Chapter Text
"I'm sorry, kid." Mr. Torino spoke, watching as Izuku huddled in the corner of his new bed, in his new room, in the Cafe he now owned. The boy gave no response, merely sitting still, looking at his open palm.
Mr. Torino nodded, moving out of the room, and closing the door with a click. He pulled out his phone, and gave Inko's asshole husband one last call. "Hey, Hisashi Midoriya, it's me again. Look, I know you don't care for this family anymore, but the least you could have done was come to your wife's funeral. Custody is mine unless you decide to rear your ugly head, so just know I'm willing to kick you to hell and back if you're an asshole to your son. So, if you feel like you're done being a coward, call me back. Sorahiko Torino will be waiting." The old man hangs up the phone, as he continues on down the stairs. "Oh, Nana… How I've failed you."
The days blur together for Izuku. He'd already lost his dreams of being a hero months ago, but losing his mother too… The spider lilies they leave on his desk are starting to feel more and more accurate.
He stops eating outside of breakfast and dinner, less chance of being harassed if he just slips away to the roof. Saves up some money too. His mutterings stopped, so that's a plus… Well, if people actually talked to him it would be. Oh, Kacchan is being nicer!
But that's probably just because he misses Inko too.
Izuku looks out the bus window. A field trip to some art museum in Tokyo… Would anyone even notice if he slipped away from the group? Found a tall ledge and…
Izuku looked away. He wishes he could fly.
The Kougami Foundation Museum of Antiquity Art… What a ridiculously long name. The class enters, and Izuku follows after, slowly, making sure to stay at the edge of anyone's vision. Easier to slip away if he finally makes up his mind.
Before he enters the main exhibit room however, a man with wild blonde hair and a striking red arm bumps into him, a coin falling on the floor. Izuku doesn't mind being bumped into, but he can't let the man go without his coin. He picks it up, and looks where the man was heading.
There was no one there. Nobody.
Izuku looks down at the coin. It's not Yen. It's sort of silvery, some kind of bird on the front, and an 'X' on the back… It's pretty huge too. He puts it in his pocket, hoping he can give it back to the man later.
The class continues through the museum, which is actually quite huge. Located in a skyscraper, the exhibits go all the way up to floor fifty.
Stepping into an elevator, Izuku notices a slot near the bottom of the buttons, large enough to put coins into. No one said these were coin operated… Izuku feels around his pockets, before pulling out his only coin… The man's coin from earlier.
Should he do this? It isn't his coin… The man was heading to the exit though… But is this okay?
In the end, he ends up putting the coin inside.
The elevator begins to move, down and down, Izuku trapped inside as it accelerates down further and further. His eyes, once dull, now shone with fear and a want to live, until the room finally slows to a stop, and the doors open. The coin shoots itself out, and Izuku falls to the floor with it. Izuku sits for a moment, before seeing the hallway before him illuminated with lights. He grabs the coin, and fueled by curiosity, moves forward.
The hall is long and wide, stained glass decorating the sides. They seem to say some kind of… Story.
A king, one would assume, stands before a court of people. They present him brightly colored coins, or medals perhaps, each bearing an animal of some kind. The king takes three, and is clad in armor. The remaining medals turn into… Monsters?
The king and the monsters fight, and the king wins. The red monsters gives the other monsters medals to the King… And has his stolen as well. The king does… Something, to the medals, and he, along with the monsters are trapped in some kind of sarcophagus.
The sarcophagus is found at many points in history, before ending up in some kind of building. Two men release the contents of the sarcophagus, and the monsters escape.
The red monster finds a man, and this man gains the same armor as the king. This supposed new king and the red monster fight together against the other monsters… Until they encounter a new one. A purple monster.
They fight the purple monster and… It skips a glass. Where one would be, Izuku finds a bricked up wall, with what looks like a broken medal carved upon it. The next one resumes the story though…
The new king meets others in armor. Other kings? Or maybe… Maybe they were like the second guy more. Someone who saw evil and went to stop it. Heroes… The red monster is gone for a while.
The second man wanders for a long time, until one day… He and the red monster meet again. They go on more adventures, until one day…
A glowing baby is born.
Izuku stops. This is… The start of Quirks.
A glowing baby is born, and more and more people are born with powers. The new king and the red monster run into shadows, giving the medals and the armor away, leaving them in the hands of… Someone in a suit.
There's one last glass pane.
The medals and armor are locked in a small box, sealed like the sarcophagus before. The last image shows the box on a pedestal, seemingly waiting for its next user…
The crackle of flame alerts Izuku to a new source of light further in the hall. He approaches cautiously and… Finds a pillar, with a small box resting upon it. He approaches, curiosity feeding him.
