June first came and Izuku stood on Kyota Bridge with the other Lights. People began to gather. Faces he had seen in the Events subtab that never lived with the branch and people he had never seen. Newcomers. And a lot of them. Izuku grinned behind his mask.
Ten, twenty, forty, sixty... They just kept coming! Man, he was glad that they had bought a couple more warehouses in preparation for this because, at the end of it, there were over three hundred people standing on that bridge. Izuku stood on the ledge.
"WELCOME!" He shouted, gathering the attention of all there. "We are so very glad to have you here, friends, and are extremely grateful! I will give you a rundown of what we will be doing right now. We for the next two months we will be teaching you all hand to hand combat so that in two months we can attack to Heroes Provisional License Exam. After that, we will be doing nonstop training on weapons and firearms until we can settle a deal with the Yakuza. They have something very valuable that we want. After that, for a few months or until we think we are ready, it will be nonstop training once again and recruiting because in hopefully six months to a year we will be starting the third world war: World War Quirkless. Right now, all of you who are quirked, please move to the left and all of those who are not, to the right."
Izuku was surprised that, while the number of quirkless still doubled the size of the quirked, it was still only doubled. Not tripled. There were at least a hundred quirked members on their side.
"Great, thank you. We will also be training quirk usage and protecting our people and teaming up with the quirkless so that you can do surprise combative techniques." Izuku paused and took a deep breath. "Make no mistake. The Quirkless Rejects are going to war. Now that you are here, you are part of it. Each and every one of you will fight until either side gives up and let me tell you now, our side will not be the first to give. Do you understand me?! If you do, say 'Yes, Chief!'"
...
"Y- YES CHIEF!"
"Good. Now, let us get going." He pressed a button and the League opened a warp gate for him. "Once you enter this warp gate, there is no turning back. Please, enter." A few hesitated but one-by-one they all filed in. "Thanks, Kurogiri," Izuku whispered as he entered.
The man hummed back as he couldn't make much noise since he was undercover. Izuku had been working with Kurogiri for a while now. The greenette grinned because he knew it... he had turned the League's most valuable asset to their side and the taste of winning him over was great!
As soon as they entered, Izuku and the Lights got to work. The whole day was dedicated to getting each and every one of them settled in.
The next day, they got to work harder than ever before. The news was wild about the sudden disappearance of over 300 people. Other countries were getting mad too as more and more of their citizens were disappearing as well. He had seen all of the posts on the website. The Quirkless Rejects numbers were greater than 10,000 and still growing. Even now, Deku was still receiving messages on Quirkless Pals and more members were joining by the second. He had no idea their influence was on this scale but that was perfectly fine. This was just what they needed.
Within a month, they had a routine going. Izuku was constantly checking in with the other branch leaders on their progress. The warehouses looked like secret army camps and, in a sense, they were. The day of the Heroes Provisional License Exam was only a week away. Everyone was tense for the whole week.
Izuku, Eraserhead, and Grimlin were now sitting in the underground bunker waiting for Kurogiri to appear. He felt a change in the air and soon a warp gate opened and closed to reveal the misty man.
"Kurogiri," Izuku greeted going up to the man and extending his hand. The man bowed before taking it. "Chief Deku."
"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Kurogiri nodded. Izuku's sunglasses turned happy. "Great!" he said, clapping his hands together and listening to his handcuffs clang together. The four all sat down.
"A week from now we will be attacking the Heroes Provisional License Exam, as I have previously informed you of." Izuku slid over another screen. "Same as usual, we press the button, you warp us. Alright?"
"Yes, Chief Deku."
"Now," Izuku continued, "I have heard that recently the League has begun trying to get in touch with the Yakuza, is that correct?"
"It is." Izuku hummed. "Quite unfortunate that is. You see, the Yakuza, based on a little of black web research from my comrades, have something that we very much would love to get our hands on, if you catch my drift. Kurogiri, I had a new task for you."
"What is it?" the man asked. "I need you to steal all of the information and contacts within the Yakuza that the League has. Not just copy it, steal it. We don't need the League getting to them first, now do we?" Kurogiri shook his head. "No, Chief, we do not." Izuku grinned under his mask again. Kurogiri is such a pleasure to talk to. Always so kind and calm and obedient. Nothing like Shiggy.
"I am pleased you feel that way, Chief." Izuku covered his mouth. "My bad, it seems my mumbling habit is a bit out of control nowadays."
"No, it is quite alright, Chief Deku," Kurogiri responded. "I turned to your side because Shigaraki was never a leader I wanted to serve under, I was only doing so because Sensei commanded it. Now that All Might has taken Sensei out, I am no longer under his control and wish to serve under a better commander. You, Chief Deku, take actual care and interest in your people and have an actual goal, one I can get behind confidently. I am glad to serve under you."
