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To say the internet exploded after the Gold Fighter Incident would be to dramatically understate the reaction.
Within minutes of everything going down videos and clips of the Incident had started making the rounds of video sharing and social media websites, both in Japan and around the world. Not only did this Golden figure appear from nowhere, but he ignored a full power punch from All Might, a punch that levelled an entire block just from the pressure wave, like it was a Tuesday to him, but he then tanked a similar punch from the villain that seemed to pack just as much power! With his stomach!
Those three things alone would have been enough to send the global internet into an absolute frenzy. But then he beat the population of a small city worth of ghosts out of the villain!
People where losing their minds over the speculation! Just who was this guy? What kind of Quirk was that? How did he do any other things he did?
And then in that most deplorable cesspit of the internet that was the imageboards the perpetually online internet detectives gathered their respective brain cells and began scouring all the obscure sources they could for clues. There, in less then twenty four hours of the Incident, someone made a breakthrough. By comparing the appearances of the ghosts to images across the internet they discovered a match, one of the ghosts resembled a long deceased person. Then others joined in and the dam burst, match after match being dug up; everyone from Heroes of the past to regular people where found to match, some where even linked to people who where still alive!
But that thread didn't end there, one those same people was a frequenter of the imageboards and reported that their Quirk, that had mysteriously disappeared had just as suddenly returned!
It wasn't just the internet that couldn't stop talking about the topic; rather predictably, as they always do, news networks the world over derailed all their programming for the express purpose of covering the incident for hours at a time. Guests of all political persuasions and levels of expertise where brought in to discuss and debate the footage, the implications and speculate on the identity of the Gold Fighter. Opinions ranged from condemning him as a reckless vigilante that deserved jail time for getting in All Might's way to those heralding him as an example of a True Hero, the kind that lends their aid to justice because they believe it is what is right, not because it promises fame and fortune.
And it wasn't just the talking heads, political figures, religious leaders and personalities reaching these varied conclusions, over the days that followed it became clear that the entire world had come to some kind of conclusion about the Gold Fighter, even if no one could actually agree on what that conclusion should be.
Hardliners mostly agreed that, even if his actions where good, he was still a vigilante and at the end of the day he should be punished like one, some going so far as to call for his deportation if he wasn't a legal Japanese citizen. Other negative voices called him an inherent danger to society and for his immediate execution for the sake of world peace. Some even claimed he was part of a conspiracy or psyop of some kind to further government control. On the milder end people just thought he set a bad example to the youth.
On the other extreme no less then six fan clubs had sprung up with rapidly growing membership numbers. More religiously minded people had started actively debating whether he was a Saint, some kind of Angel or even the second coming of Jesus, or the equivalents from the various religions world wide. Others simply heralded him as an example of how those with strength should wield it to protect the weak, even if what he did was technically illegal.
Most people however didn't have a strong opinion on the matter. While the topic was definitely fascinating and people couldn't help but be curious about it, at the end of the day it was an era where super powers were common place, and everyone knew All Might was naturally born with his amazingly powerful Quirk. It was simply logical that someone else would appear with a crazy powerful Quirk sooner or later.
In the Galswitch residence, the TV was turned on to someone making a rant about the situation.
"So we got All Might, right? Biggest, baddest superhero in the entire planet and what do we have show up to stop the big bad guy? Some kid who looks like a college or high school dropout who suddenly dyed his hair blonde in a split second and turns into I dunno, Jotaro Jostar and starts pummeling the guy! Who's the real hero here!? I dunno but I think All Might needs to consider a career change if he's gettin shown up by-"
Opherla had heard enough as she sighed, shutting off the TV and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Cults… fan clubs… every news station this side of Earth and probably even to the researchers in Antarctica, did you REALLY have to be a big shot, Liek!? It's gonna be hard enough if the Galactic Patrol comes knocking on our door, but now I've gotta figure out if I need to attend any press conferences on your behalf too! Uuuuugh… I need a migraine pill…" The lycan groaned.
The brunette boy shrugged while rifling through the fridge, "Eh, the Patrol knows not to come knock'n when we're rock'n." He replied dismissively. He came out of the fridge with a curried egg sandwich while tossing a senzu bean to his wife. He then defended himself, "And the kids where getting cocky, thinking they could handle that guy themselves. I figured it was as good a time as any to raise the bar."
"How the HELL are you so passive about all this!?" The wolf Saiyan exclaimed with a expression like 'you f-ing serious!?' as she caught the senzu bean. "Okay, fine, so the kids were in a bad situation but weren't there heroes around to take them home and then you could have bailed out?" Opherla asked. "And set the bar-! SET THE BAR!? Liek, Super Saiyan is WAY above what they're even CLOSE to! We literally have the power to destroy this planet and you think that's a GOAL they should reach!?" The lycan added.
The youth took a bite of his sandwich while looking at his wife. It was normal for her to be the more emotional of the two, he'd always been more quiet when it came to emotions, and that was before he started actively controlling them. Whenever he'd had an emotional outburst in the past he'd regretted his action later. So while others may consider this a heated exchange, this was just healthy discourse for these two, "I didn't start training Izuku with the intent to do things by halves. I want them as strong as we are. And I want them that strong by the time they become adults."
"..." Opherla just sighed as she shook her head, chomping down the Senzu Bean for her migraine as she gulped it down and sighed. "They're kids. Humans no less. You know as well as I do it is hard pressed for Humans to get near our level. Even to the level of the Fury it's hard for them. Do you really think they are capable?" Liek's wife asked.
"Katsuki and Ochako have a natural talent." He replied with certainty, "If they work hard they'll get there eventually." Liek sat down on his side of the couch and added, "Izuku is the key though. The other two drive him forward, giving him the rivals he needs to want to push further then the minimum he'd need to be a Hero. And he is the one that could unlock the way for them to reach power beyond what humans normally could." A conspiratorial smile crossing his face, though it was clear he wasn't going to tell what he had in mind.
"...If you say so." Opherla huffed as she would hop from her chair to the fridge, pulling out a soda and cracking it open.
After eating more of his sandwich the young man asked, "So, why do we have a new daughter?"
"Simple: Her parents were abusive to her." Opherla remarked as she took a sip.
"Mmmhmm…" Liek hummed, "And you didn't settle for alerting CPS, why?"
