12/03/2024

Welcome back or Welcome! I have completed writing up to the time skip of Dragon and am still debating if there will be a book 5 or a really long last book. That's for the future and when I finish writing after the time skip!

This is Book 4, but you can understand what is happening even if you haven't read the others.

Summary of Emergence - For Those Who Don't Want to Read It - it does contain spoilers!

Izuku goes to High School, qualifying for UA's Management Course. His friends are in Heroics (Ochaco), Support (Mei) and General Studies (Hitoshi). While Izuku focuses on his studies, Tomura is acting on his father's behalf. Ochaco is in Class 1B.

Izuku knows he has to make a decision but since he's worrying about it, he has Hitoshi brainwash him into relaxing about it. Things go well, with Tomura instigating the USJ and the attack on the summer camp. There, things start to go wrong. Himiko recognises Ochaco (by the dragon scale she has) and doesn't hurt Ochaco. Unfortunately one of the other students sees that and this shifts suspicion to Ochaco. When Kamino happens, and the rescue mission goes ahead, led by Momo, Ochaco is the one student expelled.

This angers Izuku who decides to show UA what 'fairness' is by challenging the students who got kidnapped (Katsuki and Shouto) and those on the rescue team (Momo, Denki, Tenya, Honenuki and Kirishima) When they show up to Izuku's challenge, he pounds them all into the ground and steals their quirks before running from All Might.

Izuku stays with Garaki for a few days, learning about the Nomu, what they really are and finding out that Yakuni has been sent to the Shie Hassaikai. When Izuku is put back in contact with Tomura, the first thing he notices is that Tomura has All For One. Angry, Izuku attacks and kills Tomura, strangling him in the way that Tomura said he'd never use Caeli Imperium. Izuku grabs all the quirks Tomura has, before he dies, leaving Tomura to die with Decay.

The League watched Dragon kill their leader but the revelation that Dragon is a teenager is too much for some of them and they leave. For the others, they agree they'll make a decision after Izuku leads them on a mission. He doesn't know what mission to lead them in. Dabi asks for a different price. Dabi asks for Izuku to return Shouto's quirk. Izuku does this earning Dabi's 'loyalty.'

Since Izuku wants the League to see him as a true leader, he knows he has to learn more about villainy, specifically the bigger crimes, like murder. Himiko volunteers to help him and they find a target he can kill - the Principal of the School where he was attacked and got a broken rib, but also this was the Principal who made the report that Nighteye found which led All Might to All For One. Izuku goes and kills the Principal in cold blood, thus proving to the League that he's not just going to use them to keep his hands clean.

Meanwhile, a vigilante decides that Ochaco is a villain lover and targets her. He managed to gather a group of like minded people and they attack Ochaco, putting her into a coma. When Izuku finds out he's very angry, however the Police, backed by All Might, moved fast and arrested most of the group. Izuku has his mission for the League, and they raid the holding cells, getting most of the group, except for the vigilante. Izuku puts out a bounty on him and eventually someone comes forward, at about the same time All Might finds out where the vigilante is.

Izuku and All Might confront each other again, and after a brief fight, Izuku is again forced to flee and escapes, leaving the vigilante to All Might.

Izuku meets Mei and Hitoshi in Ochaco's hospital room, where they promise that while they might go their separate ways, they will remain friends.

The Emperor's Dragon
Dragon 1

Toshinori Yagi sat in Nezu's office. The rat hadn't been the Principal when he'd attended but there was something about the office that made him feel like a nervous teen, even if he was the Number One Hero.

The Principal was reading his proposal. Toshinori knew it was a lie. Nezu would have already read it. Several times. And probably corrected the grammar, spelling, and formatting. Then he would have critically analysed it and come to a decision. Even so, he'd make him believe he'd only read it now.

Nezu put the paper down and looked at him. He tapped one finger on his desk. "You believe he's that formidable?"

All Might nodded. He'd already submitted his report to the Hero Public Safety Commission. He wasn't sure what they'd think of it. They probably thought he was being paranoid but he'd discussed it with Mirai and… With All For One his course of action was simple. Hunt down the man's network until he got to him. Then destroy him.

