AU NOTES

Thankfully I posted the last chapter and cleared away my head, so now I have a blank slate with some fresh inspiration to work with. IRL troubles aside (you haven't searched here to hear me rant about my life after all), there is now plenty of work to be done in the story with regards to the future of our vampire overlord and the consequences of everyone's actions in the last few chapters.

For those still in doubt; Izuku did indeed lose [True Ancestor], but as a unique quirk (as many of you could image) it refused to be tamed by someone other than Izuku himself. It happened with [New Order] and [One for All] in cannon and it has been stated by AFO himself that he prefers to take in simply, yet powerful quirks since they don't come with the proficiency of their user, but also don't come with the mental burden either.

That was what allowed [True Ancestor] to cause the wreck it did inside AFO, aiding our vampiric menace to then gorge itself upon AFO's rich blood and find its escape route. Never forgetting too that [One For All] did play its part. It may not be stollen by [All For One], but it can be tricked into being passed along. So yeah, TL;DR, [True Ancestor] the quirk effectively pulled on some loopholes and stole both genetic information on [All For One] and pulled alongside it [One for All].

And before you all shout me down,

*puts hand on your upper chest, gets closer to your ear*

"Hold on, let me cook."

Blood for the Blood God
[Chapter 39: Thickening Crimson Blood]

By the time he woke up again, Izuku had been moved once more. This time the unfamiliar ceiling was more solid, the smells that reached his nostrils a mix between cleaning chemicals used specifically in one place of his knowledge: a hospital.

The vampire slowly took a notice of his surroundings, examining it carefully. He was in a private room, though it was a rather barebones habitation. No windows, very little furniture, and a small movement from his left arm indicated that he was still cuffed, this time to his new bed.

The vampire took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air and trying to distinguish more than the hospital-grade bleach and cleaning alcohol. He noticed that he was in a hospital gown, wondering how long had gone past since he fell asleep on the cot at the emergency tent. Luckily there was a tv bolted to the wall nearby, though he could not have access to it unless he unlocked the cuff that held him at bay close to his bed.

Well, he certainly could do so – and rather easily at that – but for now he refrained from doing so. His internal clock was a bit out of touch, all the recent events and adrenaline not helping his situation. Nonetheless, he closed his eyes and focused on what he could sense. His hearing sharpened and Izuku began to pick up on the tiniest sounds that he could hear.

There was plenty of movement far away from him, the continuous clap of steps on the flooring random enough that he couldn't exactly distinguish their origin, but it did assure him that there was plenty of people around. It eased him a bit, though he wondered when was the last time someone checked on him.

He relaxed on his bed, aware that there was little he could do besides wait until a nurse or a doctor came over. A bit of focus had him feeling the thrumming of his blood under his skin, his quirk; it, like nothing else, eased the troubles in his heart. To know that [True Ancestor] never abandoned him, even in death. The teen felt comfort as the rhythmic beat of his heart echoed in his ears.

There was nothing like hearing the strong chorus of his Song of Life and Death.

He immersed himself in the song, duly letting time go by as he waited. It took a little under two hours, but eventually the door to his room creaked open, the teen immediately snapping his eyes open towards the door.

Much to his surprise, it was not a common nurse or doctor that went through, but a certain elder heroine with a syringe-shaped walking cane. The two starred at each other for a while, the elder woman certainly not expecting him to be up already if her surprised expression was anything to go by. She quickly approached his bed, wasting no time in checking his pulse.

"How are you doing, dearie?" She tenderly asked, quick to move the stethoscope to his chest and listen in to his internal organs. She motioned for him to do a breathing exercise, the vampire following through with a small smile carved on his lips, no longer bothering to hide his fangs.

"I could have done without the forced vacation." He joked, his voice still a bit rougher than what he would've liked, but it certainly sounded much better than before.

The elder heroine went along with his humor, though her chortle was a choked sound. "It takes a special sort of crazy to brush aside a stroke with death so casually like that."

Izuku took another deep breath, exhaling out a sigh. Due to his regeneration and usual powers Izuku sometimes forgot that people couldn't appreciate some dismemberment dark humor as well as he could. It certainly took a special type of crazy to laugh at something like that, but it was a long while ago that he stopped trying to fit in and become normal.

Midoriya Izuku didn't do normal.

Recovery Girl finished her examination, taking a few steps back to take in the sight of the vampire. He still lacked a bit of his usual body mass, but his face was no longer the gaunt and sickly-looking thing she had witnessed through the video broadcasting. The small scarring lines that used to run on his face had vanished, Izuku looking at her his usual green orbs, though their shape was slightly slitted. His fangs did protrude a bit more now and he seemed to have no shame in displaying the canines.

"…how…" he started, calling her attention. "How is Tomo–…Ragdoll-san?" There was a slight correction, but his question eventually left his mouth.

The elder nurse hummed, finding a seat by the edge of his bed, her eyes going to the cuff restraining his left arm to the bed post. "In a minute, dearie; let's get you out of these cuffs." She fished on her coat's pocket for a set of keys, carefully approaching the cuff and watching his reactions. Izuku wasn't truly bothered by it, though he wondered if anyone else was watching their interaction somehow. He didn't see or sense any cameras (hidden or not), but there was a small feeling at the back of his head that told him that a quirk was being used to spy on them.

He let the heroine unlock his cuff, the teen making sure to make slow and measured movements to avoid spooking anyone. He massaged his wrist, the motion not truly necessary, but something that did indeed helped sooth his nerves.

"Before anything else, how are you feeling, sonny?"

That is the million-yen question, right? He mused in his head, taking a moment to clench and unclench his hands. His quirk lay passive within him, busy with the myriad of information that it had acquired in its quest to repel the King in Black. Not only had [True Ancestor] rebelled against its captor, it left a terrible wake of genetic destruction behind it; what it could not copy from within AFO it did its best to terrorize, causing a massive cascading effect within the villain that was sure to set the teen in his sights for as long as both lived. Though it did not accomplish all of that alone.

He could sense it, deep within the confines of his own mind and body. An ancestral power, something almost as old as the power that birthed its creation. The true explanation behind All Might's power.

"…strange." He muttered, aware that the nurse would likely try to analyze and verify the changes in his body. He didn't want her to be poking around too much, so he tried to string together something coherent and not incriminating. "I remember him taking away my quirk and then being left aside to rot. Then after a while I was back on my feet, my power burning through my veins."

Recovery Girl noted down his words on her pad. "It certainly is a traumatic event to experience. Deep breathes sonny, we will finish up soon."

He nodded. "It felt surreal to be honest." Izuku wasn't sure who was peeking in or what type of quirk they had, so it made him feel like walking on eggshells. Was it someone from the government? Or had the villain already made moves to keep tabs on him? All possibilities that he could not discard, which in turn severely limited his next course of actions. "All I know is that [True Ancestor] did its best to return to me." He finished by looking down at his right arm, eyes focusing on the branching line of veins inside the limb.

The elder heroine stopped writing for a moment, but then resumed before he could get a word in. She then stored away the notepad and pulled out a syringe from within her coat. "Would you mind, dear?"

The vampire shook his head sideways and presented his left arm for ease of access, already commanding his blood to remain as fresh as possible. He wasn't exactly an expert in quirk-theory and gene study, but the vampire did study about it in his spare time. At most he hoped the heroine would find his quirk-factor number (or Meta-gene) to be unnaturally high, which could be explained by the copying nature of his quirk. The foreign DNA proteins were consumed during the breakdown process so there was no way for them to associate him to that villain.

The female doctor did raise a brow at the ease of the process, especially considering that last time she had to coax the blood with a continuous feed of fresh nutrients to even begin her analyses on it, but she didn't want to put more pressure on the teen. The fight and following events had been already rough, there was no need to add to the pile.

"I'll take these samples to the lab and run some tests. If I need anymore, I hope that you can cooperate, if possible, dear." She kindly asked and the vampire nodded, his gaze neutral. Shuzenji did bit the inside of her mouth for a bit. "I believe you asked about Ragdoll-chan, right?"

The vampire snapped his gaze back on her, his eyes carrying a serious worry behind them. For a moment they reminded the heroine of her younger days. She gathered her wits in a moment, not willing to compile to his worries. "She has been safely rescued and is being treated here too. If she is cleared, you can see her soon."

The vampire furrowed his brow. Maybe she had been hurt during the rescue? There was a strange fuzzy gap in his head, the sight of her tear-stained face imprinted before wrath overtook everything. He remembered fighting against Himiko, then a strange taste permeated his mouth before everything devolved into a pink haze.

"…was she hurt during the rescue?" He asked, eyes fully settled on the elder heroine's frame. The intensity of the gaze made Shuzenji feel like squirming, but she brushed the feeling aside.

"The information that reached me was a bit unsettling, so I want to confirm it by someone else before." The elder woman's words made a strange dread settle inside Izuku. He closed his mouth with a click of his teeth, running his tongue around his fangs. There was a familiar taste in his mouth, but more so a blood echo jumped to the front of his mind.

