Darkness. The shadow bending in impossible shape, as it slithers towards Spinner, its tentacles piercing his flesh, his screams of pain muffled by the tendrils in his mouth. His flesh burned, his muscles and bones breaking under the sheer pressure.

"No, please...don't," he protested. But they didn't listen, further pushing into him, breaking him.

A sharp, grating sound slices through the air, cutting through the haze. He could see the silhouette of someone standing over him.

"Get up," the man irritably grabbed him by the arm. He saw the eyes, burning twin suns piercing through his soul, and a cold sweat broke out on his skin. "Get up," the voice was firmer, the tone leaving no room for argument.

Spinner complied, his body shaking and his lungs burning as the darkness retreated, his consciousness fading as he fell into the stranger's arms. But he could see. The shadowy figures were still there, the darkness creeping ever closer. Watching him.

He was shoved into a chair under a bright source of light. How bright its glare was, but it only made the darkness surrounding the room sharper. Ever since that night, he started smelling darkness. Hearing colors. Tasting sounds.

"Iguchi Shūichi," said a tall man with short, black hair and somewhat rectangular black eyes. "I'm Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. You were taken in on grounds of assault and battery of two heroes, Mandalay and Ragdoll, and attempted kidnapping of UA students," he flipped through a clipboard in his hand, "Never had a record before. What happened?"

But his attention lies elsewhere. There was a girl sitting next to the man, her gaze boring into him, her eyes a glowing amber. She looked so young, yet her eyes were cold and ancient. Yet nobody seemed to notice her.

He looked at her, his gaze meeting hers. Her expression was unreadable.

"Hey, Iguchi-kun, stay with me here," Naomasa said, snapping his fingers. "I need answers, not blank stares."

His attention was on the girl as her lips moved, but the sound didn't reach his ears. Instead, the meaning carved themselves into his skull, bypassing language altogether. He only gazed at her. For seconds. For minutes. For hours.

In UA's Class 1-A dorm's common room, light spilled across a TV screen as the students were watching the news. The reporters were discussing the incident, how the Wild Wild Pussycats were attacked. How they were injured. How the villains escaped. And, most of all, who were the culprits.

"Man, that was intense, wasn't it?" Denki said, breaking the silence.

"I guess so," Momo replied, changing the volume.

"They got their asses handed to them," Katsuki scoffed.

"You talk like that, but wasn't it Daddy who rescued you from being kidnapped by the villains?" Mina snickered.

"SHUT IT!" he shouted, his cheeks turning red.

The door swung open, with the bell ringing, revealing Izuku carrying both sleeping Eri and Kota on his arms, while holding a few bags on his hands.

"I'm home," he called out, though his voice was quiet.

"Welcome back," they said.

"Daddy, you doing something tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm going to The Crowley after putting them to bed," Izuku replied, pointing at the sleeping children in his arms.

"Is that smart?" Kyouka asked him. She didn't say anything, but the fact that Midnight misled them into getting her boyfriend? Crush? burned alive by the dragon didn't sit well with the girls. Midnight's class was especially awkward that morning.

"Yeah, I need to have a talk with Midnight-sensei as well, so this is good timing, if anything."

"You want us to back you up?" Toru offered.

"Nah, I don't...think...it'll be that bad. If you want to help, you can look after these two while I finish my shift."

"Will do, Daddy. But if you need anything...don't hesitate to call us, especially me," Mina winked, hugging him, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"Thanks, Mina. See ya, girls."

"See ya," they said, waving goodbye to him.

Izuku entered the elevator to his room's floor, but he thought he heard Momo call out to him. 'Oh, well. I'll ask her later, I guess,' he thought as he adjusted the kids.

He entered his room, putting Eri and Kota on bed before laying down, waiting for time to pass.

With the streets quiet and the moonlight shining. He put on his regular bouncer black shirt with his pants. He was getting ready when he ran into Toru on the way as she enters his room. "Good luck," she squeezed his arm in a gesture of encouragement.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a kiss as thanks, causing her to turn so red she turned herself invisible.

