Japan was a nation of chaos.
In a way, Izuku supposed that it always had been.
Japan had been one of the first nations with a populace that widely developed 'Meta Abilities', nowadays more commonly known as 'Quirks', among its populace. They'd hosted the Yakuza before the Great Uprising, followed by rumours of the likes of the Criminal Bogeyman, the Quirk Thief, the Underground Emperor and the King of Crime. Japan had been the home of Destro and was the country that had spawned the ideals of the Meta Liberation Army.
It was the country that had seen the rise and fall of All Might.
The world's symbol of peace and justice, who had risen higher than any before him, to become the greatest hero in the world, had also perished within the confines of the city of Kamino. He'd killed his opponent, live on international television; a man who, to the present day, remained unknown to the world at large.
There were rumours of course: the villain was the legendary King of Crime (ridiculous); the villain had an evil version of All Might's Quirk (more ridiculous); the villain was actually All Might's evil twin brother (beyond ridiculous); or the villain was actually an alien invader (Izuku wanted to know what they were smoking when they thought that one up).
In the end, the villain himself didn't matter.
All Might had defeated the villain, yes, but his victory had come at the cost of his own life.
Perhaps it shouldn't have been too surprising. The villain was clearly powerful, and All Might himself had been in his early sixties, his Quirk and work ethic making him appear far younger than he actually was. Perhaps his body giving out on him shouldn't have been outside the realm of possibility.
Still, the emaciated form he'd revealed had shown the effects of having over a forty-year career in heroics, before he'd summoned all of his power for one final blow.
With one last, "United States of SMAAASH!!!", All Might's final blow heralded the end of an age.
But from there, things hadn't taken long to go from bad to worse.
A team of heroes, led by Japan's new number one, the Flame Hero: Endeavor, had carried out a series of precise raids, each one targeting the group known as 'the League of Villains', as they worked to quickly take them apart. They'd had some success too, in the early days.
The leader of the League, Tomura Shigaraki, was now known globally as a supervillain, but he had been one of the ones they had caught, tried, and imprisoned within Tartarus, Japan's Hyper-Max prison. They'd also managed to nab a few of his associates: one named Magne, a woman who could manipulate the force of magnetism; another named Moonfish, who was both, a serial murderer and a cannibal, and whose power was fittingly called 'Blade Tooth', which allowed him to make blades from his teeth; and a third named Mustard, whose ability allowed him to create a sedative gas from his pores, and who had been a minor when he was handed a life sentence.
After that, the League had splintered into separate factions, each one with its own unique set of goals.
Spinner, whose Quirk made him a man-sized Gecko, had formed a League of his own, made up solely of other people with heteromorphic Quirks. He'd turned them into a new form of Yakuza, answering to him and him alone, as they not only 'managed' crime in their territory, but also hunted and killed 'fake heroes', in line with the ideals of Spinner's idol, the Hero Killer: Stain.
Muscular, who had an enhancement-style, muscle manipulation Quirk, had escaped to continue his ongoing rampage of assault, rape and murder.
The pairing of Stain and Bloodletter, as well as Twice had disappeared altogether, and hadn't been seen from since.
But by far, the most damage had been done by Dabi. Dabi, who had outed himself as Toya Todoroki, the oldest child and firstborn son of the new number one hero, Endeavor. That revelation alone, had rocked the people of Japan to their very core.
That would have been enough, had that been the worst of it.
It hadn't been.
Dabi had an entire press release to go along with his revelation. Bringing to bear all of the proof he could put together, as he spoke about the details of his upbringing with the Todoroki Household. The Hellish Todoroki Family, the media had dubbed it, which the new number one had used as a front to gain his perfect heir, and raised his children in a house built upon a foundation of abuse, which he disguised as supervised Quirk training.
There had been no going back after that.
After that revelation, Japan's Pro Hero system seemed to have shattered beyond repair, in what had felt like it had happened overnight.
All Might was dead.
Endeavor was considered barely more than a criminal.
