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Chapter 34: Secrets Told, Truths Kept
🕑 Added 2025-01-27 16:07:03 +0000 UTC“Text” – Normal speech
‘Text’ – Thought
“Text” – Quirk Spirit speaking in the human world
"Text" - Attack
“Text” – Radio/Communication lines
“Text” – None Japanese speech
(text) – Subtext/meaning behind a spoken word
Chapter 34: Secrets Told, Truths Kept
Inko's smile grew ever more prideful as she recounted what she could do, what her blood, sweat, and tears had birthed over the years. "It is because of that relentless pursuit that allows us to do things thought impossible, such as quirk transfers or quirk storage, but what is my crowning achievement."
She gestured towards the two at her side, who stepped up. “The creation of quirks.”
A heavy silence settled over them, though in the corner of their minds, the world around them continued like usual. Scientists and engineers under the professor's employ busied themselves with their many projects, and carts rumbled by moving people, security, and equipment.
But they couldn't see or hear any of it as their minds tried to comprehend what Inko bragged about. Because what she was bragging about achieving was insanity, plain and straightforward…right? That was the sort of claim made by fraudsters selling snake oil. Since quirks first appeared over a century ago, the best and brightest minds have struggled. They failed to uncover their origin and the biological mechanism behind them, and why wouldn't they? There was no sense to how quirks worked.
They didn't follow genetic logic, as parents of the first generation had nothing in common. Yet, they created children who could do all manner of things, from shine-like stars to elemental control to telepaths. No one even knew where the energy quirks came from, as while some needed stamina, emotional stimulus, or, in Yaoyorozu's case, a full stomach, there was no way in hell that alone was what did it, but that was all the current science could tell them.
And yet Inko could stand before them and claim she made leaps and breakthroughs in quirks no one else had in that time?
“C-creation…of quirks?” Kendo asked, trying and failing to wrap her head around the idea.
“That’s right.” Aoyama was the one who replied, speaking for his godmother.
“Impossible. Researchers have tried that and failed for decades.” Aizawa denied it, to which Inko shrugged, but she didn't hide how smug she was on breaking that glass ceiling-no, she shattered it and rose to heights her peers couldn’t even fathom.
"They did, yet I found a way. Because of that, I was told by my investors and bosses on I-island to cease my research and destroy it. Every last test sample, document, study-I had to watch it all burn before they feared what would happen should my work get out.” She replied, bitterness leaking into her words as she recalled that dreadful time, as she had worked so hard, could have done it sooner, given her son and others like him a chance…but the powers that by only saw flames and so they put her life's work to the torch.
Izuku laid a hand on his mother's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. He was too young to remember much of those days, never mind the details of when his mother hid most of them.
But what he could remember was just how devastated she had been and how withdrawn she was when she told him they were moving back to Japan. He couldn't play with the other researcher's children anymore. They didn't even keep in contact. Still, while he could understand part of what she felt, he didn't like it when she let bitterness get a hold of her.
“Can you blame them?” Nezu spoke up, with Izuku not liking that the principal sided with I-island, even if he could understand why. "Villains are dangerous enough with the quirks they were born with. If one could just obtain new ones made in a lab to their desired specifications, the world as we know it would end."
All Might shivered at that, feeling a lump in his non-existent stomach. He and those before him had fought with all they had against a monster, one if he ever had discovered Inko's research, if he had realized before their final clash she could create quirks…All Might was glad that he was dead. He had been hard enough to finally defeat as is.
"The same could have been said about weapons of war. What's stopping villains from creating and releasing chemical agents into the air. Biological agents into our water. Or shall we get rude of nuclear research and power stations as it would take only one madman to send us into a fallout world?" Inko pushed back against Nezu’s statement.
“There are many things in this world that are dangerous, many things that can and have been abused by man. I’m not blind to that, but I refuse to allow ignorance and fear to disregard the good that can come from work.” She added.
“Such as?” Vlad King asked as the teachers, it seemed, would be the ones asking questions as their students either still tried to wrap their heads around this or were deferring to them who knew better.
Inko gestured to the two boys at her side, both stepping forward. "My son and my godson. They were born quirkless, and you all can imagine what that meant."
Quirkless? In this day and age? Sure, 20% of the population could still be called such, but most were 40 and older. The quirkless gene was recessive, after all. To have a quirkless child, both parents must be carriers, and most…
Oh.
Most people would never marry a quirkless person because of that fear. Who wanted a powerless baby? A child who would be born into the world normal and surrounded by people who weren't. Those who had been on the bus to the USJ with Midoriya recalled their conversation, how he revealed he had been quirkless until he was 10, and how they reacted to it.
