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Chapter 3: Genesis
🕑 Added 2024-04-15 15:03:40 +0000 UTCIn a pretty good mood, I finished work on my chapter for Path of Storms. It ended up being so long that I could split it into two chapters, with the second being about 70% done because of that. I finally made a fictional map, which I know isn't much. Still, I'm an alt-history enjoyer, so seeing a global map of my creation just pleased the map nerd in me.
Anyway, as promised in the last chapter, depending on how it goes, this chapter and maybe the next will help explain this world, especially since I made Aoyama a larger player, which is rare. Even though he significantly impacts things(no spoilers), he's just a background character.
“Text” – Normal speech
‘Text’ - Thought
“Text” – Radio/Communication lines
“Text” – None Japanese speech
(text) – Subtext/meaning behind a spoken word
Chapter 3: Genesis
Perhaps it was a cliché, but Miyuki Aoyama felt it appropriate that it was raining. The downcast outside their wealthy home reflected the mood in his living room. The tea his wife had made had gone untouched between them as they read another report from a paediatrician whom they had insisted on as thorough an examination as he could.
“It’s hopeless. He’s 5 years old and yet no quirk.” He sighed in French, combing a hand through his silver hair, his glasses already resting on the table
“He can still develop one. He could be a late bloomer like I was.” His wife, a French national he had met while working in Paris, tried to cheer him up.
Despite that, and appreciating the effort, this was a hard truth that they had to accept. “Marcelle, we've been to 5 specialists, 3 in France and 2 here. It's…it's a fact.” They had hoped and prayed that it wouldn't be so, that there was a mistake, but there came a point where pushing further would merely be pointless delusion. And their son didn't need that; he needed his parents to be strong and act like rocks, so they put him to bed early so they could talk.
“What do we do then? You saw what the other kids are like," Marcelle asked. The blond woman worried sick for her son as she saw how the others cut him off. Even when it came time for her to pick him up, where the others played with one another, he sat alone in the corner.
"I know dammit! I know my son is," Miyuki got up, enraged over what? He didn't know, but upon seeing the surprised and scared look on his wife's face, his rage bled out, leaving him feeling pathetic; she didn't deserve that. “Sorry…sorry, this isn't on you, on either of us, it's just fate being a cruel mistress.” He didn't have quirkless parents, neither did his wife. They had checked when his quirk didn't appear, and their regular doctor reported that he was quirkless. Sure, they both had a quirkless grandparent, but what were the odds of that recessive gene surviving 2 generations to meet in their baby boy?
"Maybe we can enrol him in a special program, one with other quirkless kids," Marcelle suggested, but he shook his head.
"And where will we find that? You heard the doctors. Quirkless kids are a 'rarity." The global numbers may state that 1 in 5 was quirkless, but they left out that over 60% of those numbers were over 50. Quirkless people below 25 were a mere 15% of that already low number.
“Then what are our options? You’ve seen those God-awful news stories?” Marcelle said that while they took their son from expert to expert, curiosity and fear led them to research the lives of quirkless in the modern day.
What they found didn't paint anything good, from bullying from classmates and peers to discrimination to even cases of quirk-based violence against them by people who wished to enact their misguided revenge for early anti-quirk laws. Her son was 5! He and so many others couldn't be held responsible for those actions of the old and dead. He was still the same loving, flamboyant and free-spirited angel she loved.
Her husband was in agreement, but he had a solution, but one he was hesitant to even bring up. “There is…a way, but it’s a deal with the devil.”
“What is it?” He wasn't sure how he'd phrase this, as his work as a diplomat didn't just give him a chance to meet his wife by chance on the streets of Paris; it also meant that, at times, he acted as a liaison between Japan and France’s hero regulatory bodies, putting him in proximity with talks that didn't make it public and hearing stories that were so desperately suppressed.
"There are stories of a figure in the underworld." He could already tell that his wife disapproved of this. Still, she trusted him enough not to immediately assume he was dirty like they would have in their shows. Someone who can give and take quirks, and that he's willing to part with them."
Marcelle didn’t even consider it. “No. We can't…we won't take that option. If he's a villain, he'll hold it over our heads forever, over Yuga's head!" Such a force couldn't be trusted, and she damn well wouldn't put that kind of weight on her baby's head, as he would learn sooner or later.
Miyuki raised his hands in surrender, though he wasn’t nearly as invested in that as she thought. "I know, I know, but…we don't have a lot of good options here."
“Excuse me, my lady. My lord.” Both jumped from their seats on the sofa. Turning to the entrance to the room, they saw a smartly dressed man with jet-black hair, perfectly combed to cover one of his eyes as he bowed to them.
"Oh, Ishigami. I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in." Marcelle took a breath, thinking it silly that she had forgotten about the help.
Ishigami didn't fault them for it, as only he and the nanny had been on leave due to a stomach bug. "It was rude of me to enter without knocking first, but I wished to offer a suggestion to help with the issue on the young master."
“What is it?” Miyuki asked, desperate or not, trusting that the man who had faithfully worked for them for 8 years would have a good idea or at least the best of the worst.
“I was reading a news article about a Japanese researcher the other day. She did work into quirks and even worked at I-island for a time." The butler explained that, though there was a flaw in that, there was an inconsistency.
