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AFM 7
🕑 Added 2024-07-03 17:38:05 +0000 UTCChapter 7: Making Moves II
1 Month Later
Izuku Midoriya, aged 12, was finally happy. Over the past month, after acquiring the quirk Double, he felt a sense of security in his father's home. For the last two years, he had lived in constant tension, maintaining a façade and fearing for his life—not just his life, but his chance for revenge. Now, with Double, he believed he could at least escape from his father if a fight broke out.
Izuku knew many secrets about his father and Dr. due to a quirk he acquired from a woman with dementia. The quirk, Memory, was psychometric, revealing the history of objects or places. After acquiring this quirk, Izuku used it on nearly every base he had access to, uncovering a treasure trove of conversations between AFO and Dr. These memories allowed him to accept AFO's order to become a hero and help Tomura until the situation became favorable for him.
His father made a major mistake by giving him Boost. It enhanced everything, including his mind and intelligence. The increased intelligence improved his understanding of quirks beyond what he could achieve with his own quirk, All For Me. After receiving Boost, nearly all his guesses about using any quirk proved correct. It even helped him make calculations for his quirk Double to create clones. Izuku created a copy of Tomura and took the Minor Adaptation quirk from it to help him adapt to new quirks faster. Every night, he exchanged the quirk with Tomura for the more powerful original, reducing the time needed to acquire new quirks.
His deal with Giran had already benefited him with a powerful healing quirk, Cell Activation. Izuku had to go to Nabu Island to make a clone of the four-year-old kid and switch quirks. The kid now had the cloned weak copy, and Izuku had the original.
For the past month, he had been in contact with Dabi, a very powerful fire user and the son of Endeavor. He had been trying to set up a meeting to recruit him, but convincing him proved difficult. No amount of friendly chat made Dabi warm up to him, and he finally had to use his father's name to secure a meeting.
“So, what did AFO want with me? After all, he sent his son to meet me,” Dabi asked mockingly.
“Oh, you’re mistaken, Dabi. I’m here of my own volition and for your benefit.” Izuku replied with a smirk.
“My benefit? Dabi mocked, his disbelief was evident in it. “What is this great benefit I could live without?”
“Your quirk is called Cremation, correct? Extremely powerful fire, so much that your own body couldn’t resist the heat because, you inherited your mother’s body nature? I can help you with your problem.” Izuku said with utmost confidence.
“Yes, that is correct. What more can you do that AFO himself and his mad scientist couldn’t do? I can’t take an additional quirk. My body has been modified to the utmost possible fire resistance by the madman. They saved me from the forest fire and my own hatred has kept me alive till now. What more than a little kid do?” Dabi scoffed.
“Yeah, yeah, I know about my dear father’s pet project of cultivating hatred against the number one and two heroes. You against Endeavor and Tomura against All Might. I also know that you burned your way out of the base he had gone your own way. My father is a spiteful man and he only left you alive at that time was according to Dr’s records you should be dead within months without their treatment. Even they were unable to recreate your body, I could heal you and more than that I can give you fire resistance.” Izuku offered.
Dabi’s eyes raised in disbelief and he said, “And become brain-dead Nomu material? No thanks.”
Izuku shook his head in denial at that accusation.
“Nothing will happen to you. Fire resistance without affecting you mentally. A method only I can do and not even AFO knows it. But I can’t disclose it to you, Dabi. Your body may fall apart any day and your dreams extinguished. I could slowly heal it back using a quirk. Are you willing to try? As of now your aims are as distant as All Might’s No.1 position is for your father.” Izuku’s silky voice flowed.
“What is the price I must pay, and why should I trust you when I can achieve my goal through my own ways?” Dabi questioned, his face frowing in thoughts.
“Ah yes, a very good question. Dabi, we are the same. So I feel for you. We were both messed up by the hero-loving society and by our own beloved fathers. The only difference is my father is an open villain who did it through proxies, and your father is a hero who did it himself. So I know the strength of your hatred and the need for revenge more than anyone on this planet. I want your loyalty, Dabi, complete loyalty until you die. Be my commander and soldier for the kingdom I am going to build. Be there to help others in similar situations like ours and you will have your revenge just like I will have my own.” Izuku’s passionate voice hissed.
Dabi looked intrigued for the first time and grimaced in understanding.
