บท 22: Chapter 22
"A pro without combat-focused powers?" All Might wondered as he listened to Izuku on the phone. He was currently going over some reports on villain activity when the young boy had called.
"I mean…. it's not uncommon." All Might noted as he got from his seat. Stretching his legs, the symbol of peace took his empty mug and headed to a nearby coffee maker. "Numerous heroes lack powers that give them actual physical advantages and instead opt for more support oriented roles. What do you have in mind?" He wondered.
"Well, I was thinking about using gadgets and weapons to fight villains," Izuku told him. "You know maybe use something like a taser, or brass knuckles….or a bat." He wondered as he held up the bat he had gotten from Pom-Pom's store.
"Do you own any of those?" All Might questioned.
"I own about 10 bats," Izuku told him.
"Why do you own 10 bats?"
"It was a deal." Izuku nervously answered.
"Okay…" All Might deadpanned. "Well unless you are very proficient with those bats, I don't think it's advisable." All Might explained.
"Really?" Izuku wondered. "Why not?"
"Part of the hero work is not only being capable of fighting, rescuing, or providing support but also being able to afford the equipment. For the most part, a lot of pro heroes are often government-sponsored first, where they usually stay unless they go private. Even then once you establish yourself as a brand, you can make a ton of extra cash out of merchandising and marketing your brand." All Might explain. "To put it lightly, if you're going to rely on gadgets and weapons, you'll need to be able to afford the cost of owning, replenishing, and repairing all of them."
"Oh…I did not think of that." Izuku said dejectedly. "I presume the chances of me getting sponsored are going to be very low. Why risk it on a quirkless kid when you already have many potential heroes with quirks?"
"It's a sad truth." All Might answered. He paused for a moment as he thought it through. "Look if you want…I could sponsor you." All Might told him.
"Really?" Izuku questioned. "I mean…won't that cause problems." Izuku wondered. "The world's number one hero suddenly starts backing a quirkless nobody from parts unknown. I can think of a lot that could go wrong with this." Izuku noted.
"Well for one, I won't sponsor you directly." All Might told him. "I have a friend, David Shield, he does a lot of work in the support industry for pro-heroes. So, with anonymity, I can assume the media, various villain groups, and the paparazzi will leave you alone." All Might explained. "That said, you will need to prove yourself to them. I trust in you because you have a good heart and you have all the right motivations and reasons to be a hero, but you need to prove your body is up for the challenge."
"Of course." Izuku agreed. "I've already started working out for my UA entrance exams," Izuku told him. "If I work harder, I'm sure I can prepare myself for whenever you want me to meet Mr. Shield.
"Easy there Young Midoriya, let's slow down." All Might told Izuku. "I said I'd try to arrange with David to have you sponsored, I didn't mean right away. As it stands, you aren't even out of middle school yet. You shouldn't rush into being a hero." All Might warned.
"I get that you want to be a hero, but Izuku, you're still a kid. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up. Yes, it's good to prepare yourself for the future but you shouldn't ignore the time you have now when things are simpler. You won't get it back when it's gone." All Might spoke in a somber tone.
"Oh…okay," Izuku responded.
"Sorry if I sound harsh but I do mean it when I say you need to enjoy the time you have now." All Might told him. "Just focus on preparing yourself for UA and maybe learn how to use those bats well, and then we can focus on what to do next."
"Yeah…we'll take it one step at a time," Izuku answered. "Thanks for taking the time to talk," Izuku told All Might.
"Don't worry about it. It was a nice break from all this paperwork." The pro hero noted. "Ah yes…another thing you'll have to worry about when you get older."
"Well, I'll leave you to it." Izuku sighed as he hung up. That had gone better than he thought it would.
"He's not wrong."
Izuku looked to his side as the Herrscher floated beside him. Ever since the moon trip, she had become more…amiable.
"You agree with All Might." Izuku noted.
"Even a broken clock is right twice a day." The Herrscher answered. "The time you have now, the normalcy, it's a gift you should enjoy. Many dream of having it again once it's gone."
"Do you?" Izuku wondered. The Herrscher paused as she rested a hand under her chin.
"I suppose maybe at some point my human self would have wanted it, but she was robbed of it for the greater good of humanity." The Herrscher spat. "All Might has my respect because he isn't pushing you to grow up so fast, but I still say it is a foolish endeavor to try and be a hero for these…insects."
"Not all humans are bad," Izuku told her. It was a common occurrence with them now. She'd insult humanity and he'd try to rebuke it.
"Good humans are an exception, not a norm." The Herrscher argued.
"Yeah…yeah…." Izuku sighed. He'd make progress somehow with her, but first, he needed to figure out how to improve his proficiency with the bat.
"Why are you still trying to be a pro? I thought you had already decided that being a hero was pointless and it was better to do anything else." The Herrscher noted as she glanced over his shoulder.