"Because her parents are master manipulators." Opherla remarked. "To the untrained eye, which unfortunately makes up a large portion of local authorities, they would have twisted and churned their words to make it seem like they were of no wrongdoing. Even the neighbourhood didn't know how badly Himiko was mistreated, and would have likely vouched in favour of her family." The wolf girl responded.
The young man nodded, trusting his wife's assessment. She had grown quite skilled at seeing through other people's fabricated truths a long time, so he knew that if she was saying these things they where true. Pondering the matter for a moment, "Judging from what I saw, and how she acted, I doubt it was physical. She didn't seem frightened of physical interactions, though I did note that she seemed withdrawn despite her friendly behaviour."
"She is so withdrawn because of the emotional part of it. They wanted her to act normal. To never use her Quirk." Opherla explained. "Because they think her Quirk is demonic, I guess. In an extreme point of view, the hunger for blood could be seen like that sure but… it's really a unique Quirk." Opherla remarked with a small smile.
Liek stopped eating and set his sandwich aside as his wife used the word 'demonic.' It struck him visibly and it wiped away his appetite. After a moment he stood and softly said, "I think I need to talk to her."
"What do you mean…?" Opherla asked. "...Oh… I guess demonic was the wrong word… I mean, that's what her family reacted to it as though."
"It's fine." Liek smiled, "But I know how it feels to have those labels thrown my way."
"That is true. Thanks to your mother and all… by the off mentioning real quick, has she been keeping in touch?" Opherla asked.
Liek chuckled, "Yeah. She makes sure to send messages to me at least weekly." he sighed, "And yes, I reply. Wouldn't want her to worry and mobilise an army to look for me for the upteenth time." She did tend to worry, making roping people into searching for him when he went quiet for too long a bit of a running theme.
"Heh, fair enough. Anyways, Himiko should be in the guest room." Opherla would say.
Liek side-eyed his wife, before walking away muttering, "'Guest Room' she says. We both know it's already Himiko's room…"
"What was that, dear?" Opherla asked in a very awkwardly chipper tone… right, wolf ears. Not just for show. And he could feel the agitation radiating.
He ignored it and kept walking, calling back, "Nothing dear!"
"That's what I thought~" The lycan girl giggled.
It didn't take long for the young man to reach the door to the room Himiko was given. Before he'd arrived he had doubled back to the kitchen and retrieved a plain egg sandwich, his reasoning being that eggs were pretty much a universal like but he didn't know how Himiko felt about curry. He stood in front of the door for a moment to collect his thoughts before pressing the button on the wall to alert her to a visitor. A moment passed and he could hear shuffling on the other side of the door.
Another moment passed and he started to worry if there was a problem.
Then, faintly, from the other side of the door he heard, "I… I don't know how to open the door…?"
Blinking owlishly young man looked at the panel on the wall and saw the issue. Snorting he quickly pressed a few buttons on the panel and the language changed from something the girl had never seen before to Japanese. A moment later he heard a triumphant noise from the other side and the door swooshed open. The young blonde looked a bit haggard, clearly still upset about her ideal but also slightly detached from it all. The young man understood right away that she hadn't fully processed all that had happened yet.
Not that he blamed her. Getting discarded by your parents like that was never easy. No doubt a small part of her would always hope that they will see the error of their ways and want her back.
"I figured you would be getting hungry around now, so I brought you food." Liek said softly, showing the sandwich off to make sure she noticed.
"Oh. Um…" Himiko jumped slightly as she noticed the food. She accepted the plate and shyly carried it over to the desk in the room and set it down. Glancing over at the young man nervously she added, "N-normally it's Ms Opherla who brings me food…" She looked away, "I… guess I thought…" She didn't finish her sentence.
Grunting, the young man entered the room and sat down on the bed, looking it over. It wasn't a small room, large enough for the girl to breakdance in the middle, with room to spare,if the mood took her, and that was with a double bed, study desk and a vanity in there. It also featured a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite. That said, it was basically bare. No clothes hung in the wardrobe and no decorations were scattered across the walls. Time would change that, Liek was sure.
"That I didn't like you?" The young man finished for the girl. At her nervous nod he exhaled sadly, "No, it's not that. I've just never been confident about the whole… parent slash older sibling thing." He laughed, "I was an only child raised in the woods. I was one step away from being literally raised by wild animals."
That managed to bring a small smile to the girl's face, "Really?"
"Oh, yeah." He confirmed, "Grandma was full Forest Hermit." A sad smile played across his face as he reminisced.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes, the only noises being the sound of Himiko chewing on the sandwich, both lost in their own thoughts for a while until Liek broke the silence again, "The way your parents treated you was wrong. What they said was wrong." He looked the girl in the eye as he spoke.
It took a moment for the girl to respond, and when she did she simply nodded.
Liek rose from the bed only to kneel in front of Himiko and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I can… I can relate." He started, making sure he used the right words. He hadn't gone through what she had, but he did suffer something similar. Still, his statement drew Himiko's undivided attention. "My mother is a bonafide Demon. That's not me being mean either. I mean literal depths of the Underworld Demon." He paused, letting the girl have time to process the fact he was completely serious. "Throughout my life people have made assumptions, they looked at a part of me I had no choice in being born with and the stereotypes that come with it and just… decided I was going to be a bad person because of it."
"Opherla has had some of the same. We're both half-Saiyan. And Saiyans were known as… really bad people. They would invade worlds and kill everyone on them… just for the challenge." Liek continued, "And when people realised we were both half-Saiyan… that reputation was cast on us too…"
He looked at the girl with determination and said, "But we never let that define us. We never let our bloodlines determine who we wanted to be, who we became." He gave the girl a light shake, "And you should do the same! It's your Quirk! Your power! You, and only you, define how it's used! Only you define who you are going to be!"
"Mister Liek…" Himiko mumbled softly, placing her hand on his hand that was on her shoulder, "Do… Do you really think so? Can… Can I really?"
"Of course you can!" Liek replied with a smile, "And we'll be right there with you, the whole way! We'll learn all there is to know about your Quirk, and we'll support you in whatever path you choose to take in life!"
The girl rose from her chair only to crouch down and wrap her arms around Liek, whole returned the hug awkwardly, "Thank you…" She whimpered, "Thank you…" This wasn't the first time Himiko had been given encouragement since Opherla brought her here, the wolf girl hadn't been shy about being positive with her. But hearing it from Liek carried a different weight, a weight that made the words more tangible to the girl.