With his son, it wasn't going to be that simple. Izuku had no network to speak of. He'd be building it. While that should make the job easier, Yagi knew it wasn't going to be that way. Izuku would inherit the last of his father's lieutenants and they'd keep him from making any blatant mistakes. And he seemed to be intelligent. What he didn't have in experience, he'd make up for in strength and his quirk.

"Did you see-?" The way Nezu cocked his head told Toshinori what he meant

"I didn't see any evidence of their quirks," Yagi replied. He wasn't sure what that meant. Izuku had taken several quirks before he'd run from UA and they were good quirks. He should have a rudimentary understanding of how they worked.

"Has he passed them on?" the Principal mused.

That was a possibility. There were enough quirkless people out there, who would do anything for a quirk. And for the quirks of those who had been in the Hero course, those who received them would no doubt swear loyalty to Izuku.

They would be found of course. The quirks Izuku had stolen were well known. Explosion, Engine, Electrification, Hardening, Half Cold Half Hot, and Creation. Anyone who received them couldn't use the quirk without giving away who it came from but… They wouldn't be able to give it back. And… What the hell would they be charged with?

The usual charge would be possession of stolen items. Except a quirk was not defined as a possession. It was meant to be a part of the person! They could perhaps charge anyone who had those quirks with association with a villain but… The charge would stick but it didn't do anything. It simply told those who were quirkless that there was someone out there who could give them a quirk!

And those who ended up with the quirks were victims as well. "I don't know," Toshinori said, finally. "He might be keeping them for some other reason."

Nezu's nose twitched and Toshinori wasn't sure what that meant. "So you want to try this?" the Principal questioned.

He nodded.

"You haven't found anyone you like?" Nezu pressed.

All Might sighed. Mirai had asked him that same question. The difference between the two was that Mirai had a candidate in mind to inherit One For All. If Nezu did, then the Principal hadn't given so much as a hint as to who it could be. "There were several I thought could be suitable."

"Could be?" Nezu prompted. The rat was a stickler for meaning.

"Mirio is Sir Nighteye's preference," Toshinori didn't answer directly. "He is a fine young man, and he will be a great hero but… He just didn't feel right. I am not sure he has the necessary-" he paused and sighed again. "If All For One was gone, then I wouldn't hesitate. I'd give One For All to Mirio but he's not, and his son is still out there."

"Ah," Nezu murmured. "There is a certain callousness required," he said.

Yagi nodded. That was it exactly. Mirio was going to be a great hero but right now, he didn't have the hardness that would be required to hunt down All For One's son… and Tomura Shigaraki. He might gain that hardness and in the hunt, he'd have to but if they could do this quickly, then there would be no need to have him learn that. Not if someone else was more suitable.

"I was thinking Kirishima, as well but it's the same."

Nezu nodded his understanding. "That won't have changed?"

"It might have," Yagi allowed. Having their quirks stolen would have changed them all.

"Ah, so that's why you included them all," Nezu murmured. All the first years who had their quirks stolen had been on All Might's list of students he wanted for his venture.

"I am certain that Bakugou has the fortitude, but I'm not sure he has the restraint," All Might said honestly.

Nezu cocked his head slightly, indicating he agreed with the assessment. "But being without his quirk?" the rat suggested.

"May give him the push he needs to grow," Toshinori agreed. "But that's also why I want to see others," he explained. "With All For One's son and successor out there, whoever receives One For All must be ready to deal with them. I can't limit my choice. Not now."

"So why not mount an assault and capture him?" Nezu asked, leaving out the fact that they didn't know where Izuku was. At some point, they would know. "Why risk the next generation?"

This was something All Might had considered. The answer had surprised him. "Gang Orca, Mt Lady, Best Jeanist, and Tiger encountered All For One," he said solemnly. Nezu nodded. "They still have their quirks, even though he touched Best Jeanist."

The Principal caught the implications immediately. "Interesting," he murmured, thinking hard. "I wonder if it has to do with the time he was raised."