It looks… Near identical to the glass.
His hand reaches for it, and the moment his finger touches it, his brain is attacked with… Something .
Images… Voices… Hallucinations…?
Why do you desire death? Why do you desire death? Why do you desire death? Why do you desire death?
Izuku falls to his knees, as he clutches his head.
Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak.
Tears well up in his eyes.
DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE-
He wants to die...
" Was that choice you made then a mistake? " A voice asks, and Izuku looks up. The room pitch black. " Was it? "
The room catches on fire, and Izuku's eyes shrink, as he watches himself, carrying a small child away from a fire…
The same fire that killed his mom.
"Mom…" He whispered, before a figure walked out from the flames.
" I couldn't save a life back then… What I could have done differently, what I didn't do… These thoughts cloud up your brain, making it hard to decide. " The figure speaks, before fully taking form. It was a man with shaggy black hair, and a colorful exotic looking outfit. " But if we can carry the burden of our mistakes, or the things we never could have changed at all, with us? Maybe, we can learn to stop regretting. "
Izuku watches as fire takes up the whole room, before becoming a blinding white, forcing the boy to close his eyes.
" Izuku… " A softer voice speaks, and Izuku lets his eyes open again, seeing…
"Mom…!" Izuku cries, and the woman smiles at him.
" That little girl can't make it out alone. I'm going to look for others, but… But you save her, okay? You save her and be her hero, because I know you can be one. And listen. " She cups his cheek in her hand. " If anything happens to me, please, for my sake… "
" Keep living. "
Izuku's eyes snap open, as he struggles up back onto his feet.
DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE-
The voices return, but Izuku doesn't care. He knows what he wants to do. He wants to complete his mom's favor. He wants…
DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE
He wants…!
DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE
HE WANTS…!
DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE
"I WANT TO LIVE!" Izuku screams, slamming his fist down onto the small box, shattering the stone it was made from into pieces, and medals scatter into the air. The seal breaks off, gaining a bright blue line upon sleek black metal, flying onto Izuku's waist and strapping against him.
The medals fall… And then stop, before flying around each other, forming a small book, flying into it, and landing in Izuku's hands…
Save for a medal of green, a medal of yellow, and a medal of red, that land in his new belt, tilting it as they lock into place.
"Ah?" Izuku gasps, looking at the objects given to him.
Something moves in the corner of the room with a squeal of metal. Izuku looks at it, and sees a suit of knight armor beginning to move, breaking the stone foundation it was attached to. It's head looks at Izuku, and red lights begin to glow beneath its visor.
Izuku wants to scream, but for some reason, doesn't, before he clambers to his feet and tries to leave the room.
Stop.
A new voice tells him… The voice is… Familiar, but he can't place why.
If you run away, what will that armor do to others? Can you guarantee it won't go after anyone else? And what of heroes? Would they really stick their neck out for you?
Izuku looks back at the armor. It's slowly approaching him still, metal claws extending from its arms.
You're not powerless anymore, the glass showed you that. Stand up and Fight! Fight, you idiot!
Izuku fully turns to face the armor, before feeling around his new belt. On his side, a large ring pulls itself off as he grasps it, a humming noise emitting from it as he presses in. The king did something to the medals… Perhaps!
Izuku runs the ring over the Medals in his belt, a confirmation sound ringing out after each scan, before completing itself with a large clunking sound as it passes the end of the belt. A word forms in Izuku's mind, a word wanting out, calling to be set free into the world:
"Henshin!"
"TAKA! TORA! BATTA!" The ring announces, as the three Medals fly over his head, torso, and legs as large holograms respectively. They collapse onto him, forming a black armor, with animalistic traits dyed in the same color as the Medals. A falcon helmet, tiger claws, and grasshopper legs. "TATOBA! TA-TO-BA, TATOBA!"
Izuku looked up with green lens-covered eyes and saw the world through new light. Information piled in front of him, from what material the room was made from, to the exact color of the knight's armor, to the sharpness of the claws headed for his face. Izuku threw up his arms, a small 'snikt' accompanying them, as the claws crashed into… His own. "Uh…"
Kick it back!
Izuku did as he was told, striking the armor away with his legs. The metal malcontent skidded back, leaving scuff marks on the floor below. It looked at Izuku once more and charged, but this time the boy knew his strength… At least when it came to his legs.
Izuku jumped upwards and over the knight, landing behind it with ease, before turning and kicking it into the wall. It's claws struck the rock, sticking the armor in place.
Now! Scan the medals again, and destroy this thing!
