Hell's Empress (books 1-4)

Google search: UA graduates

 D###... Aizawa and Mic already graduated, but not their friend... Meaning you were already too late to get involved there. Hhh.. Oh well. Best not to dwell on your losses.

Google search: Toga

 As expected. No results. You had forgotten her first name, so that remained a dead end as well. ... Sad as it would be to knowingly let all those kids die by her blade...it was something you didn't have the resources to fix. Again, another loss you'd just have to live with.

 ...Oh well...

----------

 You weren't going to break a promise just because things got inconvenient. That just wasn't your style.

 Problem was, you drew a blank when it came to plotting how to get a quirk back.

 "Daddy, pleeeaaase! Can I have my explody quirk back?!" You tugged on his pajama sleeve one night before bed. Your dad huffed as he turned to pick you up, and easily held you between his two hands.

 "And why do you want it back so badly? You've been begging me for two months!" He chuckled tiredly.

 "I want to make things go boom!!" Twas the only explanation required from an eleven year. Your dad chuckled and pulled you closer to him. You clung to your dad and whined a little bit as he carried you to your bed. Pretending like you didn't care was no help. Bribery was no help. And of course threats wouldn't do anything! He let you down onto your bed and you crawled under the blankets. "Can I earn it back??" You finally asked. Your dad chuckled and sat down at the end of your bed.

 "...I suppose... If you have another quirk of equal importance to you, perhaps we could make a trade?" Your heart sank. The one that instantly came to mind was Tenko's, which you wouldn't trust in the hands of anyone else but yourself! A close second was Touya's, but that would just be a hard trade for you, since it was your first one! Your dad smiled dow on you with compassion, seeing his little girl draw at a blank. His big hand landed on your head and messed up your hair. "How about this? If you are good enough to your mother, helping her out with chores, shopping, whatever she asks of you, I will return the explosion quirk on your twelfth birthday. That sound good?"

 Your eyes lit up right away! That would be no problem at all! You were already super diligent about helping her out already! "Yes, Daddy! I- I can do that, easy peasy!" Your birthday would be coming in just a few months, meaning you would certainly be able to return the quirk come next year!

----------

 You were a good child. As summer break rolled around and you had no school to attend, helping Mom became your top priority! She had a feeling this was all for a favor of some kind, but enjoyed the help plus your involvement in her mundane daily life.

 "Whew!" You sighed in relief after helping her unclog the kitchen sink. Your hands were covered in gross slime, so you dared not push the hair out of your face with your hands. Each one of your breaths huffed from your chest. That was surprisingly..a lot of work.

 "Thank you so much for helping me out with that, (Y/n)! Even though you didn't need to." Your mom was about to turn and hug you, but she remembered her hands were all gross too. "Hey! How about we go to the mall today??" Your eyes lit up at that idea. Finally, someplace other than the park! (The park was great and all, but it got tiring after a little bit.)

 "-I have a far better proposition, actually." Your dad swung around the corner into the kitchen. You didn't even hear him enter this time! "My work requires I attend a meeting on Nahou Island next week, and as a bonus, I've decided to take the two of you along with me." You gasped excitedly. THIS WAS EVEN BETTER THAN THE MALL!

 Your mom leaned in a little closer to you, clear hesitation across her face. "...I don't know... I still don't feel right about taking (Y/n) far from home..." You turned to her, betrayed. That was seven years ago. Get over it, woman!!

 Your head snapped between your mother and father, pain and longing clear as day. But, the offer still remained and your mother didn't change her mind.

 "What do you think.. (Y/n)?... Shall we go to Nahou Island against your mother's wishes?" Something about his question ticked you the wrong way. That look in his eyes, the pulled smile on his face.

 Uh oh... This was a test.. wasn't it?

 A clever little trick to make you break the deal.

 Your head lowered, staring at the kitchen tile while you thought... It was just a quirk after all! The chance to experience freedom after so many years was painfully tempting!