"I mean I can still go that route as my plan B, I'll just try it if the dream of being a pro fails," Izuku told her.
"You're hopeless." The Herrscher rolled her eyes as she glanced back at the bats.
"I just don't want to have any regrets later," Izuku told her. "Now what's the best way to swing a bat?" Izuku pondered as he began to search the internet.
"Usually, it's best to swing for the limbs, aim for the sides in an attempt to throw them off balance." The Herrscher commented as she inspected the bats. Izuku glanced back at the Herrscher who had now levitated a bat and was rotating it before her.
"What?" Izuku asked.
"The best way to use a bat, aim for the limbs and apply as much force as possible." She explained. "You'll get more force out of the attack and potentially disarm them of anything they might be holding or throw them off balance and let them fall."
"And you know this why?" Izuku questioned. With her power, he would have expected such weapons would be beneath her or simply be crude human creations.
"My previous host's father taught her how to fight among other things, and due to memory sharing, I also know those things," Void explained. "Should the need ever arise, I know how to use guns, swords, bats, and of course, lances." The Herrscher explained. "I can also fight rather well in hand-to-hand combat without my powers in case you're wondering as well." The Herrscher added.
"And here I thought you were already too dangerous." Izuku grimaced.
Void took note of how Izuku said it with displeasure. Still, he was wary of her abilities, she'd need to change that. "I am danger." The Herrscher told him. "That's why when people face me, they usually run. That said…. if you want, I can teach you some of my skills." The Herrscher told him.
Izuku stared at her in disbelief. Did he hear her right? "What's the catch?" He asked.
Void chuckled at him. "You don't trust me." She feigned, placing her hand on her chest.
"Yes," Izuku told her.
"Alright fine, I want more time to stretch my legs." The Herrscher told him.
"No." Izuku immediately denied it. "I'm not letting you go out and rampage."
"Oh please, I know better than to try that." The Herrscher dismissed. "Knowing you, it's much easier if I just decided to fly around, maybe go for a dip in the sea or something," Void explained. "Anything besides being stuck inside here every day."
"Oh…well…" Izuku stammered. Maybe he should give a little bit of freedom in return. So long as she doesn't abuse it can't be too bad?
"If you agree, I'll also apologize to your mom for my outburst and try to smooth things over with her," Void added.
"Okay…fine…but it's only for one day a week," Izuku told the Herrscher.
"Eh, I can work with that for now. I hope you can as well when the roles are eventually reversed." Void agreed.
"Overhaul's log on Honkai experiment number #39. The Honkai sample collected from Chronostasis has proven to be rather potent. Just a single drop has the power to overwhelm a test subject with excruciating pain. A single drop is bearable but should there be additional drops, the subject will start to experience corruption as their veins become inflamed." Overhaul noted as he watched the experiment struggling against the restraints in his lab.
"Please….please stop. I promise I'll never say what I saw, you'll never see me again." The experiment pleaded. Overhaul rolled his eyes at the man as he ignored his pleas and glanced at the nearby machine.
"It seems Honkai is more effective against users with quirks than users without." He noted. "Though they initially provided a boost to the infected's quirks, after an extended period the quirks are slowly destroyed, either partially or completely as the Honkai is expelled from their body….providing, of course, they survive." Overhaul continued to speak into the recorder.
He walked over to his other experiment, another man though this one was a lot less…sentient. Overhaul glanced at the subject noticing how their skin had turned to an almost ash white, their hair now bleached and their eyes an almost glowing amber. He glanced at the veins on the subject that were now glowing red as the subject made incohesive sounds.
He glanced at the experiment's information. Initially, he had cranked the dosage up to test what the lethal level was. It wasn't that high, to be honest, and the subject had ended up dead not a few seconds after he stuck the needle. That said, now they were not dead, but also not quite alive either. They were…a zombie by all accounts.
This was disappointing for the villain. He needed a weapon that would kill his enemies permanently, not make them into living corpses. Pulling out his gloves he touched the zombie with his bare hands, using his quirk to reduce the creature into a pile of flesh and retrieve what little of the Honkai he had wasted on it.
"Fascinating," Overhaul noted as he wiped the blood off his hands with some tissues. He glanced down at the Honkai he had …extracted from the zombie. It seems to be a lot greater than what was injected into them previously. It seems like he procured more Honkai if he destroyed zombified patients. Using a syringe to collect the Honkai he glanced at it in slight awe at this…miracle substance.
This was already proven to be a very useful substance in his plans. The potential it had to be an alternative to Eri's quirk was already very astounding but now it seemed like it could easily replenish itself when used. Still, he would need to run some more tests to ensure it truly was a viable alternative.
