Before this chapter begins, I need to clarify that I goofed with how the timeline works. I've fixed it. This flashback is supposed to take place in 2013. See? Even I'm starting to get confused by this time BS. But don't worry! This should probably be the last time I goof it.
Now then….
Well, here we go. The second half of the flashback. I will try to make this as easy to follow as possible, but I won't lie and say that it's sometimes hard to understand. Also, remember that while it might be 2013 in The Mutant Realm, it is not 2013 in the Human Realm.
Let's do some math, so things make sense here, and we don't confuse things.
If the Mutant Realm is currently in the year 2013, this would be during the era when Belos ruled over The Boiling Isles (say at least ten years since back then, the Coven System was still considered new, and Eda was rebelling against it because she viewed it as heinous and immoral). The Demon Realm (and, by extension, the Human Realm) would be experiencing the late 1970s, bordering on the 1980s. So, for a rough estimate, it's 1978.
This gives The Mutant Realm a 35-year jump. The time is still very much the same. Hours progress in the same intervals. There is no deviation there. The Mutant Realm is 35 years ahead of The Demon and Human Realm.
Doing the math, All For One dies in 2055 in his battle with All Might, five years before the canon of MHA, and at the same time when All For One died, the Quirk Awakening Event is triggered in The Human Realm during 2020, giving rise to what is going on right now (Which means, yes, Luz will be five years older than Izuku once the Mutant Realm Plot begins).
So, to clarify, this is the timeline as of right now:
1969, Rikitasu and Yoichi are born. 1996, Yoichi is captured by the rebel group. Not too long afterward, Yoichi dies and gives One For All to Kudo. In 2006, Kudo dies and passes One For All on to Bruce, and Bruce has had it for seven years at the point of the flashback.
I also want to clarify something. All For One was not only in The Boiling Isles for ten years. He was there for much longer. He simply didn't start his war immediately. He's a Card-Carrying Villain. Not an opportunist. I have no idea why people believed that he immediately engaged in Warfare the second he stepped foot in The Boiling Isles. That's not how he operates.
With that out of the way, let's begin the chapter!
[Opening Song: Bokurano – By Eve]
*The scene opens with the strumming of a guitar in a slow, methodical rhythm, as Luz–dressed in a white bodysuit with a red cape attached to her back, kind of like a hero costume you'd see from a comic book, with her back facing the camera–slowly rises in a void of darkness, a bright white light in front of her; all the while a quiet choir-like voice hums alongside the strumming of the guitar. Luz looks over her shoulder, a lone brown eye looking back at the camera before it zooms in on her eye as the beat drops.*
*The drums kick in, continuing the same beat before, but this time more intense alongside an electric guitar. The camera zooms past her shoulder and into the bright light, as a cityscape looms underneath, the title of the story appearing once again, "The Owl House - All For Luz" appears, with the Japanese Kanji "フクロウの家 -すべてはルスのために！ " Underneath it, and in smaller font. This time, there's a large bright yellow 2 next to both English and Japanese.*
*The guitar riffs, causing the scene to change to the same Luz from the beginning standing atop a building, overlooking the city of Waterbury with a solemn yet hopeful expression on her face. She takes in the scenery around her, a smile taking up her visage as a hand touches her shoulder. She turns around and sees Julia, who is also wearing a costume consisting of a white shirt, a large pink feather coat over her shoulders, a purple corset, brown shorts and sandals, along with red goggles on her forehead. Next to her is an older black-haired woman in a skintight futuristic suit with purple streaks going through it, resting an elbow on Julia's shoulder. Luz smiles, before walking over to them as a disembodied voice sings this opening's song*
"A world that's lacking black and white"
"Where sorrow kills us deep inside"
"I cannot stop myself from falling to the other side again"
"So, are you waiting?"
*The scene changes to two young boys running through a forest, both with white hair. One has red eyes, the other has green eyes. The boy with green eyes has the red-eyed boy by the wrist, both dressed in rags as they're running down the forest to an open clearing at the edge of a mountain. The boy with red eyes has a worried look on his face before the green-eyed boy lets go, getting to the edge of the cliff before turning around, looking at the red-eyed boy, smiling with both his hands behind his back.*
*The red-eyed boy relaxes, calmly walking toward the boy, an honest, caring smile on his face, reaching out to the boy as the scene changes. The boy looks older, a horrified look on his face (the boy was Yoichi) and the red-eyed boy (All For One) reaches out toward him, that same concern as before as the city of Tokyo is in the middle of a burning battle. The scene glitches out to Luz, in her hero costume in Waterbury, where it looks like a large battle had taken place, stumbling forward with blood on her hands as she looks down at said hands, panic and horror in her eyes as a ghost of All For One appears over her shoulder, a reassuring hand on her shoulder, all the while the disembodied voice continues to sing*
"Decayed, we break and stumble while reaching for the light"
"Is there somewhere to search and find?"
"A reason to keep up the lie?"
"When misery will block the way, never cry"
"'Cause I'm by your side through all the hurting!"