“Why’d she leave such a post? Most researchers would give an arm and a leg to get employment there.” Marcelle asked, as she had friends back in high school and college that talked about the place, how it was a modern-day House of Wisdom where all the world's best and brightest gathered to research, debate and create cutting-edge technologies and breakthroughs in all other manners of science and engineering.
Ishigami, unfortunately, didn't have the answers to that. "It doesn't say, but it did mention it wasn't a dismissal, so her talents shouldn't be lacking."
“Marcelle?” Miyuki asked his wife, as this seemed like a long shot. She agreed, but it wasn't like they had many options.
"Better her than whoever that villain could be. Even if she can't help, it won't hurt to speak with her." She stated as her husband hummed in agreement.
Looking towards their faithful butler, he stated. "True. Ishigami, find this woman's contact information and schedule a meeting, preferably next week."
“It shall be done.” The butler bowed again and stepped out, closing the doors behind him.
Line Break
“This is the place?” Miyuki asked as he looked out the window at the rather humble-looking office front that awaited them. It had taken around a week for this meeting to be set up, but they had expected to meet with the woman in a hospital or university. Instead, they drove to a largely residential part of town, one for those of lesser means than themselves, to meet her in what looked to be a converted single-family home acting as a medical practice.
Ishigami, acting as the family's driver, nodded. "Yes, master. I triple-checked and confirmed it with the neighbours. They stated that the practice is new, having only been in operation for a few months."
“A downgrade from I-island researcher,” Marcelle noted, holding her son’s hand as he wearily looked around the place. “But we already made the appointment.” She concluded that they asked Ishigami to remain in the car, and they got out and walked across the street. Opening the gate, they walked through the small front area, which had little but bright flowers, as they looked at the sign that hung atop the door.
"Midoriya Family Clinic," Marcelle read as they entered, their arrival being announced by the little bell over the door. Inside, they saw that the front area had been converted into a small reception area with a couple of chairs, a coffee table with a magazine resting on it, and a flower vase. Towards the back, next to the hallway that led deeper into the building, was a receptionist's desk manned by a rather young-looking shark heteromorph.
“Afternoon,” Miyuki greeted.
"Oh, afternoon. I'm sorry, but we're closed at the moment. However, I can direct you to a great alternative place if your son needs a check-up." The girl greeted them back with a smile.
“We’re aware. We’re the Aoyama’s, we arranged a meeting over the phone?” Marcelle replied.
“Let me check." The teenage receptionist said, checking their books and immediately seeing that the two were honest. Oh yes, you're penned for right now! Please, allow me to lead the way." Getting up from her desk, she flattered out her shirt, revealing that she wasn't wearing a uniform but dressed like she would if she were going about any typical day. Leading them through, the girl hummed a little tune to herself.
“You’re quite young to be working at a clinic.” Miyuki tried to make light conversation.
"Yeah, it's a part-time thing. My grand-dad knows Mrs. Midoriya and set up up." She replied, flicking some of her hot pink hair over her shoulder.
“Mrs, not doctor?” Marcelle noted that it didn't seem like a good sign.
"She hasn't earned that yet. Having to split her time between here and being a single mother doesn't leave much time for studying. But I can assure you that's more than trained and experienced enough for anything general medical needs you might have." The receptionist defended her employer and assured them of her skills as they reached the door to Midoriya’s office. Knocking on it, she spoke. “Mam, your appointments have arrived.”
Getting permission to enter, she opened the door to the small office; the slim woman in a white doctor's robe was seated at her desk. “Thank you,” She thanked the receptionist, who had Yuga with her, his parents wishing to have this chat privately as they gave the boy a hug and a promise that they'd get ice cream on the way home. With the two children gone, Inko rose and shook both their hands. “Welcome. I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting such a call.”
"Well, we're close to the end of our rope and wish to speak with you." Leading them back to the desk, where two chairs were in front of it, Inko raised an eyebrow at that statement as she was far from a crisis centre.
"If you're here to try and hire me, I've already clarified my stance." She stated almost without thinking, as her time at I-island and her career leading up to it had meant that she wasn't lacking when it came to high-end job offers, even a spot at Central Hospital, but while lucrative, they would have taken too much time away from her life’s work.
"No, I mean, yes, but it's complicated." She frowned at the man’s confusing statement.
“Explain.” Inko didn't see herself as a harsh or demanding person; her old friend Masaru and she were cut from the same cloth. But that didn't mean she couldn't put her foot down when needed, and she loathed to waste time. She had promised to spend time with her son but decided that a call like this was important enough to postpone it. She hoped they didn't waste her time.
The two parents shared a look, feeling that this wasn't getting off to the right start, before they decided to cut off pointless statements and questions and get to the heart of it. "We wanted to ask about your research on I-island, as the papers discussed how you were involved in quirk research." Marcelle started, with Inko frowning harder as they brought that up.
Leaning back in her cheap office chair, she stated a rehearsed response. “I’m not at liberty to talk about that.”
“Why?” Miyuki asked, to which she met his gaze without flinching.
"NDA, under penalty of being criminally charged if I break it." That caught both their attention as NDA, non-disclosure agreements were typically signed between private parties, and breaking them usually meant civil penalties. To have criminal means, she signed it with a government agency, but why would she do that? I-island wasn't a part of Japan. It wasn't a part of any one country. Miyuki knew that they had their own laws, but for them to block her from speaking about her research, no, he couldn't think like that.
