Boku no Hero Academia: Custodian Izuku
Disclaimer: This is a crossover fanfiction story of 'Boku no Hero Academia' and 'Warhammer 40k' (yes, really). I own nothing of the two series other than the fanfiction stories that I make.
I am making this story for the sake of fun, fluff and awesome after writing a one-shot story of the same story concept. If I am able to somehow impress fans of Warhammer 40k or even move someone to tears, even better.
Also, if anyone wants to know how in the world I got this idea in the first place, please refer to the artist, Ryuusei (Mark II), who has made some awesome pictures of gender-bent primarchs. The link is: .us/pools/17320
Please note that while I am familiar with the Warhammer 40k setting, my actual knowledge of it is casual at best. Also, if the genderbent primarchs seem at least a bit OOC, please kindly consider the fact that their bodies (especially the traitor primarchs) have changed drastically after entering Izuku's world.
In case anyone asks how much crack I was taking in to come up with the idea, I am just going to say enough to make even a loyalist Adaptus Astartes trippy.
Chapter 7: School Lessons
Within two weeks after Izuku first met the former primarchs, he finally resumed with the final year of his junior high school education. However, unlike most junior high school students, he resumed with his lessons at U.A. High School itself. Had he not been staying at the school for a good while already, he would have probably fainted from the sheer excitement of getting what was basically a challenging yet rewarding head start in his education to somehow become a quirkless pro-hero.
As Ken had expected, Keigo was one of the two teachers who had been chosen to help Izuku and the former primarchs with their lessons. The other teacher was a tall skeletal blond man with sunken blue eyes named Yagi Toshinori who was apparently a retired pro-hero. For some reason that Izuku could not fully understand, the former primarchs were not convinced that Toshinori was who he claimed to be even though they felt that he, at the very least, meant well.
It should be noted that Eri was receiving her education as well but at a level that was more suitable for a girl of her age. Inko was happy to help educate Eri and spend time with her while Curze was busy. One of Eri's favourite activities was physical training as she got to do it together with the former primarchs and Izuku. Even Inko started to take part in the training on occasion if only because she did not mind the idea of getting back into shape. Of course, neither Eri nor Inko could keep up with the former primarchs or Izuku but they were content to watch them train when they decided to rest.
Izuku and the girls soon established a routine of school learning followed by physical and combat training. Although there was no denying that Izuku lacked the enhanced strength that the former primarchs possessed, he was nevertheless quick on his feet and was quite agile. He also started learning how to use a weapon and discovered that he was most comfortable using a spear, specifically a local variation of the weapon known as a nagatina. As such, Vulkan and Ferrus promised to make a proper 'power weapon' for Izuku should he succeed in passing the hero course entrance exam. They were also teaching Izuku how to build and maintain what could be considered as extremely advanced technology so that, in the event that he could not attend the hero course, he would at least be able to join the support course instead.
While the official students of U.A. High School knew that Izuku and the former primarchs had been staying on school grounds for a while now, they were still surprised by the fact that Nedzu had seen fit to let them complete their junior high school lessons there as well. After all, there was a difference between witness protection in one of the most secure places in all of Japan and providing junior high school lessons to a select few students in the most famous hero high school in the said country.
In spite of the unusual arrangement, few dared to even consider bullying the former primarchs. Between their impressive physical builds and downright frightening combat prowess, the former primarchs were seen less as unworthy upstarts and more as individuals of unusual circumstances who had the potential to do well in the pro-hero industry. As for Izuku, in spite of being quirkless, his high intellect and willingness to work hard was something that deserved at least some level of respect even from those who felt that he did not have what it took to be an actual pro-hero. Being constantly in the company of the former primarchs was an admittedly effective deterrent to anyone who wanted to pick on Izuku. However, being constantly in their company had also caused Izuku to unintentionally develop an infamous reputation of being the "shota" of the former primarchs.
Regardless, one of the former primarchs was about to cement her position as one of the most promising students U.A. High School ever had since All Might himself…
-In a training ground that emulated an urban environment known as Ground Beta…-
Keigo (a.k.a. Hawks) smiled as he stood before Sanguinius and asked, "Ready to demonstrate what you can do?"
Sanguinius, who had agreed to spar with Keigo as a demonstration for second-year students from the hero course, smiled in return and swung her practice sword as she spoke to him, "Ready when you are, Hawks." She wore a specially-designed U.A. High School P.E. uniform which had a pair of slits on the back for her wings.
In a nearby observatory, Izuku, Eri, Inko and the other former primarchs watched the match on viewing screens together with the second-year students of the hero course. Hizashi, who had decided to be the announcer of the match, was also present in the observatory together with two other staff members of the school. One of them was a tall wide-set man with a muscular build, a few visible scars on his left cheek and the left side of his neck, short spiky pale-grey hair, thin eyes and two prominent lower canines named Kan Sekijirou, who was also a pro-hero known as Vlad King. The other was a short elderly nurse named Shuuzenji Chiyo, who was also a pro-heroine known as Recovery Girl.
It should be noted that Chiyo was responsible for checking the former primarchs' physical health so she was aware of their actual origins. The same could not be said about Kan though.
Gulliman rubbed her chin thoughtfully and asked, "Who you think will win?"
"Honestly, it can go either way," said Izuku who then explained, "Hawks can spread his feathers everywhere and use every single one of them with great skill. However, Sanguinius is arguably even faster in the sky than him and is undoubtedly a better swordsman in a direct fight."
