15/10/2024
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The Emperor's Dragon
Dragon 60 - Hope and Pain
Yakuni looked into the tank. There was an in-tank camera that allowed him to focus on what he was growing. It was still small, really small, microscopic, a few hundred cells. They were multiplying but they weren't recognisable yet as anything.
The Doctor had been skeptical that he could clone Kurogiri but had worked with him on a theoretical method of creating Nomu from before childhood. When Yakuni had suggested going forward with the idea, Durama had refused to provide any genetic material. That was not a problem. The Shie Hassaikai hadn't provided him with any genetic material either, but he'd stolen enough to be able to clone all their quirks so getting a sample from the Doctor, and Kurogiri hadn't been hard. Both samples were now on file and growing here, before him, was the beginning of a Kurogiri clone. At least, that's what he hoped.
There was, theoretically, no reason it shouldn't work. Durama had agreed on that so Yakuni was determined to try. Even if it took years, and it would take at least that long, the pay off was going to be worth it. Another warper, one loyal from birth and as a fringe benefit, he'd get the practical experience of growing the clone and of putting it through the Nomu process. Even if it failed, that was worth something.
He watched the cells for a few minutes, but couldn't detect anything wrong with them. At this point in the reproductive cycle, the cells would be embedding into the nutrient rich womb lining but liquid they were floating in provided enough nutrients, so they should be fine. It wasn't like he hadn't done this before.
The regular clones were grown at normal speed for another week or two before he accelerated them by supercharging the nutrient feed along with a few other tweaks to the liquid mix. This one would be kept at more natural levels and allowed to grow at a natural rate, so he'd have time to watch it.
He sighed as he turned to another project. This one was far less defined than cloning Kurogiri. With that project, he at least knew what the steps were, this one… he had no idea what he should be doing.
Izuku had given him a sample of something he said was venom and asked him to create an antidote. The problem was, he didn't know the first thing about antidotes. The Doctor had shown him enough that he could help on Nomu and could actually clone Kurogiri (if everything went right) but other questions of biology were not something he really knew much about. He had paid attention in school but teaching the quirkless was not a priority.
So this was actually a great opportunity to learn. Yakuni looked at the sample, and put it away. Before he tried anything, he had some reading to do… And before he had reading he had to deal with his phone.
The buzz was annoying.
It was actually ringing, which was odd. Usually people texted him. Yakuni pulled back from the microscope and pulled out his phone. Pocket was brilliant for storing it and his phone was always in a small pocket that was mentally linked to a pocket in his pants. That way, since most things in his quirk created Pocket went into a type of stasis, he could still feel when something happened. It wasn't really linked to his physical pocket, rather it was a quirk pocket that he never closed, which allowed signals to travel in and out. With the normal quirk pockets, he closed them entirely, which activated that stasis effect.
Sometimes he forgot, and then his phone was out of service but… that was a small price to pay.
Yakuni looked at the caller. It was Unten. The older, formerly quirkless, man had gotten a quirk off Dragon the other day. Confession, Yakuni believed. "What's up?" he asked as he answered the call.
"Nothing has gone wrong," Unten was quick to reassure him.
"I didn't think it had," he replied.
"Can you tell Dragon I'm good to begin," Unten said instead of saying anything else.
It took Yakuni a moment to translate the statement, and then he remembered that Dragon had asked Unten to be his chauffeur and the man had agreed but needed some time to clear his schedule to be able to work when Dragon needed.
"I'll let him know," Yakuni told him. "How are the other's going?" He asked as he stepped back from the tube. The growth so far seemed normal and he'd just have to be patient to see how it developed. And it wasn't like this was the only one he was growing. Since he didn't know exactly how the Nomuification process would take on a foetus, Yakuni was growing several copies so that if he screwed up, he could just try something new. The benefit, if this worked, would outweigh the minimal costs now… And even if it didn't… It wasn't like anyone gave him a budget to work to and so long as he was producing results in other ways, then he didn't think Dragon or his father would mind.
