A silver convertible, masked by the natural darkness of the night pulled up the address that belonged to the Midoriya household. Within the vehicle, Nicholas Asahina sat in the driver's seat, a scowl taking up his visage as his black-gloved hands held firm against the steering wheel. Anger radiated within his eyes as he stared up at the building, specifically the top floor, as a profound sense of both déjà vu and fury.
"Guess who's back?" Nicholas thought, a sneer replacing his scowl as he exited the car. The last time he was here, he had used Brittle Bones Nicky to take Inko out. Back then, he was taking things less seriously than he should've. But now? Now he wasn't going to give her a chance. Not even remotely.
And with how much of a drastic shift Act 2 was, well… he didn't plan on staying for very long. He planned to get in, kill Inko, and get out. He had grown over these past couple of weeks, and he would make Inko pay on her son's behalf, and then, when he got the chance, he'd kill that little shit too.
He refused to let his pride be spat on for any longer. He had been an assassin, and it was because of those two that he had been fired. But, with this, he hoped that he'd get back in The Boss's good books.
Then, he would get his position back.
That was all this was about, really. Sure, he blamed Inko and that little shit of a child for his failure, but even then, it wasn't the fact that they hadn't died that he was doing this. He simply hated failing people who he looked up to.
If it wasn't for The Boss, he would've remained a street bum. If it wasn't for The Boss, he would've gone on to probably die in those alleyways. His family ditched him when they got the chance to, and anyone who he built meaningful relationships with kicked him to the curb because he was ugly.
The Boss had been the only one to have shown him even a sliver of kindness. He remembered when he first came across The Boss. He'd never forget what it was he had done for him that day….
[Tokyo City, 24 years ago, 2099]
"HEY! Watch where you're goin'!" A stern, raspy voice called out from a busy sidewalk as a young man pushed and shoved his way through several people, a panicked and hurried expression on his face. His shoulder-length, unkempt black hair and his messy facial made him look a lot like someone who lived on the streets.
To be fair, it wasn't as if that wasn't the case. The man had lived on the streets. In fact, he did so for most of his early adult life. He scammed, stole, and jumped people in order to survive. He didn't care for the consequences because that usually meant that he got a place to sleep for a few months.
But that didn't mean he quite liked what happened whenever he was caught. Right now, he was holding onto a stolen wallet. It was one of those fancy designer wallets that rich people had, so that meant that it was loaded! He even took a peek, and lo and behold, it had several 10,000 yen notes within.
Good.
He needed the money in it to pay off a couple of people he owed money to. None of it was for drugs—he wasn't stupid enough to fall into that pitfall. Most of it was money for stolen food he was supposed to pay off. That, and fines for all the robberies he had committed. Yes, he could sense the irony in the fact that he was paying off fines with another person's money, but seriously, how else was he supposed to get money?
No one would hire a bum like him. He looked, smelt, and appeared like a nuisance and a rat. No self-respecting business owner would hire someone like himself. Not to mention the fact that his Quirk wasn't useful. All it did was turn things into wooden figures. The worst part? He could only use it on people!
He failed high school, so he wasn't going to be going to any prestigious schools to get a degree, and for any job he had, he was quickly fired due to "laziness." His family left him behind, seeing him only as a failure. His only home for the last few years had been these streets.
So, if he was doomed to be homeless, he'd make it everyone else's problem. If they saw him as a nuisance, then so be it.
As he ran, he couldn't help but feel as if he was being chased. The man knew he was being followed. Someone probably called a hero on him. That's usually what happened. Being homeless in Tokyo was a nightmare, but there were times when he was blessed to be in such a highly populated city. It made stealing from people that much easier.
He dipped down a shortcut he used to take to his usual sleeping spot. It was just a few minutes away from one of the local hotels that he'd use if he ever found enough money. The man shoved passed several other people, knocking a couple over as he came to a stop.
Why?
Because a tall, imposing man in an orange pinstripe suit was staring him down. He knew exactly who that man was—anyone in Tokyo with half a brain cell knew who that was.
"B-Blackwell!" The man stammered, taking a step back as Blackwell grunted.
"A thief, I presume? That wallet doesn't look like it would belong to someone like yourself, would it?" Blackwell's hauntingly stern voice floated around the alleyway as the man took a step back, prepared to flee on a whim as Blackwell loomed over him.
A moment later, two more heroes flanked his only retreat. The recent up-and-coming duo named Waterhose. They had just graduated, from what the man had heard, and were currently Blackwell's sidekicks. That was how he knew of them. "Finally!" The woman of the duo spoke up, staring the man down as she sighed. "Please, sir, return the wallet and come quietly."
"Over my dead—"
"Waterhose," Blackwell spoke, earning both of their attention. They stared at him, an air of uneasiness filling the alleyway. "I'll deal with this. You two go back on patrol."
"But sir—"
"No buts. I'll deal with this," Blackwell interrupted, glowering at them. The two sidekicks backed away, leaving the man alone with Blackwell as they returned from where they came from, running out of the alleyway. The man, now with his opening returned to him, was about to make a getaway when Blackwell put a hand on his shoulder.
"Sir, running isn't a smart option. Calm down, and relax," Blackwell said, his tone laid back. There was a hint of sympathy in his voice, but the man knew how to spot tricks and manipulations. It helped his father was a piece of shit who manipulated people for a living. He knew the tactics. He knew the look.
Blackwell? He was so clearly a manipulative bastard. He had to have been if he had made his way to the top 20 in such a short amount of time.
And yet, he could see the sincerity in his eyes. "The fuck do you want…" The man bit out as Blackwell smirked.
"Your name would suffice, at least, for now."
"Nicholas," The man, Nicholas, bit out as Blackwell hummed, stroking his chin before turning his back on Nicholas.
"Come with me, Nicholas. You look as if you haven't eaten in a while," Blackwell said as Nicholas blinked, confusion dressing his features as he hesitantly followed Blackwell. He kept a grip on the stolen wallet, just in case this was all some sort of elaborate plan to get him to drop his guard.
They made it to a restaurant after a few minutes of walking, and Blackwell got both of them some food. It was a mishmash of things, but honestly, Nicholas didn't care. He ate his fill, and Blackwell paid for them. Their meal was silent, although as he ate, he couldn't help but feel as if Blackwell was watching him. Almost… judging him.
