They say hope arrives in the darkest hour of a person's life. That when a person has lost all hope, salvation will come to lift them up.
Dracula was a firm believer in bringing hope to the oppressed, after all, he saved the Midoriyas. But who else would be lifted into his arms and given salvation? Chizome Akaguro will know what salvation is soon.
Why might one ask? Because currently Chizome Akaguro was sitting in an alleyway with his old clothes that he ran away while waiting for someone to pass by his alley or even come down his alley so that he could try and mug them for money.
Was this illegal? Yes. Did he have higher aspirations to become a hero like all might? Yes. But when your quirk is seen by many to be 'villainous' then you really don't have many options in life.
He watched as a tall man with silver long hair walked down nearby the alley. Chizome managed to grab him by his shoulders, only to be pinned against the wall. The man growled as he bared his fangs at him, "Give me one reason not to slit you open..." Dracula growled.
Chizome grunted out, "Take it easy! I just wanted your money so I could get something to eat!"
Dracula frowned at him, "A homeless thief, I see..." That's when another person tried going after Dracula with a knife. Only for Chizome to slink out of his grip and cut the person with the knife. He quickly licked the blood and then the person suddenly fell down and became paralyzed. Dracula watched this with an intrigued look on his face. "Impressive quirk." He commented.
The man nodded, "Happy you like it, because everyone else sees it as a sign of me being a villain." He huffed, "Hypocrites, the lot of them and this society."
Dracula nodded, "Indeed. What's your name, young man?"
He looked at him before introducing himself, "Chizome Akaguro."
Dracula then had a smile as he asked, "How would you like a job?"
Chizome couldn't help but laugh as he asked, "You're gonna offer a job to a bum who just tried to stab you… you crazy or somethin'?"
"I wouldn't say crazy, more having a keen eye for talent." Dracula said.
Chizome raised an eyebrow under his tattered hat, "How do I know this isn't some kind of trap to lure me into some serial killer thing?"
"Because I am a man of honor. I can provide you with everything you need. Food, a home, a job, and a chance for you to enact revenge upon certain members of society and those who... Do not do what is required of them." Dracula replied.
Chizome seemed to think about the offer before he nodded, "Alright, you got a deal."
Indeed it was a deal. Chizome went under a new name as he was feared by the Underground crime. He murdered all who either seeked to oppose Dracula, or take over his empire.
Suffice to say... No one could oppose Stain.
Of course for his boss and the man who gave him the opportunity, Stain had rules to follow when he was in the house. One of the two was simple. One he was to dress nice, not your standard Japanese plain suit and tie.
No, Stain was made to wear a European styled suit and if the weather got cold he would be given a nice trench coat which was black with red accented lining.
The other rule was that his son was to never know of the family business and that Stains cover was one of Dracula's many bodyguards/ workers.
Over with Dracula, he and his little boy, Izuku were in a mountain spot with a large river. Out on a simple boat with fishing rods as Izuku, now nine years old, was sitting looking out at the calm water with his father. "This is amazing, Dad. Like, I didn't even know such a place was here."
"I remember coming here a long time ago when I desired peace and quiet. Nature can calm your soul." Dracula responded as he held a fishing rod.
Izuku nodded as he took in the calm stillness of the air, the birds chirping, the soft wind blowing through his hair until the bobber began to jolt a bit until it was completely submerged into the water.
Izuku, in a moment of panic, exclaimed, "I… I think I got one! What do I do, dad!?"
"Start reeling it in! Pull on the fishing rod lowering it down and reel it in." Dracula answered as he watched his son.
Izuku nodded as the clicking of the reel could be heard as he tried to bring in the fish. Which for a boy his size was actually giving him trouble, "I think it's big, dad!"
"It sure sounds like it. You've got this, son. Keep reeling and pulling it." Dracula said as he kept an eye on the writing fish that splashed everywhere.
Izuku kept going until finally with one large yank he pulled his catch out of the water. It turned out to be a rather dark scale fish with a large mouth which seemed to open and close, as if it was out of breath. "I caught a fish! I caught a fish, dad!" He exclaimed in excitement then looked at it curiously, "But what is it?"
"That's Bass, son. And a good sized one at that." Dracula said as he patted his back.
Izuku smiled as he put the fish into their bucket but as soon as he looked up, he pointed towards the woods, "Dad, is that smoke?"
Dracula looked up to see the smoke and frowned. There shouldn't be anyone in the mountain, considering the entire mountain was his private property. Dracula began rowing the boat towards the edge of the land before the two began to go to the source of the smoke. Only to find... A burning body.
Izuku panicked a bit, "OH MY GOD! Dad!" Only for Dracula to take off his coat and try to put out the fire. "Go get the bucket from the boat and get the water from the lake! Go son!" Izuku nodded as he ran off to do as he was told, leaving Dracula alone with the burning body.
Dracula stared at the burnt body to see what he could identify about the body. Soon the fast footfalls of Izuku could be heard as he came with the bucket full of water. Quickly taking the bucket, Dracula threw it onto the burning body which resulted in a gush of steam once the water hit the burning body.
Once the steam cleared, Dracula's eyes widened as did his son's as they stared at the burnt body of a boy who looked to be in his teens, but what was shocking to them was the fact that the boy was still alive!
"Son... Step away from this." Dracula said as he stared down at the body. Izuku nodded as he slowly moved away before asking his father, "Should I call for help?"
Dracula nodded, "Yes. Go to the boat, that's where my phone is." Izuku nodded once more and began to run away.
Once he was sure his son was away, he gently lifted the burnt boy's hand and with a small cut on the index finger he allowed a drop of blood onto his finger. Quickly, he brought the blood to his lips and allowed it to touch his tongue as he looked into the memories of the boy.
What he saw from just a small amount caused him to question heroes and what they do behind closed doors and when the cameras are turned off.
For from the single drop of blood, he saw a boy who was in no simple term tortured, forced to push his fire based quirk to its limits before finally he himself was set ablaze. He felt the pain of the boy, the anguish, but what burned the brightest, the hottest was the want for vengeance, for revenge against the man who caused him so much pain.
Dracula breathed heavily as while it wasn't seen on his body, he could feel the same burn and want for vengeance. It was similar to what he went through long ago. He looked down at the boy with pity before an idea came to him.