Overhaul turned back to the previous subject, the syringe in hand. "Hold still." He told the man. The man screamed and pleaded but it fell on deaf ears as Overhaul stuck the needle in his arm. Overhaul watched as the larger dosage quirky turned the man into a zombie, seemingly instantly destroying his quirk. Oh yes, the Honkai had potential.
"Is this a good idea?" Izuku wondered as he snuck through the alleys. They had made their way close to Dagoba Beach, the Herrscher making portals to sneak him through the blockades. He had been hesitant at first. The reports and news about the area being irradiated had left him fearful but the Herrscher was sure it wouldn't be a bother. Considering they had survived in the vacuum of space he decided to trust her.
"Depends…" The Herrscher told him. "If what I sensed is what I think it is, then we will have what we need for you to practice." The Herrscher told him.
"Um…what can I possibly need from an irradiated zoned?" Izuku questioned as he followed the Herrscher's instructions and landed into an abandoned building. It looked like a gym but it was already falling into disrepair from lack of use. "Wait why is the place in such a mess, it shouldn't have been abandoned that long?" He wondered.
"My best guess is looters if it's humans who did it." The Herrscher added. "However…if it's not human." She let her voice trail off.
She could feel Izuku pause at her words.
"If its not human?" He questioned as he glanced at the Herrscher. "What do you mean if it's not human? Are you talking about animals?" He asked warily.
"Nope." The Herrscher told him as she glanced around the room. "Ready your bat." She instructed.
"Why?" Izuku asked as he tightened his grip on the bat. That's when a portal opened in front of him. His eyes widened as he saw a white…paw…eh…claw…appendage, come out of said portal and a strange almost alien-like monster emerged.
"What is that?" He gasped as he stepped back. The Herrscher now floating right beside him with her arms folded. The creature had an unnaturally white body with purple and pink highlights adorning it.
"It's a Honkai Beast, a Chariot species if I recall. They are big, slow, easy to hit, and very common." The Herrscher commented. "He's going to be your sparring partner."
"Huh…" Izuku glanced at the Herrscher. "You're joking, right?"
"Nope. The best way to learn to fight is to be in a fight and Chariot here is the perfect candidate for you." The Herrscher told him. "He also provides an extra incentive beyond just being a pretty face. If you leave him alone, he'll find other humans and attack them." She informed.
"And what if he kills me?" Izuku asked as he saw the creature eying him. He assumed it was, it didn't have anything he recognized as a face but it was leaning what he thought was its head in his general direction.
"It won't. I won't let it." The Herrscher reassured. "I'll call it off should the need be."
"You can control it?"
"Only when I'm in control of our body. It wouldn't attack me, but it would be willing to attack you." Void noted. "Like I said, it's in their nature to destroy humans. Or would you rather not fight at all…and give up this fruitless dream of heroism,"
"I know what you're doing and it won't work," Izuku told the Herrscher. He readied his bat. "I'll show you my resolve," He rushed forward, running straight toward the monster.
"SMAASSSH!" He let out a war cry as he swung the bat. The Herrscher watched as her host attacked the creature.
THUD!
The sound of the bat striking the creature was audible. However, no sooner did it hit, did Izuku also recoiled backward as the bat pitched out his hand. "Ow…ow…ow." He whimpered as he rubbed his hands. The creature had not budged.
The Herrscher let out a disappointing sigh. They had work to do. "We need to build your upper body strength." She told Izuku. "On your left." She warned. Izuku turned just in time to see the monster try to strike him. He leaped back in a panic state, barely escaping the Chariot's strike. "In combat, you need to be aware of your enemy's movements. Hesitation and idleness will get you killed if you don't have complete control of the battlefield." She instructed.
"Control…it feels like I don't even have that," Izuku muttered as he backed up. He kept his eyes on the monster as it shifted its weight, taking step after step to approach him. Izuku kept his movement drifting in a circle, trying to always ensure he had a way out, a lesson learned from his bullies.
"A fight is about who is left standing." The Herrscher told him as she warped the bat back into his hands. Izuku gripped it as he stood back up. "Knock it down once and we'll call it a day." She told him. "Just once." She enunciated for him.
Preparing himself once more, Izuku lunged at the Honkai Beast once again.
"Boss…Boss…we have trouble." One of the Yakuza called in a panicked voice. Overhaul glanced up from his experiments with an unbothered look.
"What you babbling on about?" He questioned the man.
"Eri…she's lost control again." The man gasped as he tried to catch his breath. Alright, this was important enough to warrant his involvement. Carefully putting down the vials, Overhaul headed out of his labs as he made his way to his charge.
"Oh dear." Overhaul commented as he stared at the room before. What was once a decently furnished, clean, and tidy room was now littered with several pieces of clothes, shoes, and other equipment no doubt belonging to Overhaul's now ex-yakuza members. "How many?" He asked.
