36So recently I have been listening to a ridiculous amount of MGS music, and after a few google searches to see if fan-made art about military-BnHA concept existed, which should not surprise at all, and then I decided to do a one-shot. I mean, giving genetic superpowers to everyone in earth and expecting them to not try to kill each other is naïve at best. So this little nugget of an idea popped in my mind.
Enjoy this one-shot, I guess?
Xxxx
The advent of genetic advantages such as quirks was something that the current world had not been ready to deal with. Inequality was already an issue when everyone was regular, expecting anything else when Lady Luck decided to toss the dice was foolish.
The first lucky country to experience the quirk effect was China. The miraculous "Sun Child", a kid who could shine brightly even during midnight.
The whole situation began escalating as more and more children began manifesting these gifts. There was no way that the big governments would allow them complete freedom, especially when you were born with power equivalent to a nuke, or when you could launch fire hot enough to melt steel as if it was nothing, allowing such individuals to wander free was a bomb waiting to explode.
The general populace at first feared these "gifted" children, calling them prophets of the up-coming apocalypse. Some even went so far as to pray and worship them as the new gods of a new generation. Unrest followed as others decided that kids having such power was too dangerous a matter, calling for the culling of the young ones to maintain social order.
Needless to say, conflict was obviously the answer that people arrived at. The world was almost torn asunder, each nation having to deal with their fair share of crazy problems.
-The People's Republic of China entered a brutal civil war, the government relying on their previously accumulated power to deal with the rising of the rural civilians, who wished different futures for their children besides being the State's puppets. The red army battled against their own civilians in a bloodshed that lasted for more than a century, the country being razed to the ground.
-The United States of America had its problems focused on the civil liberties that having "Quirks" entailed at. Many were for free use of their abilities, much like their fight for armament ownership. The forgotten rivalry between north and south was once more sparked, as the federal government struggled to firmly establish proper laws as per the use of quirks;
-Russia's situation was even worse. The surrounding nations demanded land and resources to be returned, claiming that much of the territory under Russo-government management was never theirs. Russia fought a defensive war, its specialty, as the previously weak nations around it now had the surprise factor. You would never know if someone had a weak [Pyrokinetic] quirk, or a thunderous [Force Manipulation] unless they were first tested or the person displayed their power.
-Japan had a rather unique problem. The population was rather accepting of their quirked situation, the government not having much trouble either with extremists or puritans of the true human gene. The problem within the Land of the Rising Sun was different. [All For One]. The strongest evil within the Japanese Island, the man rose to become a legend in the underworld, both national and international powers searched for ways to defeat the man who would eventually be called [The Symbol of Evil].
Each nation had its problems and their unique methods to deal with them. Japan was innovative with their worldly acclaimed Hero system. The USA quickly followed behind, putting their patriotic spin into the venture.
The Chinese were a bit more "persuasive" with their methods. Eventually, the Red Army and the rebellious FMF (Freedom Movement Force) settled into a stable agreement. Although there were still those that kept the fight going, most fights were settled by debates, or so the Red Media spoke.
Almost as a cruel joke, once the individual countries settled their internal discords, it was time to play the big game of nations. As the newly build – and quirked – nations and armies began their moves, the world would see the advent of its Fourth World War.
It was a war of politics and hidden battlegrounds, where fights were brutal and quick, so as to hide the cruelty of the acts. Those that disliked the inhumane fights tried to move away from it, flee and create their own independent places where war could not reach it.
I-Island was the biggest example of this "successful" action. No one could flee the wars, much as they pretended to.
Why was this boring exposition being remembered? Well, Izuku had to have something to distract his mind from the deafening noise ringing in his ears as the rotor blades of the chopper carrying him and another twenty soldiers from the smoking hellhole that was otherwise known as North Korea. He had requested the aerial transport, since their mission had succeeded.
