Leo Simon
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All For Myself Chapter 12
🕑 Added 2023-05-25 21:35:13 +0000 UTCDabi let out a content sigh as he gazed upon the burnt pile of dust that was once some nobody hero that had nothing to do with him. It's almost ironic in a weird way that fire heroes are always burned to death around these parts, it's a little difficult considering that they're usually resistant to fire- unlike him- but his blue flames run hot and against pure firepower like that it doesn't really matter if you have resistance.
A month they said, that weird guy behind some TV that wanted to fix his body, said he wouldn't last a month if he kept on using his Quirk, but look at him now. It's been nearly five years and his Quirk has only caused all his flash to burn off and be held together by a few loose staples. It doesn't matter. All that matters is his revenge.
Blue flames loosely lit the dark alley of Kamino as Dabi began to exit the alley and find more victims to hunt.
"Dabi, Quirk 'Cremation'"
The sewn up villain halts his advances to exit the dark alley as a rather calm voice, though with this sort of silence he might as well have spoke through a megaphone, was heard from behind him.
Dabi boredly looked over his shoulder to find a teenager, no older than maybe sixteen, who wore a neat looking suit staring intently at him with a calming smile on his face. Well he wasn't there before.
Dabi kept his usual sinister smile on his face as he turned his body around and maintained eye-contact with the cocky brat that seemed to think that he wasn't in danger at all when he comes face to face with the blue flame user.
"And who might you be?" Dabi asks with an undertone of threat and blue flames light for a moment on his right hand.
If the white haired teen was intimidated by Dabi then he did a good job of hiding it, instead he responded evenly." I'm nobody, just a man who wants to make a change in this cruel world. And I can't exactly do it all alone."
Dabi narrowed his turquoise eyes." So your trying to recruit me? The thing is that I like doing things alone. So why don't you run along now before I get annoyed by you, I don't show mercy to little boys dressed in suits."
Instead of looking angry or offended at the rude insult the red eyed teen didn't so much as bat an eye and even responded evenly." I'm sure that you don't. Good thing there aren't any boys here. Just two grown men, and you haven't even heard me out yet."
Dabi rolled his eyes at this boys words." Alright then Mr grown up man, what's your little gang all about?" He said with his voice straining from sarcasm and the sudden desire to burn this brat alive.
Remaining calm in the face of being questioned in a disrespectful tone and responded with not a slight of irritation." We're trying to change the world, the system in place has, for years on end, discriminated heavily against those it deems inferior whilst using them as pebbles to boost those it favours. For example those with Quirks that are deemed 'flashy' or exceptionally powerful are thought of as having a higher status and believe themselves to actually be superior because of the way they are raised and thus develop the mentality that they can do anything they want to those they deem below them. However the majority aren't fortunate enough to be born with powers like that. What about those with Quirks that aren't particularly strong? What about those with mutant Quirks that aren't very aesthetically pleasing? Or those who don't have a power at all? My organisation will be one that destroys this current system and replaces it with something more equal." His face remained the same throughout the little speech but his red eyes seemed to have a fire in them.
Dabi was... thoroughly unconvinced. He has no interest in ideals like that, he doesn't really care about other people either. This society can go screw itself he's fine with just getting his revenge on Enjo Todoroki.
Just that thought about his dad was enough to make blue flames spark on his right hand as a flare of hatred flowed through him at reminder of how his father cast him aside like a broken toy in favour of that mash up of fire and ice. He'll get his revenge though, by the tine he's done with Endeavour his father will wish he were dead. But even if he were at the point were he would want to die Dabi wouldn't let him.
Dabi openly rolled his eyes at the words of a child that wants to take on the world." I have no interest in following a boy, now take a hike before I get annoyed at you." He created a fireball just for emphasise; he ignores the dull burn that stung his palm from the action of using his Quirk as he did his best to intimidate the kid.
Dabi turns his Quirk off before resuming his action to leave the alley.
"Well I didn't think you'd be so shallow Touya."
The pyrokinetic froze in place at the use of his old name. With a spark of blue coming off his right arm.
Sounding amused the suited teen continued." I really didn't think you were really that shallow Touya, then again maybe I got my hopes up too high for some reject with daddy issues who'd rather burn himself out for a small jab at papa than actually try to do something with his worthless life."
Dabi turned around with glowing deep blue eyes and an absolutely dangerous glare with blue flames being emitted from his right arm and looked one word away from burning the neighborhood down.
Instead of being scared the white haired teens condescending smirk only grew seeing Touya's reaction." What's wrong Touya Todoroki? Did I touch a nerve you fucking failure."
At that last word Touya snapped and a torrent of blue flames was fired at the smirking teen with full murderous intent to roast and burn him into nothing but a charred crisp for daring to call him that word.