He lowered his gaze, his hair covering his eyes. "…he took her quirk…" It was a whisper-like grunt, the vampire holding back a growl. It was not a question, it was a grim statement.

Recovery Girl grasped her notepad, her bitter feelings masked by her professional expression. "That is not confirmed."

Izuku scoffed. "Please, don't lie to me. I died for this…"

Before Recovery Girl could speak anything else the door was opened, and more people came in the room. The vampire's nose identified two of the five newcomers, though their presence was not enough to lift his mood. Aizawa, detective Tsukaichi and three suited men stopped in front of his bed, Recovery Girl excusing herself from near him to talk with the last suited man.

"Midoriya, how are you feeling?" His homeroom teacher asked in a calm tone, his own injures mostly superficial.

"Well enough." His curt answer was enough for the teacher. Pressing more on the issue wouldn't yield answers, and honestly, it was an amazing miracle that Izuku was already awake and answering them. Anyone else would be on the mortuary, not in a resting room.

The detective also did not want to further inquire, but the suited HSPC agents in the room would not simply leave. The situation had long escalated outside of the normal scope of things and even if the two wanted to impose a gag order upon it and put a blanket to mediate the situation, the media broadcast of the battle had long voided that possibility. Not even Edgeshot could throw his weight around to skirt the issue and protect the teen.

Japan had seen Izuku subdue the villain that singlehandedly destroyed half of Kamino Ward and fought All Might to a standstill. They recorded Izuku raise himself from death's door. Even after censoring all the media outlets to control panic, the video had already been posted on the internet and found itself being shared much faster than any governmental interference could deal with it.

That was without mention of the other bomb that had yet to be dropped.

"Midoriya-kun, these gentlemen need to confirm a few details with you. We are here to gather evidence and understand what truly happened in Kamino…" The detective did his best to sound reassuring, but the teen could sense the heavy undertones of the situation.

Just because AFO had been defeated and arrested did not meant that the damage he left behind could be ignored.

The suited men finished their hushed conversation with the elder heroine before one of them approached the teen. He looked like your standard Japanese salaryman, with a bow-cut hair and thick-rimmed glasses. All signs pointed to a common man without any notable features. Yet his senses were warning him against him. He forcefully choked a growl at the back of his throat, aware of how such action would be taken as against an agent of the HSPC.

"Hello Midoriya Izuku-san, my name is Jimina Senen, and I have been left in charge of the investigation to accrue details about the incident in Kamino Ward." The man spoke with Izuku, and the vampire was firmly looking at him, yet it felt was if this Jimina fellow was flickering in and out of existence. Something akin to Himiko's technique.

"If you have any difficulties focusing on me, that is due to my quirk." Jimina dully explained, fixing the position of his glasses.

Izuku nodded, eyes blinking a few times. It certainly was something suited for a government spook.

"It has come to my attention that you have previously fought against this group of criminals that is known as League of Villains," Jimina spoke as he read a file on a modern device he pulled from his suit, "and that your actions have attracted the attention of this particular group's leader, the villain known as Shigaraki Tomura, right?" As the suit spoke, Izuku nodded along, being careful to keep himself as calm and collected as possible without usage of his quirk.

If things were this tough that the somewhat lax HSPC had sent almost untraceable agents to question him, then the vampire definitely needed to watch his six.

That was discounting the presence of Aizawa and Tsukaichi in the room too. The two were Izuku's dear friends and people whom he very much respected, but their combined abilities were a knockout combo against him: Aizawa could keep track of him and their record of teacher-student meant that the man could identify at any moment any signs of quirk usage and shut it down; that was without mentioning Tsukaichi and his [Lie Detection] quirk.

Politicians would need an escape goat for the incident and with AFO locked up, the temper of the civilian populace needed to be appeased by something. They needed a show of force, that someone was being punished, even if by proxy. It just so happened that they had a rather convenient target in their sights. The HSPC had to put some heavy ordinance into the chamber to aim and fire it at the vampire.

"While simply labeling this as the whims of a spiteful villain could quickly solve this case, we are not looking for a stop-gap measure. This villain attack has caused immense damage to Kamino and Japan itself; you, Midoriya Izuku-san, have been at the epicenter of most of the events regarding this group, so it stands to doubt that we dig deep and investigate." Jimina's words were akin to sharp knives trying to dig under the vampire's skin. If it was mere provocation or a thinly veiled accusation, Izuku wasn't going to fall for the bait. He clenched his jaw shut, aware that any outburst could be seen as a negative reaction to the investigation and be grounds for further suppression.

Worse yet, he knew that neither his teacher nor the detective could jump to his aid. It could be seen as a conflict of interest, so the best way they could help him was to be involved in the investigation as impartially as they could. That meant that neither could they defend him, but neither could their testimony could be distorted and used against him. Or so he hoped.

"Your quirk…[True Ancestor], right? It is an impressive thing to behold. A vampirism quirk with the ability to permanently copy other quirk-factors and replicate them…something rather not too far from the ability of the villain known as AFO." If the man was willing to interrogate him while also speaking about such sensitive information, then they likely believed that he knew something about the issue too. "According to your files such ability was not present during a large majority of your childhood, only manifesting about a year ago. Mighty convenient, huh?"

The man's tone laid bare his implications.

It was uncomfortable and somewhat difficult to focus on the suit, but Izuku managed to do so without any aid from his quirk, aware that Eraserhead's gaze was firmly settled upon his frame. His emerald-green slit orbs managed to fully focus on Jimina, the teen unsure if such brazen behavior would affect their impression and report, but he would not allow the man to slander him without knowing the full caliber of his being. He was not a pawn of the King in Black! He was his own sovereign!

"The discovery of the full scope of my powers was recent and even I was worried as to how to present it to the NQA; such a development isn't exactly something you can simply write a report and be done with it." Izuku exclaimed, holding back his aggression as much as possible. He still came off as a bit rude, but considering the situation he felt a bit entitled to some leeway.

Jimina hummed along the teen's explanation, typing away at his tablet. "Understandable." Although he said so, Izuku was quite sure that the man cared little about the circumstances. "And during the length of your kidnapping, how were you treated by your captors?"

Izuku took a deep breath and glanced at his teacher, his gaze asking for permission. Aizawa dipped his head, Izuku turning to focus on the suited man once more. He began recounting his experience in the sealed room, each word heavy in his tongue. The only thing the vampire kept to himself was the odd hazy memory of his last fight (as well as his prior relationship) with Himiko, stating that he had been drugged and then passed out. The odd shiver ran down his spine as his mind tried to push past the fog to get him to remember, but the detective and the suits could only rely on his spoken word. It also helped that Tsukaichi was there to give validity and confirm his words, else the teen was sure that his words would have been taken with a high degree of suspicion.

"Your account is much appreciated, Midoriya-san." Jimina seemed to ease up on the aggressiveness of his interrogation as Izuku's statements were all confirmed to be true. He typed a bit more on his tablet before turning his attention to the teen again, this time the awkwardness of focusing on him less irksome. "This procedure might make you feel uncomfortable, but this is essential to make sure we have a clear and full scope of the circumstances that led these events to happen. I hope that you understand that." It wasn't an apology, but then again Izuku wasn't waiting for one.

He nodded in agreement. He was not so arrogant as to believe himself capable of reading the body language of a trained government spook, so all he could do was to try to find a measure of comfort in the man's words.

Jimina proceeded to continue asking questions and taking statements from Izuku for one more hour, the vampire finding himself mentally exhausted by the end of it. When it was done, the suited spooks barely said their farewells before leaving the room, allowing the teacher and detective to remain behind as they headed off to analyze the information and make their report. Whatever the outcome, Izuku was sure that his life was bound to get harder for sure.

As he sighed, the vampire noticed that the older men left in the room were still quiet. He himself maintained the silence going, the tension too thick to be broken by a silly joke or some mundane comment about the weather. Even Recovery Girl was quiet, the elder woman trying to busy herself with her own notes about the situation and no doubt creating hypothesis about the future development of Izuku's quirk.

After all it wasn't every day that a semi-sentient quirk ripped itself away from the grasp of the Quirk Thief himself.

Still, now that his blood was too dense to be dispersed without the command of his quirk, Izuku would have to be extremely careful about it. Whereas before his blood would automatically disperse and rotten, now it had to be carefully willed into decomposing, else it would act on its base core instinct of preservation and survival.

As Izuku was about to get busy within the confines of his mind again, Detective Tsukaichi coughed to get his attention, the man finding a seat nearby his bed.

"Izuku, I know that you probably want to rest after this, but there is something that we must confirm with you." The somber tone of the detective alerted the teen that another bomb was about to be dropped on his lap; his enhanced senses further confirming the point as the vampire could practically taste and smell the fear and apprehension coming off in waves from the policeman. Normally he'd been over the moon with such a development, but considering his circumstances it was hard to find such joy in his growth.