Hindsight was 20/20; they could tell they had been a less-than-ideal company. Midoriya crossed his arms while Aoyama flicked his hair out of his face, but both gazed at them with piercing eyes. They remembered that talk. They remembered how they weren't the only ones who thought not having a quirk made them lesser—people who needed to be rescued but never did the rescuing.
Izuku held some contempt for their comments but little else. As painful as it was, that was the mindset of most these days, from his teachers growing up to the other kids. To them, being quirkless might as well have meant being born without a limb. Everyone had it, so why not them? Why were Yuga and him excluded from that? Was it just genetics, bad luck, or some divine act from on high?
He didn't know and might never know.
"Yeah, it's true. I didn't have a quirk for the first 10 years of my life. Bakugo can confirm that much, as he knew Aoyama and I when we were kids, and we didn't develop quirks when everyone else did." Midoriya directed their attention to Bakugo, who had been silent since the elevator ride and slack-jawed by his mother's reveal.
But with all eyes turning to him, the boy managed to gather some composure and, surprisingly, didn't explode into rage.
“He’s right.” He kept it short, his mind moving a mile a minute. He had always thought it suspicious that Deku and Frenchie were late bloomers and got their quirks roughly simultaneously. But he felt they had always had them and kept it a secret. This…this changes everything.
"According to your files, both of you developed your quirks when you were 10. Was that when Professor Midoriya created your quirks?" Midnight asked, just to ensure they were on the same page.
"It was around that time, yes," Aoyama replied, forming a ball of light in his palm, the blue light sphere levitating an inch above his open palm. As he moved it around, tossing it between his hands, he explained, "My parents were her first supporters after she left I-island, and through them, Auntie was able to get into contact with fellow like-minded people, doctors, chemists, researchers, and donors who believed in that dream."
‘That would explain the staff.’ Thirteen thought. The woman recovering from her injuries, and because of that, she didn't wear her hero gear and opted for a pantsuit, though even then, they could make out the bandages around her neck, collar, and back.
"Of course, our quirks aren't the same as most of yours," Midoriya added. “Upon the successful bonding ceremony, they manifest objects or tools that allow us to channel their power. In my case, it’s typically by a belt buckle. For Aoyama, it's the sword or crown."
“So, in your case, you don't need the sword?" Snipe inquired.
To which Midoriya shook his head. “No, the sword is my belt buckle. As they’re manifestations of our quirks, they can change shape to whatever,” To demonstrate that, before their eyes, his belt turned into a jello-like substance before shooting onto his arms, where they created his armored gloves. "We wish. But their base forms are easiest as you don't need to consider them."
As Midoriya allowed his gear to revert to normal, something he said got Todoroki thinking. "How you speak implies you're not the only ones with these…artificial quirks."
“We’re not. These labs have produced over 100 of them over the years, many finding hosts who, for obvious reasons, hide the where and how they got them." Inko stated, which hit the boy hard for personal reasons. The notion that quirks could be made…if, no, it wouldn't have changed the core of the issue, just left some things intact; actually, no, he wouldn't have been born if that were the case.
"That was part of why I asked you to attend today, of all days. We have a bonding ceremony set to start in a few minutes. We should hurry so we don't miss it," Inko offered.
Line Break
Having come this far, none of them rejected Inko's invitation, though there now was a divide between them. Before, it had been subtle and weak, even as it was strange to see two students stand with her over them. This was Izuku's mother, and Yuga was his best friend, so they didn't think much of it.
Now, that seemed too minor to be a joke. Her research and progress were illegal, not just in Japan but across the planet. A taboo that no scientist was even allowed to theorize about. Should any of it get out, there'll be nowhere she could go, no one she could turn to, as every government would be obligated to hunt her down and seize her research to destroy it.
Izuku and Yuga stood with her… they saw their classmates, friends, teachers, and heroes as potential enemies.
How does one begin to reconcile that? How does one handle the realization that a friend they had been making, someone they got along with well, or just a good-mannered classmate would choose to stand against you? To stand against heroes like All Might? Ojiro didn't know, nor did the rest of their budding friend group. More than once, even as they flagged down some carts to take them towards this ceremony, most had tried to say something, to ask something of their friends, only to come up short.
Of course, Nezu could see how it wasn't so simple, even with their backs turned. His students seemed unhappy with this arrangement, but their love and respect for Ms. Midoriya kept them from trying to bridge the gap. He could tell they'd falter should the worst come, but so would his students. So, he held out his hand and gestured for the detective to do the same.
He wanted to see more for two reasons: to give them a chance to justify staying despite everything.
The first was curiosity. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enthralled by what he had learned, by the sheer implications of it all. He hadn’t earned his place as one of the world’s greatest minds through his quirk alone. He studied, theorized, and debated whenever possible. And this—this was knowledge that could revolutionize the world.