Soon, SUVs arrived with men in suits coming out. "Sir! We got your boy's call! What happened?" One of the guards asked.
Dracula stood up and replied, "We found a body. He's still alive. Let's get him back to my house."
The guard nodded as they carefully lifted the body into the back seat as Izuku was standing with his father, asking "Dad. Will he be alright? Will he survive?"
He knelt down to Izuku and hugged him gently, "He'll be alright, son. I promise you that."
Izuku nods as both were now taken back to the manor as maids and guards were seen rushing around. The sight of a woman in her thirties and wearing a doctor's attire was seen walking up to Dracula, "Where is the burn victim your people called me about?"
Dracula moved to the side to reveal the burn victim. The doctor's eyes widened before she cleared her throat, "And you said he's still alive?" She asked Dracula.
"Yes. Now we need to help him." Dracula said.
She nodded, "Alright, get me a clean room and anyone with a healing quirk to help with the burns along with enough sedatives to put a rhino to sleep cause I can't imagine the pain he's in." Dracula quickly got to work ordering for many sedatives and medical quirks to assist her.
Once a clean room was set up for her and others to operate, it was an uphill battle to try and save the young man's life. The doctor who was working on the surgery hadn't seen such burns or damage except for those who worked in fire rescue or those who were trapped in burning buildings.
It wouldn't be until after six hours of surgery that the female doctor would finally step out as she slowly removed her gloves and medical mask.
Dracula had sat outside to wait for the doctor when she stepped out. He stood up and asked, "Any good news?"
She sighed, "Even with the best medical staff with the best healing quirks, his recovery is going to have to be with him in a medical coma so his skin can be regrown and having quirk suppression braclets."
Dracula released a breath before nodding, "But he is stable, yes?"
She nodded, "For now, yes. But for a time frame of recovery, three months. Maybe three weeks if you get the best doctors with the best healing quirks."
Dracula nodded before walking off towards the burnt boy to see how he was doing. Instead of being the burnt body that looked like he crawled out of hell itself, he was now covered head to toe in bandages, hooked up to life support machines, IV bags and blood bags.
However, what broke Dracula's heart was when he saw the boy's age, no more than 15 years old. A boy not even old enough to drive was now nothing more than a boy who had to be put into a medical coma just to regrow his skin back.
Dracula sat down as he sighed sadly, "What your father did to you... Is inexcusable. You deserved to live a good life. To grow up, get a proper education, find love, to be a proper teenager..." Dracula's eyes hardened as he spoke, "I can fix you... I will make you better. I sense the fire of vengeance within you…"
He leaned forward, "The fire that burns so bright, that it dwarfs the fire that burned around you. I can fuel that fire to burn even brighter... You will be my own Jericho." Dracula said before walking away to begin work.
Weather he knew the boy heard him or not, did not matter to Dracula. What did matter was finding out all he could about this young teen and why he was alone in the woods burnt and who the flaming man was that he saw from the boy's memories.
It took him only a week to find out what he needed. The boy was Touya Todoroki. Son of Endeavor, the No. 2 Hero. This filled Dracula with rage at how terrible Endeavor treated such a young boy. This was worse than what Izuku's father did. He found his next target for his fatherly rage.
Then he stopped as he breathed, for now he would control his rage and wait for the right moment to bring down the Number Two hero. For now, a young man needed him.
It took him another week to heal the boy properly, or better yet... Reconstruct him.
His skin grew back slowly, even with the best healing quirk users money could buy, the boy was still in a medically induced coma so he wouldn't have to feel the pain of having his skin grown back.
However, each night Dracula would sit by his bedside, and talk. He would just talk to the boy as if he knew the boy could hear him. Even Izuku would talk to the sleeping mummy as he would jokingly call him.
But it was the subject matter of the talks Dracula had with the boy that was important, for he would talk to him about what he could be.
"You are a being of vengeance. To right the wrongs of those in power who take it out on the weak. You have the chance to help everyone who has been taken advantage of, or has been used." Dracula spoke with a hint of edge. He laid a hand on the boy as he gave a gentle squeeze, "For that to happen, the old you, the you of before shall be burned away in the flames of the past for the you… the you who shall be reborn like the mighty phoenix from the ashes."
"You will no longer be Touya Todoroki. From now on, you shall be known as Nemesis. The Deity of Vengeance." Dracula announced. He then gave him a small smile, "So rest now and save your strength, for much like Joshua of old. Your task will be to bring those to safety and guide them for while your fire of vengeance does burn bright. I can also sense compassion in you."
And so, like a Phoenix, Touya Todoroki was burnt away, and Joshua Nemesis rose and quickly proved himself to be the most qualified soldier in Dracula's Mob family.
Three months is what it took for Joshua Nemesis to heal and recover, and in that time Dracula bid his time to take down the Number Two hero, waiting for the moment when to act and that moment came when said hero had burnt down three of his businesses and cost him thousands in property damage as well as the large lose of life.
Now any regular person would have just backed down, looked the other way, or just not even do anything. Not Dracula though, no not a man such as he who has a reputation and a public image he has built up in Japan as a respectable pillar of the community, a man of industry, a proud man of business.
One night, the No. 2 Hero was in his home inside of his office as he was reading through various reports concerning several damaged properties. Endeavor had no care as he burned up the papers. "Such tripe. It doesn't matter what is damaged... All that matters is reaching the Number 1 spot." He growled as his fire flared up slightly.
Of course, that was until he came across a letter which had his legal name on it instead of his hero name. Curious, the man opened the letter and when he read it, he began to get angrier and angrier before becoming furious as he shouted, ''I'M BEING SUED FOR DAMAGES BY SOME GAIJIN BUSINESS OWNER!?"
Now one might think that this would go away considering none would DARE actually sue those of the top ten, they clearly never met Dracula. Once the papers were delivered, he put on his public face and held a press conference outside his 'Dragon's Shipping CO.' building as Dracula was dressed in his suit speaking with fire and passion, "When I came to this nation to open up a Japanese branch of my company. I was led to believe that Heroes of this nation had self control and respected those for whom they feed a nation's economy and give jobs to those who need them." He said looking out at the sea of cameras and reporters.
