In the past, I have always wanted to discuss how the fanfics that influenced me influenced my writing.
Every fanfic I had listed, and even a handful of others I didn't, has elements that made it into this story. Sometimes, I would forget to include the notes or was afraid that some of these notes would spoil some of my plans. Now, however, this time, I have chance to be more direct when it comes to how those stories play a role in shaping this story. Starting in this chapter is when outside influence becomes much more apparent.
My Hero Academia Untold: Knights of Fafnir
Saga I: Dusk
Arc I: Origins
Chapter VI: The Lost Hero
"People are not born strong. People grow stronger little by little, encountering difficult situations, learning not to run from them."
-Christina Grimmie
"All of those sons of bitches have no idea of the damage they have caused and what it could mean for the world of Pro-Heroes..." Toshinori sighed as he slumped into his desk seat, with his only companion being his former sidekick, Sir Nighteye.
"Indeed," the tall, slender man answered as he removed his glasses to clean off some invasive smudges. "I feel like there is much more to this than meets the eye at first glance."
Toshinori nodded in agreement.
"That was always a weakness in the Pro-Hero system," Sir Nighteye continued quietly. "In the end, we are still civil servants, with our powers still tied to the hands of the Diet, the Ministry, and the Police."
"That is why we have to act," Toshinori said with conviction. "I cannot let this injustice stand."
"What do you plan to do?"
"I spoke to Tsukauchi, and he believes he has something that can work," Toshinori grimaced. "But we would be playing the long game from here on out."
It was Sir Nighteye's turn to sigh. Not long ago, he had used his Quirk to look ahead into the future. Needless to say, he wasn't happy to see what was in store for him, knowing all the sacrifices he would have to make. But he knew that Toshinori couldn't pull it off alone or run for government office, not in his current state.
Knock, knock, knock.
The two men sat up, with Sir Nighteye calling out to answer.
"Who is it?"
"It's me with a few guests," They heard the muffled voice of Naomasa Tsukauchi behind the door.
With a quick POOF, Toshinori assumed his heroic transformation.
"Come in," All Might spoke up firmly.
When the door opened, the detective came in with a few particular guests by his side, much to the surprise of the Symbol of Peace. This included another Section Chief of Police, one he had spoken to before Kai, one who had declined to testify.
"Please excuse me, All Might," said the senior policeman, brushing his mane of white hair back with his hand.
"Indeed. Please forgive our addition," said Edgeshot, as the ninja-themed hero suddenly appeared alongside a tall man with blue hair and arrow-shaped eyebrows. Tensei Iida was off-duty, but given the situation, he knew he had to act. "We didn't give the dear detective much choice in the matter."
All Might couldn't help but be on edge as the guests entered and took their seats.
"I suppose I should start." The officer spoke up first, "for those of you who do not know me. I am Kaoru Kiriyūin, Section Chief and a committee member who recently voted on the incident almost a year ago."
The man paused to awkwardly adjust the cuffs on his suit.
"I was among the few who actively voted against the measure to allow Draco Knight's disgrace. When that failed, I attempted to open an Internal Affairs investigation. As I suspected, it was quickly shut down when Kai Doumeki was elevated to Chief Superintendent."
The man sighed deeply, revealing the deeper lines across his tired, aging face.
"Only the National Diet could put the screws in him now, but as you may have noticed. The recent shifts in the government included several new appointees on the Hero Public Safety Committee and the Police Commission itself. Gentlemen, I don't know about you, but this all happening simultaneously seems too convenient for my taste. Furthermore, it doesn't help that Doumeki privately came out as a member of the National Worker Quirkless Rights Party. A party that as of late has joined hands with the Neocon movement and gained traction within the Diet."
"Too convenient, indeed," Edgeshot added with some snark. "Are there no checks for civil servants to promote one party over another?"
"He's only come out as a member recently," Kaoru answered stiffly, "and only as a civilian. However, he is well known as one of the chief superintendents, and since he is the only quirkless one, he is a prime poster boy for the movement."
All Might's eyes grew wide as something clicked from his last conversation with the Chief Superintendent.
"He's Quirkless?"
"Yes, sir," Kaoru answered, looking at All Might.
"We started our careers in law enforcement at the same time. So I've known him since my first day on the force," the old man sighed again as he reminisced of bygone days. "And despite his recent actions, I have to be the first to admit that Doumeki is a damn good cop. From firearms training to being a detective, even though he lacked a Quirk to assist him with his duty."
