Chapter 15: Cut Off One Head, Two More Shall Take Its Place
Doctor Garaki was seen walking throughout the hallways of an unknown location with a grin on his face. But even though twilight had fallen, there were several people around. Not just adults but kids too. Just where was Garaki? Only he knew the answer as he walked down the white hallway. But the old man was walking toward a certain destination with a goal in mind. To have a chat with the person that has helped him so much in this wonderful new world.
'Creak.' The door opened with a creak as Garaki entered the room that was shrouded in darkness. But he was not alone. There was another person who had been patiently awaiting him. The person who was expecting him and the person that Doctor Garaki wished to meet once more were one and the same.
"Ah. Doctor Ujiko. I'd been expecting you for quite some time. Did something happen to inconvenience you?" The man within the room asked as his face was hidden by shadows.
"Yes, I do apologize but I had something to take care of." Doctor Garaki (While using the pseudonym Daruma Ujiko, a name that he had already used many times in his old world) replied with a smirk on his face while taking the available seat across from the man drenched in darkness. He could barely see in this room and the man noticed this.
"No need for apologies. In fact, I should be the one apologizing for keeping this room so dark. There we go. Much better." The man replied as he walked over to nearby light switch and turned it on with a flick of his finger. Suddenly the dark room became pristine white as it was illuminated, and the man's face was revealed. His face was very stern looking, and he had brown hair. He also appeared to be middle aged. But he was rather tall, and his suit did very little to hide his impressive physique.
"I suppose that the reason why you had something to 'take care of' was because of the incident that took place a few hours ago. The one where a 'Sludge Monster' destroyed one of the school stores? That was all your handiwork, right?" The man continued before taking his seat across from Garaki, the latter nodded in affirmation.
"It's as you say, Professor Ayanokoji. But you don't have to worry about that Sludge Monster anymore. He's been dealt with by your son." Doctor Garaki replied with a sadistic smile on his face as everything was going all according to his plans. His enemy Izuku Midoriya having the power to destroy Quirks was a minor hiccup in his plan.
"Oh yes, my dear son. He has proven to be a rather useful tool, is he not?" The man named Professor Ayanokoji asked with a smirk on his face as the Doctor nodded once more in affirmation.
"He has proven his worth many times. The way that he uses the power I've given him so efficiently is mesmerizing. Kiyotaka reminds me so much of my Master, it's almost as if he is his reincarnation. But he's still learning. If you haven't heard one of the police officers was murdered so that the leak could be contained before people began to notice what was really going on." Doctor Garaki explained while reminiscing on how much the man named Kiyotaka Ayanokoji reminded him of his Master, All For One.
"I see. I'll have the officer's family refurbished for their loss while keeping it out of the news. I wouldn't want a scandal like that impeding me from becoming Chairman. So, if things stay like this I should be elected by the end of the month. And I intend to keep it that way. So, I'd rather not have another one of those 'incidents' until after I'm Chairman." Professor Ayanokoji replied as the Doctor nodded.
"Good. After that, you can cause as many incidents as you like because I'll have complete control over all of Advanced Nurturing High School's security cameras. Meaning that if there is any footage of let's say something bad happening to one of the students, I'll be able to sweep that under the rug. Once again, I must thank you for helping me get Sakayanagi fired. He was a thorn in my path, so I'm glad that he's been plucked out from the ground, so to speak." Professor Ayanokoji replied with a sinister smile of his own.
"You don't have to thank me. After all, it was Izuku Midoriya who played his role to utter perfection. In his single-minded pursuit for the truth, he managed to get rid of the one man who could have prevented us from succeeding in our plans. How ironic. Hahaha!" Doctor Garaki replied with a laugh as he truly enjoyed playing with Izuku Midoriya as if he was a puppet on strings that were being controlled by him and him alone.
"Izuku Midoriya, that was the name of your sworn enemy, was it not? I assume he's one of the students there. I'll have to thank him sometime. Without him, I wouldn't be becoming Chairman. If he wasn't your enemy, I would have given him a sizeable reward for his efforts. Oh well. Guess I'll find some other way to repay him." Professor Ayanokoji replied before taking a drink from the glass that was on the table.