The second was fear. Any government would be expected to detain everyone involved and erase their research. Still, that assumption rested on believing such discoveries didn't exist. Now that they did, could they trust the government to act as expected?
Nezu was a hero and a teacher. He saw the best in people, especially his students. But he wasn't blind to human cruelty. Memories came to the surface despite his wishes, causing his scar to itch and tugging at his smile, but he refused to touch it.
For now, it was best that Professor Inko controlled this research—humanity couldn’t afford a quirk arms race.
Besides, denying his students the chance to, as the saying goes, 'man up' and settle whatever grievances they might have would be cruel. It was a terrible thing, after all, to let such things ruin friendships and the bonds formed from them.
Line Break
Eventually, they arrive at their destination. Walking in, they found that the ceremony facility seemed designed to what an anatomical theatre would look like.
At its core lay a vast enclosed room, its wall-reinforced concrete yet masked by rich wooden panels, leading a deceptive warmth to what seemed to be little more than a testing field. Within that space, nature had been allowed to take root-vines crept along the walls, shrubs clustered in the corners, and a small pond with koi reflected the lights, illumination designed to mimic the feel and appearance of what sunlight would be like despite them being over 100m below street level.
At the center stood a large wooden table, the sort one would find in a park, with benches built into it. Its inclusion led to some confusion from the newcomers. If this was a research facility, why did it have an artificial space designed like this? Did they have people down here who couldn't leave or something?
No, that wouldn't make sense. Such a system would only work if the person was studied 24/7…or monitored. That inclusion made more sense for the adults as they could see only two entry points covered by massive steel doors with no means of opening them from the inside.
The space they entered was the viewing area. It stretched halfway around the circular enclosure, with tiered seating designed for a sizable group to observe at any given time. Plush-looking chairs sat in 3 distinct rows, though some had people seated in them. On one, there was a group of people, an older couple, the presumed husband having a bull heteromorph gene while his wife had crystal-like hair.
None recognized them, but the person seated away from them, scrolling on their phone while waiting for the ceremony to start, couldn't be identified.
“Fuwa?!” Inversal yelled in shock at the sight of his-no, their student.
“Wah!” The pinked-haired second-year fell forward, and the rest of the room present turned to them. Those to the side were looking frightful. At the sight of so many heroes, a glance and nod from Inko calmed them as Fuwa got up, rubbing at her head. “Oh, it’s just you, Sakanade…sensei.”
It dawned on her that her hero teachers were in a secret underground facility. “Wait, why are you here?” She asked, looking between them, thoroughly lost as Inko sighed.
“It’s a long story, Fuwa dear. But for now, know they're also here to observe." She explained this to her, which Fuwa was still confused about as she turned to Izuku and Aoyama. Both nodded, though she could spot how they seemed closer to the former's mother than their classmates, whom she could assume were their classmates.
“Professor, is Fuwa the only one of my students in the know?" Nezu asked, all smiles, but they could tell that this had indeed caught him off guard and that, along with the inclusion of another one of his students in Inko's machinations, had peeved him off.
"Just her, " she replied, though that didn't mean the others didn't make themselves, as Aizawa could make out the uniforms of four other hero schools present. There were two students from Shiketsu, the larger of the two he and some of the other staff recognized as Yoarashi; the boy got the best performance in their recommendation exam and yet turned it down to attend their rival school.
Another student, also a boy, gave them an appraising look, seemingly trying to spot something that wasn't sharing. The moment Aizawa caught him staring, he smiled, even if he didn't seem like he wanted to approach.
Lastly, there was a girl present, her uniform marking her as a maiden of Seiai Academy. She hardly paid them attention once they walked in, more focused on aiding the technicians as they worked the computers, sensors, and machinery that dominated the area between the two seating areas. In her hands, she held a cup of tea.
"I can't believe it. We knew each other for a year, and never once did I suspect…" Sakanade rubbed at his face in disbelief.
“Don’t take it personally, Sakanade-sensei. I've had years of practice keeping that part secret. And it wasn't like there was a time in my first year where something would put focus on me." Fuwa told him she felt terrible that she had to keep it secret, especially as the hero course staff seemed like such pleasant people, but they were also dutiful heroes.
Sakanade sighed as the group finally decided to get some seats, spitting up between the two sides. However, they tried to give the other non-facility or students present some space. “True, you were never a student for trouble, even after Aizawa here expelled you and your entire class.”
“Wait, he did that?!” Tetsutetsu yelled, turning towards Aizawa.
“Out of everything we’ve seen so far, that’s the part that gets a reaction out of you?” Kendo asked him, but he didn't get a chance to answer as the lights dimmed and the viewing area darkened, leaving the main sources of light to be lights in the enclosure and the many screens being observed by the technicians. Inko took a back seat to this as she sat with her son.
