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***
The air was saturated with blood and death, one that could make even the most seasoned of veterans shudder.
All Might stood motionless, his usual smile, meant to bring hope was nowhere to be seen. His eyes surveyed what was once a lovely neighborhood, but nothing now more than a graveyard of debris mixed with the dead bodies of innocents.
His teeth gritted in shame. Shame at not being able to do anything. Shame that, he as the Number One Hero, the Symbol of Peace, was not quick enough to stop the atrocity that snuffed out the lives of thousands of innocent lives.
Truth be told it wasn't his fault. Every communication channel had been zeroed out by a sophisticated signal-dampening field—a localized blackout that the tech-teams were still struggling to explain. But the cold logic did little to make All Might feel any less guilty.
"M…my God." Someone whispered from behind him, their voice shaken with disbelief and fear. "What…what could have done this?"
All Might didn't answer. His gaze swept across the land, it was like the hand of a giant had pressed down on the place. Crushing it and the people in it, completely.
"Snap out of it!" one of the heroes barked, his voice shaky but the man gritted his teeth as he continued. "Move out! Let's see if we have any survivors."
All might nodded, clenching his legs as he leaped forward with force and determination. The chances of any survivors based on the tragedy was very low, but All Might hung onto that little thread of hope that there was.
If he couldn't save the people that already died, at least tell him save the ones that had, hopefully, made it.
It was a selfish thought. But Allmight would still hold into it.
The heroes quickly fanned out to look for any survivors. News crewmen soon came after. Gazing out, their expressions turned shocked, some staggered back in terror at the devastation.
***
All might had seen death. As a hero, there were many times he wasn't fast enough, strong enough, to save someone. He had accepted that, and always tried harder next time. But…this.
His gaze shifted through the mangled bodies, ash and dust veiling the ruins in a gray shroud.
His stomach churned in disgust. His jaw clenched as he balled his fists. "Who would dare do this?" He growled.
But he quenched his anger as he continued searching for any survivors.
Meanwhile, the other heroes pulled bodies after bodies out of the debris. Some mangled beyond recognition, others compressed like a sponge. Young heroes puked as they couldn't even stomach the gruesome deaths. Veteran heroes stood with trembling hands, their eyes fixed on the ground to avoid the pile
"What could have done this?" Endeavor couldn't help but ask, his scowl holding deep concern.
"No leads on it, no visuals, nothing. The city was here and just…gone." Best jeanist replied from beside him. Shaken too by the lack of information.
A figure landed, fluttering his wings slightly. "No suspicious figures. The people who did this just disappeared, no trace." Hawks added.
The heroes continued the search, until a shout sounded out. "Over here! There's a survivor."
The heroes immediately converged on the area. Eraser head stood over a child, his breath faint but there. Injuries littered his body, but at the very least he was alive.
"Somebody get a medic!" his voice bellowed out. Immediately, medical units quickly converged on the child as they rushed him to an ambulance.
The ambulance horn flared as it sped towards their position. Medics rushed to the boy's side, careful but still sped to carry the boy. All might followed.
One of the medics looked to stop him, but All Might spoke up before he could. "I have to see him, make sure he's all right…Please" he asked, a desperate tone in his voice. If he could at least make sure this boy was saved, if just only.
The medic nodded as he made room for All Might.
The ride felt long. Longer than All Might would have liked. Sometimes he always wished things just moved that bit quicker, faster. He looked down, his fists clenched, his mind raced. 'All for One.' the name slithered to his mind, a plausible cause for the destruction.
He shook his head as he immediately shut it down. All Might hated to admit, but he knew the man. They had fought countless times over the years. He knew the man's pattern, this wasn't one. He would have held the neighborhood hostage as he toyed with All might before he did that. So he ruled him out.
All Might racked his brain, but no other person came to mind. No other villain he had fought over the years did he think had the capabilities to completely level a whole neighborhood. Even if they did, none of them had the means to completely vanish without a trace. And that's what All Might found the most fishy about all this. How could one who could cause all this destruction just vanish in thin air. Just like that.
His thoughts were interrupted as the ambulance screeched to a halt at the hospital. The medics immediately rushed the boy in.
All might quickly followed once again.
***
Glancing to his side, the face of his friend came to stand beside him, Naomasa Tsukauchi. "How's the kid?" he asked.
"Still unconscious but doctor's says he didn't sustain too major injuries, just lack of oxygen." All might replied, a relief in his voice.
Tsukauchi nodded. Then his eyes narrowed in seriousness. "Could it be him that did this?" he asked. All might could tell even he was shaken up by the disaster. It didnt feel real. 'It shouldn't have been real.' the thought echoed in his head. He balled his fists.
