Work Text:
Chisaki Kai needed a test subject.
Eri was starting to bore him and his work. It was the same result every time, and nothing was changing. There needed to be a baseline for what they were rewinding too. A perfect example of human normality.
He watched the little parasite through the cut, clear, one-way glass into her room. She was very small; it was rather annoying. They needed lots of samples and she was too small to take them from her.
Pacing around his secondary office would do no good, he decided. And neither would watching the very cause of his failure. If he could do nothing else today, he could start preparations on organising the room next to the girls.
Sending out subtle feelers into the quirkless community had brought a few options, as well as a few setbacks. The over presence of the underground heroes and their long noses into his work has caused more than a few snags. As well as not being able to find a person young enough, or with two quirkless genes.
Being the dominant gene, the gene for quirklessness could hide the gene for the plus ultra mutation. He had had to dispose of three impure quirkless people already because they were not what he needed.
Again, his research had snagged right on the cusp of a breakthrough and with the dwindling supply of quirklessness in the area, he was considering looking further afield.
He had asked that quirkless worshipper cult, had proffered himself as a centre of quirkless enlightenment but they had turned him away a fraud. He had a quirk, they had said, that he relied on for too much. Would he too have the bullet when the work was done?
He needed to find a person outside of their control.
Sitting heavily on his chair he once again looked over his work. Going through the profiles of those quirkless nearby, even though he was heavy with anxiety about his work stuttering, he had a feeling the one had to be close.
A sharp beat echoed through his room, and he lazily beckoned the person through, not even looking up from his report, if his lackey was smart enough then he wouldn’t be disturbed until he was ready to be.
After a moment long enough that Kai felt that he had exhibited his power enough he lifted his head and gestured for the man to start speaking.
“We found something. Chrono told me to come and inform you of a development.” The man spoke quickly, efficient – just like how he liked. Staying silent he let the man continue, with barely a tilt of his head. “An old man of the underground has just gotten in contact with us through several hoops, we almost missed it.”
Maybe not efficient enough, Kai did not like mindless babbling.
“Yes, get to what you wanted to say.”
“Of course, Overhaul. The man worked for-”
Kai cut him off, “I don’t need to know who, what and where this man is. Speak now or get out.”
The man simpered for a few moments, dithering in fear, and wringing his hands.
“All for One.” He said after a few moments, and as the silence stretched and Kai considered his words, he gestured again for him to continue. “He works for All for One and wanted to tell us about his son. Who is said to be quirkless, or at least had the double-jointed toe.” It was increasingly annoying to Kai that the man kept on fiddling with his hands, wringing them back and forth, incredibly.
“Considering the man, All for One that is, is first generation, it is very likely he has the quirkless gene as well as the plus ultra one, the man also alluded that since he was first generation, he could have the genes for All for One. That is all Overhaul.”
That was very interesting, and he said that into the quiet room as his colleague left, his incessant rambling finally over. If it was for any other news Kai thinks he would have gotten a headache at the inanity of the man, as now he habitually rubbed at his forehead, he had not found another like his 8 precepts, no one shared their depth of knowledge, power, nor loyalty.
Thinking back onto the boy, he decided that this could be the optimum course of action. Either option of quirkless or All for One would be useful for his research, and either would open up many avenues for study. He would have to organise a proper meeting with the Doctor, if only to gather why he had sold out his master’s son.
Maybe he was deflecting? Maybe he was senile, Kai had heard he was as old as the ancient terror, and there was no accounting for a sound mind of those aged above 100.
So even if the boy did have the quirk, it would be useful to see how that would work on creating quirklessness.
Considering that, it could also be used to bring Rewind and All for One into one body and create the perfect carrier for the cure.
While also creating upheaval in the underground to prevent any observation. It was a neat plan, and the doctor was a stupid man to even think of betraying his master like that. Especially to one like him, the Yakuza was an old dying out organisation, and he would do everything in his power to see it restored.
Helping in the downfall of All for One and hero society would very quickly help that. They would rule Japan once more.
Perhaps it was now time to move into the more rural bases, with the son of All for One – especially as it would be rather obvious who had taken him once the man found out about the betrayal. With the lesser presence of heroes in the villages and farming settlements it would be the perfect place to perfect his serum. With the higher amount of quirkless out there, it would help finding more base zeroes for the serum.
