Izuku looked around. He wasn't sure where he was except in the mountains. Before him was a large lake with shallow beaches but on the other side and behind him, and everywhere else he looked there were trees.
"Where are we, Dad?"
Hisashi smiled down at Izuku. "We are somewhere you can practice, my Little Dragon," he told his son. "You haven't been able to practice flying much, so go ahead." He gestured to the wide open space over the lake.
"Really?" Izuku's green eyes sparkled with excitement.
All For One held up one hand. "But I want to see you do it with all your scales! Dragons should fly when wearing their scales, after all."
Izuku nodded and All For One was a bit surprised when his son took off his shirt. "What's that for?" He asked.
Izuku's torso then rippled and he was covered in dark green scales. Even his head had scales on it. They reflected the autumn sunlight covering him in jewels. Hisashi was not attracted to mere wealth but the effect was beautiful.
"The scales cut the fabric," Izuku told him.
All For One nodded his understanding before he chuckled. "You are truly my Little Dragon!"
His son grinned at him and then concentrated. He could tell Izuku was focusing on altering his weight. He looked at his son with his own quirk. Izuku had absorbed all the quirks he had so there was only the green of his original quirk showing. There were no others orbiting. That was interesting. He knew Izuku wouldn't have practiced weight alteration much so it told him that the absorption didn't rely entirely on use. Still, it had been over a year since Izuku got that quirk so it wasn't surprising that it was fully absorbed.
"Do you need more practice with that one?" Hisashi asked.
"Some," Izuku admitted. "It's mostly Caeli Imperium. It's easy to lift myself but moving is harder."
All For One considered it, wondering if Izuku needed a simpler quirk for flying but then he shook his head. His Little Dragon would work it out. He had time to practice. He was only nine, after all. He activated one of his own quirks. "Chase me!" Hisashi ordered.
He saw Izuku's eyes go wide as he took to the air. Air Walk was a useful quirk and this time it again proved its utility. When Izuku stopped thinking about using his quirks, it came more naturally and soon the green jeweled Izuku rose into the air and the chase was on!
He led Izuku out over the lake at first, going slowly, making easy turns so that his Little Dragon could follow him but All For One was grinning. He got to play quite a bit but with his son, this was different. This was fun. Playing with those he condemned was amusing but was work.
"I got you!" Izuku yelled but All For One jinked to the side and his son flew passed.
He laughed as he began climbing. His Little Dragon laughed as well and they dived and dipped and dodged and ducked and sometimes it seemed Hisashi was chasing his son. It was a joy to hear Izuku's laughter.
All For One dove at the water. It was a steep dive and he skimmed over the surface leaving a bow wave in his wake. He expected Izuku to do the same, so the startled shout followed by a loud splash of water wasn't expected. Hisashi quickly turned and flew back to where his son was. Izuku quickly broke the surface again. He was still scaled and the green was highlighted by the water. But thankfully he seemed okay.
Hisashi looked at him. "Little Dragon?" He asked from the vantage of the sky.
Izuku shook his head. "I'm okay," he said, spitting some water out of his mouth.
"Can you get out?" All For One asked.
That caused his son to frown and Hisashi watched as his expression shifted slightly. No doubt he was lightening himself, trying to see if that would help but since there was no nitrogen in water he couldn't get any traction that way to lift himself out.
"Why don't you make something you can grab?" Hisashi suggested.
Izuku's eyes widened with understanding and while it was odd, All For One watched as his son seemed to grab the air and then he hauled himself out of the water. The one good thing about the Kilo quirk was that when you made yourself lighter, you kept your strength.
Izuku sat on the air and shook his head, getting rid of the water. He spat a few times too.
"Are you hurt?" All For One came close, his eyes concerned.
In response he watched as Izuku moved his arms carefully and wriggled a bit. "Nothing seems broken but it stings," he gave the report on his condition.
"So what would help, my Little Dragon?" Hisashi prompted.
His son thought for a few moments. "Something to absorb the impact," he said slowly.
All For One nodded. Shock Absorption would be useful for his son. It would mean crashes could be cushioned. "I'll see what can be found," he answered. "Are you ready to go again, my Little Dragon?" Hisashi asked..
Izuku grinned.
The chase was on again.
-ted-
Sozonushi Uraraka studied the plans laid out before him trying to find a faster way of building the project. In construction, the jobs were often fixed price. That meant if you built them faster, you paid people for less time, which meant more profit for you. And he needed more profit. They were just too slim at the moment. You could always cut corners with the quality of materials but that was bad practice and he wasn't about to do that. Mixing four bags of concrete instead of five, and adding more sand was an option but not a good one.
