Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 159 BACK AT IT

“What the fuck am I doing here?!” I yelled in the room for the 3rd time. This time, like the others there was no answer. “I created 2 new lives, man. Am I stuck in these rooms for the rest of my life? Do I make kids in all of them? Have lives? Live out the rest of my days jumping between worlds? What? What is going fucking on here?” 

I was having a moral crisis. It had been building for a while. It was one thing to love a woman. That came natural to me. But love a kid? A life that was half me? That was fucked up if it wasn’t real. Some simulation. Was I in the Matrix? Was I stuck here forever? Or would I get attached to these people only for this whole place to be taken from me? Would the doorways eventually lock? 

It was almost too much to try to understand. I knew I was supposed to be getting challenger slots for some reason. But to what end? When would I be out of there? When would I move to the next stage? Was there a next stage? Or was this it? If so, please, I just wanted to know. I could live happily in all of these worlds. I just wasn’t sure I could live my full life if I thought it would end at any time. 

Then again, that was life. It could end without any warning. Like my original life had. Cut down at some age I couldn’t remember exactly. Sent here, to do…something. I let out a long defeated sigh. There was nothing I could do. I had to just keep going and hope that a solution would come to me eventually. 

Looking around I studied the doors. Gantz and High School of the Dead were in good places. Naruto was stuck for now. I was a lot stronger, but not able to search an entire continent for my girls in under 12 hours kind of strength. One Piece was at a good stopping point for now. My head was too invested in it. I needed a break. Though I really did love Hancock. I had become sucked into the story and her. I was afraid I could get too invested and be forced to say goodbye. 

That left My Hero Academia, One Punch Man, and DBZ. DBZ was out. One Punch Man too for now. I wanted to see Toru. It had been too long. I stepped through the door and was met with blackness. Slowly my room back at UA appeared around me. 

I quickly remembered what I had been doing last. Finishing up my work study with the Ryukyu Agency. I had killed Hero Killer Stain. And upgraded my story to that of an Anti-Hero, whatever that meant. I considered going to Toru’s house. My invisible girlfriend was sorely missed. But she had been away from her folks for a week. I had been with her every night all week. I was sure she needed a break. 

I counted down until the pain started. It had been 4 years of training since I had been in this body. 4 long years. Sharp and dull needles pushed into every free space on my skin. My face didn’t even contort in pain. I had been through a hell of a lot worse in One Piece. My tolerance through the roof, I powered through and the pain was gone. 

Alone in bed I thought about the story of My Hero Academia. I had kind of stopped reading a while ago. The last thing I remembered was when Midoriya went all Batman. Staying out nights to fight the prisoners that had escaped when the main bad guy escaped prison. Since I knew most everything that happened up to that point I tried to plan. 

In this world my mother was killed and forgotten. An afterthought. Now back in this body I felt the rage boiling inside me, wanting justice. I wanted that for other people and myself. But what was my ultimate goal? 

There was the Hero Safety Commission that regulated the heroes. Heroes were the only people lawfully able to use their quirks out in the real world. The commission was able to decide who could use their powers. I didn’t think that was right. 

I understood it. People started awakening powers over a hundred years ago. Of course many started to use the quirks for their own gain. A new toy to play with as the dark times came. When heroes started showing up they were just vigilantes. Many killing those villains that were hurting people. But society couldn’t condone killing of villains out in the open. They needed the heroes to be the ideal. The fight till their last breath. The selfless few. 

I wasn’t that way. I would kill. Could kill. I was the Anti-Hero. The man that people shouldn’t look up to, but was needed to help balance the equation. When villains were happy to kill and the heroes weren’t, there was chaos. Which was what the story would lead to. 

There was no impossibly strong super hero. No Superman. There was a number 1 hero that the number 2 hero could probably beat. It was one thing when there was an impossible foe that the villains couldn’t hope to overcome. It was a whole other thing when the top hero was just a man like the rest of us. 