Izuku did as he was told, running the ring scanner over his belt once more. "SCANNING CHARGE!" The scanner announced, as Izuku began to crouch slightly. His legs glowed, before turning into a giant pair of grasshopper legs, the boy keeping up high. His legs changed back to normal, as he stretched them out. Rings of Red, Yellow, and Green spread between him and the knight, before he sped through them, red feathers sprouting from his neck.
SEEYAH!
"SEEYAH!" Izuku and the voice shouted, as he kicked through the armor, shattering it into pieces. Izuku landed on the other side of the wall, a smaller empty room on the other side.
Maybe you were a good choice after all. Take care of these medals, oh King of Desire… OOO.
"OOO?" Izuku asks, before a red light comes from his red medal. A feather escapes from it, before turning to dust, and Izuku thinks that, maybe…
The voice is gone. At least for now.
Izuku quickly figured out how to take the belt off, and with it went the armor. He grabbed the items that erupted from the sarcophagus and left through the small room, another elevator inside of it. Lucky for him, it led just outside the museum, where his class was getting on the bus.
No one asked where he was, why he was gone for so long, or where his new book came from.
The bus took them back to their school, and Izuku went home. He didn't stay any longer than needed. He went straight to the Cafe, locked it up, and moved to his room. He threw his backpack onto the bed and took to his laptop.
Medals… Armor… King… Desire…
No results. How the fuck were there no results?! He turned into a freaking animal guy and fought a suit of armor, that thinking on it, was probably a robot! Did he steal these medals?! What the hell is an OOO?!
Izuku closed his laptop, decided today was a dream, and went to bed.
Izuku dreamed of a throne. A dark presence sat upon it, reaching its hand towards him.
"Inherit my ambitions… Grant my desire for a demonic lord!" It told him.
Izuku stepped back, trying to get away. But something was pushing him forward. He wanted out so desperately, but someone kept trying to get him into this darkness.
Then, colors shone.
They beamed down on the dark presence, before a figure emerged from it, hand reaching for Izuku.
"Don't just stand there, idiot. Grab my hand and fight!" The figure shouted, red, yellow, and green beaming down from his hand. Izuku looked at the figure, and then grasped onto his hand, as he was pulled upwards. A third figure appeared behind him, and a kind light poured off of him. For some reason, Izuku thought this figure was a little like himself.
Before being washed into light completely, Izuku looked back down, seeing the first figure, stuck in his throne, a sword through his chest. A fourth figure stood next to him, a golden robe flowing down his shoulders, before looking at Izuku… With his own face. There were differences, of course (Izuku doesn't have Purple Eyes for starters) but if you tried, this figure was a dark and greedy version of himself.
Just at the final moment, as Izuku went through the light, he saw the figure smile, not in a malicious or even happy way, but almost in a somber and sad way. Like he's long since realized he will never be able to leave the dark. The original figure twitched, trying to get up, but the efforts were in vain.
Izuku left the dark room watching his dark reflection strike at the first figure with purple claws.
Izuku woke up in a startle, sweat rolling down his face as he clutched something in his hand. He looked at his fist, turning it over and opening it up…
Three Medals, all in purple. These things, they're not like normal coins, and there's no way any tech could give him a dream like these did. But for some reason, these three medals, they're different from the rest.
The others, they have a sort of silver and gold mix around the edges, almost like they're just out from being finished, or something like age has chipped away at them. But these three… The edges are completely gold. Unwavering, unchanging, regal as regal gets, Gold.
But, there's something else. Another factor. The other medals, or at least the ones he used the day before, had a sense of Want to them. An inherent desire that seemed to boost his own want to live. These purple medals though, they… They were hollow. Like a black hole of want, as if they want to do nothing more than destroy anything and everything. They were cold, lifeless… Awful.
Izuku left from his bed, and looked around his room for anything he could use to put these somewhere else. On his desk, a small lock box was his answer. He put the medals inside, and placed them in his backpack. After school today, he'd decide what to do with them.
School was… different, today, to say the least. After the events of yesterday Izuku just felt like he shouldn't be here. He should be… Somewhere. Anywhere! Going someplace, anyplace, just be there and live and… Maybe help someone.
You cannot be a hero…
Izuku looks down at his desk. Scratches, burns, carvings, and all manner of desecration litter the surface. A constant reminder of how the other students feel about him. Izuku feels his backpack against his leg, and suddenly images of claws, horns, and skin covered wings fill his mind. The room gets hazy, everything is cold…
He wakes up in the nurse's office thirty minutes later. He passed out in class, shaking like he was freezing, they even said his skin was ice cold. The only person who didn't think he was dead was the nurse. The nurse was always so kind to him, if only because it was her job, and Izuku did his best to stay out of her way. He thanked her for her work, grabbed his bag, and left.