So he and Tamiko had to work out ways of progressing their projects faster so that they could move on to the next. That's why he was studying the plans while Tamiko was actually out with the workers, building what they could.
This job had a pretty basic internal structure, but some very tricky finishing. That was going to take time so they had to get simple stuff done fast and efficiently.
He looked at the plans. If they could build those two pillars at the same time that would-
Sozonushi looked up as the door slammed open. "Enko! I wasn't expecting to see you this week," he gasped.
Enko Shugi was one of his suppliers. Quickly Sozonushi ran his mind to the finances. They weren't behind. Getting behind with paying suppliers was a quick way of losing even more time on a job with delayed deliveries. No matter how painful it was for you at times.
"I'm here because I have a job for you," Enko told him.
Sozonushi looked at Enko. She knew he was committed to this one.
"Get Kyougou to come in and finish this one," Enko waved one hand. "I'll cover it."
He couldn't help the look he gave the woman. There was no way she was serious. Enko sighed. "Your profit margin on this is what? Three, four percent? The job I have for you is guaranteed fifteen percent, and probably with the way you do stuff, twenty because this client actually appreciates quality work."
"Enko, while I might be able to pay Kyougou from any profits on a job like that, I am committed to this one," Sozonushi felt obliged to point out.
"This job isn't worth your time."
"And this other one is?" Sozonushi asked.
"Well, of course," Enko drawled. "I would have given it to you already if you just told me you knew Hisashi Riji!" She said the name like it was meant to mean something.
Sozonushi tried to think of who it was. He knew he'd heard the name before but he couldn't place it. He'd heard it recently.
"Now come on, no friend of Hisashi Riji is languishing on this job," Enko continued. She actually came over and took the plans from him. "I already cleared it with your client," she said as she rolled up the plans. "Your new one pays a lot better."
"But-" Sozonushi objected. It wasn't his finest argument but he finally remembered where he had heard the name Hisashi Riji. "Little Izuku's dad?"
"You've met little Izuku?" Enko asked. "He's so cute! That just settles it though. If you know little Izuku, then you are a good friend of Hisashi Riji and you won't be working on this type of job again."
She took his arm and steered him out of his small office. "Infact, after you look at this new job, I'll get you the paperwork for the Hanei Panel."
"We aren't qualified to be on that Panel," Sozonushi objected.
"Piffle! I decide who is qualified for that Panel and you are," Enko told him.
There was something about the way she moved, something about the way she spoke that Sozunushi couldn't fight. It wasn't anything sexual or romantic and he certainly wasn't attracted to her, he just couldn't resist as Enko dragged him away. It was little comfort that Tamiko was also powerless to resist and before they knew it, both Uraraka's were sitting in the back of Enko's car as she drove them to the new job.
-ted-
"You've been happy lately, Ochaco," Izuku observed.
They were inside for lunch today. The autumn weather was miserable. Rain was hitting the window and running down the glass, giving the classroom a muted light. It was kind of nice to watch, so long as you were on the dry side.
Ochaco smiled at him. "Mum and Dad got a lot of work! They even got onto a panel!"
Izuku frowned. "What's a panel?" he asked.
She gave him a look. It wasn't one that said he was stupid, instead it was a look that told him Ochaco didn't quite know how to explain it. "Do you know what a preferred supplier is?" she asked.
Izuku shook his head.
"It's kind of like when you get a sandwich from the cafeteria. You always try to get in the line with Yoi on it, not Ajiga, right?"
"Yoi makes them better!" Izuku agreed.
"It's like that for a preferred supplier. For Mum and Dad, they always want to buy materials from the same places because they know the quality. But it's the same for clients. Some clients, especially big ones like the government, have preferred suppliers. They always go to those companies because they know the quality of the work they are going to get."
"Okay," Izuku nodded slowly. He sort of got it. It was obviously something to do with construction and he didn't know much about that. "How does that relate to a panel?"
"Panels are like a preferred supplier, but better!" Ochaco explained. "Usually if you are on a panel it guarantees work!" She added lightly.
"So your parents' business got on a panel?" Izuku asked for confirmation on what she'd said earlier.
Ochaco grinned. "A big one! And they've already gotten work!"
"That's fantastic!" he told her. He didn't completely understand it but Ochaco's smile was infectious and Izuku grinned at her, happy because she was happy.
It was a good way to spend their lunch break.
-ted-
"I found him," Mirai told the two seated before him, as he flicked up an image. He ignored the gasps. This was a clear image of the man they had been hunting for years.
"Where?" Toshinori demanded.