*The beat reaches a crescendo, then drops as Luz stands up, the spirit of All For One disappearing as a vengeful look appears in Luz's eye, red sparks burst around her, dashing forward toward a shadowy group of villains, rearing back a punch to gut check the first one. Julia swings in from out of nowhere, wrapping up one of the villains in string, and swinging them away into a nearby building. Hunter appears next to Luz, generating a light sword, helping her fight the same villain she's attacking, as an older-looking woman in her mid-20s (Riley) lunges at a taller villain with a purple smog Quirk, her eyes bursting with explosive energy.*
"Take every single bitter feeling"
"That the future we are reaching…"
"I want to hold you forever through everything…!"
"Break away, 'cause that's a hero!"
*The scene cuts to a different scene with Vee (in her human form) alongside Camila fighting off a witch(Millie) inside a large penthouse in the human realm who wears the Elite Emperor Coven garb, each taking turns attacking the witch, Camila using a sword on her hip, and Vee shape-shifting their arm into a large mace, both of them missing their attacks, allowing the witch leap back, create distance between them, and to create a magic circle and blast off a fire spell, which acts as a transition for the next scene all the while the voice continues the song*
"Take every prayer repeating,"
"Hold dear to every meaning…"
"My broken body will carry onward through the dark!"
"I'll fly to where you are!"
*The scene changes to Luz standing in front of a blue portal of some kind, a shattered vial of *something* next to her as she looks to her left. The ghost of All for One stands next to her, offering her his hand. For a moment, she looks hesitant, before she takes it. The two glitch out, replaced by shadowy versions of Caleb and Philip, then those two glitch out to be replaced with a menacing All For One, before Luz and the ghost of All For One appears again, as they step through the portal to a place entirely unknown, but not before Luz looks over her shoulder once again, her eye now red, and a smirk on her face, with the opening coming to an end as the disembodied voice finishes the song.*
"Crying out!"
"A heart that reflects the words of the love it found!"
"Never doubting any step…!"
"We'll rise up to see a new end, once again!"
*The beat of the song reaches a crescendo again, before closing out with a final riff, as the portal vanishes–closing in on itself–revealing a familiar cabin in the woods, as the light of the moon shines down on it with an ominous eerie glow.*
[All For One Rising – Part 3]
[The Mutant Realm – 2013]
It had been a week since Rikitasu had encountered Eda and the mysterious creature "King." Dr. Garaki had become obsessed with discovering the secrets of the creature's blood, and they had found that it had various uses.
For starters, it seemed to be something that could be an alternative to electricity. Garaki had found that out by trying to power his laptop during a power outage. He had been in the middle of backing up any files integral to Project Copy, and he feared losing them. In a last-ditch attempt to ensure the laptop didn't die, he made a crude battery out of it and used it to charge his computer.
Lo-and-behold, it worked exactly like an actual battery would.
Eda was not entirely happy with that outcome but didn't have a say in the issue. Twas the plight of being a prisoner.
Speaking of her, there had been multiple times when she tried and failed to escape containment. All attempts ended in Rikitasu beating her within an inch of her life and healing her back to full health after the fact so that she didn't die.
Eda was proving to be more a liability than a tool. However, because she was the only one who could tell them how The Portal Door worked, Rikitasu couldn't put an end to her just yet. But, when she outlived her usefulness, he would ensure she died. Be it by his hand or something else's.
Then, there was the issue of The Portal Door. They had acquired the key that activated it and used it, and when Rikitasu stepped through, he saw something that he had never expected to exist.
It was an entirely alien world. The grass was orange, the waters were purple, and the land itself seemed to reside on the remains of an ancient creature that had died a long, long time ago. He didn't spend too much time within the world—only a few moments—before he returned. But there was a part of him that wanted to stay. To explore. To see what that world had to offer.
But, before he could do that, he reigned himself back in. He reminded himself of all his other responsibilities and turned around to return to his home. The fact of the matter was that it worked, and he had found the world that Eda and the creature had come from. He even confirmed it with Eda, much to her annoyance.
It had been a long time since he had felt a child-like sense of wonder and amazement. To think that another world existed, and all he had to do was step through a door to go to it? This single-handedly confirmed that other worlds existed. If other worlds existed, or perhaps other timelines as well?
Maybe, just maybe, he could find another version of himself and team up with them.
Ha, no. He knew himself far too well to know that if that happened, they probably wouldn't want to work together and or attempt to kill one another. After all, there was only room for one Demon Lord. Two simply could not exist.
All of that was to say that while he'd love to explore The Boiling Isles to his heart's content, he had no idea if time flowed differently there. When he returned, it didn't seem like it, but he didn't want to risk anything unnecessary. Doubly so if his prisoner, Eda, had escaped and wreaked havoc. That would not do. Not even the slightest.
This brought him to another thing that he needed to take care of. Eda, while she had her uses, did not share the same amount of uses as that creature—"King," as she kept calling it. He knew that the title was metaphorical, but given just how valuable the creature, or rather its blood, was, that must mean that perhaps its kind used to be viewed as some sort of God at some point.
