Capítulo 3: Chapter 3 - Protege of the Bat
It had been a week since Izuku's encounter with the Batman. If it wasn't for the device that he carried with him, he may have thought it had been a hallucination. All though he didn't know entirely what was going to happen, he had a feeling that it was the right direction to be going. He also felt that he was about to embark on the most difficult journey of his life.
He didn't know the half of it.
Izuku waited patiently for Batman to contact him on the device. It looked like a simple smartphone, but it seemed to be connected to some sort of virtual private network, rather than to any of the regular cell phone carriers in the city. He had played around with it a little but was nervous about messing something up, so he left it alone for the most part.
Izuku couldn't get over the last thing that the Batman said to him: 'You, Izuku Midoriya, will become a hero. That I promise.' For the first time in his life, he had validation. He had someone who believed in him. Someone to guide him and help him to become a hero. He could hardly wait.
Izuku was in study hall when he suddenly felt his phone vibrating. He still regularly chatted with Uraraka, so it was probably a text from her. But it kept vibrating. It was a call. He glanced down at his backpack and froze. He could see his phone in the front pouch of the backpack. The ringing continued in his pocket.
This was it. This was the call! Izuku stood upright suddenly and informed the startled teacher he had to go to the bathroom. Running out into the hall, he found a secluded area and took a breath. His hands shaking, he took the phone out of his pocket. Batman's symbol was stretched across the screen as it rang. Hardly daring to breathe, Izuku answered it.
"H-hello?" He squeaked into the phone. Surprisingly, it wasn't that gruff, sandpaper-like voice he was expecting. "Hello, is this Master Midoriya?" It was the voice of an older individual, respectful and formal, with an accent that Izuku placed as British. And he knew Izuku's name. "Yes..." Izuku replied, stunned. "Yes, this is Izuku Midoriya."
"Jolly good," The man replied. "I will be arriving promptly after school to take you to meet with your benefactor. Look for the limousine." And with that, the call disconnected, leaving Izuku dumbfounded. He was bursting with questions. Who on Earth was that? Should he trust him?
Well, Izuku thought. He was calling on this line so he must know Batman. I didn't know he had partners. After a minute or so, Izuku looked around him to see people in the hall staring at him. He had been muttering to himself again. Blushing, he decided it was best to hold his questions until the end of school. He would have to call his mother to let her know he would be staying after school to avoid concern. He started to walk back to class when he paused. Did he say limousine?
Izuku walked slowly as he anxiously looked throughout the courtyard for his contact. All he knew was that he was looking for a foreigner with a limousine. Something like was not seen very often in this area of the city, so he should stick out like a sore thumb. But Izuku didn't see anyone yet. It was all so confusing, so nerve-wracking. He was going to be trained by this Batman, but what did that entail? How would he -
"Master Midoriya, I presume." Said a voice behind him. Izuku jumped about a foot as he spun around. Before he stood a tall man, wearing a fine suit, complete with white gloves and wing-tipped shoes. His wrinkled face, grey mustache, and balding hair gave him a grandfatherly look, with a kind but piercing blue eyes behind his spectacles. He smiled warmly at Izuku.
"What is it with you guys and sneaking up on people?" Said Izuku, rubbing his palpitating chest.
"Terribly sorry," Said the Man, smiling a little. "A side effect of being in the employ of a man who dresses like a flying rodent." He bowed respectfully. "Alfred Pennyworth, at your service."
"Mr. Pennyworth," Izuku began.
"Please, Master Midoriya," Replied Alfred. "Just Alfred will do nicely."
"Err, Alfred," Said Izuku. "What exactly...is going on?"
"All will be made clear to you once we have arrived at our destination, young Master," Said Alfred, tapping the side of his nose. "If you would be so kind as to follow me."
Izuku felt extremely self-conscious as he approached the limousine parked outside the school. There were students and passers-by, some from his class, that gawked as he passed them. He could only imagine the questions that they would bombard him with tomorrow. He had no idea how he was going to answer them.
Once inside, Izuku was amazed at how luxurious the accommodations of the limousine were. The seats were expensive leather, with plenty of leg space. There were a built-in television, telephone, and mini fridge. The air conditioning felt great to Izuku after such a hot and humid day. The floor of the interior was a fine carpet that felt plush beneath Izuku's shoes. Izuku had never been in such luxury before but was not entirely surprised. Even though Pro Heroes were paid by the government for their services, many of them had separate businesses that capitalized on their popularity. This allowed the most popular, such as All Might, to enjoy some of the finest luxuries' money could buy.
