While the sun was not due to rise for another half-hour, Snipe was still up early in the morning.
His morning routine was always the same. He brewed his cup of coffee after he did his morning stretches and settled onto his balcony. He would strum his guitar quietly as he would watch the sunrise greet him. He put away his quiet hobby when all was said and done and slipped down to the common space.
When he got there, he expected to see Midoriya and Yaoyorozu waiting to begin the daily overview. As Class President, Yaoyorozu had the entire class's daily schedule, including possible exams, lunchtime changes (if any), hero training time slots, exam results (if any), and many other important notices. With Midoriya as her VP, they managed to keep their class schedules clear and clean for everyone to use.
When Snipe entered the room, neither of the two young heroes-in-training were there. Instead, there was Deku in his hero outfit standing in front of the Tv. His silhouette cast an imposing shadow on the front entrance. His arms were crossed, and his attention was focused on the images. The Western Pro was about to ask him what was going on when he called out. "Sorry, Snipe, I know it's early..." he said.
Snipe jolted as he met the elder Midoriya's glance. He muttered a curse as he shook his head. "You scared me..." He said.
Deku smiled. "Sorry about that. I wanted to speak to you in person, but I also needed to see this. Plus, you strumming your guitar is a symphony that shouldn't be interrupted," he said.
"Y-You heard me? I try to stay as quiet as I can."
Deku gestured to his ear. "Enhanced Sense from the sixth wielder of One for All. Any of the five senses are heightened at the expense of the other four," he quickly explained. "With the core unlocked, I learned to strengthen two senses while sacrificing only three."
Beneath his mask, Snipe's eyes widened. Damn...
Deku turned to the pro hero. "Anyway, there's something you need to see. I've already asked Principal Nezu and All Might to join us, so we'll be heading over..."
"Over to where? Also, it's a school day. I need to get my students rea-"
"Yaoyorozu and my younger self will take care of things. You and I both know that Creati is a great leader," Deku said.
Snipe had to agree. Besides the fact that everyone listened more to simple instructions, the class's overall test scores improved from the prior year. There wasn't even a need to hang a summer school threat over their heads. Mr. Aizawa grumbled when he learned about their test scores, though he smiled as well. He was proud of his former students.
Snipe nodded, prompting Deku to shut off the TV. The Symbol of Peace pulled out a note explaining their absence and set it on the dining room table. They left the building soon afterward.
When they arrived at their destination, All Might was waiting for them in the parking lot, sitting in his old truck. Principal Nezu sat at the edge of the bed with his feet dangling and swinging, much like how a little kid would. With the car parked and the heroes out, the four of them entered the building.
The city's morgue was a relatively small building, gated with two entrances and an ambulance port on the side. Several police cars were parked around the area, with some of them chatting with costumed heroes. The building was a simple three-floor facility with an above-floor lobby. Two lamp-posts were situated at the front on opposite ends of a set of double doors.
When they walked in, Tsukauchi and another detective were talking to a uniformed police officer. As soon as the officer saw the former Symbol of Peace, he saluted the two detectives and left to continue his work. This prompted the two to turn to the heroes that walked in.
"All Might? What are you doing here?" Tsukauchi wondered.
The former pro shrugged. "I was just told to come here with Principal Nezu," he said.
Nezu nodded. "Deku? What's going on?"
The detective looked at Deku with wide eyes. "W-Wait...how?"
Deku smiled. "Time travel. Accidental, of course," he said.
The other detective looked at him with a raised brow. "You've got to be joking. There isn't a single registered Time Travel-esque Quirk..."
Tsukauchi shook his head. "No...I know Deku. I've met the young Izuku Midoriya sometime ago..."
"So you know that I'm telling the truth," Deku said. "I've never lied to you, sir. I don't plan on starting here and now."
"Regardless...I have to ask why you're all here. This case has nothing to do with U.A.," Tsukauchi said.
"It doesn't...because it has to do with me," Deku said.
The two detectives felt their eyes widen. "The Discord Organization is a dangerous villain group, and this right here is their new boss' work," he explained. "I remember the report of this day, and when I saw the news, well..."
"Hold on a second..." the other detective interrupted. "You knew this happened before the news reported it?"
"Well, I remember seeing the news report 12 years ago. I also know the two victims' identities as the former crime boss: Mr. Livingston and the hero Bonzai," he said. "Two names that the news hasn't released yet."
All Might turned to the older hero. "W-Wait a minute..."
Deku nodded and gestured down the hall behind the two detectives. "Let's go take a look then. I want you guys to see what I've been up against," he said. He walked past the two detectives and down the hall to the room. All Might turned to Snipe and shrugged before they all followed him.
