Rusi Wey, Axiliya – Heaven (spotify)
-There is nothing worse than indecision, Taiko. - he said to himself, leaving the doctor's office. He was successfully discharged, and he was ready to leave the boring white walls. He was given ordinary inexpensive clothes, from his previous clothes only worn-out shoes remained, which he put in order and put on.
His stone face did not show a drop of emotion, and his eyes exuded a cold flame. Taiko arrived in the destroyed area where his house used to be, like hundreds of other houses, which were now being cleared with equipment and some construction quirks. Somewhere in the distance, Cementoss was working. He walked under the tape and quietly slipped past the workers clearing the rubble to the ruins of his house, where a small chest was buried.
Having dug up the cache, Taiko took out a pistol and a clip from there and hid them in a backpack. Looking at the farewell, the only thing Taiko saw in response was ruins. He hurried so as not to miss the bus.
- I'm sorry too, Kyudai. I wish I had killed you then.
...
Oneself, a quirk that was derived from All For One just like One For All. It is an independent part of it, as if a part of Taiko's soul itself rebelled and renounced the blood of All For One. The Oneself quirk seems to constantly resonate and try to change something inside Taiko himself.
What will this lead to? Who will Taiko become, what will he do and what properties will Oneself acquire?
***
- Bye everyone, thanks for the lesson! - a crowd of young people came out of the dojo, where they had previously held training. - Ojiro, are you coming?
- No, I'll stay.
Mashirao Ojiro turned thirteen this year. His family owns this rather popular dojo, all he can do is train hard and one day enter U.A, which he dreams of all his life. He needed to work on the movements of his long tail. However, besides him, there was another guy in the dojo who, unlike the others, came later than everyone else. His name is Taiko, and he is a man of few words.
It so happened that the only one in the dojo who did not give it his all was exactly him. He often sparred at half strength. The other students could not feel this, because his blow at half strength is already strong. Only Ojiro could make him fight at full strength. Therefore, Taiko sparred exclusively with him, and then when everyone left.
Three years had passed since the incident in Jaku. Taiko had become stronger and taller. Of course, he tried to use his inexplicable quirk, but each time it gave him a headache and a sickeningly anxious feeling. Every time, Oneself seemed to be trying to connect him with someone. He was afraid that the quirk would somehow summon AFO. Yes, as much as Taiko wanted to kill him, he was still afraid of his double, so in order not to attract the attention of All For One, Taiko no longer used Oneself. Another thing is when it comes to quirk mutations, you can't hide them anywhere.
- It's unfair to use a tail.
- Exosmite! You beat up all the students today! Aren't you ashamed? - Ojiro used his own heroic pseudonym on him. On the one hand, it was quite childish, but on the other hand, perhaps this was exactly what Taiko lacked.
- He didn't beat him up, but taught him a lesson. - Taiko initiated the fight and struck first, ignoring the obvious mockery.
Ojiro blocked him with his tail, the force of the blow was enough to slightly push Ojiro away. He still didn't understand how he had such a strong blow, and Taiko's quirk remained a secret even for Ojiro, although he understood and suspected that the quirk was related to his chitinous arms. By no means, "Exosmite" was not an insult, that's what Ojiro called him, once coming up with a heroic pseudonym.
Over the long year of training together, they really became close. Ojiro and his training helped him get out of depression and occupy his mind with something other than thoughts of revenge. Ojiro has a very calm character, but often tends to be excessively noble, for example, he does not like to do forbidden techniques and hit in a sore spot. For obvious reasons, Taiko could only call Ojiro a friend. He treated the rest coldly and kept his distance.
- My turn! - Ojiro swung his tail at his legs, but the agile Taiko did a backflip. Without waiting for him to land, Ojiro delivered an uppercut with his tail. Taiko blocked the blow with his hands. They flew in different directions.
-You caught me, the tail gives a big advantage, - Taiko said jumping up. Taiko's blows to Ojiro's tail were greatly softened, from which it seemed as if he was hitting a pillow or rather a punching bag.
Taiko jerked the distance, knocked the tail to the side and went to the side. A gap appeared in the defense and Taiko took advantage of it, he made a leg sweep and grabbed him in a tenacious hold, then threw him into a bend. Ojiro did not expect a lightning-fast judo technique, he got confused and lost his stance. Taiko grabbed him like a boa constrictor and did not allow him to escape the hold, Ojiro resisted as long as he had enough strength and air, but after ten seconds Ojiro began to slap the floor. Taiko finished the fight barely out of breath.
-One day, your nobility may turn fatal. In the dojo, we play at being heroes and samurai, but in reality, everything is completely different. Use ANY technique to defeat your opponent.
-So you're suggesting that I hit him in the back, groin, or eyes?