Izuku grinned wildly under his mask. Perfect...
"I am so glad you feel that way, Kurogiri. I am sure you will be a valuable asset to our team. We'd get you a tattoo but... there is not a place we can put it, is there?"
"There is not."
Izuku chuckled. "I figured. I only have a couple more things to ask of you, if that is okay." Kurogiri nodded. "It is, Chief, but I do need to get back soon before they expect anything of me." Izuku hummed. "Understood. This shouldn't take long. During the attack next week we need you to find the cell phone of Denki Kaminari in the boy's locker room and get us his phone number."
"May I ask why, Chief?"
"I feel he would be, how should I say this kindly... easy to manipulate. I'm sure you understand what I mean, Kurogiri." "I do." "Good. So can you get it? It is an odd task so I COMPLETELY understand if-"
"- I can, Chief." Izuku grinned wider, so wide that if he did any more, Kurogiri might actually see it despite his mask.
"Thank you, Kurogiri. It is much appreciated. Lastly, on the topic of this 'Sensei' fellow, are you meaning All For One." Kurogiri paused for a second. "Yes, Chief"
"I cannot believe that a man of that power will stay down for long and fear he will be our biggest opponent. What can you tell me about his quirk? His health? His weaknesses?"
Kurogiri mulled over it for a second.
"Well, Chief Deku, his health is not that great, only him being alive by the quirks he has. His quirk allows him to take another's quirk and either keep it or give it to someone else. Over the millennials I believe he has lived, I believe he has gathered a group of quirks to keep him alive."
Izuku hummed. "So what you are saying is that if he were to lose his quirk, and the quirks along with it, he would certainly die?"
"I cannot be for sure, Chief. But I am not sure that it can even be-"
"-Weaknesses," Izuku cut in. "What are his weaknesses and what effect does his quirk have on the quirkless?"
"Well, Chief, I believe that the quirkless are his weakness, actually."
"Hmm? Care to elaborate on that, Kurogiri?"
"Well," Kurogiri started, "he cannot take anything from you so, even if that is not big then that would be the only thing."
"Kurogiri, can one choose the quirk they get from him?" asked Izuku.
"Excuse me?"
"How does he give or take quirks?"
"Well, he impales them with these sorts of tendrils to take or transfer them."
"When he is doing that, is there any way possible that you could choose the quirk you get on your own?" Kurogiri paused again. "I- I am unsure of that, Chief Deku. Chief, if I may ask, you wouldn't happen to be-"
"No, I am not. I am just gathering information. Thank you, Kurogiri. We will see you in a week."
They all got up and bowed. "Thank you, Chief Deku. I will do my best." Kurogiri made and left through a warp gate. Izuku felt his body shake.
"Chief?" Grimlin questioned him. "Are you alri-"
"HA HA HA!" Izuku burst out laughing. "G- Grimlin! Eraserhead! Don't you see what we've done!? Bwahahaha! We've taken Kurogiri! With him, we can do anything in almost any place! We have complete control of the dark underworld now! You know what the best part of it is? It's that he is so easy to use!!!" Izuku couldn't help but laugh. His face hurt from smiling so much that he didn't even notice the worried faces Eraserhead and Grimlin exchanged.
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Shouta watched in almost horror as Chief Deku clutched his stomach in a laughing fit because of how easily he had manipulated Kurogiri. Now Shouta knew that Kurogiri was a rational man, same as him, mostly, but for a kid to be able to work his mind like that? It truly terrified Shouta to no bounds how twisted this kid was becoming. He had a feeling Deku meant to say that out loud about Kurogiri. It was no slip-up, he wouldn't this late in the game. It was all part of his maniacal plan, if Shouta could call it that.
Mikumo seemed perfectly normal, so he thinks. There have been a few hurdles here and there where Mikumo stumbles a bit thinking he was Izuku for a second, not Deku since Deku is gone, Shouta only still calls him that because that is their leader's identity. He really hoped that Mikumo would not disappear as well but Shouta had to wonder if the two identities could function with the coming war.
Still, Shouta watched as Deku straightened himself and wiped a tear from his eye, releasing a satisfied sigh. A satisfied sigh because he was pulling someone else's strings like a doll! The more Shouta thought about it, the more he saw the strings attached to his own limbs. While he truly wanted to banish the thought, there was a lingering feeling in the back of his head that Mikumo wasn't truly Mikumo and Izuku had been pulling the strings on Shouta like a puppet this whole time. Or Mikumo was Mikumo but Mikumo knew what Izuku was doing and was helping him by pulling on Shouta's heartstrings.
