18/03/2025

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The Emperor's Dragon
Chapter 102 - The Little Details

In order to ensure that they aroused no suspicion, the bar was open. Last night, it had been busy because people had come to watch the Hero Billboard and tonight it was almost empty. But Izuku knew, if they hadn't opened, people would have noticed. People would have talked. And while it was unlikely that would get back to heroes, there was no need to take chances.

Izuku had checked with a few other bars in the area, and they were open but they were also somewhat quiet. He supposed it was to be expected. His dad wasn't here, because he was catching up on what had happened since he was incarcerated. There really wasn't that much to catch up on but he was also maintaining the fiction that he needed the life support helmet and so while he'd been in earlier, a bar was not a place for a man with that disability. Kurogiri was with him, so Muko was behind the bar. The man looked surprisingly comfortable there. He pulled a beer with the same fluidity Kurogiri did and was mixing up a cocktail for Kamoni now with a definite flare.

He was sitting at his normal back table with Twice, Himiko, Mr Compress and Whisper. The four of them were subdued. It was more than just the post mission low.

"Did you know Dabi was going to die?" Whisper asked softly.

He shook his head. "I knew he was prepared to die," Izuku told her. If he tried to hide the truth then that would be bad. "I didn't want him to die," he added. He didn't want to say it was something they all faced. They already knew it.

"What did Dabi actually want, Izu?" Himiko asked.

He sensed they wanted to talk earlier, just after getting back from Tartarus but with his father there, they weren't sure how to.

"He wanted Endeavor," Izuku told the group. "Specifically, his head on a platter."

"He did? He didn't?"

"He did," Izuku confirmed for Twice.

"What happened between them?" Himiko asked.

"I don't know."

"The burns?" Mr Compress suggested.

"I think it was a little more complicated than that," Izuku murmured.

"You know some of it," Whisper inituited.

"Not all of it," Izuku defended. He thought about how much he could say. Dabi was dead but, that didn't mean he should give away all his secrets but on the other hand… The media would probably find them out soon anyway. Izuku sighed. "Do any of you know Dabi's real name?" he asked.

As one the table shook their heads.

Izuku sighed again. "Touya Todoroki."

It took them a moment to put two and two together, linking Todoroki to Endeavor's real name.

"Oh," Mr Compress said. It was a revelation to them all.

"I don't know the whole story," Izuku said. Dabi had never told him but he could image at least some of the story. "I just know that Dabi was prepared to do whatever it took to get Endeavor. And he did."

"He did," Himiko said, but she sounded sad.

"I know," Izuku told her, reaching out to take one of her hands. He was sad as well. He knew this was what Dabi wanted but… He didn't want to lose people.

The group nodded and Izuku picked up his drink. It wasn't beer. He didn't like beer. It was a carbonated juice, cut with water. It was pale gold and tasted pretty good. Himiko had a lemonade, while the others had various beverages that they liked. "To Dabi," he proposed the toast.

No matter what else had happened, Dabi had kept many of the heroes away from Tartarus. It was probable that the heroes wouldn't have made it to Tartarus in time to have an impact but… They hadn't needed to find out how things might have been. And Endeavor was dead. Whatever else had happened, Izuku had to believe Dabi was happy with that.

"To Dabi!" The rest agreed, picking up their drinks.

They clinked the glasses and drank.

There was a natural moment of silence as they thought about the fire villain. It stretched and Izuku put his cup back down.

"So what happens now?" Twice asked.

It was a good question. Fortunately, while Izuku had been focused on getting his dad out of Tartarus, that had been part of a larger plan. One that now required refinement.

"Dad's catching up on what happened recently and there's a few things I need to tell him," Izuku said. "You can come if you want. I'll have to introduce you all to dad properly anyway."

Izuku saw the way they gulped and he frowned.

"Your father is-" Whisper didn't finish her sentence.

"Your father is rather imposing," Atsuhiro said gently.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of that statement.

"Izu! Your dad is like a legend!" Himiko told him, while Twice nodded.

"Dad likes you!" Izuku objected.

"What?" Himiko seemed stunned at that.

"He likes you!" Izuku repeated. "I mean I'm still a bit pissed that no one told me Tomura was sent to see you, but Dad likes the copy of your quirk he has! And of the people I went to school with, Dad actually knows your name," he explained.

Himiko gulped.

"He likes you Himiko," Izuku repeated. "And, he hasn't met the rest of you. Not properly anyway, and I'm sure he'll like you too."

Atsuhiro took a deep breath. "I suppose we should meet the man we worked so hard to rescue," he said reluctantly.

"It will be fine," Izuku assured them. "But back to your question, Twice, the overall goal hasn't changed, just I want to confer with dad over how to proceed. He had a lot more experience."

At that Whisper chuckled. He gave her a look that asked why. "I'm sorry, Dragon," she said, still giggling. "It's funny to hear you say that."

Izuku frowned. What was funny? The others appeared to know because both Twice and Atsuhiro were nodding. "Your dad kind of wrote the book on villainy," Mr Compress told him.