He had no idea why, and frankly, Nicholas didn't give two shits. But once it was all said and done, Blackwell continued to get him to follow him. Now, it was a mystery as to where they were going, and Nicholas had been a little worried.
He knew Blackwell had a reputation for killing people who were dubbed villains. While he never killed petty thugs, there had been some occasions where he had, and he just hoped that wasn't what was about to happen to him.
As they walked down the streets of Tokyo, they passed by a few groups of people, all of whom recognized Blackwell. He was kind to them, signed their autographs, and even took photos with them. Eventually, after about what felt like an hour of walking, they made it to a small, out-of-the-way building.
It looked abandoned, which gave Nicholas a bad feeling. However, not wanting to be chased down by Blackwell, the hero of all heroes, he entered the building with him.
It was just as disgusting as he had assumed it to be. Mould was growing on the walls, and the room was almost entirely empty. Some of the windows were covered with boards. Blackwell stopped walking once he reached the center of the room, and when he did, he turned to look at Nicholas, a dark gleam in his eyes.
That alone made Nicholas want to run, but he couldn't. Why? Because he had been paralyzed by fear as if his very stare incited death. "Nicholas. Would you call yourself a strong man? Both in spirit and mind?"
"What the fuck does that mean?" Nicholas barked, staring at Blackwell, who smirked.
"What I mean, Nicholas, is if push came to shove, and if all odds were stacked against you, would you fight tooth and nail to survive?" Blackwell asked as Nicholas scoffed.
"That's what I've been doin' my whole fuckin' life! So, yeah, I guess I would," Nicholas replied, a hint of his Hokkaido accent leaking through. As he said that, Blackwell's smirk turned into a smile. One that felt and looked like a twisted, sinister version of All Might's. Nicholas took a step back, both out of fear and out of reflex.
Then, Blackwell snapped his fingers.
"Do it, Tornado."
And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman stare at him. Emerald green eyes filled with a cold disposition stared back at him as she raised what appeared to be a bow and arrow toward him.
The woman, Tornado, was dressed in a dark green body suit, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She couldn't have been any older than 17 years old, if not a little bit older than that. Black gloves covered her hands, and as she levelled the bow to aim directly at him, a chill flowed through his body.
Was he going to die?
What had he just stumbled into?!
He just turned 25, he didn't want to die!
The end of the arrow glowed with a whitish-blue aura, and then, without so much as a warning, the arrow shot toward him at blistering speeds.
The arrow lodged itself in Nicholas's neck as he spat up blood. Slowly, he began to choke as he fell to the ground. The woman, Tornado, approached him, looming over him as Blackwell stood next to her.
"Do you think the idiot will live?" Tornado asked, a mocking tone to her voice as Blackwell chuckled.
"He has a strong will to live. So far, out of everyone we've used it on, three people have survived, not including myself, of course. Should we pass the arrow's test, we grow stronger from it. Do you hear me, Nicholas? You'll be stronger than you ever have been before after this," Blackwell said as Nicholas blinked.
What the fuck was going on?
What was happening to him? What were they doing to him?
"Holy shit, he's actually alive! Ha, I guess bums like him really are interesting," Tornado said as she plucked the arrow from his throat. Blood spewed from the wound, but only for a second as it quickly closed. Nicholas screamed, terror in his voice as he scrambled away from them.
"D-Don't come any closer, bastards! I'll fucking kill you!" Nicholas yelled as Blackwell chuckled to himself.
"There's no need to fear us, Nicholas. We wanted to help you, and we did. You should be thankful," Blackwell said as Tornado crossed her arms.
"Welcome to The Yagi Clan, idiot. Don't let us down," Tornado said, slinging the bow over her shoulder as she began to walk away. As she did, Blackwell approached Nicholas, getting down on one knee and reaching out to him, his hand a few inches away from him. Nicholas stared at it, unsure whether or not to take it.
"Today, you're family. I will do my utmost best to ensure that you're taken care of. You'll get a roof over your head, clean clothes, food and water, and a decent wage. We might be a crime family, but a family nonetheless," Blackwell said as he glanced over to where Tornado had left.
"Take Young Tornado as an example. I took her in when her parents died in a tragic accident when no one else would, extended family be damned. They never cared about her, and while her parents had been good to her, that was all the family that she had. When I found her, she was in much the same position as you were, although she lived in an orphanage," Blackwell said as Nicholas gulped.
"W-Why? Why help me?" Nicholas asked as Blackwell smirked.
"Because who else would?" Blackwell said, his hand still outstretched toward Nicholas. "Take my hand, Nicholas. Together, with you by our side, The Yagi Clan will rise to prominence."
"One more question… What was that thing?" Nicholas asked as Blackwell hummed.
"We recently acquired that arrow after the Shie Hissaikai group stole it from The Speedwagon Foundation, and we, in turn, stole it from them. It has the power to awaken a stronger power within someone. That was why I asked you those questions," Blackwell said as Nicholas sighed.
He really outdid himself now, didn't he? Getting involved with a secret crime family? He really was an idiot, wasn't he? But… at the same time, if he was going to be clothed, fed, and taken care of…
"Screw it," Nicholas said, taking Blackwell's hand and standing up with his help. "Thank you, Boss. I won't let you down."
"You're a good man, Nicholas. Now tell me, what's your full name?"
"Nicholas Asahina, sir."
"Very well. As I said, welcome to The Yagi Clan. Now, I have to return to my patrol. I don't want my sidekicks to get suspicious. Tornado is waiting for you in a white van just down the road. We'll meet up again in the next 24 hours. Listen to Tornado, and you should be fine. Despite her being a child, she's quite viscous."
With that, Nicholas left the house, walked up until he made it to the white van, and when he did, the door opened. He was greeted by a few other people, but chief among them was a man in a full-body black suit that covered them from head to toe. That was supposedly the second in command.
It was there that he was fully inducted. He was taken to a place to get some clean clothes, to be cleaned, and then they took him back to their hideout in Esuha. From there, Nicholas rose the ranks and eventually joined Percussores Damnatorum after The Yagi Clan changed into Damnatio Ad Bestias when it was raided.
Then, the rest was history….