He walked the street, entering the pub. He was greeted with Nemuri who was wiping the table.

Her eyes met his as she smiled, "Oh, Izuku. Great thing you're here. You have appeared to have picked up a bit of a suntan. Did you go to the beach?" she teased as she went back behind the bar.

"Haha, Nemuri," he mocked a laughter before approaching her, "I felt your presence there, at the end. It was your bullet that killed the dragon."

"Felt, Izuku? I was under the assumption that you were sensory handicapped. And Sorceresses are hard to find, no matter your senses are."

"Maybe it was Sorcery that let me," he muttered before narrowing his eyes at her. "You lied about Mom. You said she had no magic."

"I said she was the least magely person I'd met. Which is true. Whatever else you read into what I said is on you."

"So you knew she was a Sorceress?"

"Perhaps," she shrugged. "Though she is a rather different type than me, or your little pink plaything."

"My father called her Blessed by The Voices."

"Your father? Well. That's not something He came up with. Aidlidh was always so emo romantic. Your mother's just...different, that's all. Her every random wish and desire tugged at reality like a toddler with a strength of a god."

His gaze bored into her. "Something's bothering me, Nemuri. You said you didn't know who my father was?"

She tilted her head in confusion, "Yes?"

"And yet you knew his Chosen. Ailidh."

Her mouth hung open briefly before closing, her brows furrowed in thought, "Well. Shit. That narrows it down a bit. I knew Ailidh before she signed up with Horney. As a rule, I stay clear of His Court; there are still Fae alive who remember things I'd rather were forgotten."

"So you're saying you really didn't know? You expect me to believe that crap?" he growled, his voice rising a bit.

"I don't like lying, Izuku. If you live long enough, every lie will tend to come back to haunt you. And I wasn't playing at the high-rollers table back then; nobody bothered to introduce The Horned God to me. The Coven certainly wouldn't, snobs that they are."

"He clearly knew you."

"He's a god, Izuku. The Oldest, now that She is gone. Probably also the most powerful. And evidently still as fucking funny as always. Nobody that powerful should have a sense of humour that crappy."

"Were you part of Merlin's plan?"

"The whole World was part of that little rat-faced bastard's plan. But if you ask if I was a willing participant, then no. I thought it was lunacy back then, and I fear that what is coming now will prove me right. But we will not quietly go into the night, will we, Izuku?" she chuckled.
"No. No, we won't. Anyway, I better ready for my shift."

"My congratulations, by the way. I'm sure it was a wonderful wedding. The proud father of the bride, the crispy groom. By the way, I must say you're taking this far better than I expected."

"Would it have helped if I stormed and raged, burn the planet to the ground?"

"Not really, no."

"Then I won't. I can accept that this was the price of doing business with you and The Voices. Though I wouldn't turn my back on Ochaco, anytime soon."

"Indeed."

Izuku stepped forward, his face barely a few inches from Nemuri, as he looked down on her. His eyes glowing like searchlights as emeralds meet aquamarines. He began to speak, his voice sounding deeper than the Void, "Just a small note, Nemuri. Do tell The Voices that if they should ever feel the urge to motivate me by harming Ochaco or my children...well. Let's not. Nobody wants what will come out of that. Nobody at all," he whispered, his words echoing, shaking the air itself.

But Nemuri wasn't shaken. "They know. Trust me, nobody wants you around without Ochaco to provide a tenuous anchor for your Sanity. And they'd never harm your daughter...and son? Really, Izuku? You've been living in the dorms for less than three months, and you've already knocked Ochaco up?"

He scoffed, "When I want sex-ed advice from you, I'll let you know, Nemuri."

"All I'm saying is nobody ever got pregnant from a good facial. Words to live by, that."

"Whatever," he dismissed her before Izuku went about his shift, throwing troublemakers away, serving drinks, and occasionally entertaining some patrons when he heard the doorbell ring, opening the door was Matthew, Ochaco's swordsmanship instructor. "Ah, Izuku," the man smiled. "Just who I was looking for."

"Welcome to my place of work, Matthew," he shook the Fae's hand. "I'm afraid Ochaco's not around."

