Chapter 15: Isamu Midoriya, Boy Genius.
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Aizawa remained calm after waking up from a recurring nightmare. "Even if someone makes a mistake, the other two can cover for him." Aizawa whispered, vividly remembering the words of his former classmate and friend. "Those words…"
"Those were his words." Hizashi replied, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he drove through the busy streets of Musutafu City. "When we were students, when we were unaware of the true meaning of a hero."
"So please, Shota, don't push yourself too hard, you've been under a lot of pressure lately."
Deep down Aizawa knew that Hizashi was right, but his obsession blinded him completely. He had long since fallen for Child Emperor's elaborate mind games. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine."
That of course increased Hizashi's concern and caused an awkward silence to spread between them as they made their way deeper into the city.
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***Start of advertising space***
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However, tensions between the newcomer and the current crowd favorite, Midnight, were not long in coming.
"So you're the new girl? I don't like you."
A battle of enormous proportions where glamour and dignity are put to the test…
"Mine are much bigger than yours!"
"At least mine aren't fake…"
"Come here, 🤬!"
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***End of advertising space***
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POV Izuku
I couldn't help but watch with curiosity along with many other people the eye-catching advertisement that was being broadcast on the huge screens installed on the top of some buildings in the center of Musutafu.
Sponsors… Although the hero profession has become very popular, a large part of a professional hero's earnings comes from sponsors. For that reason, many rookie heroes aspire to get a sponsor as soon as possible, with Cognito being one of the most popular sponsors in Japan.
"I wonder if Midnight's boobs are real or not."
My little brother's voice echoed in my head, suddenly pulling me out of my thoughts and directing my attention towards him. "What?" He asked innocently, looking at me and then at Kacchan.
"Remember that mom forbade you to watch that show," I quickly replied. It is my duty to protect my little brother's innocence. He is only 10 years old!
"The Nerd is right, it is a program only for teenagers and we are both 14 years old." Kacchan declared with an air of superiority. "Not for an insufferable brat like you." He finished with a smug and mocking smile while my little brother simply crossed his arms.
"Whatever you say, Baakachan."
"Stop calling me that!"
"You said it, I'm an insufferable brat. Besides, if Izuku can call you Kacchan, then I can give you an embarrassing nickname too." Isamu hummed, sticking his tongue out at Kacchan childishly.
"Whatever." Kacchan clicked his tongue in frustration and walked past me with his hands in his pockets. If someone else had insulted Kacchan the outcome would have been completely different. "There's the damn store you were looking for."
Kacchan is right, just a few meters away from us is the tech store my little brother was looking for. "Thanks for joining me, guys." My little brother said with a kind smile, walking past me and heading into the store.
"Are you sure you don't need us to lend you money?"
"Heh? Why the hell are you talking for me?"
"My science project is mostly made out of recyclable materials, so I only need to buy a few electronic parts." My little brother replied, pulling out some bills from his pockets before smiling cheekily. "Plus, Mom gave me my allowance in advance, it was impossible for her to resist my adorable puppy eyes."
"You're evil." Kacchan replied with a proud smile while I could only shake my head with a small smile.
"And you have no idea, hehe."
Once my little brother had finished his shopping and we left the store, I couldn't help but feel like someone or something was watching us. Before we left the house, Mom warned me to keep an eye on my little brother and not let him get close to anyone looking like a homeless person, which puzzled me a bit.
"By the way, what's your boring science project about? I bet it's a damn volcano made out of paper mache." Kacchan asked, snapping me out of my thoughts and focusing my attention on my little brother. I'm curious about that too.
"It's a surprise." He hummed happily, shaking his backpack a little without revealing anything else.
My little brother hides a lot of secrets, but still, I can't help but trust him completely. After all, he was the first person who truly believed in my dream of becoming a hero and I will never forget that. "If you need help with your science project, don't forget to count on me."
"Tch… And with me too. It's not like I care though!"
"I'm glad to hear that." My little brother stopped and looked at the blue sky as the wind blew hard. "I'm sure our future will be really amazing, so let's do our best." He softly uttered before turning his gaze towards us and smiling angelically. Resulting in a truly touching scene.
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"Even if someone makes a mistake, the other two can cover for him."
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I mustn't cry... Don't cry Izuku! And without realizing it, some tears had already stained my face to no one's surprise. Even Kacchan strangely remained silent and didn't make fun of me. Really, I have the best brother ever.
