Tatsumaki had a lot of … pet peeves per say. She was surrounded by idiots, and a large part of this was due in part to one big smiling idiot getting other smaller idiots to try and be something they were not in the last decade or so.
What kind of morons were these people? Just because you had stretchy eyes or long arms, you assumed you could go out and risk your life? That was stupid. Heck, she remembered when she learned that Batman actually had children in the field … a full day was spent trying to break that pesky bastard's back.
These days, people treated hero work like they were in a fucking commercial, and while that was annoying, what really ticked her off was that the HSPC were trying to push her to be 'marketable like her sister'.
Marketable meant telling people to risk their lives. That was stupid … she was strong, Tatsumaki should be the only one risking her life. Her little sister was weak, so she shouldn't be doing it. Of course, trying to stop her the hard way led to … the paddle.
The only comfort she took in for the last decade was knowing her precious nephew would never enter this kind of world. While she hated the doctor for his rudeness and crushing Izuku's soul, it was a bit of a blessing in disguise. No quirk meant no chance at being a hero, which meant he wouldn't risk his life.
Izuku had asked once if he could be one… and Inko-sama just cried and apologized … it was rough, but necessary. With a quirk or meta ability or other was one thing, but without one …
The kid then spent three years looking into 'alternatives'. Magic, cybernetics, lab accidents … she quite bluntly told him that if he ever thought about that last one, not even Inko's threats and damage would stop Tatsumaki from slapping him silly. Lab experimentation was simply suffering.
After that, he went into a much safer, if slightly annoying hobby, quirk analysis. It was here that Tatsumaki knew he was grasping at straws. Learning about powers was only useful if you had the capability to ENACT on such knowledge, and Izuku, bless his soul, had never spent even one day at the gym.
Heck, for all she hated the Batfamily as a whole and concept, at least the bastard gave them physical/mental training and loads of expensive gadgets. Izuku only ever obsessed over his notebooks and hero merch.
The closest thing he did to physical training was hanging around that Bakugo boy…. Who Tatsumaki hasn't sent into the sun only by the fear of that paddle.
"Uuhhhghh." Tatsumaki groaned as she sat in the living room of her precious older sister. "You have no idea how much I needed this." She moaned as she leaned back. "I had to spend thirty minutes in a PR meeting of all things."
"What were they accusing you of this time?" Inko asked, not looking away from the dishes she was cleaning.
"Ups said I was 'too hard on villains' and some other nonsense." Tatsumaki rolled her eyes. "Hypocrites, they never get on that flaming turd's case about being 'too rough'."
"While I definitely think Endeavor could do better as a person, you are aware he puts in files and reports dedicated to every action taken and the reasoning behind them every day, right?" Fubuki asked. "He has FULL accountability."
"Aka, the HPSC eats out of his palms because he's both 'marketable', and thorough." Tatsumaki rolled her eyes.
"You know if you hate the idea of marketability, you can always get trademarked." Fubuki offered. "Send all the merchandise rights to noble causes, there's ways around this."
"I am NOT going to have my likeness branded on cheap fabric and cotton, some of us actually have standards to live by." It was like Fubuki had none at all.
"So you aren't jealous that Izuku has all of my merch in a special section of his room?" Fubuki grinned like a little shit.
"No…. because he's written about me the most in his journals." Tatsu sent a shit eating grin right back at the bitch. "You know, the thing that keeps him educated, and smart, and actually has value."
"You two fight over the silliest little things." Inko smirked as she put the dishes away, not understanding that the love of a nephew was something they would fight to the death for. "Now help me set the table, Izuku will be back any minute."
"Where is Izuku-kun anyways?" Fubuki asked. "He's always gone before I visit and comes after I leave."
"He met up with a personal trainer to get himself in shape for the UA entrance exam." Inko explained. "Even has himself on a new diet with plenty of proteins in mind."
"Is he now?" Tatsu pouted. "You'd think he'd finally catch a clue. At least before the exam punches him in the face."
"Wow, you are such a loving and caring aunt." Fubuki glared.
"Hey, I know what the exam entails." She shot back with a frown. "Ever since Superman died, schools have been pushing reliance on more physical quirks and only top notch esoterics. Izuku would be forced to fight an army of robots that don't have easily accessible wires and require at least a ton of force to break." Tatsu huffed. "And unless he's on a deathbed, he's not getting lab experimentation. That's the one thing I refuse to bend on with this family." They already did it with her … never again.
"I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt to at least encourage the fact he's getting in shape." Fubuki noted. "He's got good enough grades for the general course, and with his grades, he could even apply for the business course."
"Hooray, you plan on turning him into one of your marketing flunkies." Tastsu glared disapprovingly.
"A position that exists because I actually have an agency, with people to put into said position." That shit eating grin came back. "And Izuku-kun would have to visit me every day."
"If Inko wasn't in charge, Blizzard Gang would burn." She grumbled as she set out plates.
"Still wouldn't change the fact I'm the favorite~"
"Why you-!" She raised a knife-
WHACK
WHACK
And both of them were hit in the back of the head by their precious older sister, who was frowning sternly. "What did I say about using powers in the house?"
"...To never use them to threaten each other…" Tatsu and Fubuki pouted at the same time.
"Good, you remember. And Fubuki, please stop antagonizing your sister." Inko glared. "I swear, between the two of you, Izuku's practically an adult by comparison."
Speaking of, the little boy himself walked inside. "Hey Mom, I'm back!"
"Welcome back sweetie, dinner will be ready in five!" Inko shouted back warmly. "You might want to help your aunts set up, they would rather fight each other again."
"Inko-chan!" They whined.
"...That never gets jarring…" Izuku stated with a blink as he took in a deep breath and sat down, looking exhausted beyond belief. "Whoa… today was a big one."
"You could always stop…" Tatsu muttered as Fubuki elbowed her in the stomach. "Hey-!"
"Watch your tone, what your dear aunt means is that we want to make sure you're not over exhausting yourself." Fubuki interrupted.
"Not particularly." The boy noted. "I mean it's equivalent exhaustion in exchange for equivalent gains. And personally I felt the regimen wasn't efficient enough, so I added my own training during school hours through hand crunches and this technique I read online where you slowly raise yourself so you're not sitting down while all the weights on your legs-"
"Like you're doing right now?" She deadpanned at his shaking form.
"Yeah. I'm not busy sleeping or doing homework, I can afford the exercise."
….Tatsu looked at Inko-chan. "Permission to use my powers on Izuku?"
"As long as you don't strangle him or anyone else."
"Mom-" And her sweet little nephew was wrapped in a cocoon of protectiveness, just enough to stop him from shaking.
"Working out 24/7 will break down your body, and not in a good way, moron." Tatsu glared as she stared at him right in the eye. Luckily she was floating in the same height as him, who was just barely as tall as Fubuki, so it could reach the intended effect.
