10/12/2024

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The Emperor's Dragon
Dragon 77 - He Has Faith

All Might sat as he waited. He was aware of some of the guards looking at him curiously, but he was ignoring them. Nezu had suggested that he wear a suit in a tone that left no question as to if he'd obey. He had told the Principal that he was planning on wearing one and Nezu had pressed him as to which suit he was going to wear. When he'd told the rat, it was the mustard yellow one, the Principal had given him such a disappointed look that he'd sighed and asked which one he should wear.

The rat had immediately told him to wear his navy blue one.

Toshinori shouldn't have been surprised at the answer. Somehow the Principal could keep track of what he was doing and the fact that he'd only gotten that suit the week before and never worn it, shouldn't be a reason that the Principal didn't know about it. He'd had the suit tailored to fit his small form and… It did look good.

So he was sitting here as he waited for the Tartarus guards to bring the prisoner. He hadn't been to Tartarus often. While Heroes and Police could question the villains incarcerated here, and did for their cases, he hadn't needed too often. All Might was usually brought in at the end of an investigation, when it was time to face the lead villain. When he'd been hunting All For One, all those years ago, the man's followers, the few who hadn't gone to their graves fighting to defend their boss, had refused to tell him anything.

They were much like that Police Captain… It was such a waste and sometimes Yagi wondered how a man like All For One, who was so manipulative could inspire such loyalty. He knew how, of course but… It was such a waste for people who could have been so much more.

He was here now, because… There'd been a growing worry that Tomura was working on something but with the raid on Jaku Hospital and the discovery of his body, it had become obvious that the balance of power in the underworld had changed and was changing. Izuku had taken out a yakuza group but was himself being quiet now and…

It was all too quiet. That was concerning. So he was here to see if All For One could be persuaded to give any hints.

Yagi had very little faith that the villain would say anything but… As Inasa had pointed out, maybe they could gain something from what the man didn't say. There were quite a few people watching this encounter and he knew that the Yaoyozoru's would be grateful if he could get any information about any way they could possibly persuade Izuku to give back Momo's quirk.

There was a clang and on the far side of the glass one of the doors opened. The corridor behind it was dark but from what Toshinori could see, it was just as featureless as the room. In fact the only features worth noting in the room behind the glass were the turret mounted guns. They faced away from the glass and as a shadow appeared in the doorway, they rotated, shifting to target All For One as he was wheeled in. The villain was trussed up on some sort of motorised wheelchair. There was a clear mask over his mouth with a hose disappearing behind him. The tube that had gone into his throat was gone and there was no evidence that it had ever been there. It was a reminder that All For One had a regeneration quirk.

He remained silent as the wheelchair moved into position on the other side of the glass. The guns tracked every movement.

For a moment All Might just looked at his enemy. He hadn't had much opportunity to do that in the past. The injuries he had inflicted at Tsu were the first thing that was obvious. All For One's head was a mass of scar tissue but his teeth were perfect, and his physic was powerful. He still exuded an air of malice that almost defied description.

"I'd thank you for the change of scenery but since they are overly sensitive, one place is much like another," All For One said as if he was discussing the weather.

It took Toshinori a moment to figure it out and then he realised that with the guns tracking him, All For One wouldn't be able to use any quirk. In any other villain it would have been an obvious ploy for pity… with All For One… the man had to know there would be no mercy for him.

The former Number One Hero examined his nemesis for a moment, wondering how he should approach this before he decided the direct route was probably for the best. All For One would be obtuse with answers but the questions would be clear.

"Tomura Shigaraki is dead," Yagi announced, watching carefully for a reaction.

All For One didn't move. He didn't twitch and silence stretched. There was bullet proof glass and the distance between them didn't change but Toshinori felt as if it was. Finally, All For One gave a small shrug.

"You don't seem surprised," Yagi observed.

"On the contrary," All For One objected. "I am very surprised." It was hard to tell what the villain's expression was with only half a face but Toshinori didn't think All For One was lying. "Given you are telling me, I take it no one from your precious Hero Association got lucky?" The question was oddly triumphant.

"No," All Might admitted.

"So who did it?" All For One pressed.

"You tell me," Yagi snapped back.