After a few moments of baking the streets in blue flames, and melting down sections of concrete wall, Dabi felt a little better in knowing that he'd killed the boy that had thoroughly ruined his mood however his mood was still thoroughly ruined regardless. Maybe killing a few innocent people will make him feel better.
"Is that all?"
Touya heard a whisper directly inside his ear and turned around swiftly only to be grabbed by the face and held up by an arm that felt as though it were made of steel.
However even though the red eyed man was holding a struggling villain by the face he didn't change his expression at all." Oh Touya, you disappoint me so much, you know that? I was planning on having us both take down Endeavour together, or at least I thought I would at first. But now? I realised that your too uncontrollable, your powerful sure but your a damn psychopath. And I don't need people like you in my ranks. Those who are only held together by the hateful flames of insanity. Oh well, at least I can get a powerful fire Quirk out of this." His eyes glowed a bright red as he activated his Quirk.
Suddenly Touya felt a pull somewhere inside him and next all he could feel was both the iron grip that clenched his stapled face and the violent pain of having his fire Quirk forcefully ripped out of him.
A phantom pain hit his soul and all he couldn't even squirm as his energy was drained from him along with the only friend he ever knew. 'Cremation'.
Touya went limp with his arms falling to his sides and uselessly hung besides him with his eyes rolling back into his head.
It was over. Touya knew that much. All that was keeping him together were the dark flames of his desire to destroy Enji Todoroki, what did he have without his Quirk?
The only thing that kept that poor boy together was the very flames that were destroying him. Without them his body simply... gave up.
His fragile condition became aware to itself and Touya would be jumping around in pain, if he could even feel anymore, as blood seeped from the gaps in his cracked skin.
It was over. Everything was dying with him. His dreams, his goals, his will. It was all burning away. It was all going to go out.
Touya felt... relief at this, the burning fire inside him was finally snuffed out. No more vengeance, no more rejection, no more darkness.
It would all be over for him.
He let a smile grace his lips despite the blood that leaked out of him, he just can't help it.
He's so happy.
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I got dressed in the mirror with a solemn expression on my face. Whenever this happens I can't help but feel depressed and hate my Quirk a bit.
Oh don't get me wrong I love my power, what it allows me to do, but the side-effects are... certainly troubling.
As explained in the anime Quirks hold a piece of their original users and the holder of their Quirk can interact with that person much like a vestige inside One For All, the same thing sometimes happens to my friends, but not as often as me who gets them nearly every night.
However there appears to be anothee side effect that involves my Quirk, sometimes I can even see the memories of the previous wielders of my Quirks as though I were actually them. Their thoughts, feelings, their pain. All of it.
Fortunately this is a rare occurance, and it only seems to happen to me, however I cannot say that it doesn't mess with my head sometimes. I've spent many sleepless nights gathering my sense of self together.
I looked in the mirror and saw the face of Touya Todoroki looking back at me and sighed before leaving my room in my usual suit.
I can't afford to be weak. Neither in body or mind.
My red eyes hardened and I repressed any bad feelings that I might have about what I need to do to achieve my goals.
I have a job to do.
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"Sir Nighteye why wasn't the public made aware-"
"Sir Nighteye why were the heroes so helpless to stop-"
"Sir Nighteye how did-"
Nighteye internally sighed in annoyance at how the media were acting, it was times like this that sometimes made him wish he'd chosen underground hero work, considering how little they have to deal with the paparazzi, however all he has to do is remind himself of thw good times that he shared with All Might, the man he looks up to more than anyone, and suddenly the journalist vultures seem far less annoying.
As the head of the mission against this new All For One he is the one whom will take all the blame for the missions failure, the fact that they were played like suckers and even the fact that they all got away completely scot free.
The worst part is that it is entirely his fault. If he'd just used 'Foresight' on someone on their side then maybe-
No. That wouldn't have been the right call, all his Quirk ever does is show him a fixed outcome, what is fated to happen, what if he saw an outcome worst than the one that they received? What if All Might died in that battle? What if-
He steeled his nerves. No. He cannot dwell on 'what if's', it's not like he can change an outcome after it's happened.
He raised his arm to silence the reporters momentarily, he couldn't remain silent forever. He has to face the consequences of his failure.
With the eyes of many reporters on him he speaks firmly, leaving no room for argument." I can't answer five of you at the same time. I'm going to have to ask that you speak one at a time."
He's actually surprised that they listened, given how hungry journalists usually are, but then again even a blimd dog can catch a ball once in a while.
Directly after speaking he points to a red headed reporter with a pony tail wearing a dark blue suit and an arm band." What would you like to ask?"
The reporter immediately brightened up for a moment before thrusting a microphone in Mirai's face with vigor." Why exactly was this mission kept hidden? If a villain like this, someone who could overpower hundreds of heroes, was confirmed to be in Japan's underworld then why weren't the public made aware?"