"She has a point, Izuku-kun." Fubuki added. "Do you want to end up as tiny as Tatsumaki?"
"Exact-hey!"
"Wait, is it just my size that will be broken down or damaged all together, because I'm fine with being short if it means I can get more strength." Izuku responded to her sister. "Besides, rumor had it that Caped Baldy-"
"DON'T you mention that chrome headed moron…" Tatsu muttered. Yeah, he was strong beyond belief, but he was a fucking idiot. "And don't think you're going to compromise on this. What if you collapsed in the middle of the street because you were working out so much? You pass out, and the next thing you know, you've been sold into sex trafficking!"
"...Isn't that a little extreme-?"
"NOT in my world, Izuku-kun, not in my world." Tatsu poked his head.
"What she's trying to say is that you need to get as much rest as you can." Fubuki added. "Even heroes need to sleep sometimes, otherwise they run themselves down to the bone and give up all hope in everything. Just ask Protector."
"...The hero from all those drug PSA comics?" Izuku asked.
"Yes, he got tired and eventually got into drugs himself."
His response was an owlish blink. "...So you're both saying that I should get more sleep, or I'll end up short and on drugs?"
"Yes." They nodded.
"...Mom…" Izuku turned to Inko-chan.
"You know they love you, even if they show it in an… interesting way." Her precious older sister chuckled. "Anyways, dinner's ready, I made you your favorite!"
"Katsudon, yeah!" Izuku cheered as he tried to get up. "...Auntie Tatsu…"
"Shower first." She sniffed the air, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "You smell like you've been hauling garbage all day. Where were you, the city dump?"
"No, I was at Takoba Municipal Beach Park."
"The dumping ground?" Fubuki asked, her brow raised.
"Yes, I'm cleaning it up as a part of my training! Building up my body as well as providing community service." Izuku grinned. "Like real heroes do."
And there was the shoe, dropping to the floor. "No no no. You need to keep yourself safe and secure, little one." She wouldn't allow her family to get hurt.
"Auntie Tatsumaki." He groaned. "I am safe."
"Not that I'm arguing that training is good." Fubuki noted. "But you are wearing gloves so you don't get tetanus?"
"...I mean, I'm pretty sure I have a healthy enough-"
"Tomorrow morning, doctor's office, earliest appointment." Tastumaki glared.
"But-"
"What kind of brain dead moron is even teaching you this stupid sh-" Inko glared. "… Stupid stuff."
"Oh, my trainer's Yagi Toshinori." He grinned.
Fubuki blinked at the unfamiliar name. "All Might's secretary?" His WHAT!? "No offense Izuku, but… he's not in the best shape himself. He looks like he's ten pounds away from being legally declared a stick."
"He's stronger than he looks."
"Ugh, of course that stupid smiling idiot is involved, he's encouraging a whole generation of reckless abandon!" Tatsumaki exclaimed in irritation. "Why the heck can't the world see that not EVERYONE can be a hero!?"
"...Great seeing you, Auntie Tatsumaki." Izuku muttered with a bitter sounding tone as he walked out of the living room.
The moment he was gone, Fubuki smacked her in the head. Tastu whipped her head to her younger sister, her face affronted. "HEY! You're not Inko-chan, you don't get to get away with that!"
Fubuki was scowling. "And you can't get away with having no tact all the time!"
"At least I'm not inspiring the next generation to be a bunch of suicidal morons!"
"And at least I actually know how to take care of my family!"
"...NOW YOU'VE DONE-!"
WHACK WHACK WHACK
And the two of them were sent to the floor, swelling lumps forming on their heads. "You both need matters in etiquette." Inko-chan glared down at them.
"Ow …" Love…. Love really hurts.
Dick Grayson flipped through the air as he delivered another roundhouse kick to a man's skull. "Seriously, how much insurance does the Goonion pay you?"
"You'd be surprised actually … they actually have a Bat bruise discount." The man groaned, before he fell unconscious. Over a decade of being the Boy Wonder, and thug banter never changed. He wasn't sure if that was reassuring or just sad.
"Done showing off for the audience?" Barbara, or as she liked to be called nowadays, Oracle, spoke into his earpiece, sounding both teasing and slightly annoyed, mostly the annoyed.
"You never used to complain before." He chuckled.
"I outgrew you." It was always awkward to work with your ex, but he and Barbara managed to work through it… most of the time.
"Also, weren't those sick, showing off moves, the reason I figured out who was under the mask?" Red Robin, or Tim Drake, asked as he knocked out a goon, dusting off his hands.
"That, and you spend WAY too much time watching old youtube videos in a deep dark abode of your own making." Dick called back. While he felt like the name 'red robin' was a bit redundant, Tim was the first of the extended bat family he considered a brother… which was a bit ironic, since Tim was the only member that wasn't an orphan or adopted by Bruce. "But hey, if you can make a career out of it."
"Like how you can make a career out of being a spokesmodel for hair gel?" Piped up Spoiler, aka, Stephanie Brown as she slammed another goon's head into the ground. Technically the fourth robin, though that title quickly went away when Batman essentially shut down any notion of her having the title without training.
"Could you all wait five minutes before talking about life in front of the criminals?" Batman himself asked, breaking a gunner's arm. The ever serious tone of the dark knight himself, the man that stood amongst gods… yet Dick always saw the man as Bruce… even if the man himself would never admit as much to even himself.
"You must excuse them father, they are clearly trying to employ the art of 'talking stupid' to confuse the enemy to make up for their lack of skill." The little hooded figure, Damian, a 'soon to be Robin', as well as the only biological kid of Bruce… as well as a freaking ASSASSIN, spoke as he threw a ninja star into a gunman's leg, causing him to scream in pain.
"Why are you even here?" Tim glared at the kid.
"I have my father's permission to observe and learn ... and so far I've learned that you're all ignoramuses."
"So can we talk about dating life?" Stephanie asked as she knocked out a man. "Because we can't do worse than the League of Assassins."
"You can if it's a clown." Tim deadpanned as he threw out a robinrang (so less catchy, at least Birdarang was on theme after Batarang) into a man's sleeve, making them stuck as he kicked their windpipe.
"Wait, are we talking about Joker or Harley in this case?" Dick smirked as he backflipped into the face of a man, sending him into a wall.
"Just in general to be honest." Tim shrugged. "Like, imagine going to your parents one night, and telling them, 'Mom, dad, I'm in love with a clown', and BAM, the disownment papers are on your lap the next day."
It did sound intense …
Crack crash smack
They turned to see fifteen unconscious bodies dropped from a rooftop, as their latest recruit silently dusted off her hands. "Sweet, way to go, Batgirl, up top!" Stephanie cheered the faceless mask of Batgirl, aka Cassandra Cain, the girl who out of everyone, wanting nothing more than to be the Bat itself. He wasn't even sure Damian wanted it that badly, and he was the only one with Bruce's genetics!