No visions attacked his mind this time, but a thought popped in instead.
Why not get out of here? You have the smarts to graduate early. They'd probably be glad you want to leave, and you'd be set to do whatever you want.
Izuku stopped and thought about it. He was almost back to class, but if he turned around and went to the principal's office… If he said it in a way that made the principal think it was his idea, and play off of just wanting to get the Cafe going…
Maybe it could...
Work? Oh it absolutely worked. Soon as Izuku brought up the Cafe, the principal was brought on board with the idea. He was given a test, passed it on, and in a week he'll be out.
Izuku looked at the windows as he left the school. He saw the students laughing and talking to each other. He chuckled.
He ignored the yellow-issue tinge to his hair, and blue cat like irises.
The principal called him in a week later. He passed. He had graduated from Aldera, and was set to enroll in high school if he so pleased. Izuku declined, and said the Cafe was more than enough. He took his things, and left.
He made one last trip to the nurses office to thank her, but heard a conversation inside. He paused, not wanting to interrupt, but he heard something that caught his interest.
"...You know he's just happy to get that kid out right? Even if he didn't pass, I think the principal would have just said he did anyway." It was a teacher.
"Look, I don't know why you're talking to me about this. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one here who likes Midoriya. He's a good kid." The nurse responds, and Izuku is happy she likes him. Nice person. "I don't work for Enoshima anyways, so I don't get how you're trying to persuade me that the kid being gone helps whatever conspiracy scheme he has going on."
"I'm telling you, he's nuts! Without Midoriya to hinder the school's quirk ratio, this place is going to be hell!" The teacher yells back, and Izuku pauses.
The quirk ratio? The principal being nuts? This is… Insane. Just go say goodbye, and leave. It has nothing to do with you.
How many quirkless children attend the school? He's the only one. How many students have weak Quirks? An awful term, but a good number. Villainous Quirks? Also a bad term, but yet another good amount. Strong Quirks. A lot. Way more than necessary. Enough to guarantee that at least half of them will be going to hero schools. And the rest?
Izuku tightens his grip on his backpack, and leaves. Forget saying goodbye, he just… He doesn't want to do anything with this school anymore.
He's done.
It takes a couple of weeks, but Izuku finally manages to open the Cafe back up. The only times people really come in are around the morning and in the evening, so he has a pretty sizable break and closing time. It's actually nice, if he's being honest with himself.
Some students from his old school come in sometimes too. They chat with him like they're old friends, and he plays along, but he knows what they did. What they all did.
But, he can't help but notice the small details. The way they fidget, the way they cover their necks and wrists. The avoidance of eyesight.
They're acting like he did.
Quirk ratio.
He finally gets the nerve to ask what's happened since he was gone to one of his actual classmates from before. Meida, the kid who can remove his eyes.
"It's… Man, if this is how we treated you, on behalf of everyone I apologize. But it's like after you left, Bakugou got even more favor, and a bunch of us have to deal with stuff like getting hit and junk. We've tried telling our parents, but none of them believe us." Meida says, rubbing the back of his neck. "Listen I'm… I'm really sorry for what I said and did back then. If I can ever make it up to you, let me know."
Izuku thought for a moment, before replying. "Can you get a camera inside the teacher's office?"
Meida hesitantly nodded his head.
Izuku bought a small camera and set it up to record and send footage to a cloud server that he could review later. He passed it to Meida, who got it inside the teacher's lounge. And from there… Izuku saw hell.
Students beaten and berated, threatened with expulsion. It wasn't even the ones below the strong ones, even kids with powerful Quirks were made examples of. But never Kacchan…. Guess he was just a golden child. But, even if he were beaten, Izuku doubts that would make him feel any better about this.
This twisted school life… He couldn't stand it. And to see so many of the staff involved, there had to be a ringmaster, right? Someone like…
The principal.
Izuku closed his laptop and sighed. He sighed long and hard, and tiredly. This was… This was insane. He left the school behind a month ago now, but that conversation he heard in the nurse's office… It was true.
But why? Why would the principal do this?!
What fuels any action?
Desire.
Find. His.
Izuku leaned back in his chair and thought. He thought long and hard, rubbing at his temples.
Principal Enoshima hated Izuku, because Izuku was quirkless. Most people hate Quirkless, but Enoshima was far more angry and far more subtle about it. Think harder. He always compared Izuku and Kacchan, because Kacchan had a strong quirk and good grades. He fed Kacchan's desire to be the first student from Aldera to get into UA. Think harder! Lots of strong Quirks, plenty of hero schools! Good rep would follow. More strong Quirks and kids with said Quirks for the principal to mold and shape in his image!