-All means are good for victory. There are battles where the stakes are too high to put nobility above survival. My scars are proof of that. -Ojiro saw Taiko's scars when he was changing clothes. As for their origin, Taiko answered that he had a difficult childhood, which hinted at street life or some kind of tragedy. Ojiro also knows that Taiko's parents abandoned him. Since Taiko was not much older, but wiser and stronger than Ojiro, he followed the elder's and strongest example.
After finishing training, Taiko and Ojiro left the dojo.
- Your parents really suck all my money and don't spare my wallet. - Taiko meant the payment to Ojiro's parents, because they are the owners of the dojo.
- I can ask them if you have money problems.
- I'll think of something. Maybe I'll find a part-time job. - They were walking around the evening Musutafu.
Ojiro remembered Taiko's strong grip and his hands that were different from the rest of his body. - I bet you ramen that you have a quirk related to your hands.
-You owe me ramen. - They laughed. - Seriously, you're partly right... These hands are also a result of the past. - Taiko said not so sadly. Ojiro was interested, but he did not dare to rush or force an answer.
- You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.
- One day I'll tell you.
Ojiro changed the subject.
- By the way, do you want to enroll in some hero school?
- So that Exosmite would walk the streets and catch villains? - Taiko said with a smile, using his pseudonym, - You've got your sights set on U.A, right?
- What's wrong?
- Nothing. - Taiko looked at him. - I know you can do it. - he smiled slightly.
- Thank you! So what do you think?
Enough time has passed for the pseudonym - Grimm to disappear from the information space. He's not a villain, but a former criminal and vigilante, although what difference does society make, they call everyone a villain. Yes, there were mistakes and now, perhaps, there is a chance to end his criminal career... right after revenge.
- Damn... Don't burden me like that. Ha-ha.
- Promise you'll think about it. - Ojiro nudged him with his tail.
-Okay, okay, I'll think about it.
After finishing his walk and saying goodbye to Ojiro, Taiko's smile disappeared from his face.
-It's time.
Today he would visit Giran, whom he had been looking for all this time. Taiko assumed that he was still involved in drugs. He had to first find the drug dens, and then shake out information about Giran. From above, he needed to prepare for the fact that the cops would start digging into him. Taiko had already studied the location of the main cameras, and also used a unique gait so that neural networks wouldn't figure him out, and used disposable clothes. Fortunately, you could find something in the boxes for used clothes, sew something up, paint it, and boom! A completely different impression and appearance.
Taiko thought a lot about the battle between All Might and AFO that night. The main questions were: AFO's quirks, and how All Might reacted so quickly to the appearance of the villain. If he hadn't come to any conclusions about the first question yet, then the second one had a perfectly adequate explanation. All thanks to cameras and neural networks that study villains, their styles, gaits and features, and then search for them all over the country.
It really took a lot of time, too much. In parallel, he had to go to school, like the other children, and also to the dojo. There was barely enough time and energy left for night forays.
Returning back to his inconspicuous dorm room, allocated to him by the state as a victim of the tragedy in Jaku, he changed into overalls: an ordinary fabric black mask, boots from an old uniform, a tight-fitting long-sleeved T-shirt, a hoodie with a hood and cargo pants. Finally, he went to the address, avoiding the previously studied location of the cameras and using a special angle of the head, shoulders and arms while walking and running so that the neural networks would not recognize him by his gait.
...
Taiko stood in front of a certain underground bar in a gateway, where the few remaining criminal elements rarely gather. On the holster there was a pistol, prepared to put a bullet into the forehead of the one who committed such atrocities against an innocent girl.
Having gone down to the bar, glowing with yellow light, the smell of smoke inside. Taiko would recognize this tobacco smoke from afar. The room turned out to be rather poor in space, and the old furniture did not inspire confidence. At the bar stood a creature... A Nomu that named Kurogiri. This meant only one thing. AFO got here and it seemed that this was one of his points.
-"Fuck..." It was too late to retreat. He carefully sat down at the table near the bar.
-You don't often meet customers here. - Kurogiri greeted politely.
-Kurogiri, call Giran. - Taiko ordered. Surprised by the tone, Kurogiri suddenly decided to obey for some reason. -And pour something.
A minute later, Giran came out of the room, yawning. His bristly face had aged considerably, and his eternal smile was missing one tooth.
- What do you want, Kurogiri? I was already asleep, damn it... - he turned his attention to the night guest in the hood.
- I... I... - Kurogiri only whispered indistinctly, not understanding why he obeyed the order.
- Okay, leave him to me. - Giran was surprised by the strange behavior. - What do you want, how did you find this place and what is your name? - Giran poured out a series of questions.
Looking around, to see that there was no one else in the room, Taiko spoke.
- Kagero Okuta. - he said Giran's real name, which made him drop the cigarette from his lips.