"..." As always, there was no response.
"Why can't they all be like her, Batman?" Damian asked stoically.
"Some people are just built differently."
"And some of us are just born to be killing machines." Barbara muttered.
"Hey, not cool Oracle." Stephanie growled. "Batgirl kicks ass, and she has a cooler costume than you ever did."
"There are no eye sockets! She can't see!"
"Doesn't seem to be bothering her." Tim deadpanned as she held the last conscious man in a death grip, forcing him down on his knees. "Now talk, what's Cobblepot's gang doing all the way uptown?"
The goon gagged in pain. "We-we we're just having some fun, smokin', nothing illegal!"
"Uh huh." Dick glared as he picked up what they were smoking. "And this is just your ordinary run of the mill cannabis, right? Nothing strange about it?"
"Yeah, yeah, we're just getting high! That's all there is to it!"
"Uh huh … Spoiler?" Tim inquired. "Time to spoil."
"Alright, but I'd like to remind you that it's not a guarantee." Stephanie groaned as she placed her hand on one of the goon's. And suddenly, her eyes widened with an ethereal glow. "I'm so glad they don't know we weaved a pack of cocaine into our pants so no one would find out. If they pulled it down, they'd see I've got a small dick I'm insecure about."
A quirk mixed up from Cluemaster's questionnaire quirk. Stephanie had 'Trivia', able to randomly spout one thought out of a person she touches, with a cool down of one day per person. "Pfffftt, ahahaha…" Tim snickered. "Come on, I can't be the only one that finds that funny."
"It's more stupid than funny." Dick deadpanned. He imagined what Jason would have done if he was … still …
"Spoiler, Red Robin, take these men to the GCPD for a thorough cavity search." Batman ordered. "Batgirl, Robin, search the rest of the base. Penguin's not one to leave just a pack laying around for his own men to use up." They nodded, moving out … as a team …
Dick would forever be grateful to Bruce and everything he's done for them. But the fact remained that, as the Batfamily…there were more than enough to keep Gotham safe… heck, Damian would likely become another robin within a year or so… so… why did he need to stick around anymore?
… Did he even want to stick around … did Dick want more than the family, or was he fine where he was?
Toshinori drank his espresso with a sigh. "Nothing like caffeine to start the day …" It was rare to get a moment off these days. Most of it was spent with hero work and training Young Midoriya, the latter of which All Might took immense pride in. A successor… one that was so much like Toshi when he was young, determined, dedicated…quirkless … And to think he almost let the chance slip due to an unfortunate moment of callousness.
He was far too jaded these days, speaking as if he was Tornado. He needed to get back to his roots … to his promise to Clark … to be a better person, one that would inspire hope in all. And he would give this child the chance to become better … to become a hero! It just required a good number of months to make him a suitable vessel.
"Nothing like sugar to start the day." J'onn smiled, dipping his coffee with an Oreo as he took a bite. Aliens had the strangest tastes … or it's just been so long since Toshinori had candy he forgot what it tasted like.
"Do you really have to dunk Oreos in your coffee?" He asked.
"Do you have to eat sandwiches even with your stomach damage?" The Martian shot back at him.
"I have to eat some solid food aside from soup." He defended.
"I need some friends with normal diets." Naomasa responded bluntly as he ate a donut.
"The man said as he fueled the cliche of cops eating donuts." Toshi snickered.
"Hey, I've earned this. Do you know how many people try to lie to me and I can't use my quirk as proof of their lies?" His detective friends groaned.
"That seems like a waste of resources for a policeman." J'onn noted. "Most of the cases I solve are because I read minds."
"Because you get more of an answer other than yes or no when you interrogate someone." Naomasa deadpanned as he took a sip. "So, what's crime in the states like these days?"
"Strange as ever." J'onn noted with an eyeroll. "Diana fought a giant egg with a mustache that knew kung fu."
"I was referring more to the frequency and disasters." Naomasa replied. "I gave up on normal after the Dictator got into his disco phase."
"That was definitely a weird one. Aizawa had the entire task force checked for drugs." Toshinori nodded.
"In that regard, metahumans and quirked individuals have begun popping up more and more in street crime." J'onn continued as he bit into his cookie. "The old organizations that ran the underworld have begun to either dry up or adapt to the ever changing world we live in."
"I can take comfort in the fact that the Yakuza are finally dying out." Toshinori grunted as he took another sip. "How's Young Meg?"
"M'gann is adjusting … as much as she can to Earth's environment." The Martian answered. "It's not home, but the League has been supportive."
"It's not every day you find out that you're not the last member of your species." Nanomasa noted.
"Yes... as much as I enjoy the life I have on Earth… knowing I have family out there…it makes this tired old soul want to keep going, for their sake." The Martian sighed fondly.
"I know what you mean." Toshinori chuckled. "Keep this on the downlow for the moment, but… I've found someone to inherit One For All."
Spuuuuurt
"… Did both of you need to aim at me?" He questioned grumpily, his face drenched from coffee spit take.
"I'm sorry, you what now?" Naomasa blinked.
"Now I've lost the bet." J'onn commented.
"Wait, what bet?"
"The founding members had a pool going on whether or not you'd actually pass down your quirk." The Martian explained. "I held the belief that you'd be too stubborn to pass it down."
"I'm slowing down too much for my liking." He sighed, wiping himself dry with spare napkins. "It took me a full five minutes to run from Tokyo to Yoshinaga."
"You really are going down if it took you that long." J'onn nodded.
"You know, it's casual conversations like this that terrify me." Naomasa replied bluntly. "Calling five minutes slow."
"Besides … this boy I met … he has the instinct." Toshinori smiled. "He runs without a second thought when someone's in danger."
"... So he's a moron?" Naomasa snickered.
"Hey… actually he's got better grades than I did back in highschool…"
"So you picked someone in UA?"
"… Middle schooler actually …" So what if he wasn't the best in science? It was easier to learn those things out in the field. Newton's law was so much more applicable in mid air.
"...So you went with the Batman approach...?"
"Except I'm not putting him out in the field." He replied bluntly. "I'm letting the kid work up his muscles first before handing the torch over, and then apply him for the hero course at UA." Or the general if the beach wasn't cleaned in time.
"Well, at least you're not letting him be completely unprepared." J'onn nodded, now at ease. "So I suppose that means you'll be retiring soon as you pass it down."
"Not quite. I am going to be his teacher after all." He corrected.
"Yeah, his mentor." Nanomasa nodded.
"No, I applied for a teaching position at UA." Toshinori explained. "Like Gran Torino did for me."
"... And Nedzu said yes?" J'onn questioned, his brow raised.
"He said 'the number one hero as a teacher is a most fascinating prospect, one that I would be foolish to ignore'."
"...You saw NO red flags on that one?" Nanomasa blinked in disbelief.