"Want some? This drink is one of my favorites, it's Yamazaki fifty-five. It's a type of whisky that has been aged for fifty-five years, (Hence the name) longer than I've been alive. A tad expensive I might add, but I would say it's worth it by being very exquisite." Professor Ayanokoji asked as he flaunted his drink which cost almost a million dollars. It was sufficient to say that the Professor held great wealth and influence.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass. I want to be sober so that I can keep my mind in tip top shape." Doctor Garaki replied as he wasn't a man who drank or smoked. At least he hasn't in a hundred years. This is because alcohol and cigarettes would only cause problems in his pursuit to get what he wants.
"Suit yourself." Professor Ayanokoji replied before taking another sip of the Yamazaki Fifty-Five. He then tilted his head to the right and took a look at his window which showcased the moon hanging in the sky in a stunning display. That sight reawakened memories within the Professor.
"Say, Doctor Ujiko. Do you remember the first time we met? It was on a night just like this." Professor Ayanokoji asked as the Doctor nodded in affirmation.
"Yes, it was like it was yesterday." Doctor Garaki nodded as he reminisced on his past. Specifically of how you arrived in 'this world.' It was on the day that the Heroes and Villains fought in one massive final war that would change the world forever no matter which side prevailed in the end. And in the ensuing chaos Garaki used this as the opportunity to hatch a devious plan that he had kept to himself for a very long time.
To explain, it had been a few decades before All Might would end the reign of AFO that Doctor Garaki would find a person who held a Quirk unlike any other…
… A Quirk that allowed travel to another world. It was simply by chance that he had abducted this person who was but a small boy. He had been experimenting on the boy for weeks on end to try and make him use his Quirk to no avail. But one day, the boy had enough.
"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! I WANT TO ESCAPE! I NEED TO ESCAPE! I MUST ESCAPE!" The boy screamed at the top of his lungs with several needles piercing his body. The pain was indescribable for the boy as he had never felt such pain in his life. This was torture that no one should have to go through. Especially not a small child like him. And it was that feeling of wanting to escape was what triggered his Quirk that even the Doctor wasn't aware what it actually was at the time. (Which was the reason why he was experimenting on the boy in the first place.)
'WHOOOSH!' It was then that a black vortex opened up that began sucking in everything that was around him. This included the boy and the Doctor who had happened to be beside him at the time. The boy was instantly sucked through the vortex, but Garaki put up a fight while digging his fingers into the floor until he inevitably lost his grip.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Doctor Garaki screamed at the top of his lungs as he assumed that this was the end for him. That this vortex was the equivalent to a black hole that would rip him to shreds once he had gone through it. But to his utmost surprise, that didn't happen. In fact, it was then that the Doctor entered into 'another world' for the first time.
"W-WHAT IS THIS PLACE?!" Doctor Garaki shouted at the top of his lungs as he found himself in the middle of the desert where robots with guns were firing at him. But these weren't mere guns but something entirely different that shot beams of energy! If he were hit by one of those, he would die for sure! That's why the Doctor ran for his life until-
"What's a civilian doing out here?! Get him to safety! On the double men!" Someone shouted as he along with his group made their way toward the Doctor. It was then that Garaki saw them and noticed that their appearance was rather odd. They all wore white armor with black markings where their eyes, nose and mouth were among several other places. He then deduced that they must have been soldiers due to the way they were acting. Though he had never seen a soldier look like 'that' from his world.
"What are you doing just standing there?! Follow my men so that you can get behind enemy lines! Pronto!" The soldier who appeared to be the commander shouted as the Doctor had no choice but to follow the commander's men for hours on end until they reached some cave in the middle of nowhere. But upon entering the cave it was then that they noticed-
"Hey, kid! What are you doing over there?!" One of the soldiers shouted as the boy almost jumped out of his skin. It was then that his eyes went wide upon recognizing the Doctor. Garaki recognized him too, but before he could say a word-
"S-STAY AWAY FROM ME! YOU DEMON!" The boy snapped back at the top of his lungs as the soldiers were speechless at what they were seeing. These soldiers hadn't encountered a human on this planet until coming across the Doctor. This planet was inhabited by bug-like people and shouldn't have any humans to speak of. And now there was a boy too?!
