The New Normal

All Might stood at the sink in the makeshift kitchen outside the main building, washing the many dishes that came his way. A part of him wished to be off the campus, tearing his way across the city and sifting through the rubble for survivors alongside his students and the other pro-Heroes. But without One For All, and the power it afforded to him, there was not much that he could do. He was effectively quirkless, and with so many other people in rescue positions who were the same but much more qualified there was no point in trying to convince others to let him go. On top of that, outside of being a Hero that solved cases mostly through sheer brute force he didn’t really possess very many skills to help in other ways. But even so, even if menial tasks and labor was all he could accomplish then he was happy to do so. It was the least he could do.

Lunch Rush walked over, pushing a trolley. “All Might, are you almost done with your work over here?”

“Yes, I’m almost done,” he looked over, “Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just that almost none of the others are done with their work yet and I need someone to put out these rations.”

Rations? He looked at the cart, “But didn’t we just put out the food for all the refugees?”

“We did, but these rations are for the staff. I didn’t want to put them out until everyone else had eaten so there wouldn’t be any chaos where both staff and refugees went to get their food.”

“I see…”

“By the way,” he put his hand on a large pot, “I need you to make sure that this one specifically goes to Yaoyorozu.”

Specifically to her? He walked over after finishing washing the last dishes, looking into the pot. “What is this? It almost looks like sewage sludge?”

“Given its level of quality and approximate health benefits, I don’t think it’d be wrong to describe it as such. It’s a broth of almost pure fat, I’m sure you can guess why.”

“Of course,” he narrowed his eyes, “I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about relying on her so much.”

Lunch Rush sighed, “It’s like what we all discussed with Nezu when we asked her to help us, we don’t have much of a choice. There are parts of the country that were hit much harder than we were, and because they more desperately need the relief they’re the ones that were given priority. As it stands we have barely enough to shelter, cloth, feed and treat everyone that we currently have. That’s not even taking into account the possibility that we may have to care for more in the future.”

“I know, but even so I still can’t help but feel that some part of what we’re doing is wrong.” He walked away from the sink, gripping the handle for the trolley. “But I’ll do it.”

“Thanks. Leave the staff rations at the break zone, just take the one for Yaoyorozu directly to her. She should either be helping Recovery Girl at the medical tents or Power Loader at the generators.”

With that All Might walked off, pushing the trolley out of the makeshift kitchen and down a recently made concrete path. When one looked across the UA campus there were people for as far as the eye could see, the once large open spaces that stretched between the many buildings covered with tents and concrete structures. People stayed in their tents and rooms, sitting atop hastily and trying to pass the time as they subsisted on their current situation. Other people idly stood around the electric heaters and open fires that were set up by the support course, hoping to keep warm in the brutal winter weather that never seemed to let up even if they were at war. A few spoke of joining the military and getting a rifle into their hands, so that when opposing troops eventually landed in the country they would have a chance to avenge their lost families and friends. Seeing all of this, All Might couldn’t help but feel that he had failed as the symbol of peace. It had been his duty to ensure that there would be a lasting peace in Japan, one that no single threat could topple over. But he hadn’t been wise enough to even consider the possibility that the largest threat to peace was that of forces out of his country, ones that he has done nothing to stop. In fact, one could say he was partially responsible for this. His tenure as the supposed symbol of peace had made people across the country complacent, unwilling to tear themselves away from what they thought was a ‘peace’ that none of the rest of the world had. They’d firmly planted their feet in the ground, and because of it they were left behind.

He gripped the trolley's handle as he walked, a mix of emotions working through his head. “…Even though it’s only been such a short time, we’ve already had to break up a number of fights.”

“I think that’s to be expected. Up until now people lived relatively happily and safely in their modern conditions, one where war didn’t affect them and they didn’t need to worry about whether they would freeze to death in their sleep. Now they need to deal with all that and more. And it’s not like the transition was anything but jarring and sudden either.”

