Chapter Text
“Been a while,” Yogumunt said within his Soul Pathway.
Shoto glared at him. “Don’t waste my time.”
“Well it’s not like time can really be wasted here, but okay!” The amorphous blob danced through the space. “I just wanted to say thanks! We’ve gotten all we needed from you!”
“And I haven’t gotten what I need from you. My father is still alive.”
“All thanks to your hard work!”
“I don’t get it.”
Yogumunt laughed. “Yes you do. You just don’t want to admit it. You knew from the second I approached you that we were going to use each other. The problem was that I’m a God, and you’re a mortal, so I was always going to win.” He swam around Shoto. “It’s clear by now that Izuku Midoriya is not a threat to your species. I mean, the Shadow Monarch might still be, but given how long that boy has remained in control… well, the bottom line is that your services are no longer required. You’ve killed the Chaos Inhabitants we needed you to kill and you saved your father’s life for our later plans.”
“Saved? You gave me information to kill him.”
“Well, yes and no. You see, your father was actually supposed to die on Jeju Island. Without your help, he would have perished.” The scenery changed, showing Endeavor right as Shoto’s ice caught his foot, sending him tumbling backwards. It narrowly saved him from Beru’s claws. “There were some miscalculations with Jeju, but the one thing that undeniably went right was your father’s survival and asylum in America. That’s all there is to it.”
“So why even tell me? Just to mock me?” Shoto looked surprisingly unconcerned for a boy that had been manipulated by Gods.
“Haha! No, I can tell such remarks would serve no purpose. Your Soul is too broken from the cycle of rebirth to feel those emotions. You had a single unyielding goal and so you didn’t care what I told you as long as I provided you a chance at achieving it.” Yogumunt held out several trinkets in front of Shoto. “This is not mockery, this is respect. You’ve served us well, so I’ll leave you with these gifts. Just some items. You can either sell them, or keep them. How you live out the remainder of your days will be up to you. Perhaps you may even find a way to disrupt our plans and kill your father with these!”
“Why?” Shoto asked, just as confused with Yogumunt’s excitement as Yogumunt was enthralled by Shoto’s apathy.
“Higher Beings are so dull. Win or lose this war, my purpose has always been to witness something exciting, free will. And you continued to exercise that will even as I manipulated you. I know this is foolish, but in that, I feel kinship with another fool. To watch and witness, to be excited by the possibility of failure. That is the very thing my own creator failed to realize!” His shout echoed endlessly through the repeating Soulscape. “To be blinded by free will and the possibility of the universe. That is what I live for!”
“Then why use me at all?”
“Well, if we hadn’t, then there would’ve been no balance at all. The chances of winning or losing would be completely unbalanced! Of course, my brethren want perfect odds for themselves, but I choose to settle for less. Through you, I have done enough to balance the scales and to convince the Monarchs that I am firmly on their side.”
Shoto took the items. “So who’s side are you really on then?”
Yogumunt’s shape solidified for just a second, revealing a gleaming set of teeth. “Let me tell you the truth of this universe…”
*******
“Look… Legally, Andre has as much claim to Endeavor as you do. That’s how it looks on paper. And as much as the president wants your support, starting a war between you and Andre will only hurt America.” Adam chose his words very carefully.
Izuku sighed. “You can get me futuristic fighter planes but you can’t get one man?”
“Resources are much easier to allocate when they’re non-sentient.” Izuku could hear him rustling through papers on the other end of the phone. “Look, we can get you almost anything, but the president is convinced that America personally dealing with Endeavor is a bad idea. Politically, it wouldn’t look good for him or America, in or out of the country, so he refuses. Even if you threatened him I don’t think he’d do it.” Legally, the contract didn’t hold up, as there were clauses about obtaining someone without their consent when it wasn’t an issue of national security. They could argue that in court, but it would be a long and laborious trial, pitting the best lawyers of both Thomas Andre and Izuku Midoriya, against one another. Adam was being somewhat sarcastic, but legalities were nothing when getting ahold of anything non-human. Resources were so abundant in the US that they could get Izuku almost anything without batting an eye. But when it came to getting ahold of people, that could be tricky, unless they were willing to break some laws. It would have to quite literally be black ops.
“He has authorized you to do it yourself if you want. You could just kidnap Endeavor, and leave America out of it entirely, but I know you care about legalities.” Of course, rules didn’t really hold true to National-Ranks. If he wanted to, Izuku could break any number of laws and face no consequences. But the President and his country still had to hold to these laws in the public sphere, making it a difficult balancing act for them.
Izuku clicked his tongue, half in annoyance and half in agreement. He wanted this to be done in accordance with the law. If he broke laws just to get Endeavor that would hurt his Soul.