The trip only took about 20 minutes. Alfred had taken him into uptown Kamino, where Alfred guided him into a large office building. The security guard at the desk waved them through with a nod, and they entered the elevator. Alfred waved a keycard in front of the scanner and pushed the button to take them to the penthouse office.
When the elevator opened, it revealed to be a long, partially lit hallway, lined with windows on each side that opened to an expansive view of the city. Alfred led him down the hallway, which led a large pair of double doors. Alfred opened the door and led Izuku in.
Inside was an extravagant office. It was minimally decorated, with a large desk, two couches, an armchair, and a few paintings that lined the walls. Izuku assumed that each piece was very expensive. The desk was located at the end of the room, a large computer screen resting on top of it. High on the wall behind them was a large oil painting of a handsome, mustached man, standing next to a beautiful woman. Someone was sitting at the desk; their face was obstructed by the computer screen. Alfred cleared his throat. "Your guest has arrived, Master Wayne."
Bruce Wayne stood up from behind the desk, smiling at Izuku's shocked expression. "Thank you, Alfred," He replied. Alfred simply bowed and excused himself, leaving Izuku and Wayne alone. Izuku was confused, trying to piece together what just happened in his mind. Wayne said nothing, simply leaning against the front of the desk, smiling as Izuku wrestled with this turn of events.
"Mr. Wayne?" Izuku said finally. "I don't understand. Why are you here? What's going on?"
"You're about to find out," Wayne replied. He walked back behind his desk and pressed the underside of his desk. The wall behind him parted just below the painting, revealing a dark corridor that Wayne started to walk down, gesturing Izuku to follow him. At the end of the dark corridor was a large, metal cage elevator, which opened for them as they approached. There were only two buttons on the elevator: up and down. Wayne pressed the down button, and they began their descent.
Izuku didn't know how long the elevator descent was. Probably minutes, but it felt like an eternity. As the elevator descended lower, Izuku had the feeling that they had traveled below ground, but the elevator continued deeper. Finally, it came to a shaking halt, and the cage door before them swung open. The way before them was dimly lit and appeared to be some sort of empty warehouse. Wayne pursued forward without hesitation, Izuku trailing behind him apprehensively.
"Lights on," Said Wayne, his voice echoing. Immediately, the warehouse lights flashed to life, causing Izuku to have to shield his eyes while they adjusted to the brightness. As they came back into focus, Izuku beheld before him the most incredible sight he had ever seen. The warehouse wasn't empty as Izuku had first thought.
Izuku found himself to be in some sort of large armory. With all the equipment, he could have easily mistaken it for a military compound. Lining the walls were racks filled with gadgets and devices of all kinds: grenades and canisters of varying shapes and sizes; devices that looked like small projectile firearms, but with large claws fitted into the nozzle; several large collapsible boomerangs of different sizes; tactical weaponry, such as batons, a few carbon fiber collapsible staffs, tasers, and others that Izuku didn't recognize, and realized were probably custom engineered. There were shelves of electronic devices, such as radios, transmitters, small computers, and tablets. Large military-grade boxes that were stacked on top of each other, as well as end-to-end, lined the walls of the warehouse. Some seemed haphazardly placed, others were opened, with more items found on the shelves pouring out.
Farther into the warehouse could be seen several large armored assault vehicles. One looked like someone had combined a tank with a Humvee, which Izuku assumed allowed for more maneuverability. It was armed to the teeth with what looked to be rocket launchers, railguns, and heavy armor plating. Next to it was what appeared to be a black fighter jet, and several other smaller vehicles, some that were duplicates of the tank, but without all the painting and weaponry. A large computer with several screens was at the opposite end of the vehicles in the warehouse. On the various displays were running different programs, codes, and applications that Izuku couldn't discern. Next to that seemed to be some sort of training area, with several free weights, machines, training bags and dummies, and Olympic-style acrobatic equipment. There was even a pool, and something seemed to be submerged inside of it, but was too dark to identify.