"After your quirk was momentarily stolen by AFO, an assortment of items were expelled from your shadow and displayed on open field. Most of these items we were already aware that belonged to you, but one in particular had the search team on their toes." The detective pulled out his phone and unlocked the device, scrolling through it a few times before he turned the screen towards the teen.

Izuku did not display much on the outside, but he winced internally. On the device's screen was a picture of Muscular's mummified corpse, the body sporting clean cuts and utterly lacking in the bulk that the villain was known to have.

"We immediately ran a few DNA tests identify it, and we found out that this was Goto Imasuji – otherwise known as the villain Muscular." The detective confirmed what Izuku already knew to be true, the vampire glancing at his teacher for aid. The poorly-dressed man was wearing a serious expression, his black eyes – for the first time Izuku had seen – seemed unsure of what to say. Considering Tsukaichi's power, it seemed counter-productive to even think about lying.

The teen took a big breath and filled his lungs with oxygen. "This will bring me a world of trouble, huh?" He spoke with a small tinge of sarcasm tinting his words.

The teacher and the detective could only grimly agree with the teen.

"Maybe it is best that you record my statement?" Izuku suggested, trying to keep a passive smile on his lips.

Tsukaichi slowly nodded his head to him. "Best to do so now while the details are still fresh in your mind and we have time to mount a defense for your case." He grunted as he pulled out the body camera that was strapped to his chest, synching the device to his phone. "Are you sure you want to record this? I might be a detective, but my quirk holds weight that cannot be ignored by the HSPC. A written report from me will be more than enough."

Aizawa did not intervene, but it was clear from his scent and eyes that he did not agree with Tsukaichi's words. Maybe it was his jaded world view or his wealth of experience when dealing with the inner working of Japan's bureaucracy, but he was quite sure that Izuku's choice was the best one considering the circumstances; a written report could easily be falsified, or only certain parts could be read out of context to push a point. Tsukaichi's quirk could be used on convenience only during certain questions that could be further incriminatory and any attempts to correct the course of any judgement could be suppressed simply by any higher up pulling rank on the officer. In the end, Tsukaichi was still only a detective; a highly respected and trusted-by-heroes officer, but nonetheless still an officer.

Aizawa wished he could feel proud of his student, but at the moment all that his mind could express was worry for the teen.

Izuku chuckled a bit. "No worries, Naomasa-san. Please, start the recording."

The detective sighed, but in the end complied with the request.

"I am Midoriya Izuku, and this is my testimony to the events that followed the villain attack on UA's 1-A class during out summer camp training…"

[XXX]

[XXX]

[Tartarus Prison – Japan's offshore line]
[21:43 P.M – Local Time]

After passing through the bridge security and the infamous Bronze Gate that heralded Japan's most secure max prison, Jimina slowly made his way to the checkpoint inside the thick and dull reinforced concrete walls.

It had been a few hours after his interview with UA's currently most infamous student, the immediate response being pushed by his higher-ups in an effort to deal with situation as fast as possible. The matter could not be allowed to fester any longer and the HSPC was willing to make a few concessions if that meant they could stabilize the situation and prevent the further loss of face in front of the media and the civilian populace.

Heads would fly if they loitered for too long, so the matter had been put on emergency focus by the myriad of ministers and politicians most involved with this issue. The destruction of half of Kamino's Ward by AFO was troublesome enough, but the media did a magnificent job of getting their own twisted narrative and running with it. Knowledge about the villain was on a need-to-know basis, and you would be hard-pressed to find much more than rumors, yet his appearance caused a storm of proportions unseen since the era of the dawn of quirks.

The recording of the villain using multiple quirks and wrecking the district was already a powder keg on its own, but adding upon that was his attack on All Might and a UA student and subsequent murder attempt of both, followed by the theft of the teen's quirk and almost successful attempt on the Symbol of Peace's life doused the case in gasoline. Midoriya's subsequent revival and victory over the terrifying villain also raised too many questions that they found themselves short on answers.

How could a first year have that much power in their hands? Talent could only stretch the narrative so far, but the teen took that measure and broke it in twain. Could they even control the teen? Was he a flight risk? How could he have run undetected for this long?

More and more questions were being raised, the lack of easily available answers putting many on tight ropes as per what actions to follow now.

Jimina only reported his findings and then waited for his orders. It was what he had been trained to do, his personal thoughts unneeded and unaccounted for in his report. There were subsequent reports on the teen after he left the Kamino General Hospital, but those were irrelevant to him and the HSPC. Once they gathered their wits and information, a few choices were put forward and this time not even Edgeshot's backing could hold back the breaking tide incoming.

Still, politics and the like were outside of Jimina's area of expertise. He was not paid to think on that, his job was much simpler. Gather reliable and solid information and evidence, present it to the HSPC board and his superiors, wait for a set of orders and then make sure said orders were completed to the last dot.

He barely acknowledged the various patrolling guards around Tartarus, the prison of concrete and steel housing the most dangerous sorts imaginable: from maniac villains, mass murderers and those that would endanger the stability of Japan, this place could be called a stash/tomb of secrets Japan wished to keep buried. Some could be used from time to time, but the objective was to keep them here, hidden from prying eyes.

AFO had been moved here earlier in the day and had been under strict surveillance ever since, but the villain had remained out cold ever since the last blow dealt by the vampiric teen. The man was much different from what they expected the underground villain to be, but then again much of the situation was still under wraps and poorly understood.

Still, Jimina's objective was not the recent addition to the tomb's roster; nay, he was here to talk to someone way less conspicuous, yet no less dangerous.

He headed to the solitary cells, deep within the prison. Tartarus was a unisex prison, though a clear separation was needed to avoid needless troubles; considering the individual whom he was about to talk, it was more appropriate to say that the separation was to protect the other criminals from his target.

Heading through the boorish corridors along his armed escorts, Jimina finally reached the thick doors to the cell of his target. His escorts flanked the doors and readied their weapons, aware of the extreme danger this particular individual possessed. Jimina wasn't worried, his quirk well suited for these situations, though he did make sure to check the taser hidden on his hip was still there. Precaution was never enough when dealing with a former HSPC agent after all.

The thick steel doors were electronically unlocked, the loud buzz making tension grow as the armed escorts took aim. The door fully opened and the suited man had a clear vision as to the person inside the bare room. Nothing inside could be used as a makeshift weapon, though Jimina was sure that his senpai would not need anything besides their own body to hurt, maim or kill anyone in their sight.

"Well…this is a surprise…I was sure I'd be left to rot in here."

Jimina took a moment to loosen the tight knot of his tie around his neck before heading inside, his escorts right behind him, eyes fully trailed upon the criminal inside the cell.

"We have a proposition for you."

[XXX]

[XXX]

[ ##### Village – Russia]
[Time: Unknown]

Harsh and cold winds assaulted the barren buildings, the only source of warmth being the old iron stove burning coal that rested inside the only house with a living soul inside.

A small girl passively watched the flame dance and flicker inside the iron confines, the light of the fire painting the room with red and orange colors, breaking the monotonous spell of brown and greys that heavily dominated the atmosphere of the room.

The girl's dull grey eyes would occasionally switch to a book sitting idly on her lap, but it was clear her focus was not on reading. She barely skimmed through the words, having already read it through countless times.

The silence predominated in the habitation, only barely broken by the occasional crackle of the flame consuming its fuel. The silence was a constant presence on her life, something she had long grown accustomed to.

The girl felt the signal long before the device could announce it, though she waited for the machine to do its job and relay the message proper.

The long-distance ram radio sitting atop a nearby table sprung to life and began to crackle, emitting the message that would give out her next assignment.

/Пакасси, мы получили частный запрос, и ваши уникальные способности подходят для его решения (Pacassi, we have received a private request and your abilities are suited to solve it)./

The young girl closed the book sitting on her lap and stood up, approaching the radio and using its speaker, she replied back.

"Pakassi gotov deystvovat' v lyuboye vremya (Pacassi is ready to act at any time)." She replied, her soft voice causing some static to affect the lead-reinforced equipment, though it was cleanly understood by the other side.

The radio then crackled to life once more.

/Otlichnyy. Podozhdite tam, vash kurator pridet cherez neskol'ko chasov. (Excellent. Wait there, your handler will arrive in a few hours)./

She hummed to herself, aware that she should not bother with a reply. Orders rarely came from mother base, but when they came it was to be followed without question. A handler – whose orders were to always be followed – would be assigned to her, and their mission would be completed due to her gift.

Maybe this time she could ask for a few more books as a reward, the ones she had had long grown boring and fragile. Who knows, if she completed the assignment perfectly then her rewards could be extended to include some borscht and sewing supplies; she wanted to finish her new coat, the ones provided useful, but not suited to her size.

There wasn't much to do besides wait, so she sat back on her seat and focused her gaze into the flames, the heat more of an emotional comfort that any necessary bodily need. She glanced at her left, metallic prosthetic arm with a dull sense of worry. Her equipment needed maintenance since a replacement (never mind an upgrade) wasn't anywhere in sight, but she lacked the materials to do so. Day to day usage would be fine, but any form of heavy labor would probably stretch the durability past its enduring point.