"Let's try to keep things quiet. A ceremony is a time of great importance, " she told them all as things began.
"Sealing door behind processor A118." Through the cameras, students and heroes alike watched as the large steel doors slowly closed behind what looked to be a child no older than 5. The boy was oddly dressed in a white floor-length robe, which Shiozaki noted was similar to what choir boys wore. Atop the boy's head sat a pair of goggles. Other than the stuffed tiger they carried, that was all they had.
The more observant among them also noted that the boy was equipped with tracking equipment, such as the collar and bracelets, which seemed to be feeding info on their general health to one of the technicians, this one dressed in white robes denoting their position as the medical supervisor, which both assured and worried them.
Why would they need one, and why were the means to enter the enclosure built with a double-door formation?
"The door has been sealed, opening doors into the arena." The same technician called out, as they could hear the groan from the multi-ton slab of reinforced steel moving. The boy looked nervous about the situation, looking back the way he came, but ultimately, his little face hardened as much as a child could. He stepped forward, only out a yelp when the door closed behind him, sealing him in.
“Eun-woo, are you all right in there? Do you want to stop?” The group turned towards the other end of the seating, where the woman stood up, speaking into a microphone that projected her voice into the enclosure. The only means for the boy to know his parents were there was Nezu; the detective realized the windows were one-way glass, probably reinforced much like the rest of the space.
The boy looked around, but before he remembered, he didn't have his mother or father with him but did as he was told. He responded in his native tongue, much like his mother did, that being Korean. “I’m fine, mom! Big boys don’t get scared by doors. Today’s the day I get a quirk!”
“Just don’t push yourself, son. If you’re scared or unsure, we can stop right now. Just say the word.” The boy's father added, his tone conveying how his care for his son outweighed whatever quirk he could get. It was a shame that only a few could even understand the exchange.
“I…” The boy looked like he was about to do just that, as the place had been scary since they arrived, but then he looked at the stuffed lion he carried and found his courage. “I want to be like the other kids again, and lions don’t back down, so even if it’s scary, I won’t run!” He held up the lion for them to see, getting some chuckles from those who could understand him, Nezu included, as it was always pleasant to see a child's positivity.
With the boy still in it, they continued with the procedure as the guests witnessed how clean and professional this metaphorically and literally underground operation was being handled.
“Safety protocols?”
“All operational.”
“Fail safes?”
“All green.”
“Equipment operations”
“Perfect working order, no issues to report.”
“Vitals?”
“Steady and strong, no signs of deviation from the boy’s medical records.”
“All right, good morning, Choi. Do you remember me?” Intelli asked, speaking into a microphone. Hearing her voice, the lad reacted positively as he looked about again before he remembered she wasn't physically present.
“You’re the nice lady! The one that had the sweets.” Intelli chuckled at that, her laughter carrying over the speakers.
“I'm happy that you remember, Choi. I'm here with your parents, who are keeping a close eye on you, so don't be afraid.” She told him, with words as calm as a mother's touch, which only relaxed Izuku. He would never know how she mastered that skill.
“I promise I'll be like a big, strong lion!” Choi declared, though his age made it seem more adorable than powerful. Mina quietly gushed about how cute the kid was.
“I’m sure you will, but I wanted to let you know something's about to enter, so don't attack it; it's not a threat," Intelli told the boy, getting the attention of the staff as if they intended to send something through the second set of doors.
When the boy nodded, she stepped back and cut the mic, her face dropping to that of dispassionate professionalism. “Have the J.O.Y.E deploy.”
“Understood.”
“Joy?” Komori asked, to which Fukidashi shrugged. As the floor next to the table opened up, a smaller elevator to the one they rode came up; on it was a humanoid android, its metallic body shiny and sleek, painted to resemble human skin color. She wore a nurse's outfit with long, bright pink hair tied into two hoops to the backs of her heads and kind blue eyes.
In her hands, she carried one of their quirk containment boxes.
“Judicial Operations for Yielded Emergency Care.” Aoyama filled in for his friends, though his attention never left the enclosure. In fact, the staff noticed that none of the gathered students who knew about this dared look away. “J.O.Y.E for short. They’re androids that help around the labs and medical stations.”
“Good morning, young man. Sorry to bother you, but I'm here to deliver this little package. I hear that it's a present for you.” Much like J.E.N.N.Y., J.O.Y.'s voice might have been synthetic. Still, it was incredibly realistic, carrying the right amount of per and friendliness one would expect from a nurse as she effortlessly held the 300kg container to the table and gently placed it down.
“Okay.” The boy replied, still not in Japanese, leaving most of them in the dark.
