92: 𝙰 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛
"And if you mean for your apology to go any deeper than the events of today, I can't accept it." He continued.
Nova's heart jumped. She understood what he was implying, the events before today. The events ten years ago.
Kurayami's attack.
"I-I understand..." Nova said nervously. She had never expected him to accept any sort of apology. She never expected him to forgive her father, or her for that matter. Although the only thing she could apologize for was simply being related to him.
"...That's to say, you have nothing to apologize for." He clarified slowly. Taking in yet another sigh. "It feels as though I've waited too long to say this... But I wanted to thank you. Nova."
Nova looked up in confusion. "...thank me?" She whispered. Why would he possibly have a reason to thank her?
"Yes. Thank you, and personally I believe I owe you more of an apology than you do me." He nodded, setting his cane aside. He clasped his hands together and leaned to brace his elbows on his knees. Then he unclasped them and run his hands through his hair.
"...W-why?" Nova asked. She was no longer scared, in fact he seemed more upset than she did. Now she only felt confused.
He ran another hand through his hair, and then closed them together a final time. "I don't have any knowledge of how you feel about your father. And I'm not asking you to tell me. But I just want you to know... That he did love you."
Silence spread through the room. Not nearly as full of tension as it had been earlier. But it still wasn't close to comfortable.
How was she supposed to respond to that?
How did he even know that?!
She stayed quiet, looking down at her hands as she pulled a piece of loose skin from around her nail bed.
"...I know." She said meekly. Not looking up at him, although this was the first time she ever admitted to this to anyone. It felt like a secret.
He loved her, and she loved him.
But he was evil, surely that meant there was something equally corrupt about her. That was probably why no one else seemed to love her.
"Good... That's good..." He said slowly.
"Why are you saying all this?" Nova asked, looking back up at him. What did this mean? Where was this going?
"Because That's the reason I have for thanking you. Nova..." He said, face serious. There was something in his eyes. It wasn't anger like she thought it would be. It was... genuine
"You're the reason I'm still alive right now."
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××Ten years ago××
"You're a fool..."
Kurayami said, staring at the panting pro hero. "Ingenium."
Without armor the pro felt exposed. He'd never engaged in combat without it. But he knew that him coming with his quirk was risky enough.
"I couldn't stand by... And still call myself a hero." He said, standing strong. Kurayami stared for a few moments. Almost ready to laugh.
"Then not only are you a fool... But you're a prideful one as well." He said simply. Staring him down with his almost icy grey eyes. Studying him.
Taro Iida ignored his words. He was wrong, villains were always ones to twist the truth, to manipulate, mock and lie. Kurayami was known for being brutal.
Though he didn't attack. He seemed... Intrigued. Interested, confused and probably even amused.
"Someone... Has to stop you." Ingeuinum's engines started up. Humming in his shoulders and legs.
He'd seen pro after pro, friend after friend fall at the hands of this man. He killed and injured so many. So many strong heroes, so many brave police men.
Ingenium knew... He'd be no match for Kurayami. He knew he'd likely die along side them. But he couldn't live with not trying, he was a pro hero it was his job to fight against evil. Even if it cost him everything.
"Can a drop of water stop a wave? Can a pebble stop magma? You're nothing but fuel to my fire." He laughed. "You are aware... You're a walking tin can... right?"
"M-maybe..." The oldest Iida whispered. Fire spreading closer. "But I can no longer sit by... Do nothing..."
"Well... Then I hope me destroying you helps you feel better about yourself." Rikko said, extending a hand in his direction.
"Just know... It won't please me much to crush you."
There wasn't much of a fight. Ingenium took a step in Kurayami's direction and then ceased to be able to move at all. His body froze mid step in the most horrific and unnatural way. He could move anything that wasn't his engines, but his engines held him firmly in place.
Then there was the pain.
It was excruciatingly painful. Like there was something under his skin crawling it's way out. His back and legs tensed as his muscles strained. It felt like the worst muscle cramp anyone could have, it bulged and he felt the metal he was born with collapse on itself. He didn't know if he had nerves inside of his quirk, but he was feeling pain right now so he was sure something was wrong.
