28/01/2025
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The Emperor's Dragon
Chapter 93 - Conflagration
As Tax Commissioner, Motoo didn't get much call to attend conferences. It was one of the things she missed. Assistant Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners got to go more often. Assistant Commissioners especially, as part of their professional development but she had been asked to be the keynote speaker at this year's Managed Superannuation Funds Conference.
Speaking gave a different feeling to the conference, but Motoo was determined to enjoy it regardless. You didn't get to be a Commissioner without learning to combine business and pleasure. Though really, for public servants that was politics and pleasure.
She was the first speaker for the afternoon on day one. The first morning of any conference was mostly there for socialising with other attendees and for those flying in to arrive. Catching up (gossiping) about the latest and greatest was an essential part of a conference. This was doubly true today as the Hero Billboard had been last night and the hero industry was at least a passing interest to most, and doubly so for those financial professionals who dealt with insurance and things like that. There were a few here today, even if this was about Superannuation.
As Commissioner, her time was sought after, even for casual conversation. In fact, a lot of decisions and deals were made from casual conversations. That's why Motoo wasn't surprised when JBQC's Executive Officer approached her, with several JBQC executives in tow. That was about right. Anyone who knew anything about JBQC knew that Janee had practically run the company since the former owner had been injured.
Motoo hadn't heard much about the new owner so she didn't think things had changed.
"Janee," she greeted the woman warmly.
"Motoo," came the equally warm reply. "I am looking forward to your presentation," Janee said.
"I hope it will be interesting," Motoo replied. "There's a few new things the Commission is looking at this year for Super."
"More, less?" Janee asked.
"About the same," Motoo was pleased to say. "But amended reporting requirements," she gave the high level summary of her presentation. "Though it shouldn't impact you much," she added.
JBQC paid superannuation but she was equally sure they employed an external provider.
"We still have to make sure it's done right," Janee countered.
"Of course," Motoo smiled, accepting the rebuke. "How are you handling the new owners?" she asked.
Janee chuckled.
It was not the response the Tax Commissioner had been expecting and her expression betrayed that.
"The new owner is easy," Janee told her. "It's managing our old friends which is the greater challenge."
It took Motoo a moment to interpret the sentence. "They are still a problem?" She thought the Hero Public Safety Commission would have given up by now.
"They are persistent," Janee indicated.
Motoo thought about what she knew and pursed her lips. She'd heard there was some sort of patent issue currently and she knew Janee had that well in hand. Or rather Shunin did. The court date kept getting delayed, which just gave Shunin more time to prepare and dig up dirt on the Commission. But there were other ways which the Hero Public Safety Commission may cause issues.
"I'm sure they will be deterred soon enough," she expressed her support. "But have you considered the more direct approach?" Motoo probed.
Janee blinked as she considered the question.
Her boss, Hisashi Riji had so many misdirections and alibis in place that the direct approach to strip him of the resources JBQC gave him would never work. The new owners most likely did not have those protections.
"I would welcome any suggestions," Janee said carefully.
Motoo understood the care. They were in public here, and anyone could overhear. But equally this was a situation where they could talk without people becoming suspicious. If they met for coffee or another purpose, then that was not normal. This was the best opportunity to speak.
The Commissioner thought about her response for a moment. "I would suggest a change of name would be beneficial," she said. "Especially before Director registration." The condition was added.
Motoo watched Janee's expression and saw the subtle flicks that indicated confusion, which changed into understanding as she worked through the implications. The Executive Officer gave a heavy sigh. "Name changes require a lot of customer engagement," she lamented but Motoo knew it would be done.
She gave a sympathetic smile. As an official branch of government and one of the core branches, they didn't change their name often. Logos and other paraphernalia, yes but name, not so much. Even so, she understood the effort required. "And put something into production," she murmured the addition.
Janee nodded at that. "Shunin suggested that."
"Shunin is sensible," Motoo observed.
Janee gave a small laugh and nodded. "Well, we have taken enough of your time," she said, giving a nod to another group who were discreetly waiting. "I look forward to your presentation, Commissioner," she said by way of parting.
Motoo nodded and gave a gracious smile before suppressing a sigh as she saw who was waiting. Hinata of the Superannuation Association was not going to be as pleasant as Janee. Hinata would ask questions that she didn't want to answer but was just part of the game.
Motoo settled herself forcefully. She knew how to play. She wouldn't be here otherwise, and she was going to remain for a few years more.
Playing the game in exchange for front row seats to watch Hisashi's son destroy the Hero Public Safety Commission was worth it.
She could retire into the new world.
-ted-
Dabi laughed at the expressions of shock on the Heroes' faces. Endeavor was denying it but Dabi knew the old man was aware of the truth. He'd been told before today too. He just didn't want to accept it.
Well, now Enji knew what that felt like. Having to accept something you didn't want to but having no choice. He'd been there, when Enji had discarded him. And now Endeavor was going to choke on this truth.
The heroes had gathered and Dabi knew they wanted to intimidate him. He'd seen them kill Rikiya but he'd seen the cost. Hawks had almost no feathers and the bandage on his thigh had a dark splotch on it which wasn't dirt. And Rikiya had thrown him into a building. Sure, heroes were trained to be tough, but there was a limit to their endurance.
