Chapter 404 - My CO Stash #4 - MHA: Triumvirate Knights by Ld1449 (BatmanXMHA)

-Here's the sequel of MHA: World's Finest~! I'm praying the author's uploading schedule stays the same and I just cannot wait to read about Batman's doggo'

Synopsis: Sequel to MHA: World's Finest. It's necessary reading to enjoy this story fully

Rated: T

Words: 4.4K

Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/mha-triumvirate-knights.889027/ (Ld1449)

PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (´ー｀)

-I'll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan't more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)

Chapter 0+1

For Izuku Midoriya, he was four when the world seemed to crumble right under his feet, walking out of a Doctor's office, that same doctor having just told him the worst news his four year old self had ever heard.

Quirkless.

He couldn't be a hero.

He cried. He cried when his mother held him, he cried the next morning, and the day after.

When word spread through the school, it only got worse.

Kaachan had gotten his quirk, an amazing one, his one time friend wanted to be a hero, he could follow that future.

Only it was a future that seemed he wanted Izuku to be less and less a part of.

The other kids called him names, showed off their quirks and said mean things about him not having one.

He didn't know what to do, how to change, how to be better, how to not be quirkless.

He was five when things changed again.

It was after the Aldera disaster, a whole city district, destroyed. He didn't know how many were hurt. Mommy hadn't let him see. But All Might had fought the villain there, the worst Villain, All for One. People said it was like "Dagobah all over again"

He wasn't sure what Dagobah was. Mommy wouldn't let him look up things about All for One either. Said he was too scary for him to be looking at.

He tried to tell her it was okay, that All Might had beaten him, All for One had run away, there wasn't anything to be afraid of anymore.

But she said no.

He heard that All Might was going to be on a show, Present Mic's morning show; after weeks and weeks of talking on the news, and answering questions about All for One and the big battle Izuku hadn't gotten to see or hear about.

All Might was going to talk on the show,

And take phone calls.

Izuku went to bed early the night before, woke up early the next day, waited by the phone with anxious, brimming energy

He'd memorized the phone number, and listened intently as the show went on.

---"What was it like? Fighting him I mean? No one's been able to fight him since the original Triumvirate; and half the world thinks they died trying."

----"I can tell you this Mic, he is easily the most dangerous and powerful villain I've ever fought in my career. But he is beatable, he is not invincible. More than ever I'm convinced that the Triumvirate beat him before. It's why he's been hiding all this time and why he's hiding again now."

----"He must be ancient though."

----"There are quirks that can slow down the aging process or halt it. Physiologically, I don't think he's any older than his fifties

---- "Should other heroes try to fight him? Or not?"

---- "Anyone who tries to fight him unprepared will only make him stronger. And under no circ.u.mstances should you ever fight him alone.

---- Ahh well I think it's time for some callers, don't you think."

---- "Certainly!"

He heard the phone ring on the radio, his heart jumped,

But then, when Present mic spoke he didn't hear him in his ear.

---- Hello there you're on the Hot Mic, what's your question for our Number One Hero caller?"

---- Hey there All Might, so having fought him, how powerful do you think the original Triumvirate would have had to be to take him down like they did? Or do you think maybe All For One was weaker since he had less quirks back then?"

Izuku bit his lip. Ten calls. That's all Present Mic gave on the show. He was sure. He'd checked.

How many people were calling?

---- Yes hello, All Might, I was just wondering what hair product do you use? It's a very distinct look."

----- Confidence ma'am!

He listened, one by one they called and he counted like they showed him in school.

Eight. There were eight.

That meant there were just two left…

He almost started crying, his one chance, his only chance to ask his hero what he *needed* to ask him more than anything and it was slipping through his fingers.

Then, he heard a voice in his ear as it came through the radio.

----- "Hello there Number Nine. How're you doin?"

Izuku started, nearly dropping the phone in surprise. "H-hello?"

----- "Hello little man why don't you tell us your question today?" Present Mic said.

"I-I"

Izuku felt his throat close up, pure panic gripping him by the neck and refusing to let the words come out.

----- "Little man? Little man? Hello?"

Silence.

"Alright next-

"I'm quirkless!"