“My only hope is that despite everything, the youth will manage to rebuild and carry on no matter what happens in this war.” All Might walked into the staff area, finding Aizawa and Snipe taking a breather.

They looked over, “What do you have there?”

“Just some rations from lunch rush,” he stopped the trolley, taking the many trays and cartons off and placing them on the large main table.

“I can’t say how well the youth will do once the war is over,” Aizawa said, looking down at the table and holding a coffee cup. “For one, it’s far too early for us to tell how things will go. It’s possible that we will win this war, but it’s also entirely possible that we may lose.”

“Under Spartan’s direction I believe that it’s more than possible that we will win.”

“Maybe, but knowing how he fights crime I’m not sure I want to think about the aftermath of such a victory.” He took a gulp of the coffee, “Regardless of who wins, we’re already starting to see signs that this will be etched into the minds of people for years to come.”

“What do you mean?”

“Aside from all this,” he gestured towards their surroundings, “And aside from the many people who have been physically maimed by the bombs that fell, we’re already starting to see the signs of psychological scars and trauma. Around one sixth of the people we have under our care need sleeping aids and anti-anxiety meds just to be able to function, that proportion is closer to one fourth for the children we’ve taken in.”

He clenched his teeth, “Why?”

“War is a concept that many people have trouble understanding and coming to grips with, there are many adults that have that problem. So expecting a child, those who have known no life except that of learning to be kind to others and to share… It’s a fool's errand. Most wouldn’t know why someone would fight over a toy, let alone something as complex as ideology or national pride.” He looked up, “Though, there are a few that have been coping with the situation better than others.”

“Do you mean the students?”

“No, I mean Eri?”

“Eri?” He was shocked, nearly dropping the tray.

“Perhaps it’s too early to say. While I don’t think she understands what war is or why it’s happening, she certainly doesn’t seem as fazed by the current situation as others are.”

“In a way that’s surprising, though I suppose that’s partially influenced by the hell she was put through Chisaki. She became numb to a lot of things, and even though she’s since managed to regain a lot of her happiness I don’t know if she’ll ever totally recover.”

“Right…”

They sat for a moment, in silence. “It makes me fearful for the future. If the next generation of Heroes, leaders and hard workers become numb to the horrors of the world… Then what’s stopping something of this kind from ever happening again?”

“I don’t know.”

Aurdel sat at the helm of the submarine, his eyes closed and not moving an inch from his spot on the captain’s chair. He was trying to limit his bodily activity and thought processes as much as possible, concentrating on controlling the robotic body from a distance as he went deeper into the ocean. With the further distance that he put between himself and Japan the connection became more spotty, and the more complex things he tried to do while also controlling the robot the more that bad connection was exacerbated. “Our forward observers are reporting that South Korea is completely cut off from the rest of Asia. PLA forces have seized the coastline from essentially every direction and begun fortifying their positions with their reserves. Judging from the forces they have positioned, estimates put the country at holding out officially for only another five days.”

“Five days…” He sighed. They’d spent all those years preparing for an incursion from the north, one in which they would rely upon US support to throw their enemies back, only to be attacked from all sides by sea and largely abandoned by their ally. “Have we been able to contact the Korean wartime government?”

“No, all attempts to contact them have been met with radio silence. We’re not sure whether or not their lines of communication have been entirely cut or if they’re just refusing to speak with us.”

He sighed, “I’d hope it’s for the former, and not the latter. It would take a certain level of spite to refuse to contact us.”

“Spartan, I’m sure that you’re aware that-“ He raised his hand, silencing the advisor.

“Yes, I am aware that Japan and South Korea continue to have a shared animosity for one another. I am also aware of why that animosity continues to this day, even as quirks ever blur the lines of simple ethnicity. But I don’t intend on listening to a jingoistic rant on the topic.”

“Jingoistic?” The advisor scoffed, “For years, they-“ Aurdel pulled out the beretta strapped to the side of the robot, pointing it directly at the man’s head. He flipped the safety off. “S-Sir!”