Izuku's explanation did not go completely unnoticed by the second-year students who could not help but think that the boy was exaggerating Sanguinius' abilities at least a little bit. After all, Hawks was considered likely to become the No.3 pro-hero in all of Japan for a reason. Kan had the same opinion as the students.
"In other words, Sanguinius will likely secure a win as long as she can get around the issue of being surrounded by Hawk's feathers," said Lion who was willing to admit to herself that Izuku was "passably intelligent".
"So, anyone wants to bet that this sparring match will become an all-out 'air jousting match'? asked Russ.
Icarian looked at her former executioner, whom she still saw as a dear sibling in spite of past circumstances, with a deadpan expression and said, "You're just saying that because you're hoping that someone will be foolish enough to take a losing bet."
"Hey, betting is part of the fun in watching a match like this one!" argued Russ who was secretly glad that Icarian still saw her in a favourable light in spite of what had happened in their past lives.
Vulkan chuckled and said, "Regardless, I'm sure that this sparring match will be an entertaining one."
Dorn nodded and said, "And a good point of reference for any plans of an automatic defence system to counter flying opponents."
Back to Sanguinius and Keigo, the two combatants stood ready when a siren suddenly blared followed by an announcement from Hizashi, "Hawks… versus… Sanguinius…! Ready… FIGHT!"
As soon as the start of the fight was announced, both Sanguinius and Keigo leapt into the air and flew skyward. As Keigo flew, dozens of feathers detached themselves from his wings and flew towards Sanguinius as though they were homing projectiles. Easily anticipating the attack, especially after Izuku had told her everything that he knew about Keigo's quirk, 'Fierce Wings', she accelerated even further to avoid getting struck by the feathers. Keigo's lazy smile remained unchanged as he observed Sanguinius flying ahead of his feathers while avoiding or deflecting any that attacked her from any direction other than behind her. As he had only used about half of the total feathers he could send out while still remaining airborne, he was confident that he could defend himself from whatever attack she had in mind.
A few seconds later, Sanguinius could tell that all the feathers that Keigo had sent out to attack her were behind her. She smiled as she suddenly stopped flying away, did a "one-eighty" and actually charged towards the incoming wave of flying feathers. Keigo's eyes widened at the apparent insanity before he saw a sight that made his jaw drop.
Somehow, with a combination of both physical might and sheer combat prowess, Sanguinius was able wield her sword so expertly that all the feathers that Keigo had sent flying towards her were deflected aside without harming even a single strand of hair on her. What was more, her skill was such that Keigo was certain that she could have damaged all of the feathers beyond any hope of possible re-use if she had decided to do so. Only the sweat on her brow proved that she was indeed mortal in spite of achieving a seemingly impossible feat. Once she had effectively deflected all of the feathers, she exhaled and took in a deep steadying breath before she smiled at Keigo and said, "That was… quite a rush, honestly!"
Back in the observatory, all of the hero-course students and and Sekijirou were dumbstruck by what they had just witnessed. The vampire-themed pro-hero was gaping like a fish before he tried to ask Hizashi, "Wha… how…?"
"There's a reason why Eraser Head decided to bet on Sanguinius when you asked him who would win before he had to leave for pro-hero business," said Hizashi.
Back to Keigo, he stared at Sanguinius for a few more seconds before he started laughing and said, "Holy shit, that's the first time anyone's even considered trying that let alone succeed!" He then asked, "Just to be sure, you could have damaged all those feathers if you had wanted to just now, right?"
"That's correct," confirmed Sanguinius who then added, "While I've been told that you can regrow them, the process would have taken time and it would be foolish to reduce your overall effectiveness in your duty just to win a friendly spar."
"While I appreciate your concern, that does mean that I can use them to attack you again, you know," said Keigo.
"True, but this is a friendly sparring match and self-improvement can only be achieved by pushing one's limits while accepting that perfection is ultimately impossible," replied Sanguinius who then pointed her sword at Keigo and spoke with a confident smile that made a few second year students almost swoon, "So, shall we continue?"
Keigo smiled in return as the deflected feathers started to rise and said, "Well, I'm up for round two!"
No more words were said as Sanguinius suddenly flew towards Keigo at a blinding speed. Keigo sent most of his remaining feathers towards her to slow her down while the deflected feathers flew around her before attacking her from nearly all directions. Undeterred by the relentless attacks, Sanguinius danced and weaved as she avoided, deflected and blocked the feathers in a dizzying airborne dance that was nothing short of beautiful. Even so, she could not defend herself completely from being attacked in all directions as small cuts started to appear on her clothes and skin.
Taking advantage of the relentless attacks caused by his flying feathers, Keigo used the remaining feathers on his back to remain airborne and charged forward while wielding one of his longest feathers as a sword. Seeing the incoming attack, Sanguinius waited until the last possible moment and blocked his feather-sword with her training sword. She then spun in the air and delivered a roundhouse kick to the right side of his upper torso, fracturing the right side of his ribs as a result. Keigo grimaced as he felt the blow and was only able to continue concentrating on the fight due to years of being trained as a pro-hero. He flew away from Sanguinius and was about to make his feathers attack her from all sides again when a spinning projectile suddenly slammed into his left shoulder. His eyes widened as he realised that Sanguinius had actually thrown her training sword towards him and that the impact caused by the thrown weapon had effectively dislocated his left shoulder. The moment of hesitation was enough for Sanguinius to close the distance and almost punch him in the face, her fist only stopping a mere inch from making physical contact.