Pacassi lowered her gaze back to the fire, a whim having the girl start to hum an old song she heard. She barely remembered anything besides the happiness it brought her and the title of the song, something along the lines of …Katyusha.

[XXX]

[XXX]

[Kamino Ward General Hospital - 23:21 P.M, Local Time]
[15 minutes past Izuku's recording to Detective Naomasa]

The vampire rested on his bed, this time alone in the room. Everyone had had their chance to question Izuku about everything that happened and now all that remained was to wait for results. The teen had no doubts that his life would chance a lot in the following days, the somewhat uncertain nature of his future causing an abundance of worrisome thoughts to flood his mind.

He did his best to calm his raging heart, the hum on his blood aiding in the troublesome endeavor, though he was far from settled. Aizawa had informed his mother and principal Nezu of his awakening and health status, though the teen was sure that he would not receive any other guests until the next day. That is, if he was even allowed so.

Nurses and doctors avoided his room almost like he was infected with the plague, though he could sense a couple of curious souls wandering close before they retreated. It was something he had long forgotten, the isolation status caused by his quirk.

Izuku took some measure of comfort on the news he had received once his interrogation tape with Naomasa-san was finished. Recovery girl relayed some information he thirsted for, the knowledge easing his mind from darker thoughts. Although Tomoko had lost her quirk, her health was stable, and she had given signs of awakening soon.

News about the situation were scarce, especially to a teen with no clearance whatsoever. There was a rather large number of confirmed dead in the wake of the destruction, the number of injured too great to mention. Even heroes and members of the police force that participated in the raids had their tolls, no one group managing to emerge without any sort of damage.

The vampire took a glance at the TV on the wall, a local broadcast speaking about All Might's epic retirement. The splendid fight and eventual defeat of AFO was making news even now, every media station repeating the same set of news with slight variations as more information was slowly feed over to the media. Izuku wondered what that would mean to Japan as the island-nation had grown used to 30+ years of peace ever since the Symbol of Peace's ascension. Now with such a retirement, the ripple effect on society was bound to be something else for sure.

There were still plenty of other heroes in Japan, but one could not deny that All Might had been on a class of his own. Even Japan's Second Ranker: Endeavor didn't seem to be big enough to fill such a role. Only the future could tell what was to come.

The vampire let his eyes wander from the screen to the ceiling, an anxious feeling simmering in his stomach. Life had turned around rather quick for him, he was content with a steady growth into his future, but circumstances just kept piling on and on, until Izuku already had accumulated two bodies under his name barely out of his first term into UA. Whereas most heroes would rarely get someone seriously injured, Izuku had taken two lives. He did not regret his actions, but it did stir up his mind something fierce.

His mind was trying to think about a thousand things at the same time and were it not for his willful suppression of his quirk, he would probably manage to do so. The teen tossed and turned onto his bed, noticing that time had barely gone by. He appreciated his time alone without any more interrogations, but this type of silence was mind numbing.

Izuku tried to settle down, but since he managed to get a few hours of precious shut eye he felt fully rested. His rich meal consisting of AFO's blood also had given him plenty of nutrients, so the teen felt unable to truly quiet down.

Thankfully something got the attention of his senses and had him out of his mind for now. A new set of steps was rushing towards his direction, the vampire rather curious as to who would be so willing to rush to his room. He was certain he'd only be allowed visitors tomorrow, so how…

The answer to his questions violently burst the door open, the vampire widening his brows as he captured the sight of his lovely Mei. The world slowed down to a crawl as she launched herself from the door towards his bed, Izuku wanting to save every single second of her body and singe it into his mind.

She extended her arms for a hug and the vampire was more than happy to oblige. As time resumed flowing normally in his perception, Izuku barely felt the weight of her human-projectile attack. Her weight, her body heat, her scent, her presence; all of these things felt as if a calming balm was being spread onto his soul. Mei did not speak for the moment, more than content with simply basking in his presence and heat.

She did not mind whoever had arrived with her, the girl fiercely latching onto his frame like the little grease monkey that she was, this time the girl was resolute in not releasing him no matter what.

Izuku was more than happy to share his body heat with her, noticing that the anxiety that gnawed on his heart had vanished. He hugged her head to his chest and took a deep breath, wishing to inhale as much of her feminine scent as possible. The smell of peach filled his nostrils and gave Izuku a peace that he had been missing ever since the start of the summer camp.

But that was not all.

Turmeric and cypress pine reached his nose, the spicy and refreshing scent something that Izuku could only associate to one person. He opened his eyes and looked at the still open door to his room, a lovely blonde girl standing there, watching the scene with kind and warm eyes.

Izuku felt his own heart race at a steady rate, a knot building up in his throat as he found a well and healthy Melissa watching over him with her sapphire-blue orbs. He comforted Mei into their hug, left hand freeing itself from their embrace to motion the American girl to come over. She made a waiting motion with her hands, but the vampire cared little for anything else. Shadow matter was born immediately from his limb and shoot at the girl, enveloping her with a gentle hold that none could imagine from such eldritch-looking creation.

Melissa managed to suppress a yelp, soon finding herself glued to the vampire's side, sharing body heat between him and Mei.

She wanted to say something else, maybe affirm that Izuku and Mei should take the moment for themselves, but before words could leave her mouth, Izuku spoke first.

"…I'm so glad…" He muttered, his voice choked with feelings that resonated with the girl. "I was so worried last time I saw you…"

She wanted to be brave and show a strong front to him, especially after all that had happened. Things had been oh so complicated: The invasion of I-Island wasn't that long ago, yet it felt like an eternity now that she was here. There were so many feelings, so much that she wanted to get off her chest and speak with him. Her eyes shimmered with a wet glint, the girl hugging the vampire and leaning her body as much as possible on him.

"I'm here now, right?" She joked, her supposedly amused voice betraying the torrent of emotions that she was holding back.

"…yeah, you are…" He muttered, arm firmly wrapped around her waist and unwilling to let go. Not that she minded, her head leaning against his own, one hand hugging his shoulders while the other rested atop his chest, feeling his heartbeat through their skin contact.

For a few moments the vampire simply soaked in the girls' presence, each breathe he took filling his lungs with their scent. There were no words to describe the sensation that filled his heart, the emotion incomparable.

A new set of steps got his attention, though Izuku kept himself centered through the contact with the girls. He barely cracked an eye to acknowledge the newcomer, finding the iconic principal of UA present with him.

The chimeric creature dipped his head in respect, taking measured motions to reach his position. It quickly climbed atop it, though the principal remained on the very edge of his bed.

"Am I a dog, bear or a mouse? The correct answer is," though it was not the girls' voice, Izuku did find some amusement in hearing his principal's high-pitched voice. "I'm the principal of UA, Nezu."

That silly introduction managed to get a chuckle out of the vampire, his fangs in full display.

"Sir, it is a pleasure to meet you." Izuku amusedly greeted the infamous principal. Hugging Mei and Melissa the teen found himself in bliss.

The chimeric being softly clapped his paws. "I take it that bringing Hatsume-san and Shield-san here did ease your mind, Midoriya-kun?"

The vampire felt safe enough to momentarily close his eyes, content with listening to their heartbeats. "Indeed, sir. I can't thank you enough for this gift." He also wanted to check on his mother, but for now this was good. He couldn't be greedy, there were many others who had just lost their homes and possibly dear family members, but for now the vampire sent a prayer of forgiveness to them in his mind, fully willing to indulge into this sweet blessing unapologetically.

"They were also rather insistent on checking on your wellbeing as soon as possible. Thankfully I managed to get permission this late, it seems as if you were in a dire need of companionship." Nezu explained the reason behind their arrival so late in the evening. Though Izuku imagined at least one or two heroes as an escort, it seemed as it the principal had arrived here with only the girls in tow.

He sighed, not missing the chance to further take in their remarkable scent. "It has been a rough day."

Nezu nodded along. "I'm sure it has been challenging."

Mei tightened her hug on his body, Izuku feeling himself healed under her touch. Melissa began running one hand on the back of his head, combing through his hair with her fingers and touching his scalp. Were Nezu not present, Izuku was sure he'd have growled in pleasure; as things stood, he merely closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of their tender touch. Honestly, he wanted to ask how and when had Melissa arrived in Japan, but for now moment none of that honestly mattered. All that he cared about was that she was close to him.

Nezu coughed, whisking the vampire away from his wonderland. "As much as I'd love to let the girls remain here, our late visit is already stretching the limits of what I can manage."

Izuku felt his body want to protest to such a thing with all his being. Mei clamped around him, unwilling to let go, while Melissa expressed discontentment.

"I'm sure that if we remain quiet and don't disturb the other patients, then we can remain here with Izuku a little more." She presented her point, clearly unwilling to depart. Hatsume expressed her own discontentment through action.

Nezu chortled at their infantile behavior. He ceased his chuckles and sighed, shaking his head. "I should have guessed that would be the case."