"And here I thought the police couldn't use their Quirks," Sir Nighteye commented with a hint of sarcasm.
"To stop villains, you are correct, sir. But everything else is fair game," Kaoru sharply answered before turning to the Naomasa. "Unless you are going admit to never using your lie detection Quirk when you get statements, Lieutenant Tsukauchi?"
"No, sir, it's like you say – we're actively forbidden from using offense-based quirks to combat villains," Naomasa answered without skipping a beat. "However, support quirks to assist with our jobs are not, provided we get independently certified."
"A loophole in the law," Tensei quietly observed. He wasn't above doing such things himself. After all, he may be the leader of his own agency. Still, he had recently gained partners who weren't exactly on the legal side of the law despite their good intentions.
"All that aside," Sir Nighteye interjected as he crossed his legs. "I'm assuming you have another means to combat the problem?"
"Yes. Since Kai Doumeki is now my superior, but not my direct superior. I can technically commission you, heroes, to launch an independent investigation at my behest," Kaoru stated with a slight grin. "I got the go-ahead from my superior, who wishes to knock him down a peg to do so."
"What exactly do you need?"
"Hard evidence of collusion: bribes, and the such. However, the biggest issue I am currently facing is the resistance from the newly formed commission after the Neocon reforms. We need evidence that cannot be disputed. Something that even members of the new commission who favor Doumeki would have no choice but to throw him under the bus if it went public."
"That could take a while, especially if we're trying to do it under the radar," Tensei added, thoughtfully holding his chin. "From witnesses of the incident that aren't under orders to keep silent. But of course, if there are members of the government involved who have something to hide..."
"Of course, I can, jus–" All Might started up before everyone, including Naomasa, interrupted with a strong and unanimous.
"No."
"All Might, I can understand why you would want to do this, but you simply cannot forget that you are the Symbol of Peace," Sir Nighteye argued sternly, as he had done multiple times before. "Testify, and you'll be stripped of your Hero license, regardless of your conviction."
"Yes, theoretically, you could restore Draco Knight's legacy from disgrace. But then, we would lose our greatest hero and asset, and Draco Knight would still be dead. And besides, let's say we get Doumeki taken down with your testimony alone—as Iida said. What if there are other forces at work here? Something we are not seeing behind the shadows?"
Everyone turned to face Sir Nighteye as they felt a sense of dread from his tone of voice.
"You saw something…didn't you?" All Might asked calmly, keeping in mind the man's Quirk.
"I don't know all the details, but I know something more is at work here. I'm afraid that even with this investigation and taking down, Doumeki alone. I doubt we will find out everything."
"Then what do you propose we do?" Edgeshot turned to him with crossed arms and closed eyes to collect his thoughts.
"You all go ahead with the investigation," answered Sir Nighteye. "I, on the other hand, will be running for office in the Diet."
The room went completely silent as they absorbed what the man had just said.
"You...You'd give up your license just to go into politics, Nighteye?" Tensei asked in disbelief.
"Having someone inside the Diet wouldn't be the worst idea," said Edgeshot with a sigh after giving it some thought.
"No, far from it, having someone in government to perform audits and investigate the Diet may turn out better in finding hard evidence. It could be easier to tie bribery or corruption charges on Doumeki to link him to one or more parties that subscribe to Neocon ideology. At least in less than legal ways,"
The Ninja-themed hero paused, realizing a crucial detail.
"Imagine if this scandal was much bigger than we thought…This could end up looking like a hero-led coup of the government; that is something we must avoid as well."
"If I might add," Tensei interrupted, raising his finger, "my father-in-law has already started his own case on the matter."
"What?" All Might said, slightly stunned at the revelation.
"Endeavor has his contacts with the Police and HSPC. Once he found out that certain details didn't match the official record. He discovered the truth as well. Fortunately, he took it much better than Gang Orca, who, I swear, was ready to charge into the Musutafu Police Headquarters to drag Doumeki out."
"I'm sure that would've been a sight to see," Edgeshot admitted with a dry laugh. "I suppose being ranked second helps with getting results with investigations."
"We could get a few others involved," Naomasa suggested cautiously. "Other top pro-heroes who would want to protect themselves from something like this from happening again."
"I just want justice for my best friend," Edgeshot said solemnly. "But I do know Best Jeanist would like to be of help as well."
"I think it's safe to say we're all in agreement," All Might suddenly said, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Normally, I hate delaying the service of justice, but everyone here has a valid point. I couldn't live with myself by leaving this matter to be, so Chief Kiriyūin," All Might added, facing the Section Chief. "I accept your proposal. I will assist wherever I can. I can even call some contacts I know and trust to assist with the investigation."