A moment of silence passed before Keigo sighed and said with a smile that hid his physical pain, "This is my loss, no question about it."
Sanguinius smiled as she replied, "If it makes you feel any better, I'm not exactly in an uninjured state."
"Pretty sure a few 'feather-cuts' and running out of breath are nothing compared to fractured ribs, a dislocated shoulder and, if that punch had connected, a black eye at the very least," argued Keigo who felt no resentment towards Sanguinius.
Sanguinius chuckled as she spoke, "Come, let's get you to Recovery Girl so that she can treat your injuries."
-A short while later…-
Sanguinius, former primarch of the Blood Angels adaptus astartes, winced as Chiyo smacked her shin with her walking stick and said, "That's for almost puncturing Hawk's lungs when you kicked him in the ribs!"
"B-but I didn't," argued Sanguinius while Keigo was placed onto a stretcher so that Chiyo could treat his injuries in a proper infirmary.
"Even if that's a case, it will still take at least a whole day of rest before he's able to work again!" said Chiyo who then sighed and said, "I know that this is supposed to be a friendly spar but please understand that healing him with my quirk will exhaust him."
"Ah, don't be too hard on her," said Keigo who then hid a grimace of pain with a strained smile before he added, "I was the one who suggested this."
"Which is the reason why she's only getting a smack on the shin while you'll be receiving a whole lot more than that from me, sonny," said Chiyo. Hawks paled while the robots took him to the school infirmary with Chiyo. Hizashi, Sekijirou and the second-year students shuddered as they were all familiar with Chiyo's temper when provoked.
After watching the two leave, as well as offer a small prayer for Keigo's safety, Sanguinius was about to rejoin with the other residents of the Imperial Dorm when someone suddenly appeared before her. She stepped back and stared awkwardly as a girl with long periwinkle hair and wide curious eyes which were royal-blue in colour and had white pupils started to talk rapidly within what seemed to be a single breath, "That was incredible! How were you able to fly so fast? Is your swordsmanship a part of your quirk? Can I touch your feathers? They look so soft!"
Even with her enhanced intellect and sense of hearing, it took Sanguinius a few seconds to process what the girl had said and replied, "T-thank you. My quirk allows me to fly fast and grants me enhanced abilities but it does not make me a better swordsman. My feathers are soft but I'd rather you don't touch them."
Delighted by Sanguinius' ability to respond to everything that she had said, the blue-haired girl gasped before she exclaimed, "You understood me! Not many people can keep up with the questions I ask! Are the other girls in your dorm super strong and smart like you?"
In spite of the awkward first impression, Sanguinius chuckled and said, "Yes, I can keep up with you, somehow. The others are smart and strong too but at varying levels." She then asked, "What's your name by the way?"
"Oh, silly me!" said the blue-haired girl while doing a cutesy pose and "bonked" herself lightly on the head. She then answered, "My name's Hadou Nejire, second year student of the hero course. I like lilies and jasmine tea and my quirk is called 'Wave Motion'. It allows me to shoot energy in spiralling waves."
"My full name is Sanguinius Angelos. My quirk is 'Valkyrie' and it grants me both superior physical and mental abilities and the ability to fly," replied Sanguinius while bowing politely to the girl who was her senior in spite of being shorter than her.
"Damn, your enhanced intellect must be something else to be able to keep up with her questions," said a girl with short cropped hair that had been dyed red and reddish-brown eyes with long lower eyelashes.
"And you are?" asked Sanguinius.
"Haya Yuuyu," answered the red-haired girl who then added, "I'm Nejire-chan's classmate and best friend." Mentally, she thought, "If Nejire-chan's the cutest thing in the galaxy, then Angelos-san is the most beautiful thing in the galaxy!"
"You… you fight good," said a tall boy with rather pale skin, pointed elf-like ears, messy indigo hair and thin tired-looking eyes. He was also doing everything he could to avoid looking at Sanguinius in the eyes. In fact, his back was facing her.
Sanguinius tilted her head and asked, "Are you… all right?"
"Yeah, he is," said Yuuyu who then introduced him to Sanguinius, "His name's Amajiki Tamaki. He's really shy and nervous so he tends to look away from people until he's used to being around them."
Tamaki grimaced as he explained, "You're… very bright and strong. Possibly even more so that Mirio."
"Which is a compliment by the way!" said a tall and muscular boy with a simple-looking face eyes and blond hair with a cowlick. Unlike Tamaki, the blond boy was grinning cheerfully.
"I'm assuming that you're Mirio then," said Sanguinius.
"Yup!" confirmed the blond boy who then added, "My full name's Tougata Mirio."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," said Sanguinius while bowing to the four senior students.
"If anything it's a pleasure to meet you!" said Mirio who then added, "I've never seen anyone defeat Hawks, let alone in the way that you did it!"
"If there's anyone who can pull that off while in mid-air it would be her!"
Sanguinius, Nejire, Yuuyu, Tamaki and Mirio turned their attention towards Russ who was grinning at the winged girl while asking, "So, you need another moment with your new fans or are you just about done?"