[Present Day]
It was ironic. Inko was the one who had turned him into a Stand User. Now, he was going to kill her. He would've found it funny if it wasn't so stupid. But, then again, Inko was a traitor. Traitors deserved nothing but death. She betrayed Damnatio Ad Bestias by working with The Joestars, even if it was only a tiny bit.
That alone was punishable by death.
Walking over to the apartment building, Nicholas quickly made his way up the stairs to the twelfth floor. As soon as he made it to the very end, he leaned against the door, keeping an ear against the door to hear for any noise. He could hear mild shuffling, meaning that Inko was home.
He smirked. While it was risky, he'd take the shot. He waited until Inko was out of the main room, keeping his ear close to the door all the while. It took a few minutes, but eventually, Inko seemed to wander off.
Using that to his advantage, he summoned the arm of Act 2, as it reached into the doorknob, unlocked it from the inside, and with the finesse of a trained burglar, Nicholas slipped into Inko Midoriya's abode. The moment he did, Act 2 gently closed the door, managing to close the door without making that big of a sound.
As soon as the door was closed, Nicholas made his way over to an obscure corner of the room, keeping his back pressed up against the wall. It was in a natural blind spot, so Inko wouldn't notice him. Not to mention, most of the lights were off, with the exception of a lamp that cast a thick shadow over where he was standing.
After what felt like ages, Inko came down the hallway. Nicholas held his breath, but thankfully for him, Inko hadn't noticed his presence. Not yet, anyway.
But that was fine. He'd wait. He'd wait until she did. That way, he could see the look on her face when he killed her.
He also wouldn't lie to himself. Fly, Fly Away terrified him. Even with his new Act 2, he was still cautious. If he were smart, he'd run the risk of killing her now. However, if he did that, there was also a chance that Inko had already known of his arrival, and he could have walked into a boobytrap.
"For as much as I hate her guts… that woman is clever. She was the third-best ranked amongst us for a reason back in the day. Despite Fly, Fly Away not being the physically strongest out of everyone else, it was definitely the best for the kind of mind that someone like Inko would've had," Nicholas thought as he kept his breathing as quiet as he could.
He observed Inko as much as he could without moving. She seemed to have just been lounging around, having been reading a book. He recognized the author that the book was a collection of short stories by Akutagawa Ryunosuke that was dubbed "The Beautiful and The Grotesque".
"Heh, still the same reading habits…" Nicholas thought, pushing that thought out of his head. Inko had always been a fan of the classics. Most people were. New age stuff that was coming out nowadays was usually either hero-related or was inspired by the current atmosphere. No one ever bothered to write about the past, so the only things that were around for the past were past works of art.
Finally, after what felt like a whole hour of Inko sitting still and reading her book, she got up from the chair she was in, walked over to the counter, and started to do the dishes. Now that her back was turned, he finally had an opening. But, he would wait until she picked up on his presence.
Once she did that….
Then he would strike.
[XXXX]
Out of all the things that Inko Midoriya had seen in her life, the news was something that she never really bothered to pay attention to. There was no real reason as to why that was the case other than that she had no reason to follow it.
Every headline was about some tragedy in the world or about a grand villain attack that occurred in some far-off place away from Musutafu or a neighbouring city. It was always the same slop for the hyper-paranoid to watch, and it was usually heavily politicized—because everything is political nowadays.
Quite frankly, she believed that the news was solely designed to bring down people's moods and make everyone feel miserable. For the longest time in her life, she followed the news cycle, and during that portion of her life, she remembered feeling horrible. She constantly doubted that the world was progressing and only regressed to a bygone era before Quirks.
However, when she stopped paying attention to the news, at least as frequently as she used to, she paid more attention to the actual world around her. While she could still see what it was that the news was talking about, the news sensationalized things to a downright psychotic degree.
They made it seem like that even the smallest of setbacks looked like the most devastating of failures that would affect the future for hundreds of years to come. Things were not nearly as bad as the news was making them out to be. So, from that day forward, 10 years ago, she stopped paying attention to the news cycle as frequently as she used to.
Her quality of life skyrocketed, at least in terms of mental health. Inko had found herself to be less depressed and far more energetic. Cutting the mainstream news out of her life, at least for as much as possible, was one of the best choices that she could've made.
Of course, there was a time when she had the news on in the background during the Sludge Villain incident. That was just about the only time she gave a damn about the news, mostly because her son and… well, she didn't know what terms Izuku and Katsuki were on nowadays, but she assumed that at the time, they were at least somewhat friends still.
She was glad that All Might was there that day to save her son. Now she had more of a reason to actually like All Might, outside of him being the strongest hero in the world. If she ever got the chance to, she wanted to thank him in person.
Then, of course, after the sludge villain incident, things began to change for Inko. Izuku became more of a busybody. It was as if something in him had changed, and he became determined. He started dieting, working out, and doing exercises. He'd disappear to the beach with his new coach, someone named Toshinori Yagi and come back tired as a dog.
She had been happy for him. While she was still worried about him, that didn't change the fact that she was proud of him. He was finally working toward his dream in an active sense. But, even to that end, a part of her had hoped that he never would.
Back when Izuku was four, she was secretly relieved that he didn't have a Quirk. She didn't want her old boss to gain an interest in him and do something without her knowledge. For as much as she used to respect her old boss if he had gained any interest in Izuku, then he would've appeared faster than she could've blinked and more than likely attempted to turn him into a Stand User.
So, she was glad that Izuku was born without a Quirk. Granted, his quality of life was miserable, and she knew it, but at least he didn't get turned into a Stand User and have his life ruined because of her old boss, or worse, ended if the arrow had killed him. She had no idea that those bullets had come into existence, but she knew immediately once she saw them that they were his handiwork.
Inko had spent all of her time as a parent trying her best to keep him out of that side of her life. She didn't want anything revolving around it to show up. Not even in passing. She wanted him to remain blissfully ignorant of that side of the world for as long as possible.
And then, Izuku met Yoshihara Kira.
A Stand User.
The very thing that she wanted him to stay away from.
She had to admit that what she did after that was kind of an overreaction. She feared that Kira had been sent by her old boss to scope out things. She knew he was watching her and her family—her boss was anything but trusting, so she had expected something and had been constantly on edge. When she felt that pull that all Stand Users felt from Kira, she panicked and attempted to end her life.