The Winged Hero: Hawks, may have proven himself a popular star in the short term, breaking the Top Ten in under three years, but it slowly became clear that his government sponsorship had made him little more than a government-sponsored stooge, albeit one who did good work.
The Fibre Hero: Best Jeanist's longstanding place in the Top Ten, having held the number three spot for almost four years, would have made him the perfect man to reassure the people of Japan and fill the void left by his predecessors, had he not been near-crippled during All Might's final battle, requiring a prolonged absence to rest and recuperate.
Japan's new number one ranked hero, the Rabbit Hero: Miruko, may have been heralded for helping lead in the new generation, but she didn't have the reputation that All Might, Endeavor and Best Jeanist had spent years, if not decades, building.
It all added up.
Pro Heroes were less popular than they ever had been, and the Hero-Public Safety Commission, could no longer be regarded as a bastion of order, but rather, seen by many as incompetence and corruption incarnate. As a result, the government had stepped in and massively reduced their power, but at the cost of their efficiency.
Slowly, but surely, Japan had come to be seen as a cesspool of crime, and a warning to the other nations.
Once, they'd been the leading country for Quirk innovation, second only to I-Island itself for new developments and held a reverence, not unlike the site of a pilgrimage, for those who worshipped heroes. It had been seen as a beacon of justice, held up the Symbol of Peace, but when the symbol had fallen, Japan had fallen with it.
And it had never recovered.
=== === === === ===
"…and in business news, DEKU Enterprises today announced their opening date for their new Head Office in our very own Yokohama. Company Founder, Chairman and CEO Izuku Midoriya, says that while the company has previously been based out of several satellite offices, including their very first one in America, operating the company out of Japan has always been one of his goals".
"That's right Tomu, with the rebuilding of large parts of Yokohama finally seeming complete, following All Might's final battle, almost ten years ago, DEKU Enterprises will be just one of many businesses looking to take advantage of the city's new infrastructure with the construction of the DEKU Tower Complex at the site of the former Corolla Industries Headquarters, which closed following the infamous 'Battle of Kamino'. Mister Midoriya's plans for the seventy-eight story building allegedly include a combined research and administrative building, underground car park and will also play host to a dozen non-profit organisations".
"Mister Midoriya has been very outspoken in the past regarding harsh laws aimed at punishing Quirk-use and prejudice faced by those with non-discrete Quirks, such as the Quirkless and those with heteromorphic traits. While his aid, both legally and financially has led to some slight change, there are many who argue that maintaining the status quo will prove more stable in the long term, and that Mister Midoriya is simply seeking to stir up trouble in the name of making noise".
"Well, Mister Midoriya may not be making many friends, but based on what we've seen from him so far, he sure is making money. Elsewhere, the stock price of Hatsume Industries took a noticeable drop when-".
=== === === === ===
"This is your captain speaking, we're beginning our final descent into Tokyo. We'd like to ask that all passengers please return to their seats, fasten their seatbelts and store all tray tables in their upright positions".
Izuku rolled his eyes at the announcement. Rody knew full well that, not only were there were only three passengers aboard his private plane, one of whom was sat next to him, but that they had no tray tables to place upright. Despite that, he insisted on using traditional flight captain's speeches, largely for his own amusement, though given that Lala giggled from one of the seats opposite him, he supposed that his sense of humour was genetic.
Hopefully, Roro hadn't laughed, and despite being sat next to his older brother, was proving that the Soul Family's sense of humour wasn't all bad.
With a tired yawn, Izuku closed his laptop, taking care to store it away safely, before he buckled himself in.
He'd designed the interior of his private plane to serve as a flying corporate office when needed. The seats were fashioned into groupings, instead of rows, and the two younger Soul siblings had been kind enough to largely keep to themselves for the duration of the twelve-and-a-half-hour flight from Otheon to Tokyo.
