บท 1: Reawakened
Knowledge was power, it was both a useful tool, but also a danger to have. Just knowing something may make you the target of someone or the victim of a scheme. As useful as it could be. Was it always worth having? He had made a choice, he had chosen to keep the knowledge of his past life. His experience and failures to his successes and memories. And to know the future of this world.
Knowledge was Power.
He had felt the thread snap. That thin red string reached up endlessly into a light warmer and brighter than the sun. It didn't hurt to look at it, it called to him, shining with a glory and unmatched brilliance incomparable to everything he had seen before. It was stunning, it was beautiful. The darkness around him could not encroach on its divine nature. The darkness ebbed and flowed around. Swirling around the light like a corrupted aurora.
The same darkness coiled up towards his legs, a brushing miasma of dread and sorrow. The all-consuming darkness of death lingered beneath him like the awaiting and hungry jaws of a beast that knew it was only a matter of time before it caught its prey. He was terrified. He held onto the red string for dear life. The miasma tendrils of sickly dark purples and greens brushed past his hand like little more than a chill breeze. He could feel the void beneath him. The thread was all that was tethering him to the stunning light.
He pleaded for it not to break, begged whatever god he could in the silence of his own mind. He truly prayed. Yet his prayers were left unanswered. Staring at the string he watched as the red threads snapped and coiled away. The tether to the light breaking as the miasma beckoned him. Called him. Embraced him. It would be so much easier to let go… to sleep. Yet he pleaded still, to that one remaining thread. Thinner than the hair on his head. Thinner than his fragile hopes. Yet holding on.
The sound resounded through his soul, shaking his entire being, the only sound that could be heard in the unending darkness. The snap of a thread. The feeling of weightlessness… then nothing. Or… the lack of nothing. For even the idea of nothing was a thought or a concept. It was not unending, for there was nothing to end, it was not all-encompassing for there was nothing to surround. It simply… wasn't. Just as he was no longer. Ceasing to exist… no thoughts, no worries, no rest.
A choice… a last plea. A prayer. Something utterly incomprehensible. He remembered ceasing to be yet he could not remember what this was that talked to him. Ideas, feelings, emotions. That was its communication. A choice. An answer.
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Nicklaus Hendrix was a lively child. He had dark grey hair just a few shades from black, hazel brown eyes like his mother, and always wore a beaming smile. Eager to invent and even more eager to explore. Running around the woods outside of his home. His parents Mark and Amy were simple individuals that had moved to Japan to be in a more secure country. America had its problems with the Church of True Divinity that his parents wished to avoid. They had enough money, being well of an upper-middle-class family that they were able to move to the country of the number one hero All Might.
Mark was a support item developer. His hair was grey similar to his son's just a fair shade lighter. A few silver whites dotted around his ears from age. He made the items himself and he created the blueprints and designs to a level that the engineers could help finalize them. Since he was more focused on making the blueprints than the items themselves, they were always theoretically solid but sometimes were a bit impractical. His quirk was simple, he could bond two metals together to make the new alloy share properties. Despite how busy he was he did try to make time for his family. Although he was a bit absent he simply was just awkward in a way. Not knowing how to be a dad to such an unruly child.
Amy was a mother at heart, born to be one and the best that Nicklaus could have ever asked for. Her hair was a wonderful golden hazel that matched her eyes. Her kind smile made wrinkles next to her nose and her gentle demeanour was always present. She retired from her job as a hero after her pregnancy to focus on raising her kid.
As useful as she was she wasn't special enough to be considered a big-time pro, not many people knew about her. Especially in Japan. She could draw energy from others and give it to her allies bolstering their strength and draining enemies. The effects only lasted while she concentrated but her more side role meant she never really stood in the limelight.
Nick did his best to be the best kid he could and not stress his parents out. Well, at least he started that way. Until his pleading to his dad worked and he was let into the workshop one day. Then he wouldn't stop tinkering. As a four-year-old, they really didn't expect him to be able to do much but of course, they didn't know that Nick was most certainly not four mentally.
He had planned to stay under the radar. Be a good kid. Be nice, polite and lively. Play with friends and wait until his quirk awakened before doing some minor practising and exercises that were appropriate for a kid his age but that were quickly swept under the rug. Do you know how boring it is to do nothing all day? God he was actually starting to miss his job from his previous life. Sure a baker wasn't very glamorous nor did it have the best hours but it at least was something to do while he was awake. Being four was boring as Jack Shit!
So with his plans scrapped he managed to weasel his way into his fathers' workshop by being the classic adorable kid that just wanted to see why daddy wasn't home most of the time. Bit of a guilt trip but he wanted to do something! Thinking that the young kid wouldn't be able to do much his dad cleared all of the reachable benches and make sure that the power was off to the most volatile and dangerous machines at the request of his wife before letting little Nick into the workshop with him.