There were several ways he could have done this. He could have threatened her, raged, or bribed her, but none of them came to mind. Instead, he went with the honest approach and pleaded with her. Please. It's our son. He was born quirkless, but we hope you can help us." That seemed to catch her interest, her eye shifting to the picture of herself and a little boy that looked just like her, the boy wearing an All Might onesie, the background hinting that this was taken while she was still at I-island.
“A son?” She asked, both nodding as Marcelle pulled her phone out. The locked screensaver showed the family on a beach, all three smiling at the camera with a little blond boy in his father's arms, a sunhat over his head.
"He's only five, the brightest star in the sky, that one. But as the days go by, his quirk doesn't develop," She explained, but she couldn't bring herself to mention the rest, though Inko understood that perfectly. “Please, you must have something.” Marcelle and Miyuki begged of her.
Inko was at an impasse. She understood the struggles of parenthood, and while these two were wealthier than her family, that didn't mean that she couldn't empathize with him, especially with the case around their son. She considered they could be lying, but that look, desperation, and love for the boy in the picture were honest. But if she told them what she knew, what she had been doing, and they ratted her out, she could quickly end up locked up in Tartarus, such was the weight of her crimes in the eyes of the world.
Sighing, she decided to take that chance. Getting up from her seat, she looked out the window towards the back, where she could see her angel playing in the sandbox, along with the blonde visitor. She couldn't hear them, but she could tell in her heart that they were having fun, being able to act like kids without the fear of isolation or bullying.
"My boy. He's not had the best time since I took him to the doctor, and he confirmed the same thing. So, when I got to go to I-island, I took it. If there was any way where I could do it, it was there." She started, giving the Aoyama’s hope.
“Awaken latent quirks?” Miyuki asked her, but she shook her head.
"No. Our children are quirkless; they have no quirk gene to activate. So, I looked into a way to do the impossible,” She turned to them, no humour to be found in her. “Creating quirks. Artificial quirks.” They would have said she was crazy, that you couldn’t do that, but there was something in her emerald gaze, a will and power that couldn’t just be ignored.
“You know I was at I-island for a while, right?” She asked, curious how much they knew about her and her work.
Marcelle thought about it, as she had read into it during the time it took to set up the meeting. “It said you left after 2 years, but not the why.”
Inko nodded. “That’s part of the NDA. I put my all into the project, researched and experimented to refine it, and everything I had learned while studying biology, quirk science, genetics and biochemical engineering. I even managed to public 3 papers; hence, the reason Japanese papers wanted those interviews; it's always great PR where a scientist from this place made this breakthrough." She didn't seem all that thrilled that she was interviewed for an international read science journal and the Tokyo Times.
"You don't sound all that happy," Marcelle noted.
Inko signed, resting against the window sill. "It's because I'm not. I might have said that we confirmed in early tests that my theories on the nature of quirks had weight. Still, we made progress!” she gripped at the wood, her quirk flaring out of rage as her pencil shot off her desk. Still, she caught it without looking, displaying a skill that could only come from practice, or this happening enough times that she learned out of necessity.
They didn't know it, but those interviews were never the whole story. It was clear that all of them were less about what she could tell them and more about the fact that another Japanese scientist, a woman, was making headway at I-island.
"But then the board shut it down. I pleaded with them my work could save so many lives, but they feared that it could threaten the balance of the world and that even governments were putting pressure on them to end it. I couldn't fight them, not alone." Inko seemed to want to say more, as that last part implied something. Still, they didn't know what it was as she looked to the side, lost in a memory of appearing before the board, begging for her case, and being rejected.
Taking a breath so as not to dig up feelings from the past, she continued the explanation. “So, I complied and ceased all research, destroyed samples and handed over everything else to be locked away.” She smiled at them like a fox that found a second entrance into the hen house. "At least that's what I told them. I couldn't save all of it, but I secretly copied as much of it as possible and handed over the genuine ones. When I resigned, I smuggled out my extremely illegal contraband."
"I returned home, opened this clinic, and secretly continued my research, but as you can imagine, I don't have the time, materials, or funds, so it's all moving at a snail's pace." She finished, waiting for their response to hear that she was basically an international criminal, that they could easily be caught up in any investigation of her as compliant now that they knew. They could fix that by playing dumb, so long as they didn't try and make her do something she didn't like or threaten her son, she would be willing to go along with that. But they could also turn around and turn her in like a good citizen was supposed to.
“Is that the only limit?” Inko blinked at that rather strange question.
“Pardon?” Marcelle looked her dead in the eye, an iron to her blue-eyed gaze.
"Materials, time, funding—those are the things you're lacking to actually do it. To create quirks?” She asked again, Inko realizing that perhaps they were willing to help, but she didn't want to raise their spirits.
"As a researcher, I can't say with certainty," Miyuki raised her hand, cutting her off.
“Is it all you need?” He pressed as firmly as his wife but also as desperate, which Inko didn't like; she knew that research projects didn't always end where you wanted them to. But the thing,
She wanted what it too.