Outside the room, that same wolf-girl was leaning against the wall next to the door, having been listening in to the entire conversation. With a smile she walked off back down the hall, knowing it would be a long road for Himiko, but she was now willing to start walking it.
The blonde giant couldn't keep his mind off what he'd seen on that day when the Gold Fighter had intervened. It wasn't how the boy paid no mind to the Number One's most powerful punch sending a wave of pressure past him, it wasn't how the boy had taken All for One's attack like it was nothing. It wasn't even the Golden form he took or the attack he used to literally slap the Quirks out of All for One that had the man so preoccupied. It was what he saw, or, rather who he saw, among the ghosts knocked out of the Villain of Villain's.
How could he ever forget that sleeveless, form-fitting costume, fitting tightly to her massively muscular body? That billowing cape? That straight, dark hair and those sharp eyes… or the smile and wave she gave him before fading away into wisps that scattered on the wind?
He was snapped from his musings by a slap to the side of his head. Grunting he looked over at the one who had hit him and cringed at the cranky old man, "Wake up you damned fool!" The old man, clad in a white and yellow costume growled at him, "How are we supposed to sort this mess out if our key witness is off daydreaming!"
"S-Sorry, Gran." All Might whined before turning his attention back to the present.
Looking around the man brought his mind back to the present, to who was in the room and to why they were all there. This was probably the biggest debriefing meeting to be held by the Hero community in years outside of a major operation. At it all tied back to the actions of the Gold Fighter and his own battle against All for One.
The lead up to the entrance of the Gold Fighter had already been covered, with All Might going over how things had started, and how they escalated to the point that several blocks had been severely damaged. He glanced over at the two lowest ranked Heroes in the room, Backwards Man and Tiger Girl, who had just wrapped up their explanation of how and why they were on the scene when everything went down. The poor youths were practically sweating bullets and shivering in their chairs as they had addressed those present. The Number One couldn't blame them, he still got nervous even after so long on the job, they had both only recently debuted.
Considering that the other seven active Heroes present were all top listers in the National charts, and of the four non-active Heroes or non- Heroes present two included the newly appointed Principle of UA and the President of the Hero Public Safety Commission. It was small wonder that the two triple digit ranked Heroes were more than a little stressed about being there.
"Unbelievable." A gruff voice across the room scoffed, the blazing beard of Endeavour stood out across the room as he sat with his arms folded and a sneer across his face. He scowled, "Are we really to believe that this villain was even close to you?" He didn't want to admit it aloud, but he knew he couldn't match All Might blow for blow. But after that Toxic Chainsaw incident earlier in the year he was fairly sure there wasn't a villain in existence that could match the Blonde Moron.
The green and blonde haired man at All Might's other side frowned while adjusting his glasses. He wanted to retort, finding the one sided rivalry between Endeavour and All Might to be a waste of time, but he was cut off by his mentor. "He was no ordinary villain Endeavour." The Number One responded, "That was…" He paused and cast glances at three people in the room. The first was to Gran Torino and the second to Sir Nighteye on either side of him, receiving nods, with the third being cast at one of the non-Heroes in the room, Detective Naomasa, who also nodded, but more cautiously, causing the blonde Hero's gaze to linger. Nodding internally he inhaled before doing the one this he didn't think he'd be doing a month ago, "That was the long rumoured Quirk Thief, All for One."
Everyone who wasn't of the four in the know froze for a second as they stared at All Might.
The eyes of Nezu, Principle of UA, sparkled with a terrifying glint while the President of the HPSC tented his fingers and furrowed his brow. Ectoplasm and Yoroi Musha just looked dumbfounded, as the younger Heroes, Ingenium and Lady Nagant looked somewhat confused. Backwards Man and Tiger Girl looked like they'd burnt out and were't actually following along.
Endeavour was furious and slammed his fists on the table, "ARE SERIOUS?! FIRST A CHILD MAKES A MOCKERY OF OUR LAWS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU AND NOW YOU START SPOUTING FAIRY TAILS?!"
"It's no fairy tail." Detective Naomasa replied. Everyone knew he had a lie detecting Quirk, so if he vouched for a story it was either true, or the person talking thought it was. The Walking Inferno grunted dismissively and sat down heavily.
Sir Nighteye followed up by adding, "He's known by many aliases in the Underworld. Not the least of which is 'Sensei.'" That was a name most of the people in the room did recognise, almost as well as they did the stories of the Quirk Thief. Only this 'Sensei' was much more grounded and something many of them had come across in their larger jobs.
"I know how it sounds, but it's the honest truth." All Might sighed, "Everything I've done, every hour of study and training, all the time in America. Every life I've saved and villain I've taken down. It was all in anticipation of that fight. It was a fight I knew would come one day." He wasn't going to tell everyone everything, just the minimum, "My… a mutual friend of myself and Gran Torino helped me get started, and warned me about that man. She helped me get started… and sacrificed herself to ensure I lived long enough to make it through UA. He was the one who killed her."
The room was silent. Even Endeavour had the grace not to interrupt.
"From what I was told All for One is both the name of the villain and his Quirk. He was an exceptionally greedy man who stole the Quirks of anyone he could, or wanted. Rumour has it he even stole the Light Quirk from the first person to ever have a Quirk." All Might continued.
"But…" Ingenium, also known as Tensei Ida, the youngest Hero present to have his own agency, asked, "Wouldn't that make him over a hundred years old? Two hundred even?"
All Might nodded, but it was Nighteye that replied, "It's not without reason to assume he acquired some kind of longevity Quirk from someone." The sharp eyed man fiddled with the stamp in his hand, "With all we know of Quirks, one that prolongs the lifespan seems rather simple, doesn't it?"
No one present had an argument for that.
The HPSC President sighed, "So he's been alive for who knows how long, gathering thousands of Quirks? I can't even imagine what else he's been up to."
"Pick a criminal activity." Gran grunted grumpily, "The bastard probably had a finger in the pie in something like it at least once." He sighed, "Though he did have a vendetta against cults and sex trafficking, far as we could tell."