Literally no one aside from him would care, and that was the worst part. People were essentially giving him permission, and Japan would love to see that scum behind bars. It wasn’t about looking bad. If anything, doing it would make him look good. Korea would shower him with accolades and America couldn’t care less about losing a single S-Rank. Only fiercely nationalistic Japanese citizens would protest, but in this day and age, they would be the minority. On top of that, Izuku hated getting involved in politics.
Adam, who had gotten quite good at reading Izuku and adapting to his own personality, recognized the silence for what it was. “If anything on Endeavor comes up I’ll be the first to let you know.” Izuku ended the call.
“Morally, the right thing to do is just kidnap him myself… Because the law I break would be miniscule to the laws Endeavor broke. But…” He groaned aloud. “Is that what All Might would do?” He made a mental note to talk with not just Toshinori, but Momo, and his mother as well. “I’m not sure if dad would be proud of me breaking laws or disappointed…” Izuku smirked. “Nah he’d probably think it was cool as hell. But he’d definitely be upset if mom wasn’t cool with it.”
This had been going on ever since Adam White had given Izuku America’s resources. A constant back-and-forth, one that Izuku was incapable of rectifying. He wanted to think he was helping people and doing right, but there was always that saying at the back of his mind.
‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions.’
Natsuo had told him to be careful with the legal power an S-Rank held so long ago, and now he was even more influential. He couldn’t make these decisions alone, he needed to know that he was doing the right thing. He had all the power in the world, so he needed to be careful with how he exercised it.
“Sir, they’re ready for you,” A young Russian soldier knocked on Izuku’s door.
Izuku snatched up the papers he’d prepared and followed the man out the door. All Might had already made several public statements about Russia. In the conference about curing the Eternal Slumber, he acknowledged the Russian physics lab as the first site where Momo’s medication would be made.
But, for obvious reasons, people still weren’t ready to trust Russia, and the nature of the medication didn’t help matters. Physics could be extremely abstract at times, so when civilians heard about a Russian physics lab being the first one to start production, they questioned its veracity. In fact, some believed it was a sham altogether for the Shadows to gain control of Russia by fixing their bad reputation.
Obviously, these were just fringe conspiracies and people saw it for what it was. If Izuku was going to bat for Russia, something serious must’ve happened.
Under normal circumstances, Momo would be the one giving the public remarks, but with travel being a bit more tedious for her, Izuku offered to do it himself. Teleportation meant he only needed to take a few hours after class to speak before heading home.
“Shoulders back, my Liege,” Igris advised. “Deep breaths.”
The veneer of confidence that his helmet gave him had been largely underestimated. He felt very little social fear when it was on. Without it, he was a shivering wreck. He could fight Gods and monsters, he could stand on the surface of other worlds, and he could stand strong in front of his sister, knowing that he was all she had at times. But public speaking?! Without something to hide his face?! Izuku called that madness!
“Okay… okay… I can do this.”
“Keep the cloak behind you,” Igris continued to fuss for a time, giving Izuku as many pieces of advice as he could. “Keep breathing.”
Izuku was wearing a black business suit and a dark-green tie, paired with a unique flare. All of the girls in the house insisted he wear a cloak of shadows during his public appearances. Even Kei chimed in.
“You need something special, otherwise you’ll be forgettable. And just wearing that armor is gaudy.”
Izuku grimaced as he recalled her remarks. “Thanks, Kei…” Even still, he was standing in for Momo, he needed to do her research justice and handle himself well. “Okay, just act like a responsible adult… Oh god…”
He was led over to a waiting room, where Yuri Orlov and a few other scientists were waiting, they were gonna take the stage with him, lessening the burden. They handed him an earpiece, which would translate for him in real time. Some of the scientists were from overseas, which helped lend the place a bit more legitimacy. And none of them were hesitant to step up for the sake of the Russian’s production chain.
Many of the researchers in the field of the Eternal Slumber were there because their own family members or loved ones had fallen victim to it. They didn’t care what they had to sell as long as it woke up those suffering.
This was also a chance to give more insight into the Russian war. No one knew more about Quaresha than Izuku, and the concept of a “Villain” controlling human wars was terrifying. But he had to be careful. Letting slip that Gods were watching over them and were controlling everything would send the world into a panic. So they would have to slightly downplay the seriousness of the situation, otherwise every government on Earth would be bombarded by accusations… actually, it was still likely to lead to a lot of finger pointing, no matter how downplayed. But they needed to tell the world something .
“The residing Ministry of Public Heroic Affairs, Yuri Orlov. Shadow Monarch, Izuku Midoriya. As well as physicists from around the globe.” A soft-spoken but clear voice announced them as they all gradually walked on stage, taking a seat at the table that faced hordes of reporters. This was his first real test with the media.