He started out doing random things like putting nuts and bolts together. Nothing a four-year-old couldn't do but he wanted to do more. Being the classic four-year-old he babbled about wanting to be a hero and showed his dad all his inventions which were mostly just string and sticks that did nothing. Saying he would be a great support item developer just like his dad!
Mark had never really known how to be a dad. He didn't exactly set the best example so he didn't really know how to parent either. So he let his wife do most of it. Although now that the little ray of sunshine that was his son was babbling almost constantly about wanting to be like his dad he couldn't help but want to break out of his shell, to be a better father. Much to the joy of his wife.
He started to try and teach Nick whenever he was in his workshop. Showing him what the tools did which he seemed fascinated by, beyond what a kid should normally be. It was a simple tool but he was acting like it was something that dropped out of the future, it was just a simple fabricator. He told him about his workflow and where his ideas started. He liked to base his support items on plants. That might seem odd but a lot of plants had an amazing way to propel their seeds and let them glide. It was honestly amazing and he wanted to use that. Hell, he even made some of his best alloys by bases of some mutated redwoods that evolved maybe 200 years ago after the appearance of quirks.
After a few months of showing his kid designs and explaining things to him as he made prototypes, he noticed something weird that he thought he might be imagining but he decided to bring it up with his wife. Walking in the door as he got home from work one day he heard the crash of something falling down in the workshop. A tired sigh came from his wife in the kitchen as he joined her with an amused smile. "He isn't getting himself into trouble again while I am gone? I told him he wasn't allowed to use the machines when I wasn't here." His voice was a bit tired, he didn't want to have to come home to clean up another mess in his workshop… he still remembered the time when Nick trying to make a catapult had gotten hydraulic fluid everywhere… and he meant everywhere.
"Oh no, nothing like that. He is being careful he is just trying to make spring boots… hence the jumping off the workbench." Her tired smile showed that she had been dealing with him all day. Deciding this was the best time to talk about it he put his bag down and headed around the kitchen counter.
Taking the knife from her hand gently he said to her in a soft voice, "go sit down. Let me at least cut up the rest of the vegetables." His voice was warm as he looked at her. A soft smile pulled the edges of his tired lips up. Seeing her about to protest he put his other hand on her cheek and said. "I know I know, I've been at work all day blah blah, my coworkers are not nearly as much of a handful as Nick. Just because I work doesn't mean I don't notice all you do around the house. I have been over this before and will go over it a thousand more times. Let me help you," his eyes held hers as she relaxed into his chest a bit.
"Alright, but only the cutting got it?" Her voice took on mock sternness as she went and sat down across the counter taking a moment to relax as her husband flicked the kettle on. It looked like she needed a cup of tea.
Starting to peel and roughly chop the carrots and potatoes, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Amy… I've. I have noticed that Nicklaus seems to dumb down what he is saying sometimes… he asks questions that I think he already knows the answer to. The other day I was showing him a blueprint and before I even started explaining it his eyes lit up like he recognized what I was trying to do. When I asked him to guess it was clearly something irrelevant. I think he is much smarter than he is letting on… much smarter."
Looking at him Amy tilted her hair to the side. Letting her brown hair roll down her shoulder as she said. "I've noticed that too. He is… more like an older brother when I pick him up from kindergarten. He isn't really playing with the other kids but is always off doing his own thing. He started talking early and even then it wasn't long before he was talking almost normally."
Meeting each other's gaze they had a mutual agreement to bring it up with their son over dinner.
Getting called in from the workshop Nick ran towards the bathroom. He had tried to make some sort of bouncing boots but he wasn't able to use most of the tools and machines when his dad wasn't home so it was an almost impossible task. And that sucked. He wished his dad just let him use them like normal. Otherwise, he wouldn't be having as much of a hard time as he was. He wanted to get a head start on making support items but he wasn't able to and it sucked.
As he ran into the dining room he clearly noticed that something was different. His parents shared a look as his father had that classic, 'I don't know what to do' expression. He was getting better but when he was nervous he wasn't the best at being a dad. Having that 'fine I'll take charge' look, his mother turned to him and said. "Everything alright sweety? Why have you stopped?" Realizing he was just standing in the dining room doorway staring that his parents he tried to form an excuse but gave up and just went and sat down. Did they really think he didn't notice their looks at each other? Then again he was meant to be dense as a brick being four.