And not only that, I'm sure that Kacchan despite not being related by blood, sees Isamu as a little brother... Something to protect, something for which he and I must become stronger.
"Okay, that was a little cheesy, in my mind it sounded a lot better." My little brother muttered embarrassedly before picking up his pace and walking a few feet away from us. "By the way, the last one to get to the train station will have to buy the chocolate milkshakes."
That was the last thing I heard before he fell to the ground roughly and my resolve was put to the test. I should have paid more attention to Mom's warning…
"What the hell is that homeless man doing…"
Then everything got out of control.
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POV Aizawa
Damn, I shouldn't have sent Hizashi out to buy more coffee.
I was supposed to keep my distance and monitor the movements of the main suspect in this troublesome investigation I've been working on for a while. I wasn't supposed to intervene, much less make my presence known.
However, I inevitably reached my breaking point once that boy blatantly quoted the words of my former comrade, Oboro Shirakumo. Words that only Hizashi and I knew. It couldn't be a coincidence!
So without thinking much, I left my hiding spot behind and jumped right in front of the boy moments before he crashed into me and fell to the ground. This is my chance to find out once and for all who you really are, Isamu Midoriya.
Which brings me to this precise moment…
"Isamu Midoriya, the games are over." I declared visibly angry, staring at the terrified boy in front of me as I kept my quirk active and approached him.
I will not be fooled by your elaborate act of an innocent boy.
"Who are you? How do you know my name? And why do I feel so strange?" The boy quickly asked in a panic, possibly feeling the suppression of his quirk and realizing that he had nowhere to escape. However, things took an unexpected turn…
"Have you drugged me?! Do you want to kidnap me?!" The boy exclaimed, looking at me as if I was the most disgusting thing in the world before quickly taking out a small whistle hidden under his shirt and blowing it loudly, instantly drawing the attention of many of the passersby around. "A pervert!"
This isn't going to end well…
"That's enough, you're coming with me." I gritted my teeth in frustration and quickly grabbed the boy's right arm. I don't like this situation at all and I don't have time to explain too much.
"You're hurting me!"
This is supposed to be a low-profile investigation, only a limited number of people know about the existence of Child Emperor and Hydra. Therefore, I must take the boy to the police station so that Tsukauchi can interrogate him and…
But what if I'm wrong? I thought the kid would drop his charade once he was cornered, but instead, he seems genuinely confused and scared….
There's no time to think about that!
"Get your filthy hands off that brat! Damn homeless man!" a completely enraged boy exclaimed, roughly pushing a few passersby aside before pointing his hands directly in my direction. "DIE!" The boy's hands glowed for a brief second just before he was affected by my quirk.
"What the fuck…" Was all he could manage to utter, staring at his hands in complete shock before my capture weapon quickly wrapped around him and he fell to the ground unable to move. Katsuki Bakugo, both his quirk and his personality are explosive and dangerous, despite this, he somehow seems to get along with the suspect.
"Kacchan!" Another boy exclaimed worriedly, dodging the passersby who had stopped to watch with interest what was happening before he finally turned his attention to me and was surprised. It seems that the boy has recognized me. "Eraser Head…"
Izuku Midoriya, quirkless, a fan of heroes, and the older brother of the suspect. "Don't interfere boy." I warned seriously as the small trace of admiration on his face faded and was replaced by an expression of worry and fear.
"Onii-chan, help me!"
And those words were all it took for Izuku Midoriya to clench his fists and carelessly rush towards my direction without thinking of the consequences. "My little brother hasn't done anything wrong, let him go! I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding!"
The will of those two boys is admirable, but unfortunately, their hearts are in the wrong place. Isamu Midoriya has played with the hearts of many people…
But what if I am making a serious mistake? I must suppress these irrational thoughts!
"Don't be afraid, little brother." He shakily uttered, falling to the ground as my capture weapon immobilized his body. Shock and helplessness were visible on the faces of Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo as my capture weapon wrapped around both of them tightly, preventing them from doing anything careless.
"Damn…"
"Little brother…"
Damn… I feel like I don't really have control over the situation.
"Don't hurt them!"
Isamu Midoriya finally exclaimed, snapping me out of my thoughts and biting down hard on my right hand, breaking free from my grip and standing protectively right in front of the other two boys before taking a short breath and looking me straight in the eyes with determination.
"Don't hurt my older brothers!"
For a brief moment, everything fell silent as those words echoed loudly in my head, making me hesitate for a few brief seconds before reorganizing my thoughts. Possibly this is part of his twisted mind games! I must concentrate! I won't be fooled!