“Yes.” She relented, and Miyuki immediately pulled out his chequebook and a fancy fountain pen. Pulling the cap off, he started writing into it.
“Then you’ll get it. We’re not wealthy, not that kind anyway, but we can fund you the best we can.” He told her as he handed her the cheque, thanking him for it; she looked at it, assuming that it wouldn't be all that much, only for her eyes to shoot as wide as dinner plates when she saw the amount of 2.1 million Yen, looking back at them, slack-jawed she wondered that the hell they meant when they said they weren't 'that kind of wealthy'.
Line Break
As the adults did their business, the reception girl brought Yuga to the back, opening the sliding door to reveal that it had been left largely unchanged. What better place for kids to relax than in a backyard set-up they would be familiar with? "Why don't you wait out here?"
“By myself?” Yuga asked, scared. She smiled and directed his gaze to the side, where there sat a sandbox with one other person in it, a boy his age.
“Oh no, Izuku’s around. He’s always at the sand pit,” She bent lower to whisper in his ear. “A little secret, if you talk about All Might, he won’t stop.” With that said, and one final wave, she left to return to her post. Yuga didn't like that he was here; he didn't like that he couldn't stay with Momma and Pappa, but he took a breath and walked forward. His parents were doing grown-up stuff, so he couldn't be with them; he had to be here, and maybe, just maybe, the other boy was lovely.
“Hey…” He said, having walked up to the green-haired boy, who didn't notice him coming as he jumped in fright, scaring Yuga as well. He looked and saw that he had been building a sandcastle like he did at the beach with his parents, but he didn't have water, so it wasn't going well.
Seeing another kid he didn't recognize from kindergarten, Izuku did his best to calm his heart. "Sorry…I didn't see you there; I thought Mom wasn't seeing people today." She said she just needed to check on something, and then they could go to the park for a picnic.
"My mamma and pappa wanted to speak with her," Yuga replied, Izuku nodding but keeping his mouth shut. The two didn't know what else to say and didn't want to come off as mean either, leaving them awkward until Yuga remembered the reception lady's advice. “Do you like All Might?”
“Hmm! He’s the coolest, bestest hero out there.” Hearing that question seemed to banish all Izuku's bashful energy away as his smile lit up like the sun. He always smiles when he saves people. I want to be like him when I'm big." Izuku daydreamed about what he'd be like, smiling evermore as Yuga giggled, the happiness proving infectious as he sat in the sandpit with Izuku.
“I like him too, but Lady Arc is better.” He started, with Izuku knocking his head to the side in confusion.
“Whose Lady Arc?” It was Aoyama's turn to gush. He didn't spend too much time in Japan, having been born in his mother's country, so he kept up with their stuff more.
“She’s a French hero…heri, female hero.” He gave up trying to recall the word; he could ask his nanny or parents later. “She’s like All Might, tall, strong and fights crime like she’s a dancer.” She always said the world was a stage, and people were the performers, so she made her actions flashy and dynamic, always catching all the attention and saving lives.
Izuku leaned forward, eager for more since it's been forever since he could talk about heroes with people. “She sounds fun! Do you want to ask if we can watch videos of her?”
"But I don't have a phone," Aoyama replied, which Midoriya had to agree with, but then he remembered someone who did.
“We can ask Fujiwara! She’s super nice.” He got up, not caring that sand was all over his legs.
“Fujiwara?” Aoyama asked, as he didn't know if she was nice.
Midoriya nodded. “She works at the front, the table at the entrance. Come on, oh! My name is Izuku, what’s yours?” He introduced himself.
“Yuga…” Aoyama did the same and hesitated to take his hand, but he couldn't stop himself when he looked at Izuku and saw his bright eyes. He was warm.
Pulling the taller boy up, he hauled him towards the door that led him back inside. “Come one, Yuga. I want to watch her, and then I can show you my favourite All Might video!” He has always wanted to share his love of All Might and show his favourite video. It wasn't as famous as him fighting villains, but he thought saving people was way more relaxed, and he hoped his new friend thought so, too.
Neither boy knew that their chance encounter would only be the start of something beautiful, a friendship that went as deep as the ocean and was stronger than steel.
Line Break
“Is everything ready?” Inko, older and, she hoped, wiser, asked as she stood in an observation room. It had been a long time since that meeting, where she secured her first patron for her research. The funding she managed to acquire for her work, all under the table to keep anyone not in the know away from it, had meant that she had long moved from her tiny medical practice to a new facility. Granted, it was an old warehouse that she had only recently purchased. However, the construction company completed most of the work within the schedule, including this area listed for testing.
They just left out what that testing was for.
“Everything’s in place, mam.” Her worker, a notion that still made her chuckle at times, replied, as she had hired several other people, all young up-and-coming graduates, bright minds, and lacking in the more solid sensibilities of their older companions who would have sold them out by now.
“Status on the specimens?” She asked, her eyes lingering on the two safe like devices in the middle of the room. Both were silent but once opened…
“Nothing that we didn’t predict.” Someone else monitoring their perfected specimens, or at least, the most stable they'd managed to create. They had already passed the first testing phases but now had to clear the second.