Wayne took out a small device from his breast coat pocket, pressing it. Next, near the computer station, a small platform seemed to be rising. Upon closer inspection, it was a tall, metal locker. When it finished rising, the metal grate doors parted in the middle. What it revealed left Izuku shocked, even more so than discovering this enormous arsenal cache: an armored, Kevlar suit with a large bat symbol stretched across the chest.
Izuku looked up to the smirking Wayne, who walked over and sat in the chair in front of the computer station. Izuku was at a loss for words. It was all so much to take in. Wayne only sat there, waiting for Izuku to collect himself. "I have so many questions," Said Izuku weakly. Despite this, one stuck out in his mind immediately. "Why me?"
Wayne forward in his chair, contemplating. "'Some villains just can't be beaten without a quirk.' That's what he said to you, isn't it?" Said Wayne.
Izuku hesitated, finally nodding. "How did you know?" He asked.
"I've known All Might for a long time," Said Wayne. "And have kept an eye on him since the debut of his hero career, ten years ago. Year after year I watched his quirk's power grow to immense proportions. The sheer weight of his power is immeasurable and seems to be able to grow at will."
Wayne stood from his chair and walked over to a large table covered with files and documents. "For over twenty years I have made it a mission to study abnormalities in nature. The nature of what society calls "quirks" goes by another name as well: The Meta-Human Phenomenon.
"This phenomenon," Wayne continued, sifting through the files, handing some of them to Izuku. "Has manifested itself in incalculable ways: mutation, ability amplification, and has even caused forward leaps in evolution." Some of the files included individuals with powerful and potentially dangerous quirks, such as an explosion, super-strength, and even mind control. Other files were of individuals who have manifested a quirk that physically changed them: animal quirks, mutation quirks, etc. One file showed the quirk of a boy that literally transformed his body into a gelatin-like substance, and another detailed an extremely rare case of an animal gaining hyper-intelligence by developing a quirk.
"But as of five years ago," Said Wayne. "All might's power began to rapidly decrease. He all but disappeared from the spotlight, spending less and less time on hero work. To determine the cause, I began to observe him five months ago." Wayne walked to the computer and began to show Izuku video feed of All Might. "He is very difficult to track. His quirk allows him to move great speeds. But I was able to find a pattern. He was only active for about three hours a day. Sometimes it was all at once, others it was spent intermittently. But they always hover around the three-hour mark."
"If you are friends," Said Izuku. "Why couldn't you just talk to him about it."
Wayne gave Izuku a wry smile. "I said we knew each other," He said. "But I didn't say we were friends." Wayne returned to the computer. "But last month, I was finally able to obtain this footage." He paused. "This may be hard for you to watch." He pulled up a video feed of Izuku being attacked by the sludge monster. Izuku felt like a weight was dropped into his stomach. Seeing the monster again brought on an uncomfortable feeling to Izuku. It was like a cross between immense anger and immense guilt. It fast-forwarded to him and All Might on the rooftop, with All Might deflating in a puff of smoke, and showing Izuku the wound on his chest.
"Pretty gross, right?" Said the recording of All Might. "I got this in a fight about five years back. My respiratory system is shot, and all the surgeries have worn me out. There's no fixing it."
"After that, it all connected," Said Wayne. "His injuries, the decrease in his power and time spent on duty. The conclusion: The Symbol of Peace is dying."
Even though he knew about this already, those words troubled Izuku. All Might had almost single-handedly reduced all the crime across the country. His strength and the safety he conveyed with his smile inspired hope, and with it a new age of peace and happiness. If All Might were to disappear, or worse, if he were to die, then the vacuum of power that he would leave in his wake would shake the foundations of their society.
"But what does this have to do with me?" Izuku asked.
Wayne punched in a few keys on the computer. The screen switched to show footage of Izuku and Uraraka on the day she was accosted. "Ever since you're meeting with All Might," He said. "I have kept an eye on you. I have always relied on my intuition, and it has never failed me. And that intuition told me that you, in some way, were significant."
Izuku felt his face flush, despite himself. He hung his head. "I don't know why," he said. "I'm just a quirkless nobody."
Wayne considered him for a minute. "What do you know about quirks?" He asked.
Izuku was confused. He wasn't sure if the question was rhetorical. "Well, they're super abilities that are unique to the individual," He said. "Sometimes they are passed down from generation to generation. No one knows how it happened, but the first quirk happened about 100 years ago in China."
