16/04/2024

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you are the greatest!

The Emperor's Dragon
Dragon 11 - Wardrobe!

Izuku didn't think he was vain. And with everything that had happened, he didn't have a lot of clothes, which was why this shouldn't be taking this long! He didn't have cupboards and drawers full of clothes. He had half a bag! There weren't that many combinations of things he could wear.

But…

Twice had managed to talk to the Yakuza. They called themselves the Shie Hassaikai and they'd agreed to meet. While no one was going to record this, it was going to be the first time he made an appearance, officially, as Dragon and he wanted to look the part. He'd never thought of it until now, but while trying to decide what to wear, he had realised that his father's look was the suit with no tie and the top button undone on the shirt. People saw his father in those clothes and they knew who he was.

So while this was likely to be the first meeting, it was important that he give the right impression. This meeting would… It would be possible to change things after this meeting but if he did it right the first time, then he could build on it.

The problem was he had no idea what he wanted his look to be. This wasn't something he'd thought about and while Izuku was tempted to dismiss it as a trivial thing, there was a nagging feeling telling him that it really wasn't. With a sigh, he pulled out his phone. He might have something he could wear but if he was going to try to find a proper look without the clothes to try on, then he'd have to do it digitally.

It took a moment to find an app and load a picture of himself into it. Then he sat there, staring at the little screen not sure what to do. He knew how to use the program but he had no idea what he wanted to look like.

The group gathered for Tom- Izuku shook his head. He had to stop thinking about them like that. They were his group now, had obviously done this, though he wondered how they'd decided on each of their looks or if they'd just fallen into them.

Izuku shook his head. Himiko might have just decided the high school uniform was appropriate and Dabi's appeared to be based on pure functionality but Mr Compress, Twice and Whisper had a definite style. How had they worked it out?

He sighed and then decided to see what he'd look like if he adopted his dad's look. He picked out a suit and a shirt and had the app render him in them. It just wasn't right. Maybe he should see what he looked like with a vest? Like Kurogiri. He made the adjustments and looked at the image. Again, it wasn't quite right. He looked like a waiter!

Though… maybe if he changed the colours? He had put himself in a white shirt and a black vest. He tapped the image, bringing up a list of colours and picked out red.

Definitely not. Green? It was sort of okay but… No. It would be too obvious, too simple and… It was just too bland. He would probably have to wear a suit in some situations but… He didn't want that to be his style. It would be too much like his father.

Or was he making this harder than it should be? He randomly flicked through a couple of outfits but nothing felt right. There were websites that were set up for kids where they could come up with a hero costume… So why was this so hard?

Izuku chewed his lower lip. Part of the problem was that… He really didn't think this was that important, but at the same time he knew it was. He got up. He could waste a lot of time here or he could ask for some help… Or he could not care about it but Izuku knew that was the wrong answer.

He checked the clock. It was about 10pm, which was good. The bar would have customers but they should be leaving soon. It was a weekday. Izuku went down and watched from the shadowed doorway for a few moments. Twice was at one of the tables but he couldn't see Himiko, Dabi or Mr Compress. Whisper was…

Why was she taking drinks to the tables?

He didn't get a chance to think on it further. Kurogiri was always sensitive to his presence and the barman moved to the door. "Is something wrong, Izuku?"

He looked up at the misty man and shook his head. "I just can't decide what to wear tomorrow," Izuku said and then blushed. It sounded… It was such a weak thing to say. Kurogiri gave him a look but then nodded. It made Izuku feel better that the warper had not immediately dismissed his concern.

"I would wear a suit but, I sense that is not what you wish," the misty man said.

Izuku nodded. "I don't know what though," he said. "I know it's not that important but-"

"This will be the first time you meet with someone from the outside," Kurogiri nodded, and then his eyes shifted shape slightly to indicate he was thinking. "Perhaps ask Whisper," he said.

The woman appeared as if summoned. Izuku gave her a proper look. Today she had a plain black dress with red buttons on one shoulder. It was tied with a black belt with red tassels. She was also wearing a pair of matching red leggings. Her hair was plaited into a thick plait that went down her back. She looked far too exotic for Kurogiri's bar but maybe that's what he needed, something different.

"You need me?" Whisper asked quietly.

"I was hoping you could help," Izuku said, equally softly as Kurogiri went back to the customers. "Let's go sit with Twice," he added. He might as well see what the other man thought as well.