"But clearly I was mistaken, as this Endeavor hero has shown nothing but disregard to basic human lives and their homes and businesses. I was also disappointed to hear about how many civilians have also voiced their outrage, only to be silenced by him. No more... I do this not just for myself, but for all who have suffered because of the actions of this hero. I will not just be suing him for the damages he's done to my buildings, but for ALL businesses and houses. I will ensure that everyone who has suffered by him is properly compensated."
This resulted in questions being bombarded at him but Dracula didn't answer as he left the podium to his building. Needless to say, the public's reaction reminded Dracula of America during the 90's as there was a clear divide in public opinion about the Number Two Hero.
Even with said hero's PR team doing their best to try and lessen the damage, Dracula's was better. Of course, having the same PR team of the Royal family AND the President of the US and the Prime Minister of the UK also helped with winning public opinion.
And so, the court case began with Dracula at the courthouse along with his lawyer, Inko Midoriya. And of course, his other lawyers but Inko was taking the lead on this case which numbered nine in total VS Endeavor's simple four. Needless to say, Dracula had numbers and his 'ace' lawyer up his sleeves who happened to be the many great granddaughter of one of the best lawyers in history.
"Mr. Tepes runs a reputable business that has brought in more jobs and booms for the economy, which has suffered because of the reckless actions of a careless hero." Inko said to the jury.
One of Endeavor's lawyers had to speak up, "Objection! Our client was doing his job as a hero and while yes property damage does happen it wasn't as bad as what is being given to us."
Inko glared at him as the judge spoke up, "Overruled, you may continue." He said towards Inko.
She nodded and continued, "And it's clear that Endeavor has shown no remorse or given the people who have no home or business because of his actions, any compensation for damages. The simple fact is he abuses his privileges as a hero to pursue villains and increase his popularity."
The hero's lawyer once again spoke up, "OBJECTION! My client has done many charity's and his own agency even donates to the community."
The judge once again stopped the man and allowed Inko to continue and she did so as she walked back towards her legal team's side of the room and held up a large stack of papers. "Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have here damage reports and even losses sustained from this dare I say ROGUE HERO'S actions that day. Would you like to know what the number says? Hmm?"
She handed a copy to the judge who read it as she said, "Over a million! Close to a Billion! Yes a billion with a B! And that's just in property damage as my client Mister Tepes lost over 9.7 Million in lost profits and another 1.6 million due to the fact he can't pay his employees a full day's pay! Meaning many who work for my client to provide for their families can't even do that due to this rogue hero's actions!"
Endeavor growled as he tried to remain calm, but being called a rogue hero was damaging to his pride.
"That is why I am motioning for Endeavor to pay back not just my client but also every single civilian." Inko said as she glared at Endeavor.
Inko then walked back to the table as one of Endeavor's lawyers stepped up with a smile, "Now ladies and gentlemen of the court, my client has done some serious damage, yes. But you can agree so do other heroes. I mean do you expect All Might to not do the same when going after a criminal or a powerful villain?" He begins to walk the courtroom, "Now yes, it's sad that the local economy took a hit and that many are without jobs, but is that not what insurance is for?"
Dracula frowned as he resisted the urge to facepalm from the stupidity of the lawyer.
Granted he never liked lawyers to begin with, as they were worse blood suckers than him and it was clear as this man was doing his best to paint the damages as a normal thing. However, what really got him was the last jab.
"So it's clear, ladies and gentlemen of the court, that all of this is just a case of some outside gaijin not knowing what our hero culture is like." The lawyer said, looking right at Dracula who gave a small glare before looking to the dark skinned woman for whom was his 'ace'. Since this hero's lawyer was gonna try and pull the 'race' card then he might as well ensure a swift victory.
"OBJECTION" came the loud shout from the lawyer to Inko's right, a Miss P. Wright, a rather famous lawyer from back in the USA and a lawyer that Dracula trusted for his legitimate businesses.
"Your Honor" she started, "This is obviously a call for speculation on the opposition counsel. All Might, in all of his battles had never actually caused any destruction intentionally, whereas Endeavor has blatantly caused destruction through his rather careless and callous disregard for life! As you can see in page two of our suite, this so called hero intentionally and without regard launched a flame attack at a group of criminals when no less than twenty civilians were behind that group, the attack left TWELVE people in the hospital in the ICU, and left two of those people permanently crippled and in daily pain. All Might on the other hand has never ever hurt any civilians intentionally."
The silence at Wright's objection was palpable and for a certain 'Hero' well it was taking all his concentration and will to not burst into flames and attack that lawyer.
Wright's assistant in the gallery was smirking at what she had done after all while they couldn't prove he had killed anyone she knew better, all of his victims would see justice this day she knew they would.
The judge finally said, "Sustained." Of course, when the heros legal team didn't have anything to give, the floor was Dracula's and he had to fight the smile on his face when the sight of the dark skinned lawyer took the floor as she smiled at the jury.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court, we have heard a lot here today, and the evidence presented has also been damning as well." She said to the jury and those present.
Walking the room she continued, "Now this man here will try and continue to CLAIM that he is a hero and has indeed done all he could, yet he has caused more damage. Even going as far as to claim race has something to do with it. Well if that's the case then I wish to present you something, ladies and gentlemen." She then announced, "WITNESSES! Those who were there that day!"
Several witnesses were brought in, including a woman who had burn scars on her face and body as she was escorted to the bench.
"Mrs. Takahashi, you were present on April 14th when Endeavor threw a fireball at a group of criminals, yes?" Miss Wright asked.
The woman nodded, "Yes, he had to have known we were there. He had to have known the children that were there, the people whom they used as shields were there yet he still unleashed his fire on them which spread to us."
"And can you tell the court what you were feeling when the fire hit you?" She asked gently.
The witness was silent for a moment before she finally answered, "Like Hell had opened its gates and unleashed its flame upon me."
This caused the audience to whisper and murmur while the jury tried hard to not say anything and keep it professional. Dracula's lawyer then turned to the judge and said, "No further questions, your Honor."
The Judge turned his attention to the Hero's lawyer team who seemed to be trying to figure out how to turn this in their favor but when asked if they wanted to question the witness, all they could give was, "No your Honor."
The court took a recess in which discussions were had, bathroom breaks were taken, and evidence was compiled. The judge returned and the court had resumed its session. Dracula whispered to the dark skin woman who had been active before and with a nod, she grinned as they were going to, in fact, use their trump card to win the case.