Wayne nodded. "That's the general consensus," he said. "Now let's discuss what you don't know." He turned back to his computer and pulled up a file of a bald, middle-aged man of muscular build in an orange jumpsuit. "Do you know this man?"
Izuku's eyes widened. "That's Lex Luthor," He said incredulously. "The American supervillain, Superman's greatest enemy, and one of the most dangerous villains of all time."
"You know your stuff," Said Wayne, impressed. "But what you don't know is that, in a way, it is because of this man that we have quirks, to begin with." He punched in a few keys on the keyboard, pulling up a video feed. There stood four individuals: A woman clad in armor, a sword and a golden rope at her side; A tall, muscular man dressed in a tight blue suit with a flowing red cape; and the Batman himself. Standing before them was none other than Lex Luthor, wearing a large power suit. He looked different than in his previous picture. He had several scars across his face. His left eye replaced by a glowing, yellow orb. They stood aboard some sort of space station observations deck; the Earth visible from the giant window before them.
"My greatest triumph was at hand," Said Luthor. "The final campaign in my long war against Superman. While his powers were drained in constant battle, sending him into space to recharge from the Earth's yellow sun, I struck. But my obsession had blinded me to the real threat. To Earth's true enemy."
The three heroes before him said nothing. Batman stared at Luthor with his signature brooding glare, his distrust almost physically palpable. Luthor continued his story. "Brainiac had returned. For years he had been stealing the powers of Earth's protectors, but we were too busy fighting amongst ourselves to see the danger. With you three dead," He indicated to the heroes before him. "Brainiac quickly eliminated the remaining heroes. The lucky ones," Luthor looked down, solemnly. "Died fighting.
"Finally, I alone survived." Said Luthor, bitterly. "A rat, in the walls of the Brainiac construct. I have traveled through time to warn you. This is my past, but your future. And it means the end of humanity, so together, we must change it!" The mechanical hand of his power suit stretched toward the Earth outside the viewport, and a giant pulse emitted from its surface, stretching until the entire Earth was covered.
Batman had had enough. "What have you done, Luthor!" He demanded, stepping forward.
"Given you a fighting chance," He retorted. "I stole Brainiac's exobytes and sent them back in time one hundred years ago, releasing them into the Earth's atmosphere. They contain the abilities of superhumans from my time and across the galaxy, and they will bestow those powers onto any they come in contact with. What you just saw was a change in the timeline, where 80% of the earth now possesses some form of superhuman ability.
"This new onset of superhuman abilities will cause society to come to a halt," Luthor continued. "That is why I have sent them back one hundred years. It has given humanity the time it needs to adapt, to evolve. The world as you know it has changed. But now, they are ready."
"He's lying," Said Batman. "It has to be some sort of trick. Why should we trust you?"
"Because if you don't," Replied Luthor. "The Earth is doomed."
The video ended. Izuku was speechless at what he just saw. Wayne turned back to Izuku. "This happened over a decade ago, chronologically," Said Bruce. "When we returned to Earth from the Watchtower, the world had drastically changed from the time shift. But Luthor was successful in his endeavor. Brainiac was repelled and defeated, and after 100 years since the introduction of the exobytes, the world continued to evolve into a new age of quirks and superpowers."
"But," Izuku said, trying to wrap his mind around this new information. "I've never heard of any of this! There are no reports, no news articles, nothing of an alien invasion, or of this 'Brainiac'!"
"The Justice League made sure of that," Confirmed Wayne. "We covertly gathered as many super-powered individuals as we could, both hero and villain alike, and formed a strike force against Brainiac. When he entered our solar system to begin the invasion, we began our strike. After his defeat, it was agreed that, in an effort to prevent a panic, the events of the Brainiac invasion became classified."
"This is so overwhelming," Izuku said. "I mean, the implications of what this means alone are amazing. The first individual on record to ever develop a quirk was just a little girl in China, and after that quirks became a part of society. To think that they were because of a space alien and time travel is just too much to comprehend. It could change the very fabric of our history..." Izuku trailed off, continuously muttering to himself.
"Midoriya," Said Wayne, after a minute. But Izuku was still lost in thought. "Midoriya!" Finally, Izuku snapped back to reality. "I understand it's hard to believe," Said Wayne, smiling. "That is the exact reason we suppressed this truth. But there's a reason I showed this to you. I wanted to show you that quirks themselves are not a natural phenomenon like everyone believes.