WHAT IS HIS DESIRE?!
"He wants his own army." Izuku realized, as he lowered his hands. Not to take over the country, he's not that smart. But the school system? If all these problems heroes talk about how Aldera shaped them as children, then the principal would be in a position to gain political representation. If he became head of the education system, he could breed nothing but the same heroes over and over, and even work to get laws passed to make those with lesser lives even more miserable.
Izuku clenched a fist in anger. All this time, he was stalling Enoshima's plan. Hell, even if he graduated on time, this would have gone through. His miserable middle school life was all because Enoshima wanted him gone…!
And what are you going to do to make sure no one else suffers like you did?!
Izuku looked at his closed laptop and opened it back up. He opened online sites, looking for black clothing, and got to purchasing.
Sneaking into Aldera was easy. He did it all the time whenever he was late and they locked him out. This time he was just doing it with completely illegal intentions in mind.
At least they were moral.
It took only a few minutes to get into the principal's office. Izuku made his way to the man's computer, and started digging around his files. There had to be some record of his own abuse against students.
Search for folders inside of others. He's smart enough to try and hide his actions, but not actually smart enough to do it well. And when you copy them, make sure no one can find out you copied them.
For a voice inside Izuku's head, this thing sure is knowledgeable.
Hey, you try being an immortal being, trying to figure out how to die for over a thousand years, only to leave a fragment of your consciousness behind in one of the last physical pieces of you tied to this earth. You get bored after a while and learn some stuff. Now get to programming.
So will you just ever disappear?
Probably. Talking to you like I have been is wearing away at me, so eventually I'll be able to fully move on. Don't name me, I don't want you to get all mopey like my previous idiot did when I disappeared on him for ten years.
So is everyone in this armor an idiot to you?
Yes.
Izuku figures that's fair enough, and gets back to copying files. He ejects his USB and starts to make his way out, when he hears the door open.
The ceiling!
Principal Enoshima enters the room, and sits at his desk, turning on his computer. "Another day, another teaching opportunity. Perhaps Katsuki would like to play chess again." He says to himself with a disgusting smile on his face.
Man, I hate this guy.
Agreed, inner coin voice.
The files Izuku manages to open don't reveal much in terms of the principal's own crimes, but they do reveal meetings between teachers and students that are… Well, worse than Izuku had seen in his own recordings.
But, they also mention a warehouse in the shipping district that the principal has named "Corporal Punishment Tutoring Location".
Okay, that's sketchy as fuck.
Izuku nods, grabbing his sneaking suit, and goes to leave the Cafe… Only to see a girl with purple hair outside. A pair of auxiliary cords hang from her earlobes, and she stares at him with coal gray eyes. "Uhm, can I help you?" He asks, the girl nodding.
"Uh, yeah. I was hoping to get a little bit of coffee before school started? I know you guys just closed, but do you think…?" The girl asked nervously, hoping for a good answer.
Izuku looked back inside, and then at her. He weighed his choices, but gave in eventually. "Yeah, I have some left you can have. If you don't have any cash on you, just come back when we open and you can pay then. I don't have a lot of time to set the card machine back up."
"Oh my god, thank you. My usual place is closed, and I don't want to spend too long at a StarBucks." She replied, and Izuku cringes a little.
"Please don't tell me that you actually drink that processed crap." He says, and the girl gives him a shaky hand in response. "I hope you ban ever going there again after you have my blends." He says, and she chuckles.
"Well, we'll see." She replies, as she takes a hold of a to-go cup. "Thanks again. I appreciate it. I'll be back to pay when you reopen later." She says, before running off.
You humans and your courting rituals are odd and disgusting.
Like your one to talk, Mr 'my idiot got mopey when I disappeared'.
Oh screw you.
Climbing up a metal pole was not the smartest thing Izuku has ever done, but it's also not the dumbest. No, that's probably all of the illegal actions he's been doing investigating his old school's new teaching regime.
He looks into the warehouse from one of its skylights, and the view makes him audibly gasp.
Students, other teens, tied in chains and beaten to hell. Some look skinnier than he remembered them, and some… God some look like they're on the verge of death. How the hell is the Principal getting away with this?
Are there any school trips your mother didn't let you go on?
She never wanted Izuku around the port, because she had a bad feeling about the area. There were so many as well, that she thought it was some kind of illegal scheme. Some even went on for days, saying they'd be at a hotel.
Well, she was sort of right. Hey, what's that red dot on your shoulder?
Red do-? Izuku dodged out of the way of a bullet, as a sniper seemed to strike out from inside the warehouse.