 But...sadly... You couldn't go back on your promises, especially this one.

 Sinking away from the situation, you pressed your back to the kitchen cabinets, knees tucking closely to your chest. "No... I want to stay with Mommy..." It stung, but it was the right thing to do.

 "Awwe," Your father cooed down at you, tilting his head and crouching closer to your and your sitting mom's level. "You sure you don't want to come along? I know how you've longed for the ocean these past few decades... Surely you would be willing to take a little risk. I can assure you that no harm will come to our daughter." Dad stared Mom directly in the eyes. Her hand flinched out, sandwiching yours between her warm hand and the cold floor. You turned your head to her curiously. The heck was that about??

 "I'll need to think about it." She breathed, leaving this conversation on a cliffhanger. You sighed, cleaned your arms, and headed off to do other things.

----------

 Early that next morning, you woke up with a strange feeling about you. That instinctual sensation telling your whole body that somebody was watching. You sat up quickly and looked around, but there was nobody there.

 "...Mom...? Dad..?" You called, gripped with fear. It was a terrible sensation really. You couldn't quite describe it.

 The feeling faded away as the familiar footsteps of your father approached your bedroom door. Your dad opened it, peeking through with a pleased smile on his face. His neck craned to look at another behind him. "See? What did I tell you? She's awake now."

 "Huh??" You rubbed your own arms, worried that feeling would return.

 "Don't worry, (Y/n). Your mother agreed to go as long as you were trackable. So I had Garaki copy a quirk that would allow a neurological link, aka, I can see where you are and the state you are in while it is active." Dad explained. You blinked up at him stupidly.

 "...Can you read my mind then?" Was your first, worrisome question.

 "I'm afraid it isn't that strong of a quirk. It just gives me a general feel for where you are and what you are doing."

 "Ah..." This was a whole step above simply putting a tracker on their child's phone. Also, didn't it take Garaki ages to copy quirks? How could he do that in only one night??

 These questions unworthy of asking over and over again, since there was no way you could possibly wish to have them all. So, for now you were happy to and excited that Mom had agreed to take you on this trip.

----------

 You had never ridden a plane before. Not in this life, nor the past one. Unlike most children, you were a little too scared to stare out the window, instead clinging to your father in the middle seat. The light from the window at your right poured over you, offering the view of a lifetime. Mom sat on the other side of Dad, the two of them going over the trip plans in detail. Your head leaned against your father's chest, his deep voice vibrating throughout his body, providing yet another comfort that soothed your weary head. His arm wrapped loosely around you, clutching you tighter when turbulence shook the plane.

 You were too tired to care about listening to their conversation. Today had been a full day of packing, rushing around airports, nearly missing flights, and all this worry on top of that.

 You were kind of scared to fall asleep tho-- Oh wait.. This was AFO you were talking about! If anyone could save you from the worst possible situation, it was him.

 Your heavy eyes closed, slipping into a peaceful sleep.

. . .

 "(Y/n)..? ... (Y/n)? We're here." Dad gently shook you awake. Your head snapped up from his lap, rubbing at your eyes and yawning.

 "Where are..?" You groaned, but as your eyes adjusted, you gasped. The plane! You'd forgotten!! You jumped onto the floor, grabbed your backpack, and shuffled after your father. You were a little slow, so he hoisted you up into the air and carried you on the hip out of the plane, Mom following closely behind.

 At least your parents were fairly experienced at traveling. In fact, the only reason you three were almost late before was because you had to go to the bathroom! It didn't take long to find everyone's luggage and step out of the airport at last onto Nahou island soil. AFO inhaled a long, deep breath. You copied. .. Hmm, smelled like salt.

 "Let's grab a taxi. The rental house should be right along the beach.." Ew, sand. You don't like sand. It's course, and rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere! ... Oh well. Just something you would have to look over for now.

----------

 The beach was fun. The whole, first full day here, was spent primarily at the beach! There were so many things to do! Building sand castles -- or in this case an "indestructible" fortress with a mote all around it -- catching fish, clams, sand dollars, and other strange ocean creatures, and of course ice cream from the shop nearby!