He practically shouted in his sudden mad rush to say something, anything, hearing his own voice come from the radio..

He lowered his voice, becoming something meek and quiet.

"I… The doctor's said I won't ever have a quirk. So… I… I just wanted to ask…. E-even"

He had to stop, both the tears and his sudden spike of fear.

What if he was wrong?

What if All Might said the same thing the doctors said? That the kids said? That his mom said?

He looked at the radio, as though he could look straight through the speakers and the happily blinking clock to see All Might himself.

"Even though I'm quirkless… can I be a Hero like you All Might?"

The silence came.

Then it stretched on.

It seemed to last for a long, endless moment and Izuku's whole world shrunk to those few seconds.

---- Young man.

All Might's voice was low, almost grave and Izuku could feel the slap of rejection that brought the tears immediately to his eyes.

No. Please no.

---- If you choose it, it is not an easy life.

He froze.

---- "But the quirk in your body is not the sole measure of what it is to be a hero. Perhaps they can punch harder, move faster, See things others can't. But what is a hero, a true hero young man is measured by the spirit that beats in your chest."

Izuku felt his breath hitch, an apple lodging itself in his throat and the same tears that had overcome him a year ago, staring at All Might's image on a computer came on again.

---- "If you want it hard enough, work hard enough and chase your dream, whatever that may be, then there's no force on earth that can stop you."

The phone slipped from his numb fingers, clattering to the floor.

---- "You can become a hero."

When he was four. His whole world changed with one doctor.

When he was five. It changed again with just one phone call.

Chapter 1

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO FIGHT ANYMORE"

Mrs. Bakugo's scream could have woke the dead and even though it wasn't directed at him, he still felt himself cringe under the heat of her fury.

"TELL DEKU TO GET OUTA MY FACE!"

"STOP TRYING TO TAKE KIDS LUNCH MONEY AND HE WON'T BE IN YOUR FACE!"

Izuku's own mother stood beside Mitsuki, the fact that both women could remain friends even with their sons fighting each other seemingly every other day was… kind of a small miracle honestly.

"DON'T YOU TAKE HIS SIDE!" Bakugo roared

"I'LL TAKE HIS SIDE ALL I WANT!"

"I also told you to stop fighting Izuku." His mother scolds, looking at him with a fierce frown of disapproval."

"INKO ISN'T TAKING HIS SIDE!"

"DON'T ENCOURAGE MY BRAT INKO!"

Izuku tried very hard to ignore the fight happening two feet to his left. "I'm sorry mom"

"Don't apologize Izu, you did nothing wrong!"

"Don't encourage *my* son's bad behavior either Mitsuki!"

The strange thing is, he should be used to this very odd... three? Four? Way fight.

The scary thing really is that he sometimes was.

(X)(X)(X)

By the time Izuku gets home he and his mother step through the door into his fifth, maybe fifteenth apology; he rather lost count.

"I'm sorry mom."

Inko for her part, sighs. "Izu. You always say that but tomorrow, or next week or in another two weeks we'll be right back here again! At this point I think you and Bakugo are just doing this for fun or something because neither of you stop."

"I don't just fight Bakugo." He blurts out and then immediately cringes as his mother stares at him with a look that could melt through steel.

"Believe me. I'm aware…"

Yeah, crappy defense.

Izuku looks down "I just… can't let them keep bullying the other kids mom."

She sighs, her shoulders rising and falling quietly. "I know. I really do honey." She steps forward, one hand rising to cup his cheek, the other to run through his hair as she makes him meet her eyes. "You're the best boy I could ask for, really. But you have to understand. Those reports don't get filed as "Izuku stood up to bullies" they get filed as "Fights" plain and simple, and you've gotten fifteen in the last two months. That's twice a week Izu! No school you apply to will look at that and think you're someone they want to have join their student body. This'll hurt you going forward sweetie."

He knows. This conversation isn't new. She's said it before, pleaded with him before.

He feels guilty but… at the same time…

She has to see something in his eyes because she looks away and the guilt twists at his insides "Go to your room and get started with your homework. I'll get dinner going."

He nods, not willing to give her any more trouble.