The lawyer in question was the descendant of the famous lawyer Johnnie Cochran and the reason Dracula called it his 'trump card', was because, to this day no one has been able to defeat the famous defense that has been used by the Cochran family.
Standing in the courtroom, Janett Cochran spoke to those present. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury. You have heard the witness testimonies, you have seen the evidence, and you have even heard the hero's team try to use my own client's nationality against him." She then walked over and pulled out a standing display, "But ladies and gentlemen of the Jury, I have one final thing for you to consider." Pulling down on the cord, an image of a large hairy creature is displayed, "this is Chewbacca. Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk. But Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. Now think about it; that does not make sense!"
The hero's lawyers all looked on in shock at the fact this woman was using THAT DEFENSE! One that no one, NO ONE! Has been able to defeat!
Janett continues "Why would a Wookiee, an 8-foot-tall Wookiee, want to live on Endor, with a bunch of 2-foot-tall Ewoks? That does not make sense! But more important, you have to ask yourself: What does this have to do with this case?" She looked right at the Jury before adding, "Nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, it has nothing to do with this case! It does not make sense! Look at me. I'm a lawyer defending a major European business module who owns one of the largest distributing companies in all of Europe and most of North America, and I'm talkin' about Chewbacca!" She exclaimed.
"Does that make sense? Ladies and gentlemen, I am not making any sense! None of this makes sense! And so you have to remember, when you're in that jury room deliberating and conjugating the Emancipation Proclamation, does it make sense? No! Ladies and gentlemen of this jury, it does not make sense! If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit!" She finished before heading back towards her seat with Dracula's team with most, if not all the courtroom looking at her with wide eyes and clear confusion on their faces.
While Endeavor's legal team looked on in defeat.
That was the final nail in the coffin as Endeavor lost the court case and was forced to pay reparations for every citizen he had damaged a long with Dracula's properties. Endeavor's popularity was quickly tarnished and his days as a hero was over.
This court case also set off a domino effect, as a law was put in place that took a percentage of a hero's paycheck to cover any damages they may have inflicted on any civilian or building.
Dracula smiled as he sat in his office with a glass of brandy in hand slowly swirling it around, "It's good to be on the right side of the law every once in a while." He said to himself before taking a sip before a buzz from his desk intercom is heard.
He pressed the button, "Yes?"
The intercom buzzed to life as he heard the voice of his female assistant who spoke with a slight Italian accent, "A representative from the Hero Safety Commission is here to see you, Mister Tepes."
Dracula frowned before answering, "Let them in."
Soon the door opened as a woman stepped in with blonde hair kept professional along with two other men in suits, probably her bodyguards. However, what was interesting was that the 'representative, was none other than the President herself, of course many referred to her simply as Madam President.
But, with her turquoise eyes and ash blonde hair that was slicked back. She wore a black suit jacket and dress along with a purple shirt and a necklace. One would think she was trying to come off as the current sitting prime minister than the head of a government commission.
Dracula leaned forward with his hands on the desk and his fingers intertwined together. "Madam President of the Hero Safety Commission. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" He asked.
Said Madam president gave a pleasant smile, "I came here to apologize on behalf of the Japanese Hero society considering it was one of ours who caused the damage to your businesses." She said with a polite tone but Dracula has worked with more than enough businessmen, politicians, even rival criminal leaders to know when someone had a hidden agenda under their voice.
"Oh really? Well that's quite alright. After all, it was his actions that caused this, but to hear that you take responsibility for this... It must be quite damaging." Dracula had a hidden smirk at poking at the fact that Endeavor unintentionally embarrassed them as well.
A small twitch could be seen in the Madam President's left eye as she tried to keep the smile up, "Yes well, I can assure you everything was taken care of. However, that does bring up some concerns that we at the HPSC have in regards towards you and your businesses and the fact that it seems some of our heroes aren't able to patrol those areas that your businesses just so happen to be established in."
"Ah that, well to be completely honest with you, I don't have much faith in heroes. Besides, much of the areas within my business are private property so I reserve the right to not allow heroes to patrol those areas. I have my own private security service for those areas. They handle things more... Discreetly and there is less damage that way." Dracula explained before taking a sip of his brandy.
The smile on the Madam President's face slowly started to decrease, "That's very dangerous, Mister Tepes. I understand that you are a powerful businessman with many connections but even you can agree that without heros around 'accidents' could happen so i ask that you please reconsider allowing our heros to patrol the areas for which your business's reside in so to better protect you, your workers, and those for whom enjoy the services said businesses provide."
Dracula chuckled as his smile increased from the way hers lowered. "With respect, Madam President, but I believe it's safer if I handle the protection of my business and staff myself. I don't want another incident like with Endeavor and have innocents injured or even killed because of their carelessness. After all, if you want something done right, you must do it yourself."
Now the Madam President's smile was gone and instead she had a steely expression as she just nodded very stiffly, "Well. Then I guess we have concluded our business here, Mister Tepes. I won't take up any more of your time." She stood up and held out her hand for a shake.
Dracula took her hand and shook it gently. "It was wonderful for you to stop by though, Madam President. I do appreciate your concern."
She just nodded briefly before leaving Dracula's building. Watching her from his office window, she got into an SUVs back seat as it drove off. He couldn't help but chuckle at how short tempered the woman was, despite her attempts to mask it.
"Fool..." Dracula commented. Returning to his desk, he continued his work while also looking at the files of local crime bosses and what was left of the 'old guard'. Most of them were just those of the past who couldn't seem to fit into current times.
Later that night, Dracula had another glass of Brandy as he looked through some documents on shipping containers and what was contained within them along with the estimated time frame. It was pleasantly quiet, perhaps... Too quiet.
Standing up from his chair, Dracula walked to the window that overlooked the street. Looking up, he couldn't help but smile as he stared right into the eyes of a woman who clearly had a weapon quirk whose barrel pointed at the window he stood at.
There was a loud bang and the bullet was fired right towards his head, except he simply tilted his head and dodged the bullet. It was clear this quirk user was powerful considering the bullet went through his office's bulletproof glass window, which reminded him to upgrade his office protection.
A moment later, the muffled sound of a suppressor rifle was heard firing above along with the distant cries of pain from the would be assassin.
Dracula chuckled as he walked away from the window and pressed two fingers against his ear. "Capture the assassin." He ordered the sniper.