Naomasa then followed that up by saying, "We can't confirm anything, but based on my own investigations, and those of my predecessors in the know, he did have connections to all kinds of legitimate businesses and was the benefactor to several major charities. Though we assume those were all for money laundering purposes." The detective then added, "With everything he may have been involved in, calling him the Emperor of the Global Underworld wouldn't be an exaggeration."
"Great…" Backwards Man whined from his seat, where he was hunched over and sweating bullets, "The Anti-All Might…"
"That's…" Ingenium swallowed, "Terrifyingly accurate…"
"So." Ectoplasm spoke up for the first time, "A cunning foe who could match All Might blow for blow. One that the rest of us would be hard pressed to defeat even if we worked together…" He paused before saying, "And then the Gold Fighter appeared."
The HPSC President pressed a button on a remote and the projection system changed from displaying the fight between All Might and All for One to the moment Liek had intervened, right after All for One's punch. The pressure wave flying out was even visible.
"I'm not confident I could have taken that attack, honestly." All Might admitted. He'd never say something like that to the general public, but in this private meeting? He wasn't afraid of letting his fellow Heroes know he wasn't invincible. "If it had I would probably be in a hospital right now, down half my organs."
As everyone in the room stared at him he added, "And, honestly, at that point I was going for the kill as well." The admission shook everyone in the room, even Endeavour. The very idea of All Might, the one hero with a spotless capture rate with no lethal takedowns, admitting he was at the point where lethal force was an option? It sent chills down their spine.
Nezu was visibly on the point of giggling. No one wanted to know what was running through the demented super intelligent creature's mind. Setting his tea down, not wanting to spill it with his vibrating, "And that boy stopped it with seemingly no effort." It was as much a statement of fact as an ominous warning of the unrelenting curiosity the animal felt about the boy.
With all the new context supplied by All Might about the threat this All for One had posed the President of the HPSC felt a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck as he cast a glance over towards Lady Nagant. The purple haired woman understood what the President was silently asking and subtly shook her head. Prior to today neither had thought she could do anything about All Might if he'd gone bad, and if she stood no chance against him then using her to stop the Gold Fighter seemed even less likely to work.
Endeavour growled in his seat, squeezing his biceps in impotent rage. It was bad enough that All Might kept outdoing him, always one step ahead no matter how hard he trained or worked. But now this BRAT came out of nowhere and outdid them both? It was infuriating! "So we're saying he's stronger than All Might?" His rage was naked in his tone.
The HPSC President changed the slide to show Liek on one half after he had transformed into his golden haired Super Saiyan form. Not that anyone present knew that name. The other half showed the moment All for One had grabbed Liek's face.
"...He was stronger when he did this, wasn't he?" Yoroi Musha sighed in exasperation. This meeting was making retiring and focusing on his family more and more inviting.
All Might nodded, "Based on how thick the air felt and how it was blowing against me, yes. He was a lot stronger."
"Makes a hell of a statement." Gran chuckled, "As far as flashy Quirks go, that's the flashiest I've ever seen!"
The President of the HPSC couldn't deny that. Under normal circumstances he'd have loved to seek out and recruit this boy, this was exactly the kind of flashy, marketable Quirk the HPSC could use to gain more political clout! It would work perfectly for lights of all shapes and sizes too! But, alas the boy was a vigilante. But then again, if they could convince the boy he could just launch a vigilante reform program for the express purpose of adding him to their roster.
It was Lady Nagant who spoke up next, "Why is that All for One guy grabbing his face?" It hadn't occurred to anyone in the room that Liek had allowed All for One to grab him. Right now most of them just assumed the Gold Fighter's Quirk was some kind of flashy invulnerability Quirk. Not one of them letting the fact he didn't turn Golden until after being hit, which worked against almost everything they knew about Quirks, stop them from reaching that original conclusion.
"That's how he steals Quirks." Gran Torino replied, having seen it happen and narrowly escaped having it happen to him in the past.
Everyone was quiet for a moment at the implication… until one person put the pieces together, "...Wait… but nothing happened?" Tiger Girl realised.
All Might nodded, "Correct." He then knitted his fingers together, resting his chin on his hands, "Like there was no Quirk there for him to steal…"
That was the record scratch moment.
The notion that someone, anyone, could be that strong, strong enough to weather city block levelling punches like it was nothing, not to mention the warping and slapping stolen Quirks out of someone they hadn't discussed yet, just made no logical sense to the gathered attendants. Not even Gran Torino, Sir Nighteye, who had prepared for this meeting with All Might could fathom such a thing! It was unnatural! It was ridiculous! And yet the evidence existed!
They then watched the footage of the boy seemingly casually slapping All for One's arm away. As the footage played on a loop, Backwards Man had to look away, looking a little green. The flopping of the limb was too much for the Speedster.
Naomasa read from the report, "It has been confirmed that the bones in All for One's arm were shattered and would need extensive rehabilitation to recover. Even then, the examiners report that the limb would never regain full mobility without specialist medical care and a bone reconstruction Quirk."
Even All Might could hardly wrap his head around doing that kind of damage with such a casual action. And he lived in that kind of world, constantly having to restrain himself so he didn't accidently hurt people while just strolling down the street. For everyone else the concept was mind bending. No one could think of anything to say so the meeting moved on.
More footage played, this time of the Gold Fighter using palm strikes on All for One and the stream of ghosts that seemed to be knocked out of him. At this point, despite them all having seen the events, in person or the footage, a half dozen times, pretty much everyone in the meeting had almost given up on understanding what they were seeing.
Heaving a heavy sigh Endeavour grunted, "Fine, I'll bite. What are we seeing?" It was clear from his tone he was expecting to hear something baffling and insane as everyone speculated. And, honestly, he had no ideas.
"Online rumours seem to have settled on a theory." Nezu supplied, "Based on the collective investigations of anonymous imageboard users it is theorised that the 'ghosts' are people who had their Quirks stolen. This is supported by dozens of old photographs found from across the internet of people who seem to match the appearance of some of the ghosts." The UA Principle tapped a few keys on his laptop and several of the matching images appeared on the main monitor for all the see.
The HPSC President side eyed Nezu. He didn't remember giving him access to the network…
Endeavour deadpanned, "...You have got to be kidding me."
Shaking his head All Might interjected, "I believe it. I'm confident one of the Ghosts was none other then my late Mentor." The admission caused Gran Torino's head to snap in his direction with wides before the old man slumped in his seat, his head down.