“4 years of planning and research, trial and error.” Inko breathed out
“And tens of millions in funding,” The patriarch of the Aoyama family noted as he and his wife were present. Screens behind them showed the faces of the rest of her investors and donors, many French nationals. It was still a small group, only around 8 people strong. Still, their funding had been the lifeblood they needed, as that original check for 2.1 million became a monthly budget of 910,000. It wasn’t much, a far cry to the literal millions she could access at I-island, but it made her more inventive, which paid off.
“Mr. Aoyama, I can assure you,” She started, but the man laughed it off.
“Please, Inko. I didn’t mean it like that. You've made this worth it, even if it doesn't end like we want it to." She wasn't so sure about the other investors. Still, she owned the Aoyama's trust, as they've been kind over their time together.
Marcelle added. "Even if he can't get a quirk, our sons have become friends. They might as well be glued at the waist." She smiled, as she loved seeing how much her son's demeanour had reverted to what it was because he was confirmed quirkless.
"I still can't believe he likes spending sleepovers with us when you live in a house that dwarfs our apartment." Inko joked, as while she got good pay, they still lived in an apartment, even if they moved to a nicer one a couple of years back.
"I think he'll sleep in a box if he meant they could spend time together," Miyuki replied. As. While he found himself travelling a lot more these days, whenever he was home, his boy was either with his best friend or the two were playing around in their yard.
“Speaking of,” Inko reached for the microphone, pressing a button to connect it to the speakers below. “Boys?”
“Yes, mam?” Aoyama was the first to respond. He sounded chip and ready as he entered from one side of the room.
“Yes, mom?” Her son, by contrast, was a little more reserved, no doubt concerned for this.
“Are you two ready? Remember, if we need to postpone,” She started, but they cut her off.
“No, we can do this!” Aoyama, in a moment that was becoming common with him, replied with confidence.
“Yeah, today’s the day!” The same with her boy as if all went well, then their 4 years of waiting as she worked on this project would finally end. Hearing that, she looked towards one of the technicians, no nodded back at her and got to work.
“Sealing doors behind processor A1 and A2 now.” Through the cameras, they watched as the two large steel doors slowly closed behind them, trapping them in the go-between area between the testing arena and the rest of the facility. Instead, the two wore white floor-length robes styled off what a choir boy would wear. However, the upper chest area was purple, the same as the specially made goggles they wore to 'see' what was to come, adding a spot of colour to them.
Inko didn't know much about that part of it, as Marcelle had wished to design their attire for what she described as their 'quirk pact' ceremony; she merely assumed it was a French thing. What she had had a hand was the monitoring equipment each was wearing in the form of a collar to track blood flow to the brain, bracelets for blood pressure and several patches on their chests to monitor everything else. If even one thing went array, she would shut this down.
"Doors have been sealed. We are opening doors into the arena," the technician announced as they pressed another button. Even thicker steel doors that led into the large, cold space slowly opened. With a thud, they finished, and both boys slowly stepped inside, their bare feet carrying them.
“Safety protocols?” Inko asked someone else as they kept their eyes on their screens.
“All operational.”
“Sealing doors behind processor A1 and A2.” With that, the only way in or out started to shut, a security measure in case all other measures failed. She prayed that she wouldn't be forced to watch as her son was locked in with the specimens should they prove…volatile.
Cursing the fact that they couldn't even conduct an animal trial first, Inko reached for the microphone. Alright, we're unlocking the vaults. Stay calm and stand your ground, but if it gets too much, we will end this."
“Okay, Mom!” Izuku cheered back, waving at the glass, though because it was one-way, he couldn't see her.
Line Break
Stepping forward, Midoriya shivered as his feet stepped over the cold, barren floor. The space hadn't been designed for comfort, and it was white all over, with nowhere to sit and nothing to entertain oneself. Lucky for them, they wouldn't be staying long, even if he had a voice in the back of his mind reminding him that if something did go wrong, 2 doors totalled 28cm of reinforced steel keeping them locked inside.
“Izuku, are you ready for this?” Looking to the side, he saw Aoyama, dressed just like him but somehow making the look work, though maybe it was because he was still taller than him.
Seeing his confidence reaffirmed him as he returned the smile. “Yeah. Let’s make this happen.”
“Approach the podiums. We’ll unlock the containers once you do.” One of the people working on this announced that their attention was shifting to the aforementioned platform, where two podiums rested. Atop them were cubes with at least four different locks on them. Sharing one last look, the two walked towards them. Midoriya felt his heart racing as he wondered if this was the day, and after all this time, he would finally have what everyone else had taken for granted.
Walking up the few steps, they two stood before the containers. They hadn't been told if they had one, which they had to face, so they decided on the spot, with Midoriya taking the left one and Aoyama taking the right. “Processor A1 and A2 are in position. All screens are green.” They took a calming breath, or else the excitement and fear got the better of them.
“Specimen E-11 and E-12 to release in 5…4…3…2…1” Once the countdown ended, the four locks on the containers released with a clang and a hiss before the containers opened. It seemed like it would be slow for a moment, akin to what they watched in the nature documentary, where baby birds had to fight their way out of the egg. Still, that moment passed with a bang as the containers shot open, and their contents poured out like a storm.