With a quick affirm, his people went to work, "It pays to have ex special forces on the payroll." He said to no one as he went back to his desk and called up his assistant, "Jenny, please contact our security contractors to order reinforced windows for my office and then find a contractor to have all my windows replaced in my office if you would please."
"Yes, Mr. Tepes." Jenny affirmed.
A little while later, Dracula walked towards the basement of his house where the assassin was chained to a chair with a neck brace on. A Quirk Suppression Brace, which keeps a needle injected into the wearer's bloodstream which nullifies their quirk.
Once the guard opened the door, Dracula walked in on the sight of a woman around her 30s with purple hair and strands of pink in them. Probably wearing what could best be described as an 'assassin's attire' as it was all black. Her shoulder was bleeding with a hole in it, indicating where Dracula's sniper got her. "Well if you wanted my attention, miss, all you had to do was schedule an appointment like any other regular person, I would have made the time of day to meet you."
The woman said nothing so Dracula sat down in a chair in front of her. "But of course, you're not like every other regular person, are you, Kaina Tsutsumi? Or do you prefer your hero name? Lady Nagant?" He asked.
Her eyes widened slightly as Dracula chuckled, "Oh yes I know who you are and what you do. You can thank my friends in the CIA because they have a file on you because they consider you a threat to the Oval Office. Quite a high honor, I must say."
It was silent for a few minutes before Dracula continued, "So... The Hero Safety Commission's personal assassin. Sent to kill me because they deemed me a threat. Well they are right. I am a threat. To them, to their status quo." Dracula said as he looked into her eyes. "Tell me, Miss Tsutsumi, do you believe in what you do? Do you believe that getting your hands bloody will make the world stay clean?"
She stayed silent for a moment before she asked, "Why haven't you killed me yet?"
"Because I haven't decided yet. Truth be told, your accomplishments are impressive, but your talent is being wasted by just being an assassin for the Commission. Now answer my question." Dracula said.
She looked down as she said honestly, "I had no choice."
Dracula raised an eyebrow before tilting his head slightly, "How so?"
His attempted killer looked right at him as she continued, "You have me right here, you could kill me and have my body dumped and the commission would never find me. You could have me sent off somewhere to be killed, you could take me out in so many ways or use me as a message to the HPSC to not mess with you yet you haven't so WHY!?" She continued to shout at Dracula, "WHY HAVEN'T YOU KILLED ME!?"
"Because when I look into your eyes, I see a woman who had great dreams. To be a hero and save people. But you were torn apart and put back into an assassin. Something similar happened to me a long time ago. The only difference is, you have the opportunity to become better. To be saved. That's why I haven't killed you." Dracula then stood up from his chair and started circling her.
"Now, you have two options here. Either I kill you here right now and dump your body. Or..." He stopped and leaned down from behind her and whispered. "Join me and prevent others from suffering your fate, and kill all who would oppose us. Such as the Commission."
She was silent as Dracula continued, "Think about it. With me, you would have a new life, a new identity, and no one would know because to your masters you are dead or deported to another nation. Now, make your choice."
Nagant was silent for a few minutes before she said, "I'll join you…"
Dracula nodded before saying to the guards, "Unlock her and take the brace off."
The two suited men nodded as they did so. Stepping up to the room was a young man wearing a suit with a dark suit vest and red tie with small frame rounded glasses, his hair dark and slicked back. His voice was clearly analytical and had purpose behind every word, "Mister Tepes, shall I facilitate a room for our former prisoner turned guest?"
"Indeed you shall, Joshua." Dracula said with a nod before looking at Nagant. "I'm putting my trust into you, Miss Tsutsumi. Do not make me regret this. You'll be provided food, a room, untraceable funds, and an entire new wardrobe." Dracula said before walking out of the basement.
The boy now named Joshua spoke up in the same flat tone, "Please, follow me to your new boarding arrangements." Turning back, Kaina could have sworn she saw the grips of a pistol held within a shoulder holster under the boy's suit top. Which was surprising for two reasons. 1. The boy looked to be a teenager, and 2. Guns were extremely prohibited in Japan.
Then again considering what the man's file said, which was very little, and the fact he admitted to have connections to a government agency such as the CIA who had a file ON HER! The CIA! It was clear to Kaina that neither she nor her former bosses had any idea who this man was or what true power he held. But they would soon. Soon they would know what true power was.
Which was why at this moment, the Madam President along with her people sat waiting for any word from their agent, yet nothing. Nothing for the past six hours which was nerve racking until the phone rang.
Upon picking it up, the Madam President spoke in a stern voice, "What took you so long to get in contact with us? Did you do the job or what?"
"Remember what I said when we first met, Madam President?" Dracula's voice was heard through the phone which made the President freeze and pale.
"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." Dracula said with a smirk. "Now let's get down to business. You are on borrowed time, Madam President. And please, continue sending your assassins for they will fall as well."
The Madam President gulped as she tried to say, "I… I don't know what you me-"
Only for Dracula to cut her off, "Did you know I have a fascination with history? And this right here reminds me of an interesting historical fact from my eastern european homeland. Well, one that neighbors my homeland of Romania, anyway." He chuckled a bit.
"Are you familiar with Joseph Stalin?" Dracula asked but didn't give her time to answer as he spoke. "Over 300 years ago, when the Soviet Union had begun, Joseph Stalin sent several assassins to take out the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito. All of them failed and Josip sent Stalin a letter. And now I will deliver one exactly like it. Send all of the assassins that you want. I will have them all captured and killed. In response, I will send one to you... And it will only take one."
The Madam President was silent before she asked in honest fear, "What… What do you want, Mister Tepes?"
She could have sworn she heard him smile on the other end with the way his voice changed, "See what the right motivation can do to a person? Now as to what I want, well I've made that clear in our first meeting. I want to be left alone, I want my people left alone, my business left alone or else the whole world will know about what you're really doing and I can assure you. Your own government won't be the ones you need to worry about. It's mine and the connections I have to several others you should be worried about."
The Madam President just stared at the phone as she asked in rising fear, "Who… Who are you?"
"I am your sins manifested. The result of the darkness in your heart come to life. I am the monster in your closet that you were afraid of as a child. The Nightwalker. I am the Dark Messiah. I am Vlad Dracula Tepes, and you... Madam President... Are my bitch." Dracula said before hanging up on her.