I then gritted my teeth tightly and quickly wrapped my capture weapon around him, making him fall to the ground with a small groan of pain under the horrified gaze of the other two boys.
However, there was something else in the gaze of those two boys, as if something had awakened in them, causing a sudden thought to begin to torment me.
What if this was just what Isamu Midoriya wanted to happen?
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POV Isamu
(I couldn't do anything...)
(I couldn't protect him...)
☆ (If only I were stronger…) ☆
These are some of the thoughts that are surely tormenting Izuku and Bakugo. Thoughts that will definitely be imprinted deep in their minds and will serve as fuel to ignite the flame of their hearts.
Just imagining how strong they will become from now on makes me shudder with anticipation and pride. Thank you, Eraser Head, who has unknowingly helped me give that pair of idiots a little push.
Leaving aside those little things, I find myself in a very interesting situation and I don't intend to waste the opportunity. After all, Eraser Head's surveillance has become a bit annoying lately. The bastard even tried to get information from Inko about me!
Although I must admit that it's partly my fault for playing with his past traumas.
So I came up with a sophisticated plan to get rid of this little inconvenience, at least until my public debut is ready. Hehe, I'm a very cunning and manipulative little shit.
And I love it!
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POV Third Person
Musutafu City Police Department.
"Eraser Head, what the hell were you thinking?" Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi asked seriously, ignoring his growing headache as he carefully observed the interior of an interrogation room through a large one-way mirror.
"He quoted Oboro's words." Aizawa replied monotonously, focusing his attention on the one-way mirror. "What are the chances of that happening? Give me a rational answer, Tsukauchi."
"It could have just been a coincidence."
"But it might not have just been a coincidence and you know it."
On the other side of the one-way mirror, Izuku and Bakugo sat silently with their eyes downcast, deep in thought as they waited for their mothers to arrive.
"Nothing suspicious was found in his backpack or the other two boys' belongings, just some purchases for the upcoming Aldera Junior High science fair."
"Also, I checked the security cameras in the area and I can't blame those boys for acting that way. You lost control, Eraser Head."
Those words caused Aizawa to fall silent for a few brief seconds, reconsidering his actions before clenching his fists in frustration. "You may be right, Tsukauchi, but he is right there, you just have to enter that place and interrogate him, we will not have a chance like this again."
"As much as I want to interrogate him, the laws regarding children are very clear. Unless we have unequivocal proof that he is somehow involved with illegal activities, we can't do anything. Do you understand the situation?" Naomasa snorted helplessly, he knows perfectly well that without clear proof his hands are tied.
Standing in front of them and right on the other side of the one-way mirror, Isamu Midoriya waited patiently, curiously watching the one-way mirror as a bandage covered some scratches on his right arm.
In fact, the bandage wasn't necessary, he just wanted to be dramatic and cause even more trouble.
"Your actions will have consequences, I'm sure the boy's mother will use her influence within Cognito to pressure us." Naomasa explained, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as the tension only increased. "You will have to apologize for your careless way of acting and explain that it was all the product of a huge misunderstanding."
"I suppose that's not all." Aizawa couldn't help but hide his displeasure, the mere thought of apologizing for following his instincts and trying to do his job irritated him.
"Your hero license will be temporarily suspended, however, you may continue your duties as a teacher at U.A."
Aizawa gritted his teeth. "What will happen to the investigation regarding Child Emperor and Hydra?"
"Unfortunately, the workload at the police department has increased considerably lately, far exceeding our limited capacity. Therefore, I will send the latest data collected to Nezu and Sir Nighteye, I trust that they will find something that we have overlooked."
"That is all I can do for now, sorry."
After those words, Aizawa snorted lightly and closed his eyes, sinking into his thoughts as a tense silence spread between them. He knew perfectly well that what he had heard was not a coincidence, he had been manipulated and he could do nothing about it. The seed of despair had begun to blossom deep within his heart.
After all, Isamu knew that the police policy was not much different from that of his previous world… He knew that the police would not interfere until it was too late.
"Hey, Aizawa…" Naomasa narrowed his eyes.
"What?"
"That little bastard… He's smiling."
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Shortly after, Izuku, Bakugo, and Isamu were released without further mishaps. As expected, Aizawa had no choice but to bow and monotonously apologize for his actions, almost instantly earning himself a slap from a furious Inko.