Either way... Shouta couldn't help but feel uneasy about the situation as a whole.
He had only thought it was a joke when he thought the comment after talking with Toshinori but...
Izuku turned to them "Phew! Let's get back guys. We have an exam to craaaaash!"
Shouta shivered at the way Deku said that. I only thought it for a second but...
He may truly be a psychopath!
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Mikumo sighed as he worked.
All of his joints felt so stiff and the pain was constant. He understood what Izuku was doing but could he at least consider Mikumo who had to actually work? Also, Izuku said that the others had to talk with him about something when they got back to the apartment. Something serious apparently.
He shrugged it off for now as a regular came in. "Micheal!" "Mikumo!"
Mikumo grinned as he prepared Micheal's usual. Mikumo was happiest here, in the Soft Blossom Bakery.
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"We have to quit Soft Blossom Bakery."
Mikumo swore his heart stopped beating.
"W- Wha- What do you mean!?" Hisou(Grimlin) had just suddenly informed him that they would be giving up working at Soft Blossom Bakery. His whole identity basically revolved around that, and Dad but that is another matter. "W- why are we quitting?! Is it because of the war? We can work around that! I- I can- I will-"
"No, Mikumo, we cannot," Yul(Doom) cut in. "We are sorry to have to drag you into all of this, but with the war so close, we can no longer work at the Soft Blossom Bakery. It is for our safety."
Mikumo couldn't breathe. He felt his chest start to retract. "Mikumo! Miku-" His vision started to tilt, he could not hear their words nor feel that death grip Himiki(Anima) had on him. Suddenly he was yanked from the presence and was in the mind space facing Izuku.
"Get a grip man!" Izuku yelled. "This is my body too, ya know!" Mikumo's eye twitched. "And... AND ALSO MINE! I have the right to work there! I... I need to! I can't survive without it, Izuku. I'll be less and less present like Deku and then I'll just disappear like Deku did. I am already less present than usual with the war getting started. I d- don't wanna go, Izuku! I- Izuku you've got to stop th-" His eyes fell to the border between their rooms. Was it always that mixed? Did Izuku always have more room? His breath caught in his throat. He slowly lifted his eyes to meet Izuku's.
"I- Izuku?" Izuku looked away, silent. Mikumo stepped forward causing pain to flare up in bother their chests. He ignored it. "Izuku, NO! I don't wanna go! Izuku please-"
"I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO EITHER, MIKUMO!" Izuku screamed causing Mikumo to recoil. "I- I can't lose another... You and Me are still me and my brain and consciousness and- and... they keep saying it's unhealthy, you know? Being so split. B- but what if I don't care about that? My mind's jacked-up anyways, why should this change? Then Deku tried to rebel... I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST HIM!!! But I couldn't, Mikumo! I couldn't! I can't trust you, or Grimlin, or Jester, or Eraserhead, or ANYONE!"
Mikumo watched in terror as Izuku wept, but what came from his eyes were crimson drops of blood. "Th- this is what has become of me, Mikumo..."
Mikumo felt something roll down his face. He touched it and saw red cover his hands. No... NO!
"I- it's happening to you, too, Mikumo... Cause you're me... and I'm you... The boundaries are falling. Mikumo, I can't trust you anymore."
"I- Izuku..."
"It won't happen now but you'll fade in time. I'll make sure of it."
"Wai-"
"I don't want to do this, Mikumo! I really don't but I have too!" The crazed look in Izuku's eyes made Mikumo want to puke. They were not normal for a 15... no almost 16-year-old boy. They were wild, like a cornered animal. Insanity wreathed behind the viridian. The stance of a maniac had fallen upon his stance. The soul of a psychopath had taken a once calm mind...
"I- I'm sorry, Mikumo... I'm so, so sorry."
Mikumo reached out as Izuku faded to go to the waking world. "Izuku! NO!"
He was gone... Mikumo looked at the boundary. It seemed to move closer by the second.
"No way..."
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Animation jolted as Mikumo jolted and seemingly came to. He had suddenly gone quiet mid panic attack. Everyone was tense. "M- Mikumo?" she dared to say. Mikumo lifted his head.
"Ah, it's me, Izuku." Oh. "O- Oh. Um..." Anima let go of him. "A- are you ok?"
Izuku nodded and took out the blue contacts.
Why would he be doing that right now?
He also began to wipe the makeup from his face with his hand revealing his freckles. "Yeah, Mikumo is a bit shocked but I talked to him so it's okay now. Don't worry."
Anima gulped. Something feels off... "So..." She hesitated. Izuku smiled widely, and something about that smile unnerved her.
"We will be hiring new workers and leaving the Soft Blossom Bakery for good in a month!" he said a little bit... too happily.