"Something fishy is going on and I think he's the cause of it!" One of the soldiers yelled out as he aimed his gun at the Doctor. Garaki knew that there was no way to trick them anymore, so he had no choice but to get rid of these men.
"Johnny… get rid of them" Doctor Garaki muttered as something came out of his lab coat. It was a small humanoid child. Except that it was no child, its brain was exposed, and it had lacked the lower part of his body which had a cable in its place that connected to the bottom of his torso. It was an utterly monstrous thing to look at, a monster that was known as a Nomu.
"Gah! What the hell is that thing?!" The soldier who was aiming his gun at Garaki yelled out just as Johnny leaped at him and got onto to his shoulders! And then…
"BLAUGH!" Johnny vomited out a black looking sludge from his mouth that spread all over the soldier's body until it made him vanish off the face of the earth! The soldiers were utterly dumbfounded by what happened to their comrade. Which made them easy pickings for Johnny until there none left. The Doctor then approached the boy, the latter for which was scared out of his mind.
"MURDERER! YOU MURDERED THEM!" The boy shouted at the top of his lungs as he threw a rock lying on the ground at Garaki. But the Doctor didn't flinch in the slightest as he knew that his ally would take care of that piece of stone for him.
"SPLOO!" And he did. Johnny then spit out more of that black sludge that engulfed the rock and made it vanish just as it had done with the soldiers. 'Vanish.' That was the clear word as the Doctor made it a point to correct the boy about.
"You misunderstand. I did not kill them. Heaven's no! I don't have the power to kill something that is breathing. But I have others who can make them go somewhere else. That's all I did, honestly. So, you can believe me." Garaki replied before making his way to the boy. The boy fully expected to be hit for trying to hurt him. Or at least that's what the boy believed until he was utmost surprised by the Doctor hugging him.
"Eh? What is this?" The boy asked as he cried while the Doctor hugged him, he had long forgotten this feeling after being tortured relentlessly by Garaki. But now that same person is doing this? It was inconceivable. That he was actually-
"Surely, you know what this is, my boy. This is a hug. Haven't you been hugged before? Well, if you haven't, I'll hug you as many times as it takes. Your parents may no longer be here for you. But I am here for you." Doctor Garaki whispered into the boy's ear as the latter couldn't help but smile after hearing the Doctor's kind albeit fake words. It was then that Garaki helped him off the ground. And then…
"Come on, my boy. Let's go home." Doctor Garaki finished as he held the boy's hand while walking out of the cave with him as Johnny followed closely behind. But before they could leave the cave, the black vortex sucked all of them in just as the Doctor planned. And just as he had planned by toying with the young boy's emotions, the both of them (And Johnny) returned back to their world.
"Impressive. You are able to control your Quirk through your emotions. You sent us to that war torn world due to feeling intense anger. But through feeling an entirely different emotion, you brought us back to our world. Most impressive indeed." Doctor Garaki explained while the boy was truly surprised at what he had accomplished. But he was curious. Just what did Garaki mean by 'an entirely different emotion?' The Doctor noticed this and smiled.
"That emotion is love. Without love you can't do anything. You love me my boy. And I love you. Together with your power, we can find many different worlds and share that love with countless others. We will not change this world. Instead, we will change another world of our choosing. Isn't that right, my boy?" Doctor Garaki asked with a fake smile on his face as he kept his sadistic grin hidden from the boy. This Quirk withheld so much potential. The potential to conquer other worlds!
Not only that but Garaki soon discovered that when he returned to his original world, only a few seconds had passed even though they had been there for a few hours. (This was due to the amount of ground that Garaki had to cover with the soldiers to reach the boy who had ended up in a completely different part of the world because he wanted to be as far as possible from Garaki.) This all meant that the passage of time that occurred in other worlds were different from each other! The Doctor could theoretically spend months, maybe an entire year, in another world and only a few weeks would pass by in his! There was so much potential at his fingertips!
However, AFO didn't see it that way and deemed the Quirk as 'useless.' Since it had no power to change their world. But this was one of the few times that Garaki had disagreed with his only friend. The Quirk to travel to another world which he dubbed 'Multiversal' held so much potential that it couldn't be abandoned. For that reason, Garaki explored the limitless worlds that could be traveled to across the extravagant multiverse!