"Nedzu might not seem like it, but he's always level headed." Toshi explained. "He IS the third smartest being on the planet after all."
"I thought that was Mister Terrific?" Naomasa asked.
"Actually the two played a fourth dimensional chess game to determine the winner." J'onn spoke with a haunted look. "Seven weeks … seven long weeks…."
"In any case, without… you know who, in the picture now, I can afford to actually take time to nurture my successor's capabilities." Toshi smiled. "No apocalypse incoming, no looming threat on the horizon. Japan, and the rest of the world, can continue to rest evermore easier."
"Speaking of which, that reminds me of the other reason why I'm here." J'onn finished off his coffee. "One of the members of Justice League International wanted an update on the current events in Japan."
"Nothing much to note … Toxic Chainsaw getting arrested was the only real important thing this month …" Toshinori noted. "The rankings are coming back up soon."
"You're still doing those?" J'onn raised an eyebrow.
"I thought America was too. Cathleen said she's number one again."
"They do, I, and many others of the league, find them baffling." J'onn sighed. "Putting up national rankings such as these only devalues the service of heroism in the long run."
"It serves a two fold purpose." The detective shrugged. "Keeping track of the most reliable heroes and evenly spacing them out across a country to react to any situation at any time, and give motivation for the … less noble heroes." He grimaced.
"Something the matter?" J'onn asked.
"It was bound to happen." Toshinori sighed as he took another sip. "Heroism is a legalized job recognized by the government, giving pay. It means people in it purely for the paycheck and fame are going to be more common." Mt. Lady was a notable example, even if most of her earnings went to donations for a giant school … a literal giant school for giant children.
"… How bad is it?" The Martian asked bluntly.
"How bad is cop corruption?" Naomasa shot back. "For all the good ones that show up, there's about two or four not so good ones. Like just a little over a month ago, a slime villain took a kid hostage, four different heroes were on the scene at the time, and none of them did anything to actually help get the kid out. Another one would've been beaten into the pavement if All Might hadn't arrived just in the nick of time."
"I mean don't get me wrong." Toshinori stated. "Holding them all up to the same level is asking everyone to be Superman." A thing even the so-called 'Symbol of Peace' failed to uphold. "But … when altruism isn't present …"
"It can lead down a road paved with good intentions." Martian Manhunter finished. "And it's not like we can just take it back and say things like 'not everyone can be a superhero' or make heroism illegal…. We've seen too many apocalyptic futures and alternate timelines to ever let the latter happen."
"Far, far too many." He nodded grimly.
"See, the casual many ways we're all going to die conversations frighten me." Naomasa said bluntly.
"Excuse us, we've been in the business for a long time, casually talking about it is the only way we stay sane." Toshi chuckled.
"Well gentlemen, it's been a pleasure, but I must be off." J'onn stood up. "The JLI member happens to be a fan of a certain 'Popstep', and asked me to get a word in." He placed down a fifty dollar bill. "And please give this to the barista. Their coffee went well with the Oreos."
"You're an addict, J'onn." Toshi snickered
"And I see your nonexistent stomach disagreeing with that sandwich you ate." Funnnn.
Garfield flinched from the pain. "Come on, you're not even halfway done with your morning rep Beast Boy! Keep pushing!" Mento, his 'dad', called out as he forced himself up from the pain. "How can you expect any of your transformations to pull their weight if you can't do so with the body you were born with!" Mento, the man so serious and dedicated to the job he didn't even go by his normal name anymore.
"I'm … trying …" Garfield grunted.
"Trying isn't good enough! If you can't pull your weight when a building is collapsing on you, that's death, along with the death of everyone under you, while the villain continues to get away with it!" Mento called out. "And you can't let the enemy get away with it, not again Beast Boy!" ..Right, because how could Garfield forget that he let the Brain get away while saving the Doom Patrol… how stupid of him….
"Steve…" Rita, aka, Elasti-Girl, aka, Mom (someone who he was happy to refer to as such to the point he didn't use air quotes), sighed as she lifted a tanker above her head. "You said you would stop bringing it up."
"He hasn't seen what Brain can do when he's got time to prepare Elasti-Girl-"
The man was given a glare. "Missions are fine, but in this household you will refer to me as Rita, or so help me I will bring out the paddle." Everyone gave a slight shiver.
Mento regained his composure. "I'm just… making sure he's ready for whatever the Brain throws at him. If he mastered his powers before then, then maybe the Brain wouldn't have-"
"The kid turned into a freaking T-rex, Mento, cut him some slack." Robotman, aka, Cliff, aka, the closest thing he had to an older brother around here, rolled what little of his eyes he actually had as he smashed through some training dummies. "Before, he could barely change into a gorilla."
"He has the entire animal kingdom at his disposal. Strong and big isn't everything, Robotman, not if you can't actually USE it." He turned back to Garfield sternly. "Now lift!"
He struggled with the weight. Come on Beast Boy, stay for Rita, for Cliff, and for Larry … This was for family … this was where you belonged.
"You could at least give the kid some food." Larry, aka, Negative Man somewhere along the lines of an uncle, said as he carried in a bag from McDonald's. "I got him a sausage biscuit."
"Oh, you got meat…" He muttered as he kept the weight's above his head.
"Wait, you were being serious about that vegetarian thing?" Cliff asked in surprise. "I thought that was a joke you had after getting into the booz-" Rita sent the robot a glare. "...Into the… extra sugary… soda." He finished weakly.
"I turn into the animals I'd be eating." Garfield argued. "It would be so wrong."
"You can turn into a multitude of carnivores, veggies only can't be healthy." Larry said in a dead tone. "Especially with the stress Mr. Mental is piling on."
"Hey, I only put you people through what I know you're capable of." Mento called out. "It's much more than what Niles was doing-"
"The chief wasn't a blowhard..." Cliff muttered.
"What was that?" Mento glared.
"I said you're a wonderful leader."
"... Hey." Garfield asked, putting the weight down as he caught his breath. "You never said what happened to the Chief before." The man that brought them all together in the first place … the reason why Garfiled was able to have a family at all.
"Uh…" Rita winced as she shrunk back down. "Well…. What's important is that-"
"Killed in a nanite explosion by the Candlemaker." Mento bluntly explained.
"Mento, seriously!" Rita shouted, fuming.
"Sugar coating the issue won't solve anything in the long run, Rita. People die in this line of work all the time." Mental glared. "And as the leader of this team, it's my job to make sure we're in top shape so that it's not one of us next time!"
"...You were about to let us all explode in the Brain's base." Larry dryly commented.
"We wouldn't even need to have been in that situation in the first place if we were better!"
"I don't know how many times I need to tell you this." Cliff took in a breath. "I don't, have, muscles! Training does nothing for me!"
"Your brain is a muscle, learn how to use it!"
"Oh sure, let me just take out my brain and throw it at the enemy, that'll help things out!"