Heading to his room, his computer is blinking its hibernation light at him, reminding him of last night's search results.

The temptation is strong to look, but the gnawing guilt of yet another fight that gave his mom more headaches to worry about holds him back.

He throws himself into his work with speed.

He may be doing the questions a bit too fast, maybe giving answers that were less than ideal, but it's done, done fast enough that before dinner is even done he's finished, shutting the last notebook with a rustle of pages and capping the blue pen.

Then he's sitting at the table, chair rolling quietly under him on its plastic wheels as he boots up the computer.

His fingers click-clacked over the keys, inputting his password and unlocking the screen..

There were quite a few tabs open… more than a few… a lot more than a few. But that was normal. Some were hero sightings, forums, message boards, others were news feeds and recent happenings of both heroes and villains in his area and the surrounding districts. But right now he had one particular page open that was drawing his attention.

"Legacy of the Triumvirate"​

It was an op-ed/ message board discussing the Three… legendary? Mythic? It was a strange category that they inhabited really. More than any other heroes, partly because of who they're known to have fought, who they exposed to the world, but also because so very much about them is just so completely unknown.

The best they had were grainy images captured by news cameras a few hundred feet above them and blurred security feeds.

Titania the Unbreakable Woman, Speed Hero Blink and The Batman.

Izuku would be lying if he said he'd always been interested in them, his fascination with heroes had been born with All Might, who is still his absolute favorite hero, a man who had done more for society and the world as a whole than anyone else.

But even he had to wonder if All Might would have even been able to exist without the Triumvirate?

Would All for One have been able to find All Might, before he became All Might? Stealing the newborn hero's quirk for himself, if not for the damage the Triumvirate did to him? Without All Might would the world have even recovered as much as it had already in the post quirk reformation?

All for One with All Might's power… it was a terrifying thought.

He clicked on the link to keep reading.

There was just so much that they didn't know about them.

They had a general idea about their powers. Of course Titania had some kind of strength enhancing quirk, a really really powerful one judging by the footage of her fighting Blaze Beast, and Graviton. Blink of course was obscenely fast, and the Bat had some kind of shadow abilities. They had very vague ideas about what they looked like, actually… just what Titania looked like, tall, fit, dark hair. But outside of that they didn't know anything about them. No one even knew if they'd lived or died against All For One.

A part of him wanted them to be alive. He prayed he'd meet them one day, but if they were he really couldn't understand why they'd have stayed hidden for so many years. Decades really. All Might had already fought All For One. He'd already proven the Monster could be stopped. So why wouldn't they feel secure enough to come back to the world? It should be easy to prove who they were…

A lot of people believed they were dead and a part of him on some days couldn't help but agree.

"Izuku, time to eat!"

"Coming mom!" He called, pushing free of the read to go eat, he could do some more research later. Maybe find a decent doc.u.mentary or something.

Minutes later, as he sat down at the dinner table, the TV was still on and loud enough for him to catch the tail end of the newscaster's report.

"- Enterprises will be opening a new HQ branch in Japan. Though the exact district that will house the latest of the Tech Giant's industry is still hotly contested, rumors stand that the Company Owner and CEO Bruce Wayne will personally be arriving in Japan to survey potential sites. It's a sudden move by the meticulously careful business but Mr. Wayne's sense for finances have served him well over the yea-"

"Bruce Wayne" Izuku muttered, leaning closer towards the TV.

There was a picture now, an older man, a beard with a healthy salt and pepper mix in it, deep set wrinkles on a face that didn't seem to smile easily.

Wayne Tech was the premier company for all Hero support tech, had been for as long as Izuku could remember, for as long as anyone could remember. Bruce Wayne coming to Japan was… well… he wasn't sure what it was but Izuku would have to find out if the Tech mogul would be hosting some kind of event or speaking somewhere. Few people could make waves like Mr. Wayne in the eyes and esteem of most Heroes.

Especially when they were quirkless…

(X)(X)(X)

The next morning Izuku followed his usual routine, getting up, brushing his teeth, showering, getting dressed and getting ready to head out.

Only problem was, he was running a tad bit late today.

"Zuku, honey you'll be late for school."