"Oh!" Izuku gave them a smile. "Then I'd be foolish not to use the library," he said, somewhat amused.

That got him a laugh, though it was still subdued. They were feeling the loss of Dabi. "Anyway, that's what the plan is, Twice and as always I'd be happy for your input."

Twice looked around at the table and Izuku could tell he was thinking about something but wasn't sure how to say it. He waited for a few moments but Jin didn't speak. "Is there something?" Izuku prompted.

Again, Twice looked over the table. He seemed reluctant to speak. "I think- I don't think-" He shook his head but Izuku wasn't buying it and gave him a look to convey that.

"Would you consider recruiting?" Twice finally asked.

Now Izuku understood why Twice had looked at everyone. There were only four of them now and while they were strong… There was a limit to what they could do with those numbers. And Twice might have been hesitant given he had suggested meeting with the Shie Hassaikai and that had not worked out well.

Except, in the end it had.

"I think we are going to have to," Izuku replied with a soft smile for Twice. "But you will always be central," he added, hoping they understood his meaning.

"Traditionally, there's a couple of ways of recruiting," Whisper said. Atsuhiro nodded while Himiko looked interested. "It will depend on what you want," she continued.

"What do you mean?"

"If you want manpower for a job, then there are brokers who specialise in that," Whisper explained. "But if you want followers-" She moved her head in a motion that was sort of a nod and sort of shaking it at the same time. "That's more difficult."

He could see why. There was a vast difference between needing some muscle for a job and wanting people who he could work with. "I suspect we'll need both, at various points," he said reasonably.

"How do most people get followers?" Himiko asked for him. From what Izuku understood, Himiko had been on her own for most of her career. Whisper, Mr Compress and Twice had much longer careers and, from what Izuku could tell, they had worked both singularly and with teams.

"It depends on what the desired outcome is," Whisper added the condition. "For most, just getting a small crew together to do some jobs is enough. For others, they want a larger outcome, so they have to get followers. Then there's a number of factors which determine success."

"What are they?" Himiko demanded.

"Mostly charisma, and how well people can relate to the final goal," Mr Compress explained. "Take the-" he paused as he thought. "The Creature Rejection Clan," Atsuhiro said.

"Never heard of them," Izuku noted.

"Exactly," Mr Compress said with a flourish of his hands. "They came into existence when quirks began emerging and were against mutant type quirks. At the time, they weren't a villain organisation, more just one of the factions reacting. Over time though, they have decreased in power and now… They exist, but mostly because the individual groups have a charismatic leader."

Izuku thought about that for a few moments and wondered if Atsuhiro had been contacted by them.

"Yeah, they have a range of beliefs now," Twice added.

"You have been contacted by them?"

Atsuhiro shrugged. "When you've been in the industry for a while, you learn things," he replied.

While not a direct answer, it was good enough. "I take it they are not someone to recruit," Izuku added, his tone making it clear he was being facetious.

"Only if you want to cater to their beliefs."

He shook his head. "They'd probably think I have a mutant quirk!" Izuku said, rather than giving his real reason, which should be obvious. He wanted heroes gone so that people could be people, and that included those who had mutant type quirks. After all, before quirks, his naturally green hair would have been considered a mutation. "This isn't going to be easy. They kind of already need to be aligned with our views," he sighed.

Whisper nodded.

"Is there anyone out there?"

"Maybe," came Whisper's soft reply. "They are more quirk supremacists though but they accept any quirks," she explained.

That was better than the Creature Rejection Clan.

"Look into it?" Izuku instructed tentatively. "I know there is another way, whereby I build my own organisation but I think I'd like to take a shortcut."

"Ah, the impatience of youth," Atsuhiro murmured but his grin made it obvious he was joking. He might have said more but they all tensed slightly when one of the bar people deliberately approached.

Izuku recognised Kamoni. She was making no attempt to hide where she was heading and she put her cocktail on the table before looking at them. Then she reached back and dragged another chair over, before settling into it. That was nice. They had an empty seat at the table and she could have taken that but it had been left empty for Dabi. Just for tonight.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she said, giving the empty space a nod.

Izuku wasn't the only one a bit surprised. He was unaware that Kamoni had dealings with Dabi but then twigged that it made sense that she at least knew of him. Kamoni spent enough time here. Dabi spent enough time here. She'd have at least seen him.

"Thank you."

"He was a bastard, but he was a bastard who knew what he wanted," she continued, before reaching out to raise her drink at the empty chair.

It was a nice gesture.

After she'd drunk there were a few moments of awkward silence. The others had interacted with Kamoni but they knew she wasn't a villain.

"Has your hus-?" Izuku began to ask but was silenced by the way she waved her hand.

"Nope," she grinned. "But I want to," Kamoni told him. "Can I have the data?"

"Even though he hasn't done anything?" Twice asked.