The force of their release was so great that they nearly were thrown away, as they both cried out in shock, covering their eyes with their arms from the blinding lights. "Midoriya, are you seeing this?" Aoyama asked as he looked through his arms, the sight robbing him of breath as before them danced two different forces. One appeared to be a majestic phoenix made from a bright and vivid rainbow that flew around the arena, letting out what sounded like an eagle would make. Still, it seemed like a fusion of many different birds, coming out as commanding but soft. Smooth to the ear like wind chimes but hard like a thunderclap.
The second seemed to be a brown and white energy, shaped like an elongated dog or a wolf. Its many tails were far longer than its main body, with piercing red orbs that acted like eyes, taking it anything and everything, freezing him in place as it darted around the room, testing for something, perhaps a way out, before its gaze settled on him, Midoriya so enraptured by this that he didn't notice that the same had happened with Aoyama.
Slowly, the two artificial quirks encroached on them, their forms losing most of their mass and size until they were a fraction of what they once were. In the case of the one that Midoriya had caught the interest of, it was no bigger than the Jack Russel their teacher once brought to class, a 10th the size it once was. The rainbow phoenix that Aoyama faced with awe was just as small, but that was still large for a bird or whatever the quirk's form was emulating.
Looking at the quirk in its eye, the two were silent as the adults kept a close eye on things, happy that the quirks hadn't turned hostile once they had calmed down from being released. "Hello, I'm Midoriya Izuku. What's your name?" Midoriya asked but was met with silence from the quirk, which kept its gaze on him as if reading his very soul.
“Can you…understand me?” The quirk nodded but remained silent. “Then…how do we talk?” The quirk walked closer to him, its form still vague, made only of colour, as it urged him to do something by tapping its paw on the platform, but he didn't know what. Again, it did the same, but it pointed at him and then to its head with its paw.
Midoriya suspected that perhaps he was meant to give him a head pat or scratch it behind its ear, though he wasn't sure why a quirk would want to be treated as a dog. Taking a step forward, the quirk got impatient and lunged at him, its paws coming in contact with his arms, and before he knew it, he fell on his side with a thud, a similar sound following as Aoyama fell to the same fate from second quirk landing on his head.
“Boys!” Midoriya's mind started to vanish as if he was given a chance to feel himself fall into a deep sleep.
“Status!” That second voice was his mother's, but despite the four different speakers in the room, it sounded like she was trying to speak through the thick, reinforced glass.
“Their vitals are normal…” He didn't hear the rest of the statement as he fell into his mind, or more accurately, he was pulled into his inner world.
Line Break
Blinking to clear his eyes, Midoriya saw that he had somehow changed locations. Instead of being in the barren testing ring, he was in a forest of some kind, with trees so tall that he couldn’t see the tops. Light filtered in from overhead, but with such a thick canopy, it wasn’t much, but he could see enough of the area.
"Where am I?" He wondered aloud, wasn't he supposed to receive a quirk today? Wait, he was, but then it touched him and…"Is that what the quirk does, teleportation?" He asked why it dropped him here, in the middle of nowhere? Where was it anyway? Looking at himself, he saw that he was still in the same clothes, but with a gentle breeze, it wouldn't be too much of an issue. He would just need to find somewhere to rest and wait for help like they had been taught.
At least, that was the plan, but he felt something, an itch in the back of his head urging him to go the other way, deeper into the woods. He wasn't sure why or how, but just looking that way made the itch all the stronger. Not even thinking about this, he followed it, his bare feet crunching on twigs and leaves, the sounds of nature surrounding him, but not a single peep from any animals, or flaps of birds, or the buzz of insects; it was as if the forest only had plant life…and him.
After a while, which also felt like no time, he entered a clearing where statues were shrouded in vines and overgrowth, masking most of their features. Others were nothing but rubble; the ravages of time and nature had taken their toll. But among them, there was one that he could recognize anywhere, even if it was missing its head; that build and pose were iconic.
“All Might?” Midoriya wondered, looking at the damaged stature of the world's top hero, but if he was here, did that mean the rest were also heroes? Why would someone build all this in the middle of nowhere?
“Is that who he is…or was?” Another voice asked, getting a surprised yelp from Midoriya as he turned to see a figure walking out from behind the statue. “I didn’t know.” The…girl? Added. Looking at her, she looked to be his age, if a little older or younger, with light skin and bright, intelligent red eyes, so different to Kacchan, who, last he saw, was more arrogant and violent. Her hair was long, waist-length and brown, with only her bangs white.
However, unlike him, who was quirkless, she must have had one since she had a curly dog-like tail, the same colour as her hair, with the tip covered with a white flower pattern. She also had a pair of sizeable pointed dog ears coming out the top of her head, while her hands and feet were all covered in fur, with elongated nails.
"Who are you, and where are we?" he asked her, not recognizing her as someone he knew, which caused the girl to smile amusedly.
"I'm the quirk, as for where we are? I don't really know. I think we're in your head, but it could also be my head, and it's all very confusing." She explained to him, filling in the gaps of where he was if only a little.
"Oh…oh! But wait. You had to send us here so we could talk?" he asked as she sat down at the foot of All Might's stature, acting like this was her domain and he was merely a guest.
"It was the only way I could think of; I just had the feeling that if I did, then we could speak, unlike before." She explained, though if you asked how she knew that, she couldn't say; it just felt…natural.
Lucky for both of them, Midoriya was willing to let that go and focus on something else. "Okay, then, but you didn't answer my question."