Izuku had to admit that they were thankfully less of a handful now than they had been when he had first met them. Roro wasn't the same little kid he remembered, once desperate to follow his older brother around anywhere and everywhere; instead, now he was prepping to enter the University of Tokyo. Starting in the new year, he was going to be in his first year, studying Mechanical Engineering. His scores had been top tier and Izuku had been more than happy to help Rody set Roro up at best university they could.
Lala on the other hand, was still in high school. Izuku knew that his friend's living conditions weren't great. Roro and Lala hadn't had many friends growing up in Otheon, but Rody had done everything he could to care and provide for them.
His moving his family to Japan, working for Izuku and getting them into the best schools that money could buy, was just another way for him to do that.
Roro joined them in the main part of the cabin, his hair frazzled, likely from running his hands through it repeatedly, which they all knew he did when he was stressed, quickly stowing his own laptop away, before buckling himself in, sitting opposite his sister.
"Tough day?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Ugh", Roro groaned, slumping back in his chair, as Lala giggled, earning her the stink-eye from her brother, "all I wanted to do was ask a few questions about the mechanics working on the engines, not get a twelve-hour lecture on flight systems".
His sister shook her head, "That's what you get for asking a pilot about his craft".
"Besides", Izuku added, not bothering to hide his smirk, "you do know that I probably know more about the mechanics who work on this than he does".
"I know", Roro replied, in a tone that was just a few octaves away from being a whine, "but I wanted to get the pilot's perspective for my paper".
"Oh, well in that case, you deserved what you got".
Lala laughed at her older brother again, before the two siblings fell into casual catching up, with Lala concerned over how long Rody had been flying for. As the two talked, Izuku felt the plane slowly begin its turn, beginning their final descent into Tokyo, and he took a moment to look out of his window.
Japan was spread out before him.
From his vantage point, high in the sky, he could say that Japan's capital city looked like it was built using plans from an architect's dream.
Clean stretches of green grass, clear glass and solid concrete were laid out before him, gently covered in snow. It was an ode to the work of men and women who had died generations ago, building from a dream to see a cleaner future for their descendants to come.
From his vantage point, high in the sky, Japan looked like an achievement.
He hoped those who had come before him, never learned just how dirty it had become.
A part of him had wanted to come on the train. Had it not been for the presence of the Souls, he probably would've listened to it as well. From his vantage point, high in the sky, all he could see were streets and buildings, attempting to fool him into thinking that all was civilised.
He knew better than that.
He should've ridden in with the people. He should've seen them, their faces, their clothes, their desperation.
He should've seen his enemy.
=== === === === ===
"And that's another happy landing on the books. Lady and gentlemen, the date is January fourth, and the local time is twenty-three hundred hours. Mister Midoriya, welcome home. This is Japan".
Rody's happy voice carried through the cabin as their plane finished bouncing across the runway and slowed enough for them to be taxied into a hangar. Knowing how upset he got when his siblings were careless with their safety, Izuku kept an eye on the duo, but he was happy to see that they remained seated and buckled in, likely aware of the lecture that they'd be in for, if they weren't.
Taxiing them into the hangar took a few minutes, before they came to a stop and all of the lights came on.
"Okay guys, we're good. Let's get out of here and finally say hello to Tokyo".
"HELLO!"
Lala yelled out as loud as she could, even as she leapt to her feet, and was rewarded with the sound of Rody's delighted cackles coming from the cockpit, while Roro simply hung his head in shame. He rose a moment later in time with Izuku, who took a moment to button up his coat, as the two of them fixed their laptop bags around their shoulders.
The three of them met Rody at the plane's exit, who was grinning ear-to-ear, as he bounced on the balls of his feet, staying still just long enough for Lala to hug him, before he gestured to the outside with a broad sweep of his arm.
"Land hoy!"
"So embarrassing", Roro muttered, as he ducked past them.
While the others were all dressed casually, in comfortable jeans and t-shirts, (or slacks and a turtleneck sweater, in Izuku's case), Rody took a great deal of pride in his work and insisted on dressing for his job, wearing plain black trousers, sensible shoes and a white, short-sleeved shirt. It made him look professional, but also left him shivering, as they stepped into the cold of the January night, as he hadn't thought to set himself out a jacket.
