Now, let me answer some questions:
+aisouno50283, yeah I kind of overshot myself last chapter. It was a mistake on my part regarding Karna's feelings (and another one of my readers brought this issue up with me, so I tried to rectify it to the best of my ability in this one!
+Guest, Karna doesn't conceal his face, and with videos + pictures and social media, I'm pretty sure people would spot him. Plus, his face is pretty recognizable: pale skin, red eyeliner, right? And for the boy comment, it felt to me that All Might would call everyone boy, which was a mistake. He is a man.
+Midnight, Me too! Endeavor is one of the characters I'm really looking forward to write, so stay tuned for his appearance!
+Spartenpride, Apocrypha is pretty cool, ngl. You should at least watch Karna vs. Sieg, it's epic!
+Viki5goku, sorry to hear that man. Sometimes this sight bugs out :(
+Googoogaga, yes! Karna is underutilized (and so are the Indian servants), so I hope to do him justice!
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"One should practice what one considers one's duty, guided by reasons instead of blindly following the practices of the world."
–The Mahabharata
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When Karna wakes up and finds his eyes looking at alabaster white walls, he finally comes to grips with where he is now. Some small, insignificant, part of him had expected to be whisked back to the Throne of Heroes, awaiting whatever new duty he had been assigned by the will of Mankind. He closed his eyes slowly, and inhaled.
Pushing his body up, his feet meet the wooden floor as he exhales quietly. It's quiet— something he's never been quite used to. All his life there's been sounds, from the neighing of cattle and horses to his mother's quiet hum as she washed their clothes.
Even in the din of the Kurekshetra, there had never been silence. Perhaps, Karna muses, that would have all it taken for the tragedy to have been averted, if Duryodhana would have been able to remain silent.
But he had never been quiet with his ambition, and neither was his uncle— not even Krishna, Supreme Lord of the Universe, had been to convince the man to abandon his path! He moves to stand, stretching his muscles into the air and blinking tiredly.
Japan is… odd. He doesn't hate it, but he isn't overly fond of it either. He had preferred Trifas, in a sense. There was a spirit there that seemed lost in this world, a quiet stillness— almost as if everything had come to a stop.
Yes, that was it.
Karna realized that he simply wasn't used to this. How could he be, when his entire life had been a rollercoaster of emotions, a never–stopping battle? His hands aren't made to scoop out ice–cream or other sugary treats, they're fit for battle. It's the same restlessness in his bones that forces him out of his apartment and into the streets, but even then he feels claustrophobic in the crammed city roads.
His shift doesn't start till later in the afternoon, so he's free right now.
Free to do what?
That's the question: what will he do? For Karna, the hero who devoted his life to becoming a warrior, a purpose no longer exists. To him, a soldier without a lord, he is as lost as a ship without a rudder.
The sudden metaphor (how fitting, his mind supplies) causes him to stop where he is— a small park in Mustafu, where he can see a large amount of children playing together. A small smile forms on his lips as watches them. The innocence in the scene dazzles him, from the gentle laughs and loud cheers.
Until one of them notices him, eyes wide and excited. The boy runs up to him, and comes to a stop right in front of Karna.
"Fubuki-san! Fubuki-san!" he exclaims, and Karna recognizes him.
"Ritsu?" he asks, blinking owlishly. After a second, he adds, "It is good to see you."
It was odd to run into the child he had only met yesterday, but Karna knew more than ever that interactions like these were special. Perhaps the gods had glimpsed his uncertainty and guided Ritsu to him.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have to save people?" Ritsu exclaimed, the black–haired jumping up and down.
A wry smile formed on Karna's lips. He could tell that Ritsu meant no harm by such a question, but was merely young.
"Such curiosity is admirable," the Hero of Charity replied, "but just like you, I am also a person. While I have pledged my sword to the people, I have also pledged it to myself."
"Oh…" Ritsu scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, his cheeks turning red. "...I didn't know…"
"Now you do," Karna finished, "But it is a valuable lesson, is it not?" While we all should work for the betterment of our compatriots, it is essential to not lose sight of ourselves—" Karna remembered Krishna's words to Arjuna, and how it would be if they were switched. He knew what Arjuna would do.
"Our self, our feelings, they are meaningless in this grand world. All that matters is our Dharma; for even in death we will be granted peace for our karma. O' child! Surrender yourself to the mercy of our lord—"
Well. Arjuna probably wouldn't say all of that, but Karna thinks he knows his younger brother pretty well. Maybe. The man had been quite filled with rage the last time they had met.
"-But I can tell you're a little young." Karna finished, feeling quite proud of himself. "When you're older, you can worry about these things."