"You're already stupid enough to do that!"
Garfield sighed. This … was his family. The closest he'd ever get to one, at least.
J'onn watched with mild amusement as Skycrawler tried to show off his wife's 'musical genius'. "I'm telling you guys, it's a hit wonder."
"And I'm telling you, I don't do anime shit." Guy responded bluntly.
"...This is real life." Skycrawler glared.
"It's Japanese, same diff."
"...Adding this to the number of reasons why I should kill you." Blizzard glared as she took out a notebook.
"Right next to 'shouting in our faces' and 'Pie incident' I presume." Fire snorted as Guy gave her the middle finger.
"Hey, at least he just keeps it at insults." Ice smirked. "You hear about Tornado and Miruko throwing down recently?"
"Yeah. One too many midget comments." Blizzard responded without looking up while writing. "The woman doesn't know any definition of tact nor calm."
"Who, your sister or Miruko?" Blue Beetle asked.
"Better question is if there's a difference." Captain Celebrity snickered as a psychic pulling of the ear was made. He quickly raised his hands up. "Kidding, kidding, I was totally kidding!"
"Sure you were buddy." Booster Gold snickered as he snapped a picture of the whole thing. Yes, this was Justice League International. While the Justice League as a whole protected the planet, the JLI division handled most of the international incidents, acting as a liaison for other countries' heroes if the need arises.
They weren't ... the most professional team in the world, which was a given when the likes of Captain Celebrity and Booster Gold were here, but they had a lot of promise… deep down… deep … deep down.
"So is there a reason we're being here today, or is this just a 'bonding exercise' moment?" Guy questioned.
"It's a slight follow up to my 'information retrieval' for Skycrawler." J'onn noted. While Batman had final oversight over the team, J'onn, as the most advanced telepath, was best for coordination. He checked in on as many pieces of information as he could gather and compile them together. Maybe it was a habit from his own detective work.
"Oh sweet." The man grinned. "What did you grab?"
"For one, a substance known as trigger has become somewhat normalized within the streets of Japan as of late." He explained. "I believe you had some experience with the substance during your time over there."
"...Yeah, you could say that." Skycrawler sighed. "It was a group called Villain Factory. Are they using an alias of sorts, or is it another group entirely?"
"Unknown, though there are signs of people with bird masks handing it over to the populace."
"… I'm sorry." Fire spoke up, looking confused. "We know a Legion of Doom, but somehow 'Villain Factory' is weirding me out. What, do they sell villains?"
"Yes." The man spoke without any hesitation. "They do."
"...I swear I was joking when I said that." She said weakly.
Skycrawler took in a breath. "Villain Factory operated by selling trigger at low prices, the bad quality shit. Multiple disposable suppliers led by two higher ups. The people who took it were called 'Instant Villains'." He explained. "Any quirk that the group found promise in, they experimented on and made them Next-Level Villains. High levels of fuckery, it's like they were on high quality trigger without any of the temporary side effects."
"So an entire group focusing on harvesting superpowers…" Blue Beetle muttered. "For what purpose though?"
"We never got a clear answer." Skycrawler shrugged. "Their Next-Levels were always sent out into the streets, heck, one of them were bio engineered into suicide bombers. Captain Celebrity saw those guys in action."
"Craziest moment of my life." The man nodded. "I almost had a divorce."
"Knuckleduster and PopStep, partners of mine at the time, had a theory. Knuckle thought they were data collecting, making better and stronger end results out of what worked. Pop thought that they were showing off to foreign buyers for more funding."
J'onn nodded as he prepared his next question… one that had… heavier implications. "During your time in Japan … did you hear any word of anyone losing their quirks?"
Their eyes widened. "Yeah … Knuckleduster went by O'Clock when he was a pro."
"The High-Speed Hero?" Ice asked. "I heard he gave Flash a run for his money once."
"Yeah. The power allowed him to slow down his own perception of time, pushing his brain and his body to high speeds for seconds at a time in quick succession." Skycrawler explained. "I found the quirk in one of the two higher ups. He went by O'Clock II. He didn't give me a real name, just said they called him Number 6."
The loss and transfer of quirks ……. while similar powers were possible… the chances of that were… sadly too unlikely. J'onn narrowed his eyes. "And how long ago did he lose his power?"
"I wanna say … thirty, forty? He doesn't mind though, he only stayed in the business to find his daughter. She's finally going to college." The man seemed to shake off the memories, letting out a smile. "He's as rough as Batman, but he's a big softie."
"You see how many kids the bat's gotten now? He's as soft as it comes." Guy snorted.
"Yet he still was able to punch you out any day of the week." Fire shot back with a smirk.
"So whatever happened to Villain Factory?" Booster Gold got them back on track … terrifying. "Did they get incorporated into a big business or something?"
"Dunno. Mastermind scrammed along with the data. Police could only conclude he's been doing it for years with how clean the place was."
No trace, quirk experimentation…..this had all the signs that Toshinori warned them all about. "J'onn, you're alright?" Fubuki spoke up, slightly concerned. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"… It's possible." He admitted calmly.
"I mean it's not like people can just come back from the dead as easy as pie, right?" J'onn was silent at Blue Beetle's question. "… This is where you say yes." The younger hero pleaded.
"That would be a lie."
"Then why isn't Superman alive?" Skycrawler asked lowly.
"Because life is often cruel and chaotic." J'onn countered firmly. And it never gives you what you want in the way you want it. "Thank you for your time, Skycrawler. I shall take what you've told me." To more investigative hands…. Bruce would want to know first hand what they were dealing with.
Victor groaned in agony. So much pain … so much of a headache … the fuck happened to him? This felt so much worse than a tackle gone wrong. It was like the pain itself died … so numb.
What… what happened? He… he was coming home from a game… mom was picking him up ... dad… dad skipped it… he always skipped it…
He was driving … driving…driving way? Did he crash? Was that why it hurt so much? …Shit, mom was in the passenger seat! Wake up! WAKE UP! "Mom …" He groaned weakly.
"Victor?" Dad … why was dad here? He's never here… where was here anyways?
"... Dad.. I…" He began moving his arm … and … and he couldn't feel it. "I… I can't feel my arms…."
"Victor, listen to me carefully. There was an accident." Dad said placidly. "I need you to be calm."
"What … what happened …?" He tried opening his eyes … eye. Only one eye felt open. His left … was red, it had all sorts of words and numbers going everywhere. "What's this … what's this ... why is everything red…?" his head buzzed. "So much buzzing… so much buzzing… what. What's with all this buzzing?"
There was a gulping sound. "Victor, there was … there was so much blood. This was the best I could do."
The best … the best he could do … "Aaahhh …" He groaned, getting up … what type of shoes did he have on, he didn't even feel the weight. "Which room has mom?"