Kaoru nodded, happy to have All Might as an ally to their plan. Still, he knew he needed to clear the air as the odd man out.
"I want to make something clear," the Section Chief said after clearing his throat. I understand that trust in the police and government has, without question, been shaken. I just wanted you all to know that I tried all I could and will continue to try to restore that trust."
"Given that one of my good friends is on the force, I know this all too well," All Might reaffirmed as he nodded toward Naomasa. "But I thank you for your cooperation, Chief. It is good to know that there are others besides Tsukauchi on our side from the police side of matters."
"Well, I think it's about time we begin a plan of action," Sir Nighteye finished, ready to conclude their meeting. And so, the foundation was formed to get justice for Hisashi Midoriya was formed. However, little did they know that this investigation would lead to a path of revelations that would soon change society forever.
"Ow..." Izuku groaned out when he felt the cotton swab soaked in disinfectant dabbed on his wounds.
"Oh, Izu... Why didn't you protect yourself?" Yū questioned with a sad frown as she patched up the poor boy. Meanwhile, Katsuki sat in the corner with a face filled with malice. His knuckles were red and raw as he waited for his turn to be patched up by his cousin.
"I didn't want to cause more trouble..." Izuku answered softly, unable to look Yū in the face.
Yū Takeyama had lived with the Bakugou family since she got accepted to Ketsubutsu Hero Academy. The young woman quickly adapted to being a big sister figure to Katsuki and Izuku. The former was already her maternal cousin; the latter was her cousin's best friend, who grew attached to her comfortably. And considering the green-haired boy's sweet and kind nature along with his bouts of depression that started after his father passed a little over a year ago.
Yū was more than happy to fill that role.
"Don't blame yourself; you didn't start any trouble, Izu," said Yū with an impatient tongue click. "But even without your Quirk, you still could have at least held them off, right? At least without doing any extra damage?"
Izuku opened his mouth as if to answer. But in the end, he couldn't find the words.
'I'm just a coward...'
"It doesn't matter..." Katsuki growled out from the corner, making Yū turn around to face her cousin.
"What do you mean it doesn't matter, Katsu?" Yū snapped back, annoyed by arrogance in Katsuki's tone.
"I made those pricks pay for messing with him. They'll think twice before pulling that crap again, haha- oh shit!" Katsuki sneered before needing to hit the deck, dodging an empty plastic water bottle aimed at his head.
"Katsu, it's good for you to help him out, but you're not always going to be there to help, y'know!"
"If I'm not there, then what kind of hero would I be?" Katsuki angrily retorted.
"I thought your Quirk was 'Explosion,' not 'Multiplication,' Katsu," Yū shot back, rolling her eyes. "You can't be in two places at once, and Izu is more than capable of protecting himself."
"Please stop," Izuku said, tears forming in his eyes. "Please, don't fight."
Yū sighed before wrapping the boy in a warm, loving hug.
"I'm sorry, Izu," Yū cooed as she gently rubbed his back. "I'm not saying you should get over it right away, but I'm pretty sure your dad would want you to at least defend yourself. I can't be a Pro-Hero if you just stand there to be a punching bag."
Katsuki wanted to shoot back, but he knew. To what little credit he would give his cousin, she did have a point. Had Hisashi been there, Katsuki knew that his Master would've preferred for Izuku to protect himself rather than simply let himself get assaulted.
On the surface, Izuku's inability to defend himself appeared due to his inability to use his Quirk anymore. Yet, just above the surface, Katsuki knew something that no one else did, including even Izuku himself. Before his untimely death, Hisashi had sworn his young apprentice to a secret about his Quirk. In short, Hisashi had effectively positioned Katsuki as a safeguard to protect Izuku, or more accurately, protect others from his Quirk in the worst-case scenario.
The young ash-blond lad shuddered at the mere thought of it now more than ever.
Katsuki swore to keep Hisashi's secret to the grave if needed. Yet, a part of him wanted to ask Izuku if he was even aware of that feature rooted deep within his Quirk. But he feared that revealing or reminding him of the truth would only drive Izuku further into his quirkless rut. So Katsuki decided to simply stand guard and watch over his friend until he would soon hopefully overcome his inner turmoil.
"There we are," Yū chirped, placing one more bandage on the bridge of Izuku's nose.