Reading through the boy’s profile, down to his medical history, schooling reports – with a few connections and instances that might complicate things (not that Kai was scared of things getting more complicated to get the boy).
A supposed quirkless nobody with what seemed like one friend, a school that was trying desperately to get rid of him, and a poor single stay at home mother only tiding through on the pay off money from a runaway husband. Even if Kai knew the truth of All for One and who and what that creature was, it was easy to see that the boy was not the best protected, nor the most loved. He was perfect.
He was so small. Not in the way Eri was small, not in the underfed, dirty child way. No, he was small like he needed to be protected, as if the universe had shrunk him down for Kai to take and lock away.
Still, he looked healthy and strong enough to survive the procedures he would have to go through as well. Small and strong. Perfect, small enough that he would be easy to store, and for Rappa to control with the little amount of strength, and apparent analysis quirk.
Kai smiled at that, what a clever little rat. Finding an easy to prove low level quirk, and train. While it wouldn’t hold up against high school scrutiny, especially because it seemed the little lab rat was aiming to UA, but it was a clever ploy.
He was shaping up to be a most interesting subject. Kai let his little smile widen into a grin, as he settled down to an evening of research. A glass of sake already delivered to his hands.
He was already anticipating ripping this boy apart and learning all his secrets. Kai knew he would enjoy tearing down his dreams to be a hero as well.
Kacchan had to stay late again.
It was the seventh time this month, and it was only the tenth of August. Then the teacher would send Izuku away with the pack of his school mates after him.
And after the first time he waited, and was found quickly, he had worked out that running home and changing into his work out gear was a better use of his time than that. Better than the bruises and scrapes he got from waiting, and even if it got what the teachers wanted – which Katsuki said was Izuku said, Izuku believed they just wanted to talk Katsuki out of being friends with him. That they didn’t care what happened to him outside of their class time.
Especially because all the times he went into detention he was being lectured to stop being friends with Kacchan, that he would bring him down, and make him seem less for heroics. That they would mark him, Katsuki Bakugou their golden child, down as a misbehaving delinquent to force them both to be friends.
It had disgusted Izuku back when it had happened but had scared him so much that he had started to avoid Katsuki. To his own peril, and to the schools when Kacchan and auntie Mitsuki had cornered him on his way back from school.
With Auntie Mitsuki already working in conjunction with the heroes, being one of the designers and creators of Best Jeanist’s newest costume, that meant that hell was reigned down on the school. Three of Best Jeanists’ top sidekicks coming in to lecture the school (and staff) about anti-bullying, and anti-discrimination.
It did not help in the long run. Katsuki was still held back and convinced to change friends, but it was labelled as extra-curricular, or anger management advice, or heroics advice, or something that would force Izuku to either wait for Katsuki or to run home. They had gone from focused discrimination to a subtler, just as painful, silent type.
The teachers did nothing and let the students do as they pleased.
Izuku would always feel guilty about that, but Kacchan would never not fight against the bullies. Had himself taken the responsibility on his own shoulders and stood up for him. And then had pulled him to the nearest back alleyway that Kacchan knew held shady figures (he used to stalk them with Izuku and try and talk him out of vigilantism), organised a fake analysis quirk card and had taken him by the ear and had put him through a rigorous training regime.
Kacchan would not let the first quirkless hero go to waste. And that was that on that. Izuku will be a hero if he would have to get his licence after Katsuki had gone through school and had gotten his. They had their plan B, the sidekick licence. For people who did not go through the hero school route and wanted to be a hero.
The only caveat was that you had to be a hero's only sidekick, and they would train you and guide you through things you would learn in a hero school for a year. Where the applicant would then do a test similar to the heroic course students.
To their knowledge, three quirkless people had gone through and had gained their licences, one at the very beginning of heroics, two in the last 25 years. They had never gone past sidekicks; they had never become heroes.
This is where they would be different, the moment he could Izuku would become Katsuki’s hero partner.
But their dream always ended up meaning that Kacchan would stay behind in detention, and Izuku would have to run all the way home to avoid the numerous other people in their year who wanted to pick on someone that they thought they could.
No one else in the year got the pep talk from his father like Kacchan did. So, he was walking home alone. Again.