Unten huffed. "That darn fool Goumanya has gone and joined some… what did he call it? Work stable? Or some such rot. I have no idea but he's gonna get himself arrested."
Yakuni didn't say that was what Dragon was hoping for. Goumanya being arrested would be a small event, at first. It might remain that way. Some overly bright Police Officer might investigate when Goumanya's record showed he was quirkless and the reality illustrated otherwise. They may put two and two together. They might not.
Dragon was hoping they figured it out but he'd accept if the authorities didn't. Most likely Yakuni thought the authorities would work it out. But they'd keep it quiet. Or try to. This was a side plot because… Yakuni wasn't sure. Dragon might want it as distraction except he couldn't control the timing, or just as a way of showing the system's weakness.
"And the other two?"
"They are looking for better paying jobs to support themselves through High School," Unten told him.
"That's good," Yakuni agreed this time. Rakura and Shibou were young, 19 and 21 respectively. They could probably finish High School and maybe go to university. Someone would probably know they were quirkless. Their official record would say that, but they could keep it quieter, maybe, that they had gotten a quirk. If the authorities found Goumanya, they were likely to find Rakura and Shibou too. It was just a matter of when.
"Where should I go to start?" Unten asked, going back to the reason he'd called.
Yakuni wasn't sure but he figured the bar would be a good option. He told Unten the address. "Just don't show up too early," he added the advice.
"What's too early?"
"Anything before eight," Yakuni told him. Izuku usually kept pretty regular hours and used the morning to think and to have one on one conversations with the others.
"Heh, that won't be a problem," Unten agreed.
"I'll let them know to expect you," Yakuni indicated.
"Thanks," Unten said and then silence stretched between them.
Yakuni eventually just looked at his phone. "Was there anything else?" He asked.
"Err no," Unten agreed.
"Well then, I will see you later," Yakuni said and hung up. He sighed and put his phone back into his pocket before he turned to another set of tanks. They contained the quirks he was actively copying. He'd put a rush job on Himiko's but the one containing Dragon's friend's quirk was almost complete too. The purple hair in the tank was going everywhere, which was one of the ways he was using to determine that the clone was almost of the right age to manifest their quirk. And Yakuni knew they might need that quirk, sooner, rather than later.
They were growing as they should, so he turned to another project. He had several. This one, was the Shie Hassaikai and he would admit to a certain amount of pleasure seeing them like this. Rappa's burns were no longer visible as a High End Nomu he was coming along well. Rikiya was also progressing. The others were all Upper-Tier, verging on Near High-End Nomu. Say what you want about Overhaul but he knew how to pick out people.
Rappa was… Well, he was optimised to take out Endeavor and he was ready. The Doctor had helped a bit and watching him work, Yakuni had learned quite a bit on how to make the High End Nomu. He could probably make one himself without assistance now but… There were still a few things he wasn't sure about but he was working on them.
Dragon had told him not to say Rappa was ready until the entire group was done and Yakuni knew why. They didn't need Dabi getting angsty. Yakuni shook his head. It would be so much better if people were patient or… Well, he knew others wouldn't see Dragon the way he did but, they should know that when he gave his word, he kept it.
Yakuni sighed and looked up at the Nomu. "You'll be ready soon… And I wish I could see Overhaul's reaction," he added.
When the man learned that Himiko had her quirk back and that his men were now serving Dragon… Oh that would be sweet. Yakuni knew he wasn't going to see the reaction but… he had been quirkless for most of his life.
He knew how to imagine.
-ted-
Ever since Bakugou had decided he was going to be a hero, he had kept up his fitness. He wasn't just going to be a hero, he was going to be the Number One Hero and that meant he had to be fit. He had to be able to go the distance. He'd trained his body. He'd trained his quirk. He'd studied hard. He was everything the Number One should be. He even had the backstory! He came from a shitty Middle School, full of nobodies, whose only claim to fame would be that they had known him in his younger years.