Izuku also wanted the girls to remain, but he also didn't want them to get into any trouble. His slit green eyes called the attention of the beady black orbs of chimera, their silent conversation quick.

The principal once more sighed. "Oh well, you win." He stated, jumping off the vampire's bed with a smooth move and heading to the door. "I'll see what can be done to allow you all a restful night undisturbed. You do deserve some true rest, Izuku-kun."

The vampire lowered his head to the principal, thankful for the modicum of trust that had been placed on him.

Though before the animal left the room, he spun around to address the trio one last time. "I expect you all to act as sensible young adults and not hormonal teenagers that went through a heavy experience, alright? Please, do keep the noise down." Leaving those last words, the bear-dog-mouse left the room, closing the door behind him.

Izuku let the words wash off his frame without much fanfare, already used to his mother's teasing words when it came to his nights and early mornings with Mei. The pink-haired girl too wasn't bothered by the principal's words, too busy enjoying her proximity with her lover to mind anything else.

Melissa did blush at the not-so-subtle implicative words, though she hid her face into the crook of the vampire's neck. The bed was small, but with some wiggling and a bit of effort the vampire managed to settle everyone atop it. Well, the girls were laying each on a half of his body, but those were small details that he couldn't be bothered with. No, at that moment all that mattered was that he could enjoy their presence and weight atop his body.

Honestly, Izuku felt like king of the world now.

"This looks a bit indecent, doesn't it?" Melissa asked, a hint of shame dusting her cheeks, yet the girl gave no signs of wishing to move away from the hemomancer.

"…don't care…" Mei's first words since she reached him were a pouty grumble, the girl doing her best to effectively glue her body to the vampire's. It was rather cute.

Izuku agreed with a throaty hum. "I missed you, Mei. I missed you, Melissa." He spoke in turns, approaching their ears to whisper the words, almost as if afraid they would vanish from his grasp.

Melissa did bury her face once more into the crook of his neck while Mei hugged his arm and did her best to nuzzle against his chest.

"I…" The vampire began to speak, though words were failing him. He wanted to get Melissa's side of this, how she felt about this strange situation; he wanted to know her feelings towards him. Yet there was also a part of him that was terribly afraid to find out her true thoughts. It was honestly silly, the blood echoes he had acquired from her a while ago whispering that she held more than positive thoughts towards him, but he was still apprehensive.

A dainty finger was set atop his lips, sealing them shut. He looked to this left, finding their origin to be the American blonde's hand, her blue eyes shimmering in a lovely manner. If Izuku were to be so arrogant he would describe it as romantic, or maybe even love filled.

"Don't worry about it for now, just rest easy. I know that you did your absolute best." Each word was so soothing, so calming. The vampire felt all the previous stress simply disappear. "I'm proud of you, Izuku."

He could not suppress the shiver of pleasure and comfort that coursed down his spine. A satisfied growl did echo inside his maw, the teen pulling the girl further into the hug and taking a large whiff of her scent: Turmeric and cypress pine.

He deposited a tender kiss atop her head when he felt a pair of known hands pull his face. Soft kisses peppered his lips as Mei took her turn to show him her love. He was well aware of it. It emanated from the girl and was in every action she took for him. It wasn't lust, it was simple love and affection. Her scent was lovely, the smell of peach bringing such satisfaction to his senses that could be comparable to a very addictive drug. At this point it might as well be one for both of them.

They both released satisfied sighs, Mei's breath a hot thing against him.

This time Melissa was the one to pull on his face, though she did not shower him with kisses. The girl held his face and took her time taking his image in, trying to commit to memory each and every detail she could, the vampire doing the same.

It felt as if they could lose each other inside their eyes. They slowly closed the distance, the vampire's sight hazing as he took in their love. The girl did not recoil or shy away, letting the vampire cut the distance short and lay his lips atop hers. It was a chaste kiss, Izuku not wishing to overwhelm Melissa with this new…everything. She let him guide their kiss, the vampire being careful to avoid cutting her lips with his fangs.

He hesitantly pulled back, allowing the girl some breathing room as Mei cuddled to his side, bringing her own kisses to his shoulder, making her way close to his neck. She did stop before she could deposit one there, merely leaning her head against his and letting her breathing tickle his skin.

Melissa sported an absolutely adorable blush, her cute visage and pouty lips asking for more tickling darker flames inside the vampire, though he tempered those aside. It wouldn't do to overwhelm her with such intensity.

"This is…" She panted, speaking with a rapid breath.

"Too fast?" Izuku calmly prodded, unwilling to cause the girl any discomfort.

She quickly shook her head. "No! It is just…unusual." She fumbled a bit with her explanation, trying to find words for the heat that was spreading through her body. Melissa would admit that she was not a virgin, but this was indeed the first time she had felt like this. So understood, accepted, wanted…loved. It was quite overwhelming on its own, though she did want to lose herself in such a maelstrom of feelings.

"D-do you…" The vampire almost asked, though he stopped and refrained from doing so. It was on him to read her mood and if she truly didn't want to continue Melissa would be quite expressive about her wants.

"Izhu…kissu!" Mei's love drunk voice echoed by his ear and he clenched his teeth shut to suppress another grunt of animalistic arousal. Melissa took the chance to cool off and pushed his head to face Mei, the mechanic girl pouncing on the chance to claim her lover's lips while the American blonde took a few deep breathes to try and stabilize her own heart.

Mei almost managed to slip her tongue inside Izuku's mouth, but the vampire cut the kiss short, else he was sure that he would lose his remaining composure. She released a heated sigh against his face, her eyes housing that tantalizing heart-shaped pupil that would drive him wild. It took an iron will to kiss her forehead instead, trying to bring the temperature down before anything else happened among the three of them. She pouted, but relented and allowed him to cuddle. Though she took her revenge by using his arm as a pillow, trapping the limb under her head.

Melissa patted his arm, her body leaving the bed for a minute as he heard some cloth rustle. Not too long after she returned to join the hemomancer and the mechanic girl, her glasses and corset shirt off. "More comfortable this way." There were still plenty layers to avoid provocation, but the sight was good for him anyway.

Only after she mentioned that did he noticed that he was still in his hospital gown, though at this point it would matter little even if he were in his own casual clothing.

"Let's rest, shall we? Hopefully tomorrow they will release you." Melissa aided Izuku in his efforts to avoid falling into a lustful ending for the night, though Mei was clearly less than pleased with said outcome. He thanked the Shield daughter with a head nod, the girl returning a lovely smile back.

A dark tendril shot from under his gown and down his feet, the shadowy matter hitting the switch and turning the lights in the room off. Though Izuku was energized, he felt that now he could rest easy. Mei tucked in on his right, Melissa softly cuddling his left, his arms serving as pillows for the girls to rest their heads over, the trio sharing body warmth and care. Izuku felt it healing his very soul.

[XXX]

[XXX]

[Kamino Ward General Hospital - 09:02 A.M, Local Time]
[Midoriya Izuku's holding/observation room]

Izuku was never the type of person that could sleep through long periods of time, his body always needing very little rest to return to tip-top shape since his youth. A few hours of sleep could grant him energy for a week and satisfying his [Thirst] even more so. Then, it took him by surprise to find himself waking up this late in the morning. Was he more tired than usual and didn't realize?

Or were the presence of the girls with him that soothing that all he wished for was to drown in their presence?

The answers were not available to him as he only managed to wake up after sensing the lack of warmth from his right side, his eyes immediately scanning the room in hopes of finding the person who should have been tucked in there. He didn't need eyes to notice the girl clinging to his left, but he was curious about Mei's location.

Normally Hatsume wasn't a morning person, so he wondered where she had vanished to. Maybe to get some breakfast?

He heard the door of his room the opened, a familiar scent filling his nose and bringing with it a different soothing sensation. Whereas the girls brought tranquility to his heart, the matriarch brough forth a sense of homely relaxation; he – more than at ease – felt ready to simply lay his head across her lap and rest. Midoriya Inko; there was no mistaking her motherly scent and the comfort her mere presence gave him.

Izuku rested easy, hearing her steps get closer to his bed, a mere thin curtain separating the two. The teen glanced to his left side, depositing a soft kiss atop Melissa's head before turning his gaze to the cloth curtain being parted.

His mother's worried gaze filled his vision, Izuku allowing himself to wear a peaceful smile, his fangs in sight.

Inko's worried gaze rested for a bit as she took in the sight of her son resting on the hospital bed. She approached with soft steps, unwilling to break the silence that permeated the room. She approached the teen by the empty side of his bed.

"Hey dear…" Her voice was a quiet thing, Izuku wondering if maybe she had cried more today before coming to check on him. Knowing his mother as well as he did, the vampire was assured that the matriarch had probably already cried rivers back home.

He kept his smile, unbothered by the manner his fangs were displayed. "Hey mom…" Izuku could already see the wet sheen growing in Inko's orbs, his mother gently grasping the edge of his hospital shirt's shoulder.