Realising that she had allowed herself to get distracted, never mind the fact that Inko, Izuku, Eri and the other former primarchs were standing behind Russ, Sanguinius blushed slightly and said, "My apologies for getting so distracted. "
"That's okay, San-chan. You're bound to get attention after defeating Hawks so soundly," said Inko who then asked the four students, "And who might you four be?"
It did not take long for the residents of the Imperial Dorm to get acquainted with the four second-year students.
-Meanwhile, in Nedzu's office…-
"So, what do you think?" asked Nedzu after watching a live-feed of the sparring match between Sanguinius and Keigo with Toshinori, Mirai, Madam President and a short elderly man with short spiky grey hair and a beard named Torino Sorahiko, who was also a pro-hero known as Gran Torino.
Madam President sighed wearily and admitted, "Honestly, I'm just glad that twelve of them are here and willing to cooperate with you. If they had chosen otherwise…" She shuddered as she could imagine them taking down pro-heroes, police officers and even military soldiers left and right.
Mirai, who was the one that suggested letting second-year hero course students watch the match, adjusted his spectacles and said, "I'm… of the same opinion as Madam President." Ever since realising that Lion was able to make All Might actually bleed with just a well-placed kick, enhanced strength notwithstanding, he often wondered how dangerous she and the other former primarchs would have been if they were in good fighting condition. Judging by how soundly Sanguinius had defeated Hawks, even though it was clear that both sides were holding back, Mirai was forced to admit that the former primarchs had the potential to, if not wound or even defeat All Might, give him a truly challenging fight.
Sorahiko smirked as he spoke, "I'll have to admit, I'd like to have a round with those girls myself."
Nedzu smiled and said, "If you're up for it, I can renew your work contract so that you can help in their physical education."
Toshinori froze in horror at the idea of Sorahiko becoming a more permanent member of the school staff while the short elderly man said, "I might just consider it. Plus, someone will have to make sure that Toshinori's not making a mess while teaching the kids."
In spite of Toshinori's "subtle" attempts to beg Nedzu to reconsider, the principal smiled and replied, "Excellent! I'll be sure to contact you later this week at latest!"
Traumatising memories of a time when Toshinori was Sorahiko's student, which mainly involved being on the receiving end of "multiple rounds of ass-whooping", flashed through the skeletal man's mind as he thought in despair, "There goes any hope of my years here being peaceful…!"
Aware of Toshinori's fear towards his former mentor, Nedzu almost snickered in amusement before he asked him, "So, what's your opinion, All Might?"
Yagi Toshinori, who was in fact All Might himself, admitted, "If I had been in my prime, I probably would have been able to defeat Sanguinius although such an endeavour would most likely be challenging to say the least. However, as I am now, I'd rather not have her as an actual enemy." He grimaced as he added, "As for the other eleven girls, I'm just going to assume that they are just as skilled in combat as she is if not more so until proven otherwise."
"That would indeed be a wise decision," agreed Nedzu who then turned his attention to Madam President and said, "Speaking of making decisions, have you considered my suggestion of letting 'them' help us locate the last few former primarchs?"
Madam President frowned as she spoke, "While I understand that you have taken precautions, I am still reluctant to give this plan a go." She then sighed and added, "That being said, the possible dangers of letting that cult grow is simply too great to refuse any help that we can get."
"Then I shall let Eraser Head know that he can contact them now," said Nedzu.
-Meanwhile, at Jin's apartment…-
Magnus, who had clearly been waiting for something to happen, walked towards the door and opened it while saying, "Don't bother trying to hide from me, Aizawa Shouta. I've read your thoughts from the moment you got close to this apartment building."
Shouta (a.k.a. Eraser Head), wore a shocked expression for a moment before he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Mind-reader?"
"Among other skills," confirmed Magnus.
Seeing no reason to conceal himself any further, Shouta walked into the apartment and noted, "So, seven of you are here which means that only Lorgar remains missing."
"Actually, Alpharius has an identical twin named Omegon. Believe me, none of us even knew she had a twin until recently," corrected Magnus while pointing at the twins before she added, "So we still have both Lorgar and Horus unaccounted for. That being said, we suspect that Horus' very soul had been too utterly destroyed to be reborn in this world."
Shouta nodded at Magnus before he asked the rest of the former primarchs and Jin, "I assume that you all know why I'm here."
"Yeah, Magnus told us," said Jin who then contradicted himself, "We don't know anything, I swear!"
Shouta raised an eyebrow while Fulgrim explained, "Jin's… gone through some frak, let's just say."
Shouta made a mental note to recommend giving Jin some psychological help as soon as possible before he spoke to Magnus, "Before we begin, do any of you have any information about Lorgar's whereabouts?"
"Unfortunately, we don't," said Magnus who then bitterly added, "We've only recently realised that Lorgar knows someone who can create portals for her so that she can travel quickly and be nigh-untraceable."
Mortarion nodded and said, "We have already tried keeping an eye on some of the people who were once Midoriya Izuku's classmates but, in spite of our efforts, we never even saw Lorgar approach the houses let alone take anyone with her to throne knows where."
"The one time we were able to detect Lorgar's presence was because I could read her mind when she suddenly appeared before one of the students, whom I was keeping an eye on at the time, out of seemingly nowhere in her room. I also read the student's mind so I know for a fact that Lorgar had used a portal to enter her room and has both white hair and yellow eyes," said Magnus then who frowned as she added, "I was able to trick some policemen into checking the student's house but Lorgar escaped before they could even see her. That was when I found out that she needed someone to create warp gates for her."