That backfired massively. However, instead of killing her as Inko had anticipated, Yoshihara Kira knocked her unconscious, and not too long after, emergency services showed up. Ever since then, they had become fast allies, with the common goal of eliminating the person who produced the Stand Bullets.
However, there was just one small issue.
She already knew who was making them or, at the very least, who was ordering their creation. Inko wanted them to have nothing to do with them. But, as time progressed, it was becoming increasingly obvious that they wouldn't have much of a choice in the matter.
The Stand Users that they would be up against would kill them in seconds. Their abilities were beyond normal and even more insane because the leader of the assassination team, or Percussores Damnatorum as her former boss called it, wasn't human. That much she knew, and if that thing ever decided that it was, at any point, bored and wanted to do a bit of "clean up" for her former boss… It wouldn't end well.
However, she trusted Kujo and Sakunami. They were both close associates with The Joestars—hell, one of them was a Joestar. That was more than enough for her to entrust Izuku's safety with them.
But with all of that being said, she didn't want them to go on what amounted to a suicide mission. She didn't want to endanger her baby boy more than she already was being forced to. In fact, after the USJ incident, she had intended to remove Izuku from U.A. completely. But, as Izuku demonstrated to her, he was ready more now than ever to be able to defend himself.
Technically speaking, she was withholding important information, and that could get her in serious trouble with the law. But then again, she was a former assassin, so being in trouble with the law was something that she had already become accustomed to.
Besides, this was for the safety of those she deemed close to her and for Izuku. She wasn't about to allow her son to be caught up in something that he didn't need to be caught up in. Especially after Nicholas came and nearly succeeded in taking both her and her son out.
Truth be told, she was terrified of Nicholas. His Stand, Brittle Bones Nicky, while the weakest Stand in all of Percussores Damnatorum, at least physically speaking, had a devastating ability. If he, or his Stand, came into contact with you, all he'd have to do is dare you to do something, and you had to do it. Otherwise, your soul would be removed from your body and turned into a wooden statue. After that, you'd be at his mercy. How Izuku was able to beat Nicholas without a Stand baffled her, but she was thankful for it.
It wasn't that she didn't believe in her son. Inko did. She truly did. But Nicholas was known in Percussores Damnatorum as "The Collector" for a reason. Everyone in Percussores Damnatorum had a code name. Hers was Terrible Tornado. Nicholas's was The Collector. Then there was Coco Loco, and after that, there was The Tengu. The leader of them was known as The Tamer, and nobody, besides perhaps her ex-husband, The One Who Has No Name, could ever hope to beat him. That, or The Boss.
"And if Nicholas was sent after us and failed, that would mean that The Tamer might take matters into his own hands…." Inko thought, frowning, as she finished putting away the cutlery from the sink. She had just gotten home from work two hours ago and had decided to clean up last night's dishes. Without Izuku being home, things were quite silent. Something that she wasn't a fan of.
She wasn't used to everything being quiet. Even the smallest noises that Izuku made when he was home were enough to make her feel less lonely. Be it scribbling on paper, tapping the keyboard of his laptop, muttering, or even silently watching the TV, it made the house feel more lively. Er, well, apartment, in any case.
To Inko, the past week had been utter torture. Without Izuku around, she felt miserable. It was also a small glimpse of what the possible future could be. If Izuku continued to go after Damnatio Ad Bestias, this might've very well been the future.
And she hated it.
Everything was so…still. So… void of life. It was like living in a time capsule. There were times she caught herself talking to herself, trying to strike up a conversation with no one at all, and it hurt. She knew Izuku wasn't dead, but it was that dread and feeling of no one else being there that made it that much worse.
This morning, she told herself that it was only going to be one more week. One more week, and she'd get to see Izuku again. Then, the house would go back to its usual self-contained chaos. Just like it typically was.
However, as she put away the cutlery and as she walked to and from the kitchen, she noticed that out of the corner of her eye, something had been shifting around in the darkness. She wasn't stupid, nor was she blind.
Someone was in the house with her.
Someone who hadn't been invited.
Someone who, if she were to guess, had been sent to kill her.
However, she couldn't let the person who was probably still in her home know that she was aware that someone had broken in. So, she continued to put away the dishes that she had cleaned. This not only made the intruders believe that they had the upper hand, but it also allowed her to set up her counterattack if need be.
Due to how Fly, Fly Away functioned, she had to touch something first for her Stand to use it as ammunition. Henceforth she did the dishes the moment she walked through the door. She waited as she began to fold the cloth that she used to wipe down all the dishes. Lowering her head to look down at the sink, she waited.
And waited….
And waited….
Until she heard the creaking of wood. Inko did not move. However, she did blink, which was all she needed to do to summon Fly, Fly Away. The moment Fly, Fly Away came out, the cutlery drawer opened, and several knives flew out of the drawer, all commanded by Fly, Fly Away to shoot toward a figure standing in the corner of her living room.
In the blink of an eye, a bony, ethereal arm reached out and caught all of the knives in a single fell swoop. Inko looked over her shoulder, glaring at the figure in the shadows. The figure said nothing as the rest of their Stand formed out of the darkness. What Inko saw made her eyes widen.
The Stand in question was a skeleton, a familiar one, at that. However, it lacked certain things and had different characteristics compared to the last time she saw it. Such as how it was far bulkier appearing than it had been before. It lacked the top hat that it wore, and in the skull's eye sockets, there were bright glowing yellow lights rather than a pair of golden spectacles with blacked-out lenses. The final detail was that its face looked more jagged, and half of its cape was torn off.
But she recognized that Stand from anywhere. No matter what form it took, no matter how much the user had changed, Inko knew exactly who this Stand was and who its user was.
"Nick… You came back? That's kind of pointless, don't you think? Your Stand's ability doesn't work on me anymore, nor my son. So why even bother?" Inko said, glaring at the figure in the shadows. The figure only narrowed its eyes in response, wordlessly commanding Brittle Bones Nicky to rush forward. Inko sighed before shaking her head. "I guess you're serious, then. Oh well, this should be easy. I can win this with only one punch. Watch."