He would have leaned against her to seek comfort, but something was warning Izuku that such option was not currently available to him. Especially as a heat began to build on the cartilage of his ear due to the pressure of her tight grasp over the appendage.

Izuku suppressed a hiss of pain, wondering the reason behind his punishment.

"Would you mind telling me why you have another girl on your bed, dear?!" Inko-mama's tone was a deadly thing thinly veiled in a façade of calmness and concern. The vampire glanced at Melissa by his side, the American blonde still peacefully asleep and unaware of the danger that was by his side. Worse still, his left arm was still serving as her pillow, which then meant that he was quite literally trapped.

"Mom, I can explain." He muttered, face scrunched up trying to suppress the hiss of pain due to the clamp-like hold on his cartilaginous appendage.

Inko looked less than pleased with her son's behavior. Not even out of the hospital, yet here he was laying about with a complete foreigner! She did not raise a two-timer and Mei was too lovely a girl to be subjected to such a thing! Inko would make sure that she'd properly correct her son's path, no matter if he had just resurrected or not! "Well, then! You better start now!"

The door to his room was opened once more, this time Izuku too busy being scolded by the household matriarch to properly focus on the incoming presence. It was only when said person placed a tray of food on the table nearby that he was granted the sweet release of the clamp-hold on his ear.

"Mei-chan! Don't worry, I'll set this son of mine straight in just a moment!" Inko stood from her seat in a hurry, going over to the pink-haired mechanic and clasping their hands together in a sort of prayer. Hatsume blinked a few times, trying to understand the event and immediately failing.

She looked towards Izuku, finding the vampire massaging his red ear. Her eyes sent a questioning gaze at him, the teen himself offering her a strained smile.

"Izu, what's wrong with your ear?" Mei asked, her focused eyes missing the matriarch's stunned expression by her side.

The vampire let an amused smile tug at his lips, though he was careful with overly expressing any amusement at the situation.

"We forgot to tell mom that Melissa was here." He explained, eyes half-lidded in an attempt to endure the stinging pain.

Mei blinked a few times, her sight-pupils adjusting to see the blonde American still sleeping on the vampire's bed.

"Oh, right." The mechanic girl murmured, swapping her gaze between her secured hands within the matriarch's hold and Melissa on the bed alongside Izuku.

Mama Inko looked a bit confused at the situation. "Wait Mei-chan, do you know this girl?"

Mei nodded along. "Yep, that's Melissa. She helped us track Izuku from the league of villains."

The Midoriya matriarch held a stunned expression, turning her green eyes to stare at her son. The vampire teen offered her a crooked smile. She furrowed her brow, the vampire wondering what would sound best to the ears of his mother; she certainly didn't seem happy to see him in bed with a foreign, unknown woman, even if Mei was aware of the fact.

"Could you please explain then, what is going on here?"

The vampire nodded, gently tugging at Melissa's cheek to try and wake the girl up. She stirred, slowly opening her sapphire-blue eyes and slowly stretching her arms up. One of her hands captured the vampire's limb tugging at her cheek, the girl doing her best to nuzzle against his skin and take in the warmth he offered.

"Good morning." She spoke through a yawn, but before Izuku could answer, Melissa noticed that they were not alone. The girl took a few moments to take stock of the situation before she slowly climbed down from the bed to pick up her corset and glasses. Only after that did she deign to try to speak something. Not that Mama Inko let the American girl say so, raising a hand before the girl got a word in.

"Before you say anything, please take a seat. I've had enough surprises and startling emotions to last me a lifetime already." Inko maturely cut in, allowing the girls to take their seats close to Izuku. The vampire himself was wondering how they would explain the current situation.

The foursome remained silent for a few minutes, none willing to be the first to break tension.

Considering the circumstances, Izuku felt that it would be better if he were to start the conversation.

The vampire took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, gathering the group's attention. "I guess I should start with some presentations…" He spoke, slowly getting up from his bed.

Getting to the girls' side, the teen pointed to his slightly older friend. "Mom, this is Melissa Shield-san. She is the daughter to Shield-san and the one inventor that I have been in contact in I-Island since early in the year. I bought a bunch of high-grade materials from her father's business to build the gym." He explained, letting Melissa gather her courage.

The blonde American did a light bow as her vampire (boy)friend presented her. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya-san."

Inko still held her serious face, but she did acknowledge the girl's respectful gesture and returned it with a small bow of her own. "Hmm." The response from the matriarch was a bit colder than usual, but Izuku and Melissa did understand the reasons behind it.

"Melissa, this is my mother, Midoriya Inko. Matriarch of home and queen of pork katsudon." The hemomancer tried to inject some humor into his presentation, finding his lover to chuckle at his little joke. His mother's expression did ease a bit, but there was still tension and worry behind her gaze. Seeing some measure of success with breaking the ice, Izuku proceeded with caution and an easy tone. "You both know Mei too."

Mei waved at Inko and showed a cheeky smile to Melissa, the American answering with a toothy grin of her own.

"There is much that I am unaware off, but as far as I know, Melissa and Mei were very important in the efforts to find my location. And we care about each other very much." The vampire pushed through the words, his hands grasping both the girls' hands in a tender hold. Inko glanced at the action, her face a complex mix of emotions that the vampire couldn't place an exact one.

"Izuku…" Inko muttered, an aura of exhaustion emanating from her. "Baby, I know that times have been trying and things have not been easy, but this…" The mature mother pointed to the threesome, words escaping her grasp. "You were always unconventional dear, but relationships are not so simple."

Izuku schooled his features into a stoic mask, still waiting for his mother to continue her speech. Mei – however – wasn't so patient.

"Why?" The pink-haired mechanic's question made the entire group focus their attention on her. She didn't seem intimidated by it one bit, soaking the attention and puffing her large chest.

"What do you mean 'why' Mei-chan?" Inko stuttered, stunned by the boldness of his son's first girlfriend.

"I love Izuku." Mei boldly declared, hugging the vampire's right arm and leaning against his shoulder. "Simple as that. I love him, and I know that he loves me too. I know that Melissa likes him and he likes her too. Why does it need to be more complicated than that?" The question stumped the mother, who looked a bit bewildered that Mei could come up with such a thought process.

"Mei-chan…"

Izuku hoped to use the winds of Mei's bold and swift approach to ride his sail. "Indeed, I love Mei. I also care a lot about Melissa. Things are happening, and it might be confusing, but I want to protect them and keep them by my side. Maybe I am being greedy and selfish…but, this is one thing that I will not budge." The vampire staked his claim, arms then wrapping around the waists of the two girls and bringing them closer together.

Inko was truly stunned under the unusual bout of passion from her son. Izuku was usually such a calm and collected individual, mostly keeping his passions and desires restrained and to himself. So much so that she at one moment worried that her son would have never found anyone to take care of him. Izuku had always been mostly alone, so having a friend – a companion – was something good for him. She had been beyond delighted when Hatsume started visiting them, the duo's budding relationship something that truly warmed the mother's heart.

She got a bit worried when they started having…a deeper physical relationship, but it was clear that they both deeply cared for each and Izuku was rather responsible when it came to these matters. She'd sometimes clean his room, just to remember her of his younger days, only to find the recently bought and empty box of…preservatives (the rubber protection long disposed off). Inko wouldn't shame her son for having…sex, especially if he was taking the proper necessary care. God knew he deserved some happiness in his life.

But it would not do for her son to become some silver-tongued womanizer. She had raised her Izuku better than that!

"Dear, please do consider what your plan here is. Curiosity is one thing, but letting your lust control you into these types of decisions is…" Inko spoke with a careful tone.

Izuku did not let the words offend him, though it was a bit hard not to. This time though, it was Melissa who stepped in.

"Excuse me Midoriya-san, however, this is anything but a decision taken in some sort of wonder-lust." The American girl interjected, her brow firmly furrowed. "I have been battling with these feelings for a long time, trying to suppress them and direct them somewhere else, but I just can't. Izuku is too special for me; he did something that no one else could." Melissa brought one hand to her chest, almost as if feeling for an old wound before she brought it to her neck. "I'm quirkless Midoriya-san, yet Izuku makes me forget that. With him I feel as if I finally found what I was looking for. With him I finally have a place where I can be without remorse." By the end of her spiel Melissa seemed breathless, her voice reflecting the pouring of her emotions.

"Do you know what it is to feel like a stranger anywhere you go?" Melissa finished, firmly grasping Izuku's offered hand and finding comfort in his care.

Inko once more found herself stunned into silence. If this was some hormone-driven lust or casual fling she could have mercilessly cut it off and chastised both sides as brats looking for excuses to expunge their desires, yet when confronted with the truth of the matter, the mother of the vampire couldn't do anything. She wanted to get frustrated with both her son and his mistress lover, yet she could not the words to rebuke the two of them. Even worse, Mei: who was supposed to be her ally in this matter, did not care that her lover was getting involved with another girl.

What was this, some silly harem-themed anime?