Regardless, Eda cared about the creature's well-being. She winced every time they drew blood from its unconscious body. She would snarl whenever they would cut it open to see how its internals worked—obviously under anesthetic because while they were evil, they weren't cruel—all the while, they were using its blood for various purposes.
Mainly, they used its blood in tandem with The Portal Door to see if it did anything. For the most part, it had no real affiliation with the door. Sure, the key that was used to open the portal door seemed to need to be refuelled by it, but after probing Eda, the Key hadn't drained of any of the blood within it for the last 8 years that she had the door.
Due to the size of the key, Rikitasu and Garaki both guessed that it only took a tiny amount of blood to create a portal. But, aside from that, using the blood in any other way concerning the door did not seem to work.
So, with that in mind, they closed off any other avenue regarding the door and the blood and focused purely on the blood's elemental aspect, namely, its reactions to elements.
Currently, it was 1:45 pm, and Rikitasu was sitting next to Garaki, who in turn was taking another syringe full of the creature's blood. On the other hand, Eda was across the room in a portable cage, glaring at both of them. There was a level of hatred in her eyes that Rikitasu had to admit reminded him a little bit of himself.
It was pretty amusing, to say the very least.
"There. That should be enough for this little test," Garaki said as Rikitasu grabbed the unconscious creature and put him back in the stasis tank. As soon as he was sealed back inside, Rikitasu looked over to Garaki, who had an annoyed expression. "We've tried fire, we've tried water, we've tried acid, and we've tried chlorine. But none of it seems to cause the chemicals to react!"
"We could always try electricity?" Rikitasu noted as Garaki scoffed.
"Right, the thing it can substitute would surely work," Garaki said sarcastically as Rikitasu frowned.
"You're overcomplicating things, Garaki," Rikitasu replied as Garaki sighed.
"No. I'm being logical," Garaki answered.
"How about you stop hurting King!? Ever think of that?!" Eda spat from afar as the pair looked at her, emotionless, deadpan expressions on their faces.
"No."
"Not a chance."
Eda gritted her teeth in frustration as she grabbed the bars of her cage with enough force to dent them. Not enough to pry free, but enough to at least cause some minor damage to the foundation of the cage. Neither Garaki nor Rikitasu paid her any mind.
"Fine, we'll try your little theory," Garaki grumbled as Rikitasu smirked. Sighing, Garaki took the needle full of the blue blood-like liquid as they walked across the lab, leaving Eda alone. Eda slumped down in her cage as they went, wrapping her arms around her legs.
She hated this. She hated every second of this. Never in her time alive had she ever met humans this vile. Sure, she knew humans could be bad; in that sense, they were like witches. They existed on a spectrum of good and evil. But never to this degree. Though, maybe that was just wishful thinking.
She knew Belos was a piece of work, but she doubted he'd ever do anything remotely close to this. Or, maybe she was giving Belos too much credit. It wasn't as if she knew the inner workings of The Emperor's Coven, nor did she want to.
Eda looked over to the suspended form of King and felt a fierce anger burn within her chest. He didn't deserve any of this. Yet, there was nothing that she could do. At least, not right now. She needed to figure out how to escape, first and foremost. That was her top priority. Then, once she had a way out, she'd free King and leave this place for good.
"But how? I mean, I could try and use unfocused magic to break out… I still have to nab Owlbert, but how will I escape long enough to do that?" Eda thought, a tinge of annoyance seeping into her thoughts.
She had tasted freedom for only a few seconds, and each time she had, that white-haired bastard would be right on her. She had never been more scared of a human in her whole life than when it came to that man.
He was powerful. Perhaps more powerful than even Emperor Belos. If he were allowed to run rampant in The Boiling Isles, it would take every Coven working together to even so much as dent him. None of her magic could harm him, and she was the strongest witch on The Boiling Isles, second to Belos himself.
If she couldn't hurt him, then that likely meant that Belos couldn't. If Belos couldn't injure him, then no one else could. It would require multiple powerful Witches to do so, and she doubted that they could rally enough people with equal and or similar power to both herself and Belos to drive him back.
Maybe she was just being paranoid, but he was a threat.
A threat that needed to stay away from The Boiling Isles.
"Aha! I told you!" The voice of the white-haired bastard echoed throughout the laboratory as a dark blue glow emanated throughout the room, forcing Eda to shield her eyes. She could feel her curse writhe in agony, but she did her best to keep it at bay. Some feathers poked out from her arms, and she felt her vision begin to fade, but she prevented it from taking over entirely.
"Back! Go back! No! This is a bad time. Do you want to get us both killed!?" Eda hissed internally at the curse. All she got in return was a shriek of anger, but it subsided. The feathers slinked back into her skin, and her eyes returned to normal.
When she refocused her vision, she looked up to see that the white-haired bastard was staring her down, a smirk on his face as he twirled a key around his fingers. It was the portal key! "Well, I must admit, I never would've thought that I was able to recreate a portal, but it would seem as if I have."
That made Eda's eyes widen with alarm. "What?!" Eda shouted, lunging to her feet as she threw all of her weight behind the tackle, resulting in the cage rocking forward, if only slightly, as the white-haired bastard's smirk widened.