Whisper gestured for him to lead the way. Before they sat at Twice's table, Izuku cocked his head slightly. They might be his crew but on down time he wasn't going to force them to spend time with him. Twice shrugged and Izuku took that as acceptance.

"What do you need?" Whisper asked again once they were settled.

Izuku sighed. "It's silly," he said. "How did you two decide what look to go for as a villain?" he asked.

"What look?" Whisper asked.

Izuku thought about how best to explain it. "Heroes have their costumes, so everyone knows who they are. Some villains have a costume as well," he pointed out. "How did you decide what yours was going to be?"

At the question, Whisper gave him an amused look while Twice nodded.

"What is it?" Izuku asked.

"Style is only for-" Whisper broke off as Twice spoke.

"It's gotta be something you pick," he said seriously.

"Yeah but how did you pick?" Izuku asked, looking at the man. He didn't have a mask on at the moment and was dressed in a plain shirt and pants. He looked just like anyone else in the bar. But Izuku knew he had a costume.

Twice looked at him and Izuku realised when they were here, he should probably think of Twice by his real name of Jin.

Whisper looked interested in his response.

"It has to be something for you kid," he replied. "Whatever you decide has to work for you," Jin emphasised. "I picked that because it-" He didn't finish.

"You need the mask," Whisper filled in the missing statement.

Jin nodded.

This was new to Izuku. "Why?" He couldn't help the question.

Jin looked at him sharply and Izuku felt as if he was judging if he should know and then he shook his head, reaching for his beer. "Another time," Jin told him before gulping down the amber liquid.

Izuku sighed. It would have to be later though if Jin needed the mask and he wasn't wearing it now- He didn't understand. Though the villain had said something useful even if it was obvious. He had to pick something that worked for him but that was more than just a stylistic consideration.

He nodded. "You guys almost didn't follow me, right?" Izuku asked.

"You are very young," Whisper told him.

He didn't bother to deny it. Instead he put his phone on the table to show them what he'd been working on. Izuku looked at his image. "If it's got to work for me, then I should probably include some sort of mask," Izuku mused, "to hide the fact I'm this young."

Whisper seemed to understand what he had been asking now and she nodded. "You are a close range fighter?" she asked.

From what she'd seen of him, that was probably true. "I can do both," Izuku said, "but predominantly close," he agreed.

"Then maybe some armor?" Whisper suggested. "It shouldn't be too hard to get."

Izuku thought about some of the hero costumes he'd seen and immediately dismissed the women's costumes. For the most part, they were skin tight and… Yeah, they weren't armored, though the textiles used would provide armor like protection but they were still designed to titillate. He wanted the male costumes. Again, most weren't armored… at least the top ranks weren't. The fabrics took care of that. The lower ranks and…

He remembered the costumes of the hero class at UA. Some of them were armored. Is that how it worked? The sidekicks got armor, the hero didn't? He almost laughed at that consideration but the thought did bring to mind the Iida's. Their costumes were armor, so it was something that could be worn and their armor included full face helmets, which-

"That's a good idea," he told Whisper.

Izuku pulled his phone out and instead of going back to the fashion site, this time he went to a website that let people design their hero costume. He quickly loaded in his picture and went to head gear. A variety of options appeared. He looked at them carefully. They were all bright and cheerful but if he changed the colours and took the horns off one and used the lower part of the other. He tapped the software and picked out the bits, colouring them green and then putting them on his picture. It didn't look too bad.

"Cute," Twice commented. "A dragon."

"That's the look I'm going for," Izuku agreed.

"What's that vest?" Whisper asked, looking at the image. Izuku had made sure to include his light vest on the design as an undergarment.

"Something that helps me, but it should be under things," he explained. "I can make some energy from sunlight and that is a vest which simulates sunlight," he went further, reaching into his shirt to lift the vest to the front of his clothes. It wasn't on at the moment so it just looked like stretchy black fabric.

She nodded and then pursed her lips. "How about some body armor over it, to keep it in one piece?" Whisper suggested.

He nodded and applied some. It made him look a bit top heavy though. He grimaced and looked for some way of streamlining it. "I don't actually need armor," Izuku muttered. He had his scales and that hardening quirk to protect him.

"So you are really just after the helmet?" Whisper asked.

"Yes."

She tapped at the table and then pulled out her own phone. Izuku watched as she searched for something on it. Twice cocked his head. "You looking for something better?" he asked.

She nodded. "Stuff from old movies," Whisper told them. "It wouldn't have worked then, but we have armor fabrics today so it could work now," she explained.