Their mission, he scoffed in his mind as he tried to dry the blood that caked his face in thick layers, the copper-smelling liquid sticking and matting his hair. It was not their mission, considering that the US and South Korea had joined hands to finally destroy the wannabe-warmonger country, and requested the aid of Japan.
Since the Land of the Rising Sun could not afford to have its name tainted by the genocide that would happen there, they sent the next option available that was not All Might, since the hero would never stain his hands into such ugly matters. He doubted that the hero (or other heroes) was even aware of such things. Thus, the Japanese sent the disposable QKL units, comprised of the unwanted, bottom-feeders of today's society.
Quirkless.
Those without mother nature's blessing, rejected and thrown away as freaks.
At the beginning of their joint-assault, the QKL squadron was comprised of 400 soldiers divided into 20 squad units that were to aid the US and SK troops.
Why send quirkless soldiers to die meaningless deaths far away from their motherland? It was cheap and did not burden the resources of the country, after all on the eyes of the majority, they were worth as much as dirt, their dwindling numbers not a concern.
The young adult winced as his hands brushed against the metal shard stuck in the upper side of his forehead. A reminder of a mistake, of why he was effectively worthless. The debris had fused with his skull, becoming impossible to extract unless he wanted to remove quite a piece of bone away. Besides, who would pay for the surgery? Would taking that off make him forget his mistake?
No.
He would keep it there, a reminder that the words his childhood friend/bully had said back then had some truth to them. Not all of them, Izuku mused with a tired smile.
The only survivors of the QKL were the ones in the chopper with him, his instructions as squad leader and head strategist had saved them, when the other squads had fallen due to following tactics meant for quirked soldiers. It had been a challenge to make the older men listen to him, a teen that had barely entered his adult years.
He could remember the day he opted to be drafted, following mere rumors and scarce information he managed to scrounge from just about any source. Normally, he would never be put into the military, much less the sure-death of the QKL Squad. Being emancipated after proving his mother was barely hanging on due to her depression after his dead-beat father left them had helped.
After a quick and hastened graduation at the tender age of 14, Izuku was put through the wringer, much like all the QKL, a combination of training and field-deployment guaranteed that the weak either quit or died. The latter was much more common, seeing as there was no way to quit while fighting people of other nations. Japan had a lot of enemies, especially in the Pacific Islands. Now he was 19, five years of his life being what many would call a living hell.
Who knew that resentment could last two world wars?
He knew his mother was better now, without having to be constantly reminded of her failure of a son. She had been aided by top-tier psychiatrists, paid with his blood-stained cash, to overcome her traumas and live on, to become much better. The last time he had heard of her, the woman was pregnant and about to deliver. Hopefully, this time won't be a failure like me, he let the though swim in his head. That was two weeks ago. Or was it months? Years?
The chopper made a turn, making him almost lose his footing on the blood-slick floor of the flying menace. He was heading home.
"Your services are being temporarily dismissed, First Lieutenant Midoriya." General Kazama, a balding old man in clean uniform told him as he stood at the front of his squad. Not a second after the QKL reached homebase in the Yokohama prefecture, the group was told to wait for an oficial statement from the higher ups.
"The QKL Unit has received heavy casualties while aiding the assault on NK. The Ministry of Defense has cut the majority of our budget, meaning that we can't afford to have all of you here, doing nothing. We are trying our best to accommodate our remaining soldiers, but we have run into a dead-end." Kazama explained to Izuku, even as other soldiers began debriefing and helping the members of his squad. The young man felt the weight of his military gear being lifted from his back, the rucksack being taken away from him almost felt like a piece of his soul being ripped off.
"You are the only one that did not have a safeplan guideline for us to follow through. We could try to put you into other branches of the army, but..." Izuku knew what his higher-up wanted to say before he said it. No public branch of the military would dirty their ranks with a quirkless bastard like him.