Hoisting himself up into his chair he sat down and looked at the lamb curry that was served up for him. Smiling widely as he saw one of his favourite meals, he started to dig in. His dad smiled fondly as he did so he turned to his wife waiting for her to start. Seeing this she sorted her thoughts for a moment before she said. "Sweety, how was kindergarten?" her voice clearly contained something else. She was just starting to talk. Looking up at his parents he looked between them wondering what was up. He also noticed them sharing a look as he did this. Odd.
Responding he said in a childish voice. "It was good, I couldn't wait to get home though. I am making bouncy shoes so that I can be in a bouncy castle wherever and I don't have to wait for birthday parties." His voice was surprisingly innocent. He knew it was just because he was young but it still shocked him.
Nodding Amy looked back at her husband before letting out an audible sigh, looking back at Nick who was now looking dead at her, his young eyes with more curious clarity than kids his age should have. Speaking up in a nervous voice she said, "sweety, daddy and I have noticed that you seem to be… pretending to be like other kids your age. Are you not being honest with us about how clever you are?" It was clear that she was being careful with how she worded things.
Staring in shock Nick stopped chewing his mouthful of food for a moment before he finished it and swallowed… how could they… they were his parents. He didn't think they would notice though. Wondering how he should go about this he started to think over options in his head before his dad spoke up.
"Even now you are thinking over things, aren't you?" His voice was not accusatory but observational. "Sweet there is nothing to worry about even if you are smarter than other kids your age, you don't need to be the same as everyone for us to love you. You can just be you alright?" He didn't know if what he was saying was right but it felt right.
Staring at them both Nick was thinking about breaking out in waterworks like he thought a kid his age might but then he stopped… no he could just be him. Not totally him but he didn't have to pretend so much. By god, it was a pain anyway. So why did he in a world filled with superpowers? Stopping eating he didn't have to pretend to show guilt… he genuinely did feel bad.
Looking back up at his parents he responded how he wanted to, not how he thought he should. His face was guilty but it wasn't an act. And what he said was mostly the truth. "I thought you wouldn't like me if I wasn't normal…" His voice was meek. Quiet unlike his character.
Rushing forward his mother came and hugged him. Her arms wrapped around her kid as she said, "oh Nicklaus. You don't have to be normal for us to love you, we will always love you. No matter how old you are or how mature you become you will always be my baby." Her voice filled with emotion as she held her kid.
Feeling the warmth of his mother's embrace he couldn't help but start to cry a bit. He didn't know what to think, they weren't even his real parents but they treated him like the greatest thing that happened to them… no. They were his real parents. They had raised and cared for him. They were real to him.
Soon after a long talk about his maturity and what he knew his parents got the picture. Or at least what he told them. Basically, to sum it up they just thought he had an abnormally high intelligence and maturity. It was awesome to not have to pretend to be dumb about making support items anymore but he clearly wasn't some genius about it either. That he didn't have to pretend at least. Just because he was a lot more intelligent than kids his age he still had to learn about knowledge of this world from the ground up. He also wasn't a genius. He was smart, yes, but he wasn't able to pick up things straight away. He still had to learn step by step.
With his maturation and intelligence now more natural his parents pulled him from kindergarten and home-schooled him. They still thought it was a good idea for him to interact with kids his age though so they still made him go play at the park etc.
With that time kept on passing for Nick. Soon another year was gone just like the first four. Kids his age started awakening quirks. All the while he focused on building up his intelligence, trying to become the best he could be at making support items and researching different structures of metals and other materials. He had a plan after all.
With all the other kids awakening quirks he wasn't bothered when his quirk didn't awaken. His parents once again thought it was just because of his maturity that he wasn't showing how he was bothered but he really wasn't. He just kept on saying that it was alright and that he was sure that he would awaken it soon. But when he turned six and other kids started to pick on him for not having a quirk. His parents naturally grew concerned.
He didn't care about the childish bullying that the other kids did, it was mostly name-calling. He had been making sure that he was eating right and exercising as much as he could healthily so he was a bit bigger than the kids his age. He was also way smarter so he simply acted above them and they mostly stopped.
Going to the doctor to see what was wrong, they went in for an appointment and the diagnosis was a good one. For his parents' worries at least. He wasn't quirkless at all, just that it might have been one that was hard to see manifest. His mothers had been a bit similar when she was younger and only really showed itself when she had focused on a natural feeling.
Relieved by this news his mum tried to help him find out his quirk by working with him to try to find any feeling that might be odd. He didn't really try too hard though, mostly just did it for her sake. He knew what his quirk was, after all, he had been told when he died, and that is why he was trying so hard to grow up and grow his intellect.
He had plans. Plans that he was not sure he could succeed at just yet. He needed more time but he had a lot of that.
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