"You mean the fabrics they use for hero costumes?" Izuku asked.

"Yes. It's hard to get but not impossible. Tissu make most of it but-" she didn't continue but instead gave him a smile.

"You think we could get some?"

"With the right pressure," Whisper said.

"Interesting," Twice murmured and he began looking for something on his phone. "How about something like this?" he said quickly, turning around his phone for them to see the image. It showed someone in a black jumpsuit with white highlights running all over them. They wore a helmet which was rounded. It had no special features but that was actually good. It meant he could customise it. The outfit looked a bit like armor and if he could get a hold of some of Tissu's fabric then it would be as strong as armor.

It wasn't top heavy though…"I wonder if it would make me look taller?" Izuku considered.

Both Whisper and Twice looked at him.

"I'm shorter than you all!" he complained.

That got a chuckle.

"It might," Whisper allowed. "But if you appear with us then-" she shrugged. If Izuku stood with them then it wouldn't matter if something was giving the illusion of height. He'd been seen to be shorter.

"You could just embrace your height," Twice suggested. "Make it a feature."

"I'll probably have to," he grumbled, looking at the image Twice had shown. Izuku looked back to his phone and made some changes to the costume he'd originally picked out so that it looked like the image Twice had brought up. Whisper put her phone next to Jin's. It had a similar design on it but with different highlights and a jacket covering everything.

Izuku nodded. "That's not bad," he said and made a few more changes. "It's getting there," he said but he felt that it needed something more. He hadn't added a jacket, like Whisper's image but maybe he should? And… he tapped the foot area. Because he was using a design site, it had just given him normal shoes. He changed them for boots, and then added some reinforcing. That was better.

And then Izuku tapped for a jacket. The site designed it to match the rest of the costume and he assessed it with a critical eye. It wasn't bad.

The helmet hid his youth and if he put a dragon or scale motif on it, that would be a reference to the fact he was Dragon. Then with the rest of it, he could highlight it with scales again to reinforce that. It was dramatic and in some ways childish but…

This would be the formal outfit he'd use as a villain. And the fact that it hid his identity was also good. It meant he could- Mentally, Izuku shook his head. He couldn't pretend that he was someone else when he donned this outfit. He was the person wearing it and he had responsibility for what he did. But at the same time, it would be nice not to be immediately recognised as a villain.

He'd have to think on that later.

The outfit was mostly black, but he'd chosen green highlights. Not the electric green of the image Whisper had shown him, but a more sedate green. It still looked bold against the black. The boots he'd picked were sturdy and went above his knee, giving him some protection there. He'd skun his knees enough in practice against Gigantomachia to know how it stung so protection there would be good. He had black gloves that would allow him to use his claws and… With the helmet he couldn't use his fangs but biting someone was… That was more Himiko's thing so it probably wasn't bad. And this was formal wear, so …

With a critical eye, Izuku looked over it. He could fight in it but it was going to be what he wore mostly to meetings. For fighting he'd… well, he'd have to see how that went. The jacket would go and… maybe he'd start with everything. If he could get the fabric then it would offer him protection without having to use scale and hardening, which would tire him out.

Izuku sighed. He'd told the others to think of quirks or things that would make them stronger but for him, what he really needed was some sort of energy or stamina quirk. He had good stamina but using multiple quirks would tire him in combat and… He could overwhelm most people quickly which would help with his stamina but…

He was going to have to think about this.

"I wonder how quickly this can be made?" Izuku asked.

"Probably not in time for tomorrow," Jin told him.

Izuku laughed at that. If that was the case, then he was back to square one.

"But we can probably get something that looks like it for then," the man continued. "Maybe not the helmet, but I'm pretty sure the jacket, pants and at least some boots can be found," he said, looking at the picture Izuku now had.

"That will be something at least," Izuku said. "Are they really open to talking?" he asked.

Jin gave him a look before he nodded. "They wouldn't have agreed to meet if they weren't," he said. "Though, they'll want something in exchange," he added.

"Then it's just business," Izuku shrugged with a smile. "I know business." He hoped he did anyway.

Only time would tell.

-ted-

Now that Izuku is suitably attired, onwards to meet with Kai!

My discord is on this code: TcBnRN7aDn FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out. There's a heap of other authors there, so come along and chat to us all! Not just about MHA.

-ted-

Loved it? Hated it? Found a spelling mistake? Let me know please!