"...Nana…" The old man whispered sadly.
"So…" Ingenium mumbled before regaining some momentum to his voice, "So he slapped the stolen Quirks out of him?!" His mind boggled as he imagined what would happen if this Gold Fighter decided to turn a power like that on the general populace. He could imagine that Humarise cult salivating at the thought of recruiting him. To a lesser extent he could see the less radical elements of the Creature Rejection Clan seeing him as a means to an end to achieve their goals without killing.
"Unfortunately, we can't confirm any of that." Naomasa replied solemnly, "All for One was pronounced dead at the scene. Initial examinations could not determine cause of death, the final blow from the Gold Fighter did damage his spin but it should not have been fatal, based on the x-rays." The detective leafed through his papers, "The coroner was set to do a full examination before today… but the body disappeared in the two days between the initial examination and the coroner's arrival."
THAT got everyone's attention. Endeavour and All Might both leapt from their chairs, smalling their fists on the table and yelled in unison, "WHAT?!"
The Number One couldn't believe it, "How could this have happened?!"
The Number Two roared, "WHERE THE HELL WERE THE GUARDS?!"
The HPSC President sighed, "The guards were assigned by the HPSC. I assure you a thorough investigation is underway." He then held up a hand when he saw the inevitable question coming, "No, it is not an internal investigation. At the time we thought the matter merely connected to the Gold Fighter, and that was significant enough to merit outsourcing the investigation. Doubly so now that we know who we're dealing with." The last thing the President wanted was the bad press from an internal investigation coming back with a 'we did nothing wrong.' Better to have regular law enforcement come back with that result. The President then added, "I believe it is Naomasa's department heading the investigation."
The blonde Number One slumped back into his chair. "Dammit…" He muttered, his fists trembling. They had been so damn close to finishing everything! Even if he hadn't been the one to do it, All for One would have been dealt with; either in prison for the rest of his life or dead. Either way things would be done and over, and he didn't care if it was him who did it or the Gold Fighter, at least it would be over. But now his body was missing. There was no possible way to put a positive spin on anything that could mean.
Before anyone could really consider the implications further a silver haired young woman scurried into the room. "Sorry!" She declared as she rushed over to the meeting desk, her blue eyes scanning over the gathered attendees quickly before locking onto Nezu. Her blue and black jacket shuffled as she quickly walked over to the Quirked animal, her sheathed sword bouncing off the black fabric covering her legs as she walked. Panting slightly from her rushed movements, and sweating nervously in such prestigious company she handed a data pad to the UA President, "I have that report you wanted!"
The young woman had only recently started her career but had been struggling to find an agency that suited her, and since Nezu hadn't officially shut down his agency yet, the Principle had hired her as a sidekick, even if she did most of the field work.
The fuzzy creature blinked, "Oh? Thank you, Azure Blink." Looking at the report he added, "But we're discussing the Gold Fighter right now, couldn't this have waited?" The report was about a reported kidnapping. A very public kidnapping involving a flashy Quirk.
Gulping the recently graduated UA Alumni replied, "Y-You see, Sir. I think they're connected."
And there was the other reason Nezu took her under his wing.
"Oooh?" Nezu grinned internally, he oh so loved puzzles, especially when he saw his students putting the pieces together on their own. He gave her a subtle nod, signalling for her to speak loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Two reasons sir." Azure replied, "The first, the description of the supposed kidnappers Quirk. She apparently turned Golden and had light and wind flowing out of her." That alone was enough to get everyone present's attention. That was certainly an interesting connection between the two incidents. The young woman continued, "The second is my Quirk, sir." She looked at the others gathered and explained, "I can sense the relative strength and movements of those around me without having to see them. The closer the more accurately I sense them, down to the minute details. My investigations revealed that both individuals changed to their Golden Forms at almost the exact same time, down to the second. At that exact time I sensed two powers more intense than anything I've ever seen before appear at the same time, in the locations of both events."
Yoroi Musha shook his head, "This getting out of hand!" Retirement was looking more and more attractive to the ageing Hero, "Now there are two of them!"
"ARE YOU F-" Endeavour started to blow up before being cut off.
"I AM HERE! AS A PHONE CALL! I AM HERE! AS A PHONE CALL!" Everyone stared at All Might, who had the grace to blush as he pulled out his phone. He was about to deny the call and put his phone on silent when he noticed the number. It was a combination of numbers that made no sense to be from a normal number. In the end his curiosity won out and he answered, despite the disapproving looks.
"...Hello? This is All Might."
"Hey All Might!" A voice the giant man only just recognised came through the phone, "Sorry for calling during your meeting, but I figured this was actually the perfect time to sort some things out!"
"Wait…" The giant thought, and then the pieces fell in place, "You! You're the Gold Fighter!" As he spoke he fumbled on the phone and put the call on speaker.
"Yeah, that's what they're calling me!" Liek replied, "Look, I know you're in a meeting. I can sense everyone around you, so if I'm not on speaker you should change that." He paused, everyone present assuming he was waiting for All Might, "So anyway, we got to sort some things out. First, I want to apologise for stepping in on that fight."
Well, that was something.
"Uh… Sure. No problem." All Might shrugged, "But vigilantism is a crime."
"Doesn't that only apply if someone has a Quirk?" Liek replied, earning an annoyed look from Naomasa. He wasn't entirely wrong, the word of the law did specify the use of Quirks in the anti-vigilantism laws and no Quirkless had ever stepped up to try and be a vigilante as far as he could recall. Then the Gold Fighter continued, "I hadn't intended to step in originally. I only planned to keep things from getting out of hand, but staying in the shadows the whole time. But then my students disobeyed my order to go home, then they got cocky thinking they could fight that Multi-Quirk guy… I couldn't just sit by, with them not realising how much they had left to learn!"
Nezu laughed, "Well, I, for one, can sympathise with that, one educator to another."
The HPSC President tried to interject but was cut off when Liek said, "You know what, this phone call thing isn't working for me." They heard muffled talking on the other end of the line before Liek spoke again, "We'll be there to talk in person in a second!"
Lady Nagant blinked, "Wait… what does that mean?" Asking the question they were all wondering as the phone call ended.
"Exactly what it sounded like." Liek replied from right in front of them, causing everyone present to jump in shock.