Edge Shot was covering injuries as well and Wash… It was hard to tell with that hero but Dabi was stronger than him. He wouldn't make a difference. And Shouto was still conflicted.
The sidekicks were retreating. Legerdemain had gone earlier, once they discovered his illusions didn't work on some of the Nomu.
"You are not my son," Enji said firmly.
Dabi laughed again. No matter how firm the old man was about it, it didn't change the truth, and he knew it. "It's too late!" He'd already begun opening his core and once he started, it had to be discharged. "I am going to have my revenge," he was triumphant as they winced at a new wave of heat.
This was nothing. This was simply the surprise warm wind on a cool day compared to what he was going to do.
Endeavor gestured savagely at Shouto. The meaning was obvious. His little brother had ice, and wasn't using it! Shouto tapped the ground, sending a wave of ice against him. Dabi didn't even bother to huff. Ice like that was not going to be enough! He kicked the small amount that reached him.
Someone appeared beside Shouto and did something. It looked a bit like a shimmer in the air in front of his brother. Shouto sent a wave of ice from his hand this time and… it was bigger than before. The man beside Shouto must have some sort of amplification quirk. It still wasn't going to be enough! Dabi growled and gestured, meeting ice with fire. There was a billowing cloud of steam which never reached him with the way he was radiating heat but it did obscure the heroes for a moment. Wash was beside Shouto and the two of them sent a wave at him. Water preceded the ice.
Another tongue of flame took care of it and this time when the steam cleared Hawks and Edge Shot were there as well.
"Bloody lining up!" Dabi muttered and sent fire towards them. Shouto managed to block it and when the steam cleared Dabi barely had time to fire towards the attack coming towards him. For a moment, water covered him and it evaporated near instantly. It cooled him slightly but a second later he had regained his heat and more. He concentrated on the thing… It looked like ice but Dabi could see something reddish in it and…
He increased his temperature, melting the ice to reveal feathers. Hawks must have collected every feather he had to form the spear. They burned away and there was yet another thing there. Edge Shot's sword! Dabi got a brief glimpse of it before it hit his shoulder. He spun and went down and the metal glowed.
Fuck it hurt!
Dabi let his flames cover him as he got up. He didn't bother to remove the blade. Instead it melted. His fire pulsed out. Soon. He was nearly there.
"Run!" Endeavor yelled the order.
The old man finally realised it was too late.
"You aren't going anywhere," Dabi screamed, launching himself at his old man. He grabbed onto Endeavor, ignoring the way he burned.
"You are coming with me, Dad," Dabi murmured and was surprised when Endeavor embraced him, just as he released the last lock on his core.
-ted-
Years later, Chosa Utsuna would refuse to discuss what she saw at Osaka the day after the first Hero Billboard in decades where All Might had not smiled at the country from the Number One position. At the time, she'd been more than a little hung over, a state shared by her camerawoman Diuga and it was the need to find a sober pilot for the chopper which had delayed their launch… and saved their lives.
All she knew at the time was that the conflagration of blue fire that appeared in central Osaka was apocalyptic. It rose in a dome, almost looking like half a sun with the way it spun and sheathed and bubbled. It swallowed whole buildings for the few moments that it existed. Debris was thrown off it and a few moments after it appeared, the helicopter was buffeted by the winds it generated. They weren't smooth or controlled and their pilot struggled to keep control. They actually spun a few times. That made it worse, and that wasn't just the hangover speaking.
The fire disappeared after several long heart beats and Chosa was left staring at the skeletons of buildings. They'd been burnt away, melted and only some infrastructure remained. Steel dripped and cooled, leaving oddly shaped rectangles hanging in the air.
No one could have survived that.
"Get us there," Diuga retained the sense to order their pilot.
Chosa always thought that camera people thought they were immortal so long as they were filming. The pilot obeyed. They thought they were immortal so long as they were in the air but this was their job.
Diuga swept the camera over the devastation and Chosa knew she should be talking but… what was there to say?
"Fuck!" the pilot exclaimed. Chosa didn't know what caused the expletive and then she saw it. Hawks. The Number Two Hero was plummeting from the sky. His wings were… not there. He maybe had a feather on each and they could not keep him aloft. Diuga got the camera on him as he fell.
They could see his expression. He knew what was going to come and he was desperately trying to slow his fall. Chosa wasn't sure how Hawks managed to do it, but he somehow angled himself so that he hit one of the building skeletons. It wasn't enough to stop him falling but it did reduce his speed and as she watched, he tumbled down further, hitting other obstacles until he reached the blackened, still smoking ground and just lay there.
She wanted to tell Diuga to move the camera. They could have just filmed the hero's death but she couldn't. The entire place was like that.
"What the hell caused this?" she asked. They'd been told Endeavor was fighting a villain, one who had a fire based quirk but this… this wasn't fire… this was pure destruction. It reminded her of Kamino but All Might wasn't there and all Chosa could see was smoke and char. She didn't see how anyone could survive that. On the ground, where the park had been, she could see the remains of street lights and cars and the burning stumps of trees. There were also some black lumps.