“You all better listen to me well, because I’m only going to say this once. I am not like you. I did not join the military because I have some misplaced sense of national pride, nor is it because I enjoy war. I was forced into the military. And while in the military I was taught the efficiency of a soldier, that as few lives as necessary should be taken. And that’s what I intend to do. But if you can’t handle following my orders then I’ll charge you with treason and hang you from a lamp post by your belt.”

“S-Should someone like you even be in command of us? Are you even Japanese?!” Aurdel put his finger on the trigger, the man flinched.

“No, I’m not. But even if I was, it wouldn’t make the slightest difference to me.” He lowered the gun, “The era of nationalism and nation states is coming to an abrupt end with this war, so I suggest you don’t stand against the march of time.”

“That’s absurd,” the man sputtered, “I-“

“You’re going to do what, resign and take as many men with you as you can? Start a civil war against me? You do that, and you have absolutely no chance of throwing back the Chinese when they land. Not only will you be dooming the idea of the country you’re trying to protect, but the people living in it too.” He holstered the gun, looking around the room. “I expect all of you to face the reality of our current situation, before you doom yourselves and all of the people you say you’re trying to protect. Otherwise I want you all to get your grievances out now, so they can be appropriately responded to.” No one spoke. “Good, then back to work. Next report.”

The American attaché stepped up, “I managed to get into contact with the Pentagon and the White House, they’ve promised to send us military and civilian relief.”

“How soon?”

“We’ve been given the estimate that the first relief forces from the mainland US will arrive in around one to three months.”

“One to three months?!” He slammed the table, “If my plan doesn’t work, then in one to three months they’ll be backing up a graveyard!”

“You have to understand that in its current position, the United States is fighting a three front war. Against Russia and its allies in Europe, against Iran and sectarian forces in the middle east and against China and its allies in Asia. There is only so much that one country can do when faced with so many enemies and such a limited amount of resources.”

“Wha-” He stood there for a moment, stunned. “What the hell are you talking about?! In Europe the United States has a substantial garrison, not to mention it has all of its allies and their militaries to back it up! The Russian armed forces is literally in no position to legitimately threaten Western positions because it has been rusting and rotting away in storage sheds since the fall of the Soviet Union!”

“Well that’s-”

“In the Middle East you have the Saudis holding the rear as you push into Iran from the coast and from the Iraqi border. The worst case scenario would have been the Syrians coming to their aid and attacking from behind, but they’ve declared neutrality in the war. To further my point, US Forces in Iran were already at the outskirts of Tehran just before the war against China and Russia began.”

“A war is more complicated than-“

“Major General, even when compared to every other nation in the world there is no other that is better militarily equipped than the United States. Currently it spends more on defense than the next fifteen countries combined, and possess individual commands with more men and equipment than entire countries have for the whole of their military. And you mean to tell me that the United States can’t send even a single vessel filled with men and supplies for one to three months?!”

“There is already a carrier strike group on the way to Japan, that should-“

“I looked up the reports, that the strike group was on the end of its tour and was originally only heading to Japan to take on some necessities before heading to the west coast. The men on those boats are tired and want to go home, something that won’t bode well for use in a counteroffensive. Even less so since they’ll be undersupplied.”

“Just a moment ago you were praising the US military, now are you seriously saying that you don’t believe they’re capable enough to help us?”

“I believe in the strength of capable men who have the tools and drive needed to fight. Evidently, those ‘reinforcements’ have neither.” He sighed, “I’m going to get nowhere if I’m trying to get help through you, I want to speak with your higher ups directly.”

He looked around, shifting slightly. “You see, that’s… No longer possible.”

Aurdel looked up. “What. Do. You. Mean?”

“The Japanese station doesn’t have any direct communication lines to the brass in DC, so we’ve been negotiating for support through the carrier strike group that was heading for Japan. As of one hour ago, we completely lost contact with the fleet. Any attempts to speak with them have been met with absolute radio silence.”