There he stood, the Gold Fighter himself, casual as he pleased. He looked like a mere teenager clad in a black and red jacket, a white shirt and red pants with black boots and gloves. His brown hair looked like a barely upkept mess and his blue eyes had an almost lazy lilt to them. One hand was in his pants pocket while the other was held up in a casual wave.
"And he's not alone." A second voice rang out, as next to him was the red haired wolf that was Liek's wife, dressed just as casually, in a black leather jacket over her red sports bra, as her look was completed with a pair of black pants and black boots. Her red hair was nicer than Liek's for sure, but she still looked just as casual, as she smiled at everyone.
Her presence certainly explained why the Gold Fighter has said 'we.'
"Wait… you're the kidnapper from my report!" Azure remarked as the swordswoman's eyes widened.
"There we go with those accusations…" Opherla sighed, knowing they were coming sooner or later.
Immediately all the Heroes were on guard. The act of warping in alone was enough to set off their instincts to get ready for a fight, but the added fact that this was the mysterious Gold Fighter and an accused kidnapper with the same Golden transformation ability? Instant High Alert from all of them.
"Wha-!? Whoa whoa whoa, what gives!?" Opherla exclaimed as Azure's Quirk surrounded Opherla with ethereal blades.
"It should be clear. Vigilantism is bad enough but kidnapping a child from her own family?" The UA graduate swordswoman remarked. "Neither one of you are standing on good grounds right now."
"Okay but can I at least explain my part of that story or are you all going to arrest me on the spot here?" Opherla asked.
"Everyone has a right to a fair trial. You can explain there." Tiger Girl remarked firmly. "We will listen to the Golden Fighter because he saved those children, but you? You're just a kidnapper, we'll apprehend this moment." The feline hero added with a small snarl to her voice.
The young man scratched the back of his head casually, his stance seemingly relaxed, but the subtle shift in his neck muscles told the veteran Heroes he was one wrong move from going on the attack, something the junior Heroes missed. He countered with a dismissive tone, "Is taking a child from an abusive home really kidnapping? If so, shouldn't you be out arresting CPS?"
"Wha?!" Tiger Girl growled angrily.
The Principle of UA hummed for a moment before calling out, "I, for one, would like to know what the young man means by that." his question drew the attention of all those in the room. The two intruders looked towards the diminutive fuzz ball before each making an observation.
"Is that a talking mouse?" the lycan asked with wide eyes. It took all her self control not to rush over and start snuggling the Quirked animal.
Liek rubbed his chin, "I'm more inclined towards Quokka."
Nezu blinked and looked at the boy, "I'm sorry, that's a new one?"
"It's a small marsupial native to Rottnest Island off the coast of Western Australia." The boy supplied.
"Most intriguing." The rodent muttered before filing that away for later, "Now tell me, what did you mean by taking a child from an abusive home?"
"Her parents were emotionally abusing her because of the nature of her Quirk." Opherla explained, "We aren't fully aware of all your laws, but at a guess we would think knowingly lying on a Quirk registration would be a crime."
"The Quirk in question also seems to have a dietary requirement attached to it." Liek continued the explanation. The Junior Heroes started to back off as they presented the accusations, which were indeed very serious claims. As they did so the boy released some energy from his hand and a pair of chairs materialised behind the two intruders.
Azure Blink frowned, "The child in question, Himiko Toga, her Quirk is registered as Cat-like. It only applies to a few minor physical features like her eye and teeth, according to the registration." She said weakly.
The red haired lycan scowled, her anger rising, "It's not." She stopped when her husband placed his hand on her shoulder. His soft, warm smile quieting her.
"We aren't sure of the full capabilities of her Quirk since we've not had a lot of time or resources to work with." Liek explained, "What we do know for certain is that the effects are based around blood. Her teeth are more effective at biting through flesh, her saliva has both antiseptic and minor anaesthetic properties and she can take on the characteristics of those she drinks blood from. Though that last part we haven't tested on anyone but ourselves with… inconsistent results." As the boy laid out what they knew the gathered people looked puzzled, "We also learned that she physically needs to consume blood regularly or she starts to suffer adverse reactions." But the boy didn't just use words to make his argument, he tossed a folder on the table along with a data drive. He elaborated, "We recorded all our findings in there."
Naomasa was the one to grab the folder first and started reading through it. As he read his brow furrowed more and more. After a moment he looked at the two intruders, the boy looking no more then sixteen to him and the girl all of eighteen. "Are you sure you wrote this?" He shook his head, "I've seen doctors who aren't this thorough."
"No, we didn't." Liek replied, "I'm amazing." He joked, "But not that amazing. No, we had our computer write it for us based on the collected data."
Nezu vibrated, "AI has come a long way hasn't it."
"...It's not…" Liek glanced at his wife, silently asking a question. When she nodded he nodded back and dropped the bomb, "It's not Earth made."
You could have heard a pin drop.
"Are you saying…?" Ectoplasm asked, the question lingering for a moment as no one was willing to finish it. No one wanted anyone else to know what they were thinking about what the answer could be.
Were these two from a long lost space colony that was forgotten about due to the advent of Quirks? Were they from the future? Surely they couldn't be aliens! That was just silly.
"We're aliens." Liek bluntly confirmed.
Sighing, Opherla added, "It's a little more complicated than that… well, a lot more complicated then that." She threw a look at her husband and tried to explain, "But to keep things simple we were both born on other planets and ended up on Earth as babies. We were raised by humans and care deeply for this world."
"Opherla here was raised by a pretty normal Earth family." Liek took over the explanation, "Mum, Dad, siblings. You get the idea. She's been steeped in Earth culture for as far back as she can remember. I was raised in the woods by a Lady Hermit who… had been through some things. I was raised in a mix of outdated Earth culture and an alien culture that I identify with more strongly. It's that alien culture that built the ship and computer that printed that report."
"Did you say 'ship'?" Nezu asked with a grin that sent dread chills down the spine of all the human's present. The HPSC President frantically motioned his hand over his neck while shaking his head looking terrified from behind the rodent.
"No you can't see it." Liek cautiously replied to the Quirked animal's vexation.
"So, you're aliens." Endeavour scoffed, "Is that where your power comes from?"
"No." Liek replied curtly.
"That's from hard work." Opherla interjected. Clearly neither of them was fond of the fiery man's attitude. Their flippant attitude towards him only earning his ire.