"It was only temporary, but that creature's blood, King, his blood acts as a fuel source. Five hundred volts of electricity is all that's needed to get the blood to work, but the portal only lasts for a few moments. But that can be easily fixed. I dared not step through it because I did not know if it would work. But that's what you are for, Eda."
Before Eda could react, say, or do anything, the white-haired bastard ripped the door off of the jail cell that she had been forced into. He grabbed her by some of her hair and began to drag her away. Away to where? Eda didn't know. What she did know, however, was that she wouldn't allow herself to be manhandled by this lesser-than-dirt man.
She knew this was reckless, but she had to do something. For all she knew, that faux portal he was just boasting about could kill her or, worse, get her stranded somewhere else. She refused to let that happen.
"I know you hate me, and you have every reason to because you were forced upon me, but please if he does this, we both die!" Eda said internally. She was trying to talk to her Curse. She knew it could be done because she knew it was sentient. Honestly, she had no idea if this would work, but quite frankly, all she cared about as of right now was ensuring that she didn't wind up dead.
Surely, The Owl Curse would believe the same thing, wouldn't it? It didn't want to die, did it? They were getting closer to what appeared to be a hastily constructed frame made out of random scraps of wood. She closed her eyes, focusing until she saw something. Something deep within her soul.
It was a black splotch, and while Eda didn't recognize it, if she had to guess, it was her Curse. No. It was The Owl Beast. The creature that had been thrust upon her by whoever had cursed her. The black splotch shifted into a four-legged, orange-feathered, sharp-beaked beast. It was tall—massive, even. It was easily the size of two, if not three, Slitherbeasts and half the size of a baby griffin.
"Look… I, um… I don't know you. You're more than a curse. I don't know what you are, but I know that if I die, you do too. So, how about, for the time being, we put our differences aside, and maybe we can stop this guy."
The Owl Beast remained silent, glaring at her with its beady black eyes. It bristled, its feathers ruffling as it moved toward her before letting out a hissing screech that made Eda flinch. As it did, however, she could hear… pain in its call.
Was it… in pain? How did a curse feel pain? "Please. Help me…." She couldn't believe she was doing this. She was asking her Curse for help. She opened her eyes, looked up, and saw that they were mere feet away from where the white-haired bastard was dragging them too. "I don't want to die…"
"Very Well."
"Huh!? You can talk?!"
"Of Course. Now Be Quiet."
She felt something within her chest begin to stir as her eyes changed. White sclera was turned black, and while her pupils remained the same, her irises turned silver. Orange and grey feathers began to tear their way through her arms and force themselves out. Large, black talons replaced her fingers as her arms became wrapped up in a dark grey bone-like armour resembling an owl's limbs.
Large, orange wings burst out from her back as the white-haired bastard looked over his shoulder, eyes widening at Eda's transformation. A snarl slipped past her lips as her body began to be coated in feathers, covering every inch of her skin. Unlike most of her transformations, this one didn't hurt. Not even remotely.
Her skin, or at least the parts that weren't covered in feathers, i.e. her face and not much else, turned dark grey. Her legs became covered in the same orange and grey feathers, and her feet turned into a pair of avian-clawed feet, much like a griffin. While she retained her original height, she felt a newfound strength worm its way into her.
"What the—"
Before the white-haired bastard could finish what he was about to say, in the blink of an eye, Eda swiped at the arm holding her, cutting it off from the elbow down as Rikitasu sneered. Eda leapt back, gliding along the air as she did. For a moment, she looked down at herself and felt a surge of both awe and confusion.
"I Am You. You Are Me. We Are Stuck In This Together. I Am Tired Of Fighting You. This Lesser Creature Has Been Toying With Us. I Want Revenge. Let Us Take Him Down. But Afterward, Our Truce Will End."
Eda wanted to quip something to The Owl Beast, but right now, she was more focused on the newfound power that she gained. She let out a sigh before glaring daggers at Rikitasu. "All right, shit for brains. Give me back King!" Eda roared, her claws glistening under the artificial light as Rikitasu smirked.
"An interesting display. But not one worth my time," Rikitasu replied as his arm regenerated. Bone, muscle, and skin twisted and contorted to replace the limb that had been severed as a smile took up his visage. "You continue to surprise me, Eda. But I've about had enough of your antics."
"NOT IN THE LAB!" Garaki hollered but went ignored as Rikitasu raised his palm toward Eda. Waves of sound came blasting forth, slamming into Eda as she felt her ears begin to thrumb in pain. She covered the sides of her head, trying to block out the noise as several glass bottles, containers, and empty test tubes ruptured around her.
"Owls have sensitive hearing, something I doubt you knew about," Rikitasu said, his voice chillingly calm. "Sound Waves. I never thought this Meta Ability would be useful, but here it is, being useful. I suppose I shouldn't judge a Meta Ability before I use it."
Eda gritted her teeth, trying to stand but failing under the pressure and intensity of the power of the sound waves. It was like an oncoming leviathan was pushing her back—that was how hard it was to move. Her foot claws dug into the ground, giving her a bit more stability as the sound waves increased in volume; all the while, Rikitasu scowled.