Kamoni grinned. "Technically he's already done plenty. But I want that data for the divorce he owes me and to ensure that I don't get shafted. He owes me half the estate because I worked by arse off to make sure he had the opportunities he did. There is no fucking way Kaigiin would be a Councilor without my efforts. He was the public face but I was the one who made sure he had clean shirts, and clean everything else! Hell, I even picked out his suits, ties and shirts to make sure they didn't clash. I made sure the house was clean. I made sure that catering was good so he could entertain at the drop of a hat. I checked his calendar for clashes, which now I know was mostly so he could cheat on me but I did it! I did all the support work and wasn't paid a yen. If he wanted a transactional relationship then Kaigiin should have told me at the start. I would have considered it. Hell, plenty of women would have considered it, provided they got paid. He didn't, so he owes me.

"The data ensures I get paid."

Izuku thought about it for a few moments and noticed that Whisper was nodding. It wasn't a vigorous nod but was instead a small subtle nod that indicated she understood exactly what Kamoni was talking about. The others were a bit more surprised.

It took him a second or so to understand why, then it made sense. Himiko, Mr Compress and to a lesser extent Twice had always been at the front of the pack for villains. They had led the charge so to speak. Whisper was a support villain. She knew that and Izuku didn't think she resented it but it meant she had been doing much of the support work Kamoni was talking about. She supported them! Her quirk silence was great assistance at times but it wasn't a primary attack quirk. It was a bit different from Kurogiri. His quirk was great support but he could use it for attack. Whisper was just- No! He shouldn't think about it as 'just' support. Her quirk was support and that was a whole job by itself.

And support wasn't a lesser job, it was just a behind the scenes job. If he didn't have support from Giran, and from others, then… It was easy to see how he'd have failed. Yakuni had provided so much support to the Tartarus raid, even if he didn't go on it. Waking up all the Nomu meant that they were all settled and fully integrated with themselves when the attack began. That meant he got a better performance from them and that meant… It wouldn't have meant failure if they were slightly more sluggish but he might have had more losses. Support had helped. Even his father had support from the Doctor!

Izuku reminded himself to make sure Yakuni got something nice, soon, to say thank you.

"It does indeed," he told Kamoni. "I'll get it for you," he confirmed for her.

She grinned. "Thank you. I should have done this at the start."

"You needed time," Himiko murmured.

"Yeah, I did," Kamoni admitted. She seemed completely at peace with herself. "But now, I'm gonna bleed the cheating bastard dry."

At the comparison, Himiko grinned. She'd appreciate that one. Even if Kamoni didn't mean it literally.

"After you do that, then what do you want to do?" Izuku asked. If Kamoni was going to sue for divorce, he didn't see her staying in the supermarket. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but from the way she had spoken earlier, when describing what she had done for her husband, he got the impression she wanted to be in the limelight for a while.

She thought about the question for a while, taking a sip of her cocktail. "I'm not entirely sure," Kamoni admitted. She took another sip of her drink. It was beginning to run low.

"I think… Yeah. I think I might remind my soon to be former husband that the pen is far better at coercion than force… in the right hands, of course," Kamoni concluded with a grin.

"Your hands?" Twice murmured.

"I think I'd prefer it in mine, than anyone else's," she replied, before downing the last of her drink.

"Just so long as it makes you happy," Izuku said, and then laughed when he realised some of the implications.

Kamoni laughed as well. "You have a good heart," she told him.

"Tell that to the-"

Kamoni held up one hand to prevent Himiko from finishing. "True visionaries are seldom appreciated in their time but… I think, maybe, this time…"

Izuku blushed.

Himiko seemed to think about what Kamoni had said before she nodded. "Definitely this time," she agreed.

The two women shared a look and Izuku couldn't shake the impression that they'd agreed to speak later. He looked between Himiko and Kamoni before he decided he was probably better not knowing.

He sighed.

That caused them to laugh.

Definitely better off not knowing. But he was happy that Himiko could laugh, especially as it seemed the others were also amused by the situation. "I'll get you the data tomorrow," Izuku promised Kamoni. "And if you have any other problems, let me know. I think this could be fun."

She nodded.

"Then I look forward to the outcome," Izuku told her.

Kamoni gave him a serious look. "I won't fail you."

Before he could ask what she meant, Kamoni picked up her now empty, cocktail glass and took herself back to the bar.

"It will be fine, Izu," Himiko reassured him.

He nodded. "I hope it will work out for her," he said.

"I'm sure it will," Mr Compress murmured.

"Yeah, I guess," Izuku agreed. "She's not the same Kamoni," he added, referencing the woman who had stumbled into the bar seeking help. She'd come a long way from there and Izuku realised, he was looking forward to seeing where she would go. The world was probably trying to figure out what he was going to do but…

This was one of the little wins.

-ted-

Well, the night after is kind of fun. They go to the bar, have a few drinks, while the rest of the world scrambles. Of course, it's never quite that easy but the appearance of normality is often enough to enhance the reality. There will be further events for Izuku, and co, based on what has happened but the night, for Izuku, has never been for plans. That's always the morning.

Discord is on this code: TcBnRN7aDn FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out. There's a heap of other authors there, so come along and chat to us all! Not just about MHA.

-ted-

Loved it? Hated it? Found a spelling mistake? Let me know please!