"That is good. Because I wanted to talk to you, not her," he sat on an empty seat.

"Izuku, I need you to..." Midnight called out from the bar before stopping mid-sentence. "Lord Swordmaster. Welcome to my house. Are we...going to have a problem?"

Izuku answered her, "Nothing I can't handle, Nemuri. It's a peaceful chat, I think."

"Do go easy on the help, Lord Swordmaster. I've just gotten him housebroken, I'd hate to have to find a replacement," Midnight told Matthew.

"Hey!"

"Thank you for your welcome, Lady Sorceress. Not to worry, this is a...friendly...chat. Now, I believe this is a public house. Might I order a pint of beer?"

"I'll go bring it over," Izuku said, walking away. He turned to Midnight, "Nemuri, anything on fire I need to deal with? Or anything that needs setting on fire?"

"Nothing stupid enough to disturb the pub with the two of you in it. There were some kegs I needed bringing up," she nodded to basement before shrugging, "But I'll just extort that troll over there to help me out instead," she told him before walking away.

Izuku brought some premium beers from the cellar. Traquair House Ale, and a 12 Year Old, Single Malt Highland Whisky from Loch Ness. He brought them both to the table.

"Thank you, Izuku. How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing, Matthew. I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for Ochaco. A couple of pints seem like the place to start," he said before sitting down, facing him.

Matthew examined his every movement and found he felt different. "You have changed, I think. Even from last time we met."

"Hopefully in a good way," he smiled before raising his whisky. "Here, Matthew, to Ochaco. May we never disappoint her."

Matthew let out a laugh, "May we be worthy of the trust she placed on us," he said before they drank their cups.

"So, I take it you're here to have the birds and bees talk with me?"

"Not really. I could not change My Lady's decisions, I doubt there is anything I could do to change her daughter's. Like her mother, she hides a core of steel under that sweet exterior.

"Just...guard her well," he told him, his tone was much like a father entrusting his daughter.

'So different from Erec,' Izuku thought.

"I intend to."

"But things...things have changed now. You are aware of that, right? Before she was a Crown Princess, but Erec could have lived another hundred years easily. Now, she is the Queen in Exile. And you are just..." he paused.

"Just a what?" Izuku raised his brow.

"I was going to say that you were a penniless young Evoker. But that is not quite true, is it?"

"Oh?" Izuku said in an amused expression.

"Do not play games with me, Izuku. I grew up in Tír na nÓg. Served Lady Eila for close to five decades; I am no stranger to Powers. Your Spark feels like one of Them. Though you are just a youth. Just what would it look like if you let it off the leash?"

'How would it appear, X? I assume married life would change it a little.'

'The Mantle, you mean?'

'No, the lack of sex. Yes, of course, the blood Mantle,' he sarcastically replied.

'No need to get testy just 'cause you're in a long-distance relationship. You've already seen how much additional power it lends your normal Spark, from the Training Camp. As for what it does to the thing itself, I have no idea.'

'Let's find out.'

'Is...that really wise, Boss?'

'The bar's nearly empty. There's a couple of orcs and that poor terrified troll hauling things for Nemuri. No mages see things they shouldn't.'

'Apart from the Swordmaster. You're aware he's a Mage, right? Despite him being a low-ranked Enchanter?'

'I assumed as much. But Ochaco trusts him. And I'm going to need to start gathering more allies; I don't want to put all my trust to the Court. Not knowing the problems Ochaco's having with them. An independent Swordsman with ties to Ochaco seems a good place to start.'

"You appear thoughtful, Izuku," Matthew called out, gaining his attention.

"Just an internal dialog. But Ochaco trusts you. Explicitly. So I'm going to trust you," Izuku told the swordsman before saying, "Take the brakes off, X."

Izuku felt the power washing through him, filling him up like no other. The lights around him picked up the bright halo of near terminal caffeine poisoning.

Details in the world appeared extremely sharp, to the point of being able to count the nose-hairs on the Orcs across the room, the small print on the contract Nezu's reading all the way across UA.