"It is fruitless to fight against me, Eda. This is foolish," Rikitasu said, his voice quiet against the sound waves he produced. Not that Eda gave a damn. Her yellow and black eyes narrowed as she forced herself to stand, and her newfound wings arched back and flapped once. That was all it took for a gust of wind more powerful than the sound waves to slam into Rikitasu, ripping up the ground around them and destroying almost everything in the laboratory.
And one of those bits of ground shattered the glass that contained King, whose unconscious form fell to the ground with a soft thud. Eda didn't waste any time. She grabbed King as fast as he could; all the while, Rikitasu recovered from being flung across the room like a rag doll. The key to the Portal Door was just a few inches away from him, and just as he took to his feet, Eda grabbed the key.
"You damned Witch!" Rikitasu spat, lunging toward Eda, who inserted the key into the Portal Door. Rikitasu grabbed onto one of her wings as Eda stepped through the door. King was in her arms as she kicked at Rikitasu, clawing at his face with her hind legs. As they both slipped through the door, they were ejected atop a familiar location that Eda had frequented.
The Knee of The Titan.
And both of them were falling.
The Portal Door was still atop the knee, and Eda was falling with Rikitasu still holding onto one of her wings, which made it impossible for her to fly.
Rikitasu's eyes widened as he stared at the world around him. The air of The Boiling Isles had a different scent from what he was used to, though he quickly adjusted. Eda was openly snarling at him; all the while, she screamed at him, "LET GO!"
"Never!" Rikitasu spat, coiling back one of his arms as a blackened ball of energy began to surge in his palms, sparked by golden energy, surging like electricity as a wicked smile took up his visage. "I've been meaning to use this! I have yet to test it out, so you'll be a perfect test subject!" Rikitasu spat as Eda's eyes widened. "DARK BALL!"
Eda only had a second to react, kicking Rikitasu in the chest and forcing him away from her, tearing her right wing off of her side as a ball of pure death raged forward, clipping Eda and carving a large hole through the left side of her body. Blood spewed from the gaping wound, but she endured, gritting her teeth.
The ball of darkness crashed into a nearby forest before exploding with enough force to send shockwaves throughout the surrounding area. Trees were obliterated as a flash of golden light surged in the area. When the light disappeared, everything where the ball had landed was gone, leaving only a crater filling with the boiling waters that The Boiling Isles was most known for.
Not but a moment later, Eda crashed into the ground below, landing on her back with a thud as blood continued to pool around her. Pain surged throughout her body as the meagre boost of adrenaline died down. She writhed in pain, but without the energy to scream, she was left to suffer silently.
"I Cannot Heal You. You Can Heal Yourself. You Still Have Magic. Use It." The Owl Beast demanded of her as she reverted into what she was supposed to look like. The hole was large enough to have destroyed the left side of her abdomen and a majority of her waist. No amount of healing magic would repair the wound. Not without more than a dozen healers. "Heal Yourself."
"I… I can't…" Eda rasped, coughing up blood. "Healing Magic… Isn't that… Powerful…" Eda continued, watching as crimson liquid pooled around her. She was starting to feel numb.
"Your Kind Has Weakened Since I Last Roamed The World."
Eda couldn't help but laugh. Laugh at all of this. This was ridiculous. It… It wasn't fair. In the distance, she could see that white-haired bastard stalk toward her, red eyes gleaming with hatred and victory.
"Great. Now he's here to finish me off…" Eda thought, slowly putting an arm around King. She could feel his warm, soft, slightly wet fur and how his body shifted up and down from his breathing.
It hadn't been for a long time since she had ever held him. Not since he was an infant. To think that this would be the last time that she would, in her dying breaths.
She didn't want to die.
She still had to apologize to Dad. She still had to make amends with Lilith. She still had yet to punch that piece of shit Belos right in the kisser. She still needed to get Owlbert back…
Owlbert. Oh, Titan's above, she had forgotten Owlbert.
"I wasn't expecting that to be as powerful as it had. Then again, when I fought the man who had it, we levelled most of Okinawa. Perhaps I held back a little bit," Rikitasu said before casting a smug glare down at Eda. "Not that it matters much. Although, I more than likely have garnered the attention of whatever the local authority here is," Rikitasu said as Eda scowled. She didn't have the energy to talk. His eyes looked over to King, who was huddled atop Eda's chest, before looking back at Eda.
Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her, but there was a look in his eyes that appeared far too… normal for someone like him. It almost looked like guilt. No. Not guilt. Remorse. But that didn't make any sense. This man. He was a monster. He should not feel remorse—at least, that was what she had expected of him.
And then, he spoke.
"Ah, you projected, King. You truly must care for him, don't you?" When Rikitasu spoke, his voice had almost an impressed yet distant tone. The look in his eyes changed from remorse to… almost reflective as if he was thinking back to something.
Eda was confused. He was just… standing there, staring down at her, his eyes filled with conflicting emotions. He muttered something under his breath, something to the effect of "damn you, Yoichi," before finally sighing.