"Thanks, Takeya –"
"Izu, just call me 'Yū' for Horikoshi's sake," The young woman interrupted with a teasing laugh, making the green-haired boy blush.
"Careful now... I don't wanna call the cops on my cousin now, do I?" Katsuki snickered, while Yū's response was to flip him off, causing Katsuki to break out in a fit of laughter.
"W-w-well, thanks, Yūchan..." Izuku managed to stutter out as he got up to go home.
"You sure you'll be fine, Izu?" Yū reached out to him out of concern.
"Yeah... I don't want to be any more of a bother, so-"
"Oh, stop that, Izu! You aren't a bother at all!" Yū interrupted before warmly reminding him. "Just be careful on your way home, and say hi to your mom for us, okay?"
"Okay, thanks again." Izuku bowed before making his exit from the Bakugou residence.
Katsuki slumped back into his bed as Yū began to treat his hands.
"I'm sorry, Katsu."
Katsuki looked up at his cousin.
"I know you mean well, and I'm happy you're not the arrogant little shit you could've been. But I'm also surprised that you didn't encourage Izu to start protecting himself, too," Yū continued as she wrapped the boy's knuckles in bandages. "If you both want to be pros, then he needs to be able to do that for himself."
Katsuki sighed in frustration at his own actions.
Hisashi had stomped out most of Katsuki's worst habits early on. Long before they had a chance to take root, including a bad habit of calling Izuku by the nickname of "Deku." He often told Katsuki he was more like himself as a child. But, unlike him, he had thankfully been able to grow out of the worst of his habits and immaturity.
In fact, Hisashi made it a point to prove that pride is a good thing, but arrogance could be Katsuki's undoing later on if he isn't careful. On the other hand, this also made the bomber more hesitant when dealing with Izuku and people in general.
"We got time," Katsuki hissed as his knuckles began to sting from Yū's treatment. "We're starting middle school soon, and we'll get a fresh start over, alright, Miss Giant?"
Yū scoffed as she suddenly added pressure to his injuries for his cheeky comment.
"Ow, you bitch!"
"Ugh, don't remind me, you little shit! I swear, I'm gonna change that code name when I go pro!"
Izuku safely made it home without issue.
It was dark and gloomy inside as most of the lights in the apartment were off to save on the electric bill. His mother was most likely working overtime at her job. Just to make sure they had extra money on hand for the month. Now, in the lonely, dimly lit apartment, Izuku sighed and quickly got to work on the chores around the house. He usually had the TV on to listen to the news as background noise to make himself feel less lonely. Instead, he opted to grab his headphones and a small, cheap pocket radio, and just as luck would have it, Present Mic's "Talk to the Mic!" radio show was just starting.
Tuning in just when Izuku started to help chase away the dark thoughts.
"Hey there, listeners!" He could hear the sound-based hero announce. "Welcome back to Talk to the Mic! With me, Present Mic!"
"Today, we've got many exciting topics and guests, but first! A rundown of today's news!" He said before his voice turned somber.
"We have some unfortunate updates regarding a recent rise in crimes. We start with reports of murders that ranged from people who have been, for lack of a better term: 'Decayed to death.' Others were found drained of blood in separate cases. Other incidents include a recent string of fires that have broken out. But, many are electrical in nature, along with the recent heatwave wave. Police are unsure if these incidents are villains committing arson or simply accidental. Investigators have yet to confirm their findings."
Izuku shuddered upon hearing the news.
"As always, dear listeners! Stay safe! And be sure to report any suspicious activity to the police or your local pro-hero! And with that out of the way! We'll start with a quick interview with one of the masters of laughter, a riot in the ranks, the Pro-Hero Marx! (*1)"
Izuku sighed as he turned off the radio for the next five or so minutes, feeling a bad taste in his mouth.
To put it mildly, Marx was a hero with a questionable reputation. While nothing had thus far been proven against him, his father, Hisashi, had shared no love for this guy. And although he never gave a reason why, Izuku knew this man, despite being a Pro-Hero, was likely up to no good. Hisashi had a shortlist of things he hated, so if Marx was disliked, he must have been guilty of the shortlist.
So, Izuku simply carried on with his chores, silently cleaning and sweeping the little room available in the small apartment. He tried to turn his thoughts to happier moments, only for the brief reminiscence that caused burning, bitter tears to run down his cheeks.
'I will be a Pro... I will be a Hero... I will be a Proper Knight!'
He mentally repeated the mantra to cheer himself up when caught up in his sorrow.