"No. It's not his pattern." All Might replied.
Tsukauchi's brows furrowed. "Then who? We haven't found any traces of any bomb or anything of that calibar. The cameras too are a no go, as all were destroyed by whatever did that." Tsukauchi sighed, leaning back against the wall. "Its like a giant hand just pressed the place clean flat. Can they even be a quirk that does that?"
The conversation was interrupted as a nurse rushed out from the kid's ward towards them. "He's awake."
The two glanced at each other. The only person who could possibly know who did this was awake. The two made their way into the ward.
***
Confusing white light flooded Max's vision. Antiseptic clung to his nose and tubes flowed from his body to medical machines beside him.
The door bursted open, and two men rushed in, shattering the silence.
The two men slowed their moment, their faces hesitant, seemingly relieved to Max. He recognized one of them of course. How could he not? He was the number one Hero. Before where he would have been fan-boying, but now, he just felt numb to his presence.
The man opened his mouth before closing it back, almost like he was fearful of what to say. Before he finally spoke up. "Young man, are you okay?"
Max knew those words were out of genuine concern. What else could someone ask at that point. But at that moment, when his thoughts and feelings were chaotic, grief, one where he thought had faded came back in full flow. "N…no." He croaked out as a fresh new wave of tears flowed out of him.
The room was filled with the broken cries of a boy who had lost everything. The two kept quiet as they gave him space. Max didn't notice, but if he did, he would be grateful.
After some minutes, the tears dried up as Max reclined into his seat. His eyes hollow.
"Young man, I…I can't imagine what you're feeling right now." He stepped closer, his giant of a hand pressed firmly, not in a threatening way, but more grounding. Reassuring. "But if you have anything, anything that can help us find who did this…I swear to you I'll bring them to justice."
Max glanced at him, sensing the seriousness in his voice at the proclamation. He closed his eyes, his mind still foggy from the events. The image of his parents' dead bodies surfaced but with Herculean force, Max pushed them down. He searched his mind, then he paused.
Violet eyes burned in the dark, staring at him like a demon
Max's body shook involuntarily, his teeth grinded, but he forced himself to growl out. "He…he did this."
"He, who's he." All might asked. But Max stood motionless. Hot, blazing hatred burned through Max like magma. The memories flowed kindled the fire even more.
'You're too weak.'
'Your parents died in vain.'
"I'll kill him."
Max lurched forward, his fingers trembling as he clawed out the iv tubes on his arms. They came out, as blood flowed from the openings. He didn't feel the pain, only the pure agonizing emotion of hate and revenge.
"Young man-" All Might might spoke, but Max cut him off.
"Don't stop me. I'll kill him. He'll suffer greatly for what he did." But All Might stood steady as he clamped his hand on the boy. "Let me go!"
"Young man, you're hurting. I've been in your place-"
"No you haven't! Don't act like you have. I'll kill him. Let me go!" His eyes blared with that golden hue, his body moving forward just an inch more.
"Don't be foolish. You'll burn yourself out long before you could ever hope of reaching the culprit." A third voice spoke up.
Max growled as he looked at the person who entered, but paused as his eyes widened in recognition. "...Grandma."
The woman stepped in. The air in the ward suddenly thickened, turning to lead. The windows rattled lightly.
Her presence was like a crushing pressure that felt like being trapped beneath the ocean.
Her hair, a shock of brilliant white, was pulled into a tight ponytail. Her black eyes always seemed to Max to know everything, no matter what you did. Her white trenchcoat bellowed slightly, her height imposing, only just beaten by All Might.
Max has always wondered how she could always appear so youthful even though she was his grandma.
"Grandma-"
"All Might, I appreciate you rescuing my grandchild. But I would like a moment alone with him if you didn't mind." She asked, though Max knew she never did ask, she only told and appeared like she was being courteous.
All Might nodded, bowing slightly "Yes lady Eleanor" He glanced one more time at Max before leaving the room with Tsukauchi.
A heavy silence permeated the room. Max looked down, his teeth gritted. "Grandma, mom and dad. They…they…"
"I know Max. I know." She answered, her voice surprisingly soft as she sat on the chair beside his bed. "But what you wanted to do would have undone what they sacrificed themselves for." She spoke, her voice taking on the coldness Max was familiar with.
"But I can't let him get away. He deserves death." Max growled out, his eyes blazing with golden hue.
"With your current state, injuring his hair is unlikely, talk less of killing him. You're too weak." She said.
Max eyes widened in shock at the accusation, he opened his mouth to speak but she continued
"Even if by some miracle, you manage to kill him. What then? You think he's alone. They're others like him as strong or even stronger than him.
The organization behind him is stronger than your comprehension." Her eyes narrowed at him, "Knowing all that, do you think you can kill him now Max."