Fly, Fly Away rushed toward Brittle Bones Nicky, cocking back its arm, ready to dish it out toward its jaw, only for Brittle Bones Nicky to do the same, and far faster than Inko had expected, and least of which she had expected to hurt nearly as bad as it did when the punch collided.
As the fist made contact with Fly, Fly Away's chin, Inko felt the pain and the blast back from the attack, almost as if it were implanted on her face. Due to the momentum of the punch, her face was wrenched to the side, knocking her into her stove and Fly, Fly Away, creating a dent in the appliance.
Blood trailed down the side of her mouth as she spat up a tooth, wiping the copper-tasting liquid away. While usually, that'd be enough in terms of the consequences, she felt slightly… weaker…. Almost as if the energy had been sapped right out of her by some powerful vacuum cleaner. That, and Fly, Fly, Away looked a lot more… paler than she remembered it looking.
"Soul Snatch." The voice of the figure in the shadows, Nicholas, spoke before stepping out of the shadows. He wasn't wearing his usual bum attire, but rather, a navy blue suit with a black tie and a white shirt underneath.
His hair was cut short and brushed back with some sort of gel. His eyes were cold, calculating, and filled with contempt. His expression was neutral, but his eyes betrayed the anger he no doubt felt toward her. "I thought I'd give you at least a tiny amount of information before I kill you. Traitor."
Inko barked out a laugh, pointing at Nick as she slowly stood up. "Traitor? I never betrayed anyone. I retired. As far as I'm concerned, Terrible Tornado is dead and won't be coming back," Inko spat. "I have my hands busy raising my kid anyway. I don't have time to be killing others for profit anymore."
Nick tilted his head to the side for a second, the corner of his mouth twitching in a rye grin for all but a moment before his expression went back to being stone-cold. "Fair enough. You always did prioritize yourself over your job. Not that I care all too much. Bosses orders. Otherwise, I would've never come after you again. That, and I can't lie, a bit of this is personal vindication."
Inko scoffed as her eyes darted from side to side, looking for something to activate Fly, Fly Away's ability with. "Yeah, sure, whatever. But here's a better question. Which boss? You have two. Is it that bastard who runs Percussores Damnatorum, or is it The Boss?" Inko questioned, earning a shrug of the shoulder from Nicholas.
"That's classified, sugar tits," Nick responded, before scoffing. "And did you really think I wouldn't notice that bullshit?" All of a sudden, the potted plant that she had sent toward Nick using Fly, Fly Away was swatted away by Brittle Bones Nicky, shattered to bits like it was nothing but a piece of glass and nothing more. "I don't think you've realized it yet, but Act 2 is an entirely different beast from Act 1."
Suddenly, and without warning, ACT 2 shot forward and attempted to punch Inko. Fly, Fly Away parried the strike away, just barely, before landing a gut shot of its own…. Which did absolutely nothing to it, only seeming to make it angrier. Inko's eyes widened before more cutlery had its way fly toward Nicholas, as well as the cutlery that fell on the floor and the shattered remains of the potted plant, surrounding him completely.
"There's no way that he can dodge all of that!" Inko thought, a confident smirk on her face, only for it to falter when the aura around the items began to fade away, as all of the items that were affected by Fly, Fly Away's ability fell uselessly to the ground. "What the…?"
"Your Stand's been weakened, Ink. Or did you not hear me the first time? I said, "Soul Snatch," did I not?" Nicholas said, scoffing. "Honestly, not only did you let yourself go, but it seems your hearing's starting to get affected, too!" Nicholas mocked before jabbing a thumb at his Stand.
"In case you don't understand, Act 2 drains the soul out of whoever it punches. Even if it's just once. Your soul slowly begins to wither away and die like a sort of spiritual decay! And since I punched your Fly, Fly Away, the process is more direct and far more sufficient! I'd give you 30 seconds before you die! So… what are your last words? I'll be sure to give them to your son before I kill him too."
Inko felt her heart drop as she coughed, small flecks of blood spattering out like little confetti strands. She looked down at her skin and noticed that her fingers were starting to wrinkle. Fly, Fly Away, who still had its fist lodged into Act 2, trying desperately to get its hand unsnared from its bony ribcage, started to fade away. A light, ethereal dust began to be absorbed into Act 2's mouth like a vacuum cleaner.
Fly, Fly Away began to slowly disappear, crumbling at a rapid pace as it rapidly punched at Act 2 with its free arm, trying to break free. But each punch seemingly did nothing. There was nothing that Fly, Fly Away could do while it was stuck where it was.
She had to do something. Anything! She hadn't expected Nicholas to become this strong or expected him to even have such an ability in the first place. But she had to do something. Anything! She knew that if she activated her Stand's ability, it wouldn't do much, mainly because all it'd do was float the objects toward Nicholas by a few inches, then fall uselessly to the ground again.
In other words, she was backed into a corner with no way out. She was out-skilled, outpowered, and getting weaker by the second. The more she sat around and did nothing, the less she could do.
And by her count, she had about 25 seconds remaining as her vision slowly started to fade. She had to think of something… anything! She couldn't let him beat her and go after her son next. With a Stand Ability like the one his "Act 2" now had through some sort of evolution, Izuku would stand absolutely no chance against him, no matter what he did.
And then, Inko smirked as, finally, an idea came to mind. "I can't believe that you got this strong…." Inko said, dropping to her knees. Her legs weren't able to hold her up anymore. They had become far too frail. "You were always the underdog… no matter what you did…. No matter how much you tried…. You were often ignored, and that pushed you to become stronger. In many ways, you and my son are alike, Nicholas…." Inko said as Nicholas huffed.
"Trying to get me to pity you? Wow, you fell pretty far if that's what you're doing," Nicholas said, crossing his arms. "Is that all? Is that what you want me to say to that insufferable brat?"
Inko smirked. 15 seconds. She had to make this count. "No…."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Why not? Do you have nothing to say to your son before you die? Damn, you're a pretty shitty mother then," Nicholas said, turning his back on Inko as Act 2 dematerialized. "Oh well. I feel pretty confident that my job was done. There was nothing you could've done against Act 2 with that pathetic Stand of yours. So how about you—"
"Because you won't be leaving this apartment alive!" As Inko exclaimed that, she had already been in mid-air, butcher knife in her hand as she landed on Nicholas's back, plunging her knife through Nicholas's neck from the back through front, blood spewing all over the floor as Nicholas gagged on the steel blade. Blood began to trickle down the corners of his mouth; all the while, he spat up a large glob of the life liquid.