"Principal?" Toshinori asked.

"You've told me that All For One is old, and therefore he was raised in a different time, one that had different expectations. He would have needed to be circumspect in using his quirk, and maybe that has rubbed off."

He shook his head emphatically. "If All For One likes a quirk, he takes it," he said.

"Then perhaps he did not like them," Nezu suggested the obvious. "Or is there some other limitation on his quirk?"

"I don't know," All Might admitted. "Gran-" He sighed heavily. Gran probably would have known but Gran was dead. When All For One had forced Tomura Shigaraki to escape, Gran had been thrown through the portal as well. He hadn't survived. "There might be a limitation, but if there is, Izuku's quirk does not seem to share it and so I believe people would hesitate." He gave the assessment honestly.

The Principal gestured to indicate that was a reasonable assessment. "And the children won't? They haven't learned that they aren't invincible yet," the rat mused.

"I don't want to use that against them," Toshinori objected. Except he knew he was. "But because they have seen what Izuku has done to their peers, they could see it happening to themselves but they will also be more driven to deal with him. To do that, I believe we are going to need more than just UA students. This isn't a problem for UA, it's a problem for all heroes."

Nezu thought about that for a moment but All Might knew he was thinking of other issues. "And the divisions between the schools are holding us back," he said.

Toshinori looked slightly sheepish but nodded. "We can't afford to be divided, on anything, because he will exploit that. If he doesn't, one of his lieutenants will." All Might sighed. "I hope I'm being paranoid. I hope, I really hope, that all the preparation isn't needed but…" He remembered chasing All For One. Ferreting out each piece of information and striking when he found All For One's network. He remembered, far too many times, when he'd been too late to act. It took him over thirty years to find All For One. If it took that long this time…

They couldn't let Izuku be free for that long.

Nezu thought for a while longer. The silence stretched between them until finally, the rat nodded. "I'll support it," he said.

Yagi felt himself relax. He hadn't been aware of how tense he'd been about the decision until the stress disappeared. With Nezu backing his idea, while it wasn't guaranteed to be accepted, it had far more chance of succeeding. As the Number One Hero, his promotion of the idea would help but having the number one hero school backing it as well would be beneficial.

"How many students from each school?" Nezu asked, immediately moving into practicalities.

His idea was to gather the top Hero students from each facility in Japan, to have them train together. Izuku and Tomura represented a new wave of villains and rather than just wait for them to strike, Toshinori wanted to be on the front foot. It would also help to regain public trust in UA and Heroes in general. The new heroes would form the bulwark to guard society.

"Just their best two or three, from any year level," Toshinori replied immediately. They were heading into the second half of the first year. The teachers would have an idea of who was going to be great, even at this early stage. "I want to offer a place to all the rescue squad," he added. "Even those Izuku took their quirk."

Darn it! All Might stopped himself. He was thinking of them only as their quirk, which was one of the problems Izuku had pointed out with society. He had to stop that. They were people, not their quirk.

"It will be harder for them," Nezu noted.

"They have the most to gain," Yagi countered. It might sound arrogant, but it was true.

"Will you retire now or when you pass on One For All?"

That was a question Toshinori didn't like. He wanted to retire now, while it could be seen as a benefit, a triumph but the Commission was afraid of what would happen and what signal that would send to villains. They thought his retirement would embolden them. He thought they were already emboldened by Tomura and Izuku's very public actions. All For One had apparently kept some of them under control. It was rather disconcerting to know that.

"When we begin," he indicated. "I will retire to devote my full attention to teaching."

The Principal nodded. It was a fair compromise and while the public would be dismayed, they would be pleased to know that All Might was teaching the next generation. Endeavor would not be happy but ever since he found out about All Might's injuries, nothing had made him happy. He wanted to gain the top spot against an All Might who was at full strength and he knew that was never going to happen. Whether he knew it or not, it hadn't been going to happen for the last few years. In that manner, Endeavor had a surprisingly fair streak, though it was more likely he wanted absolutely no question about his right to the Number One position when he took it. All Might retiring was not how he wished to claim it.