"Coming mom!" He shouted, stuffing some toast in his mouth, before half hopping half walking towards the door as he forced on his bright red sneakers.

He made it to the door, his mom hovering her hand over the key waiting for him.

"Go on." She said leaning up to give him a peck on the cheek. When did she need to lean up to do that? "Love you, see you after school, don't run!"

"Yes ma'am!" He answered, doing his best impression of a not running power walk as his mom closed the door behind them as he reached the stairs.

Making it to the sidewalk he tried very hard not to run, but he did move notably faster than usual.

His rush only increased when there was an incident with a villain near Tattoin station, the delay making him abandon his promise of not running altogether for the last block as he rushed to make it to homeroom class before the bell rang.

He climbed the stairs two at a time, reaching the last hallway, out of breath and winded.

"What's the matter, nerd. You miss your damn alarm?"

Oh not now. Izuku found himself mentally groaning.

Turning his eyes to Bakugo he sighed in aggravated exasperation. "Can we just get to class. I'm really not in the mood to get into another fight with you before I've even set down my backpack."

Bakugo smirked. "What's wrong? Fraid I'll burn those notebooks of yours again?"

"I can always find a hose."

The blonde bomber's smile turned into a snarl lightning fast as his hands crackled and popped.

Before anything more could be said there was the distinct sound of a throat being cleared.

Both of them turned, finding Mr. Matsudaira standing just outside his classroom… apparently having expected this.

Bakugo stuffed his hands in his pockets and Izuku tried not to breathe out in relief.

He really really didn't want to deal with another fight first thing.

That and his jaw was still hurting from yesterday.

The two hurried to class.

(X)(X)(X)

It was a slow school day. Classes were pretty much over, today was reserved for goodbyes and gossip on where they'd be going in the future, what schools they were applying to, what courses.

The ones that stood out, were, of course, he and Bakugo.

They were both applying to U.A.

People scoffed, for both of them. At Bakugo because of his attitude, and his ability to lose to him… a quirkless kid. Nevermind that he'd also beaten quite a few of the others.

But he was 'quirkless' and U.A didn't accept quirkless nobodies in the hero course. Nor people who lost to quirkless people.

Bakugo glared at them all, shutting them up with the heat of his eyes, but his real wrath was reserved for the look he directed solely at him. So much anger and resentment Izuku felt himself flinch. It'd been a while since he'd seen that kinda look. It'd been a while since he'd flinched too when it came to Bakugo.

When the final bell rang and the school day was over, Izuku couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Despite the near thing this morning there'd been no incidents, not during class, between classes, or even during lunch when he and Bakugo usually had their 'altercations'.

Either his mom Mitsuki had really laid into him or that shot to the ribs was still smarting somewhere.

Or maybe Bakugo was just looking forward to this finally being over. Even if they both made it to U.A, chances are they wouldn't be in the same course. They wouldn't need to keep fighting.

He was tired of constantly intervening against him, just as he was sure Bakugo was tired of being intervened with.

Izuku stuffed his books and notebooks into his backpack, taking a bit more time than usual so Bakugo could head out without the two of them running into each other in the halls.

One of the last to clear out of the classroom, the green haired boy followed quietly behind the throng of other students.

Stepping out into the streets, Izuku took a deep, slow breath.

It was over.

It was finally over and he had months to get ready for the next part of his life.

The U.A entrance exam.

He turned and marched mechanically; following the path home.

Things were calm, normal, people moved this way and that way as they always did, as he'd always seen them do on his way home.

Then, they simply weren���t.

It started with a scream, something behind him, loud, frightful, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and Izuku turned around in time to see something.

A moving, writhing mass of sludge and bile churning across the street, it picked up a screaming man whole and slammed him into a wall, barreling through the road, smashing aside cars and pedestrians alike. In hot pursuit Izuku saw Kamui Woods, the newest rising Hero and Death Arms, sprinting behind the monstrous villain.

Izuku felt his heartrate spike in his chest, almost painfully fast, he ducked into an electronics store, the villain rushing straight past him and the people near him with a gurgling roar.