Inko tried to toughen her gaze and intimidate her son. He knew this sort of thing was wildly unacceptable in Japan. Why was he trying to pursue such a path? Two-timing, even if consented by both parties, was still two-timing!

Yet her son didn't wither under her gaze. If anything, the vampire's will seemed to be further fortified by her (supposedly) harsh stare.

"Dear, this is…" She tried to appeal to his emotions. And if anything, that weakened her own will.

Izuku always had this dull glint in his eyes. He was by no means inattentive, but the hemomancer never truly had the shine of life into his pupils; he seemed to live through the motions of life, but never to be truly living it as most did. That gaze only seemed to change when her (young at the time) son talked about becoming a hero and mastering his wild quirk. Only then did Izuku change from the seemingly dead-inside kid to something more; that changed when he got with Mei, his eyes shining full of life in her presence.

That same fire now flared inside his orbs. He would not let Melissa go, even if it meant upsetting his own mother.

"Oh dear…" She sighed, unable to maintain the tough persona of a parent any longer. "Are you all aware that you might be judged for this?"

Izuku spoke up. "Just another tally-mark to add to my collection."

Inko grimaced at the statement, rubbing her right wrist, memories of her child's infant years coming back.

Mei then piped up. "Let them talk. I only care about Izuku."

Melissa nodded alongside. "We haven't been together for long, but we will make do." She then thought about something a giggled. "Fufufu, our own little group of misfits."

The Midoriya matriarch took another deep breath. "No matter what I say, you all will just continue, right?" Seeing the group nod to her question, the mother merely shook her head, small hints of amusement tinging her voice. "Of all your father's traits, why his stubbornness?"

The vampire didn't have much – or even wanted – to add to that commentary, so he merely hummed along, massaging the area that his hands cupped around the girls.

Inko then let a small smile split her lips. "If you are decided to make this happen, then I won't interfere." She extended a hand to the teen, Izuku freeing one of his hands to grasp and kiss his mother's offered limb.

"Just…"

He hummed.

"I know. I'll never let anything hurt them." His statement was a quiet thing, but it carried power and authority behind it. Almost as if the teen was making a promise to the universe. If anything were to get in the vampire's way, it would be met with a flash of claws, fang and blood.

The moment would have remained solemn and serious, if not for Melissa's stomach grumbling. It was a cute noise for the vampire, but it caused the American to blush under the group's attention. She shily turned her face around to avoid their looks.

"I didn't have much in the way of dinner yesterday and breakfast is right there." She tried to mount a weak defense.

Izuku and Inko exchanged looks. Mother and son. The matriarch let a smile blossom on her face, while the vampire let his expression warp into one of controlled amusement.

""Shall we eat then?!""

[XXX]

[XXX]

[Kamino Ward General Hospital - 14:22 P.M, Local Time]
[Midoriya Izuku's holding/observation room]

Thankfully after his mother's reluctant acceptance of his relationship status, Izuku had a quiet breakfast with the ladies. It was still a bit awkward and more than once he (imagine that, he being the main speaker) had to be the one to initiate conversations. Still, it was good that his mother was at least supportive of him going forward.

Nonetheless, they had to leave for now. They had already skirted around the visitation hours long enough and there were still matters to be cleared regarding the vampire's state. Medically he had been cleared long ago, but there were still matters at stake and holding him in a hospital was one of the best outcomes possible considering the other alternatives available to him.

Speaking of which, he was currently being visited once more by Detective Tsukaichi and UA's principal Nezu, though there was one addition to the numbers that had Izuku standing with his back firmly straight.

All Might.

Or better said, Toshinori Yagi.

The man no longer possessed the ancient power of eight generations. Izuku did feel somewhat conflicted, aware that deep inside his soul something was taking root that wasn't originally his. The power that had been cultivated and turned the man into Japan's previous Top Ranker and beloved hero. If he were to would allow himself a moment to be poetic, he'd be heavily tempted to call it the seed of peace, [One For All].

"How are you doing, Midoriya?" The detective's voice took Izuku from his thoughts, the teen reminded that they were here to gauge his current state of being and hopefully come up with something that would aid his defense against the HSPC.

He glanced at the lanky frame of the ex-hero, the strange smell that emanated from the man a constant reminder of something strange.

"I'm fine. Ready to return to school as soon as possible." The vampire hoped the answer was neutral enough.

Nezu seemed amused at his response. "Such a fine passion for your studies, Izuku-kun! If only all our students could have the same drive as you." The chimera was also lukewarm with his words, aware that the government could be spying on them at any moment.

"This incident was a tremendous failure in our part and for that I apologize, Young Midoriya." Toshinori offered Izuku deeply apologetic eyes, the feelings wrapped around the hero too intense to properly discern as anything specific. The man did a deep bow, the motion awkward due to his right arm being carried by a sling.

Izuku rapidly waved his hands around, trying to get the hero to quickly stand up. "No sir! Don't worry, things worked out in the end." He might not be a fanboy, but it was hard to not fumble when someone such as All Might was in the room with you, even after all the experiences he had so far. Specially now that Izuku knew more than most about certain specific circumstances.

The group fell into a dull silence, Izuku sensing that something was amiss. A visitation like this meant that either they already had something in mind, or a new development was about to occur. He wondered what his part would be in it.

Detective Tsukaichi broke the ice once more. "I hate to impose this much on you Izuku, we already asked quite a bit of you, but…," the man sighed in frustration, the vampire shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it, Naomasa-san." Izuku interjected. "I'm sure that if it could be done you would have already finished the job." The detective was honored, but Izuku merely spoke the truth. Naomasa's quirk had given the police one of the best tools for the job without being obvious about it. It was hard to know your lies were being uncovered if there was nothing telling you so.

Toshinori was the one to speak up this time. "During my fight against All For One, you were distracting one of his…creations." The hero spoke in a somber and regret-filled tone, the description of the Noumu almost being spat out in disgust.

It wasn't hard for the vampire to jog his memory for the fact. Not when such creature was something that he had become deeply familiar during the length of his stay among the league of villains.

[…]

The [Inner Beast] grumbled deep within the recesses of his mind, demonstrating its displeasure at the memory but remaining mostly quiet.

"We have apprehended the creature." The detective pointed out, the hero nodding along to confirm the statement.

"That's good." Izuku hummed in agreement, though curious as to why the topic was brought up.

Toshinori seemed conflicted, unsure if he were to proceed with the questioning, but he eventually took a few moments to collect his emotions and talk again. "We have…reasonable motives to suspect that said Noumu was built using the…" The hero paused, Izuku noticing that his breathing pattern had picked up, All Might truly unhappy to be speaking about this issue. "…the corpse of my mentor and previous holder of [One For All], Shimura Nana."

Izuku widened his eyes at the ex-hero. He wished to say he was shocked with such news, but something at the back of his mind buzzed with a faint humming. A taste lingered in his tongue, [Blood Echoes] springing forth to his mind and bringing faint flashes of memories that didn't belong to the vampire.

Izuku closed his eyes for a moment, aware that the group's attention was solely focused on him. The truth would come out, be it by his tongue or a few moments later with a simple confirmation between the ex-hero and the detective.

"That is…" The vampire paused. He focused his eyes on Toshinori's frame, the teacher on the verge of something. Izuku wondered for a moment if he should try to formulate another answer, something that would not further hurt the hero at the moment. Yet the idea was discarded. It might be ugly and uncomfortable, but All Might deserved to hear the truth. Even if spoken by his mouth.

"True. Shimura Nana's body was the mainframe of the Noumu that I fought."

His confirmation of the issue hit Toshinori almost like a semi. The hero trembled in his place, unable to say much of substance and holding back a torrent of emotions that radiated and draped around him like a heavy coat.

Izuku himself wasn't sure of what else to say. The usage of Nana's body was a desecration of the highest order, the villain responsible for it not thinking twice before doing such horrendous thing.

…

…

…

And here was yet another ludicrous idea about to be spat out by the vampire as more and more [blood echoes] were translated to him.

"I may be able to bring her back." His words caused a cold silence to build up in the room, Izuku having to firmly clench his jaw shut to prevent a snarl from leaving his gullet as All Might's intensive stare brought forth intense emotion between the two.

"Young Midoriya, please do refrain from stating impossibilities and such thoughtless ideas." The man might not have the bulk and power anymore, but behind those words stood not Toshinori Yagi the frail and burnt-out husk of a man, but the intense will of the Symbol of Peace and pinnacle of strength.

The vampire clenched his jaw shut, his claws having grown into wicked blades to answer the perceived threat, yet deeply buried in the mattress of his bed. "I'm not joking."

More silence reigned in the room, though it was easy to sense the growing discontentment that was sprouting in Toshinori.

Nezu made himself known again, the smart creature clapping his soft paws to gather the group's attention. "Now now, let's not get too heated up. We are still in a hospital and our objectives are to help Midoriya-kun, not get him into further trouble."

Yagi spun around and took to a corner of the room, trying to get his emotions in check while Izuku himself began working on clipping and blunting his claws. He could simply will them to return to normal, but the manual work was more relaxing.