Other than the Hero Safety Commission there was the Villain aspect. Men and women that were misguided in thinking they could kill and take what they wanted. Hurting whoever because the heroes wouldn’t kill them. There was no real consequence for them. There was the death penalty, but that took years and years to happen. 

Despite how much I tried to make Stain die off camera, his creed was still released in a video. He called out the hypocrisy of the heroes that didn’t give their everything. Didn’t mind not having kids, family, or a life outside of heroing. All Might was the standard, but where was he now? Having to teach some random kid his power and completely lost about how to do it? He had friends and sidekicks. But the hero work was his life. Me? I wanted something more. 

Stain’s followers would soon be making appearances. Especially with the main bad guys, the League of Villains. Run by All for One he could steal quirks from people. Alive since the beginning of quirks awakening in people, he was the ultimate bad guy. Someone I wanted to kill. But that couldn’t be done off camera. That had to be done out in the open. I thought more and more, trying to figure out my ultimate goal. 

There was a 3rd neutral group in all of this. The Meta Liberation Army. Founded by a man from years ago who wanted quirks to be openly accepted. They continued his ideals to that day. Trying to lobby for quirks to be a part of people, not shunned. They were people that I agreed with. It wasn’t right that only heroes could use their powers out in the open. Heroes and villains. Yes villains were punished, but it was only a symptom of the bigger problem in the society. 

These quirks were a part of people. They should not be hidden away and shunned. I’d seen Frozen. Of course that was where these people’s villain origin story began. There had to be a way to get the world to accept quirks for what they were. There to stay. A part of people. Not a passing fad. 

Trying to review everything I knew, a plan slowly came to mind. One that I didn’t really like. One that lined up better with my current Anti-Hero ideals. One where I would have to take the mantle of All Might or All for One. I wasn’t sure which. 

In the end I pushed the dark thoughts out of my mind and drifted to sleep. Ready for school to start back up.

—

I walked into the 1-A classroom to Bakugo being laughed at. The normally wild hair explosion quirk guy was loud, but he was taking the laughs. Currently his hair was prim and proper. “Don’t laugh, it’s stuck this way after Best Jeanist did something to it,” he growled. 

“Have fun at church camp, Bakugo?” I asked. He roared from his seat as the boys teasing him laughed louder. I smiled wide as I noticed the girls around my spot. “Momo, you didn’t send me any sexy pics,” I said sadly. “Didn’t you get to try any cool clothes on at the modeling gig?” 

“I did not,” she said. I assumed she meant no cool clothes. 

“Dumb, Toru and I got some nice jeans from the Dragoir line,” I said. They weren’t part of the school uniform so I couldn’t show them off. They had some dragon stitching in them, so they were cool in my book. 

“That’s not fair,” Momo said angrily. “I was a glorified modeling assistant the entire work study.” 

“They’re super comfy too,” Toru said. “And have a bunch of pockets.” 

“You and your pockets,” I said. “I swear you’re a squirrel.”

“And you’re a lumberjack. Are your muscles bigger,” Tsuyu said. 

“Oh, paying attention, my cute frogger?” I asked the black haired girl. “What about you? Have fun on the water?”

“I did,” Tsuyu said with a wide smile. “I spent the whole time on the boat. Cleaning the deck, patrolling at night. We even caught a stowaway.” 

“Oh fun. Catch any pirates?” I asked. 

“Ha no, there aren’t any around here,” she said. 

“Oh that’s where you’re wrong. I’m a certified pirate,” I said. “Anyone that breaks a law on the water is one. Once I was out swimming and…peed in the ocean,” I stage whispered. “Been on the run ever since.” 

“Oh my god, you’re an idiot,” Momo laughed, rolling her eyes. 

“Yeah, that’s not illegal,” Tsuyu said. 

“Oh damn,” I said. “Well next time you’re on the water I’ll be sure to break the law so you can catch me.”