Setting the phone down, Dracula couldn't help but smile as Joshua stood in front of his desk with his other hitman, Stain, sat in the chair sharpening his knife, "So what's the plan, boss?" Stain asked.
Joshua spoke up, "It's clear that the Hero Public Safety Commission is a threat to our employer. However, as it stands, having them under our control even through means of blackmail is better than dealing with someone we don't know or have any incriminating material on."
"Indeed. However, the moment they step a toe out of line, we release all of their dirty little secrets. We can destroy their very souls through the public." Dracula said with a smirk.
Both nodded as Dracula's grin grew, "But they are smart and know this, so until such time they will play by our own tune. However, that doesn't mean we should let our guards down. That's how many greats lost their lives and their empires or kingdoms because they became complacent."
"And we are anything but complacent." Joshua said.
Stain nodded before suddenly, the door slammed open which caused the two to reach for their weapons only for the sight of a green haired boy to be seen running in towards his father with tears in his eyes, "DAD!"
Both quickly put on their 'inside' faces as Izuku ran right to his father as he hugged him as best he could while crying.
Dracula hugged his son gently yet tightly, "Woah woah, easy son. What's the matter? What happened?"
Looking up, Dracula saw his son with a black eye and some bruises on his face as he cried, "I… I… I tried to stop Kacchan from picking on my friends and he… he and the other kids..." He didn't finish as he buried his face into Dracula's stomach as he cried more.
Dracula looked at his son in shock before growling as he looked at his two hitmen. "Take my son back, and let Inko know. I have someone to speak to."
Izuku seemed to tighten his grip on his father, "Please… He didn't mean to… he can be a great hero." Izuku looked up at his father with those eyes, those innocent eyes that reminded Dracula of his first son. "He can be a great hero Dad, he just… he just needs help, that's all… he's hanging around bad kids that's all, right?" Then something struck Dracula with fear, his son was about to go down the road of denial, that denial would lead to self doubt, and then that self doubt would turn into blaming himself for being quirkless which he did his damndest alongside Inko to get that out of him.
Dracula sighed as he spoke to him, "Son... Listen to me. People are still capable of change, and I believe you that he can be great. But there is something you must understand. I will NOT excuse him hurting you. Actions have consequences, and he is in need of that."
Izuku nodded but still looked unsure as Dracula cupped his chin to make him look into his eyes to show he was serious, "I won't stop him from being a hero, but in order for him to be a hero as you see he can be, this child who hurt you must be set on the right path and his attitude changed. I am simply going to talk to his parents, that's all."
Izuku nodded before allowing the two guards to take him back to his room. It didn't take long for Dracula to find the Bakugos home. His limo parked outside and Dracula walked to the front door before knocking on it.
What he didn't expect was a loud woman's voice, even if muffled, yelling from behind the door, "HOLD YOUR FUCKING HORSES! I'M COMING! BUT I SWEAR IF YOU'RE A SALESMAN, I'M KICKING YOUR ASS!" Opening the door was a rather attractive woman with spiked up blonde hair, but with an attitude that would give a drunk Striga a run for her money.
Dracula immediately had a frown on his face as he raised an eyebrow. "I take it you're Katsuki Bakugo's mother." It was more a statement instead of a question.
She nodded as she looked him up and down, "Yeah and you're the prick who took in Inko and my nephew into your big fuck off mansion." She narrowed her eyes slightly, "I hope you're treating both of them well or else will have problems, ya rich fuck."
Now it clicked into Dracula's mind who this woman was due to the conversation he and Inko had when having tea. Inko called the woman she claimed in everything but blood as a sister and Izuku's godmother who had a rather 'aggressive personality' which she was clearly underselling given just how aggressive this woman was being to him.
"Of course. They are prospering well. But I'm not here to talk about that." That's when he lowered his head down a little and growled in anger, "Where is your son?"
This caused the woman to narrowed her eyes, "Why do you want to see my son? What did the little shit do to have you pay us a visit from your gold plated castle."
That's when he put a hand to the door frame and dragged his nails against the wood, leaving scratch marks. "It seems your son was bullying some of my son's friends before he tried to stop him. This ended with my son covered in bruises and burn marks. Now where. Is. He?" His eyes burned with rage as they glowed, this wasn't his hypnotism activating, this was anger.
Now Dracula was expecting Bakugo's mother to try and defend her son, maybe even try and refute Dracula's claims. However, what he did not expect was the door being ripped off its hinges as said woman turned around and yelled with a voice that he swore came from Hell itself, which did cause some ringing in his ears when she yelled, "KATSUKI BAKUGO! GET YOUR LITTLE ASS INTO THIS FUCKING LIVING ROOM RIGHT FUCKING NOW OR I'LL TAN YOUR ASS SEVEN WAYS TO SUNDAY!!!!"
Dracula's anger quickly dissipated as he rubbed one of his large elf-like ears. Soon, the mother was gone and in her place was a rather timid looking man who smiled, "Hello, I'm Mister Bakugo. Would you like to come in and have some tea while my wife deals with our son?" Two things came to Dracula's mind when he saw the man. One, this man was the total opposite of his wife and two he had to have had the patience of a saint to deal with his wife and son.
Dracula was baffled by the sight of him but nodded gently, "Very well."
Walking into the house, Dracula could make out the sounds of muffled screaming, yelling, even the sounds of a hand meeting a backside. But to the man sitting across from him pouring tea with a tranquil face, it was like another day for him.
"So Inko tells us you work in shipping and distribution, is that right Mister Tepes?" The man asked.
"That's right. I distribute mainly weed, sweets, edibles, and alcohol." Dracula answered before taking a sip of tea.
A loud CRASH could be heard from what Dracula presumes is the child's room as the father nodded, "That must be a hard business to run, considering all the customs and red tape your company must go through just to get a candy bar from Europe into Japan." He laughed lightly.
The King of Vampires had quickly glanced at the sound of the crash before looking back at him. "Indeed, but if you're connected with the right people, it becomes easier." Dracula replied.
The man nodded before laughing nervously, "I want to apologize for my wife's behavior. Her quirk is one based on emotion and the more angry she gets, the stronger she gets, however I can assure you she has mellowed out greatly in the years since we have been married." He said with a smile which caused Dracula to almost choke on his tea.