But the sounds were washed out. It takes a bit for him to realize that Matthew was talking to him. "Horned Lord protect us, you MUST regain control, Izuku. You will kill us all!"

'I'm in control. Right, X?' he called out to the sword, only to be met with silence. 'X?'

X wasn't answering. But there was so many other things to watch, like that dust mote, dancing a waltz with a ladybug in Nabu Island. The sky turned green, the rain falling up.

Then he found himself within his subconscious, he was without clothes, but surrounded by an ocean of hellfire. 'Is this the Mantle?'

Unasked for, the poker cards materialized in his hands. 'It would be interesting to see how magic responds to this, surely? Not real power, just a single Pair. Just to experience it,' he thought, plunging his hand to the Mantle.

The planet shone bright enough to outshine the galaxy; as the oceans froze and thawed, and the sun burned and froze in a cyclical manner a million times a second.

The feeling was...intoxicating.

It was then...he remembered Ochaco. Her smile, her touch. Like being splashed with an ice-cold bath, he regained his senses.

With a wrench, he pulled back from the edge, dismissing the poker cards and somehow closing the torrent of energy streaming into him from the Mantle.

'Boss! BOSS!' X desperately called out. 'Can you hear me? Snap out of it!'

'I'm here, X. Put the brakes back on, would you? I feel...exhausted.'

"What did I say about putting my pub on fire, Izuku?" Nemuri's voice came from behind him.

"Don't?" he turned around before looking around the place. The table was split in half a dozen pieces, the walls cracked, and he could see the outside. "Sorry about this. You can garnish my wages, or something."

Matthew frowned, his hand unconsciously gripping his sword, "That was no mortal Power. What are you dragging Ochaco into? Who are you?"

"I am the Winter King, Matthew. The Sword that was Lost has been Found. The Outsiders are returning, and those of us with the power to do so must rise to stand against them."

"You could have burned down the pub, if not the entire planet," the swordsman pointed out. "Does Ochaco know?"

"She made me the Winter King when she married me, so I would assume so."

The sound of the chair scraping across the floor could be heard as he stood up, "Married? And does she know you cannot control your Power? That you're not safe?"

"I am the Sword of Mankind, Matthew. Merlin and the Horned Lord tinkered, plotted, and crafted me for this. I'm not supposed to be...safe. I'm supposed to meet the Outsiders face to face, and show them that there are scarier things than them in this world," he declared, his words seemed to warp reality around him. "And I have a need of you."

"This has nothing to do with me. I could not protect My Lady, and the rest of days I will regret that. But that time is gone. I am retired, and spent. Let me be."

"And if I told you a new Lady required your services?"

Matthew chuckled, "I am hardly going to show up at some stranger's door like a lost puppy. I said retired, Izuku. Not broken."

"Ochaco's cross the threshold to becoming a Power. That makes her a Fae Lady. She will need a bodyguard. Someone to keep her safe."

Matthew considered the idea briefly, before shaking his head. "That did not work out too well for her Mother. If I had been the man I should've been, I would've been by her side."

"Well, at least this time, she's married to the Evoker she's in love with. Hopefully that makes it easier."

"She did marry the one she loved. It just hadn't lasted. Erec was an ass, and James was...not. But Oaths are real; they matter," he said before his gaze fell to the floor. "I...I couldn't stand by and watch them together. So I rode with the Hunt, and abandoned her side when she needed me most."

"Having tried out a dragon personally, I don't think you would have changed much, Matthew," he reassured him.

"I could have died beside her. I was sworn to. Oaths matter, remember."

"Well, hopefully her daughter will cause you less trouble. But she needs a real warrior to guard her back, for when I'm not there. To fight for her, and die for her if need be. Will you do it, Lord Knight?" Izuku reached out his hand to the swordsman.

Matthew looked at it before saying, "I...I still have things I need doing. Promises that need to be fulfilled. But your war has not yet started; I have time to set my house in order. When you need me, I'll be there," he shook his hand.

"See that you are, Lord Swordsmaster. Enjoy your drink; I'll see to the rest of things. A War is coming," he stood up and walked away.

Thanks for reading!

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