He was the only one from his school to make it into UA. The extra's had all said they wanted to be heroes during career counselling, but Katsuki had sneered at them. Not one of them had the quirk to do it. And even if they did, not one of them had bothered to train. They were all losers. They just talked and as far as he knew, not one of them had even attempted UA's entrance exam. Some of the losers might have attempted the exams of other hero schools but if it wasn't UA, did it really count?
Once he'd got to UA, Bakugou had won the Entrance Exam, because that was his destiny. He was in Class 1A, because only the best went into 1A and then, while he wasn't the top, he was progressing. It was just a barrier to overcome, and he'd never shied away from a challenge. In the actual heroics classes, he was one of the top, if not the top. He always won his scenarios, and the villains were dealt with. Wasn't that the most important bit?
He'd dominated the Sport's Festival, though it was galling that the Todoroki bastard had looked down on him. The whole world had known he was an up-and-coming hero with the result. When he won his second year, and third year, then they'd know he was the up-and-coming hero.
And when he'd been kidnapped… Well of course the villains wanted him! They saw his potential, but he wasn't going to be a villain. Bakugou had seen the way that All Might was… he wanted that. He wasn't going to sell out to some two-bit villains with no vision. Let that wanker Todoroki be a villain.
Bakugou looked around. He was in one of UA's gyms. The school had a few and he was in one of the smaller ones, with a punching bag set up. He'd slipped away from Kirishima to be here because the fuss pot was concerned about his arm. It was fine! The breaks had healed, and he just needed to think. He couldn't do that with the mother hen always fussing.
Then All Might had appeared and everything was as it should be until he was knocked unconscious. The villains might be uninspired pricks but they knew his abilities. The next thing he knew he was in hospital but that was only for a few hours. He'd learned then that All Might had won against another villain. Of course, he'd won but… That wasn't the whole story and Bakugou had watched the footage of the battle with his heart in his mouth.
He knew All Might had won, because he'd been told that, but there had been something very primal about the battle. The end had torn his heart.
And he was procrastinating. Bakugou growled at himself and punched the bag. It rocked slightly and he felt the jolt up his arm. It was healed but still tender. For a few days, after the kidnapping, everything was as it should be. The bitch from 1B who knew a villain had been expelled. Boohoo hoo. If she knew a villain, she should have said something.
Then they'd got that challenge.
Katsuki formed a fist, digging his nails into his palms. It should have been a nothing! That arrogant, management student prick had been waiting for them and he'd… He wasn't that good! The prick hadn't out fought him. He'd cheated somehow, and then he'd defeated the others, all while laughing at them. It had made no sense at the time and after, when they explained that the bastard's quirk allowed him to take other quirks…
That was a bullshit quirk! It was absolute bullshit! And why had the bastard targeted him… The bastard had supposedly done it because he'd been kidnapped and…
Bakugou forced himself to release his fists. The sting of pain was nothing but he unclenched his fingers slowly and took a deep breath. When he found out that the asshole had taken his quirk, Katsuki had just figured it was merely a matter of time before the shithead was caught and he'd get it back. It was a challenge, one of those challenges that the eventual Number One Hero had to face… But time had gone on and the motherfucker hadn't been caught.
He was laying low… And…
Katsuki roared as he punched the bag again, rushing through the memories. The extra he didn't even remember had then attacked him. He was so weak if that want-to-be had taken him out. That burned. That hurt. At least the villain asshole had used a quirk. The extra… He didn't want to think about it.
He punched the bag again. His arm was healed but the bones were still sensitive. Recovery Girl had explained bone healing, actually any accelerated healing had a weakness. Most healing quirks could only pull on the resources of the body, so with accelerated healing, the body only had so much 'extra' in it at any one time and the healing could only heal with the materials the body already had. So in the case of bones, they took longer because the body did not have that much extra calcium and other minerals.
He'd asked her how Regeneration worked then, thinking about the creature from the USJ and had seen the way she pursed her lips. It told him they weren't sure how that quirk worked.