Sir Nighteye could see that his knuckles were white. He was straining even though he was standing still. The other man, Detective Tsukauchi sat more calmly but he was still stressed. It showed in the way he flicked his pencil. Mirai had invited him today, not because he could provide more information but because the mission to take out this man would require cooperation from the police, and other heroes. It was not something they could do alone.
Well, only one man might be able to fight the villain but others would be needed in supporting roles.
"Not yet," Sir Nighteye said firmly. "You can't just run out and attack him." He could but that would not leave a good impression.
"This has to be planned Toshinori," Tsukauchi said softly.
The two of them were enough to calm Yagi slightly.
Mirai watched the Number One hero take a deep breath. And then he realised it. Sir Nighteye was not known for emotion but he knew how difficult this was. Naomasa knew as well, because the Police Officer reached out to place a calming hand on Toshinori's arm.
Naomasa looked straight at him after that. "Given that the request will be coming from the Number One Agency, I don't see how the Police will be able to refuse," he told Mirai.
The sidekick nodded. Theoretically, Police resources were open to heroes, especially the Number One, but in practice they weren't always. Going against All For One, they couldn't afford any petty rivalries.
"How did you find him?" Tsukauchi asked.
Mirai couldn't help the look that crossed his face. Disgust. Pure disgust. You'd have to know him well to have seen it but it was there. He remembered all the bureaucracy. And now he'd have to admit that it was the Detective who had given them the lead. He might have followed it up, but he'd have never thought to go in that direction without the Detective's information.
He sighed and flipped up another photo. It was the one Tsukauchi had given Toshinori about five years ago. All For One stood with Inko Midoriya and their son, Izuku.
"No way," the Detective whispered.
The table cracked. All Might actually trembled. He was breathing hard again.
Naomasa looked to Sir Nighteye. "You've got him?" He asked, seemingly ignoring his friend's distress.
"I've got him, and we'll get him," Mirai confirmed.
"Tell me how you found him," the Detective asked, still ignoring All Might.
The table cracked further. A webwork of cracks were radiating from Yagi's hands where he was gripping the wood. Sir Nighteye knew it wasn't anywhere near as strong as All Might was so he supposed he should be impressed at the Hero's restraint.
Sir Nighteye sighed softly. "I looked into the child," he admitted. "I went into the Education Department Records."
"You could get into them?" Tsukauchi was justifiably sceptical.
"It took a lot," Mirai consoled him. Those records were not open to the public and the Police had no reason to go into them and if they did, they required warrants and subpoenas. "I eventually found a note from a Principal about a student named Izuku who moved schools and who's registration changed from quirkless to quirked."
Naomasa nodded, his eyes hooded.
"What was the quirk?" Yagi demanded.
"Fire Proofing," Mirai told him.
All Might nodded, understanding the implications of that. He might be known as a fighter, and while he was not the most intelligent of men, he was not stupid.
Sir Nighteye almost didn't want to reveal the next information but he knew he had to. "The initial report from the Principal was about suspected child abuse, however, she didn't care about the boy. She was reporting it for spite."
"What?"
"Obviously I don't have access to the records, so I contacted her directly. Izuku was enrolled in the Elementary in Niigata as quirkless, and was a troublemaker," Mirai said, scorn dripping from his tone. He didn't have Tsukauchi's lie detection quirk but he hadn't needed it to know the woman had been lying. "However the school's marks on Izuku's permanent record were removed by the Minister himself, at his Father's request. She did not like being overridden, and reported the abnormalities in his next enrollment."
More cracks feathered across the tabletop. All Might hadn't let go of the wood and his face was down, shadowing his eyes.
The amount of political backstabbing that the woman admitted to had been somewhat horrifying, even for a man who dealt with the worst of society. It was the fact that she was in charge of children, yet thought this was normal, that bothered him the most. What was she teaching the children?
"His father's name was on record as Hisashi Riji." Sir Nighteye didn't have to tell them that from there it was easy enough for him to track down that identity. Heroes didn't have complete access to databases, especially when the person in question had a squeaky clean criminal record, but they had enough.
"Hisashi Riji is the registered owner of JBQC and several other companies." Mirai informed them. They were companies he knew the names of because they had come up in the investigation of Hiryu Ren's quirk loss. Not all of them but enough that… He felt a fool for not making the connection then.
"And JBQC's headquarters are registered in Mie Prefecture," Naomasa said. It could be expected that the head of the company worked at the headquarters reasonably frequently.
The table shattered. Mirai had been ready for it. He had picked up his tablet earlier. Naomasa wasn't. His notes went everywhere when the support vanished but thankfully none of the wood and splinters cut them.
All Might glared at the screen.
"I've got you." The tone was one you'd associate more with a villain than the Number One Hero.
"We've got him," Sir Nighteye agreed.
Finally.