Get out of here! Run you dumbass!
Running! The greenette slid down the metal pole and made a mad dash for the exit out of the piers. Suddenly, from around the corner came two more men with guns.
Transform you idiot!
Izuku ripped open his jacket, revealing his belt with Medals already inside. "Henshin!" He shouted, scanning the coins. The Tatoba armor formed over him in an instant, and with his legs he leapt over the men, before jumping ever farther away.
That was dumb and stupid and idiotic. You're sticking your neck out for no reason! All of these kids hurt you! Why am I helping you help them?
"Because I don't want people to hurt like I did." Izuku replies vocally, as he flipped the sign on his door to open.
God, you sound just like my idiot.
"You always say 'your idiot'. What about the other guy?" Izuku asks, and the voice stays silent. "Voice?"
He was… An asshole. Greedy and a tyrant, he just wanted to rule over all. He was everything people fear in a king. I'm glad he died.
"Is that why you called me the king of desires?"
Partly. The other is because the second guy, my idiot, he was… He was greedier. But, for the better. He just wanted to help people, reach his hand out to them in comfort. He changed the meaning of what being OOO was. Not a king of wicked desires, but a king who challenges distorted desires.
"And OOO means?"
To go beyond infinity.
Izuku falls into silence, until the door opens, and the girl from earlier enters. "Hey, sorry if I'm a little late. I got caught up in practice." She says, running up to the register. "I've got my card ready."
"Oh, you're fine, I just opened up anyways." Izuku responds, readying her check out. "I honestly didn't know if you would come back."
"Wow, way to judge my character." The girl responds, and Izuku looks down in pain. "Kidding! Kidding. Sorry, must be a touchy subject. Anyways, of course I'd come back. I had a responsibility or whatever."
"Not really. You could have just taken the coffee and went on with life. It was extra coffee anyways."
"Hmm, maybe, but I don't like it. It's like… If I can help it, I want to do my part for others. Make them happy, y'know? Maybe that's why I want to be a hero." She says, before taking her card out. "Thanks again for the coffee. I'll be coming back for more for sure."
Izuku nods, and the voice sighs.
You humans.
"Oh don't start with me. But, she did give me a good idea." Izuku says, looking back at his black sneaking get up. "I need to do my part to make others happy."
And how are you going to do that?
Izuku smiles.
The best way in is up, right? They'll be expecting another raid soon, so stick away from sneaking around the bottom. Don't get stupid after all we've been through.
"I won't. These students have been through enough. I won't let them be hurt any longer." Izuku says, pulling down a pair of green lens goggles over his head.
Hey, idiot.
"Yeah?"
...I think this next transformation will be it for me. I've used a lot of energy talking with you and making sure you're ready for this by yourself. So, I've just got some parting words for you.
Izuku is silent for a moment, before nodding. "Okay, lay them on me."
After I'm gone, look into hacking. You can't do everything without some tech help. Invest in quick transportation like a motorcycle. Don't eat too many ice candies, and… And be safe.
Izuku smiles. "I will be. Thank you, Voice."
Ankh. My name is Ankh.
"Thank you, Ankh."
Izuku leapt from the top of one shipping container to the next, rolling as he landed, before looking out across the scattered tops of the shipping district. The warehouse of the students was just a little further. When he got inside, he'd have to release all of the bound students and coordinate them out, as well as help all of the near-death children.
What Principal Enoshima has done… It's awful, and Izuku will put an end to it!
Izuku leapt from container to container, before finally landing on a warehouse roof. A couple more. He moved on, leaping from roof to roof, until he finally saw his target. They'd expect another roof intruder, so he needs to make sure they won't see him as he enters.
He pulls out a spray can from his hoodie pocket, before jumping to the other roof. He pops the cap and starts to spray on the glass windows. He runs as he does so, not wanting to be spotted. A few lights leave out from small spots on the painted window, but unless the sniper had vision enhancing powers, it wouldn't matter.
Izuku skidded to a halt after the final window. Taking one of the small corners to look inside. A number of guards were yelling, and it seemed they were heading towards the exit. Izuku propped up the window he was at, and pulled out a large roll of rope. He tied it to the metal frame and grabbed onto it, sliding down.
Students gasped at his arrival. They whispered amongst themselves, mostly in fear.
" Stay calm. " He spoke, hushed, and in his best impression of Ankh he could muster. " I'm here to get you all out. " He moved to one of the chained students, untying the knot of metal around their wrist. " Help others. " He told them, before moving on. He reached into his pocket and pressed a button. If this worked, a clattering sound would play at one of the containers, distracting the guards some more.