“Which would that be?” She turned her head to the side. His smile caught her attention, and he replied.
“What’s your name?” She blinked at that, as that had been one of the first things this human had asked back in the other place; a place she was learning was the world of the living.
It wasn't a wrong question; he seemed to emphasise this name when introducing himself, but there was an issue. “Hmmm…I don't think I have one. In fact, I don't remember much. I recall coming into existence, but not much else other than the tests they put me through, something about ensuring I could last." She remembered the tests and watched as other, weaker quirks fizzled and died out, one by one. Even when some were taken away for 'upgrades and modifications' as the humans in white called it, many didn't last longer after that.
Now that she thought about it, there was another quirk she knew and got along with. She recalled seeing her when she was released from whatever contraption the humans had used to imprison them.
Midoriya seemed appalled by her response. “That’s awful, everyone deserves a name.”
That was news; she was only ever referred to as Specimen E-12 and felt that wasn't a name. “Really? Then why don’t you give me one?”
Once more, he surprised her when he shook his head. “I can’t do that. Names are gifts from your parents, from the ones that raised you. It wouldn’t be right if I gave you one.”
"Then where am I supposed to get one? I don't have a parent; no one raised me." She wasn't angry, nor was she bitter. It was merely a statement of fact, but one that Midoriya refused to allow to remain the same as he thought about it. He could ask his mom since she had created her, but she hadn't given her a name yet, and she wasn't here…wait.
“Then…you get to name yourself.” He suggested, the idea so evident that he was close to smacking himself for not thinking of it sooner.
“Name myself?” Didn't he just say that names came from creators and parents? She didn't create herself. At least, she thought she didn't.
Midoriya didn't seem to think that was an issue, as he was near vibrating where he stood from excitement. "Hmm! I know people can do that, but they have to be older, so you're special!"
She thought it over, and it wasn't a bad idea. In fact, it was a great idea as she got up and started to think. As time went on, she began to see more of this place, her domain, as it were. She also started to see Midoriya's life from a 3rd personal view, all of it flashing before her eyes, giving her knowledge about him, his wants and fears, his failures and desires, his goals and bonds. Years of existence flowed into her brain in seconds, yet it didn't feel painful or overwhelming.
All that allowed her to realize that she already had a name that was as part of her as her tail. “How about(?)” Midoriya blinked, confused by that last part.
“What?” He asked as it seemed her voice had cut there, but her mouth was still moving.
“(?)” When he still looked confused, she could piece together the reason. "Oh, it seems you're not ready to hear my name. For now, call me Faunalution." She gave him a quirk name, though perhaps it would be better to call it her Faux nom(false name).
Testing it, Midoriya could say and hear the world just fine, but it didn’t seem right to leave it at that, so he raised his hand towards her, wishing to create a pact. "Okay, but I want to learn your true name…can you become my quirk so I can be a hero?" He asked her, honest as the sun, which she met for a moment in silence before she smiled and got up, walking towards him, reaching for his hand to shake it.
Line Break
“He’s coming too.” Midoriya groaned as he got up, his head feeling light.
“What?” Looking around, he saw that he was back in the testing arena, with Aoyama standing over him and a worried look on him. That look faded when Midoriya managed to wake up.
"It's nice to see you return to the world of the living, Midoriya. You had us worried." He told him, speaking, no doubt, for himself and their parents.
“How long was I out?” He asked, as that….was it a dream? No, it didn’t feel like one, and something in his heart told him that it was far more significant than a mere dream.
“Around 20 minutes, Aoyama woke up a couple minutes ago.” One of the technicians replied, which came as a surprise for him.
"Just 20? It feels like I was in there for an hour at least." He was sure that it took him a while to find those statues and that cute dog girl.
“Same here, but it got results.” Aoyama stepped back, allowing Midoriya to see the creature that stood by his friend's side. Unlike before, when they couldn't make out details, he could now see that it was a large bird, a tab bit bigger than what he had seen before. The quirk spirit resembled a peacock, with a long slender build draped in feathers of bright reds, yellows, and blues that seemed to shine like they were bioluminescent.
Its tail was nothing to scoff at, being 1.5 times the length of its body and decked out in bright rainbow fathers that constantly shifted colours, colours that shined even more colourful than the rest of its body. The bird's elegant and lean head boasted 3 large rain-like feathers and had kaleidoscopic eyes of a bright array of colours. Midoriya had heard that peacocks, especially males, used their massive and bright tails as a defence mechanism to attract females. Still, if those guys were high school prom queens, this creature was Mrs. Universe.
“I finally have a quirk, one befitting my greatness.” Aoyama seemed happier than he had ever seen him, and Midoriya could share in that joy.
"I think you have it backwards, human, but I'll tolerate that…this time anyway." Midoriya blinked, able to hear the peacock talking, whereas before, he couldn't. Also, she sounded just as haughty as his friend. Wait, wasn’t it that the males have those crazy tails? In the back of his mind, he heard giggling, but he didn't pay it any mind at the moment as his eye shifted to the top of Aoyama's head.
“When did you get the crown?” He asked him.