Ritsu meanwhile, was quite flabbergasted. "Old man, you talk so weirdly…"
"Talk oddly?" Karna asked. This wasn't something he understood— his Japanese was gifted to him by the Grail, or whatever force had brought him here. Now, he did talk a little formally, but he was a hero! "In what manner, child?"
"You stretch out all the words and use fancy words too!" Ritsu complained, "And you put 'em all around weirdly, all fancy like."
"Now, you just used 'fancy' twice." Karna chided, "One of the most essential blessings to us is speech, and would you not wish to make a good impression? Currently, you sound like a mere toddler, not like a young boy. Try expanding your vocabulary, so you may better use the language gifted to you."
The boy looked up at him with lost eyes, to which Karna could only sigh. "Nevermind." He paused for a second, trying to find the right words. "Try improving your language, so it is more varied."
Ritsu nodded slowly, his black hair— which looked more like brown in the sun— flopping about. "I will, Fubuki-san!"
He isn't sure what else to say. Usually, when interacting with his own son, he had been distant for the most part. His duties as King of Anga, and eventually as Duryodhana's right hand had pulled him from the joy of fatherhood.
Regardless, it wasn't as he had completely ignored his sons. He had taught them to the best of his ability, but that didn't stop them from dying alongside their father in the Kurukshetra. Perhaps now, he did have a wish. To see them once more, and apologize for dragging them into a battle that was never theirs.
(Deep down, Karna knows what they will say. That they were proud to fight alongside their father.)
(But he can still regret his pride.)
He recalled Arjuna's rage over Abhimanyu, and how the man had slaughtered Karna's own children in retribution.
(Nothing good comes out of war. Brother kills brother. War only begets more more, hatred creates only more hate.)
He returns to attention after he feels something tugging his sleeve, and his blue eyes meet Ritsu's own charcoal orbs.
"Can I introduce you to my friends?" Ritsu asked hurriedly, and Karna could not find the strength within him to refuse.
"Lead the way," he answers.
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"The ignorant work for their own profit, Arjuna; the wise work for the welfare of the world without thought for themselves."
–Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita
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Izuku wasn't someone who gave up easily. But as he stared at the flickering screen of his computer, a wave of shock rushed through him. He, as he usually did, had been flicking through the various hero forums, until he saw the video at the thought.
The title? Flame Hero: Karna talks about his life.
Izuku's hands were shaking as he reached for his mouse, bringing his cursor right above the post. Did he want to…? Was he crossing a boundary? Looking around his room, at all the pictures of All Might looking down on him, he felt a sudden anger.
He clicked play.
"A never ending stream of young children, all dreaming to be a hero. Similarly, an endless horde of dreamers who are denied, labeled as villains for their quirk or for other misconceptions—- where do they go?"
The young Midoriya felt a pit in his stomach when he heard those words.
When I learned, I was mocked for my pale appearance. The other boys would laugh at me, insulting my father and myself. They saw no potential in I, the son of a poor worker."
Izuku's eyes widened at this new information. Karna had been bullied and mocked as a child, like him?
What was he saying… he didn't want to wish such a nightmare on anyone else, even if it only raised his goodwill for the flame hero. Absent-mindedly, Izuku scrolled down into the comment section.
▶TheM9ght
God damn, this guy has only been around for a week and he's already laying burns. And Karna? His whole backstory matches up with his hero name, which is hella weird.
▶Famboy19
+TheM9ght yeah it's hella odd. Just searched up Karna and the two's stories match up, plus this guy got a fire quirk. Not to mention his weird ass armor.
▶Te1p
Honestly, I think it's just a bizarre coincidence. Plus, in another video his name is literally Enji Fubuki.
▶MupPe3Endvor
God, not another Hero Killer fanboy. Can't these losers ever learn?
▶Famboy19
Stfu +MupPe3Endvor. I don't see what's wrong with pointing out your views. At least he's being honest.
A lot of the comments were like that, and Izuku himself smiled reading them. They were filled with praise for Karna, but levied criticism of the man for his ideology. It wasn't something Izuku was expecting, to be honest.
He had already been swept up in the Flame Hero's storm— why wouldn't he be, when it was Karna who told him he could be a hero? Ah— that was a reminder. Looking at the room all around him, Izuku frowned.
It was all All Might. Not that he disliked the hero, Izuku still looked up in awe to the Number One, but Karna was his Number One now. But as he looked back to his calendar, the pit of despair returned to his stomach.
How was he going to get into U.A.?
He wasn't the most physically inclined, and he didn't have the skills to make support gear. He did do Quirk Analysis, but that was just amateur level.
Courage is not having the strength to push onwards, but to continue pushing when you have no strength.