"Very well." As Rikitasu said that, he knelt next to her and placed a hand over her wound, and his palm began to glow. Bones, muscle, flesh, and skin started to regrow where the damage had been done, and all the while, Eda's eyes widened. Why?! Why was he healing her?!
In the blink of an eye, all of the pain that she had felt in the last few minutes had all but disappeared. Breathing didn't hurt, nor did moving. She also felt… her magic reserves returning back to their normal levels. Her Bile Sac had been healed—not stripped of the curse, but replenished.
It was doubtful that Rikitasu knew what it was he was doing by fully healing her, but Eda didn't care all that much. What she did know was that she was confused. After a week of torturing, maiming, and brutalizing her—breaking her down and making her feel useless while only healing her enough to where she remained alive; why now did he choose to fully heal her?
When it was all said and done, Rikitasu stood up and turned his back on her. "Before you ask me why I helped you even after almost killing you…. You simply reminded me of something. Nothing more, nothing less. Rest assured, Eda. The next time we meet, I will kill you. You've interfered more than you are useful now. Besides, I've got exactly what I want from you," he said, flashing her the key to The Portal Door.
Her eyes widened, but before she could get up and do anything about it, he was already floating up into the air, and she was still drained of energy. Turning into that… into that thing had drained her wholly and utterly.
King stirred upon her, wearily looking at her, a tired look in his eyes. "Eda…"
"I'm here, King. He can't hurt you anymore."
"Okay…"
King promptly fell back asleep, but this time, he was relaxed. Eda stared up at The Knee, scowling. Owlbert was still trapped. She was in such a rush to escape that she had completely forgotten to try and go after him.
"I have to find him. I have to save Owlbert… I can't just leave him there. Not with that madman…" Eda thought as she could hear the sounds of footsteps rapidly approaching. The Emperor's Coven was probably coming to investigate the destruction. No doubt they'd blame her.
With King resting over her shoulder, Eda pushed herself to her feet and ran as fast as she could. She needed to find a safe place to hide until she could return to The Owl House. To Hooty. Then, she'd regroup and devise a plan to save Owlbert from that monster.
Back atop The Knee, Rikitasu entered back through The Portal Door, taking it with him as it folded back into a suitcase. A wicked smile took up his visage as Garaki scowled at him. "You brute."
"Blame Eda. Not that it matters. We have what we wanted, and that pesky Owl Lady isn't in our hair anymore," Rikitasu said as Garaki sighed, adjusting his gear-shaped glasses.
"So all that research was for nothing?" Garaki asked as Rikitasu rolled his eyes.
"I'm sure you can think of something to use that leftover blood for. Besides, it wasn't as if we're at a total loss," Rikitasu said, glancing over at a small vault. "She'll be back for that wooden statue. It has value to her." As Rikitasu said that, he looked over his shoulder and smirked. "Now, tell me, where is the third thief?"
[Modern Day, Human Realm]
"And that's pretty much it. Or, well, the relevant parts. The Owl Lady had caused me a few problems. Back when she was still young, though. Not that it matters. I kept my promise to her unless she somehow survived, which I doubt. What matters, Luz, is that if you want to go to The Boiling Isles, you'll either need an electricity Quirk and Titans Blood or find The Portal Door. The likelihood of either is slim to none, but something tells me that for you, it won't be that hard."
Luz hummed to herself in thought as she flew through the air, wings of flame flickering as she closed in the Stamford Hospital building. She had gotten a text from Dr. Rodriquez that he needed to see her. For what reason, she didn't know. What she did know, however, was that she was curious about what he could want.
"Right. Well, if I have to guess, if I find Hunter, then that means I'll find The Portal Door. He has multiple powers. That means you probably had something to do with that. Right?" Luz asked as Rikitasu sighed.
"That would be correct."
"Why didn't you say anything? You knew he was a threat then," Luz said through grit teeth as she landed atop the roof of the Stamford Hospital building carefully so as not to disturb the patients within. The fiery wings disappeared in a puff of black smoke.
"Actually, that has me more than a little perplexed. I was shocked when Hunter attacked one of your allies. He should not have done that." Before Luz could say something in response, Rikitasu continued. "When I put those Quirks into his body, I also implanted a microchip that would have made him utterly loyal to you. Due to how Quirks are evolved parts of the brain, and considering they give off certain brainwaves, and because All For One gives off a certain wavelength, the microchip would have picked it up and prevented him from doing anything that would have caused you distress or pain. Which means, at some point, when I wasn't looking or when I had lost The Portal Door during The War, The Boiling Isle's Emperor must have tampered with the microchip."
Luz frowned at that. That was simultaneously annoying, but it also explained a lot. But then, she had to wonder, was Hunter even in control of himself? Did he even know what he was doing? Were those even his thoughts?
Whatever the case was, it hardly mattered now. He had critically injured one of her friends. He was going to die, and that was final. Nothing he said would change her mind.
The door to the rooftop entrance of the hospital opened as Dr. Rodriquez, who two security guards flanked, met her at the doorway. "Luzura. It's good to see you again," Dr. Rodriquez said as Luz hummed.