In the distance, Naomasa could only watch helplessly as Isamu Midoriya left the police station through the main door with a small, satisfied smile on his face. The detective knew, without a doubt, that it had been a grave mistake to let him go.
And indeed, it was a grave mistake.
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As expected, time passed and many of Isamu's elaborate plans began to bear fruit.
"…And I am pleased to announce that the winner of this year's science fair is none other than Isamu Midoriya, for his intriguing invention capable of collecting the trash from Takoba Municipal Beach Park."
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"I'm Taneo Tokuda from Cognito News, aren't you a little young to be building a cleaning robot out of recyclable materials?"
"Yes, yes I am."
"That's enough for me, front page of the newspaper here we go..."
"I heard the kid is only 10 years old..."
"That kid..."
"He's a genius!"
"We are extremely proud to have such a distinguished student at Aldera Junior High, with a bright future ahead of him…"
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"I heard that Aizawa-Sensei lost his hero license for breaking a little boy's arm after having a mental breakdown..."
"Hey, isn't that exaggerated?"
"I'm sure, my parents work for Cognito and it's a rumor that has spread in their offices."
"Aizawa-Sensei... He's dangerous."
These were some of the rumors that were slowly spreading among the students of the most important hero school in Japan.
Meanwhile, Aizawa remained sheltered in the teachers' lounge, precisely inside his favorite sleeping bag, tired of those exaggerated rumors and the glances that regularly fell on him from some students.
"I'm sorry, Shota, if I had stayed by your side, maybe things wouldn't have ended that way." Hizashi could only apologize, regretting not being able to support his friend.
"It wasn't your fault, it was my inability to evaluate the situation in a rational and logical manner. As a result, now that boy is out there doing god knows what with no one to watch his movements."
"Come on, Aizawa, don't be so depressing." Nemuri chimed in on the conversation in an attempt to lighten the mood. "You'll get your hero license back in a few weeks, so enjoy your little vacation and forget about that brat."
"I mean, he's just a little kid, he can't do much in a few weeks. Right?"
"…"
"…"
She had no idea how wrong she was.
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"Help me create the greatest magic show the world has ever seen!" Isamu exclaimed joyfully inside a closed theater, standing on the stage and wearing a cheeky replica of Kaito Kid's costume while a flashy explosion of confetti occurred right around him.
🃏 "You have my attention, little showman." 🃏
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"Maybe you just need a friend." Isamu whispered gently in the depths of a dark alley before extending his right hand forward. In front of him lay none other than a man on the verge of despair sitting on the ground and leaning against a wall as tears stained the pitiful paper bag covering his face.
"Besides, on the dark side, we have cookies..."
"You said… Did you say cookies?"
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"Join me and we will make the world feel your pain!" Isamu exclaimed brazenly, nimbly jumping back and forth inside an abandoned warehouse moments before stepping aside and dodging another dangerous blast of blue flames.
"Get away from me, you little psycho!"
"I can be very persistent when I put my mind to it." Isamu warned with a small, evil smile before a distinctive mechanical noise began to come from inside his backpack…
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"I remember we used to come here when we were kids, before Isamu was born." Izuku rambled, deep in thought and remembering some moments from his childhood as he followed Bakugo through some bushes, heading into a small wooded area until they reached a small clearing. "Kacchan, what are we doing here?"
"This is where it all began…"
("Kacchan! Kacchan! I have some great news!")
("I don't care…")
("I'm going to have a little brother!")
"Kacchan? What do you mean?"
"I challenge you to a duel."
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"Huh? Wait a minute! Why?!"
"The U.A entrance exam is 8 months away."
"I know…"
"Tell me, Nerd, why do you want to be a hero?"
"I want to save people with a smile on my face, tell them everything will be okay, and inspire hope in them. But most of all, I want to protect the people who are important to me."
"Just like how you protected that brat from that homeless hero? If we had faced a real villain… Isamu would have died. Did you know that?" Bakugo murmured with a deadly serious tone.
This caused Izuku's eyes to widen in shock, clenching his fists tightly and imagining the worst possible scenario as he tried his best to control his breathing. Izuku was no fool, he knew perfectly well what Bakugo was referring to.
"How the hell can you keep your determination after that?!" Bakugo exclaimed in frustration as his feelings slowly came to the surface. "Ever since I can remember, I always thought I was the strongest. Adults made me believe that I was destined for glory and fame… To be number one!"