What was he thinking? Izuku snapped out of his funk— there had to be some way to use his ungodly skills at forum loitering and hacking (some hero statistics were hard to come by, hey!). He couldn't rely on Karna, or any other hero, for that matter, to save him.
If he wanted to be a hero, he had to do it his way. He had only around a year to train for the entrance exams, or get a recommendation. Yeah. As if he could get a recommendation from a professional Hero.
Then there was only one answer: train. Burn his body down and build it back up. He wouldn't be a useless Deku anymore.
After all…
If Karna had seen the potential of a hero in him…
He couldn't let him down.
Pulling open a new notebook, Izuku grabbed a pen and started writing. As he wrote, a plan had started to form in his head— a way for him to be a hero.
Quirk Analysis…
Information Gathering…
Planning…
Using all of these, I'll…!
And he knew where to begin. The video in front of his eyes played, and one word burned into his mind.
Quirkless.
The lowest of society. Those nobody would miss. And if his treatment was anything to go by, neither would the police. Of course, he knew what he was doing was risky. He didn't even know if there was any crime currently targeting Quirkless people. But in the back of his mind, he could almost hear a voice whispering to him, promising success. It just felt right.
If Izuku Midoriya couldn't be a hero the regular way, he'd make his own.
That was the man he was.
A hero.
Someone who saved others.
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"It is the desire to live eternally. Every day, we encounter people dying but we always think that death will never come to us."
–Yudhisthira, to a Raksha
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Yagi Toshinori's hands rested on the wooden doorknob, shaking slightly. He could feel the momentary turmoil within his heart; where All Might was filled with youth and energy, Yagi was quiet and reserved.
He wasn't sure why he was here, but a gut feeling. Seeing the young hero's debut had reminded Yagi about many things, things he'd rather forgotten decades ago— but now was neither the time or place to think about the past.
It was the time for the future.
He pushed open the door, stepping into the ice-cream parlor, a chime announcing his arrival. Not as bombastic as his usual entrances, though.
Of all places, Yagi didn't expect a hero to even work here— why would they, when money was far easier to get on patrol? Of course, the thought bought a queasy feeling to his stomach: he hadn't become a hero for money.
And standing behind the counter, speaking to a child, was his target. Well, target was a bit harsh. A young man with scraggly white hair and harsh white eyes met his curious gaze, almost challenging him.
Yagi stepped forward, quietly waiting in line. However, he could still listen to the conversation in front of him.
"Come on, Enji-san!" For a second, the breath was almost knocked out of his lungs. Why did the two have the same name, and same quirk? Well, he wasn't sure about the Quirk, but they were pretty similar.
He wasn't sure about the illegitimate son theory, though. The ages didn't match up, not in the slightest. Maybe it was a coincidence? Or a clone? God, he had been reading too much manga recently.
"Young man, I told you already, I'm busy right now," the white–haired man answered, "But if you wish, I can play with you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow…?" the boy, Ritsu, asked, voice hopeful, before adding, "Really? Aren't you a hero?"
There was a twinkle in Karna's eye when he responded, "Am I not helping you?"
"Ulp—" The boy gulped, before nodding furiously.
Karna raised a finger into the air. "Do not try pushing your luck, child. Sometimes be satisfied with what you achieve— if not: then dare to do more!"
"Like you!" Ritsu cried out, pumping a fist into the air.
He paused then, before quickly replying. On the outside, his posture was the same: calm and unfazed, but Yagi was sure he could see a small moment of surprise in Karna's eyes. As the blonde approached the counter, he could see the boy move to the side and study him.
A quiet smile formed on the injured hero's face, as he raised a hand in greeting. The boy nodded, before turning to leave, shouting out, "Bye!" as he rushed out the door.
"Is there something I can do for you?" All Might's eyes flicked back to the reason for his coming here. His lips were dry, oddly enough.
Looking at Karna, it was like looking at the sun. Oh, it was hard to see, but there was something inhuman in the other man's facial features, beyond just the pale skin or white hair. There was a light in his eyes, but it was shrouded, as if washed over too many times.
It took him a hot second to realize where he had seen those eyes before.
"Vanilla," he said, scratching his neck, "One scoop, small."
"Of course," Karna responded, before asking, "Any toppings?"
The Flame Hero's hands were worn, and although they were long All Might could see they were anything but delicate.
He had come here looking for the future, but all he could see was the present.
"So, how long have you been working here?" Yagi asking, feigning interest.
"A week," was the clipped response.
"And you're a Hero," Yagi observed.
Karna's hand paused right over the styrofoam cup, before he dropped the white treat into it. Meeting Yagi's gaze, he replied.
"And I thought the novelty would have worn out already."
"I'm afraid that when it comes to heroes, people are rarely rational." The words came out with a chuckle, although there was barely any humor in the sentiment.