“Bye now!” The J.O.Y.E bot waved with a smile as she returned to her little elevator and rode it down, the hole closing behind her, blending perfectly well with the rest of the tiled floor.
“Just how many robots does this place have?” Awase asked.
"A lot," Fuwa replied, smiling when she heard the first-year yelp. He didn't realize she had better hearing than most. “A friend of the Aoyama family has connections in the tech space back in France, and they send us their best stuff. We have to fine-tune them in-house, though." Aoyama hardly reacted to the praise by association.
"Alright, Choi. Just approach the container. We'll unlock it once you do," Intelli instructed as the boy approached the box and took a seat next to it on the bench.
“Processor A118 is in position. All screens are green.” One of the technicians reported, with Intelli turning to Inko. Not a word was spoken or a face made, but the older woman nodded all the while before the white-haired student turned back and gave the green light.
“Specimen E-341 to release in 5…4….3…2…1." Once the countdown ended, an audible hiss through the numerous mics embedded into the enclosure as the airtight triple-sealed lid on the container came undone and slowly opened. Immediately, the temperate within the space rose flames from nothing, spiraling around the enclosure. The sensors came alive with accelerated beeps and alerts.
“What the heck?” Uraraka yelled as the students witnessed what looked like an enraged inferno, taking shape into what looked like a boar glaring at everything around it, only for its form to dissipate into the flames.
“The boy’s in danger!” Snipe was already pulling out his gun, the rest of the teacher’s instincts getting them to move without thinking, All Might moment’s away from smashing through the window to get into the space and save the boy before he was burned to death.
“Don’t move!” Inko yelled, her voice carrying a level of authority and strength she seldom showed. In this case, it was just enough to stop All Might, who had gotten from his seat to the glass before she could so much as blink, his first having been a moment away from blowing a hole into the enclosure and ruining things. "This is standard; quirks always express themselves in such a manner, the lad’s in no danger.”
“I’ll beg to differ,” Aizawa glared at the inferno, but even with his erasure active, he found it as functional as it had been at the USJ. Was it because the flames the…quirk was creating blocked it from his view?
"Feed," Intelli spoke up. Their attention went to one of the screens fed by a camera directly overhead the enclosure. The screen showed that the boy, while frightened, wasn't harmed as the flames kept a safe distance from him.
"Still stable, the boy looks fine, " the woman reported, to which Intelli nodded. It seemed like whatever shock and fear the boy was feeling was fading. Instead, he was taken by the sight that formed before him—one that Intelli, who wore their special contacts, never thought she would tire of. The same was true for the rest, who had artificial quirks and thus could perceive what the rest of them couldn't.
“Vitals?” She questioned, following protocol to the letter.
“Slightly elevated, but that’s to be expected considering he’s seated in the heart of the storm.” Yes, that was expected. However, it was clear that their…unexpected guests didn't further prove that.
“Switch to KV mode.” She instructed as the cameras' lenses switched out their normal ones for their specially designed ones, similar to the goggles the little boy was wearing or the contacts that Intelli and Inko wore.
The change in lens allowed the rest to see that it wasn't just sentient fire but a creature inside the enclosure.
The flames had condensed into a more diminutive form, and they could now see a quadrupedal, pig-like beast. It looked larger than Nezu, though not by much, with most of that being more weight than length or height. Nothing more could be made, however, as it was still a being created from flames. But a curious one as it approached the boy and started to ‘sniff’ at him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, that’s what one of my unbound quirk spirits looks like, " Inko said as they listened to the boy try to converse with it.
“Hello, I'm Choi. What's your name?” There was no response, not one from words anyway, as they had come to expect. “Can you talk?” The quirk seemed to react, letting out little sniffles of ash and smoke, which just got the boy to laugh.
Midoriya finally turned away from the ceremony as he approached to advise the rest. "Before you see what's happening next, please be calm."
"What's about—" All Might wasn’t able to finish the question before the boy slumped over, his hand reaching out to a quirk that dissipated without warning. "He is alright, right?" he asked, directing the question towards Inko, who waved off the terrifying gaze of the symbol of peace.
"Calm yourself, All Might. The boy's quite fine. You didn't think bonding with a quirk would be as easy as snapping one's finger. It needs to settle into the host's body, and that body needs to rapidly mutate to accommodate it. Luckily, the process is painless and takes, at most, 30 minutes."
Line Break
To her word, the boy was up 10 minutes later, and with it was his quirk, which he happily carried in his hands. Now that the connection had been forged, they could see it clearer. It was primarily orange with oval eyes and a red snout with a thick yellow stripe. The upper portions of its head were dark brown, with long, pointed ears positioned closely together. Much like a normal, its legs were short, though its front feet were dark brown with, finally, a dark brown band covering its lower back and rear with a curly tail tipped with a ruddy red sphere.