All For One's lips twitched, but the villain didn't smile. "Ah… I see," he hissed after a few moments thought. "And with Tomura being dead, I take it you now have a group of prized hero students who are missing their quirks?"

"How did… Izuku!" How had All For One figured that out? Tartarus prisoners were not kept apprised of ongoing events. They were not told the state of the world. There was no way All For One should know that.

"I would presume so," the villain replied. He was definitely smiling now.

"You monster! How could you twist an innocent?" Toshinori growled the question. This wasn't going how he intended. It never did with All For One.

The villain actually tutted at him. "It no doubt comes as a surprise to you but I did not order this, or ask for it. I have not seen my son for more than a year."

"What?" There was no way that was the truth.

"I let him go," All For One told him matter of factly before he shook his head. The monitoring points beeped but the villain ignored them. "I love my son, just as I loved my brother," he announced. It was not in a saccharin sweet tone. It was in a voice that simply stated the truth. All Might could not detect even a hint of a lie in it. This was a side of the villain he had never seen before, a man who was at peace with himself. "But my brother betrayed me. I was not going to let that happen with Izuku."

Even if it seemed as if All For One was being completely truthful, his words were still wrong, still twisted. "Then you should have left him with his mother," Toshinori pointed out.

"No," the villain countered, and in the reply was the impression that he was being naive. "If I'd have done that, how long would it have been before Izuku was a lab rat for the so-called Hero Public Safety Commission?" The question was pointed. "I know they want to experiment on me. I know what they told your sidekick happened to my body. I would never allow that to happen to my son." He actually sounded as if he cared for Izuku.

"So I'm to believe you just let him go?" Yagi went back to something the villain had said previously.

At that, All For One almost chuckled. "I have no control over what you believe," he said, in an obvious jab. "But if it interests you, he will say the same. That I let him go."

All Might schooled his features before they could show anything. Izuku had said something very similar. But Izuku was just 16… how much… No, he was mature enough to make his own decisions but having grown up with All For One, how easy would it be for the villain to manipulate him?

"I don't believe you," All Might said coldly.

"That's your choice," the villain said with another shrug. "I must admit if things went well… actually, even if things went wrong with Izuku, I wasn't expecting him back for another few years at least."

"If things went wrong?" Yagi asked. It appeared as if All For One was changing the subject but the former Number One Hero knew there would be some convoluted connection in the villain's mind.

"If he sided with you heroes," All For One offered the simple explanation. "If that happened, I at least expected him to be an adult before he confronted me." The villain nodded to himself. That level of movement was at the limit of what he was allowed in the interrogation room. "This is a surprising turn of events. Maybe he's more like me than I believed," All For One mused.

All Might felt sick at the pride he could hear in the villain's voice. "He's only sixteen," he pointed out. "If he continues as he seems to be, then he really will be an experiment," Yagi noted. "Or dead," he added, hoping to appeal to the villain's seeming paternal instincts. "So, tell me how to stop him," he instructed. He'd never beg All For One.

Again, it appeared as if the villain was actually looking at him. "I will tell you nothing," All For One almost spat the words. He sounded insulted. "Izuku has made his choice, and I respect that," the villain said.

"So, you are just going to let a child attempt to lead your organisation?" All Might asked, unable to keep the mockery from his tone. He'd hunted All For One for years. He knew the pride the man took in his work. It was not something he'd let a child destroy.

At the question, All For One shook his head and actually gave him another smile. "I think you will find Izuku will not attempt anything. He will do," the villain seemed sure of his statement before, he took on a thoughtful air. "Though I must admit to a great deal of curiosity about his current goal." All For One nodded. "Yes, that will be very interesting," he murmured, obviously thinking of other things.

Yagi had no idea what the man would be thinking of. It actually hurt to attempt to think like All For One. He was so twisted but… what did he mean about the goal? Wasn't that- "It's not to bring down heroes and society?"

All Might got the impression that if All For One could, he would have waved one hand dismissively. As it was, he shook his head. "That was Tomura's goal," the villain pointed out, and it sounded like he was talking to a child. Then All For One sighed. All Might could tell that the breath was in place of something else, and he knew the villain was mocking him. "Do not make the mistake of thinking that my son is the same as the dearly departed Tenko."