Chosa gulped. She had a horrible feeling she knew what those black lumps were.
"Turn it off," Chosa ordered.
"What?" Diuga questioned.
"Turn it off," she repeated her order. They shouldn't be filming this. Not live. People didn't need to see the bodies.
"But-"
"Turn it off!" The order came from their comms. That was their boss. "And search for survivors."
"We're not heroes!" Diuga objected.
"But we are the first people here," Chosa countered, tapping her head set to talk to the pilot. "Can you land?" She didn't specify if he could land without damaging the helicopter or anything like that.
"I'll try," he replied.
A moment later they were down and thankfully Diuga had stashed the camera. The smell was terrible here. Everything was acrid and burnt and smoke was wafting off the things still burning. The ground was hot. "Check Hawks," Chosa instructed her camerawoman.
Diuga nodded and raced towards the Hero. Chosa prayed he was alive as she carefully picked her way towards the centre of the square. There was a larger lump there, with a smaller one near it. She had a horrible feeling she knew what it was.
Chosa didn't like being right, and she choked down the bile that rose in her throat at the sight. The larger lump was two people. They were embraced and burned almost beyond recognition. She kind of wished they were nothing but ash. It would have been easier but… She recognised the navy blue that formed Endeavor's costume. It was charred and covered in soot and every part of the hero that was exposed was burned to the point where there wasn't even blood.
The other person was in a worse state and looked to be almost nothing but ash.
She'd seen things like this. Chosa had an interest in history and the pyroclastic flows from Mt Vesuvius had reduced humans to similar forms in the Pompeii eruption. This had to be the villain. She couldn't see any expression on his face because there was nothing to see with the ash and char.
Chosa turned away. The kindest thing she could think was that it was good they were dead. The pain otherwise…
The other, smaller lump was dead as well and she had no idea who that was. They seemed to be reaching out. Did they have a quirk that could prevent this? Was that why they were trying to get to the villain and Endeavor, or where they just stuck there. Was this one of Endeavor's sidekicks? Or another hero? She didn't know. Someone would, eventually the story would come out but for now, Chosa just couldn't tell.
She looked around the remains of the square. It was eerily silent and despite the heat, she felt cold. Whoever that villain had been, they were powerful and they had obviously had a grudge… She couldn't be sure what had happened but if the villain had a fire quirk, then it was possible he'd set this off. He'd immolated himself, and Endeavor and the entire square… What made a man do that?
"Got a survivor!" The pilot shouted.
Chosa looked at Diuga, who was still gingerly hopping over debris to check on Hawks. She motioned to her camerawoman that she should continue that as Chosa made her way to the pilot. The man was standing over… Chosa didn't immediately recognise them. They were burned and their skin was blackened yet, red and raw and not there. The form was slight and was trying to breathe deeply but failing and kept gasping little breaths. "Is there a first aid kit on the chopper?" Chosa demanded.
The pilot nodded, already turning to get it. Thankfully he didn't ask what a first aid kit could do in this situation. The man - probably a teenager actually, which gave Chosa the hint she needed to identity the person - needed far more than what a mere first aid kit could give but they had nothing else they could do.
"Emergency services are on the way," her producer, who was back at the studio, told her through the comm.
"Tell them to hurry," Chosa replied, unnecessarily. They needed more than just the emergency services.
"Is the villain-?" her producer didn't finish.
"Dead," Chosa told him. Hopefully that meant they would rally more people faster if they knew they didn't have to worry about the villain interfering. That was always a risk.
Her producer didn't say anything, and Chosa had her hands full.
"Shouto?" she said softly. "Can you hear me?"
She didn't think he could but then his eyes opened. They were red and Chosa gulped looking down.
"We are going to help you," Chosa reassured him. No matter how strong Shouto was, he was just a teenager. He'd need reassurance.
"To…" his voice was dry, almost broken. "To…uya?"
The name was a question. Chosa didn't know who Touya was and if they were someone who was here then… "I don't know," she told him. "Just rest," she added as the pilot brought the first aid kit and opened it. Chosa looked into it. What she needed was about a million burn lotions and… several specialised medics because she had no idea what to do.
"Hawks is alive!" Diuga yelled.
Chosa felt a wave of relief at that, but realised the hero was in bad shape.
"We are going to help you," Chosa told Shouto again as she picked out a saline solution from the kit. Maybe if she washed his eyes and… there was a burn bandage there. She grabbed it and almost cried at its size. It was pathetically small. "Take some stuff to Hawks," she instructed the pilot.
Then she gently turned back to Shouto while ripping open the packaging.
Chosa felt sick… as she placed the bandage over his face.
But this was all she could do.
-ted-
The Tax Commissioner and Janee were put in at the beginning of this chapter because even if there is an attack on Osaka and Tartarus, the rest of the world goes on, and may not even hear, or care about said attacks.
Dabi got what he wanted. There was a large cost, but killing Endeavor was the most important thing to him. I think readers can figure out what happened with the little Nomu :( It tried... but alas.
From now on the chapters will focus on Tartarus since for Osaka there is only clean up (and that's kind of boring (really!)).
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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