"Uh…about 4 of them." One of the surviving members said. When it had started, Eri had freaked out upon accidentally killing her handler and had tried to get help from the others. Those others met with similar fates.
"How troublesome." Overhaul scoffed as he rolled up his sleeves and took off his gloves. "Oh little girl." He called out. Eri turned to him with tears in her eyes. "Stand still." He told her as she touched the ground before him. Almost immediately Eri found herself encased with concrete as Overhaul warped the floor around them.
With Eri now immobilized and restrained, Overhaul calmly walked forward. "I didn't mean it." She cried. "It wasn't my fault."
"I know." Overhaul assured her. "You never mean it, but it still happens, don't worry though, I know its not your fault. It's that disease, that quirk of yours that's to blame." Overhaul told her as he reached out his hand. "But you still need to take responsibility for what you did." He told her as he placed his hand on Eri's head.
Immediately the young girl was ripped apart, she only had a brief second to register it, even less to scream. Eri gasped as she came back together. Tears continuously streamed from her eyes as she felt her body still try to readjust itself. All her organs were still vibrating trying to reposition themselves. Her skin felt loose in some areas and tighter in others. Even the hair on her head felt hollow and slack, like a hat just placed there though slowly it tightened and melded back into her scalp.
"Don't cry child…you know why this happened." Overhaul told her as he touched the encasing, freeing her from her restraints. Eri fell before his feet still panting. "It's all because of your quirk. Don't worry though, I'll make sure we can use it to ensure many others will avoid such a fate, and hopefully so will you." Overhaul said as he turned left Eri, still trying to cope with what had just happened.
Izuku's eyes bulged as the Chariot managed to land a hit on him. He had thought he could take it from the side, he had thought he could wear it down. He was wrong, so very wrong. The next thing the boy knew he was sent flying across the room with his bat.
"You ready to call it quits for today." The Herrscher questioned as she looked on at her host.
"No," Izuku said as he struggled but still managed to get back up. "I can do this all day." He told her as he gripped the bat.
The Herrscher smiled at his resolve. "Alright then. Let's go again." She told him as she glanced back at the Chariot. "Remember…just knock him down and you win."
"Just knock him down," Izuku repeated as he stared at the monster. He had tried attacking from all sides but it hadn't budged, not the sides, not the front, not the back nor above nor below. The creature was just too sturdy for him and then when it retaliated it hit just as hard. Wait…when it retaliated….
Izuku rushed forward once more prepared to strike once again. Then…he stopped, right at the last second he paused his attack and jumped back, avoiding the creature's attempt to counterattack. His eyes widened as he took notice of the creature's movement when it struck. He moved several more times, narrowly avoiding the lumber beast's hit each time.
"That's it." He smiled as an idea formed in his mind.
"Oh." The Herrscher mused as she felt a surge of inspiration hit her host. She watched him rush forward one more time.
"It's all or nothing." He thought as she prepared the bat to swing once more. This time he threw all his weight into the swing….and he missed.
The Herrscher sighed in disappointment as she saw Izuku miss his strike and the creature prepared to strike again lifting its appendage up. Wait…why didn't Izuku stop? Her eyes widened as she saw Izuku continue moving with the moment of his first spin, making a complete 360 rotation before he swung the bat again. "Huh."
"Heeyah!" Izuku screamed as he struck the creature on its side, mid-strike. The beast with one foot off the floor was knocked off balance and fell over on its side as Izuku managed to just barely catch himself.
"I….I…did it." He cheered as he watched the creature sprawl out on its back. The Herrscher looked at him impressed and satisfied with his ability…if only a little.
"Not bad." She commended.
However, Izuku's victory was soon cut short as the Chariot stood back up. "Ah." He gasped as the creature let out an angry roar at him. Oh no, it seemed mad. Its body had turned red with rage, literally.
"Oh no you don't." The Herrscher interrupted as she snapped a finger and the Chariot was immediately impaled with a lance emerging from right beneath it, pinning it to the ceiling.
Izuku stared in shock at the lance that had appeared. It was near instant, faster than he could react. The Chariot's…blood dripped on him, shining with an almost otherworldly glow. His hands trembled as he tried to keep ahold of his bat.
"Relax." The Herrscher whispered as she held onto his hands, steadying them. "I told you I'd keep you safe, didn't I?" Void told him.
"Yeah…yeah," Izuku said as he felt himself slowly calm down.
"Good…Let's call it a day." The Herrscher told him as she opened a portal. "Consider this a three-star pass for your first day." She told him. "But it's only going to be hard from now."
"I'll…I'll keep that in mind." Izuku still stuttered as he walked through the portal.
This….this was something else. Still, it was progress, he had managed to knock the beast down. It was small but it was progress. He shuddered to think what would be next.
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