"Here", Izuku handed him the jacket he'd kept out for him. It was a simple, thin windbreaker, with the DEKU Enterprises logo stitched onto the breast, but it was enough to hold back the bite of the late night cold, "put this on".
"Thanks", Rody said, handing him his gloves for a moment, before also putting them on too, and giving his Quirk, Pino, a moment to snuggle up beneath his collar, "ah… that's better".
"I can imagine".
Rody shuddered, as the two of them walked down the steps to the ground, "Just be glad you don't have to".
"Mister Midoriya", a member of the airport's staff was already waiting for him in the hangar, dressed in a dull grey two-piece suit, he bowed as Izuku stepped of the stairway, "if you and your party would please come with me sir, we will see you through at once".
There were perks to flying privately. For one, they didn't have to wait through customs, or baggage claim. The quartet were quickly ushered through customs, lingering long enough for the Soul siblings to have their passports stamped by a customs official, each one of them grinning at the sight of it, before the three of them needed to have their visas checked. Once that was done, their bags were brought straight through for them, and loaded into the private car that was already waiting for them, with Rody taking the keys and the driver's seat, after taking a few moments to load up their hand luggage.
He'd already arranged for the bulk of it to be transported for them in the morning.
Their rental was a plain black SUV, and an excellent one too, Izuku noted, as he recognised the polished leather interior, state of the art sound system and a smell that could only be described as 'new car'. Roro leaned over the back of him to switch it to something in English, before Lala attempted to do the same to Rody.
With an irritated grunt, the older duo each brought one of their hands up and shoved the younger duo back by their faces, before Rody took control of the stereo, turning it back to Japanese with a flourish.
"Aww, come on-"
"Rody…"
"You two know what we agreed to", he said, looking back for a brief moment, as he backed them up out of their parking spot, "you can speak English at home, but Japanese everywhere else", Rody told them in his own Japanese, which Izuku had to admit, if not for the obvious foreign accent, was excellent, "the best way to learn is immersion. Every time you go out-"
"Use Japanese", the duo chanted back at him, though they were obviously put out by their agreement.
=== === === === ===
With the muted traffic that came with a near-midnight drive, it was a mere twenty-minute drive from the Tokyo International Airport to the new head office of DEKU Enterprises, but that was more than enough time for the younger duo to fall asleep in the backseat.
He smiled when he saw the tower.
In the late night, it was a tower mass of dark glass, the only lights coming from the nearby streetlamps and building lights, casting a neon glow, particularly on the lower levels. Though the grand unveiling wasn't for another few weeks yet, Izuku felt a sense of deep pride when he looked up the length of the building, his eyes seeking out what would be the seventieth floor, for the gigantic, forest green lettering that emblazoned the sides of the building in a relatively soft neon light.
DEKU
デク
Written in both English and Katakana, what had started out as a childhood bully's insult, had evolved into a neglectful parent's putdown and was now being reclaimed for use by him, and him alone. They had wanted to use it to cow him into submission, to hurt him and force him down the paths they wanted, but now?
Now DEKU was going to become a word synonymous with corporate success.
In the years to come, he knew that the image of the word, "DEKU", would be known as a symbol, a symbol of excellence in Japan, and hopefully, one day, all across the world.
Seventy-eight stories high, with an additional twelve levels below ground, the construction of his own tower formed a key part of his life's goal: to help save as many people as possible.
As a boy, he'd sworn a promise to a dead woman and been taken out of Japan against his will by a father who had no love for him. As a teenager, he'd been forced to leave by that same father and gone on to walk the world, learning more about himself and his limits than he ever thought possible. And now, as an adult, he had returned to finally make good on his promise and bring justice to those who deserved it.
Just the faintest reminder of the oath he'd sworn to his mother was enough to reinvigorate him, regardless of how tired he had been feeling mere moments ago.