Most of the worlds that they traveled to were lost causes. War torn worlds that were beyond salvation just like the first world they ended up in. Eventually, Garaki found the exact world he was looking for, one eerily similar to the world he lived in for the majority of his life. A world that has superheroes! But there was a twist to it! The world that he had found himself in was a world where the superheroes weren't heroic in the slightest!
In fact, they were more akin to supervillains! However, the public had been utterly fooled by them! They genuinely thought with their heroic gifts they could do no wrong! How FOOLISH of them! Not only that but the world's heroes were all in America for some reason. (Though it wouldn't be until later that Garaki found out the truth behind this difference between his world and this new one.) But even still a world much like his own, but far more corrupt…
… It was primed to be conquered!
It wouldn't be long after that that Doctor Garaki, with the assistance of the boy who had long since undergone a transformation into a Nomu, had managed to escape from the prison that the heroes were keeping the former in and made it back to the world they found! There while working as a doctor in a hospital in Japan, he came across the man named Professor Ayanokoji by sheer chance! Except, that it was fate that this encounter occurred. Because it was there after discovering his talents that Professor Ayanokoji offered Garaki an offer he couldn't refuse.
"Quit your job, at this lowly hospital and work for me. I have a place that is best suited for your unique talents." Professor Ayanokoji asked. The Doctor's curiosity was piqued so he quit his job and accepted the man's proposal. There he encountered the Professor's own creation, the 'White Room.' A place full of kids who were trained to increase their intelligence on a daily basis. But as they grew smarter, they were also told to lie and deceive each other. Garaki was astonished and knew he had met a man who was akin to his Master.
"Isn't it beautiful Ujiko? A place that sharpens the minds of the young to the bitter end. These people will change Japan's future and make it possible for our land to reclaim its former glory. Too bad, some will inevitably lose the will to go on as they will be ruthlessly crushed by their peers. But from the ashes the strong will take their place among Japan's leading minds." Professor Ayanokoji explained as Garaki nodded in affirmation.
"I agree. But even the sharpest of minds can fail due to the strength of another." Doctor Garaki admitted as he recalled All Might, (a man he deemed as a fool) defeat AFO, (a man who was certainly far more cunning and ruthless than All Might could ever hope to achieve) with the former's raw strength alone.
It was because of that (As well as his Master's defeat at the hands of Izuku Midoriya) that Garaki had been searching for a man who would become pursue the 'true' successor to his Master. A certain individual that was not only all of the things that AFO was but also young and had the strength to prevail against others. (But at this point he had only briefly talked to Kiyotaka and wasn't aware of the potential that the boy held.)
"You're right. But some people are just more naturally gifted than others when it comes to strength. Men will naturally beat women in combat. Sure, there are exceptions but there is only so much you can do with children." Professor Ayanokoji admitted but the Doctor saw this as an opportunity. He and Ayanokoji thought alike. They both wanted to create a world where the strong ruled over the weak. So, he took this chance.
"What if I told you, I could give them the 'power' they lacked?" Doctor Garaki proposed as the Professor looked at him with subtle intrigue in his eyes. Garaki noticed this.
"Show me." Professor Ayanokoji replied. It was not long after that that that Garaki conducted his first experiment in this brand-new world. He would then give a Quirk that he deemed suitable to one of the White Room kids. The Doctor over the years had made several copies of Quirks he found useful. This included his Master's Quirk, all of the Quirks that were harnessed by the League of Villains, as well as countless others he found along the way. (Some of which were copies of Quirks that were used by his original world's heroes, that he found in different people)
'BZZZZZZZZZT!' The result was utterly extraordinary for Ayanokoji and the person who happened to receive the Quirk, Amplivolt. (A Quirk that used to be in the possession by one of the commanders of Paranormal Liberation Front was now in the hands of a young man.) However, he had no clue how to control this newfound power and had ended up electrocuting several of the other White Room kids to death. Not that the Professor was angry about that. The deaths of a few measly kids were a small price to pay for having access to something truly magnificent!