“I heard you had some excitement,” Momo said. “You guys were in the middle of that whole Hero Killer fiasco.” Me, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Ida looked at her, worried about what she heard. “Did you see the fight?” The entire class turned to look at us. “The fight between the Hero Killer and Endeavor, or when the Villain Slayer killed the Hero Killer?” 

That was the official story. The Hero Killer was bloodied when the Villain Slayer killed him on the roof. The death was caught on camera. So before the camera saw it they were saying that Endeavor fought him. It was really us 4 students, but we weren’t supposed to fight since we weren’t heroes. 

“Yes, I saw it,” I said solemnly. 

“Weston,” Todoroki said, trying to stop me. I nodded at him. 

“We all did, between the Hero Killer and Endeavor,” I said. “It was…quite the fight. You wouldn’t believe how Endeavor uses those flames of his.” People drew in closer, wanting to hear about the number 2 hero. Seeing a fight of his in person would be a rare treat for anyone. “You know how the top guys have special moves? Cool techniques to use their quirks. Well, when Endeavor has to try real hard…” I drew it out. Drawing people in as they tried to hear. 

“He uses this move he called Mexican Night,” I said. 

“Mexican Night?” The purple pimple asked. 

“Yeah, when it is a foe he can’t beat on his own he…bends over, drops his pants and shoots fireballs out of his ass,” I said with all the seriousness I could muster. 

“What the hell is wrong with you!?” Momo yelled and laughed at the same time as I broke out into laughter. It took time for me to stop laughing. The entire class was either groaning or laughing. Picturing the man doing exactly that.

“Who knows,” I said. “No, we didn’t see it. We were escorting people out of the fighting zone,” I said. 

“He said the same thing to me,” Toru laughed. I told her the truth too. I wasn’t much for lying to her. She knew to keep it under her gloves. 

“I heard the Hero Killer and the League of Villains were working together. That’s why there were those Nomu things there,” the blonde Pikachu guy said. 

“Anyone watch that video on the Hero Killer? About his history and ideals?” Someone asked. I left them to it. They talked about the weird stuff they saw in the video but were then talking about their own work studies. I laughed now and then picturing Endeavor shooting fireballs out of his ass. 

Aizawa soon came to class, quieting everyone down. 

“I hope everyone had a good work study event,” he said. Sounding bored, like he didn’t care, but everyone knew he did. 

“I’m sure you all have more catching up to do today, but I feel I must say something,” Aizawa announced. He put on a serious look instead of his normal bored glare. 

“There have been lots of talks of Slayers and Killers in the news. But in all truth they are simply villains. They are twisted individuals working outside of the law. Both are in the limelight because they do this for attention. Trying to justify their actions. But they are simply murderers.”

I nodded. Agreeing with him. I loved attention. “We don’t teach that here. We teach the opposite. Bringing people to justice, so those people that villains hurt can ensure that the bad people pay for their crimes. Not in a lawless way. They pay in court where the world can see. Where the word of law can be followed to a T.”

I couldn’t help but ask, “what about when a hero kills a villain?” I drew the eyes of those in class. “Like accidentally. Hell I watched Endeavor burn someone to a crisp. It was a Nomu. But still. Is that justified? Will we have to do that?”

“You will have to do what you must to ensure you and the villain come out with minimal damage,” Aizawa admitted. “It is rare, but some heroes have killed in the field. If it happens then an investigation is conducted. If it happens too often, a hero will have their license revoked.” I doubted that. I knew for sure there were heroes expected to kill. I planned to save my favorite one. 

“I don’t mean to be so morbid early in the morning,” Aizawa said. “You will all have training covering this in the coming years. I hope none of you have to make the decision of life or death. But it is out there. Think now what kind of hero you want to be. All life is sacred. Todays villain could be tomorrow's hero.”

And today's hero could be tomorrow's villain. I didn’t say that though. I was content to sit and listen. My course of action decided I wished we lived in a world where this worked. But we didn't. So the world would have to change. I planned to make it do so.