When they entered the room, two doctors were inside and talking as they cleaned up some tools. They entered with the two detectives behind them, and once the doors closed, the two doctors turned to them. "Detectives...and heroes?" One of them wondered.
"All Might? What are you guys doing here?" The other wondered.
Tsukauchi waved them off. "We came to check on the bodies. I need to show them some things and explain what we're dealing with," he lied.
The two doctors nodded. "The two that just came in?"
They nodded. The doctors walked over to where the two were lying in wait. When they revealed the bodies, they all sighed as they saw Bonzai. "We'll give you a few moments," one of the doctors said. They then left the room, leaving the heroes alone.
Once they were alone, Deku approached Banzai. "There is an unfortunate custom when it comes to the Discord Organization: if someone wishes to usurp the boss, they would have to provide the challenge by bringing a hero. The hero must've been defeated in battle and unconscious upon delivery. The challenger and the boss then engage in a 1-on-1 battle with only one's fisticuffs," he explained.
Principal Nezu raised a brow. "A simple and barbaric custom," he noted.
"Oh. It was straight to the point, proving to the boss that the challenge was legitimate. If a regular grunt simply walked up to the boss and challenged him, the challenge would be viewed as a joke," Deku explained. "The winner of this duel would become the new boss, and the life of the other would be in their hands."
Snipe turned to him. Deku reached over with gloved hands and raised Bonzai's neck. "See the markings? He was killed while still unconscious. Evidence of intense injuries throughout the body suggests Bonzai was seriously beaten before his death," he explained. "Cause of death was asphyxiation followed by a broken neck. He also suffered a serious fracture in his lower back, paralyzing him as he died. You can see imprints of large fingers wrapped around his throat, and his charts confirm the injuries."
All Might leaned in. "The same for Mr. Livingston, including evidence of serious beatings. However, there is something different between the two," he said. "Check his chart."
Principal Nezu checked Bonzai's chart. As Snipe checked Mr. Livingston's, All Might turned to his successor. "Deku, what's going on here?" He wondered.
Deku sighed and walked over to a table. On it was a small plastic bag with a single pin inside. "The villain that I'm after is the leader of the Discord Organization. This pin is the mark of the boss of the gang," he said.
The former Symbol of Peace looked at it. It was a Chaos Star with a broken crown on top of it. "The boss obviously lost the fight, and as the rules dictate, the winner must break the crown of the former boss' pin to symbolize a fall from grace. Mr. Livingston lost the match, and since his life then belonged to the new boss, he was immediately disposed of."
Principal Nezu's eyes widened. "Principal Nezu, did you find anything on Mr. Livingston?" Deku wondered.
The strange animal principal/hero nodded. "Mr. Livingston registered as having a lion-type Quirk about 45 years ago. He's been the leader of the Discord Organization for probably half that time, but..."
Deku sighed as he removed his gloves. "He's Quirkless in death," he said.
All Might turned to the former boss. "This is why I brought you guys in. This is the work of the Chaos King, the villain I've been chasing for a while now. He followed me through time, apparently," Deku said.
The former Symbol of Peace felt his eyes widen in fear. "I-Is he-?"
"He doesn't have All for One. The Quirk died about ten years ago, my time," he said. "However, technology can pick up what evolution and nature dropped. Stealing Quirks has become a science that the Chaos King perfected in recent years. In fact, Quirks have become one of his most successful ventures of illicit business, right there with Trigger and other Quirk-boosting drugs."
Principal Nezu nodded. "I was asked some time ago what I feared the most in this world. The human drive to conquer nature is at the top, and if what you're saying is true, then the Chaos King made that a reality," he explained.
"Stealing and selling Quirks...damn," Snipe mumbled.
"All for One did that on a smaller scale back during the height of his power. Though he usually just granted powers to whoever he saw fit, willing or unwillingly," All Might said.
Deku nodded. "The Quirk trade is all the rage back in my time. Millions of US dollars are made through Quirks alone and span ten countries. Some people buy several Quirks and arm their own smaller gangs with the very best," he explained. "Some create Enforcers with multiple Quirks to keep heroes at bay."
All Might shook his head. "What the hell happened in the future to make the Chaos King do this?"
Deku turned away from his master. "Nothing good. The point between eras of power is great enough for dark forces to grow. The Chaos King sat by and watched the world changed and made his moves across the board," he said. He turned to the heroes with a fire in his eyes. "But that's why I'll be the one to put him in his place. He has hurt and killed too many people!"
All Might eye the two bodies in the room. It reminded me of All for One when I started...
Tsukauchi clenched his fists. "What can we do?" He wondered.