Student after student was set free, and were instructed to help other students. Upon closer inspection, some of these students were from other schools than just Aldera. The principal had convinced others to do this… The man will pay.
Soon enough, all the students had been freed, and Izuku was guiding them towards the exit. "What about the Guards?!" One of the teens shouted.
" Leave them to me. " Izuku replied, placing his belt against his waist. He pulled out his medals, and placed them in, but hesitated with the red medal. Ankh… No, he can't get caught up in mourning again. He will live. For his mother and for Ankh.
And he'll make sure these students do the same.
He put the red medal in, and grabbed the scanner. "Henshin!" He shouted, running the scanner over the medals, as the armor formed over him.
"TAKA! TORA! BATTA! TATOBA! TA-TO-BA, TATOBA!" The scanner once more sang, as he felt the power of OOO wash over him. The students looked at him in awe, as he approached a door.
"Are you a hero?" One of them asks, and Izuku shakes his head.
"Just someone reaching out to help." He replies, before kicking the warehouse door open, knocking the metal off of its hinges. "Now let's go!" He orders, before leading the students out.
"They're escaping!" A guard shouts, and Izuku looks over to find a group heading towards them.
"I'll handle the guards. Yell as loud as you can if you encounter any, unless you're confident you can take them. Get to the stores and knock on all the doors you can until someone answers. Call the police, and ambulances for everybody." Izuku instructs the students, who start moving away. He looks at the guards and runs, decking one in the face with ease. Bullets start flying towards him, but they simply bounce off as he approaches.
One of the guards starts using his quirk, shooting some kind of green goop at the boy, which he responds in kind by releasing his Tora Claws and slicing through it. Other guards follow in kind, projectile Quirks of various kinds shooting out from them, which Izuku counters with his claws.
Watch out, behind you!
Ankh yells, and Izuku side steps, dodging a tackle… From Enoshima.
"Damn it! I hear an intruder gets in and it's not even an actual hero. You're probably one of those underground pieces of trash with a weak quirk." The man comments, as he gets up, dusting off his suit.
"Boss, he's taken out five of the others in a single punch." One of the guards speaks. Izuku hadn't even realized that, good for him.
"Just means I need to hire stronger guards." The man snaps back, before looking at OOO. "And I will have to take care of you myself."
What is your principal's quirk?
It's supposed to just be a minor paper control quirk. But, there's no paper here, what is he talking about?
The man pulls out a coin from his pocket, silver-ish gray, and an animal on the front.
Where did he get that?!
The man smirked, as he clenched the coin tight, until a shatter sound could be heard. Suddenly, more coins infested his arm, as well as his other limbs, as cat claws covered his arms.
That… That's not possible!
Izuku backed up a step as the man looked at him with a sick and twisted grin. "Now then… Let's rid ourselves of a problem student!" Enoshima shouts, charging forwards at Izuku.
The boy jumps back, barely missing a claw swipe, as he jumps to the side of a shipping container. The principal follows, trying to strike again, as it turns into a game of cat and mouse. How the hell is he doing this?!
I don't know! Usually cell medals are just supposed to empower Greeed, like myself, or create a yummy through another person's desire. But this is… It's almost like the principal is the yummy himself. Kazari's would cover a person entirely, but they were still separate entities. This is one and the same! It's… It's wrong!
Izuku wonders about back at the museum. His own Cell Medal that brought him to the driver.
No, I gave you that with what little strength I had left. I could sense something in you different from the others.
Then what if someone is making more?
Then we have to show them what you'll do to them.
Izuku stopped jumping, turning to face the principal. He kicked upwards, hitting the man in the chin, a few medals pouring out of him as he fell to the ground. Izuku follows, once more unleashing his claws as he begins to strike at the man's limbs.
"Persistent little shit, aren't you?!" The man shouts, as he pushes the boy off. "You're not a hero at all, are you? You're just another student who wants to pretend. God, I can't wait to peel that mask from your face and force you through the same training as the others."
Oh fuck this guy. Tell him off, Izuku.
"...Nyata Enoshima." Izuku speaks, getting the man to pause. "Your desire to rule above others, building a studious military of children with the Quirks you consider strong, has twisted you into a man of heinous sin and wickedness." Izuku steps forward, the green eyes of his helmet shining. "I will tear this power you hold above others away from you, and make you face the consequences!"
Enoshima chuckles. "And who are you to decide that?"
"I am the King of Desires! I am OOO!" Izuku shouts, scanning over his belt once more.
"SCANNING CHARGE!" The ring announces, as Izuku's legs change shape once more. He leaps into the air, rings forming between himself and Enoshima, before his legs return to normal. He rockets forwards, the intent to drop kick clear.
