre-quirk era.

Obsession, the state of being obsessed with someone or something. He had believed he was being a bit obsessive about his friend, but that should've been obvious; that was his friend, after all. Why wouldn't he want to keep them with him? The raven was quick to try to self-diagnose himself by searching the internet, trying to see why he was so occupied by his friend when everything else when every other feeling was so... brief, fleeting may be a better term for it

Doku looked through everything that he could find on the subject of his current mental state, but it was hard to find much that was right with his exact state.

For example, antisocial personality disorder, also known as sociopathy, is a mental health condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others.

Through further research, he's also found that Sociopaths do feel things, but only in their own manipulative, unemotional way. The rest could probably just rot in the fields of punishment for all they care.

That's also another thing he's noticed - lots of his time has been spent on the Greek side of things, specifically Ancient Greek. So much so, one would believe that he was obsessed with it, which he kind of was; I mean, he felt it, he knew that that was another part of his past life and he wouldn't give it up until he finds out why that is.

It'll take a while, but he'll make sure to find it if only there was more information. Most of what he can find comes from way back. After quirks started appearing sobsuddenly, all research was put on hold to find out what quirks were, how they appeared, and everything. It was annoying to him who wanted more information about the ancient Greek traditions and other stuff.

By no means does that have to be forgotten in favor of quirks, though. They are probably admittedly more important back then. Doesn't mean he has to like it, though.

Why couldn't they just start continuing to focus on figuring out the past? Or space! The only things that have progressed are support gear for heroes. Nothing for the average person.

It's a bit weird to think that once upon a time the ravage person was a quirkless one when now quirkless is synonymous with useless or dumb or any derogative you can use. It's stupid and he doesn't say that just because his brother is in the minority here.

He says that because several quirks are more a hindrance than an advantage at least he knows how things work around here unlike his stupid brother.

He kind of wishes his brother would see things more reasonably. His dreams are foolish and likely also horrendously dangerous. There's a reason that people with weak quirks don't become heroes or make it particularly far in their career.

Sure, when you line it up with the current population then it may be inconsequential, but line it up with the prequirk Era population and increase the amount to line up with the current population and you can see a big difference there.

Honestly, why would anyone trust them to do anything? You'd think with all the hero gear we have something would be made for the bystanders at this point.

He'd thought about it for a long time now and maybe he could try changing things. It's not like it would be impossible; he'd just have to go for rather... violent and dangerous measures. It sounds... exciting, riveting even, knowing that your life hangs in your own hands and those of others.

He quietly mutters to himself, it's been way too long since he started training anyway. He walks past the kitchen without a care and leaves through the back door. It's not like Mother or Father would notice; Father is too busy glaring at his older brother and Mother is too busy fussing over him.

He's always making his mom cry and his friends mad at him, and he can't even lay low because he keeps getting beaten up for trying to protect others.

Then Mother would stare at Doku with a wistful look in her eyes and tiredly tell him to help his younger, quirkless, weaker brother out; you don't ask a four-year-old to go up against multiple six-year-olds, and especially not their queen bee…it's like a disaster waiting to happen.

Disaster meaning the four-year-old getting wailed on.

Katsuki six so still less than stellar in consciousness and not too great at discerning good from bad but one thing is for certain, Itsuki's big brother is due for an ass whipping and he has the perfect excuse.

But first, he needs to train on his stamina and flexibility before he can somehow convince his parents that he wants to take martial arts classes and become a martial arts master. He isn't quite sure what he should say, but he knows he has to be really interested in the subject first.

Or at least look so interested even his friend couldn't spot it, or he could do some research and maybe actually become interested? Maybe he wouldn't get his hopes up though; it's not like him to be interested after a few minutes no matter the subject.

He's heard names of martial arts before, but many of them didn't make much sense, and he isn't quite sold on the idea of using weapons it sounds like cheating and you don't cheat on a good campaign. Either way, it's still the same job, but he needs to be better prepared against a bigger opponent and one who's older as well as slightly more experienced. From what he overheard from his stalk– er, accidental eavesdropper, it's more about street brawling than anything else. A weird part of him is telling him that Itsuki is more important than he thought.

It's also the part of him that wants to kidnap the number 2 heroes youngest son so it's probably invalid anyway so prepare for a martial artist with two years more experience and a lot more passion.

Well, this'll at least be with very dangerous or –very interesting– fun.