"… She …" Dad sounded choked up. "She didn't make it …"
Victor's eye widened, his body stilled. "What … no.. no no, no, dad stop … stop messing around…" He felt weak in … in ... he-he couldn't feel his knees… it was like walking on air.. and it felt wrong. "Gaah!" He lost his balance…. And caught himself with his hands on the floor... with metal hands. He gasped. "What's this… what… no… this.." He moved his 'hand'... and the metal appendage moved ... this metal hand… was his hand. He would have felt his heart thumping rapidly now…But for some reason he couldn't.
"Victor, there was too much damage. Your organs were barely functioning as is …" No... no no no no NOOOOO!!! He ran as fast as he could, the running felt off. Bathroom, mirror. "Victor, wait! Calm down!"
"Why should I be?!" Panicking, he went to grab the door handle-
Rip
And pulled the entire door off, splintering it into pieces. Victor stared, wide eyed. "I … I …" Victor was an average kid. He didn't have a physical enhancing quirk, his just made him immune to alcohol. A kid that could enjoy a can of beer no problem … he shouldn't be able to do this. "No, no no no!!"
"Victor, just let me explain-!"
"What did you do…what did you-?" he got in front of the mirror and saw his anxious reflection... and he didn't see himself... half of his face was gone… it was just a machine… a freaking machine. "Nooooooooo!" He smashed the mirror, breaking it, and the wall behind it with ease.
"Victor, stop! Your parts may be mechanical now but that won't save you from the stress-!"
"What did you DO!?" He accused with a glare. "What did you do to me!" He shouted. What the hell happened!?
"… Your car crashed." The man spoke, looking down with shame … guilt. "Your mother didn't make it but you were still functioning. There wasn't any time, I had to act fast, I had to go to the experimentals, theoreticals, anything I had on hand to keep you alive."
"... So your answer … was to make me one of your fucking experiments?!?!" Victor roared, feeling sheer incredulity. Violated. "Eighteen years of ignoring us and now you decided you can't live without me!!?"
"Victor, I-"
"Look at me!" He shouted. "I'm a robot! I can't feel, I can't feel anything!" He grasped at his head … and felt nothing.
"Victor, it was the only way-"
"The ONLY WAY!?" Victor screamed, loud, louder than he ever had before… probably because his vocal cords were all machine!!! "The only way-You mean the only way that would've made YOU happy!" He accused. "You never liked the fact my quirk wasn't something amazing, you've always had your nose in the business of the Justice League and every other super freak out there!"
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to save you!" Dad yelled desperately. Save … SAVE!?
"You didn't save me ... you just turned me into a freak of nature!!!! Why couldn't you just let me die!!?" Victor screamed.
"… I'll …" The man looked away. "I'll … wait outside … take as long as you need son …" He said quietly, walking away.
Take as long ... TAKE AS LONG! This wasn't getting a tattoo or surgery, this was fucking over his entire life! There was no getting over this… there was no going back from this!
He covered his face with his hands, gritting his teeth. Victor's... Victor's life was over… it was all over…. No college… no football career… he… he wasn't human anymore! He was nothing more than a freaking CYBORG!
Bruce Wayne gazed at the beach. Clean up costs, building a condo, hiring men to keep littering away … he could make it work. He walked down, seeing his current target. "Come on Young Midoriya, heave that microwave!" Toshinori Yagi may have been a terrible choice for a teacher, but as a body trainer he was a great choice compared to most of the league.
"Yes, All Miiiiii-" Izuku Midoriya paused, gazing at him. He sweated. "Miiiighty Sensei, b-b-because tha-a-at's how I v-v-view him."
"That's a strange way to word it-Oh, I see what you mean." The emaciated hero blinked upon looking his way.
"Yagi, long time no see pal." He laughed, walking over with a handshake.
"Bruce, I see you're as cheery as ever." Yagi smirked. "Don't worry Young Midoriya. Bruce is an old friend from my time in the states."
"True that." He chuckled. "This man is the guy to go to to get in touch with All Might. Never a block away from the big lug." He held out his hand. "Bruce Wayne, billionaire. What about you kiddo?"
"Midoriya Izuku, Wayne-san." The boy politely bowed. Well mannered, that already put him above a lot of teenage heroes… and Guy Gardner. "Wait, Bruce Wayne, the playboy from Gotham city ... the city where Batman is from!?" And the boy's eyes lit up with excitement.
"A fanboy? Let me guess, he chased you around until you trained him?" He smirked to Yagi.
"You know it." The man chuckled.
"Well then, how about you take this." He handed the kid a 'broken batarang'. "You wouldn't believe how many get thrown near my head. So many people want me dead."
"Aaaaahhhh …" The kid's eyes sparkled.
"Fun boy. Hey Alfred, take this boy to the limo and give him some of the good stuff! Well, stuff kids his age can touch."
"Right away, sir. I'll prepare the soda pop and pizza indubitably." His most loyal friend nodded as he led Izuku away.
They waited for a minute before they were out of sight. Bruce Wayne took off the mask … and while the cowl wasn't on … this was where Batman came out. "This is somehow exactly who I thought you'd choose and not at all." Batman noted to the man, now talking more seriously.
"… Okay, full disclosure, how long have you known about the boy I haven't even passed my quirk onto yet." Yagi blinked with a raised eyebrow.
"He's Tatsumaki's nephew." A fascinating, yet horrifying discovery Batman made.
THAT made him spit blood. "He's what?!"
"I take it that he doesn't advertise it. Smart choice." So few targets on his back.
"… Oh god. I'm just fucked aren't I?" Toshinori lamented.
"Very much so, yes." He didn't mince any words about it, that woman would kill anybody in her way.
"I'll have to write up my will soon." Toshinori sighed. "I take it you came to get a good look at the ninth?"
"That's partially the reason why I'm here." Bruce nodded, looking out to the city on the horizon. "You've done a heck of a job keeping Japan safe even with no stomach."
"Had to keep Clark's memory alive somehow." He sighed, this time was there's deep exhaustion. "Ten years … he's been gone for almost eleven at this rate." He chuckled. "Some days I can't believe it … it feels too good to be true."
This was the time to break the bad news to him. "Oftentimes, it is." He took out a file from out of his suit jacket. "I believe J'onn told you about his investigation?"
"Right. Did he link down the cross country trigger transit?" Toshinori asked.
"Is it actually called that or are you having fun with alliteration?" Batman raised an eyebrow.
"Like you don't have fun branding everything you own with Bat in front of it, or do we need to drive down to the Batcave in the Batmobile, while we talk shop on the Bat submarine next to the Bat shark repellent."
"I remember that shark repellent saving you from a nasty bite from King Shark." Bruce shot back.
"Doesn't mean I can't embrace the silliness of it." Toshinori chuckled good-naturedly. "Alright, so who are we cracking down on?"
"All For One." He decided to answer as bluntly as possible.