Deku shrugged. "In the next few years, the scales of balance will tip, allowing a window for the Chaos King to assume control. By now, he has a prototype of the technology capable of stealing Quirks; however, his current location is unknown. He seemingly appeared out of nowhere one day, and we haven't found anything useful," he said. "But...he won't be a serious problem for a while."
"Do you mean the future Chaos King or the present?"
"The present. My Chaos King will try to expedite the Organization's rise to power. Trust me; you don't want to deal with the Paranormal Liberation Front and the Discord Organization. Their powers combined will destroy hero society and breed anarchy," Deku said. "But I will focus on stopping the Chaos King before he messes with history."
All Might and Principal Nezu exchanged looks as Deku approached the two bodies and bowed to each of them. The heroes beside him followed the show of respect as the Symbol of Peace replaced the sheets. The doctors came back in once they were done and bid their farewells.
When they returned to the car, Snipe sighed and removed his gas mask. "Midoriya...where is the bastard?"
Deku shrugged. "Anywhere in the area. He knows of my powers and has taken the appropriate countermeasures against them. Right now, the Discord Organization is just a small group of guns-for-hire for other villain groups. With the Chaos King in power, he'll focus on recruitment and striking against the general public. Heroes in the surrounding cities should be on alert," he said.
Snipe nodded and took out his phone. "I can imagine that Shigaraki hired them to try to steal our hard drive," he said.
Deku nodded. "It's likely..." He backed out of the parking spot and drove them both back toward the school.
When they returned and entered the main campus, the young Midoriya watched his older self get out of the car. He stood by along with Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and Iida as they watched him. "Wonder where they've been," Uraraka mentioned.
"The note he left earlier didn't explain much if anything. Just that they had to check up on some things," Yaoyorozu said. "Of course, leaving with All Might and Principal Nezu must mean that it was imperative."
"It was probably something to do with Deku. I mean, he looks like he has his hands full here," Iida said. "What kind of hero work would he need to do here?"
Midoriya shrugged. "Interestingly, he's taking this kind of mindset, really," he muttered.
"Oh?"
The young inheritor nodded. "He seems to be so focused on something...I wonder what."
At that point, Mina Ashido walked by with two other girls from a different class. She stopped in front of the group and tapped them on the shoulders, telling them that she'd catch up to them in a moment. "Maybe he can fix the fridge in the common space. There's a giant dent in the side of it, and he was the last one to leave yesterday," she said.
Yaoyorozu nodded. "Interesting that he did that..."
Midoriya nodded. "C'mon Deku, let's go grab a bite already. I think the line is getting smaller!" Uraraka exclaimed.
Mina smiled. "It is, so hurry up and grab some food!" She exclaimed as she ran off again.
Iida smiled. "She's right. Let's go eat," he said.
Yaoyorozu smiled and turned, only to meet a pair of older emerald eyes. "D-Deku?!"
The others turned to her. The Symbol of Peace was standing right behind her with a slight smile on his face. "Hey, you guys, what's up?"
Midoriya blinked at his older self. I won't get used to seeing an older me anytime soon, he thought to himself.
Iida smiled. "We were just going to get some lunch," he said. "Would you like to join us?"
Deku smiled and shook his head. "I kinda don't have an appetite right now. I think I'll eat later, though," he said.
"Is everything okay?" Uraraka wondered.
Deku nodded. "Just some hero work I had to do real quick," he said. He reached over and patted his younger self on the head. "Go on and eat, guys. I'll see you all later."
The group nodded almost in unison and said their goodbyes. Once they left for Lunch Rush's cafeteria, the Symbol of Peace turned to look out the window. His smile was replaced with a deep frown as he reached into his pocket to pull out a pin. The pin was a Chaos Star with an intact crown on the top.
As he stared at the pin, he remembered the day he took it from the crime boss. The battle they had on the tallest skyscraper in the middle of an island filled to the brim with villains. While he tore the jacket and took the pin, he almost lost his Quirk in the process.
Deku crushed the pin in his bare hands. He didn't feel the object's sharp point as he turned it into a bunch of little pieces. He sighed as he walked opposite in the opposite direction from his younger self. I need to find the Chaos King, but at this point, he must've gone underground to avoid my Hearing. If he is recruiting, he'll have some of his goons topside looking into society's darkest corners. I should focus on finding them...
Deku pocketed the crushed pin as he continued to walk. He activated his Quirk and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
I'm all caught up here. I'm currently working on the next chapter, and with school starting next week for me, I imagine my schedule will change, and updating may take longer. Your feedback is very much appreciated!
The Chaos King was inspired by Tombstone from Spider-Man (Mainly the PS4 version) and Kingpin.
-Newage