Aurdel gripped the table, “And so you waited to tell me this, more bad news, only after you’ve already told me that we’re not going to get any relief.”

“It’s not as if they would have acquiesced to your demand just because you personally asked them for it. They don’t have confidence in your leadership. After all, you just overthrew a government that the American public had relatively high levels of support for. On top of that, your skills as a tactician are generally untested in the eyes of western leaders. I’m sure that if you’d allowed me to take command of the situation, then it’s possible that relief may come sooner.”

He looked back down, “So, you’re telling me that the American administration is willing to see a country be possibly overtaken and its people killed… All for the sake of regime change.”

“That’s a gross oversimplification, but…”

“But I’m not wrong.”

“No, you’re not.”

He shook his head, “Well, if we’ve lost contact with the fleet then it’s a moot point anyways. More like than not, our transmissions with the fleet were detected and they were targeted by anti-shipping operations. That would also mean that they heard just how long we have until relief comes, so the Chinese are going to move up their schedule and hit us as soon as possible with everything they’ve got.”

my One of the advisors stepped up, “Should we move our armored forces up to the presumed frontlines?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I want you to keep our armored elements in hard storage, same with the majority of our aircraft. And I absolutely need you to make sure that the changes I ordered implemented to those storage areas are done.”

“You can’t expect us to perform such an overhaul of our facilities in such a short period of time, especially not with the standards that you’re having us put them to.”

“I don’t care how difficult it may be!” He slammed the table, “Electronic warfare is one of the strongest tools any modern army can possess. If they manage to knock out our equipment before they can even be deployed to the field, this war will be over within a matter of days. No armored transports, no MANPADs, no radar networks, no nothing. We will be fighting in the complete dark! So I need you to make sure those changes are implemented.”

“Very well.”

“Sir, someone has shown up to the front gate. Says they want to speak with you.”

“Who is it?”

“Endeavor.”

He paused for a moment. “Send him in.”

Pierce the Veil

Colonel Cai Shun stood out on the mountainside, the cold Himalayan air and the heavy snowfall beating against the side of his face. Men stood with landing lights nearby, waving the bright sticks for a craft off in the distance to see. “Colonel, I don’t think that we should be doing this right now. Especially not in these conditions. If those special forces try to perform their mission…” His bodyguard had to practically shout to be heard over the wind.

“I’m aware of the risk of performing a personal inspection at this time and weather. The special forces unit sent to infiltrate this installation could very well try to break in, and we would have a hard time noticing the point of infiltration. However this aircraft is the absolute pinnacle of our nation’s engineering capability, and as the officer in charge of the unit guiding this craft and pilot I will see that they are kept in perfect working order. At the very least, this snow storm will keep those intruding westerners from knowing the ace we have up our sleeve for just a while longer.”

“Of course sir.” Through the sound of the wind, they were eventually able to hear a set of loud, approaching jet engines. Then they were able to see it, flares of fires piercing through the veil of snow draped over the mountainside. The fire then pivoted as the aircraft switched into its VTOL mode, coming in at a much slower speed. The landing crew made sure to hold their position even as the jet came in, outlining the box. It hovered a few feet above the ground before it opened its landing gear, then it set down on the ground once its thunderous engines went off.

The cockpit canopy popped open, sliding back on the airframe, and the pilot pulled off their mask. “Lieutenant, it’s good to see you again. Even if it has really only been such a short time since I last saw you.”

The pilot saluted, “Thank you Colonel Cai Shun, I’m glad to have a chance to return back home after my first real combat sortie.”

“Indeed it is a good thing. And now that you have seen real battle against the enemy, I wanted to know how it felt. How did it feel drawing blood, and taking the lives of our enemies?”