His answer was his order. "500 yen."
Handing over the banknotes, Yagi took a look around the rest of the parlor. It was mostly empty, on account of the school day. Kids would come later in the afternoon.
"I was hoping to see Megumi-san."
It was a lie. All Might had done his research on the parlor, and it was registered to one Megumi Sae— a college student who was currently studying for her law degree. The actual shop was a family business, although the young girl's parents had tragically passed away in a villain attack.
A part of Yagi felt sorrow at the child's fate, but the other was tired of it. He supposed that after so many years of fighting, one naturally became apathetic to the tragedy of hero work.
Karna raised a single eyebrow. "She is not here. If you want to see her, come on weekends or in the evening." Somehow, even in the ridiculous apron and hat, the white–haired man managed to look intimidating.
It was clear this was getting him nowhere. So he played his next card— heroes didn't just come from nowhere, and Karna– Enji Fubuki– was suspicious. He wasn't a debut hero, not like All Might had initially assumed.
No rookie would ever have eyes like that.
He couldn't use One for All either, and Karna looked like the type of man who could be diplomatic. So it would be a battle between Enji Todoraki, ice-cream vendor, and Yagi Toshinori, All Might's secretary.
Even now, those words bounced in his head.
"A hero saw the boy's courage, and was so moved by it that he passed his own power to the boy."
It couldn't be— Yagi prayed with all his heart— One for All. But why did the descriptions sound so familiar? Courage, it matched his meeting with Nana, but then who was Enji Fubuki? A part of him suspected All for One, but he had disregarded that theory the moment he entered— the villain was far too prideful to have a pawn of his work in an ice–cream parlor or even be called a Hero.
And at the same time, looking at Enji Fubuki, All Might could see no deceit. The man didn't smile, or emote in the slightest to give no hint to lying, and in his gut All Might could see himself trusting the man.
He furiously rushed through the theories— bastard son, vigilante, or…?
No.
It wouldn't be. It
couldn't be. He had only read about it in manga or watched it on TV, but with quirks, everything was possible.
The names, everything…
But what if it was?
He cleared his throat, doing his best to put on his most fatherly smile. "Ah, I can't eat. A health problem. It's for my nephew."
"I see." Karna nodded, and the silence resumed.
Both are stiff…
But the real question is:
is he a father?
Now, All Might knew he was grasping at straws. But it seemed to be the only thing that made any sense!
Enji Fubuki was… Enji Todoraki's alternate counterpart from another dimension. He was stranded here, and had turned to vigilantism as a way to cope!
Yagi was pretty proud of himself. Somehow, Fubuki must have figured out the secret of One for All, or maybe the All Might of that world had told him?
Gods, that made him think. If Enji was like this, then what about himself?
Was he some quiet, taciturn man?
God, imagine the All for One of that world— probably some kind of lunatic who thinks he's saving mankind or something!
(Somewhere, in the vast reaches of the Throne of Heroes, a grey-haired knight smiled at the mention of his name, while a Japanese priest blessed with miracles cringed.
He wasn't a lunatic!)
He shuddered at the thought, only realizing the silence that engulfed the room. Was he really that awkward?
Thankfully, Enji didn't seem to mind. Gosh— he was already referring to him as 'Enji' when he hadn't even proved his theory. Well, better now than never.
"Fubuki-san," Yagi said, looking at the ice-cream vendor, "Would you happen to be from another dimension?"
Notes:
Abhimanyu is Arjuna's eldest son, ultimately killed by the Kauravas ganging up on him when he was without a weapon and his chariot was stuck in the earth (ironically, the very same fate that befalls Karna). Karna participates in this killing, and Arjuna swears to kill all of Karna's eight sons in return. Yes, eight.
The ninth, Vrishateku, lives because he is too young to fight in the Kurekshetra (and is the only son of Karna to live through the dammed thing) and is asked for forgiveness by Arjuna after the Pandava learns the truth of Kunti's deceit. After this, he is given the Kingdom of Anga (the kingdom Duryodhana bestowed on Karna) and goes on to become a great warrior.
I think it's a sobering thing to realize how petty war is, and that's Karna's perspective as well. The whole Kurekshetra let to nothing but worthless death, and family killing family.
And for the end, I thought it was funny for All Might to use his Anime! logic to come to the conclusion that Karna is an alternate dimension of Endeavor! These two will be interacting a lot, and I hope the subtext I placed was enough to help you guys understand why All Might dismissed his idea of Karna being a spy.
And Izuku starts planning his own way to be a hero, TRAIN! And use his own skills, of course, to find a way into U.A.!
Also, could you tell me if wrote All Might correctly? Not sure if I got his character right, but he is kind of hard to get down.
Thanks for reading!