His eyes followed the villain, then the heroes, and before he knew it he was following after them, chasing them. It had been a long time since he'd gone villain chasing and something told him this one would be a particularly dangerous one to follow.

But still, something else, gnawing at him, some instinct, told him he needed to follow.

He ran a block, two, by the third it was only the path of destruction that kept him on the trail, a string of injured people, broken cars and shattered glass.

Then he heard it.

Explosions.

Izuku followed, his legs burning, muscles throbbing, heart thundering.

Then he saw it.

The whole city block was in flames, the mass of sludge in the center sending blasts of fire and force that toppled cars over and shattered windows. Izuku could hear the thing laughing, the heroes scrambling for some kind of plan as Kamui Wood's barricades were torn down, blasted to splinters the villain rounding on the team to fight, while spreading out his field of destruction.

Izuku felt his fear taking over, panic beginning to claw at his insides.

He almost turned right then and there to run.

Then he saw him.

Gasping, choking, struggling in the center of the mass of sludge was Bakugo, fighting just to suck down a breath of air.

Izuku's heart stopped.

His legs felt rooted to the spot, the fear rushing through his veins like a jagged length of barbed wire.

Then, Bakugo looked at him.

He was sure of it.

Through the smoke, and the fires and the panic and the people, Bakugo's red eyes looked straight at him. The villain's mouth was over his own; wide with a gleeful, ecstatic smile at the destruction he could wield with Bakugo's quirk. But there was no mistake…

Bakugo was terrified.

His legs moved before he could think, before he could even register he was moving-

And he was already halfway across the distance, barely hearing the heroes screaming behind him.

"Kaachan!" He shouted, a nickname he hadn't used in years his fist plunged straight into the monster, shoulder deep, where he hoped, Bakugo's arm would be.

His fingers latched on and Bakugo's were wrapped around his wrist as both of them pulled and tugged, giving the blonde bomber enough leverage to pull his head out enough to suck down a desperate, hacking breath.

"D-Deku, What the f.u.c.k are you doin here ya damn nerd!"

He couldn't answer, the villain laughed, and before he could do much more than realize the danger a length of sludge was crawling up his legs, rooting him to the spot as the monster crawled over him.

"Looks like I got two Hostages now"

Oh no!

The rising sense of dread was abruptly cut off when *something* hit him, something hard and fast, wrapping under Izuku's right shoulder, and sheer momentum and force, quite literally ripped him free of the monster's grasp.

The world was a blur, a whirling mass of colors before he hit the pavement with a tumble and a scr.a.p.e, Bakugo right beside him, sputtering and hacking sludge out of his mouth.

"WHAT!"

"Not very bright are ya boy."

Izuku looked up from the ground, finding himself staring at a short, old man, the most eye-catching thing about him were his specialized boots, something for his quirk and the yellow scarf wrapped around his mouth in otherwise civilian clothing.

There was a gurgling growl, and Izuku could see the sludge villain rushing towards them, his body large enough now to swallow the whole city street.

The old man turned with a lazy, bored eye.

"Kids these days, call themselves heroes and can't even deal with a one trick pony like this."

Then, he was gone.

Izuku couldn't even see the blur of speed, just a yellow streak of scarf that trailed after him. His tiny body punched straight through the sludge villain, splattering the muck across the street, the walls, the cars and the street lights, bouncing off a wall before launching himself again and again and again.

The villain had visibly shrunk before he'd even closed half the distance.

The monster turned, in panic, rushing to escape down into the sewer grates, barely a fifth of his monstrous size remaining before the old Man came to a stop, scoffing in irritation.

"Tsch. I really am getting old."

Izuku dizzily stumbled to his feet, Bakugo still catching his breath behind him, laying flat on the ground as he sucked down deep lungfuls of air.

"Th-that was amazing!"

The old man turned, a shrewd eye c.o.c.king an eyebrow in his direction before turning away with a shake of his head. "Don't be so dumb next time kid."

The man reached down to the sidewalk, picking up two grocery bags.

Ishina's grocery store.

And before the onrush of heroes, concerned medics and others came in, the old man blinked and was gone, shooting off into the sky.

Just like that.

Then he and Bakugo were swarmed by a cavalcade of heroes and concerned first responders.