Once Izuku finished with his chores, he would start with a bit of light training along with his homework, a habit to keep himself fit despite his fatigue from school. He wouldn't allow himself to slack off, Quirk or no Quirk. He had to continue—if not for himself, but for his mother, who would still cry herself to sleep after she thought Izuku was asleep.
Far away from the Midoriya household was one of the several hidden laboratories dotted throughout the country. This particular lab was known by those who occupied its halls as their sanctuary. Inside these hallowed walls was the agreement that no blood was to be shed between siblings. No, within this sanctuary was the only time these rivals for the throne would act like a family, whether they liked it or not.
In the inner sanctum of this hidden sanctuary was a long dining table filled to the brim with food as the heirs of darkness arrived to get their fill. Today marked a momentous day. As the favored heir, Tomura Shigaraki, better known in some villainous circles as The Pale Prince, was seated at the head of the table and was the one to update them all.
The long hall was always dimly lit to train their eyes. Tomura couldn't see the faces of his siblings, but it was easy to tell who was who based on their outline or voice. He waited with surprising patience, seated with a bored expression as they all finished getting their fill and started eating.
'Not everyone is here yet,' thought Tomura as he tracked all the outlines in the shadows. Some of the siblings had not arrived yet. 'And that's not my problem.'
"Anything new to report?" Tomura spoke out in the darkness as the sounds of consumption ceased suddenly.
"Ohhh! Lookie here, Tomura being the big boss~. "
Tomura heard a high-pitched laugh as he saw the golden-yellow eyes of his "sister" appearing from the darkness. Her lips smacking was a dead giveaway on which sister was speaking as The Vampire Princess had quite the reputation herself.
'I see my tricky Rogue is here...' Tomura leaned his head back slightly, a gesture among themselves to continue. He knew she was trying to bate him to react, but he knew better. When the sister didn't get the desired response, she finally answered his question.
"I'm here, back from the hunt~," The lass cooed back before the sounds of a spoon scraping a bowl continued from her spot at the table. "Got my fill of blood for my next disguise..."
"Crushing a few skulls is fun and all, but I'm ready for a bigger challenge," grunted a deep brass voice with a hearty laugh. It was followed by Tomura hearing the sinking of large teeth tearing into flesh.
'Ah...my zealous Barbarian...a classic, stupid damage sponge...' Tomura thought in annoyance. This "brother" with ruby-red eyes, much like himself, was notorious for being one of the more violent among them. Hence, the fitting moniker of the Raging Prince. 'Well...The good news is that he'll be getting that challenge he wants very soon.'
"Oh, come now, brother," said a calm, cheeky voice from Tomura's left. "The Villain Factory job had to be taken care of! After all, we can't have those fools mess with our plans now, right?"
A light clattering of chopsticks followed the voice of The Echoed Prince.
'Ah...the Bard of many voices is here too,' Tomura silently agreed with this other ruby-eyed brother. The Villain Factory had served its purpose, making them all stronger; to keep them around longer than necessary would be foolish.
"Considering that the bastards tried to ice us, we had to return the favor," spoke a fiery voice from the opposite end of the table.
Tomura's face split into a wide grin. 'And so the vengeful paladin is here too...'
Unlike the remaining siblings, whose outlines were visible, this sibling, who also happened to be his greatest rival for the grand prize, was here, just out of side his line of sight. Yet, upon focusing harder into the darkness, Tomura spotted the golden-yellow eyes at the opposite head of the table.
The Broken Prince...
"Anyways, I'm here, brother. I think our last message was clear when you personally killed Number Six," the fiery voice continued approvingly. "Don't expect anyone else. I got word that Tsubasa, Mongoose, and the rest are going to be running late due to that clean-up job."
Tomura couldn't help but throw back his head and laugh as his brother finished his report. It caught the gathered group entirely by surprise; Tomura wasn't one for making grand displays like this. It made them all weary and tense as the echoes reverberated across the hallowed hall.
'Of course, Tsubasa and others would let him know!' Tomura thought as his eyes opened wider, becoming manic with glee. It was clear where their loyalties were, even though he was supposed to be their leader. Finally, when Tomura's laughter subsided, he spoke, returning to his earlier calm.
"Then they'll have to get updated later," Tomura started with a snap of his fingers to grab everyone's attention. "For now, then, it's just us. It seemed like the Master has already had something lined up for all of us again...something big."
"Oh? We get to know when the next set of us goes bye-bye now?" The sister asked as a flash of silver glinted from a sharper-than-average butter knife.