END IT!
"MULTI-COMBO CRASHING!" Izuku screams, just as he makes contact with the principal. The man begins to skid back on impact, as Izuku drives further into him. "Haaaaaa…!! SEEYAH!!!" Izuku further shouts, as he kicks even harder, forcing the man back.
The man goes flying, crashing back first into a shipping container, before his limbs explode in a shower of medals, all the same silver gray as the one he used to power himself.
Izuku pants as he lands on the ground, before he stands up. He lays out his hands, catching the medals like droplets of rain.
This next part is going to be a bit gross. Kid, one last lesson: How to absorb cell medals.
Hah?
Izuku, still in his armor, sits on the edge of a roof nearby, watching as police arrive to grab the various guards and Enoshima. "Looks like we did pretty good."
Yeah… We did.
Izuku sits in silence, before lowering his head. "You have to go now, right?"
Yeah. It's time. Listen, Izuku-.
"It's fine. I can't get caught up in the past, right? I've just gotta tighten up my nerves, and learn to live. Regret Nothing." Izuku replies, and a chuckle from Ankh is what he gets in response.
Yeah, I made a good choice in you .
A red light escapes from the Taka medal, as a figure emerges. A red holographic image of the blonde man with the red bird arm from before. "I'll see you again someday, idiot kid."
Izuku chuckles. "See you around, Chicken Brain."
Ankh smiles, before disappearing, a red monstrous form overtaking him for just a moment, before he's gone.
Izuku sits on the roof, alone. Underneath his helmet, he cries a little, but he gets back up. "Regret Nothing…"
Izuku leaps off the roof, and moves off into the night.
The Cafe opens the next day, Izuku wiping away at the counters. Mr. Torino enters and takes a seat by the small TV set up in the corner. It's been a while since the old man had popped by, but even with this awkward silence, Izuku is just glad to see him.
"In other news, the principal of Aldera Middle School, as well as teachers and faculty members of it and surrounding schools have been taken into custody, after a surprising number of students had been found in the shipping district. Alongside these students, USB drives were found with hundreds of hours of footage detailing abuse to the teens. Investigators are currently looking into where this information came from, but one source claims a vigilante is the one responsible. Reports of a masked man with animalistic traits hopping around have spread quickly, along with a name simply called 'OOO'. More details to follow later this evening."
"Yeesh, no wonder you got out of there when you could. I always figured that place was shady as shit." Mr. Torino comments, hopping into conversation like they hadn't just lost touch after his mother's funeral.
But Izuku doesn't mind. He's chosen to live anyway. "Eh, I just figured I'd make it better around here anyways. Something tells me I'll be happier here than I would be in a school."
The two fall into a silence, before Mr. Torino speaks. "Do you still want to be a hero Izuku?" He asks, and Izuku looks at the TV.
One of the students he rescued was hugging their parents, all of them crying with joy from being reunited.
"No. I think I am to some people already anyways." He replies, and goes back to making coffee.
Mr. Torino looks down, clenching a fist.
"How goes my little experiment?" A man in a dark room speaks.
"Well. Many have bought the coins with the power they provide, and are hoping to convince others to do the same. Though, I'm sure you saw how our scholarly customer was caught on the news." Another man responds.
"Ah yes, this OOO character. I admit, it's interesting to see someone able to combat this new power. Though, it matters not. Only those who can go beyond power itself could hope to stand against us now." The first man finishes, opening his palm to reveal three purple medals.
"The school year is starting soon." A white animal thing speaks, sipping a cup of tea. "You seem quite serious. Is something the matter?"
A lanky blonde man rubs at his neck. "Torino contacted me recently. We discussed some things and… He revealed something that made me disappointed in myself."
"This wouldn't happen to do with that rooftop incident last year, would it?"
"How do you-?"
"Please, Yagi. I have eyes and ears everywhere, and you're not exactly subtle. I simply wanted to wait until you brought it up yourself." The animal responds, taking another sip of tea. "I've followed that boy since then, and I believe you made quite a large mistake."
"Torino said the same thing." Yagi responds.
"Well, let's just hope you can actually apologize. Something tells me he won't take anything half assed."
Yagi nods, and looks down.
Izuku sits on the edge of a roof, chowing down on a sandwich, as he looks around the city. His sneaking outfit has changed, the black hood of his jacket now a bright red.
Some noise in an alley alerts him to a group sneaking around with laptops. He smiles.
"Welp, time to get to work." He says to himself, finishing the bread. He stands up, and scans the medals in his belt, before leaping off the building in a swan dive.
Criminals seem to be pretty bold, even when it's only a week from the UA entrance exam.