 Your mother remained by your side the whole time, always keeping an eye on you. Your dad was the opposite, preferring to chill under the umbrella most of the time, keeping that hard-earned pale skin! Looked like he was enjoying himself, though. He lounged on a fold-out chair like a true pro, soaking in the atmosphere. Mom wore a two-piece suit; Dad wore some shorts and a brightly colored button-up shirt. And you wore a flowery one-piece swimsuit with a skirt attached!

 After the fun, you got to sleep in a very nice rental house, choosing to sleep on the sofa where you could watch the sunrise through the wall of windows the next morning. Smiling happily as you again started to sleep, you hoped that the next day would be just as fun.

----------

 "Come on, (Y/n), we've got important places to be today." Your dad, now dressed in a suit and tie, entered the main part of the house, which the kitchen, dining room, and living room all resided in. Compared to yesterday, he was very serious and business-oriented this morning. Your mood dropped, only now starting the breakfast Mom made.

 "What? I thought only you had work??" Setting down your orange juice.

 "It's important, (Y/n). I urge you come along." Rounding the table, the six-foot man tugged at your wrist.

 "Toru!" Mom snapped. Your dad's head snapped up. For a moment, the two stared at one another, a silent conversation through facial expressions between them. Your head spun around as well. She was..so worried. "...I thought you promised to do this tomorrow..." Huh?? Your head snapped back up to peer at Dad. What was going on? The man, still staring his wife in the eyes, let out a deep, long sigh.

 "...I apologize.. But some things can't be helped." He tapped your wrist. "Hurry up. The two of us are going away for a few hours."

 A lump gathered in your throat, losing your appetite. "Okay, Dad.." You slid out of the chair and hurried over to your luggage to grab a simple set of clothes to wear.

----------

 The drive to wherever was oddly quiet. It was weird no longer having Mommy by your side. Dad drove, eyes unmoving from the road ahead.

 "...Where are we going, Daddy..?" Your hands fidgeted on your lap.

 "You'll find out soon enough, my princess. Until then, why don't you think about you want to do after the ordeal is over?" You hummed a weak response, staring out the window again. Sure would be nice to know what to expect..though.

----------

 Being born and raised near farms, it wasn't uncommon for you to take up seasonal jobs at a local butchering house. So, you could say you were a little desensitized to the process of ripping apart the dead for repurposing.

 But, there was something different about this. Something sickeningly wrong about seeing the same process practiced on humans. You could even say it was cruel. Immorally so.

 Blood slipped from the table in thick streams, splashing against the floor, small droplets of still-warm blood bouncing your way.

 You clung to your father who held you, tucking your face in the crook of his neck. Shivering, you tried to forget the sight of three bodies sprawled out over a large table, connected by a plethora of multicolored tubes.

 "I- I'm sorry, Master!" Dr. Garaki jumped from his squeaky chair. "I didn't have enough time to clean up before the two of you arrived!"

 "Not to worry, Doctor. It will be important for (Y/n) to learn not to care so much in the near future. Now, I presume you have been making great progress with all the extra funding I have provided?~"

 "Yes! Of course! And thanks to your own brilliance, what would have taken me a hundred years has only taken me ten! I believe I have officially cracked the code! Those high-end Nomu you were so excited about are finally on their way to becoming a reality!"

 "Excellent news, Doctor~!" Your dad strode across the room, placing you down on something cold and hard. The potent smell of so much blood and chemicals reminded you to keep your eyes shut, wishing you could hold your breath until this was over. ... Whatever this was.

 It appeared to be a laboratory like the one you visited a long time ago, except this one was FAR larger! And The Doctor wasn't the only one working here either. You'd passed at least twelve others on your way to Garaki's room. So.. this must be the main lab or something... How come you couldn't remember it from the show?