The boy was still in the enclosure and was only now with his parents as he showed off his new friend and life-long partner to them. Choi's form also changed; he looked much more tanned than before, bordering orange, while pig-like ears had formed on his head. None of this seemed to bother him or his parents, as he seemed thrilled to share such traits with his quirk.
“That was it? He has a quirk now?” Saffron asked as the lights came back on.
"Correct, one that he'll have for the rest of his days," Inko replied, a proud smile on her face as she looked onward at the happy family, a reaction born from their efforts.
"It's always amazing to see a ceremony like that. It lights a fire in my veins!" Yoarashi cried, which got some confused looks from the students, but the heroes and staff handled their reactions better.
"It is amazing. It might be something akin to a baptism for us." Shindo added, a fox-like smile on his face even as Shiozaki looked ready to contest his comparison.
"I have a feeling his parents are going to take him out for some fun on the town before they head back to Korea," Utsushimi noted, which was good for them as they needed to get going soon.
"So, there'll be no lingering side effects?" Ectoplasm asked as the foreign family was escorted out of the enclosure, one of those J.O.Y.E. android, or maybe the same one, they couldn’t tell, returning to collect the now empty container.
“Nothing detrimental to his health or wellbeing. His diet might also change to include things his quirk might like to eat, like how Aoyama and I.” Midoriya replied. As for the two, it was mainly dietary, and while it would be seen as odd, that was it.
"They rarely go through a physical change, but we've seen nothing to indicate any issues." Intelli approached, giving Izuku a quick kiss on the cheek. The boy was waving about in joy and Mineta held back the scream of how unfair that was. "Rest easy, despite how extremely illegal all of this is. We haven't had a single issue with the quirks or those who come to call them theirs."
"Well, that answers some of my questions but not the rest," Nezu stated, as while he had reservations, thus far, he hadn't seen anything that he couldn't…ignore for the moment. "Namely, how you and young Midoriya handled yourselves at the USJ."
"Let's discuss them away from here. It's gonna be a bit long." Inko gestured for the exit, and this time, they were more eager to follow after her, the professor now joined by the student they found supervising things, the girl holding onto Izuku's hand as the two whispered to and fro, only Jiro and Nezu hearing what was said, and while the latter could just ignore it, the latter was blushing a little.
Line Break
Much like the enclosure, the boardroom space they entered was well-built to mimic what the room would look like. It had been built several floors above ground, with the 'windows projecting the city skyline and, with a glance at the time, a time-accurate one.
The table that waited for them was large enough for Inko to sit at the head, and there was plenty of room for the teachers to follow suit. Nezu sat on the opposite end, facing off against their legally dubious counterpart. The students flanked either side, but at least this time, Izuku, Aoyama, and Saiko, if Nezu heard it right, weren't so blatant about where they stood, instead standing close to the middle.
"Let's cut to the chase. You want to know why my son and godson decided to try and kill that monster without hesitation." Inko stated.
“That would be the core of the issue, though from what we know, it was unprecedented. The villain, who goes by Shigaraki Tomura, and Midoriya conversed initially. They claimed that the creature was made and had stolen quirks." Nezu stated, his attention turning to the boy in question.
"We did, I…well, those with artificial quirks can see other quirks, mainly when they're in use. We can also see their general condition, and I could tell that its quirks were not its own and in great turmoil." They would have been skeptical if Midoriya had tried to explain that earlier. However, after that 'ceremony' business, the teachers and their fellow students became more open-minded.
"I agree; when I arrived at the battle, I saw something similar and moved to try and silence it," Aoyama stated, frowning on his face but little else to show his discomfort with his murder-first approach.
"But did the professor not claim you've found ways to hold quirks? We've all witnessed that crate-like device holding that pig quirk. Do you not have smaller units that could prevent such…violence?" Cementoss asked, as he could still vividly recall the creature's condition when it was all said and done.
Of course, if those containers they saw were the only ones they had, he could understand that carrying even one with them would be impractical, as it looked heavy enough that most would need both hands.
“We do; however, we don't carry them on our persons at all times," Inko pressed a button as her son spoke, causing a TV screen to pop out of the wall cabinet and display one such capture ball, both how it opened up to suck up a captured quirk spirit, and how it could shrink to a more manageable size. "While they are designed for short-term storage, they’re great for field work.”
“I’m sensing an however.” The detective spoke, having decided that he would learn more if he asked some questions, even if all of this made him regret getting out of bed.
"That would be their design. They're rather unique, and we generally carry them while we're sent out on hunts to capture wayward quirk spirits much like the ones at the USJ." Aoyama explained. “You can imagine that carrying something seen in the hands of an unknown group of vigilantes is just asking to be noticed.”