Instead of a large and violent reaction like he expected, Toshinori was unnaturally still and silent. "Bruce, you are the most paranoid man I've ever met. You probably have five ways to paralyze me on hand, and twenty more to detain me in your car … so you have one chance to explain what the hell happened to his corpse that day."
"Like you and everyone else, once we saw his head get bisected, we sent his body to the villains' catacomb." Bruce answered.
"Then how the fuck would he be involved?" The man growled.
"… Last year there was an infiltration. Multiple locks were damaged, but all bodies were reported present, so they wrote it off." He explained.
"Everyone but you, right? Because you don't believe in mistakes." Toshi accused.
"I checked. The bodies were indeed present, right down to their DNA … but the atomic decay rate of thirteen of them was too high." Bruce answered gravelly. "They'd all turn to sludge within three years."
"...That still doesn't rule-"
"During J'onn's investigation, he'd gotten a few tips that, around five years back, a group called Villain Factory was involved with quirk placement, enhancement, and transferring…. It's not completely concrete… but it fit's AFO's MO down to a T."
"… Why hasn't he struck back?" The man asked apprehensively.
"Multiple theories." Bruce answered. "One, his quirk causes his cellular structure to become too complex for simple recovery or cloning. He's probably as injured as you are, with his stockpile limit drastically shortened."
"We can only hope." He grumbled.
"Two, he's faking and simply decided not to act, and has only not acted to give you a false sense of security so that he can tear down what you've accomplished in the most painful way possible."
"That one's most likely, the man is anything but impatient." Toshi sighed.
"And the third theory, the one I believe to be true on at least some level … we gave him his first opponent that couldn't be overpowered." Bruce stated. "And now he's putting in his first genuine amount of effort and planning to make sure such a scenario never happens again."
"...It was a treat seeing his face when you and Martian Manhunter tricked him with the fake bat trick." Toshi lightly smiled, a smile that quickly turned downward. "...It wasn't supposed to happen again…. Young Midoriya was supposed to inherit this quirk in a world without All For One…"
"If we put in our efforts we can contain that madman before it becomes too bad." Bruce assured. "But if the worst case scenario comes to pass …"
"I can't send him to America. That's where I went, that's the first place All For One would look."
"Not entirely." Bruce brought it up. "When One For All was transferred at any time… did All For One know about it beforehand?"
"...No… no he didn't…" Toshi blinked. "He knows what to look for, but he doesn't actually sense it unless he's within a certain range. Some sort of energy detection quirk he picked up."
"That's what I was hoping for." Bruce nodded. "And if we're right about him biding his time and hiding… he's not going to risk getting within arms reach of you personally anytime soon. And in the meantime, we'll send your protege to a safe space where he can finish his training in peace. You can keep being the symbol Japan needs you to be, and All For One would be none the wiser."
The man grimaced, looking over at the limousine. "How come we can never seem to give the next generation a normal life?"
"Because paving the future is never an easy task." Bruce looked off to the side, his frown deepened slightly. "... And it can take more than it can give… we should count ourselves lucky they get the chance…"
Toshi and him stared out on the horizon. "...How old…?"
"Jason would've been sixteen today…"
"… I'm sorry."
"No one's at fault but mine …" Bruce had to live with his mistakes, like any other man.
"...This is going to be a disaster to explain to his mother." Toshi sighed. "God help me if Tatsumaki is close by."
"I can give you her schedule so you'll be able to avoid her." Bruce offered.
"Very, very appreciated." He nodded gratefully as the young boy came back.
"I'm ready to continue, Yagi-sensei!" Dedicated, a good quality to have.
"I'm actually going to be buying up this beach myself." Bruce Wayne laughed. "Get a condo, clean it up, have a party."
Izuku blinked. "Oh… then…are we moving the training somewhere else?"
"Oh don't worry, I'll be sure to invite you over at some point kid." He waved off. "Heck, maybe you and your girlfriend could go spend a bit of time alone on a sandy shore."
Suddenly, Izuku's face combusted in deep red, his eyes unsteady. "G-gi-girlfriend? Me, have… that ... that…" And the boy promptly fainted, his body dropped like a sack of potatoes and laid on the sand, unmoving.
"..." Bruce expected a lot… but he didn't expect that. "You know, he's even worse than you are when it comes to intimate tension."
"I've only been dedicated to the job, same as you."
"You're little tryst with Maxima says otherwise." He snorted.
"Oh do not make me bring up Talia-" And Batman glared. "...Sorry."
"It's fine. I've gained something in the end." A son… something he never once thought possible for himself… then again… Dick already proved that wrong a hundred times over.
Koriand'r flew through the air with a smile on her face. For what else was there to do but enjoy life on such a sunny Tamaranean day? The air was full of sulfur, the skies were perfectly purple, and the glimforps were ripe enough to rub upon the skin.
There were many that looked down upon Tamaraneans as a whole, seeing their kind as nothing more than mindless brutes, but she did her best to not pay them any mind. Her race was full of freedom, passion, joy, and love for all things … in most cases.
To Koriand'r, her life was a good and great one … although that might have been because she was a princess. But she had a loving father and mother, an attentive and playful k'norfka and a wonderful sister. Truly, the most perfect life to have.
Sure, it wasn't completely without its faults. Her younger brother had been missing for quite some time, and there was always a planet or two that cruelly tried to thrust their planet into war, and Komand'r could be a little... rough whenever they participated in sport, but she wouldn't trade it for anything.
So, she closed her eyes, and embraced the warm sun and cool breeze as she floated along … peacefully.
She was princess of her planet, but for the most part, her duties were more, stationary, as it were. She wasn't required to do much outside of one or two ceremonies. And with her elder sister around, she was almost completely free to decide her own destiny.
What would she do with said freedom though? … Fight as a warrior? Seek true love? What path did she wish to achieve … peace? Friendship … she could do with more friends … so few of them were on Tamaran. Maybe she should look through the stars …
… The stars were getting awfully close … no, that was simply a ship. Strange for one not of Tamaranean origin to appear so close. Not many would risk the wrath-
Pew
"Gaaaaaaaaaah!" Koriand'r screamed in pain. Some sort of stun beam hit her straight on in the chest. Pulling herself together, she growled as her eyes glowed in green. "You are not friendly, so you have no place on my planet!" She readied her star bolts.
Pew pew pew
Multiple beams fired, stunning her body as she was bound in energy. She thrashed her restraints, roaring. "Leave at once! The guard shall be here any minute, and it won't be pretty!"
"There shall be no guard coming." A deep and threatening voice called out as figures came out of the ship.. figures that looked like-
"Gordanians… you are foolish to show your faces here!" She angrily cried out. "Your kind isn't welcomed in this sector!"
"We got let in. Someone was very cheap in offering us an exposed Tamaranean." A gordanian chuckled. "I suggest you stand down if you know what's good for you."