Shouta's frown deepened as he spoke his thoughts aloud, "Pro-heroes and police officers who were entrusted to keep an eye on Midoriya's former classmates have also faced similar issues lately. The only ones who have been successful in preventing a student from going missing are the ones who reported seeing a little furry blue devil running towards the student's house." He peered at Magnus and said, "I assume that the furry blue devil is your doing?"
"I will neither confirm nor deny that," replied Magnus.
"Are technology and quirks related to teleportation and gateways rare on your world?" asked Perturabo.
"You can say that," confirmed Shouta who then tapped a micro-bead, which was a modified version of the micro beads that had been given to Izuku, in his ear and said, "Did you hear all of that, Nedzu?"
"Loud and clear," confirmed Nedzu who then added, "You may proceed with the offer."
Shouta nodded and said, "Since Magnus is capable of reading my mind, I doubt I will need to assure you all that I am speaking the truth." He then pointed at Jin and asked, "Does he know the actual truth of your origins?"
Gwalchavad nodded and said, "He knows about the Great Crusade, the Horus Heresy and even the Indomitus Crusade."
"Then I won't beat around the bush and get into the heart of the matter," said Shouta who then explained, "In light of what is now confirmed to be an attempt to form a Chaos-worshipping cult, Nedzu would like to ask for your assistance in locating Lorgar and anyone else who is supporting her cause. In return, he will provide both information and funding to help you all fulfil your objectives. Should any of you get captured by the authorities, you will be brought to U.A. High School to attend its new 'Villain and Vigilante Reform Program' instead of being sent to prison."
"What about Jin?" asked Fulgrim.
"While the details have not been planned out yet, Nedzu intends to help anyone whom you deem as deserving of aid," said Shouta.
"Will we be allowed to use our 'quirks' to locate Lorgar?" asked Alpharius.
"Yes, but it will be in your records as villains or vigilantes when you're caught," answered Shouta.
"What about gathering additional allies for our cause?" asked Omegon.
"While I'd recommend not getting too many people involved, Nedzu has made it clear that you can indeed gather more allies as long as you trust them," answered Shouta.
Perturabo raised an eyebrow and asked the twin former primarchs, "Do you two have someone in mind?"
The image of a pair of villains, known to the general public as Gentle Criminal and La Brava, flashed through the twins' minds before they spoke in unison, "There are two people who might be of help."
"They are villains but seem unlikely to approve of genuine cruelty," said Alpharius who had seen Gentle Criminal, a man with a refined appearance, slicked-back white hair, a handlebar moustache with a well-kept medium-sized beard and thick black lines around his blue eyes, treat his partner in crime with genuine kindness in spite of his desire for fame.
"They possess skills which may be of use to us," added Omegon who had observed La Brava, a short young woman with a large round head, raspberry-pink hair worn in a large pair of pigtails, large pointed-down eyes with dark rings under each eye and oval-shaped pink irises, use her computer with a skill that the Mechanicus would have approved.
Magnus, who could read their thoughts, hummed and asked, "Besides the two that you're thinking about right now, is there anyone else who might consider helping us?"
Both twins nodded as they thought of a transgender woman with a wide muscular build, reddish-magenta hair, a square jaw covered thinly with facial hair and thick lips named Hikiishi Kenji, who was also a villainess known as Magne, and said in unison, "One. She's a friend of someone whom the loyalists know."
"Then we will consider recruiting those three first before asking anyone else to join us," said Magnus.
Shouta frowned as he asked, "You're not going to tell me who they are, are you?"
"No, at least not until we're sure that they are truly with us," said Magnus.
"Fair enough," replied Shouta who then asked, "What about your abilities? Can you tell me what you are capable of?"
"Again, no," answered Magnus who then explained, "While you seem genuinely trustworthy, the same cannot be said about the people who are listening in on us even now. Besides, can you assure us that Lorgar is not affiliated with someone who has agents in high places?"
Shouta was silent for a moment before he sighed and admitted, "As much as I would like to say otherwise, no. In fact, we have reason to believe that whoever is supporting Lorgar is a part of a powerful villainous organisation."
"Then you will have to trust us enough to do the task well even if only out of a shared interest in stopping a Chaos cult from summoning the Ruinous Powers to this version of Terra," said Magnus.
"Even so, the idea of letting children take part in what will most likely be an extremely high-risk undercover mission leaves a bad taste in my mouth," said Shouta.
Perturabo raised an eyebrow and asked, "You do realise that, our current forms notwithstanding, we're not exactly young children, do you not?"
"That does not change the fact that the mission will be risky to say the least," argued Shouta who mentally added, "Never mind some of the horrible shit I've heard about the Ruinous Powers."
"So is supporting what might very well become a major villain gang," argued Magnus.
Shouta sighed and said, "Just… stay alive and well long enough to get this mess settled with so that we can all figure out what to do next." He then took out a box, which contained two specially-made micro-beads, and placed it onto a table while saying, "The two micro-beads in this box will allow you to contact two people, Nedzu, who is the principal of U.A. High School and my employer, and Midoriya Izuku, whom I'm sure you all know by now. Due to its limited list of contacts, it cannot be traced unless someone has tapped into their phones or the micro-beads. I recommend making regular but short calls so that our respective activities can be coordinated effectively while maintaining at least an acceptable level of secrecy. While you can choose to contact Izuku, Nedzu should be your primary contact."