"Mellowed out? That is mellowed out?" Dracula asked in a bewildered tone. The husband nodded with a smile as he sipped his tea some more which caused Dracula to almost have a new found respect for this man as he asked, "She was worse than she was before?"
The husband nodded, "Oh yes, you should have seen her when she was pregnant with our son. She would literally bring down walls anytime she had one of her mood swings."
The Kingpin of Vampires furrowed his brows on thought before asking, "Mr. Bakugo, you're not planning on having any more children anytime soon, are you?" Dracula asked.
"Not as of right now, no. Why do you ask?" He asked curiously.
Dracula pulled out a bag of gummies before tossing them to him. "This will help even more so. And don't worry about it if there's a sudden drug test, it washes out of your system within a day."
The man smiled as he put the gummies away right as his wife came in with her son being pulled by the ear, forcing him onto the couch. She said with a raised voice, "Now you're gonna sit there and say your sorry and it better be good or else I'll give you another ten!"
Dracula watched the kid as he stood in front of him and snarled before saying, "I'm... Sorry... For hurting... De-Izuku..." It sounded like it physically hurt him to apologize.
Dracula placed the cup of tea down, "Young man, you have a power unlike many. But you squander it by harming other people. Now, I'm going to say it plainly." He then slammed his hands on the coffee table in front of him and leaned towards him. "If you go near my son again... If I see another burn mark or bruise on him... Or if you pick on his friends... I can ruin your chances of being a hero with just a snap of my fingers. Do you understand me, boy?" He growled and snarled at the young boy.
He went to look at his mother who just glared at him and at his father who looked at him disappointed, "But… But he's talking crazy! Saying he can be a hero even if he's quirkless! I'm just trying to make him see sense!"
Before Dracula could even say anything his mother beat him to it as she yelled out, "THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY!? I DID NOT RAISE MY SON TO BE SOME RACIST SHITHEAD!"
Dracula stood up from his seat and straightened out his suit. "In my parental opinion, it's best to take him to counseling sessions." He fished out a card before placing it down on the table.
"Give her a call, and let her know I referred you to her. I'll pay for all sessions." Dracula said before looking at the young Bakugo boy. "Power does not measure a person, boy. It's the choices you make with that power, that measures one. You best remember these words, boy."
Bakugo was silent before the father led Dracula out as he added, "I'll pay for a new door."
The man shook his head, "No, you don't have to do that, our insurance covers it."
"Very well." He bowed his head slightly to the parents. "I wish we met under better circumstances." He said before walking away, back to his limo.
Once inside, Dracula was now left to his own thoughts and he couldn't help but chuckle at just the insanity that was the Bakugo family. "No wonder the boy is the way that he is. He takes after his mother a little too much." He said to himself.
Then his thoughts drifted towards the father which made no sense to Dracula. How a man like that could one put up with a woman like her and two still be clearly sane and centered. "Love truly is strange." That was his conclusion as he shook his head as he crossed a leg over the other.
Looking out at the street, buildings, businesses as they passed, Dracula couldn't help but smile as he looked at how much the nation of Cho has grown and prosper. It might not be America or Europe but this small island nation had a nice charm to it. That's when his smile broke slightly from the thought of Cho. One of his best Generals in the old country before superheroes were even a concept.
He leaned back as he remembered the news of her death, the news that she was among the many victims of Hiroshima when America dropped those two bombs on this nation to end the 2nd World War.
There was a great funeral held for all vampires to commemorate the loss of Cho, the Hidden Empress of Japan. Dracula himself would honor her memory by filling in the power void left in the wake of her demise.
But even with the damages done, he couldn't help but be impressed by the Japanese people. Even when hit by atomic fire twice, they still rebuilt their country and became an economic powerhouse that rivaled America and the other 1st world countries.
But with the advent of quirks or as some would call it Meta abilities, a vast majority of Japan's economy revolved around them which sadly left many other markets lacking or for Dracula's case easy for the taking and making him a large profit.
Which began to boon under his leadership. Then once Japan legalized weed, though with strict laws, Dracula became a distributor which added in more money.
However, much like with any economic boon for one, others face hardships which was why Dracula caught the sight of some men who clearly looked like yakuza trying to corner a girl with blonde hair, a school girl uniform and what truly caught his attention, fangs were on display as she tried to keep the men away from her.
Dracula quickly told the driver to stop before he exited the vehicle. He stepped up towards them, "Excuse me gentlemen, I believe it is rude to corner a young defenseless girl." He said with a frown.
The men looked towards Dracula as one of them turned their hands into blades while the other looked to be a crocodile-like man of some kind and the leader of this merry band of thugs turned his hands into brass, "Buzz off! This is none of your business!"
"On the contrary, when it involves a member of my clan, it very much becomes my business. Now, you have one chance to walk away, or I will skin you all alive and leave you to hang on a street light." Dracula glared at them with his eyes glowing bright and his fangs in view for the girl to see.
The girl looked at Dracula before looking at the man with brass knuckles as she yelled, and jumped onto his back and dug into his throat which caused him to scream in pain as blood sprayed from his neck. "What the fuck!?" One of the Yakuza exclaimed before Dracula charged forward and pierced his chest with his hand. Before tossing his corpse at another one who became stunned.
The Croc tried to charge at Dracula in an attempt to get a bite on him only for the girl to jump on his back, "BLOOD! BLOOD! BLOOD!" She exclaimed in almost horrific glee.
The croc thug who's back this young girl was riding on was doing his best to try and get her off as she attempted to tear into his scaly flesh, "GET OFF, YA FUCKING CRAZY BITCH!"
Before he could rip her off, Dracula walked forward and swiped his hand against the croc's throat, causing blood to squirt out.
Once the croc thug was on the ground, the girl began licking up the blood and even started drinking out of his throat while mumbling, "Blood, blood, blood, delicious blood! Yum! Yum!"
Dracula licked his finger clean before looking at the young girl who was acting... Like a newly turned vampire. He crouched down in front of her and asked gently, "What is your name, young girl?"
She looked at Dracula as she licked her fingers. "My name's Toga and I like blood." She giggled wildly as her eyes had a faint red to pinkish hue about them showing she wasn't a true vampire nor a dhampir.