The two fell to the floor, one on the other side of the living room, while Inko had fallen just in front of the door, near one of the windows. Act 2 appeared, reaching out to grab Inko, only for it to slowly begin to fade away, crumbling into dust like any other Stand would as its user died.
Inko's breathing was laboured. Her body was wrinkled, like an old woman in their late 80s. Her eyes were far too heavy to keep even at half-mast, and Fly, Fly Away had pretty much all but been a shadow rather than a fully manifestable Stand.
A small, barely audible laugh slipped from her lips as she heard Nicholas gag on his own blood, choking himself out. The irony was palpable. She had been the one to awaken his Stand by shooting him in his throat. Now, she was killing him by stabbing him in the same spot where he gained his power.
But… what now? Her body was fragile, so much so that if she moved too fast, her neck would probably break. Her Stand was useless now, what with its ability being unusable now. It hardly even counted as a Quirk.
Her eyes trailed off to look out the window as a wave of regret hit her and hit her hard, followed by a chill that she hadn't felt before. "The night sky…. It's so…. Beautiful. I wonder… if you can even appreciate that right now… Izuku?" Inko thought, a small tear trailing down the side of her face. While she couldn't see it, the same spiritual dust from before when Fly, Fly Away was being absorbed by Act 2 began to pour off of her body, trailing upward in the sky, as the light slowly began to leave her eyes. "I'm… so… sorry I couldn't… stay to watch you… become… the number… one… Izu…ku…."
On May 7th, 2123, at 11:35 pm, in Musutafu City…
Inko Midoriya, mother to Izuku Midoriya….
Has died.
[XXXX]
Somewhere in the far-off land of America, Yoshihara and Josefumi were about to head out on a patrol with Johnny when the two suddenly stopped. They both felt a chill run down their spines. It was almost as if something major had happened, but neither was there to see it. The two looked at one another as a sense of dread overcame them.
"What are you two waiting for? Get moving; we don't get all morning," Johnny said, huffing as the two looked at him, then at each other, nodded, and kept going. Whatever it was that happened, they would look into it later. They had a patrol to do, even if it was super early in the morning.
But deep down, the two knew that whatever happened would change things drastically. However, Yoshihara felt a small pang of pain in her chest as they stepped outside to greet the morning sky….
Only to look up, and see two silhouettes made of golden clouds, resembling the shape of both Inko Midoriya and Tenya Ida. They both looked down at them as rays of sunshine gleamed down on the pair. They both smiled before fading away in the breeze.
Johnny stopped to look at them, and as soon as he saw the look of utter dismay and pain on their faces, he knew. He knew that look. It was the look of someone who had lost someone close. Coupled with the fact that they had just looked up into the sky….
"No…" Johnny thought. He had remembered seeing something like that before. Looking into the sky and watching old friends passing away. It was something that he had known all too well. It was a known fact to Stand Users all around the world that those who were dear to you would appear to you one more time before they died as a ghostly apparition made of golden clouds.
And considering how Joseph and Yoshihara were staring at the sky, eyes wide with shock, and Joseph looking like he was about to cry… "Sonuva-bitch!" Johnny spat, glaring at the floor. "You two, get inside. I wouldn't be surprised if Nedzu emailed me to send you two back early."
The two looked at him with confused looks in their eyes, but Johnny did not budge. "I said get inside. There's no point if you guys are going home early. I don't know who died, but it must've been someone you knew. Make sure your bags are packed, and I'll get a plane for you two."
Neither of them fought him on it.
[XXXX]
Back in Japan, in a hotel, both Aizawa and Karera were about to get ready to sleep and head to their respective hotel rooms when a chill ran down Karera's spine. Her eyes got a little watery, and she had no way to explain it.
Something happened.
Something bad happened, and she couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Wiping away at her eyes, Karera collected herself before walking down the hallway to her hotel room. When she got in there, she looked out the window and saw two golden cloudy silhouettes. One looked like that boy from Class 1 – A, Tenya Ida, and the other was Inko Midoriya. They both stared at her before fading away. The silhouette of Inko, however, before she left, waved goodbye.
And then, she was gone.
Karera fell to her knees, eyes watery, and she let out several choking sobs. Aizawa, who had heard a thump come from Karera's room, opened the door to her hotel room to check on her, only to see her on her knees, staring out the window, crying.
"Oi, Sif, what's going on?" Aizawa asked, stepping into the room. He looked over at Karera, who was on her knees, staring out the window. "The hell…? What's gotten into you?"
"Ida-kun…. Midoriya-kun's mother…." Karera breathed out through choked sobs, turning to look at Aizawa, tears running down her cheeks as her upper lip quivered. "They're… they're dead!"
Aizawa tried not to look phased, but all it did was get him angry. "Karera Sakunami… joking about things like that is not good for pranks."
Suddenly, Aizawa found himself taking a step back as Karera shouted at him. "Why would I joke about something like that!? I just watched their souls fly away! They're dead! I saw it with my own two eyes!" Karera said, earning a look of shock and confusion from Aizawa. "Stand Users can see souls! We can see dead people if we really focus or if they are close to us! Stands and souls are the same thing! I'm telling the truth! Ida and Midoriya's mother are both dead!"
Aizawa felt his right hand unconsciously clench into a fist. There was silence in the room, mixed with Karera's occasional sobbing, until finally, Aizawa spoke. "Tomorrow… we're returning to U.A…. The internships are ending early. All of them."
And with that, Aizawa stormed out of the room and retreated to his hotel room, a large sensation of failure washing over him. "It happened again…. It fucking happened again…." Aizawa thought, gritting his teeth.
As he entered his hotel room, he slammed the door behind him, earning a few concerned glances from the staff. When he got inside his room, he punched the wall next to the door, slamming his head against the wall alongside it before exclaiming, "GOD DAMNIT!" at the top of his lungs.
He promised that something like what happened with Shirokumo would never happen again. That was the one vow he had made not only to himself but to Nedzu.
And yet…
Aizawa turned on the TV. He had to make sure that this was true. He didn't want to believe what Sakunami had said was true. He flipped the channel to the news channel, and the first thing that showed up was the headline that a U.A. Student had died. That student was Tenya Ida.