 "Was my wife's blood of any use to you, Doctor?" Your father stood at your side, you feeling around with your eyes still closed. It was a clean metal table. .. Hopefully, you wouldn't wind up like those on the other table. Your body jumped a little at the mention of Mom.

 "Unfortunately not.." Garaki sighed. "Your wife's quirk is far too potent, I'm afraid... Destroyed my equipment."

 "I'm sorry to hear about that." Your father hummed. His hand brushed against your back, frightening you for a split second. But your body leaned against his, seeking comfort from all the terrors that haunted you. "..What about (Y/n)'s?"

 "Ah!" The doctor gasped, followed by the sound of his shuffling pants racing past. A few clicks and dings sounded from his fingertips at the computer. "Great progress, actually! I'm afraid I will have to run through a few more tests on living beings first, but judging by how much progress I've made already, everything should be prepared in abooouuuut... seven years!" Dad's hand on your back clutched the cloth of your shirt a little tighter. Your body shivered.. What were these guys talking about..?

 "Hmm..." Rubbing his chin. "That would make her eighteen when... Alright. Sounds like it would fit well enough into our plan. Are there any experiments we can conduct right now, while (Y/n) is with us?" Your body metaphorically turned to stone after grabbing a hold of your father's arm. "Calm down, my angel. No harm will come to you." He rubbed your back. However, it was hard to believe his words when three dead bodies lay on a table in front of you! He noticed your still closed eyes and hummed disappointedly.

 "Well, I- I might have a few experiments we can conduct at her age... Follow me, (Y/n)!" Garaki proposed. Dad helped you down. He didn't continue to carry you, however, forcing you to walk on your own. He didn't even grab your extended hands, meaning you'd have to open your eyes to avoid the plethora of cables on the floor.

 Blood was the first thing you saw. Pools of it. Garaki really wasn't the cleanest, was he? You tiptoed over wires, around puddles of sticky, warm, red. You gagged, keeping it together best you could.

 After being led out of there, it was a lot more casual. You were led into a large, bright room, completely empty save for a hanging pair of goggles.

 "Wh?"

 "Since you're only eleven, presently, the best experimentation for you would be brain scans. Specifically, those involving high levels of stress."

 "See this as a training exercise, (Y/n)." Dad added, gently pushing you further through the door.

 "What??"

...

 It was actually kind of fun...albeit scarry. You were assigned a few different VR games to play through. Each one horror related. Seemed like the main point was to measure your reactions and other related brain stuff.

 So... Yeah. An alright few hours. Helped you forget the...actual horrors...just outside the room... After that was another quick blood draw, then back to the van you went!

----------

 You had so many more questions on the car ride back.

 "...Dad..?"

 "Hm?"

 "...What experiments do you keep talking about?"

 "With you?"

 "Yeah!"

 "Well... Remember when you used to tell me you wanted to help me take over the world?~"

 "Yeah..?" You were no longer quite as enthusiastic about the whole thing and it showed. You really didn't know what to do with your life, really.. other than thwart the main villain's plans while sparing his life.

 "Well, in order to do that, you'll need to become the ultimate being. Someone not even All Might can stop... Only then can we expect to sweep the world off its feet." Your father grinned. Your eyes broadened, staring at the back of his head. Slowly, as the realization began to set in, your heart rate increased.

 ...You were the next Tomura..weren't you...?

----------

 The rest of the week passed smoothly. More fun at the beach and touring the island. It was fun. You loved to see your mother smile!

 Your dad spent most of the week away, most likely in that dark bunker of Garaki's.

 But of course, eventually, the fun had to end. Your mother seemed far more trusting of you since proving yourself to be a responsible young lady. But, something else changed. Something that only started after you returned from that short visit with Dad. Something made most apparent on the plane ride back.

 You sat between your parents in the center section, tired again and ready to get some shut-eye. However, when you leaned to the left to lay your head against your father's side, Mom tugged on your arm. Confused, you allowed her to guide your body against her instead. You were alright with this of course. After all, a pillow was a pillow! But...the way your mother suddenly seemed so adamant about keeping you to herself, even in the little things.