“Without the complete destruction of Endeavor, there will be no loyalty. Otherwise, I’m good to follow you. I like you more than that withered old AFO and that jerk Tomura.”
“I guarantee it. The destruction of Endeavor is inevitable and only timing matters. I will help you in any way. So, Dabi, are you up for it?”
“Yes, I am. Now what do I need to do? I have pla...” Dabi froze as the brainwashing became active.
“Dabi, you shall only betray me after telling me. You shall remain loyal to me, you shall forget this, but will follow the order. You will not disclose my plans or abilities to anyone without my agreement. Nod, forget, and continue talking like nothing have happened” Izuku green eyes gleamed as he used boost and brainwashing simultaneously to imprint the order inside Dabi’s mind deeply.
Dabi nodded and forget the subconscious order imprinted. “So, how are you going to help me?” his voice echoed now with a friendly tone.
“Dabi, my father can combine quirks and use them for devastating results. That’s a common misunderstanding. What my father does is far more complex and taxing. He uses the active quirks simultaneously to create combined attacks, making it seem like a single powerful quirk. Actually, every part is still different quirks in AFO. This is where I can help you. I can take quirks and combine them into more powerful single ones at the quirk factor level, not just use them simultaneously to create a combined effect. I can give away the combined single quirk to anyone as I desire. I have already collected a fire resistance quirk. I can take your quirk, burn your scarring and use cell activation to heal, and combine Cremation with fire resistance, then give it to you after the combination. So, are you 100% mine?” Izuku asked
“Deliver this, and I’m yours, but not today. I have to do some things before I change my face to normal again.” Dabi said after some thoughts.
“I look forward to your call. If you want more fire-related quirks, please inform me later. I want my soldiers in tip-top shape and ultimately the most powerful fire user alive. Also keep your loyalty to me under wraps do as you was doing. My own plans is long term and will take long time to come to fruition. Keep an eye out for interesting quirks.”
“Can you include a healing quirk too? Even with fire resistance, I will burn in prolonged fights.”
“No can do. Regeneration and fire are completely different quirks. They cannot be combined without problems, and I only have one regeneration quirk. You also must know that I sacrificed my own fire resistance quirk for you. Well, the superior version anyway. Your body cannot handle two entirely different quirk combinations, so if you come across interesting fire quirks, tell me and you shall have them.” Izuku assured
Dabi nodded and said, “It seems we have an agreement.”
Izuku nodded and smiled happily. Yes we have. Let us disperse for now and remain in contact through online means.
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Izuku, a thirteen-year-old with an intellect as sharp as a blade and a heart hardened by the cruelty of the world, found himself wandering the quiet backstreets of Musutafu City. Unlike most kids his age, Izuku wasn't dreaming of becoming a hero, but circumstances is forcing him to play a hero. He had seen too much hypocrisy in heroes and decided that power and control were the only ways to survive. His notebook, filled with analyses of quirks and strategies, was his constant companion. He almost missed the hissing and laughing of three males and a panicked female voice from the streets. Despite not wanting to be a hero, Izuku still didn’t want someone to be hurt without any purpose or greater good.
Drawn by curiosity, Izuku peered around a corner and spotted a girl, not much older than himself, with wild blonde hair and an unsettlingly panicked expression. She was Himiko Toga, though Izuku didn't know it yet. She wore a school uniform, but something about her presence felt off. The girl was crouched behind a stack of crates, her posture, sound, and face echoing panic, but Izuku could see her eyes fixed on the group of three drunken adults who seemed unaware of her gaze. The eyes are the window to the soul, and whatever appearance is on the outside, Izuku knew a predator when he saw one.
Izuku’s instincts, honed by years of studying human behavior and quirks, kicked in. He saw that the girl was not using any quirk, and his own quirk light showed only a full body covering similar to a body transformation quirk. He approached cautiously. “Hey, what are you doing?” he called out, his tone calm and collected.
One of the adults, who seemed to be the leader, turned back and looked at the sound, interrupting his fun.
“Run off, you little fucker, if you know what’s good for you. This is just a fun game that the little whore asked for, and we’ll pay for it or see what happens in the end.” The leader snarled and turned towards his companions. “I thought you had activated your quirk, you idiot. How the hell did this son of a bitch find us over your ignorance quirk?”