"No…" Aizawa hissed before looking over at his laptop. There was no avoiding it now. It had been clear as day. The newscaster played video footage from the alleyway. Something shot through his chest, and then a man with some kind of blood quirk walked out, stabbed him in the neck with his hand, and seemingly drained him of blood.
After seeing that, he had no choice but to contact Nedzu.
He walked over to his laptop and turned it on.
He had an urgent email to write.
[XXXX]
In a hospital within Hosu, just waking up from being knocked unconscious, Izuku Midoriya turned to face the window of the hospital room he resided in that overlooked the city, which had been attacked by some strange version of Nomu. The same city where Ida, their class president, had died. And the same city where he had almost lost his life. Where Shoto had practically saved him from what seemed like an unkillable monster.
Although, there was something… wrong with the outside. Not anything related to the incident. In fact, it looked like it had been all cleared up from the looks of things. What was wrong was how the outside didn't look dark out like it was supposed to. It was Daylight out there, and it seemed to be peaking over the mountains, which caused him to be more than a little confused.
Had he really been asleep for, at the bare minimum, a day?
However, it didn't appear to be that way for everyone else, seeing as the time read as 12:20 AM, meaning it should still be dark out, and no one else was reacting to it. So, if that was the case, why was it light outside? Was he hallucinating? It was possible. He could've gotten a serious concussion from what happened, which probably would've messed with his vision.
And that was when he saw it. In the clouds, there was a silhouette—two, actually—both of which were familiar to him. One looked like his mother, no… it didn't just look like his mother. It was almost as if he was staring at her directly. It, or rather she, stared at him, a small smile on her face, before blowing a kiss at him and fading away like a wisp in the wind.
The other one resembled Ida to a haunting degree. He looked at him, smiled, and nodded before he, too, faded away into nothingness as the sky was replaced with the same darkness that night could give him.
Then, a chill cascaded over Izuku. Like death itself had brushed up against him. And that was when he was able to put two and two together, and the realization that had followed made his eyes shrink, and his skin ashen white.
He knew that Ida was dead, and he saw his corpse. It was hard not to miss, seeing as it was the next glaring thing that he saw in that alleyway. And if he was in the clouds, next to his Mom, then that could've only meant one thing. His lips quivered, his hands trembled, all he could do was cry, and all the while, he screamed out for his mother.
His heart rate skyrocketed, causing an alert to ring throughout the hospital. Izuku didn't care, not even remotely.
He wasn't stupid.
It was obvious.
His mother was dead.
His mother was dead!
Shoto, who was just about to leave to head home for the evening after checking on Midoriya to see if he was going to be okay, stared over at him, watching as he sobbed with a pang of guilt in his chest. He watched as several nurses crowded over him, trying to lay him down on the bed. Shoto had no idea what was going on to give him such a visceral reaction.
He knew that Ida and he were close, but never that close. So, something must've happened to make him react in that way. His crying was far too much to get any coherent sentence out of him, but a part of him worried for the boy.
"GET HIM DOWN! HE'S HAVING A PANIC ATTACK! CAN SOMEONE GET ME SOME XANAX TO GET THIS KID BACK ASLEEP!? HIS WOUNDS ARE TOO MUCH FOR HIM TO BE JOLTING LIKE THIS!" Shoto heard one of the nurses shout as he recoiled. From the doorway, Shoto saw Fuyumi stare at him, then over to Midoriya before gesturing him to come with her. And so, Shoto did just that
"Whatever happened, Midoriya… I hope that it is not as bad as it might seem…." And with that, Shoto left the hospital, completely unaware of the tragedy that had occurred in the Midoriya household.
[XXXX]
Sitting in his office, fingers interwoven together, Taisuke stared at the desk. A half glass of vodka with ice sat just a few inches away from him. "So… he did it… but at the cost of his own life. Good job, Nicholas. You've redeemed yourself in my eyes. It's just too bad that you died so soon…." Taisuke said, looking up at the ceiling fan in his office.
He didn't expect Nicholas to die. It seemed that, in the end, Inko still had some fight in her. Now he was down the head of the Debt Collector unit again, and he was down one of his most powerful assassins again. He had three assassins left out of the five that he had started out with this year, and it was starting to get infuriating.
However, even though it was infuriating, he wasn't about to get his own hands dirty when he still had people like Coco Loco and The Tamer, aka Takiyuma, or even… them. He shuttered at the thought of bringing in that guy, but it was probably going to become unavoidable. That was if things kept going the way they were.
And that wasn't even mentioning the fact that he now had that other gang on speed dial. So, in case he needed backup, and in case he didn't want to use his men, all he'd have to do is know if or when Kira and Kujo were in Morioh, alert them, and their deaths would be guaranteed.
"I will revel in the day that those two die. And when they do, I won't have to deal with the Joestars anymore! I'll be able to do whatever I want because no one will be able to stop me!" Taisuke thought, smirking to himself. However, just as he was about to close shop for the day and get Jirou so that he could take her back to the hotel, there was a knock on the door, which caught his attention.
"Yes, come in," Taisuke said as Kyoka Jirou entered his office. It was rather convenient, but instead of complaining, he took advantage of it. "Ah, Jirou, what brings you to my office?" Taisuke asked as Kyoka sighed.
"Just checking out for the night. But, uh… well, how do I put this…. My parents aren't answering the phone. Do you… know why that is?" Kyoka asked as Taisuke raised an eyebrow.
"Why would I know why your parents wouldn't be answering their phones? It's late, Jirou. They're most likely in bed, I—" That was when his desk phone rang, almost like the person on the other side of the phone had perfect timing or something to that end. "It would seem as if that's Takiyuma calling me to report if the mission is complete." "Give me just a moment," Taisuke interrupted himself before picking up the phone.
"Done." Takiyuma stated as Taisuke feigned shock and surprise before his expression returned to neutral, before humming. This was part of the plan. He had called off Takiyuma from killing Izuku for the time being, namely because he didn't want him to find out about any of that just yet.
That, and he didn't want this phone call to be late. The next step of the plan was to make it look like he was on the phone with someone important at a time when Jirou wouldn't assume anything or be too tired to activate her Quirk.