Bakugou shook his head. He was procrastinating again. That wasn't like him! He faced his issues and…
UA had invited other, loser schools to their campus and a couple of the students had pulled out of the Hero course. Momo and Kaminari had both withdrawn. He'd stayed. He was going to be a hero. The fact that he didn't have a quirk was just…
A temporary set back. If All Might didn't find the prick, he would and that would be the end of that.
It would be an absolute triumph, the crowning achievement of his school career. And then he'd go on to be the Number One Hero.
That was the plan.
But…
For the first few lessons after he'd returned to the Hero course, All Might had watched him. Bakugou had gone harder than he'd ever had before. He'd proven that quirk or not, he was the best. But then the Number One hero had turned away and was focused on some wanker from Shiketsu. No one else saw it but Bakugou did. Kirishima said the hero was properly spreading his attention between the new classes but Katsuki saw the truth. There was something about the Shiketsu student that All Might was interested in.
It should be him!
When he was a child, he'd decided he'd become the Number One Hero. He'd take the rank from All Might, who would then see he was the only worthy successor for the position and would retire then, leaving the world to him. It was a childish fantasy, though as he'd gotten older, it was one that had remained as All Might remained in the Number One position. Until he was in High School and it would be just a few more years. Bakugou hadn't really thought it would come to fruition, just because he'd thought that All Might would retire while he was in Elementary, or Middle School but the man hadn't.
And now… He was feeling betrayed. The position as All Might's successor was his! Not some overly tall git from Shiketsu.
But…
What was it..? Was it the quirk? That was temporary. It was a problem. It was a big problem, he could admit but it was temporary. One day he'd find that prick Dragon and beat the shit out of him to get his quirk back.
He was not a quirkless loser.
Not like…
No one had told him but he'd worked it out. It wasn't hard. All the extras seemed to think he paid no attention to anything that didn't involve him! That wasn't true. He knew the old hag's best friend's kid had been kidnapped by his father. Bakugou remembered growing up thinking that the woman should be grateful that her husband had taken the quirkless loser away from her. But no one else saw it that way.
And now…
He was not a quirkless loser!
And it appeared the brat the old hag's friend had cried about every year wasn't a quirkless loser either.
He was worse. He was a fuck'n' villain. The one who'd taken his quirk.
It made a great addition to his story! His childhood… acquaintance turned out to be his nemesis…
That would be great. But… Nothing was going right.
Bakugou was still in the hero course, but things were different. No one looked at him the same. The hobo didn't say anything, but Katsuki could tell he thought it was a waste of time. If they were to have that stupid Quirk Apprehension Test now, the hobo would fail him. He knew it.
And the others… the lesser ranked hero trainees in his class, most of whom were only here for some bullshit unity event, they hadn't even qualified for UA, just looked at him during events. They were now careful! As if he was fragile. Just because he didn't have a quirk.
He wasn't a quirkless loser!
He didn't need to be cosseted.
But they were…
And the worst of it was…
Bakugou swallowed. They probably needed to. Without his quirk… He could hit as hard, he was as fast but he couldn't do anything. He couldn't fly, he couldn't take out a villain, he couldn't- He just couldn't.
He bit his lip… Without his quirk, he couldn't be the Number One Hero.
Katsuki slumped to the ground.
The rat, and the stupid dog counsellor assured him that he could still be a hero but… The reality was without his quirk, he could not be the Number One Hero and if he wasn't that, what was the point?
He didn't know.
-ted-
Bakugou is having a breakdown so isn't that coherent. He knows what losing his quirk means but he doesn't want to face it and… he's in pain but doesn't have a great support network. Kaminari, Momo, Iida and Kirishima have gone through this too, but they had someone's shoulder to cry on.
Go see the newly posted Omake ( s/14054902/11/The-Emperor-s-Dragon-Extras-and-Omakes) for how Bakugou might deal with things in a different, but still unhealthy way!
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-
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