"Impressive! With such raw power, we can make Japan the world's ultimate superpower! One that will surpass America's false heroes and bring an end to Vought!" Professor Ayanokoji exclaimed while looking at the young man who had unintentionally killed several of the other White Room kids. But he wasn't all too upset by this. In fact, he smiled at his newfound power and thought 'Awesome!' To himself with a look of glee on his face. But Garaki was confused by what the Professor told him. Particularly the word-
"Vought? Isn't that the company that releases merchandise for several of America's heroes? Like Homelander and Black Noir, for example." Doctor Garaki asked with a confused look on his face. The Professor noticed his new friend's confusion and smiled.
"You are right. But they are so much more than that. It's Vought International that manufactures America's Supes. However, even though they proclaim themselves to be 'International' they keep all the heroes to themselves. Ironic, isn't it?" Professor Ayanokoji while Garaki nodded in response. But Garaki was surprised by this.
'Manufactures… supes? So, this world's heroes aren't born with their powers? How is that possible? It's completely unlike my original world.' Garaki thought internally as he mentally processed the information that Ayanokoji told him. But this raises another question. How does the Professor know this? Ayanokoji noticed this confusion and smiled.
"It's because I have connections. Connections that aren't limited to Japan in the slightest. In fact, they are far and wide to the point that I learned a bit of trivia from a particular person who requested her identity to be kept a secret. She told me the truth of how Supe's gain their power. In exchange that in the event that her special forces team falls that I cooperate with the CIA to figure out a way to defeat Homelander. But getting back on topic, a drug known as Compound V is the source of it all! By having Compound V in your veins, you will gain powers beyond your wildest imaginations!" Professor Ayanokoji explained while Garaki's eyes shot wide open.
He couldn't believe it. The source of this world's heroes' powers… all came from a bottle?! How…
'ANNOYING!' Doctor Garaki thought internally while gritting his teeth hard. All this time, Garaki had to steal the powers of others. (With the help of AFO of course) But this meant that he had no way of producing new powers. He had to rely on the Quirks that already existed. It wasn't as if he didn't try to create new Quirks. But even after trying again and again for decades on end, he wasn't able to create a Quirk. But somehow this world's scientists have developed a concoction that gives other people superpowers?! It was then that Garaki decided that…
"I'll burn Vought to the ground." Doctor Garaki declared with a tone of voice that did little to hide his anger from the Professor. But in response, Ayanokoji put his arm around the Doctor's back. And then…
"No. WE will burn Vought to the ground. Just like you I have a hatred for Vought. They have become one of the leading corporations and have stolen profits from not just me but from all of Japan. It's because of them that America has surpassed all of the other countries to become the world's ultimate superpower." Professor Ayanokoji explained as it became crystal clear what his motivation in all of this was. But even still, he would go on to say it himself.
"However, that won't last for much longer. Because Japan will reclaim its former glory and surpass America! To tell you the truth, I had long since dreamed of the day Japan would be able to get sweet revenge for America dropping nukes on us. Not only that but they had a certain American hero murder so many of our country's people. Though thankfully, he's dead." Professor Ayanokoji admitted. Garaki found this man named Atsuomi Ayanokoji to be someone that he can manipulate by supporting his dream of Japan becoming the world's leading superpower. However, what he learned here genuinely surprised him.
'T-This world's America dropped NUKES onto Japan?! That did NOT happen in my original world! In fact, the Americans wouldn't so much as harm a single Japanese citizen! Much less send some murder happy superhero to kill them! What the hell is this world?!' Doctor Garaki thought internally with a dumbfounded look on his face. But even though he was surprised by learning this piece of information. At the same time…
… This only made him more excited to use this cruel, wonderful world to obtain all of his desires and more. However, in the months that he had spent here in this world, he would soon have to make sure that his mortal enemy, Izuku Midoriya ends up here one way or another. And he already had the perfect way to do it by using that boy's extraordinary power! But he still had time for that, since he had made sure to check that this world's passage of time went by far faster than his original world. (The difference being much like the first world he ended up in.)
It was then that Garaki explained to Ayanokoji about the world where he came from. A world that seemed like it was pure fantasy but was undoubtably reality. But after seeing the 'results' from before the Professor had no reason not to believe him. And that he did. It wasn't long after that, that things began falling into place for the Doctor as his revenge plan against Izuku Midoriya began to take root. It wasn't long after that, he would come to know exactly the type of person that the son of his friend was, who would further his plans. But that was a story for another day.