 ...Were you not quite as perceptive as you thought you were..? Was there..perhaps something else going on behind the scenes? It scared you to think about... Not the perfect little family you'd grown to love.

 Anything but that.

...

 What was her quirk anyway, and why was it so powerful?

 How much of what she told you was a lie?

 Grr! Why did such an important thing have to be so rudely stolen from you?! Trust that everything was alright; it shook under such brittle foundations.

----------

 Exactly one year later, as promised, you stood beside the lamp post beside your propped-up bike. You wore a gray hoodie and sweatpants, the hood down to reveal a head of lime green hair.

 He was late. You had made sure to stop here a few hours early, but still you saw no blond.

 You sighed and checked your watch again. It would be sundown in less than an hour... That kid better show.

 "Um...mam?" Came a young, timid voice. You spun around, at last smiling faintly at the sight of the little Katsuki. Now eight, the boy had grown some. As far as clothes went, he wore much the same attire you expected to see. A black shirt with a little skull on the front and baggy brown shorts. His knees were a little scuffed, bandages covering the cuts and bruises. "Are you...the one who stole my quirk..?" Gosh, he was shy! Moreso than you expected him to be!

 You tore the sunglasses off of your face and crouched down to his level, offering a kind smile.

 "Yeah. .. You want it back, right?" Katsuki nodded, slowly approaching. The poor boy's body was trembling. You really felt bad for the kid. Maybe it would have been better to simply not get involved. But then.. hm, poor Izuku would have been bullied! And you were never one to pass up helping someone when you knew you could do something about it! "Are you alright..? Have kids at school been treating you alright?" Of course. You hadn't even considered it before, but poor Katsuki might have ended up getting bullied too! He seemed like the main one in the show, so at least if that were the case, it wasn't as bad.

 The little blond's eyes widened a little. He blinked and shook his head, baffled by your question! "Huh..? Am I okay?? You stole my quirk!!" Ahh, there it was. The angry boy you recognized. You chuckled as the boy continued to inch forward with caution.

 "Hmhm, I only did that to teach you something... You shouldn't put all of your worth into one thing, or else, if you lose that one thing, you will think yourself worthless!" The kid wasn't really grasping your message. You didn't really expect him to. At least not yet. "Listen, Katsuki--"

 "-Y-you know my name?!"

 Crap, you may have overstepped a little. Quickly, you backtracked, chuckling nervously. "Right, right, sorry about that. I-I- know a lot of people's names, alright?? Eheh! ... But-but- anyways! Sorry, I'll just return your quirk, alright?" You stretched out your hand. The blond leaned forward, creating as much distance between him and you as he extended his hand to you as well. You grabbed the smaller one's hand and held it, the familiar stinging sensation growing in your arm as the boy's golden explosion quirk streamed back into his body. Before his quirk was fully returned to him, you stared the blond in the eyes one last time, your eyes trained on he other's. His dark crimson eyes reminded you so much of your father's.. "No matter how powerful you may get, you are always going to need people...alright? Do you have any friends.?"

 "Just one..."

 "Who is it?"

 "I'm not telling you."

 "Well, if his name happens to be Izuku, then you've got a friend worth his weight in gold. Stick with people like that, and you're sure to go far."

 Katsuki tugged his hand free once the last of quirk had been returned. Testing it, the boy lit a few sparks in his sweaty palm. His eyes brightened immediately!

 The boy spun around and ran. Didn't even throw you an insult or a thanks.

 Odd..

Chk-click

 "Hands above your head! Knees on the ground!!" Schist!!

 Your eyes widened, hands shooting above your head! Crap! For some reason, you never even considered this outcome! In retrospect, it was stupid of you not to, but somehow the thought of Katsuki organizing something like this was just absurd! Again..stupid. So, SO stupid!!

 They were all around you now. Swat, police, a few unrecognizable heroes, you name it!!