Nezu then spoke once more. "I apologize for Yagi-kun, Midoriya. That matter is a sensitive topic for him, so we ask that you thread a bit more cautiously with it."

"What makes you say such a thing?" Barely had the principal apologized, Toshinori barged into the conversation once more, his emotions clearly distraught.

Izuku glanced at his right hand. He took a deep breath and focused, lightly grasping at the stored power resting neatly alongside the deep recesses of [True Ancestor]. Emerald-green lightning began to lightly build and spark off alongside the vampire's skin, though as Izuku's focus grew the veins of light began to darken into a blood-red tone.

The energy was soon dispersed, the vampire opening his eyes to stare deeply into Toshinori's blue orbs. "[One for All] is a truly mysterious thing. I can feel something…no, I can feel someone lingering inside it. Ever since I first drank your blood sir, there has been a connection between us. At first it was something insignificant, merely a byproduct of my powers; but now I…have full access to it. I am quite sure that I can bring Nana-san back to life."

The ex-hero glanced to his partner, his eyes heavy with emotion and unshed tears. Naomasa had wide eyes, his face displaying a heavy frown.

"Either you are really good at self-suggestion, or…" the detective glanced to his friend, seeing a spark of hope quickly grow inside Toshinori's eyes.

All the adults present in the room were aware that the vampire teen's statement was an absurdity, yet considering all the past events, would it be too far-fetched to say that Izuku could bring back to life someone who supposedly died more than thirty-five years ago? Was such a miraculous thing even possible?

"All the needed requirements that I can think off are present here." Izuku spoke as if reading the minds of the three men. The vampire made a show of putting his closed fist up, raising fingers as he explained his line of thought to the adults.

"The first thing is her body; we have it and the alterations made to it unironically make this process easier. A normal person's body would have long deteriorated, but due to…his meddling, the bio-engineering that messed with her body is what kept it alive for this long." Izuku explained, watching over Toshinori with some apprehension. The teen was trying to be clinical with his words, but no matter how careful he was, it would be impossible to not hurt the ex-hero's feelings on this matter. It was his mentor, the one that nurtured him as best as she could.

Even with the powerful emotions flashing in his eyes, Yagi held it all with his incredible willpower, motioning for Izuku to continue his explanations on the matter. The vampire pushed through.

"The second part is her mind." The vampire pointed to his own head, tapping his temple with his first two fingers. "[One for All] runs through me now, and while it is an extremely powerful quirk, what is our interest at the moment is its ability to Stockpile. It holds a spark of her consciousness, which I can push back in her body through the secondary ability of [One for All], the Passing On part and trigger a sort of jumpstart that should bring her back intact."

Toshinori intensely stared at Izuku, trying to find any hint of falsehood in the teen's words, once in a while the ex-hero would also glance at Naomasa. Seeing that everything Izuku spoke seemed (or at least the vampire believed it) to be truthful, the hero felt a weight in his chest. The possibility of bringing his mentor back…how he wished for such a thing!

"Should bring her back…that means you are still not sure if this mysterious process will work." Nezu brought the cold embrace of reality with his squeaks.

Izuku grimaced. The words of the principal felt like a bucket of cold water dumped on his back, but they were honest. The vampire wasn't sure about any of this, merely banking on what his [blood echoes] were whispering in the back of his mind. The [Inner Beast] also pushed the idea forward, so he presented it as soon as he could.

There was also that deep sense of familiarity that he could sense from the Nana-Noumu (he'd never been good with naming things). [True Ancestor] felt somewhat conflicted; it reminded him of the class-exchange exercise where Monoma managed to use his quirk to temporarily copy his vampirism. However, his quirk also felt some strange sense of satisfaction at the thought of having multiplied. It was this strange sense of familiarity that pushed Izuku to relay the news to All Might.

The vampire closed his eyes, following a small buzzing sensation that tingled at the back of his mind. It felt like trying to pinch a thin length of thread. Still, he persevered and kept trying to tug and coax the length to him.

"My quirk is telling me I can do it." He stated, opening his eyes to focus on the adults. His pupils duly glinted with the forbidden eldritch power, the vampire firm in his stance.

Nezu turned his beady black eyes towards the Symbol of Peace, wondering how the man felt at this revelation. It certainly could not be easy to receive such sudden news, but it could be the release of a burden to the hero.

Toshinori felt a dull pang of pain throb on his wound, his feelings a maelstrom that raged silently inside his own head. The American-themed hero wanted to immediately agree to such event. To apologize a great number of times to his teacher. To plead for forgiveness. Hell, a mere glimpse at those kind eyes and that smile would have soothed all his aches and made the 30+ hard years of hero work all the more rewarding. Yet he could not bring himself to follow through with the request. Was his selfishness that grand that he would take advantage of the work of that hellish man and further desecrate her body like this?

The sting of the villain's words prickled at his memories:

'Shigaraki Tomura is Shimura Nana's grandson!'

His failures came to haunt him: his lack of strength when his mentor needed him the most; his lack of experience when the world needed a pilar to gather behind; his recklessness when facing the villain and receiving a crippling injury; his stubbornness when still trying to present an image he no longer could afford to display; his lack of certainty when it came to choosing a successor to his legacy and the ancient power of [One for All].

He had sacrificed much of his life to be a hero, after all sacrifice for the grander cause was the measure of a hero's worth. Still, he wondered if Toshinori Yagi was allowed to have this small bit of selfishness.

"…c-could…" The hero's voice was but a whisper. Still, it called the attention of the vampire. Toshinori's orbs focused on the vampire's red-tinted slits. The man wondered if someone such as himself should be saying the following words. "Could we try this, Young Midoriya?"

Lightning tingled inside the vampire's spine, almost as if he had been merely waiting for these words to be spoken so that he could act.

"Wait a moment, Yagi!" Naomasa's voice called out, the detective sporting a tight expression on his face. "Should we not run a few more tests on the…Noumu. For the sake of prudency." The policeman pointed out. He knew how much the mentor-figure of Nana meant for Toshinori, so he figured his heightened emotions were interfering in the man's judgement. He valued both the vampire and the ex-hero, but such talks could not be set in stone in such a spur of the moment. It wasn't that he didn't trust Izuku, however currently the teen should be laying low, not gathering more attention to himself with such miraculous actions.

There was some talk in his station that the higher ups had vested interest in the vampire and that the HSPC would soon act.

Toshinori seemed to find the logic in his friend's argument and took a deep breath to calm down. Were Izuku anyone else the teen might have been intimidated by the ex-hero's intense willpower; while the vampire remained placid, other hospital residents might not be so keen to be under the spell of the Symbol of Peace's intent.

"I apologize, my emotions got the better of me." The American-themed hero backed off, looking every bit a chastised dog.

Izuku wanted to say more, but felt that it would not be appropriated to push the issue now. Silence reigned the room again, though this time it was broken far faster than expected, Nezu taking the charge this time.

"So it is safe to assume that you have fully and safely inherited [One for All], Midoriya-kun?" The chimeric being's question was mostly rhetoric, more of a conversation-starter than anything else. Still, Izuku took the offered chance, nodding his head along.

"Yes, it was how I managed to survive…" He stated. The details were a bit hazy and not truly understood, the happenstance nothing short of a miracle. Still, to say that he had "honestly" inherited the power would be a blatantly-naïve statement; [True Ancestor] needed a lot of energy to jumpstart his "resurrection" and while it had gorged itself on the rich and nutritious blood of the Quirk Thief – an amazing feat by itself – it took the cultivated power of eight generations to effectively bring him back. Miracle was downplaying it. The how's and why's were honestly not the priority of the teen.

"We have received news that All for One has been safely transported to the Tartarus Prison and has been secured in the cell with the highest amount of security possible. He has been examined and shows signs of heavy malnutrition and extensive DNA damage. I guess we have to thank your quirk for its efforts." Nezu's words made Izuku recall the events. It wasn't that long, yet the teen felt 10 years older.

"Any word on my release?" The vampire asked again.

Nezu was happy to be the bearer of the message. If it was good news or bad all depended on the vampire's outlook. "The government insists that we maintain you here for a while longer. Some tests, some questions, the usual for this."

The detective added. "Police also wishes to gather more information from the League of Villains. If possible locations, and any other further plans that you might have heard."

Izuku nodded to the requests. There wasn't much that he hadn't said already, but he didn't mind repeating his testimony of the events. Though he could certainly do without the side stare of the Symbol of Peace from the room's corner, the man's emotions tinging his smell with a mix of melancholic longing and a deep sense of shame.

The teen hoped to be released soon. He missed his friends, his own bed, and the normalcy of a common high-school student, even if he was in heroics.

[XXX]

[To be contined]

AU END NOTES

I wanted this one to be a bit larger, but then again it felt like this was the good-enough length for it without making the story drag down to a halt. What do you think? Things are heating up, so let's see how the future goes for the vampire blood god.

Leave reviews and tell me I'm a dip-shit.

Ryujin Maou out!