"Tamaraneans don't stand down, you vile creature, we dominate all those that threaten our way of life!" She would make them pay, get free, and set this right!
All For One groaned as he regained consciousness. "Oh, you're up. Good." A familiar voice spoke.
"Kyudai … what-?" It all hit him. "… Son of every bitch on the planet." He groaned. "Okay, in order. Self status, Tomura status, business status, world status."
"You've been unconscious for thirteen years." The doctor said bluntly.
"... " There was silence for a good minute. "... This is the part where you say you're joking."
"And this is the part where I slap you in the face for thinking you could take on the whole Justice League unprepared." Garaki shot back.
All For One scoffed. "I took on the fucking Justice Society. I'm stronger now than I was then."
"Well now that isn't true. Besides the loss of your eyes, nose, and ears, your brain took too much damage. You lost about nine tenths of your stockpile limit."
What? "No… no.. tell me-"
"I made sure to store away your original quirk in storage." Oh thank Satan. "That's partially why it took so long to revive you. Had to be very selective about how to keep your body functioning. I had to sort through the healing quirks that would be the most effective on your biology. Fortunately, a sample of Ra's al Ghul's lazarus pit infused DNA was able to stabilize your condition… relatively speaking."
"I'll worry about the suffering of never reading a comic book later." He groaned. "Tomura's status?"
"Had to fake being you for thirteen years." Kyudai groaned. "The most annoying job I have ever fucking had."
"Yeah yeah, you'll get your month off." All For One assured.
"I better. It was a nightmare running Villain Factory without your direct involvement. A couple of the next-level villains got a bit too big for their quirks, shall we say." The scientist sighed. "In more pleasant news … Superman has been dead for a decade."
He slowly raised his head up. "So he has … and has hero society collapsed for it?"
"Sadly no."
"... You better be joking this time." He growled.
"All Might took the mantle for Symbol Of Peace in replacement." … "Your body language says I did good in removing all the explosive quirks."
All For One was gnashing his teeth. "... I ripped out his fucking stomach!"
"And the man happens to prove what people can do when under pressure and immense stress fueled obligation." The scientist nodded. "And it doesn't help that along with Star and Stripe, she's become a close second, not to mention the Justice League expanding their ranks to cover almost the entire planet."
He groaned. So much effort … "… I can't kill them." He admitted.
"Really, with Superman dead, you-"
"Would inspire someone else." He finished, feeling annoyed. "I can't rule the world with endless fighters growing in power past the generations …"
"My." Garaki noted with a bemused tone. "Seems like after all these years, you finally learned brute force and torture isn't always the answer."
"Yes yes you chess loving maniac." All For One rolled his … oh, he didn't have eyes anymore … how quaint. "Did you get any useful data for your experiments?"
"Oh quite a bit. Thanks to Gigantomachia and the next-level villains, I believe I'm on the breakthrough with the next line of multiquirked and meta ability soldiers " He presented what looked like a giant bird with an exposed brain in a glass jar. "I call them Nomu."
"Are they sentient like Kuroguri… as sentient as you've made him be at least?"
"Not entirely. The process of putting so many powers in one individual still degrades brain function, but it will be capable of responding to simple commands without question."
"Good …" He thought for a few moments. "… We need more …"
"More Nomu?"
"Just more …" What he was doing before wasn't enough. "To kill a hero …" He raised his hand. "You must take humanity's very concept of hope, of the belief that they can win …" And squeezed his fist. "And crush it into atoms."
"Well, then I have some more good news for you." The scientist said with mirth. "All Might has yet to pass his quirk on to another, and he can only maintain his strength for a few hours at a time."
"That'll make the rematch easier … ish." He grumbled. A crippled hero and a villain were still on the same playing field. "… What radioactive freak killed Superman anyway?"
The doctor chuckled darkly. "Ohohohoho, that's the amazing thing … it wasn't."
"It wasn't? So it was a magical beast?" A god or devil perhaps?
"One could say that.. but the answer is all the more fascinating." The man cackled with sinister glee. "It was an alien from the unknown reaches of space... a creature that everyone refers to now as Doomsday."
"An alien …" All For One turned to the direction of Kyudai's voice. "I'd be terribly disappointed in your downgrade of skills if you didn't recover that thing."
"That's another reason why it's taken so long to revive you." The man admitted. "The creature's DNA is beyond anything I've ever seen. From the results I recovered, it's body is the result of multiple deaths inflicted onto it and revitalized, allowing it to adapt and adapt to any circumstances over and over again ... to the point that, with brute strength alone, it slew the Man of Steel."
"Is it as hard to work with as kryptonian DNA?"
"In terms of cloning and creating, no. In terms of making it obey … yes." The scientist grumbled. "The main reason it was so dangerous is because the most logical thing in whatever created this thing decided it didn't need to process the pain and suffering it was experiencing. You're essentially fighting a bear on cocaine."
All For One grinned, amused at the concept. "Hehe, Cocaine Bear … that sounds like a good idea for a movie-"
"It was a movie. Two hundred years and your sense of culture still remains unrefined."
"I told you, I lived in the streets for ten years, I didn't have an interest in reading the three mouskateers-"
"Musketeers!"
"Whatever!"
Rachel sighed. Today … today she would leave her home. The elders did not want her so close, when Trigon would eventually be released. Her sixteenth birthday was coming soon, and when that happened… the prophecy would come to pass.
It had been a good life. Maybe it wasn't the life that most people envisioned, but it was a good life all the same. Quiet, serene, no war, no strife, no anger… even when her emotions got out of hand, the monks of Azarath always treated Rachel with patience.
They taught her how to use her dark power, to control her magic, and to organize her emotions so not a single one would hurt anyone unintentionally. That training contained the sorrow … it prevented her from crying out as she would leave the world to save it.
They did everything they could do… the most Rachel could do now was live as peaceful of a life as she could before the end came. She would isolate herself from the rest of the world...maybe.. maybe with some hope… she she could avoid-
"Daydreaming, my daughter?" Her mother, Arella, a victim of Trigon, who in spite of everything, still managed to love her.
"Yes … a small bit of hope that won't die." She sighed. "Soon I shall be heading to Earth."
"Yes." She nodded. "You shall be looked after and observed by Nabu's host."
Doctor Fate. Tales of Nabu's avatars had spread over quite a bit in the realm. "And…he knows...?"
"He is aware of the situation at hand."
"I see…" Aka, the man would be willing to kill her if the time came to it …. Which was what Rachel would want... maybe… of the prophecy was inevitable... her fate could be circumnavigated by the sorcerer.
"Farewell Rachel … I will never spend a night not thinking of you." Her mother assured.
"Farewell mother … I will miss you." She politely bowed… not hugging though…if she hugged her… she would be too happy... and then she would never want to leave.
She wished she could cry... she wished she could scream... she wished she could do anything… anything that could show she wasn't a monster that was fated to doom everyone in her presence.