“I’m… not sure,” he seemed to go into deep thought, “If there was any way to describe it, then I guess that I could say that all I felt was… indifference. It didn’t feel like I was fighting against real people, more so like I was just destroying targets in the simulator that I trained in.” The pilot looked up, confused. “Am I supposed to feel like that?”

“For every soldier, they experience a different state of being while on the battlefield. Some react in horror when made to take the life of another human being, others will show complete disregard and hatred for the opponent. But the strongest soldiers fall into neither trap. Instead, they are able to completely disregard their opponents as human beings entirely and only as an obstacle to be overcome.”

“Does that mean I can be considered one of those strongest soldiers?”

“Perhaps, but that is a title that will only be awarded to you with time. One true combat sortie is not enough to determine the quality of a soldier, though I imagine you will prove yourself to be one of the best this world has ever seen.”

With a smile on his face, he gave a salute. “Yes sir!”

“Now, besides that. How did it feel to fly your aircraft? Now that it has been properly modified to suit you and your quirk.”

“It feels like the body that I was meant to have. I was going so fast that none of my opponents were able to keep up with me, and any aircraft that tried to shoot me down I was able to take down first. I ended up destroying the fleet's escort ships and left the others to be dealt with by my squadron as I retreated.”

“Why did you retreat?”

“Before I used my quirk to disable their systems, I was careless and a surface to air missile struck my aircraft. It was fine at the time, but I didn’t want to risk losing the entire thing in case some damage had occurred. I’m sorry.” The boy’s excitement had tempered down greatly, a sign of disappointment with his own actions.

He clasped the boy's shoulder, “Don’t worry, you did the right thing to return. Not only to preserve the aircraft, but also your own life. Your life is one that holds great importance, even greater than the aircraft you pilot, because you will change the world.” The smile of pride returned to his face, “Is there anything that you need to report?”

“There is one thing,” he said, a puzzled look. “During my flight, whenever I tried to speak through my radio it would begin blasting a seemingly random set of noises repeatedly.”

“Really?” Cai Shun became curious at this, “Did it inhibit your ability to fight?”

“No, but I was unable to communicate with my squadron other than quickly establishing some sort of code using the lights on my craft.”

He began to think. There was a very small number of people that knew of the aircraft this boy used, fewer still had the chance to get close to it and perform any sort of maintenance. And before he’d gone to the front… There was only one man who could've sabotaged the radio transceiver. “Very well, I’ll have your aircraft looked over before you leave. Until then I suggest that you get the rest you need, it’ll be a long flight back to the front. And once you go back you’re going to be very busy.”

“Yes sir!” The young pilot gave another salute, before walking away.

The smile faded from Cai Shun’s face as the boy walked away. He turned to his bodyguard, “I want you to take a squad and raid Dr. David Shields’ cell and workshop. Search every corner, and strip search him. We need to find out what kind of sabotage he’s performed.”

“Yes sir.”

Enji walked through the halls, his head hung down low. Stares followed him as he walked, stares that were made up of a mix of disgust and pity. Here they saw a man who was the long time number two Hero and then number one Hero, beaten and whipped. He couldn’t even meet their gaze. The old him would have been in a state of pure rage, colored to the face over the state that he was in. If the old him would have known just how far he would fall after reaching the top… He would have likely fallen upon his own sword. But he was not that man anymore, nor did he want to ever become that man ever again.

He eventually walked up to a door, the one he’d been ordered to. A number of military men cleared out from the room, leaving it almost completely silent. “Come in.” Spartan beckoned him in, and so he did.

When he came in he found a robotic figure standing over a table covered in maps and graphs, a large and oversized overcoat draped onto it and enlarging the shape. But it’s head… “I thought that…”

“It’s a long story, but regardless of appearances I am still here.” The robot… Spartan turned his head towards him, “Endeavor, what is it?”

“I want to fight.”