He collapsed as Kurayami released his hold. Now certain, even through the pain, that his quirk was completely gone. Metal was pulled out of the exhaust pipes of his engines, forming together in the air as they carried on their journey into Kurayami's grasp.
Though it wasn't flesh, or bone, or skin. It was still a part of Taro's very body, there was something grotesque about seeing it in the air. In someone's hand.
"It's the ones like you I dislike the most. The ones who run in blindly. Why? Did someone tell you too? Tell me Ingenium, what is your fight with me?" Kurayami asked as the engine formed into a sword. Taking it and stepping closer.
Ingenium coughed, his body was sore and hurt. He was bleeding from his legs and shoulders, sweating profusely. But he refused to scream or show to much of the pain he felt.
"You've killed..." He coughed. "My sidekicks, my friends... You're a monster."
Kurayami was silent.
"I only kill those who stand in my way. If I did end the lives of those people, it's because they did as you have. Running into a fight they didn't understand."
Taro didn't respond. He couldn't. He was in too much pain to debate the man, laying on his back looking up into the sky. It looked like it was about to rain...
The wind blew and dust around them scattered, his civilian clothes ruffled in the breeze. A piece of paper came loose, flowing away from the pocket where it was safely tucked.
The piece of paper somehow seemed to catch the eye of the villain, who was set to strike with the sword. Instead he moved his boot, catching the paper underfoot and picking it up between his fingers.
Taro turned his head to watch, wondering why exactly he wasn't dead yet.
Kurayami held the paper in his hand, scanning it thoughtfully. A photograph. One that Taro always kept close to heart.
A woman, shorter with glasses and black hair. She was on the arm of the man laying before him. In front of them were two boys, one seemingly in his late teens, in a UA uniform. The other much smaller, with his mother's glasses and a look on his face that seemed like he was taking this picture way too seriously for someone his age.
"Is this your family?" Rikko asked, he stepped closer but let the sword slip from his hands. Kneeling by Taro's side and showing him the picture.
Taro didn't answer.
"The little one... What's his name?" The villain asked, his voice was different now. Calmer.
"Ten...ya..." Taro answered slowly, recovering from his pain.
"Tenya?... I don't usually tell people this... but I have a daughter. A little girl, probably around your son's age." Kurayami whispered, looking at the picture.
"You... Have a family?" Taro asked in confusion. He'd never even considered Kurayami or any villain for that matter having loved ones. But the look on the other man's face was... Happy.
"Yes, well... I did. A wife with another baby on the way... Now... Well now my oldest is all I have left." Kurayami admitted, his eyes seemed sad but the rest of his expression still looked quietly joyful. "I would do anything for her."
"...What's her name?" Taro repeated Rikko's first question.
"Nova... My wife loved the stars, apparently it was a name for a star that suddenly got brighter. Like our lives did, when she came into it." Kurayami chuckled. "I kinda just took her word for it though."
Taro didn't say anything, looking up at the sky. He could see a few stars peeking through the clouds that gathered. For a moment that was all he could see. Stars.
He forgot about the rubble he sat in. The fires in it. The Bodies that lay around them. It was just the stars, the stars and two fathers.
"You have a family... Two sons and a wife... They're all alive, yes?" Kurayami asked suddenly, looking back down at the man he just disabled.
"Yes." Taro said, still looking up at the stars.
"Then why would you come here ready to die? Do you believe That's fair to them? You must've known you wouldn't win here tonight, but you sacrificed yourself anyways..." Kurayami shook his head disapprovingly. "It's the act of a man who isn't loved."
"...I... Wasn't thinking... About them... I was blinded..." Taro whispered. "It's my job... As a pro."
"You're a father first... Always. And I don't believe you'll ever be a hero again." Kurayami leaned towards him, putting two pieces of paper into Taro's pocket. His own photo... And something else. Then he stood. "I was going to kill you. But I can't now."
"...why?" Taro said, trying to follow the other man with his eyes, trying to sit up when he couldn't. Through the pain he turned to look at him clearly.
"Because every child needs a father."
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