Before they got too off track Liek raised a hand, "As much as I'd love to go over all the details of our origin, that's not why we're here." He leaned back and continued, "Our concerns are two fold, the first being securing the well being of Himiko. We will take full responsibility for her care, well being and raising her to be a fit and functional member of society. However, to do that we need legal identities and to be registered as her legal guardians. We can't exactly enrol her in school in our current circumstance. To be clear, we intend to adopt her one way or the other, at least this way it won't result in… difficulties in the future."
While just about everyone present realised he was implying potential future issues, the only two who really understood were Nezu and the HPSC President. They realised he didn't mean difficulties with him, but rather with the aliens he got an advanced ship from.
Rubbing his chin the HPSC President groaned, "I'll have to call in favours and pull strings… but I can work something out…" he frowned as he looked the boy in the eye, "But that raises the question of why should I put that effort in?" He knew the answer, he just wanted to know if the boy would say it.
"Our opinions carry a great deal of weight with those that built our ship." Liek replied.
There it was, plain and direct confirmation. They were dealing with more than just a pair of children. While it was possible that these two were just a pair of rogue children with no real political power with their people, if these two were as strong as suspected he did not want to see what an adult could do if he pissed them off. And if they did have political power he didn't want to go down in history as someone who screwed up First Contact.
"Very well." the President grunted, "I will see it done." Inwardly he was cheering, he had not expected this when he got up in the morning, but he was thrilled to think that he was laying the groundwork for relations between humanity and an alien species. Surely his name would go down in history!
"If the information you have provided is true, then it is unlikely Himiko Toga's parents will be able to retain custody." Naomasa confirmed, having passed the folder over to Nezu who was the only other person in the room who could understand it. "Do you have any other information about that case?"
"She said her parents took her to two Quirk councillors." the red lycan replied, "The first confirmed the blood consumption requirement. According to her, her parents were upset with that and took her to another who said she didn't need blood after her parents spoke to him."
"Hm, nothing they have said has been a lie." Naomasa observed. He could tell they were being cagey about their origins, but everything about Himiko was pure honesty. The honesty was why he was letting the caginess go. So far the potential charges against Himiko's biological parents would be very hefty, the child abuse from denying a Quirk-related dietary requirement would have any other children removed, level a hefty fine and carried potential jailtime. The falsification of government records could see them spending several years in prison for the lightest sentence, both for the parents and the Quirk councillor. "We will need to verify all this independently, of course. No doubt we'll have your cooperation?" Both intruders nodded, satisfying the detective.
Nighteye scoffed and shook his head. "To think such disgraceful excuses for parents still exist." He put voice to what most in the room were thinking.
Even Endeavour was disgusted. He may have been a Quirk eugenics abusing bastard, but there were lines he wouldn't cross. It was the acknowledgement of the realities of his eldest son's Quirk that lead to his vehement insistence on him ceasing his training. He'd have insisted Touya cease training even if Shoto hadn't been born with the perfect Quirk.
Nezu stroked his chin before looking at the HPSC President and commenting, "Wouldn't their age cause problems for any potential adoption?" Not being human himself he wasn't familiar with the ins and outs of the adoption system given it was far from his usual expertise. Sure, as an educator he would be obliged to report any suspected abuse to the authorities, but that was typically as far as his involvement went.
"Hmm." The President grunted in ascent, "Those who hold Hero Licences, provisional or otherwise, are considered legally adults." He looked at the pair and sighed, "Putting them through the usual system would take too long for them to be able to secure Himiko's adoption." He rubbed his chin in thought, "But if they completed a crash course they may be able to pass the mid-year exam?"
"UA would be happy to provide the educational service." Nezu replied jovially, both Principal and President thinking of the potential benefits of having these two aliens being tied directly to them, both in terms of political clout, but in terms of the benefit they represented as potential Heros.
Endeavour scoffed, "BAH! They come in making demands and we just hand them everything on a silver platter? Are we so weak as to let these upstarts walk all over us?"
"We didn't come here expecting handouts." Opherla protested as Liek pulled out a pouch from his pocket. Opening the pocket his free hand started glowing and seventeen beans, of all things, floated out of the bag, drifting towards the attendees before settling on the table in front of them, one each, except for Gran Torino and Yoroi Musha who got two.
"These are Senzu Beans. An extremely rare plant that is exceedingly difficult to cultivate. There are maybe a half dozen places able to grow them in the Milky Way Galaxy." Liek explained, "And their healing capabilities are second to none. They can bring someone back to full health and stamina, even if that person was on the brink of death. They don't work on things that cause a natural death, like viruses, though." He then looked at the two oldest Heroes with a knowing smirk and added, "They work great on aches and pains too."
Gran rolled his eyes, "Eh? So that's why you gave us two? So us old codgers can show they work?" At Liek's nod the old man sighed and looked at his peer in age. Yoroi looked apprehensive, even with his helmet on, but also curious. As the Equipped Hero started to reach for the extra bean he was given, Gran spoke again, "Let me." At Yoroi's curious look he elaborated, "You've got a family to worry about. I've not got those worries." Before anyone could protest the old man tossed his extra bean in his mouth and chowed down with an audible crunch.
There was a pause and then "HOT DAMN!" The old man sprung up and started dancing around on his chair, "I haven't felt this spry since I was a boy!" He then performed a series of stretches the others present never imagined they would see an old man manage, "HEH! It even fixed my back!"
"Un… Unbelievable!" All Might stammered, putting voice to what everyone was thinking. The only one in the room who hadn't thought the kid was exaggerating had been Naomasa, and he'd been half convinced his Quirk was on the fritz! Everyone present looked down at the beans and more than a few of them started to contemplate eating theirs for themselves.
"I wasn't kidding about the difficulty cultivating them." Liek warned, "As it stands I've given you half our supply for the month." Those words got everyone's attention again. The admission surprised them at first, but at the same time it made sense. Seemingly magic beans with near impossible restorative powers were not something one should expect to be abundant. "These ones are our way of paying for the work it will take to get Himiko into our custody and securing our legal existence in this country." the young man then added, "That said, we can't give more away then we already have." He smiled, "That said, it could be negotiated in future trade relations."
Everyone was knocked for a loop with that remark, "What do you mean?" Nighteye asked, managing to recover the quickest.