"What do you want, Doctor?" Luz asked as Dr. Rodriquez smirked, gesturing her to follow him.
"Come. I want to show you something. That, and there has been a new development. The news will probably air something about it later today. Quick, we don't have a lot of time," Dr. Rodriquez stated as Luz wordlessly followed him down the stairs. Luz kept looking over her shoulder at the security guards as they walked.
They looked… far too professional. There was something off about them. Something that was setting off her alarm bells. If only she had something like Xray Vision to check if they had a hidden earpiece in their ear.
Or, maybe she was just becoming more than a little paranoid. The last few days hadn't exactly been kind to her, and with a series of betrayals having followed most of, if not everything, it was hard for her to be anything but.
Once they reached the basement entrance, the security guards stopped in their tracks and turned to face the staircase's entrance. "Don't pay them any mind. I paid them to keep a secret. They've been reliable since I hired them as security detail."
"Are they aware of what is in the basement?" Luz asked as Rodriquez scoffed, brushing off her concerns with the flick of a wrist.
"Stupid, I am not. They know what they need to know," Rodriquez replied as Luz hummed in acknowledgement. Good. The fewer people she had to kill to ensure that no one aside from those who had sworn utter loyalty to her knew about what went down in the underground labs of Stamford Hospital, the better.
After passing through several doors and security checks along the way, they entered the lab. The smell of chemicals, mixed with the subtle chill of the morgue-turned laboratory, gave Luz a strange sense of comfort.
As she looked around at the various test tubes, four of which held Nomu and one of which held Mr. Silent, who was set to be destroyed in the coming hours and for her to collect the powers of, the ones that she was most interested in were the ones just ahead of Mr. Silent. Doberman, Rampage, and Lady.
Those three… Those three were the ones that would be perfected. Mr. Silent was the test subject that should've been perfected alongside the other three. Initially, she had planned to use them against The Order. However, plans changed when Julia died, and she got a lead on The Order the day of.
"Two weeks until they're finished…" Luz thought, crossing her arms as Dr. Rodriquez cleared his throat, earning Luz's attention.
"So, you're hair. It's… mostly white, save for the tips," Rodriquez said as Luz shrugged, brushing a gloved hand through her hair. She felt more than a little annoyed that he brought that up, but it was something that she was being forced to accept. The more she used All For One, the more her hair would change colour.
It… was starting to make her look similar to Rikitasu. "You've got something to do with this?"
"No. I was born with All For One, so I was born with white hair. My brother wasn't, though. He had the same colour as our mother before he became chronically sick. The stress had changed his hair colour. Your hair changing from brown to white is from the stress toll that All For One puts on the body."
"And my eyes turning red?" Luz asked, skeptical as Rikitasu huffed.
"Once again, that is not my doing. Your eyes could be changing naturally. Do you know about any relatives who had red eyes? That could potentially be why. Otherwise, I have no idea why. The only thing I can think of is that—and this is pure speculation—but my mere existence could be changing your physical appearance. I am a soul, after all. I might be part of All For One, but I am still very much within you. So, there is a chance that I am changing your appearance unwittingly. I don't think your skin tone will change if you're worried about that."
Luz frowned at that but brushed it off. He was dodging the question and giving half-answers. Just like always. "Luzura? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Luz replied flatly, crossing her arms. "Now, why am I here? I was just here not too long ago. So why was I called back?"
"Adrian Rogers had planned to capture you. He must've been acting on orders from the top brass. But worry not, he's dead," Rodriquez said as Luz blinked, shocked but not surprised. She didn't exactly trust him fully. Only enough to where he didn't try anything. Was she disappointed? Immensely. Had she expected something like this? Duh, one simply did not trust the government. That was a fool's mistake.
"I take it you've disposed of his corpse?" Luz asked as Rodriquez nodded.
"Yes. However, we were waiting to hear if you wished to have him transformed into a Nomu. Otherwise, we were just going to burn his body and stage a helicopter accident with a dummy team and a sabotaged helicopter," Rodriquez said as Luz glanced away, not meeting Rodriquez in the eyes.
That… sounded like a bit much. But, at the same time, if that was what needed to happen, then so be it. That would've been too obvious if he was turned into a Nomu. The whole of Roger's cabinet knew about Project Nomu. So if he was killed by them and turned into one, well, they couldn't scrub their hands of it.
"Do option two. We don't want anything linked back to us. Make sure that the people who are going to board the helicopter have parachutes, though. I don't want them to die. I'm willing to do many heinous things if it means we have the upper hand over everyone, but sacrificing innocent people is where I draw the line," Luz stated, leaving no room for argument as Rodriquez grunted in affirmation.
"Understood, madam."
Luz sighed as she cracked her neck from side to side. "Is my new outfit ready?" Luz asked as Rodriquez nodded.
"It is. It's waiting for you back at your headquarters. Although… I gotta ask. Why the change in appearance? Most people know you by your current costume, so why the sudden change?" Rodriquez asked as Luz smirked, turning her back on Rodriquez. As she walked away, she looked over her shoulder, a lone eye gleaming red.