There was a pause. “I can’t-“

“I don’t care if I need to never use my quirk again, if I can get out there and fight then-“

“Then what? You’re a middle aged man, you have no combat training, no experience with firearms and absolutely no reasonable expectation of standing your ground in a firefight. If I issue you a rifle and throw you onto the frontlines when the Chinese land then you’re going to be among the first counted dead. Would dying really solve your problems?”

“Maybe it would!” He raised his voice, before quieting back down. “When I was the number two Hero I didn’t think about anyone other than myself, and once I’d finally become the number one Hero something that was only a nagging feeling in the back of my head came to the forefront. I began to notice my inadequacies, just how much I’d failed. As a Hero, a husband and a father. Even now I still keep having the same dream, one where all of my family is sitting at the same table. Each one of them is eating, talking and laughing, enjoying their lives instead of suffering. But I’m never at that table. I tried to re-approach them, but I’ve since realized that my presence is enough to remind them of the past that I subjected them to. So yes, maybe dying would help solve my problems.”

Spartan looked back down at the table, shaking his head. “I will never be able to sympathize with your actions, nor can I forgive you for what you subjected your family to in the past. But I can tell you right now: getting yourself killed won’t solve any problems.”

Enji was beside himself, “How can you know?”

Spartan looked back up. “Back when I was in that state of rage, I was ready to kill you over what I knew. I almost did kill you. But just when I was about to, Shoto stepped in. Do you really think that if he wanted you dead that he would step in to save your life?”

“I…” Enji lowered his head again.

“Just before Christmas I talked to him about what happened between us at the billboard charts, and he brought up how you were trying to reconnect with him and his siblings. The way he described it, the way you were trying to reach out was far too heavy handed for him to accept. But he didn’t say that he would never accept you.”

“Do you really think that I can be forgiven?”

“Forgiven?” Spartan shook his head. “There’s a great deal of weight behind the action of forgiveness, one that I don’t believe anyone on Earth holds. The only one who can truly forgive you is the big man up in the sky. So until that day of reckoning when we are brought up and judged, we must all atone for our actions.”

“How would I even begin to do that?”

“After the start of the war, all of your family was evacuated to UA for their safety. It’s likely that since then they’ve all had a chance to come together and talk. I suggest that before you even consider doing anything else, you confront your past and submit yourself to be judged by them.”

“That’s… You’re right.” He straightened up, “It’s what I should have done from the beginning, facing my past. But I guess that there was a part inside of me that still refused to admit my stubbornness and that I was in the wrong in the end. Maybe it’s just that I fear that, in the end, there will be no place for me.”

“I know.” There was a moment of silence, “The fear of being alone is… something I think about a lot. As we get old we can’t help but see that we’re becoming weaker, able to do less and think less. We compare ourselves to the next generation, the ones that still have years of their lives ahead of them, and we languish in our inferiority. After all, how can anyone love someone who can’t even completely care for themselves? And because of that we begin to think that we’re not good enough, that no one will stay with us. But I try to have hope,” he folded his arms, “Hope that the next generation will be raised better than any of us were, and that they will be able to truly value a person based on their character and not just the feats they are capable of. That way the people who truly hope to do good will never be forgotten.”

“That sounds nice,” Enji said with a sigh. “You know, it’s still a little hard for me to believe that we could ever have a conversation like this. After all that time I spent seething at you for perceived slights, chasing the shadow of a figure that never really existed outside of my head… I can understand now why people were so willing to listen to you.”

“I try to be pragmatic when I can. After all, Enji Todoroki may have been the one to do those things to his family… But Endeavor was out in the field saving people and stopping Villains. And even if Enjo Todoroki has no place, Endeavor will still have a job to do.”

“Yeah,” he took a deep breath. “Perhaps if I had been more like you, then I could have been a better father.”

Spartan turned, staring at him. The robot he was controlling had an uncanny look, with lights in place of eyes and metal contours in the place of features. But even so, he could see… No, he could feel something coming from it. It was a feeling of quiet desperation, and forlorn. “It is my absolute and sincere hope that absolutely no one else is like me.”