"We hadn't intended to take the mantle when we came here." the brunette alien explained, "But with how things have played out, it's a mantle we bear nonetheless." He gestured to Opherla before holding her hand, "As of today you can consider us the de facto representatives of the Holy Fury Empire. A nation that spans the stars, and looks forward to peaceful relations."
"And from this day onwards, may we move on forward in prosperity, success, and utmost joy and harmony between us in this alliance." Opherla smiled at them all.
Pale red eyes snapped open as a massive man gasped for breath before grunting in pain. His sudden awakening hadn't given him time to assume his usual level of self-control and composure, so the uncharacteristic vocalisation at the stinging coming from his arm and back had escaped him. Regaining himself the men looked at the damaged limb, wrapped and almost entirely immobilised by a cast, his back was also immobilised, but he wasn't restrained. Making a noise of derision he glanced around with blurred vision. What had happened to him?
Last he remembered he had been fighting that buffoon, All Might. And then… yes, that BOY had appeared and stopped his Ultimate Combination of Quirks with seemingly no effort! If someone had boasted they could perform such a feat he'd have laughed in their face as he stole their Quirk and killed them, slowly. Then he had tried to do just that, steal the brat's Quirk… and found nothing… and then…
Panic gripped him as he searched within. His breath hitched before accelerating, the damn machines around him beeping incessantly as he started to scream in fury. They were were all gone! Well, not all, but most of them! His Quirks! His collection! Two hundreds years of work, scattered to the wind by a BRAT who looked barely old enough to shave!
"Master! Calm yourself!" He heard a voice, old and familiar, his mind connected the dots, it was Doctor Kyudai Garaki, his oldest ally and servant. He also registered the Quirk he had acquired from the old man was still present within him. That triggered an analysis of his other remaining Quirks and found the commonality between them all, every one was freely given to him by their original owner.
"Doc… tor…" One for All grunted as he regained some semblance of control. Now he remembered, the brat had defeated him, landing a blow that would have knocked him unconscious. But one of the remaining Quirks, it was one he had kept prepared for a moment like this, to avoid capture. False Death, freely given by its original owner, allowed him to enter a state of hibernation indistinguishable from death. The only way to bring him out of it was to wait months or give him a special serum. Given the state of his body, which would have healed in the hibernation state, it appeared the Doctor chose not to wait.
He was annoyed, because he had to deal with the pain of recovery. But also pleased as it gave him more time to plot his revenge.
"MASTER!" Another, much younger voice cut through his thoughts, "Are you alright?"
Of course he wasn't you fool! He wanted to roar, but he held his tongue as he looked at the youth. It was the one he'd taken to be a potential successor, or at least a way to mess with the buffoon when he revealed the boy's origins. The youth had been a significant investment of time in order to mould into what he had wanted. But after what had happened…
He cast his gaze back towards the Doctor, ignoring the child, and asked, "What do we know?"
"Very little I'm afraid." Garaki replied before asking, "His Quirk?"
"He had none." All for One replied with venom.
"As I suspected." The Doctor noted before turning to his computer, a screen lit up to show several graphs and charts, including graphics depicting a strand of hair and another of DNA. Garaki explained, "I managed to find a strand of hair off your body, brown. So not yours, or All Might's. And not even the police examiners would be as amateurish as to allow their hair to contaminate a crime scene…"
All for One grunted as he understood the Doctor's implication.
"And I was right! No Quirk factor and a DNA profile unlike any I have seen!" The Doctor laughed, "In fact, I believe your attack to not even be from Earth!" He looked back at All for One with a manic grin.
That… was not what the Emperor of the Underworld had been expecting to hear. An Alien. An Alien who could undo all his centuries of collecting in an instant. Against this enemy Quirks were useless. And if Quirks were useless…
His gaze drifted from the screen, to the Doctor, and then the Tomura who fretted at his side. His gaze lingered before turning back to the Doctor before asking, "And what can we do with this?"
"Oh, the possibilities!" The Doctor crowed, "If I could unlock the secrets of this alien DNA we could unravel the secrets of the boy's power! And more! Imagine the Nomu we could create!" He cackled with glee at all the research he could do!
Yes… the Nomu. Up till now the prototypes had been built around stacking multiple Quirks while retaining enough cerebral functionality to allow them to fight without constant micromanagement. But if this brat could strip them of their Quirks… even perfected the current form was useless… which also meant.
"Doctor… you have my permission. Unlock all you can about that DNA. Use it as the basis of all future Nomus… and…" He grabbed Tomura by the head and shoved him forward, sending the young man tumbling to the floor, "Use him as a test subject." As Tomura sputtered and pleaded in confusion the man cruelly glared down at him, "I have no more need for a successor." No, Quirks had proven unable to grant him what he wanted. If Quirks failed him, then so too would a 'successor' who wielded one… no now he needed whatever it was that empowered the brat who defeated him! At least his 'successor' could still be useful in unlocking the secrets of that power!
CHILDHOOD ARC END
Next Chapter: It's time for UA!
Power Level Estimates
Liek Galswith (Suppressed, resting): 5,000
Liek Galswith (Full Power?): 5,000,000
Liek Galswith (Super Saiyan): 250,000,000
Opherla Galswith (Suppressed, resting): 5,000
Opherla Galswith (Full Power?): 5,000,000
Opherla Galswith (Super Lycan Saiyan): 250,000,000
Rayleonard Thermidor, God of Destruction: Immeasurable
Vita Thermidor, Goddess of Life: Immeasurable
Katsuki Bakugou (Age 5, before training): 5
Katsuki Bakugou (Age 10, current, 1 ton weights): 4,092
Izuku Midoriya (Age 5, before training): 1
Izuku Midoriya (Age 10, current, 1 ton weights): 4,219
Inko Midoriya (Before training): 7
Inko Midoriya (Current): 678
Ochaco Uraraka (Before Training): 1
Ochaco Uraraka (Age 10, current, 1 ton weights): 4,090
Himiko Toga (Age 11): 16
Himiko Toga (With Opherla Blood): 4,100
(Quirkless) Farmer with a Shotgun (Without Ki): 5
All Might (Prime, Resting, Without Ki): 4,000
All Might (Prime, Fighting, Without Ki): 12,247
All for One (After Spirit Fission): 51