"It will take some time to set up," Nezu indicated.

"This is a High School initiative," Yagi replied, showing his understanding. They could probably set it up within a week, if they accepted the Commission overseeing and wanting control over everything. Technically that was their job, just not to the level they were. In recent years, they had become far more authoritative, going into areas they had previously let regulate themselves.

"I'll keep you informed," Nezu said, waving one paw. This might be Yagi's proposal but it would be UA who made it work. And while he did think the Number One Hero was being slightly paranoid, he had learned that it was better to be safe than sorry, especially with new villains. They could be so unpredictable and with Izuku, unpredictable could be truly dangerous.

The Principal was also disappointed. He'd looked at Izuku's grades, and while the teen was not a genius, he definitely didn't think like the other students. It might be the influence of his father, but… he couldn't help but feel he could have had a few interesting conversations with the teen. Finding someone who had a genuinely different view of the world and the arguments to back it up was rare. The opportunity had been lost. Izuku's father probably had similar views but he was in Tartarus.

That was such a waste.

-ted-

Overhaul rolled the vial between his fingers. The liquid inside was clear but to his eyes seemed blue. That was the effect of the vial. In his other hand he held a case. It held a series of vials and a space for a larger tube

The vial spaces were filled, with each vial being a successive shade of darker blue, nestled in the black velvet lining. The tube space was empty. He looked to Chronostasis in askance.

"The serum still needs some work," he explained.

"But the bullets?"

Chronostasis nodded and Kai felt a smile cross his features. They were getting closer. The new guy, the one who used to be loyal to All For One had been a great help. While quirkless, he actually had some lab training, which meant he had refined some of their processes.

"What's the time on each of the bullets?" he asked, pointing to the vials.

"The new guy insisted that it varies, but a day, a week, two weeks, and then permanent. He says he can probably mix up a month if wanted," Chronostasis said.

"I'll keep that in mind," Kai said, putting back the light coloured vial and pulling out the darkest one. They'd need a better colour coding system for them. The permanent ones would have to be red. Something to indicate that they were permanent.

He held the vial up to the light. The liquid reflected the light but did nothing more. He smiled. The weapon was nearly ready. And once it was…

It wouldn't matter if All For One returned. It wouldn't matter what Dragon said, it would be the Shie Hassaikai who were in control. He'd sell the first bullets cheap, just to prove that they worked. He doubted they'd be used on anyone important. So the serum would also be cheap. And… he'd be able to make use of the temporary bullets as well. They would be his proof of concept sales. Once everyone knew it worked, he'd let it be known he had permanent bullets.

Then he'd watch the villains scramble to get them… and the heroes would be frantic to pay him off. They'd want to arrest him. He wasn't stupid. But they wouldn't be able to. Not when arresting him meant that they would be permanently without their quirks.

In some way, he really should thank that UA student. All For One's son. He'd established the thought that quirks could be taken. Now he would capitalise on the idea.

He put the vial back and snapped the case closed. "Get the permanent bullets cased in red," Kai ordered. They'd need that visual delineation. "I'll go work on the serum," he added. "And… get me three permanent bullets."

"Three?" Chronostasis said the number as confirmation but Kai knew he was curious as to who they were for.

He held up the case. "This is going to make everyone realise the Yakuza were never gone," Kai reminded him. "But to ensure we remain at the top-"

"Ah! There's a few that must be removed," Chronostasis finished for him.

Kai nodded. All For One was in Tartarus and while no one had ever escaped… Then there was Tomura Shigaraki and All For One's son. They were the two who would most likely be on the receiving end of these bullets and unless they were very, very nice…

All For One's time was over. It was the Shie Hassaikai's time to rule.

They'd acknowledge that. One way, or another.

-ted-

My discord is on this code: TcBnRN7aDn FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out. There's a heap of other authors there, so come along and chat to us all! And while there's a lot of MHA talk there, I highly encourage other fandoms to be discussed :D

Also, I now have a YouTube channel where you can listen to The Emperor's Dragon: Nestling. Dragon will be posted soon, in 2 chapter blocks!

-ted-

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