"You have been outcast your entire life because you don't have a quirk," Bruce continued. "They have led you to believe that you are not special, but it is just the opposite. Quirks are not a natural phenomenon. But you are. And, in a way, that makes you special." Izuku had never thought of it that way, and the implication of Wayne's words warmed his heart.
"But there's more to it than that," Said Wayne. "It hadn't become clear to me yet, but after observing you, I saw it with my own eyes. All Might told you that you couldn't become a hero without a quirk. But he also told you something else: 'Heroes are always risking their lives.' And you did just that," Wayne rose from his chair. "Despite the fact that you had no quirk, were essentially powerless, you still risked your life to help a stranger in need. This is what being a hero is all about."
Izuku looked away. "But I don't deserve it," Said Izuku. "If it wasn't for me, Kacchan would still be alive. How can I be worthy to become a hero with that on my conscience?"
Wayne considered him for a moment. He walked over to his desk and took the picture frame that was on it, handing it to Izuku. It was an old photograph of the handsome, mustached man and the beautiful woman, but this time, sitting between them, was a young boy. "These are my parents," said Wayne. Izuku looked up to see him sitting in the chair again. His demeanor had completely changed. He was somber, almost sad.
"When I was 8 years old," Wayne continued. "We had gone out one night to see a movie. It was my favorite at the time: 'The Mask of Zorro.' I remember being so excited, I couldn't wait to go." Wayne leaned back in the chair and sighed. "But it would be the night that would change my life forever.
"My father," He said. "Was a doctor. He was respected by the community for his medical prowess, as well as his skills in business. He ran my family's company when my grandfather passed. My mother," he added. "Was beautiful and kind. A woman who would never give up, who would always do the right thing, no matter what.
"That night at the theater," Wayne said, his eyes darkening. "My father decided to take a shortcut home through the alleys. It was a dark time then. Heroes weren't as common then as they are now." Wayne paused. Izuku couldn't decide if he wanted to hear the end of this story. But Wayne continued.
"It happened quickly," He said finally. "First, he took my mother's pearls. Then he went for my father. Two shots." He motioned with his fingers, indicating the firing of a gun. "That's all it took. Two shots and my parents were taken from me."
Izuku felt a strong sense of sympathy for Wayne. It was hard to see this side of him. "I'm sorry," He said. "What happened to him? The mugger?"
Wayne shrugged. "They never caught him. To this day, the Martha and Thomas Wayne case is cold." Izuku's stomach twisted. He thought of Kacchan and the monster that killed him. They still hadn't found him. For all he knew, the monster would never be caught, like the murderer who killed Wayne's parents. The thought made him feel a mix of emotions: fear, anger, and shame.
Izuku was brought back to reality by Wayne placing a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing can bring back your friend," Said Wayne. "And nothing can change what happened." Izuku could feel his eyes welling up with tears. "But," Continued Wayne. "You have the chance to make a difference, Izuku."
Izuku wiped his tears and met Wayne's gaze. "How?" He said fiercely. "What do I need to do?
Wayne smiled. "Become a Hero. Own the pain you feel. It gives you strength, power and resolve. Rise above quirks, rise above society, rise above All Might, and embrace the truth: A hero can be anyone, so long as they are willing to heed the call. Not to fame or wealth, but to the mission, to see it through to the end. You must vow, with every fiber of your being, to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
"Ask yourself, Izuku Midoriya," Continued Wayne. "From the bottom of your heart, from the very depths of your soul: will you be a hero?"
"Yes," said Izuku.
"Louder, boy!" Shouted Wayne. "Will you be a hero?!"
"Yes!" Shouted Izuku.
"Say it!"
"I will be a hero!" Izuku's cries rang all around him. Wayne gave him a satisfied smile. "Then your training begins now."
Hours later, Izuku returned home. Upon seeing her, he hugged his mother for the first time in a month and apologized. He told her that he was going to accept Wayne's proposal, much to her happiness. He went to his room and collapsed on his bed. He was bruised and sore from the training. Wayne had told him that the next nine months would be the hardest he ever faced in his life. But honestly, Izuku didn't care. For the first time in his life, someone believed in him. He was going to make his dreams come true. He was going to bring Kacchan's killer to justice. He was going to be a Hero.
Izuku never felt so alive.
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