"Thus, we have seen best to put you into a temporary rest. Our military-civilian conciliation program will see to aid you with a job fit for you until we can reorganize our ranks." The general did not gave Izuku time for him to digest the information. The senior handed him a booklet, the cover an olive-green that he had grown tired of seeing.
"What about Paz?" Izuku asked, the worried tone of his voice not matching with the hardened eyes that seemed mostly devoid of life.
"Paz? Oh, you mean Peacemaker? Yes, of course, you have fulfilled your mission and passed through all the bureaucracy and red-tape; she is fully under your custody, you are an adult after all." The General smiled a bit, patting Izuku on the shoulder. It seemed that he did not mind the blood that glued to his hand. "We shall miss her dearly, the little bundle of joy; yet, she would never be happy if not by your side."
Izuku bowed at the waist, thankful for little miracles.
"Go to the armory and drop off your remaining arms there. Little Paz is waiting for you in your barracks, you best not make her wait. Also, clean up." Kazama told Izuku as he gave him another vanilla-colored folder. "Good work, soldier. Stand proud, your accomplishments to this country aren't few. You deserve this rest."
"Yes, sir! Thank you!"
"Zuzu!" The adorable voice rushed to him, jumping recklessly towards his chest. His scarred hands quickly grabbed her midair, bleeding off the momentum as he spun little Paz in his arms.
"Hey, there." He tiredly greeted her, a thousand-watt smile being his answer. Her tiny frame was held with major care, the white hair carefully combed and tied allowed him to look over the other person waiting inside his private quarters. "To what do I owe the pleasure of having Recovery Girl inside my humble, dirty home?" He asked, the sarcasm dripping into his voice as an unconscious act.
The old hero grumbled under her breath, the nurse uniform covered by a strap-vest with a tag having HERO written in bold letters.
"I am your military-civilian conciliation, or did you think that the military would let go of such an important asset such as her without any barking at your superiors?" The heroine pointed out, her syringe-shaped cane aiding her walk closer to his bigger frame. "Nezu called in some favors, we are in need of your skills."
He sighed, patting the head of his little Paz.
"The hero program? In need of a QLK? That's a first." He sounded surprised, wondering for what reason would U.A's brainiac headmaster would need a dog like him.
Recovery girl presented to him another folder, the soldier quickly becoming fed-up with the item, but grabbing it nonetheless.
"We have had a terrible incident with villains attacking the school and targeting our Heroics class. Our students escaped by the skin of their teeth and some staff got terribly injuried. We need someone that is used to fighting in terrible situations to council the students as well as train them. Your field record for useful talent scouting and crippling enemy advantages is exactly what we need."
The soldier fixed his hold of little Paz, the girl already snoozing off into dreamland now that her Zuzu was here.
"Why would I do that?" He asked. There was no way that U.A had bargained with the government merely because they wanted his skills. They could employ Nighteye, since the pro was still active, even with one missing arm.
The elder hero had a grim expression, making the soldier sharpen his eyes on her frame.
"We have finally found trail on the Yakuza, and we suspect that Chisaki is still alive and controlling them." The words barely left her mouth before the elder had to truly lean on her cane for support, so heavy was the killing intent emanating from the soldier. The girl hugging his chest shifted, the soldier barely controlling the surge of blood-boiling rage. She rose her face to look at him, her red eyes showing tiny hints of an old fear.
He lightly tapped his ugly horn against her cute stubby horn, their noses touching.
"How many times have I told you that I love you?" He asked in a tender tone, focusing her attention in his dull emerald eyes.
"Many times?" She answered, tightening her hold on the straps of his clean uniform.
"That's right! Many times. Zuzu here won't let anything bad happen to you, because I love you 3000." he said, watching her cheeks dust in a light shade as a smile bloomed in her lips. She hugged him one more time, breaking eye contact and allowing him to return his attention to the elder who was patiently waiting.
She felt cold sweat run down her spine as the dull eyes of the soldier returned their focus on her.
"Lead the way."