The camera flashes threatened to blind him, but he used his remaining senses as well as Gravity Magic, to ensure he remained oriented and respectful as he sat, his cloak billowing behind him.
Yuri was the first to begin speaking, laying out the details of how the war came to be from a political and societal standpoint. Before they could get to the medication, they had to address the original source of the discovery. “This is the story thus far.” He stopped just before Quaresha took hold of him. It was a good extent of the public knowledge.
Izuku took a single deep breath through his nose, betraying nothing. “However, while the highest of echelons schemed in order to push this war, they were not the ultimate driving force. President Katya Orlov, and her cabinet were responsible, make no mistake. They had several opportunities to reach out for help, but chose to push forwards with the war instead of betraying the horrific truth behind the scenes.” The screen behind them lit up to reveal one of the many spikes that Quaresha used. “These pheromone stingers were forcibly implanted into much of the Russian people, both military and government were compromised. Yuri Orlov was one such victim.” The Support Hero nodded in affirmation.
“These stingers came from a National-Rank threat. A Chaos World inhabitant who had, unbeknownst to the world, escaped a Gate and moved through Russia. Once it had coerced much of the government, it instigated the war on Japan. Its knowledge of Magical Materials allowed the Russian forces to integrate Magic into their weapons. During the fighting, this allowed the Shadow Empress to make discoveries about what Magic truly was. And, having a better understanding of the physics behind it, was able to concoct a cure to the Eternal Slumber.” Those were the plain facts, straightforward in spite of their earth-shattering nature.
Normally, these sorts of events would be relayed by government officials higher up the food chain, but it required a mix of foreign and local information. Not to mention that Izuku and Yuri were two highly respected Heroes.
Of course, the questions came pouring out in response.
“What are the chances of another government falling to the same scheme?”
“There will always be the chance of corruption, inside and outside our governments,” Yuri replied. “This is just a new breed that we must continue to fight.”
“In terms of practical ways to combat this, I am developing a system alongside the Shadow Empress that may be able to detect these threats before it becomes too late. However, it should be noted that the Chaos Inhabitant in question was extremely special. Most types of Magics are incapable of controlling so many people.” He gestured to the screen behind him, which included detailed reports and files on most of the monsters Izuku knew about and cataloged in his Documentarian Skill. “Intelligent creatures have always existed within the Gates, this information is nothing new. It just means we have to be extra vigilant from now on.”
“Can this Villain's information on Magic be trusted? How do we know this medication is not some poison that came from their schemes?”
Izuku nodded. “The being in question gave nothing away regarding medicine, and was rather interested in metallurgy instead. As a result, this cure is completely derived from Momo Yaoyorozu’s own research and knowledge on the standard model of physics. We can say with certainty that this cure is not at all being tampered with by Chaos Inhabitants.” They knew that for a fact, because Setsuna still had full control of Quaresha and could force her to tell the truth.
“So, who do you blame for the war then? With all this coming to light?”
“It’s as Orlov put it. This was a case of corruption and some bad luck. The people of Russia are innocent, but her government does bear some of the blame. President Katya was fooled by this creature and cost lives in the process.” It wasn’t entirely fair to blame her, it wasn’t like she could have resisted Quaresha, but the fact that Quaresha never needed to implant her with a spike spoke to the meager resistance she put up. She knew it was a war and she’d rather throw her people into the meat grinder for a chance at escape.
Once Yuri had answered several more questions about the country’s safety and Izuku’s help stabilizing it, the crowd seemed to calm down. There was sort of an unspoken belief that the Shadows would be keeping Russia in check.
With that out of the way, the scientists were free to extoll the virtues of the Russian lab, with Izuku occasionally chiming in.
“The periodic table isn’t even close to being completed. However, it’s reached a point of diminishing returns. As the further you climb up the periodic table, the more unstable it becomes. It just fizzles away into nothingness before it can even be detected, let alone used for any real world applications.” This was the inherent flaw with the hunt for new elements. Humans could absolutely do it, but it served very little purpose. Atoms of the new elements lasted for such a small period of time that not even Kaina’s Dragon God Eyes would be able to react in time.
“In the 1960s, there was a theory that grew in popularity,” Izuku explained. “An island of stability. At this island, the element in question would have a much larger half-life. Possibly stable enough to use for new element hunting. However, this theory was never going to give us a new element to use in any sort of practical application. It was still believed that the element created would decay very rapidly.”
“But then, we discovered the element in question.”