"What about the funding?" asked Perturabo.
Shouta took out a debit card that had the Imperial acquila printed onto it and said, "This card will allow you to draw out money without raising too much suspicion. However, it has a maximum daily limit so you will still have to spend your money wisely." As the pro-hero turned around to leave, an image of a grinning young man with light blue, wavy hair that was swept back to flow upwards above his head flashed though his mind as he spoke, "I hope, for all our sakes, that this plan will work."
After Shouta had left the apartment, Magnus turned her attention towards Alpharius and Omegon and said, "All right, let's talk about those three people whom you think can be trusted."
-Back in Nedzu's office…-
"That… went better than expected," said Madam President
"Well, considering all the planning that I've put into forming an alliance with them, with the help of Icarian and Curze's respective precognitive abilities at that, I would certainly hope so!" said Nedzu.
"So, what now?" asked Toshinori. Although not unintelligent, he had always preferred direct confrontation over subtler conflicts such as spying and sabotage.
"We will maintain watch over the remaining students and teachers who have interacted with both Midoriya-kun and Bakugou. However, in light of the fact that Lorgar has not only been confirmed to be collecting potential cult members but also has the support of a villainous organisation with teleportation abilities, the level of security will have to be increased," said Nedzu.
"Fortunately, the failed attempt in recruiting a potential cult member can be used as a reason to increase the level of security without causing too many people to ask questions," said Madam President.
"Not that I'm against preventing children from becoming brain-washed cultists or worse, but that will surely cause Lorgar to decide targeting other people," said Mirai.
"A fair point but that's exactly why I want Magnus' group to help us," said Nedzu who then explained, "For the sake of secrecy, I will not explain everything but I suspect that her group likely has the means to send someone into Lorgar's cult as a spy with minimal risk to the said spy."
"In other words, by making it difficult for Lorgar to obtain cultists from the students and teachers of Aldera Junior High School, she will have to find cultists from elsewhere which in turn will allow a spy from Magnus' group to slip in," said Sorahiko.
Toshinori frowned and said, "While I know that you have stated that the risk will be minimal for the spy, I still don't like the idea of having someone infiltrate a cult." Never mind a Chaos cult, even cults that lacked actual dark gods such as Humarise were infamously dangerous to infiltrate.
"I understand you concerns, All Might, but if Lorgar succeeds in forming a cult and contacting the Ruinous Powers, the resulting chaos will likely make the conflicts during the 'Dawn of Quirks' look like a preschool fight," said Nedzu.
Toshinori clenched his fists as he loathed the idea of having the peace that he had worked so hard to create be destroyed. Even so, he had to ask, "Are you certain that this is the best chance we have to prevent the cult from gaining a foothold here?"
"While the future that Icarian has predicted so far can change depending on what is done in the present, this plan is indeed the best one we currently have," said Nedzu who then frowned and added, "Which leads me to the next matter of great importance."
"And what would that be?" asked Mirai.
"If Icarian's predictions are accurate, All For One is still alive and will surely attempt an attack on All Might within a period of less then two years," said Nedzu.
Silence filled the room before Mirai asked, "Are you certain that All For One is still alive?"
"I have asked Icarian the same question about the chances of All For One planning to attack All Might within two years or less for the past few days and the chances of it happening have been consistently high," answered Nedzu who then grimly added, "Also my question was explicitly about All For One himself, not one of his surviving minions."
Shocked by the revelation, Toshinori asked, "H-how? It's true that we've never found the body but I crushed his head with my own bare hands! Destroying his brain should have killed him or at least render him brain-dead!"
"Normally, that would be the case," said Nedzu who then added, "However, given the potential abilities that All For One may possess, it's possible that he has a means of creating, for the lack of a better term, a secondary brain to avoid the issues that would normally result from having his main brain destroyed."
"Not unlike some of the gene seeds that the imperial primarchs and space marines supposedly possess," said Mirai.
"Precisely," confirmed Nedzu.
"Teleportation abilities are rare but, if there's any villain who has a high chance of possessing such an ability or at least knows someone who has it, it would be him," growled Sorahiko.
"He's also the most likely to realise that Lorgar is not simply some insane cultist but is in fact a former traitor primarch who has connections to the Ruinous Powers of the other universe," said Nedzu.
"Then we can't waste any more time!" said Toshinori who stood up and transformed into his muscular hero form while yelling, "We need to stop him and Lorgar before any more lives are ruined!"
"Calm down, you big oaf!" yelled Sorahiko who used his ability to blow air out of the soles of his feet to leap into the air and give Toshinori a strong heel-kick onto the top of his head.
Toshinori was forced back onto his chair while reverting back to his true skeletal form in a puff of smoke. He rubbed the top of his head and argued, "But it's All For One we're talking about! If there's anyone who can make a bad situation that involves things from another universe that are too horrible for us to even begin imagining worse, it would be him!"
"And you're not wrong about it," agreed Sorahiko who then added, "But calm down and think for a damn minute! If we start going at it with guns blazing and start attacking every potential hideout with everything that we have, it will be a red flag to damn big for even All For One to ignore. He'll just cut his losses and go into hiding, with Lorgar and her cult in tow. Should that happen, we might never find them before it is too late!"
"That's not all, if you use your quirk carelessly, you will likely run yourself ragged and weaken yourself even more," said Mirai.