"But it took me a long time to realize that they were just empty words." He muttered, staring desperately at his own hands. "When that damn homeless hero restricted my Quirk and immobilized me with ease, I felt so helpless, so hopeless…"
"Even if I try not to think about it, it comes to mind unexpectedly!"
It didn't take Izuku long to realize what was really tormenting Bakugo, they were childhood friends after all. So without thinking much, Izuku gathered his courage and began to advance toward him, Izuku wanted to help him… Izuku wanted to share that burden.
"How can we be heroes, if we can't even protect a brat?"
("Don't hurt my older brothers!")
"We are the worst brothers ever..."
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Then, suddenly, Izuku's fist slammed hard into Bakugo's face. "Then we have to train harder, surpass our limits, and become much stronger together! Baka!!!"
Izuku exclaimed with great determination as tears soaked his face, seriously looking at Bakugo on the ground and not daring to help him up. This was more than just a duel for them…
"Get up, Kacchan."
It was at that precise moment that the small flame in their hearts began to burn like never before, fueled by a strong desire to protect that which has kept them together all this time.
A Brotherhood.
"You asked for it, Nerd." Bakugo finally got up from the ground and stared at Izuku, on his bruised face, there was a cruel and determined smile. Bakugo would never admit it, but his menacing eyes reflected gratitude.
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"Huh? I thought you wouldn't use your quirk!
"I never said that."
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"It's not enough." Endeavor gritted his teeth, sitting in the middle of a completely trashed training room.
Much of his fortune had long since disappeared. Even with his hero agency generating regular income, fewer and fewer sponsors dared to sponsor him. It wasn't a coincidence, Cognito's influence definitely had a lot to do with it.
Endeavor knew it was only a matter of time before another hero usurped his place… Everything he had worked tirelessly for was beginning to fade before his eyes, slowly plunging him into despair.
"Get up…"
In front of him, a boy lay on the ground completely exhausted after countless hours of intense training. "Even if you hate me…" Endeavor declared with a completely cold and emotionless gaze. "You will get up!"
"And you will keep my legacy alive!"
Unbeknownst to him, his actions were being recorded and stored in an encrypted database located thousands of miles away, right on Cognito's main satellite.
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"Dark times are coming," Sir Nighteye muttered cryptically, staring out of a large window at the sunset over Musutafu City. "We must prepare for a possible large-scale villain attack."
Behind him, the members of his hero agency remained silent, absorbing that warning carefully just moments before an eager intern decided to intervene.
"Don't worry sir! I'm sure we can face any challenge!" Mirio Togata, a second-year hero student and current intern, exclaimed energetically, blindly thinking that the power of friendship will solve any situation.
"A long time ago I was forced to look into the future… In that twisted vision, much of this city was engulfed in flames."
"Oh, that… That's definitely a little disturbing."
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All Might knew that his time was limited, he needed to find a successor and pass on the torch. After all, in about 6 months there would be the entrance exams for the prestigious hero school U.A. However, he still hasn't found the right person to shoulder such a responsibility.
And not only that, lately he has felt as if something or someone is watching him, which has disconcerted him a little since only a limited number of people know his true form.
"This place." He muttered in his weak form, stopping in a residential area after having walked aimlessly for a couple of hours in an attempt to clear his mind. "Why does this place feel so familiar?"
"I think I'm walking in circles…"
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Many meters underground, deep within the city of Musutafu, lies the heart of Hydra, an impressive structure built over the years thanks to Cognito's unlimited funds and advanced technology.
This secret base was shamelessly named: The Hive.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Construction was recently completed on an extensive network of tunnels discreetly connected to Vault-Tec's numerous underground shelters, allowing quick access to almost any point in the city.
The Hive certainly holds many secrets. Experiments, weaponry, never-before-seen technology, everything Isamu's chaotic and twisted mind could imagine, lay hidden beneath the depths of a densely populated city.
Standing in the middle of a huge hangar located on the lower levels, Isamu slowly raised his gaze and observed with fascination what lay before him.
"This is definitely not the story of how my brother became the greatest hero of all using the power of plot and friendship… Much less becoming an NPC with a boring job."
"This will be the story of how I became the greatest supervillain of all by using the power of my imagination. And of all those people who tried to stop me."
In front of him, enormous robotic limbs were finishing being assembled into what would soon become his new weapon of mass destruction… A fantastic giant robot.
"The time has finally come for my debut to the world." Isamu whispered in slight shock, feeling his heart rate rise higher and higher as his cheeks flushed and a determined smile spread across his face.
"It's time to kick ass!"
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To Be Continued...