“The Chaos Inhabitant called it Lumina, an element that has existed since the dawn of the universe. For reasons unknown, it didn’t spread through space like other elements, which is why humans were not accustomed to it. The half-life of this element is equal to that of Carbon. In other words, it will exist for billions of years.” Izuku could see the recognition dawn on many of the reporters' faces. “In other words, we’ve begun our journey to harnessing Magic, not as Awakened Humans, but as a technologically advanced species.”
*******
“Igris, I can’t reach up here, could you help?” Fuyumi asked as everyone raced around the kitchen.
“Of course,” The seven-foot tall knight easily reached into the cupboards to hand Fuyumi what she needed. Yui and Kaina were helping her cook, while Setsuna’s many bodies worked to set the table. All the while, Inko tried to get involved, but each time, she was told to sit and relax.
“I’ve been doing my physical therapy! I can help!”
“It is ill-advised,” Deep Blue put it bluntly. “While Esil has been healing your aches and pains, that does not mean your body is ready to resume normal life. Do not ruin all the work that has been done just for a meal.”
“Yeah! We’ve got a lot of hands here!” Setsuna added, literally raising several pairs of hands.
“Yesss, my Lady! Let the peasants work for your grace!” Beru fawned over Inko every chance he got. In his old hive, the matriarch meant everything. So he viewed Inko as his queen, almost holier than Izuku or Momo even.
“Fuyumi, I can’t imagine how you don’t have a husband!” Inko intended the remark as a compliment. She saw the young woman as hard-working and she fit the standard model of what it meant to be a “good wife.”
Natsuo, who had gotten home from work just moments ago, flinched at the remark, but Fuyumi just smiled. She responded with a “thank you,” and kept cooking.
“What was that about?” Setsuna wondered.
“Mom, you shouldn’t say those things,” Kei quietly whispered. “It’s not polite to wonder why someone’s not married… Especially when she’s young.”
“Really?” Inko seemed genuinely upset by the news. “Oh… It was a normal thing to say back in my day… Someone said it to me at one point. Should I apologize?”
“Maybe later, just leave it for now.” Kei brought her up to speed on the Endeavor family history. “It’s honestly dangerous for her right now with how mad people are at Endeavor. I don’t think dating is on her mind.”
“Well now I feel terrible…” Inko lamented, promising herself that she’d talk with Fuyumi later to make up for it.
“Don’t stress it,” One of Setsuna’s copies said. Being Awakened she heard the whole thing. “We’re a strange amalgamated family here, some wires are bound to get crossed.”
At that moment, Momo walked in the door, getting home from school much later than the others. “Looks like the press conference went well!” She had been listening to it in the background while studying and doing her research.
“That’s good to hear! I hope you two don’t mind repeating some of that for the I-Island presentations!” Kaina remarked.
“Well, Izuku didn’t mention all of our research, we’re still preparing everything, but I don’t mind one way or the-”
Izuku collapsed onto the floor of the living room, teleporting from the shadows. Pale and shaking, all he could say was, “All those people looking at me…”
“You did excellently, my Liege!” Igris said, patting his shoulder.
“I’m sure some food will help him recover,” Setsuna said, guiding him to the table like a lost puppy. And with that, “Dinner’s ready!” The hodgepodge of different families and Esil sat down as food was laid over the table.
“Hey! Shoto, wanna eat with us?!” Setsuna called as he came home, right behind Momo. He attempted to evade their sight to begin with, but now just made a beeline for his room. “And here I thought he was warming up to us…”
“Don’t feel too bad,” Natsuo responded. “He barely talks to us as it is.”
Everyone offered their thanks for the meal and began to dig in.
“So…” Izuku swallowed his rice. “I suppose now’s a good time to make the official announcement.” He made sure his mother wasn’t eating before continuing. There wasn’t a better time considering she was sitting down. “Mom… me and Momo are gonna have a baby.”
“Huh?” Inko was slapped across the face with that revelation.
“Good lord, Izu! Do you not know how to do this?! You lead up to the announcement, you don’t just blurt it out!” Kei looked exasperated as she tried to coax her mother out of the shellshock.
“Of course I don’t know how to do this!” He replied. “Why do you think I’d know?!”
It took a couple of minutes, and a lot of advice from those around the table, before Inko began to come out of it. “This is… this is real?”
“Y-Yep…” Izuku said nervously.
Tears were forming in her eyes. “I thought… I’d never wake up… I never thought I’d get the chance to be a grandmother!” She began breaking out the words of wisdom for the two, listing out everything she knew as a mother herself. It was a stark difference to Izuku telling her about his multiple girlfriends, but they weren’t complaining.
Although, as she kept going on and on, Momo, Setsuna, and Rumi came to question something.
“Good lord, how many babies does she want from us…?”