The name hit him like a hammer. "You're a monster."

All For One grinned. "So you say," he replied, dismissively. "But if I am, then I am nothing more than the reflection of society. And perhaps you should think on that?" The question was light but All Might could hear the bite behind it.

"How many more innocents will you corrupt?" It seemed odd, to be asking that question to a prisoner of Tartarus, since they weren't going anywhere, but Yagi knew All For One. He was insidious. His ideals, his very being… He hadn't been lying when he'd told the world his greatest regret. He truly wished he could have protected more people from All For One.

"I don't corrupt anything," All For One was firm. His voice was as rich as always. Theatrical, even to an audience of one. "I let Izuku go. It was his choice to come back, and it must have been because of something your society did." He grinned. The expression was disturbing when that was all the expression he could make.

"It is you who makes the darkness. Light creates shadow and so you make those you fight against and you who ultimately made my son. And you'd better be prepared to deal with him because…" The villain's grin got even wider. "He is going to be magnificent."

All Might stared at All For One and even knowing the villain couldn't see him, he knew that All For One would know he was incredulous. "He's going to be dead," Toshinori said softly. "He won't be an experiment; he won't be imprisoned next to you. He'll be dead," he restated firmly. There was no need to elaborate on the myriad of reasons Izuku would be dead. If the underworld didn't kill him, and that was a big possibility, no matter how strong Izuku appeared to be, then the HPSC would.

Oh, they wouldn't do it publicly, but it was a distinct outcome, and All Might was not so naive as to not know the possibility. Neither was All For One.

The statement didn't phase the villain. "They will try," he said. "They will fail," he practically growled the statement. "And they will not get the chance to try again."

"You can't protect him," Toshinori said.

At that, All For One seemed to convulse, before the villain shook his head. "You underestimate my son. I have faith," the villain said serenely before he fell silent.

Yagi glared but knew that he'd get no more from the man. He shook his head, and gestured to the guards to indicate they could begin the procedure for taking All For One back to his cell.

There was no point in remaining.

-ted-

As the mechanised wheelchair took All For One back through the corridors of Tartarus, he thought about the information the blaggard All Might had revealed. It would be easy to focus on Tomura and he knew he would be thinking about that at length in the near future but for now, All For One focused on Izuku.

His son was active. And so far quite successful.

With Tomura being…

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to take a deep breath. With Tomura being dead, probably killed by Izuku, he would have to trust that his quirk, the original All For One was safe. To entertain any other thought was… unthinkable.

Izuku would have seen it.

All For One took another deep breath. He was not ready to push that thought away but…

For all that Tartarus proclaimed prisoners couldn't use their quirks, that wasn't quite true. So long as the quirk had absolutely no external signal then you could, if you were careful, use your quirk. For him, that meant there were a myriad of quirks he couldn't use, but there were some he could. Radio Waves was one that was safe to use.

Except… even if he used it, what would he learn?

He could use Radio Waves to awaken the Nomu but they couldn't actually tell him anything with it. But… if Izuku had the copy of Radio Waves Tomura had then… They could talk but…

No… All For One released the quirk.

It was best to trust that Izuku would not have killed All For One with Tomura. His quirk would not have allowed that. It would have…

He did his best not to grimace. Dragon's Hoard did not like All For One. Would it have seen his quirk die?

It might have but… both the Doctor and Kurogiri knew where All For One rested, and they would have… well, they obviously hadn't prevented Izuku from killing Tomura but they would have made sure his quirk was safe.

They'd better have.

As he'd told the dastard All Might, he had faith in his son's abilities. And he did. So… he should have faith that Izuku wouldn't have ruined everything.

Yes.

The caitiff had provided some interesting information, and no doubt believed that Izuku was redeemable but… that was a fallacy. To say Izuku was redeemable was to believe he'd done something wrong. No, his son had not. Just as he had not. To state that, was to believe the system was right, was just, was everything it was not. No… his son was not redeemable because he had done nothing to be redeemed from.

And in time… eventually, the world would acknowledge that.

He had faith.

-ted-

I have had that conversation between All Might and All For One written since… Nestling. Been sitting on it for a while. :D And only minor edits on it.

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!