Aoyama didn’t seem rattled by its presence as he reached for it, surfing a finger over the smooth metallic surface. “My quirk, Luminance, created it. It’s to help me use her…our power.” Aoyama corrected himself, his quirk raising her nose at him, but Midoriya couldn't detect malice or disrespect. "I would say the same for you. You didn't have that belt last I checked." Looking at his mid-section, Midoriya saw that Aoyama had been right as he wore a fancy belt buckle just…attached to his robes.
“Well, I needed somewhere to manifest, and it was either that or a sword.” A familiar voice spoke from behind him, making him jump and nearly fall again as he turned to see Faunalution, or at least he saw out of that human-like form as now she appeared as a small dog-like creature covered with mainly brown fur with a fox-like face with those same bright red eyes tail and ears which twitched at the slightest sounds. Her short, slender legs ended with her feet having white fur and 3 small toe pads on each foot.
“Hey there, partner.” She seemed too happy to be messing with him, but he could look past that and at the cloud's gold lining as he caught the quirk in a massive hug.
“I have a quirk! Oh, I promise to be the best partner ever!” He went on for a minute about what they'd do, how they could get to know one another and train, and even possible combos if she could retain a body in the physical world, as quirks like that were crazy rare.
As fun as it was for Aoyama and Luminance to watch this, there was more to discuss as he got their attention and pointed at his face, namely the lack of goggles. "That's not the only part. Take them off; trust me, you'll see what I mean." Blinking, Midoriya did as he asked and removed them, but there wasn't any difference in the room. The lights were still annoyingly bright, the floor was barren, and both Luminance and Faunalution were just as vibrant as ever…wait.
“We can see them?” He asked, as they had worn those goggles to see them as they figured out early on that quirks couldn't be seen with the naked eye, with only the effects of their abilities being seen, as was proven when a near quirk that could control air. In the short time it lasted, not a single researcher saw it. Merely saw how the air was being shifted around its body. It had taken another 9 months to develop lenses that could be used to see quirks.
"That seems to be the case," Aoyama replied, reaching over to Luminance and petting the quirk. But I think we've done enough, wouldn't you say, auntie?" He looked towards the one-way mirror.
Line Break
“Yes, yes, you have boys. We're opening the doors now. We can talk later and head out and test your quirks in the sun.” Inko replied via the microphone while the technicians around her lost their minds in joy at seeing years of work paying off. Inko was the same as she had seen the two with their brand-new quirks. She finally could give her son something he so desperately wished for and a viable way to achieve his dreams. Her only issue with this scene was that the bastard at the I-island Board and Professor Shield weren't here to see how they've made history.
“Incredible.” Marcelle was just as shocked but also relieved and ecstatic as she was before she turned to her husband with a cheer, the two embracing one another for a moment, sharing a passionate kiss that Inko had pretended not to notice. After they calmed down, all 3 removed their goggles, which they had put on right as the quirks were released and turned to the many screens behind them, where all their investors were in awe at what had just been witnessed.
"To think that it was possible this entire time. This is a game changer."
“Can they perceive all quirks now?”
Most had words of praise, talking about what they could mean for the world of research, heroics and health care before Miyuki coughed into his hand to draw their attention. "Ladies and gentlemen. I think Dr. Midoriya has proven that our years of investment and patience were worth its weight in gold, if not more so." He stated, with not a single person disagreeing with that, even if Inko felt like she couldn't take all the credit, nor was this the end, as there was still so much more to do.
"That is clear to see. That is why I'll be continuing to finance this facility and her research. In fact, that investment will increase drastically." One of her earlier backers, a French Hospital director, spoke up, no doubt eager to see if quirks that could be applied in medicine could be created.
"As will I. The possibilities for this are endless." Another spoke up; a wealthy friend of Marcelle's family spoke.
“Then this might be a good time to bring up how I would like to expand the facility,” Inko started to pitch.
This was too long! I wanted to cut it a while back, but it proved impossible! I don't know how that's possible since I'm writing it. But yeah, it is an opening into how quirks work in this world, which took inspiration from bleach, more towards the TYBW arc where we meet Ōetsu Nimaiya.
Yes, we had Zanpakutō spirits long before him, but they were always framed as parts of their holder. With the man who created them, we see Zanpakutō spirits with no such thing. Think of the girls who helped him forge Ichigo's new Zanpakutō; they'll all be their own people, yet they're all Zanpakutō spirits fully capable of moving as far as the world of the Living. At the same time, he remains up in the Royal Palace in Soul Society.
Yes, I know that it could be that he owns ALL of them, and they'll all be a part of him. Still, again, I drew inspiration to make that change. I think it suits the narrative better if artificial quirks operate similarly. Another thing that was used was the idea of the inner world. However, that's already in MHA, as we've seen and been inside of One for All, with Izuku, even being able to speak with the previous both in and out of it.
Anyway, I hope you like this. If you did, please leave a like and a review. Also, if you have the time, head on over to my Twitter(I still refuse to call it X, Elon). The Next chapter will be out on April 29th.
And before any of you smart-asses start, I'm aware that if their population were somehow still 7.7 billion, there would still be around 231 million quirkless people below the age of 25 worldwide, which works out to 1 in 33 people. But seeing how the quirkless total would be 1.54 billion and yet quirkless people are still considered rare, slicing that number down to less than a third only makes it less likely for any of the teen cast to have ever met another quirkless kid.