Mirai kept himself calm and very carefully answered the question in a manner that wouldn't give any room or weakness for the reporters to exploit." We were given false intel on the size of his organisation and gathered together many top ranked heroes to take them all down in one fell swoop, however the actual size of his organisation was several times larger than we anticipated. Whilst all our best were gathered in one place the villains capitalised on the fact they'd deceived us to deal two devastating blows at once. As for why we kept our mission hidden, it was because we didn't want to alarm the public given that we believed that they could be taken down all at once."
His answer wasn't technically a lie however he did leave out a few facts, such as the commissions desire to keep up the image that everything is fine, that heroes have nothing to fear, when in reality they were left scrambling from this attack.
But they didn't need to know that.
Sir Nighteye then turned his attention onto another female reporter with short red hair." You next."
The reporter look mildly irritated at being led on like a lost puppy but asked her question anyway." I'm sorry but from the way your talking it sounds as though your saying that the villains outplayed you and because of your own mistakes they got exactly what they wanted. So how exactly do you plan on fixing your mistakes?"
If Mirai had less self control then he'd glare at the woman for her words, however that would only make the situation worst for him, and in the end he decided to answer the question honestly.
"The heroes top priority right now is to track down this villain and bring them to justice. Unfortunately they covered their tracks well and appear to have access to a Quirk that can open portals, with this power it's entirely possible that they could be in entirely different sections of the country in an instant which will make hunting them down difficult. However heroes aren't people who like giving up, we will track them down I can tell you that." He makes sure to sound certain and strong in front of the camera and the reporter looks slightly put off by his response and decides to back off and back down.
Things could be worse all things considered. As annoying as the media can be if you know what your doing then managing them isn't an impossible task.
"Excuse me." Mirai turns his attention to waving blue hand in the sea of reporters.
Chitose Kizuki was a well known journalist in the Japanese media, being the executive producer of Shoowaysha Publishing and was infamous for her ruthlessness in pursuing whoever catches her eye and making them practically spill their guts on national television, she has literally ended entire pro hero careers in the most extreme of cases.
She was a beautiful woman with pale blue skin, purple hair and green eyes with black sclera however if one were to look closely they'd see the glint of a predator in those emerald orbs.
She smiled calmly however Nighteye could tell that she was biting back a grin." Sir Nighteye, given how this villain managed to flee with the rest of his followers, even with All Might on the scene, are we to assume that he is, at the very least, equal to our number one hero in terms of strength?"
Mirai had to work to keep his face straight at such a question.
She- she can't possibly be trying to undermine All Might can she?
"These villains are both slippery and elusive, you don't need to be an equal to someone to run away from them. Especially not if you have allies. If the two were to fight head on then I'm sure that-"
"See from the images shown from their battle I wouldn't say that's the case." Mirai internally cursed the woman for rudely cutting him off and blatantly undermining the competence of his idol.
She them holds a phone up and on it and it very clearly displays melted and crushed buildings with rubble scattered throughout the streets and All Might with more than just a few scratches on him.
Her smile tugs mildly upwards and the spark in her eye intensifies, a fact which doesn't go unnoticed by Mirai.
With several reporters staring with great intensity and focus on what their conversation will lead to the blue skinned woman asks another question." And assuming that All Might can defeat this villain how exactly do you heroes plan on locating them? And the large number of heroes who were captured by this group?"
Mirai has to hold back a flinch at that last question and momentarily wonders if he should tell the reporters, should he add more gasoline to this fire? Will this make things worse?
Nighteye has to answer honestly though. If he lies it will only come back to bite him later.
Steeling himself Nighteye looks directly at the sly reporter and gives her what she wants." The heroes and sidekicks who were all taken were found earlier this morning-" a few reporters bristled up at that."- without their Quirks." At his words the reporters momentarily paused and mulled over his words.
Then the full gravity of what had happened set in and many reporters had wide eyes and slightly gape mouths. Even Chitose looked mildly surprised at what Nighteye was insinuating.
Nighteye looked at the reporter with his usual stoic facade showing a deep frown to convey his thoughts on the situation." This new villain will be stopped, of that I can tell you. We may not have succeeded this time but we will next time. It's only a matter of time until we maje them pay for their actions. No more questions." Nighteye dismissed them as he walked through the enterance of his agency and didn't acknowledge the rest of the media vultures as they unleashed another wave of questions upon him.
They got beat this time. Nighteye admits that. However the thing about heroes is that they're never down for long.
He gazes down at the limited edition All Might watch that was made during his brief young years in America, he wears this to remind himself of the hero he wants to be. One who works for the better of society just like he does.
He walks into his office and starts to do the paperwork on his desk that he needs to get done for his failure in managing an operation to crush this new All For One.
He may have lost this time but he won't stay down for long.
Just like how All Might never seems to stay down for long.