Izuku’s calmness faded, his face becoming cold. He couldn’t believe the daring of this pedophile to call his mother a bitch.
“I see. I was going to hand you over to the police, but now my plans have changed. You dared to call my mother a bitch?” Izuku snapped. He looked at the girl and snarled, “Your little game is over, girl. Go from here and let me teach them a lesson.”
The adults started laughing at the threat from the kid. The girl also looked at him, her smile widening. “Oh, we were just starting to play a little game,” she replied, her voice sugary sweet but with a hint of malice.
Despite his power, Izuku felt a shiver run down his spine, but it wasn’t fear—it was excitement. “What kind of game?” he asked, edging closer.
Himiko’s eyes gleamed in the dim light as she stood up, revealing a small, sharp knife hidden in her hand. “A fun one,” she said, glancing back at the three adults who had now stopped laughing and started preparing for the beatdown they were going to hand out.
Izuku’s eyes widened as he realized what she intended to do. “Interesting,” he muttered to himself. This girl had potential. He just needed to steer her in the right direction.
The adults, clearly intoxicated, were oblivious to the danger. Izuku had to act fast. “What if I told you there’s a better way to have fun?” he said, stepping between Himiko and her targets.
“Little brat,” the leader snapped, raising his hands to use his quirk. Izuku pulled the quirk hard. The leader screamed in pain as he fainted, blood appearing on the floor where his head hit.
The second one with the ignore-me quirk panicked, and the third one was stabbed by the girl in the stomach. The girl grabbed the head of the third one, slamming it into the wall, causing him to fall unconscious.
Izuku returned the leader’s quirk. He was still unconscious when Izuku grabbed the third man’s ignore-me quirk and activated it. It was quite painful for Izuku as he had only returned the new quirk and added another quirk while using it. Blood started falling from his nose, but Izuku activated Cell Activation to increase his healing and reduce the damage to his brain and body.
Himiko tilted her head, a curious look on her face. “Your blood smells more wonderful than these three combined. So I want to hear you out. What do you mean earlier?”
Izuku smiled, trying to appear friendly. “Hurting random people is one thing, but imagine using your skills for something bigger. Something that could really make an impact.”
Himiko pouted, clearly annoyed. “You’re in my way, greenie,” she said, twirling the knife in her hand. “I don’t want to hurt you since you tried to help me, but I will if I have to.”
Izuku’s heart pounded in his chest, not from fear, but from the thrill of the challenge. “I’m not here to stop you,” he said, his voice steady. “ I understand you as in a way we are in a similar situation. I’m here to offer you a chance to be part of something greater. To use your abilities in a way that will get you the recognition you deserve.”
Himiko’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t understand, no one understands.” she hissed, lunging at him with the knife.
Izuku barely managed to dodge, his mind racing. He had to think fast. “You’re special,” he said, trying to keep her attention. “People like us, we don’t fit into society’s mold. But together, we can create our own path.”
She paused, looking at him curiously. “What do you mean?”
Izuku took a deep breath. “Imagine a world where we’re not bound by rules and where we can truly be ourselves. A world where we can do what we want, how we want. I can make a guess about you already. I knew there was a vampire going around these parts, and seeing your fangs and bloodthirsty nature, it must be you. I can feel your quirk, and it seems to need something to work, which I think is blood. Since you are hunting in the streets, it means you were starved by your family as they could have allowed you to get blood from blood banks, etc. You could be so much more than just a shadow in the alley.”
Himiko stared at him, her expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed like she was considering his words. The wild look in her eyes softened slightly, and she lowered the knife.
Himiko glanced at them, then back at Izuku. “You’re interesting,” she said, backing away into the shadows with a unconscious man’s body. “Maybe we’ll play again sometime, but now I have something to drink.”
Izuku looked hard and then took out a reference card to Giran. “Here, this man will provide you with things and give you jobs. Give him this card and tell him Izuku sent you for help to survive the streets. It seems that you will be quite an important person someday.”
Izuku walked out of the alley, his mind swirling with the events that had just unfolded. He knew he had found someone special, someone who could be a valuable ally in his quest for power. With renewed determination, he clutched his notebook and headed home, already planning his next steps on the path to becoming a force to be reckoned with.