Dracula frowned as he observed the girl. She seemed to be... Human with a blood quirk. "Where are your parents?"
She stopped and frowned, "They aren't my parents, they think I'm a monster because I like blood, think I'm some kind of future villain cause I love the taste of blood." All the signs were there, the signs of someone who was turned into a creature of the night and while Dracula could chalk it up to this person having a quirk that requires them to need blood, he couldn't at the same time.
Dracula looked at her with pity before gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "You are not a monster, Toga. After all... I am one too."
She looked up at him and there she could see his fangs. Her eyes widened as she asked, "You like blood as well?"
Dracula smiled softly, "Perhaps not as much as you, but I too, must drink it to stay alive. Why don't you come with me? I can teach you to control your thirst."
The young girl nodded as Dracula wrapped his coat over her shoulders and guided her back to his limo. All while sending a text to his people for a clean up crew to deal with the bodies and for information on who the thugs were and who they answered to.
Back at the manor, Dracula was drawing some blood from the young girl to test later. From what he could gather, the girl was named Himiko Toga and from what his people could gather from public records, she was a highschool dropout with parents and some siblings. But her psyche evaluation showed some interesting aspects that confirmed she may have vampire DNA in her but until a full blood test was done, Dracula wouldn't know for sure.
However, what did cause him a small bit of stress was when the reports came back of WHO those thugs belong to and it did not make him happy. The Yakuza. A rival gang filled with delinquents and thugs that have no sense of honor or structure.
Of course, what truly made him upset was the fact that their leader forced minors into being whores. Now don't get him wrong, Dracula has some 'working' girls and boys of his own but they were not minors and were either paying off debts they owed him or had no other way to make a living.
However, unlike some pimps he treated them as one does escorts and vets who wished to pay for their services.
So he ordered to have someone discover who was the leader so he might speak to them.
It took him about a week to discover who it was. Junya Kaneshiro. A mob boss who has been blackmailing high school students. Dracula quickly discovered his location and decided to... Pay him a visit.
Riding in his car was Dracula along with his bodyguards which were mostly men in suits with either armor type quirks or quirks that made them deadly with their concealed weapons.
The limo was stopped outside of a nightclub in the Shibuya District. A vendor opened the door and Dracula and his bodyguards would get out and walk towards the front entrance. The bouncer would try to stop them from entering, but Dracula glared at him to which the bouncer moved to the side.
Once inside the club, the sound of beating electronic music filled the air as party goers seem to dance the night away without a care in the world, others showing off their quirks like a male peacock trying to get a mate.
Dracula scanned the environment until he found his marker. A fat man with long brown hair in a black button up shirt and purple coat, and blue jeans and boots. Dracula frowned as he walked towards him.
The man laughed with what he assumed was his people until he spotted Dracula walking up to him. His eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Holy hell! If it isn't the great kingpin of Europe himself! Walking into my night club! What an honor!" Standing up, Kaneshiro went forward and offered to shake Dracula's hand, "I mean this with all due honor when I ask what a big shot like you is doing here with a small-time guy like me."
Dracula frowned and did not shake the fat man's hand. He simply replied, "I'm here with a problem." He sat down at a chair and placed his elbows on the armrests and his fingers intertwined. "I've been hearing about underage prostitution going on around this territory as well as my own. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Kaneshiro sat down as he nodded, "Yeah, some girls who owe me money and need to pay me back." This caused Dracula's eyebrow to twitch slightly.
Keeping his anger in check he asked in a leveled voice, "And you're not worried about the feds?"
The large man waved his hand, "Please! We got the cops paid off and some heros who patrol the area. I can assure you, big man, that we won't have to worry about the feds breathing down our necks."
"I wouldn't be worried if it weren't for one single fact..." Dracula said before punching the table which shattered as he glared at him and roared. "WE DO NOT DEAL IN CHILDREN!!"
Kaneshiro and the folks sitting with him jumped and some of the ladies screamed from the outburst. Kaneshiro chuckled nervously, "Hey, hey easy, big man. Look, if it's about money, I swear I'll give you your fair share, man."
Dracula growled as he stood up and kicked the chair away. "Hold him up!" He ordered his men. Kaneshiro's friends went to try and fight only to be met with large caliber handguns or in some cases, SBRs thanks to one of Dracula's bodyguard's quirk which allowed them to have storage to hold weapons which in this case were short barrel armalite rifles.
However, for the man who caused this mess, he was brought to his knees in front of Dracula. "Wait wait! I can fix this! I-I'll cancel the debts! I-I-I'll let everyone go free! I'll leave!" Kaneshiro said with sweat pouring down his face.
Dracula showed his hand to brandish his sharp fingernails. "You broke several rules, Kaneshiro... First... You dressed poorly. Second... You involve children in your deals. And thirdly... You encroached on my territory. My territory being all of Japan. The penalty is death and the complete merging of your entire operations."
That's when he swiped his claws against his thick neck, which caused blood to squirt everywhere.
There was a mute horror as all present didn't or couldn't say anything as they watched their former boss die before them. The Kingpin of Europe looked at the corpse with disdain before ordering, "Set the victims of his prostitution ring free. Give them reparations because of him."
They were all silent for a moment before one of Dracula's bodyguards spoke up in a Cockney accent, "You fookin def or somthin? GET TO IT!" With a flurry of motion, they all run off leaving Dracula and his bodyguards with a dead body.
Dracula pulled a handkerchief out and began wiping his hand of the blood. Not too far away, was a cat waitress whose ears and tail were straightened in fear as she shivered slightly holding her tray and notepad. Dracula looked towards the woman with cat features and spoke, "Go home."
She didn't say a word, or even give him a nod. Instead like a startled cat, she bolted away from the area as fast as she could.
Now looking out at the club, Dracula rubbed his chin thinking about what the building could be, remembering the heyday of speakeasies and clubs, the mix of sophistication and lights.
With a small growing smile, he already had an idea in mind of what the building could be turned into that could bring a sort of 'class' to the area. Closing his eyes, Dracula could imagine what this new establishment could be, the sounds of drums, the tones of brass, the strings of violins, bass, and even the bombastic tones of the trombone.
Dracula smiled as he said to himself, "Yes... The perfect club. I should contact the Uraraka family to start construction."
That's when he began to walk out of the newly closed down club with his bodyguards behind him.
After all... He had work to do.