No answers. Max has none. He gritted his teeth not just in anger but in despair at his situation. "T…then what should I do grandma?" he begged, fresh new tears coming out as his body shook in grief.
He felt hands on the side of his face as she cleaned his tears. "Do what your parents did for you, stay alive. Become stronger, be the hero you said you'll be. Don't let their sacrifice be in vain."
At that, Max couldn't hold it in as he cried once again, his grandma wrapping her hands around him as she comforted him.
***
Eleanor stood in front of the number one hero and the detective beside him as she spoke. "I'll be taking my grandson back with me now."
The two men hesitated, but she cared not for their hesitation.
"Ma'am, we still have to investigate what caused the incident, and he's the only clue to that."
"I am aware, but you are also aware my grandson had just lost his parents and me, my son. So now isn't the appropriate time for that. And…" she stepped forward. "I am not one to ask a second time. So I'll be taking my grandson now."
Tsukauchi opened his mouth to speak up, but All Might placed a hand on his shoulder.
Eleanor turned to leave but paused at the sound of All Might's voice. "Ma'am, I'm sorry I couldn't-"
"Don't. Save the apologies All Might. We can't save everyone, that's the burden we took on as heroes." Her hand clenched to keep herself steady. She continued on towards her grandsons ward
***
The ride back was long. The destroyed neighborhood was sited off, so now the two had to take a longer route to their new place.
The giant whole burned into Max's eyes, which were now red and hollow, the events just kept replaying in his head.
"We'll be going to my house Max. But we'll have to bury them first okay."
Max nodded, her rough, calloused hand wrap around his gently and comforting.
***
That day was tragic, one of the great tragedies that occurred in Japanese history. 12,402 people had died in the event that some had dubbed the anger of kami.
People weeped tears as a wave of grief struck the country. A national burial was conducted for the ones who had died. It was a day no one in Japan would ever forget.
Max and his grandma stood over two graves. The names Shizuka and Julius were etched on the gravestones.
The two stood in silence, Max placed lilies on his mom's grave and red rose in his father's grave. These were their favourite flowers.
"C'mon Max, let's go home." His grandma spoke as she placed a hand on him.
Max nodded as they left the memorial, passing by others who were also like him as well. Grief struck.
***
It had been a long time since Max had visited his grandma's house, about when he was eight years old of he isn't mistaken. But it was still the same as he remembered.
His grandma didn't really live in a big house, it was a simple and standard Japanese house with a small garden at the front and two rocking chairs at the porch, and a small tree could be seen at the backyard when you were coming to the house.
Her house wasn't always far from where theirs was, just an hour and a half. Thankfully just outside of the range of that…disaster.
The two entered the house, the day's exhaustion weighed on Max like shackles as he sat in the living room.
"Max, come with me please." His grandma's voice called out.
Max glanced up, her face seeming more serious than what it usually was, and that was saying something.
He stood up, following his grandma.
As they walked down the halls, Max glanced at the pictures that littered the hallway walls. Some were of his father with his grandparents, others were of the time his parents and him came here to spend vacation. Looking at them, he felt his eyes prickling as he tore his gaze away
"Max," her voice snapped him from his daze, "Your parents death wasn't for naught, they died for your protection."
Max's face fell, his fists tightening. "I know grandma." His voice came out as a whisper, his throat soar from the weeping of today's events.
"But they also did so for a legacy, particularly your father." There reached the end of the hall way, there his grandma tapped the floor. It glowed slightly as an opening materialized into view. Stairs leading down.
Max's eyes widened, he has never seen this place even when he came here. But not only that, that same glow accompanied when his mom locked him in a shed the previous day.
He quickly followed seeing as she was already entering the entrance.
"L…Legacy?" He asked.
His grandma kept quiet. Max took that as a sign for him to do so as well. So he turned his attention on observing his surroundings
The place had lit up as soon as they entered. It wasn't too decorative or anything of note.
Then she stopped, Max did so as well, careful not to bump into her large frame. A red glow had highlighted her frame, seemingly coming from just in front of them.
"Max, how much do you know about quirks. The origin of it." She asked
"T…the origin? Grandma, how does this-"
"I'm serious Max, answer the question."
Hearing the seriousness in her voice, he answered. "Quirks first originated 150 years ago in China, a boy glowed when he was born."
His grandma kept quiet as she glanced at him. "Max, your parents didn't just die for your sake. But they protected a legacy."
She stepped to the side, the red glow from before brightened as Max saw it originated from a stone, trapped in a giant cube with many strange writings wrapped around it and even on the walls.
"They protected something that could change the course of everything as we know it. The real origin of quirks."
***