 You dropped to your knees, trembling. No. You couldn't think!! You were so trapped, so frightened! So unprepared! Even if you could escape, what were you supposed to do?!?

 ' 'Use a combination of Target and Wind Breath to blow away those most dangerous!' ' A voice commanded. It sounded like your dad's, but, it was coming from inside your head!! The neurolink!

 For now, it didn't matter how many questions you had! Simply knowing your dad was here to guide you was comfort enough. Your mind unfogged, clarity in knowing what to do.

 You used Target to pinpoint the most powerful heroes in the crowd. Then, using Wind Breath focused on those three, you easily blew them away. Thank goodness they didn't consider you a large enough threat to call in anyone like All Might! The police aimed their guns.

 ' 'Now use Iron Scales!' ' You couldn't say no to that, immediately activating a thin layer of scaly armor that grew over your skin.

Pow!

 Pow!

 Pop!

 The sound of rushing bullets frightened you! You flinched as the metal pellets pelted your scales!

 ' 'Now run! Into the bushes!' ' Again, you agreed wholeheartedly with that idea. You didn't really want to hurt anyone after all! And that freeze-up of yours proved just how ill-prepared you were for combat! Even after years of combat training in your past life, there was just something different about having an arsenal of guns pointed at your head!

 You used Butterfly Touch and Hair Color as you ran, which helped cover your tracks. Using multiple quirks at once was a lot harder than you expected! It was like juggling. The more balls tossed into the air, the harder it was to keep track of them all! Iron Scales weakened, allowing a couple bullets to graze your skin, pushing through the weak scales. You hissed, but the adrenaline kept you focused in the meantime. You'd have to worry about pain later. Now was the time for running!

----------

 Thanks to a lot of ducking, diving, weaving, and running, you escaped the clutches of justice in the nick of time. Now, you bled. You remained hiding in the shrubs, since your blood would be far easier to spot on the pavement.

 The park was dark, your path only lit by the occasional street lamp.

 A dark, misty cloud appeared at your right. A tall man emerged from inside of it, followed by a shorter being of darkness, who you believed his name to be Kirigi... Wait.. that didn't sound right... Kirro... Kiromiri? Bah.. nevermind.

 Your body swayed, not so much due to blood loss, but just because that hero attack had been such a shock to your system, your poor body and mind didn't know what to do afterward! Cry?!

 "My dear, (Y/n)!" Your father announced, striding briskly toward you. He dropped to his knees and wrapped his large arms around you, not caring that your cuts got his nice white shirt all bloody. Your arms were limp, too tired to be moved.

 No longer fearing danger anymore, you broke down right there in his arms. The shock had certainly gotten to you and your little child brain, hadn't it? Not even emotional. Just pure shock. You pressed your forehead against Dad's chest, letting out all the bitter weeping from today's ordeal.

 Your father stroked your back soothingly. "Shh.. shh.. Everything is going to be alright... You've learned a lot today, haven't you?" You nodded. It was embarrassing but true. "Good.. I was hoping you would come to your senses sooner or later... The world isn't quite as easy to predict as it may seem. And we are not quite as powerful as we wish we were on our own... At the end of the day, cunning and planning ahead are our most important alibis~... Do you see what all you must improve now..?"

 You pulled back and sniffed, looking your father in the eyes. "Yeah.." There was a lot. Even with using your quirk. There was much to learn.

 "That's a good girl..." Placing his hand on your shoulder, the man smiled. Then, he stood and grabbed your hand. "Come now. I wouldn't want for your mother to see you like this..." He guided you toward the Nomu's portal. "Dr. Garaki should have some medical supplies. Luckily, none of your wounds are deep, though you might need a few stitches.." You followed quietly. Quite the quiet little girl you were whenever that insane doctor was involved in your life.

 But, you were also just very tired. And your father was right.

 You were scared to think of how your mother would react if she saw you like this.

 ...Good thing your dad was here...

 You could always rely on him to be there for you in the end.