"HAHAHA! Finally! I've been waiting for the chance to break you and make you live up to your title!" The large red-eyed frame roared out his challenge towards The Broken Prince.
"How about you try me now, you fucking savage!?" The voice snarled from the opposite end of the table as those golden-yellow eyes briefly turned red. A heavy slam could be felt even from where they were seated. "I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING HEART OUT!"
"Now, now," spoke the voice from Tomura's left. "We don't fight where we eat. Besides, you're wrong, my dear Himi. The culling isn't really...big news; after all, we just took out the Villain Factory. So most likely, we would have to take care of other upstarts..."
There was a pause as a bowl could be heard being gently placed on the table before Tomura noticed a set of feet plant themselves on the table. This brother was far more relaxed than he had expected.
"So...who is the target now? Another witness? Rogue villains who won't bend? More moronic vigilantes?" The Echoed Prince paused for a moment. "Yakuza whores?"
"I bet you want it to be the last one," The Broken Prince suddenly interjected with a mocking laugh. "After all! You had to get treated for getting the clap by Garaki from your last visit with the southern girls."
The bard went silent while their lone sister laughed at the sudden comeback.
"HAHAHA! HE GOT YOU GOOD MIMICRY!" The Vampire Princess managed to say, slamming the table hard as she tried to regain control of her laughter.
"Then who do we get to kill then?!" The Raging Prince spoke up in frustration. He had hoped for another culling also he could finally be pitted against either brother, wanting a real challenge.
"Nine," Tomura finally answered, making the room go silent.
"Oh...oooh...shit..."
"So, this was what you meant…Unless we tell the others what they're missing out on, we'll have an edge to prepare ourselves," the golden-eyed brother observed quietly. They started to assess the threat they would have to deal with in their limited numbers.
"There are only eight of us left," said Tomura with a grin. "Nine is strong, but all of us and our other Quirks will be enough to bring him and his new cronies to heel..."
"I'm surprised you seem so confident in all of us, dear brother."
"Survive the job," Tomura answered with a smirk, "and maybe I'll be kind and just have you all as my lieutenants instead of just killing you."
There was a brief silence before everyone in the room suddenly laughed. The tension broke just as suddenly as it came. Tomura's joke was just too good not to be funny to all of them.
It was a lie, of course...
There was no way out of the game for the grand prize. One either won the throne or died fighting for it. They had learned this lesson time and time again. This was the law in the underworld; all one needed to do was remember how many siblings they had started with. A little over a hundred had been reduced to eight in less than seven years.
"That's a good one, Tomura!" The golden-eyed brother spoke up. "I should tell Uncle Kuro about that one; see if he laughs, too."
Their laughter continued as the heirs of darkness knew their time together was slowly coming to an end.
Author's Commentary
*Marx: People kept thinking about communism when this character was mentioned, thinking this was a reference to Karl Marx. However, this is not the case; as I said, the character is a comedic hero. This is actually a reference to the classical American comedian Groucho Marx instead of Karl Marx.
Now, here is where we can get two critical examples of how some fics influenced me.
While the circumstances differ, I wanted Izuku to have a similar background to the Izuku in Viridescent. However, in that story Hisashi Midoriya is an infamous villain raised by AFO and a rival for All Might.
At the time of Viridescent's height, there were few fics that actually featured Hisashi as a full blown not AFO character, let alone a villainous Hisashi Midoriya. However, as time passed, villainous/bad parent/AFO Hisashi Midoriya became such a common trope that I was just getting tired of. So, I decided to go the opposite route while still giving Hisashi a bit of a dark edge and a slightly mysterious past.
The second example is making Yū Takeyama, aka Mount Lady, Katsuki Bakugou's cousin. While the fics I read was by an author and fellow reader, ForeverEvanescent (EverlastingEvanescence on FFN) featured this fun additional in several of his stories. The apparent originator of this relationship was another author who goes by the handle Blamedorange.
Regardless, because of the themes and narrative, it was a perfect fit for me to add Yū to the extended family. This also shaped my decision to make Ryūkyū an extended family member of the Midoriya/Spoilers families.
There is a bit more from other stories, but that would be spoiler territory, so I'll wait to discuss it in more detail later.
So, for new readers, what do you think about our new villains? Tomura isn't alone, and this time around, he is much more dangerous, thanks to all of the experience he's gained from fighting with his "siblings."
Old readers, you already know what's up and how things will play out from here.
In the next chapter, we finally kick off this version of the canonical storyline.
With love,
-ZX