"I believe a change of the status quo is needed. This hero thing has fallen flat on its face. I already know that the interview is just a stage for my mental instability to be put on full display. So, I think the façade is ready to be ripped away," Luz stated as she looked away from Rodriquez.
Initially, she had been true to the idea of being a hero. But after months of putting up with the constant judgment, alongside the death of Julia and the decommissioning of Emelia, added to the betrayal of Hunter and Riley…. She was sick of it.
Her mother might be disappointed in her, and while that bothered her, it wasn't enough to dissuade her from calling it quits. Besides, this was for the best. Both for Project Nomu, for her mental health, and, more importantly, for her mother. If these assassins were serious—which so far they had proven themselves to be—she couldn't endanger Camila and Vee. Camila, because she was her mother, and Vee, because they were an innocent person tossed into this mess.
So, as Luz left the lab for the second time today, she mentally prepared herself for her interview—the same interview in which she was going to announce her retirement, the same interview in which Luzura would die…
…and All For Luz would be born.
[-To Be Continued in – Hero No More – Part 1-]
[Ending Song: Where Our Blue Is/ 青のすみか – By: Tatsuya Kitani]
*The ending opens with the sound of a gong ringing out, followed by the riff of a guitar, playing a calming melody. A series of flashing images of Luz and Julia hanging out, smiling, and enjoying each other's company appears, before it cuts to Luz walking down the streets of Stamford, dressed in a black hoodie and grey sweats, a solemn look on her face.*
*The scene continues with Luz looking up at the sky as the drums kick in, Luz's eyes flashing red, before changing back to normal. She looks across the street, and sees Julia, smiling and waving at her. Luz goes to wave back, but a bus drives through the street, and when it passes, Julia is no longer there. Luz looks away, continuing down the road, this time with a more hurried pace, all the while a disembodied voice sings.*
"No end to the blue, when everywhere I look I see its hue."
"Can't turn from the truth,"
"When I've seen it as clearly as the day I'll have to wake up without you."
*The scene glitches to Luz and Julia sitting in their bedroom, watching TV, with Luz looking downtrodden, and Julia talking happily. Although, it's as if Luz can't hear her, and is seemingly ignoring her presence. That's when Julia seems to fade away, which prompts Luz to get out of her room, and stepping into the main living space, where Camila, Emelia, Riley, and Hunter are all standing, looking at her, concerned, as the disembodied voice continues.*
"It rings all around,"
"The song of the cicadas crying out,"
"Makes it so loud, the depending sound,
"Of silence from your mouth."
*The scene changes to Luz, dressed in her hero costume, standing in a void of darkness. Behind her, flashing memories of her, Julia, Emelia, Camila, Riley, and Hunter–all fond and having fun with one another–fade into the background like dust, as Luz looks up from the floor. In front of her, Julia stands, a dark blurry line running over her eyes as she smiles, reaching out to her. For a moment, something flashes overtop of her–a beaten, bloodied, and bruised version of her reaching out for help–but it returns to normal, and makes Luz startle backwards, panic in her eyes as the song brings itself up to a crescendo, whilst the voice continues*
"No matter how hard, I try to hold…"
"Those innocent days will soon fade away and I'll have to let you go."
"Left behind an eternity ago,"
"Even so…!"
*Following along with the riff of the guitar in the background, the darkness gives way to light, as it shows more happy moments between Luz and Julia specifically. Running along the beachside, reading books together, watching movies and snuggling–all things normal couples do to pass the time. Mixed within are times where they're fighting villains with one another, aiding one another, the voice continuing to sing to sombre song*
"But even so..!"
"Blue still lives in me!"
"But even so..!"
"Blue Clear as the sea!"
"Even though a single prayer, a single word"
"Could change our fates, I know it's way too late to be heard!"
*The scene changes to Julia and Luz sitting across from one another, staring into each other's eyes, happiness between them, only for it to break apart when Julia begins to fade away. As she does, Luz frantically tries to chase after her. Just as she fully disappears, Luz tries to say something, but the words are caught in her throat, and instead, she stumbles to her hands and knees, tears burning down her cheeks as she silently cries, gripping at the carpeted floor in despair, all the while the song continues.*
"Just like a love that can never quite reach,"
"Or just like the colours that run down my cheeks, forever burning,"
"I couldn't even whisper to curse you,"
"The words in my throat that I never spoke:"
"You're my one and only, best friend"
"I wish I could have told you then…"
*The ending finishes as it slowly fades into a picture of Julia and Luz happily standing next to one another, behind them at a concert they were recently at. Just as the camera zooms in to capture their faces, the glass cracks in between them, as the voice finishes the song.*
"No matter how bright, no star can burn forever.*
"Tried to hold tight, you slipped through my fingers…"
And thus ends The All For One Rising arc. I know, really short, but it wasn't meant to be long. You all saw the name of the next one, so be ready for that. Also, yeah, I did the "haha, the author did the funny," so what? The next arc is gonna have the opening and ending switch. See you all in the next one. Peace!