"So, can I confirm that over the last few years, this rise of an apparent unified vigilante organization has been you're doing as well?" the detective asked, as that had been something of a mystery for them. They had no leads or possible suspects on file. They couldn't even be sure all the cases were legit as they often fled the scene before they were seen if they were there, to begin with.
Nezu filed away that such cases would fit aspects of young Ms Fuwa’s quirk quite nicely and that, for some, even if he couldn't place her close to such cases, he would need to cross-reference some things later.
"Yes, though we don't go after criminals like heroes or other vigilantes do, but only after our chosen hunt: Quirk spirits," Inko told them, as despite how much her son and others wanted to help, they couldn't risk themselves or the work they did. This idea ran counter to the heart her boy was born with and often led to him stepping in powerless if needed to keep to that restriction.
“I’m sorry, but could you explain that?” Jiro asked as this was getting a little too complicated. “At the USJ, that…thing seemed like it wasn’t acting like the villains thought it would, and surely such things would make the news more often.”
“There was an ice villain almost a year ago,” Todoroki spoke up, recalling his father mentioning it in passing and how, out of curiosity, he looked into it. It ran rampant so long they had to call in my father to help with their capture."
His eyes narrowed as he remembered what he heard and what his old man could admit when pressed. "He never did. Instead, a strange vigilante appeared, managed to stop the crisis, and vanished with what he claimed was the culprit. In fact, my father said he managed to escape because of a strange mirror trick."
Todoroki's words focused on Midoriya, who they knew had a flame form, and Aoyama, whose use of mirrors had played a chief role in defeating their monster. Still, the fact that they were able to fool the number two hero, someone with the most resolved cases than the other hero, was no small feat and only added to the mystery around them.
"That was us. As for the culprit, that was what a quirk spirit could do." Midoriya didn't deny the allegation; it would have been foolish to do so. "My mother's research revealed their existence and the fact that without a physical body, it's nigh impossible to really damage or kill them. That's part of why even at the USJ, despite the punishment you all gave the thing, it didn't stay down."
“But if they’re that dangerous, and you’ve handled them in the past, why haven’t we heard more about this?” Shoji asked a good question. "Such attacks where heroes wouldn't even be able to see it, much less do lasting damage, seems to be a recipe for disaster."
"That would be because of how quirk spirits are born," Midoriya stated.
“And how would that be?” Kirishima asked, frowning as he tried to understand things, even if a part of him worried about all of this.
"A quirk spirit, or Ha, are naturally occurring quirks that each of you has. They become spirits when you pass away as unlike your soul; if such a thing exists, they don't cross over at the time of death." Aoyama explained that they weren't in the business of figuring out faith or the existence of Gods or heavens.
"That must mean there could be untold millions of them in the world," Kaibara noted, as who knew how many people died every year. Not just villain attacks but disease, accidents, or age.
"Possible, though it's not so simple. It's true that baring my son and godson, our quirks will manifest into spirits that exist when we don't; most vanish within days." Inko told them, which brought some relief as they had begun to worry they would be facing a tsunami of walking disasters most of them couldn’t even see, much less fight.
"I've seen plenty of the years, but most that don't progress to the next level of quirk spirit last less than a month and never cause trouble. They typically just move about minding their business." Aoyama added.
“And those that don’t?” Kendo asked.
“Those would be level 2 and above. In the case of level 2, or Jitsunagi, they’re quirks whose holders had a strong attachment to some aspect of the living world. They can linger for months if not years.” Intelli explained, taking a remote to activate a little PowerPoint filled with detailed drawings and cliff notes Izuku had made for this situation.
“Fortunately, most Jitsunagi are also harmless as their attachments are non-violent. Maybe there was a park they visited frequently, a restaurant they liked, or even a person they cared for. We keep tabs on them but rarely need to intervene as they all have an instinctive urge not to cause trouble." She stated. In most examples, she showed people or quirk-like beings just minding their business or conversing with one another, all while the world went on around them.
"But if the first 2 levels aren't issues, what deal with that Nomu thing?" Tetsutetsu asked as that monster was sure as shit, not friendly or passive.
Intelli changed the slide to show a different sort of spirit, one that looked threatening and large and was wrecking houses through a city street. Todoroki recognized it from the drawing of snow and ice around it.
“That would be a level 4, shishiha. They differ from a level 3 or Gekiha as while those have violent attachments to the living, like the quirk of a person who was murdered, they are typically new and comparatively easy to handle. That ice villain Todoroki mentioned fell into the Gekiha rank, though stronger than the norm." With the image, there was also the picture of the boy it belonged to, with notes on how he was a victim of human traffickers and passed while in their custody.