Izuku pointed out the final turn into the underground car park, as they finally arrived. While the uppermost of the building's underground floors was dedicated parking for motorcycles, bicycles and a drop-off point for those being driven, Izuku had designated the second sub-level for a private car park, for his own use. He handed Rody his building ID card, as he paused in front of the traffic barrier, even as the elder Soul sibling woke the other two up.
Roro and Lala were groggy as Rody parked the car, sluggish, as they yawned and stumbled their way out of the car park and towards the exit that Izuku pointed out.
Unlike the other levels, the private car park also hosted the lowest level that the private elevator was capable of reaching. From sub-level two, the private elevator would then only be capable of reaching the Reception, which was naturally located on the ground floor, and then not stop before it reached the executive level, which hosted Izuku's office, which was all the way up on level seventy-three. It could then reach every other level above it, which included the private floors.
Lala was excited to press the button for level seventy-five, perking up momentarily, as they rode all the way up to the entire floor that had been set aside for the Soul Family.
Izuku left them to it, instead taking himself up to the seventy-seventh floor.
The seventy-seventh and seventy-eighth floors had been designed as a duplex apartment for himself, leaving only the rooftop above him.
Shrugging off his coat, he tossed it onto a countertop, as he moved to the bedroom, quickly unloading the few clothes he'd packed into his duffel bag into his walk-in closet, before retreating to the main room.
Despite the late hour, he wasn't surprised to hear the elevator opening, as Rody stepped into his personal space. The two of them had become good friends during the time Izuku had spent in Otheon, but ever since Izuku had also hired him as his personal aide, paid for him to attend flight school and put his siblings through school, Rody had taken his job more seriously than he had ever expected.
He looked tired, running one hand down his face, as Pinon, the manifestation of his Quirk, drooped on his shoulder, "You're going down, aren't you?"
He hesitated for only a breath, before nodding, "Yes, I am-"
If possible, his answer only served to make Rody look even more exhausted, "Izuku…"
"I'm…", he grimaced, feeling the need to go downstairs like it was an itch beneath his skin, "I'm just", he stressed out the second word, "going to check on things. I'm not going out".
"Izuku…"
"Rody", he turned to face the man fully, "I give you my word, I'm just going to check on the systems".
"Fine, but I'm coming down there with you".
He smiled, equal parts exasperated and comforted by his friend's overprotectiveness, "If you like".
Together, they stepped back into their private express elevator, which had a control panel much smaller than that of the standard variants installed in the building, and one that only listed the floors that it serviced.
R
77
76
75
74
73
G
SL-2
SL-12
Izuku couldn't quite stop the amused smirk that reached his lips, as he gestured towards the panel, "Would you care to do the honours?"
"I know it won't work", Rody rolled his eyes as Izuku snickered, "but you told me you had a plan for it, so… sub-level twelve, right?"
"That's right".
With a sigh, he pressed the button that would lead them to the lowest possible level of the building, using a sharp jab of his finger.
Their elevator was an express elevator, built to be far faster than the others, the dropping feeling in their stomachs more pronounced than it usually would have been, before the slow stopping sensation came on, the elevator almost rolling to its finish. There was a moment's pause, before the doors rolled open.
"And this isn't it, is it?"
Izuku chuckled, "No. No, it's not. This is where we keep the building's generator".
Rody sighed, "So… what now? Do I press the button again?"
He shook his head, "It's not about pressing the button", he told him, as he reached out, leading with his thumb, "it's about how you press it".
And with that, he pressed the 'SL-12' button once again, letting the invisible thumbprint scanner embedded within read his fingertip. Once it was done, the doors slid shut once again, and they began to descend, deeper into the depths of the Earth.
=== === === === ===
Author's Notes:
January 4th… the day Batman returned to Gotham City… and now, the day Batman returned to Japan.
Welcome to Rebirth, named for the first episode of Batman Beyond. It forms the first part of our tale, a loose adaption of the comic book storyline, 'Batman: Year One'.
I'm new to WebNovel, but I really don't like the fact that I can't centre the text, unless anyone knows of a way how?