Madam President sighed and said, "They're right. We cannot just mobilise pro-heroes and policemen into attacking any suspected hideouts without proper proof." She turned her attention towards Nedzu and said, "While I will not question your decision to allow those former primarchs to form their own vigilante or villain group, I intend to do my own investigation as well. At the very least, any information about Lorgar's cult will, at some point, lead us to All For One."
Nedzu nodded and said, "I will keep you updated with any information that they have found about the cult and All For One."
"As will I and my team," said Mirai who then turned his attention towards Toshinori and said, "In the mean time, I suggest that you focus on saving your strength for the day when you face All For One."
Toshinori nodded and said, "I intend to, but we will need a cover story to explain my absence in the mean time."
"The simplest solution is to have both of your identities registered as separate teachers of this school," said Nedzu who then smirked and added, "That way, you can work as All Might during the lessons that will require the presence of your hero persona as an assistant teacher and then work as Yagi Toshinori during the rest of the working hours."
"Given the strength of the girls, as well as the fact that All Might has already been working as a pro-hero for decades, having him work here will help in not only justifying his presence decreasing even further than before but also remind the other pro-heroes that he will not be around to maintain the peace forever," said Madam President. The fact that All Might had been seen bleeding after getting kicked by Lion can be used as proof that All Might, in spite of his great power, was ultimately human and would have to stop being a pro-hero at some point.
"While I do not disagree with the plan, people will surely ask questions about having BOTH Hawks and All Might working here," said Mirai.
"We can justify that by stating that they will assist in ensuring the smooth progression of the 'Villain and Vigilante Reform Program' which is still in its developmental stage," said Nedzu.
"That might work," said Mirai who then asked, "Is there anything else that should be covered."
"No, I do not think so," said Madam President.
"Then we shall adjourn this meeting for today. Make sure to stay in contact in case anything important arises," said Nedzu.
Little else needed to be said as everyone in the room agreed on a common goal to defeat a common enemy.
-Later that day…-
Izuku was sitting at a table in the living room with Angron, Curze and Eri. The little girl sat between the two former traitor primarchs while reading a children's fairy tail. As for Izuku, Curze and Angron, they were going over what they had learnt from their lessons earlier that day. Curze, who had been taught by Fulgrim on the ways of the Imperium and how to manage the Night Lords legion during her past life, could not help but feel a little nostalgic as she revised her notes.
Suddenly, loud maniacal laughter could be heard which caused everyone in the living room to look upwards before Eri asked, "Is Russ-neechan going to make her drinks?"
Angron and Curze wore deadpan expressions as they answered Eri's question in unison, "Yup."
A few days prior, Russ begged Ferrus, Vulkan and Dorn to help her build a functioning incubator which she could use to brew alcoholic drinks. In fact, she actually did a comical 'dogeza' while begging the three former primarchs. The main reason why they agreed in the end was because Nedzu had expressed interest in creating functional incubators which could then be used to grow replacement organs and, ironically, a functional incubator that brewed high-quality alcoholic drinks at accelerated rates could serve as a prototype of the desired end-product.
The fact that the three former primarchs could create a working prototype incubator in just a few days boggled the minds of both the support course students and a short skinny man with spiky ginger hair, dull-blue eyes, a large mouth and large hands with L-shaped pieces at the end of each finger named Maijima Higari, who was also a pro-hero named Power Loader. Never mind the fact that both Ferrus and Vulkan could forge metals with their own bare hands, or the fact that Dorn seemed to be an expert in designing, their technological expertise was comparable to some of the greatest minds who lived on a certain artificial island known as I-Island.
Somewhere in the Kyoto prefecture, a girl who had a mature build, salmon-pink dreadlocks and wide yellow eyes which resembled scope lenses named Hatsume Mei had a premonition that she would meet her greatest rivals and friends in the support course of U.A. High School.
"So what's she going to make?" asked Eri.
"Assuming that she can get her hands on the needed ingredients, I won't be surprised if she plans to make beer," said Angron.
"Mead is possible," said Curze.
"She might even consider fermenting other kinds of drinks like cider, sake and wine," said Izuku.
"Knowing her, she might try brewing at least a little of everything," said Angron.
Curze nodded and said, "Make cocktails too."
It should be noted that Russ had been daydreaming of trying out all kinds of "home-brewed" alcoholic drinks for a whole day once Vulkan, Ferrus and Dorn had agreed to build the incubator for her. Angron and Curze were simply among the few people who had overheard her ramblings which were comparable to Izuku's muttering when he thought about quirks aloud.
A loud chorused sigh could be heard as Dorn, Vulkan and Ferrus entered the ground floor. Dorn had an expression that clearly said, "I'm so done with this frak!" as she grumbled, "Letting Russ make her own alcoholic drink is going to bite our arses, I'm sure of it."
"Well, if it works as intended, we can proceed with the actual incubators for creating replacement and bio-enhanced organs," said Vulkan who was clearly trying to be positive.
"That's assuming that Russ does not do anything stupid like making the whole thing explode in her face," said Ferrus.
"Or create something that even a Tyranid or slaaneshi daemon would hesitate to drink," said Dorn.
"Well, should Russ create such a dangerous drink, we can always try weaponising it," suggested Vulkan who was clearly joking. Both Dorn and Ferrus snickered at the comically absurd idea of making slaaneshi daemons and Tyranids run away from bottles of hyper-potent alcoholic beverages.