Seeing that made the audience clench their fist, glare, or tear up. Not even someone as abrasive as Bakugo could not have a reaction to seeing the face of some kid, someone that should have been saved but…wasn't, and like this was some comic book, his 'soul' or whatever you wanted to call it came back for blood.
All Might also had a similar reaction, as while he was the best hero and the one who people relied on the most, he had learned a long time ago the bitter lesson that he was only a man. He couldn't be everywhere; he couldn't save everyone. How many become these spirits? How many wronged souls left the world in pain, fear, or anger at the injustice done to them, only to turn their negativity onto others?
Intelli saw the reactions she was getting and continued with the presentation, moving into a different beast, smaller than the last but drawn to convey its speed and agility as it leaped through a city, leaving those chasing it to play catch-up.
“Shishiha, take that and add incredible power; we're lucky that this was on the weaker scale as most would be much smarter and have displayed the capacity to think and plan. More than that, those at this level have cannibalistic tendencies.”
“Cannibal, as it they eat people?!” Ashido yelled as if that thing from the USJ could have eaten her.
"Not people, your quirk. I'm sure you've heard reports of people being attacked by unseen threats or going missing, only to wind up dead or comatose; those poor souls are victims of shishiha trying to increase their power by feeding on the quirks of others.” Intelli explained as she brought up news filings and what looked to be police reports they had gotten their hands on through unknown and no doubt illegal means.
Each details people being attacked at all times, from the middle of the morning to late evening, rain, or shrine. Others mentioned people just going missing. In every, at worse, their remains were found days later, with signs of a violent attack of some kind, comparable to what an encounter with a wild animal would be like.
Others, believed to be the 'lucky' ones, would fall into comas, and only a fifth would have woken up. All Might remembered those cases best, as in every single one; the victims couldn't remember much other than monsters, but they never described the same one. What drew his attention was the fact that they all woke up quirkless.
He shared a look with Nezu and Tsukauchi, as all those cases were meant to be sealed on a need-to-know basis. So how did Ms. Midoriya and her people get their hands on them?
“But if they’re trying to get stronger, would that mean they’re a level stronger?” Tokoyami asked the dreaded question, to which Intelli went to the next slide, which didn't have an image, just notes and stats.
“Correct, a Tarasque. Such are the oldest and, by far, the most dangerous type of quirk spirit. They've reached a point where they can consume even other quirk spirits. As you saw, it's hard enough to take down a level 4 and a weak one. If a level 5 were to appear…the best thing I can tell you is to run."
“So you have no means to fight one?” Iida asked, as just fleeing from a threat to human lives was unthinkable.
"Incorrect, but" Inko was the one that spoke up, and for the first time today, she seemed…ruffled. No, that didn’t seem like the right word for the look of dread she had. "We've only encountered 2. One in Northern France, and other in Hokkaido…”
"In both cases, the teams sent to handle them lost at least half their members. That is why we send teams after anything related to shishiha and above. To minimize the risk and ensure that those sent return alive. What you witnessed at the USJ was luck, which was simpler and simpler. If that beast was smarter, I can tell you, not everyone here would still be." She was blunt as she recalled the incidents. She couldn't forget them as the people that went after them; she-everyone thought it would be an easy job, that they had managed to learn from shishiha and could adapt.
They were wrong…so very wrong. The only silver lining was that they were encounters far from population centers, as beasts of that age, despite their hunger, tried to stay away from them for no other reason than the fear of eventually meeting something that could kill them.
"That is why they went for the kill and are trained for it. Quirk spirits are more dangerous than any villain. Ideally, we capture and detain them here or in another location. Still, if capture proves impossible, we must do what we can to protect people." Inko told them, as she knew that her work, their world, was not cut and dry and, in many instances, went against the ideals of heroism, but it was necessary. Before her, such beasts would go unchallenged; it was blind luck that they hadn't acted out sooner.
“That’s what I wished to show you, what I wanted you all to understand about things.” She finished with a sigh, turning a wary eye towards Nezu. “So…what is your response.”
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We’re back with another chapter, and with my scheduling issue resolved, I’m not running on fumes to get this done! To be frank, most, if not all, of this was meant to happen in the last chapter, but even with my little change to how I write, that didn't pan out. Turns out revealing all of that takes time, and doing it in a way that doesn't feel like I'm just throwing it in your face even more so. Also, I've managed to write several reviews for stories I like, as I was falling behind on a lot of them, while others have been going on so long that I'm reading parts of them that were uploaded years ago, fanfiction versions of One Piece if you think about it. You can start now, but even if you watch 2 episodes a day, you'll be playing catch-up for over a year.4
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Holy hell, was that a long chapter. I might cut next week's chapter count to compensate for it.
Comments
Izaya Yozora
Honestly love the chapter, as 33’s cutoff actually got me to join and find out what happens, may just stay since your writing is so good