"The both of us, we've come so far to achieve what we want. A world where intelligently gifted people with power will rule the world. That world will be inherited by my son. You've already made the preparations, have you not?" Professor Ayanokoji asked as the Doctor's thought process was broken, and he was returned to the world he had found himself in.
"Of course. Everything will soon be in his hands. As I have told you, he has inherited my Master's Quirk All For One. With that power, all will accept him as a natural born leader capable of changing the world and leading Japan into the future." Doctor Garaki replied with a half-truth. Because while he partly speaking the truth, it wasn't the full truth. He intended Kiyotaka to do much more than lead Japan to become the world's superpower that exceeded whatever America could achieve.
But it wasn't the time yet to make those plans become a reality. After all, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was a young man learning about the people around him and the world for the first time due to being confined to the White Room all of his life. That's why he needed to learn from his peers if he ever hoped to achieve what Tomura Shigaraki could not…
… Conquer the entire world and have everyone bow to him, with no heroes left to stop him. A world without All Might or Deku. This meant that before Kiyotaka would be able to make this world into a reality, he would have to kill Izuku Midoriya first. But that was not all. The reason why Garaki and Ayanokoji could not move forward with their plans was due to one little obstacle named Homelander. Homelander is the world's current number one superhero. And he is akin to All Might in that aspect. (Even more so that they both wore costumes symbolizing their undying love for America, though in contrast to All Might, Homelander was no hero.)
Only after conquering both of those obstacles, then and only then will Kiyotaka Ayanokoji truly become the next AFO.
"Before I go, do you mind if you tell me how our experiments are doing?" Doctor Garaki asked with intrigue in his eyes and a look that matched it. Professor Ayanokoji nodded.
"They have shown promise. Some more so than others. If I were to pick who showed the most promise out of the bunch, it would be Takuya Yagami. His electric Quirk makes him unrivaled in raw power in comparison to all of the others. He would make a fine pawn to have around my son." Professor Ayanokoji explained (Yagami was the same person who received Amplivolt. Which occurred a few months before the present day) while overlooking Yagami from his room as the latter stood on top of someone younger than him with a malicious look on his face, while the latter was rendered deceased.
"However, there's also another candidate who has soared through the ranks and has given young Yagami a run for his money. That would be Ichika Amasawa. Her ice Quirks stops any and all enemies in their tracks. She still has a lot to learn but she's quickly getting the hand of her new power." Professor Ayanokoji continued while overlooking the girl named Ichika Amasawa who had frozen multiple of the White Room kids. Remarking 'Cool,' To herself with a sadistic smile on her face. Amasawa's Quirk was Icy Ply. Which allowed her to manipulate all of the nearby ice. And she had accomplished such a feat by simply using the ice in the nearby refrigerator!
"Wonderful! If these two keep it up, I'll surely make them two of your son's commanders in our war against Vought. Though I must be going now. I'll see to it that everything will be as we have planned, Chairman Ayanokoji." Doctor Garaki replied before making his exit. But in the midst of this, Professor Ayanokoji overlooked the White Room kids before smiling. And then…
'Soon, I'll have plenty more promising candidates for who will lead Japan into the future alongside my son.' Professor Ayanokoji thought internally as he knew full well of the worth that the students of AN presented. Sure, most of them were unfit to aid his son, but a select few had the potential to lead Japan into a new era. That was why the man named Atsuomi Ayanokoji was going to become Chairman of Advanced Nurturing High School. So, that his son would have all the allies he needed to bring forth that new era. But as this was going on, Garaki began to think of his next move.
'Yes… I'll certainly use those two down the road. As for my next plan… hmm… I recall learning that the freshmen students of AN will find themselves competing against each other on an island later this month… yes… that could work. That will be the perfect opportunity for one of my Nomu to make their debut. I'm sure after encountering 'them' again it will truly knock Izuku Midoriya's socks off. Let's see if you can prevail against them or die trying.' Doctor Garaki thought internally as he vanished into the darkness with a devilish smile on his face after figuring out the latest scheme, he had concocted for Izuku Midoriya.
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: A Season for Announcements
Go Beyond!
Plus Ultra!