"I see… That is… a shame. Thank you for contacting, Detective. I'll let her know right away," Taisuke said, hanging up the phone before looking Jirou dead in the eyes. "Jirou-san…. It has come to my attention that not only has Tenya Ida passed away, but so have your parents. Both unrelated, of course, though I doubt that last part hardly matters."
Jirou, who had been scrolling through her phone, dropped it as her eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape, and her face paled.
And Taisuke couldn't have been prouder of himself. "Now that Jirou is in a weakened mental state, once she collects herself, I can offer her to stay at one of my hotels. Then, I can probe her for information! Once I do that, I can—"
But before he could conclude that thought, his cell phone buzzed. Pulling it out of his pocket, he saw that it was an email notification, with the header that said: The Internships are ending early. Return all Students to U.A. ASAP. This is an Emergency.
Taisuke didn't bother to open the email. He already knew why. What he hadn't expected was for the rodent to act so quickly. However, now that he had, his plan couldn't continue. He'd have to put a peg in it.
"And… it would also seem that your Headmaster has declared the Internships over due to an emergency," Taisuke said, a hint of disdain in his tone. Jirou looked at him, a mix of emotions in her eyes, as Taisuke sighed. "I know all of this is sudden. However, you need to get some rest. I will take you to the hotel you've been sleeping at, and in the morning, I will drive you back to school. The email wants all students who are out for internships on campus. And knowing Nedzu, this is non-negotiable."
Even though Jirou's hands shook, and even though she was bottling up her emotions, she nodded and left the room without another word, probably not wanting him to see her reaction and think that she was weak. To be honest, he wouldn't have cared either way, but at least he didn't have to see a child cry over the tragedy of their dead parents.
Taisuke sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Teenagers… always so emotional. Though, I guess it's reasonable. Her parents are dead, after all. Well, she still has that man, but she doesn't know about him. So technically, the first thing is still true. No thanks to little ol' me, hehe..." Taisuke thought before standing up and following Jirou.
"Well, no sense in making this drag on more than it has to. Don't want to arouse suspicion from Nedzu. That, and the media will wail on U.A. infinitely from here on out. I can see it now "prestigious hero school lets a student die during internships! It would be the same thing that happened to that Shirakumo boy twenty years back! Ha! Maybe this time, U.A. will fall!"
Taisuke exited the building, as Jirou continued to walk ahead of him, her distance sobbing echoing over to his ears, though he ignored it. "Bah, who am I kidding…. Nedzu is a God when it comes to PR. He'll be able to flip the tables just like he did twenty years ago. That man is dedicated to making sure U.A. stays afloat. Not to mention that the HSPC sees U.A. as its golden boy, so they won't have a reason to cut funding. And even if they do, The Speedwagon Foundation makes up 55% of their budget anyway, so if push comes to shove, they could just buy U.A. and declare that it is a Speedwagon Foundation asset. The HSPC couldn't do shit from there. And I bet that's what Nedzu is banking on happening if something does happen."
As Jirou entered the limo on the side street, Taisuke quickly followed her and got in as well. "On second thought, Jirou. We're heading to U.A." Taisuke said, expecting a reaction, only to not get one. Jirou simply sat there, ignoring him, facing away from him entirely as she rubbed at her eyes. "If you're concerned about your stuff," he continued. "I'll have it mailed there in the morning. Nedzu probably has something planned, so don't be surprised that you might be staying on Campus for the rest of the evening."
All Jirou did was nod, still not looking at him. Once again, it wasn't as if he cared. And so, closing the door to the limo, he told the driver where it was they were going to go, and with that, they were on their way to U.A. High. And as they drove, he looked out the window and saw a familiar figure. One wearing a hoodie, with bear-like motifs on either side of it.
"What's he doing here?!" Taisuke thought, his eyes wider than saucers as he caught a glimpse of the man's cold, unforgiving blue eyes. He mouthed something, and thanks to his time as being as secretive as he had been, he was able to read his lips.
"Stay Away From One For All."
Taisuke didn't question it and stared ahead. Jirou didn't look at him. She was too focused, staring at the floor, which was good. If she did, she would've seen the panic in his face. There was no doubt that she could hear his heart racing.
Why was he here?
Why did he care about One For All?
Why did he want him to stay away from it?
That was clearly a threat. He clearly knew that it was his fault that Inko Midoriya had died, but to what end was he trying to scare him? To what end did he know about One For All?
"Whatever. Don't focus on him. Pretend as if you never even saw him, otherwise… it will pursue you…" Taisuke thought. He feared no Stand. In his 40 years of living, he had never feared anything before. At least, nothing to the extent that he had actually cared about. Yoshimura and his Cloud 9 got lucky, and that was it.
But him…
He feared that thing.
It wasn't human. It wasn't a Vampire. Hell, for the longest time, he thought it might've been one of those elusive Pillar Men, but after finding out that they went extinct over 1,000 years ago, he ruled that out immediately.
But then, he found out what he truly was.
He was something worse than those last two combined. Because at least those who things had a reason to exist. Vampires were an evolved version of humans, and Pillar Men were further evolutions of that.
But that thing?
That thing was an unholy abomination. It was a parasite, and he knew a few of them. For example, that gang in Morioh was made of them, and so was that brat.
That thing… those members of that gang… and that little snot-nosed brat and her other personality….
Were Rock Humans.
Taisuke didn't know much about them, only that they were a new species that had popped up over the last 300 years. They had moved in silence, slowly worming their way into society like the parasites that they were. They all had a common link, and that was that they were all primarily Stand Users.
When Quirks first appeared, Rock Humans were seemingly incapable of awakening them. They, along with Quirkless Humans, made up 20% of Earth's current population. But Rock Humans were natural-born Stand Users. They took a while to appear, but they eventually did.
That was about as much as Taisuke knew about them. And that thing was one of them. In fact, he was fairly certain that thing was the leader of the Rock Humans or at least a good enough majority of them.
Whatever the case was, the Rock Humans were a threat. Maybe not a substantial one, but they were a threat to him. Especially that thing.
So as Taisuke and Jirou left for U.A., with that thing watching them disappear, the only thing that was on Taisuke's mind was anything but it. Because if he thought about it for too long, they would surely die.
-To Be Continued in - Loving Memory-