Sorry he ran home again. Weaving his regular path around the busy streets, passing kids and parents from other schools. Old men and women out for their shopping, a minor hero and sidekick or two, who would have just slowed down Izuku’s escape from his bullies long enough for them to catch up. A young mother and her pram.
Very regular things, the regular viewers of his daily marathon. Men watching from their konbini stalls, workers and shoppers getting their purchases. Discrimination was a very common aspect of life, and if one middle school boy was running from something, it was not their business. The citizens would entrust that role to the heroes, the heroes to the police, and the police to the parents.
So, no one was happy, and the bullies did what they wanted.
He was slowly outpacing them, day by day it took him quicker and quicker to get away from them, and it was nearing that point now. He was pushed forward by the phone call he was sure to have today as well, Izuku loved it dearly when his father called, and today was the only day of the week where he was free and able.
Peaking behind him he didn’t even see the heads of his chasers and decided to quickly find his way back home, even if it was through the side streets. If he went quickly enough, he would avoid them seeing him go down there. Almost running into one of the largest men he had ever seen – his father included, meant that Izuku was forced off his regular path by the large man in front of the alley way he would have normally gone down.
It was annoying, because the next one was so windy and not the straight route like the one he liked to go down. It was some weird curve where Izuku was sure some drug deals had happened. As well as one or two murders.
Forced to go down into the next one, a far darker, dingier place. One with a curved path, one might – in the middle – not see either end.
Slowing down into a jog at the entrance of the alley he slowed down into a walk as the bend curved around him and the jeering laughs and shouts of anger followed him in. He was immensely glad he had missed his year mates. Especially down this alley, he stopped for a minute to catch his breath, it would be good not to be too tired when he went to train.
When he had gotten to this point, it was then when he started to breathe deeply to slow his heart down, leaning against the dark sooty bricks, head almost between his knees. It was relief as well, now he wouldn’t have to disappoint Kacchan. Make him worry, again.
At least he had great stamina, and it was improving daily with his desire to not disappoint Kacchan, or let his mother see his injuries. It was the one thing he used from his and Kacchan’s training sessions, he would never fight back against bullies – not only does it go against the values of heroism, it would also crush his dreams of heroism just as quickly as he would end the fight. His school would immediately place the blame on him, and any little black mark would prevent him from even trying to attain any licences in the future.
It was the one thing he could beat Kacchan on, was running, and out lasting him if they tried quirkless sparring. If he held out long enough, he would beat Kacchan.
But Kacchan was physically stronger, quicker, and more vicious. More willing to fight for what he wanted, rather then waiting. It was the years more practice he had gotten before Izuku, the hours and hours in the gym perfecting his fighting. It was the hours reading the strategy books, and watching professionals fighting in fighting rings.
It was his drive that pushed Izuku forward.
That was why when the fist that flew at him out of nowhere, the moment he lifted his head his breathing even, he didn’t have a chance in hell to dodge. The world went black as he felt his skull slam against the sooty, dark bricks.
Izuku was sure no one would even know he had bled on them.
Everything went dark as the large man – who did not resemble any of his school mates hauled him over his shoulder and walked to the end of the alley.
“I cannot believe you did this! How can you betray me like that! Sending Izuku to him? What could have possibly possessed you to do that?” The shapeless man roared. Izuku in the darkness could see him struggling from his seat, as if terribly injured. (He sounded like his dad.)
A man panned into view after a few moments of terrible silence, the damning words of the shapeless man making less sense to Izuku. “After what you forced me to do to my grandson, I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
A vision flashed for a second, red wings, and a large, uncovered brain. Then it was back to the lab.
The shapeless man was a rolling ball of anger and resentment. Izuku could feel it in his dream. (Was this a dream? The man sounded like his father and the other man was his doctor, Izuku knew they didn’t know each other.)
“The brat deserved it, and if I knew you were so deeply connected to the boy, I would have done much worst, I would have stretched the pain out to hours and kept his mind just enough intact for him to realise what I was forcing him to do to the world. His punishment for hurting Izuku was this, your punishment for trying to protect your family over mine was that.”
“Tsubasa was not the only one who hurt your son! Where are the others? Why was it just my grandson taken? For that!” the man said with the finality of a criminal standing on the gallows platform. “For that, this is your punishment.”
“Then I must terminate your employment.”