Eri tilted her head and asked, "Are you here to study too?"
Dorn waved her hand to dismiss the idea and said, "No, we're just here to get away from whatever insanity Russ is planning even as we speak."
"You can sit with us if you want," said Izuku.
"That would be nice," said Vulkan who then turned her attention towards the kitchen and said, "I'll get us some drinks and slices of fruit."
Eri perked up as she asked, "Will there be apples?"
Vulkan chuckled and said, "Of course, Eri."
Eri smiled as she threw her arms into the air and cheered happily, "Yay!" Not even the former primarchs in the living room could resist smiling at Eri's reaction.
While Vulkan went to the kitchen, Izuku asked, "So… what's Russ going to make?"
"Well, we have provided her with rice, fresh apple juice and honey so she'll likely make sake, cider and mead if not a mixture or three," said Ferrus while taking a seat at the opposite side of the table.
"You know, if Russ has any leftover honey and apples, we could try making some honey-pickled fruits," said Izuku who had decided to some research on apple dishes after learning that Eri liked apples.
"Honey-pickled fruits?" asked Eri.
"Basically, you cut some fruits, such as apples and peaches, into thin slices and place them into a sterile container and then fill it with honey. You can add different kinds of fruits, spices like ginger and even slices of nuts like almonds. Once the container is filled, you leave it to ferment in the fridge for at least a week before it is ready to eat," explained Izuku who then added, "I've also heard that it's supposedly very delicious."
Eri started to drool as she listened to Izuku's explanation about honey-pickled fruits and imagined apples becoming even more delicious. Curze made a mental note to ask a pro-hero who worked at the cafeteria of the school, Lunch Rush, for some ingredients and detailed instructions on how to make honey-pickled apples as soon as possible. Although Curze was quite sure that no threatening was required for such simple favours, she was not against considering the idea.
"That sounds like a fun culinary experiment," said Vulkan while returning with a tray that had several glasses of water and a bowl of apples with a fruit knife. She then set the tray onto the table before she started cutting and peeling one of the apples with the knife. Eri watched the apple being cut and peeled with rapt attention while Curze petted her head affectionately.
Even though Lorgar was still at large and some of his former classmates had gone missing, Izuku was able to feel happy and contented as he treasured his time with not only the other residents of the Imperial Dorm but also the pro-heroes who worked at U.A. High School and even the four second-year students of the hero course who had talked to Sanguinius earlier that day. He smiled as he felt actual excitement to see what the following day would bring.
-In the primarchs' original universe…-
Visions of Leman Russ laughing like an Orky Mad Dok after successfully getting an incubator for brewing alcoholic drinks quickly became news among the Space Wolves. Not surprisingly, those who did not bet that Russ would find a way to brew alcoholic drinks were disappointed that they had lost the bet. Among those who had won the bet included Bjron the Fell-Handed, Logan Grimnar and Lukas the Trickster.
Some of the Space Wolves suspected that Lukas, who had somehow managed to cheat death in spite of impossible odds during the Great Rift Crusade, had cheated during the bet. However, not even Bjorn nor Logan Grimnar could confirm any signs of cheating by Lukas.
Another notable vision was a vision of Sanguinius soundly defeating a "pro-hero" named Hawks in an aerial fight. Although it was clear that Sanguinius was not as mighty as before her reincarnation, never mind the fact that the fight was a friendly spar, there was simply no denying the awe-inspiring spirit within her as she displayed her martial prowess. In fact, the vision had inspired an increased desire among the Blood Angels and their successor chapters to improve their skills in both using 'jump packs' and swordsmanship. Even the Sisters of Battle, who believed that Sanguinius could be deemed as an honorary living saint while in her current form, were inspired by the vision. It did not take long for the Adeptus Mechanicus to be given the task of improving the jump packs used by both the Adeptus Astartes and the Adepta Sororitas.
Yes, both the Inquisition and the Space Marines knew about the Sisters of Battle deeming Sanguinius as an honorary living saint and neither of them felt inclined to disagree.
The visions did not go completely unnoticed by the various xenos races of the galaxy, especially the Eldar. In fact, a few of the Eldar had started to receive visions related to Guilliman who had been reincarnated in an alternate version of Holy Terra as a girl. A certain Eldar of the Ynnari faction, Yvarine, honestly found the idea of Guilliman being turned into a girl amusing.
As for the Orks who had somehow seen the visions through their 'wierdboyz', pretty much all of them did not give a "flying squig's crap" about them unless there was fighting involved.
-End Chapter-
Author's Notes:
Some may wonder why I'm involving Madam President of the HPSC so much in the story. Part of the reason is that the fight between All Might and All For One, as in the very fight that got All Might injured was covered up. That would require at least some involvement from the HPSC. Besides, much like how David Shield did not know about the truth of One For All, the same idea can be applied to Madam President. In addition, this chapter features Nedzu trying to outsmart All For One by not only using the precognitive abilities of both Icarian and Curze but also the group of former primarchs led by Magnus so Madam President would have to be involved somehow.
In hindsight, I should have added this Youtube link for the Trazyn-related omake of the previous chapter: watch?v=Rr7bf6tIzWs
Also, as a reminder, I have problems posting/editing the text in the Fanfiction Dot Net website due to website connection issues. These problems are also the reason why there are "word spacing issues" in the said website.
Until next time, go beyond, plus ultra!