Chapter Text
Stepping around the puddles on the floor, the doctors entered the room and each selected a different Yuuto candidate to take away.
“Where are you taking him?” Yuuto demanded, reaching for Shimura. As a doctor dragged him off, Shimura cast a plaintive glance over his shoulder.
“You’re all required to dry off and dress formally for dinner,” the doctor said.
Yuuto gave in, because now didn’t seem like the right moment to start a fight. Instead, this would be a good chance to get a look at the rest of the building.
The hallway was long and white. A new group of stylishly dressed individuals entered through a thick door with a key card reader on the side. Before the door closed behind them, Yuuto briefly caught a glimpse of stairs. Jackpot!
The doctor shoved Yuuto into a dressing room. The cramped space held a shelf of beauty supplies, a floor-length mirror, and a chair with a folded towel on top. A tall, thin man with blue hair entered shortly afterward. “I’ll be your stylist today. Here is the suit All for One has selected for you.” He held out an emerald-green tuxedo with a matching bowtie.
Yuuto said, “I’m modest. If you don’t mind turning around…”
“Very well.” The man turned his back.
This would be a great chance to knock him out and escape, but Yuuto saw two issues: 1. He wasn’t sure if the stylists had key cards; and 2. Hisashi’s guard would currently be high with a large number of new people moving among his prisoners. Since these tests seemed likely to continue for some time, a better bet would be to steal a key card and sneak out at night.
Fearing hidden cameras from his always-creepy brother, Yuuto dried himself off as quickly as possible and used his towel to hide the scar on his chest as he dressed. “I’m done.”
The stylist pushed him into the chair. “I’ve been instructed to shave off your moustache. In fact, it was written down twice, in capital letters, and underlined.”
In truth, Yuuto had never had much luck growing facial hair, even though he’d always wanted to. While in a coma he’d managed a moustache and a very patchy beard. The beard had been so obviously hideous he’d gotten rid of it immediately. The moustache hadn’t been much better—the thin white hair against his pale skin looked like a milk moustache. He’d nominally kept it in order to disguise his face. In reality, it had been mostly stubbornness.
Since the disguise had worked even better than expected, he couldn’t give it up. “Absolutely not. Come near me with a shaving razor, and I’ll take it away from you.” Yuuto crossed his arms, confident that he could take this scrawny man in a fight.
The stylist wrung his hands. “Please! I’ve been promised a fate worse than death if I don’t clean-shave you.” He held up his list of instructions to show the threat written in Hisashi’s handwriting.
Yuuto rolled his eyes. Just how badly did Hisashi hate facial hair? It irked Yuuto to let his older brother control his appearance. But deep down, he knew the moustache didn’t look good on him, so it wasn’t worth getting some mostly innocent bystander in trouble. “Fine, but only because you turned your back while I was changing.”
“Thank you so much!” The stylist went to fetch the shaving cream.
Afterward, the stylist bent over and examined Yuuto closely. “I’m supposed to make up your face, but you already look perfectly like the picture I was given. We’ll stick with a bit of white powder to ensure you look paler and sicklier.”
Only his big brother would want them to look less healthy. Yuuto groaned. After the makeup, his hair was blow-dried. He was given a pair of black shoes and a new watch, then taken back to the hallway.
The flood of Yuuto candidates pushed him into a second, slightly smaller room. Yuuto caught Shimura’s eye and fought through the crowd over to him. Shimura wore a green suit too, but a darker shade. This time, each Yuuto candidate had a slightly different outfit. Some had stripes, some wore ties, and some had their hair up in buns. All of them had been clean-shaven.
The dining room had tan walls with black candlestick holders. A TV screen showing a forest imitated a window. Bulbs hanging from the ceiling imitated natural lighting. The big oak table was set with blue China plates. The table was currently empty of food, with just a flower bouquet in the middle.
Hisashi sat on a sofa against the back wall. “Our next test will be the huggability of the candidates.”
Yuuto stared. This had to be some kind of joke. His big brother hated touching people! But Hisashi looked entirely serious. A manic energy filled his face, suggesting he was in one of his moods where nothing would move him to sense. The last time he’d been this bad, Yuuto had gotten a metahuman ability forced on him.
Hisashi held out his arms. “Who’s first? The hug will last however long it takes me to get tired of you, up to a maximum of ten minutes in order to have time for dinner.”
The Yuuto candidates murmured and retreated. Long-Haired Yuuto hissed, “He can’t possibly be serious! This is too crazy already.” Tall Yuuto was edging for the door.
A stern-faced guard stopped Tall Yuuto. With muscular arms, he picked up the unhappy prisoner by his elbows and carried him over.
As soon as Tall Yuuto was set down on the sofa next to him, Hisashi recoiled. His nose wrinkled. “Uh, no, not this one.”
Tall Yuuto retreated with a look of relief.
Another guard shoved Shimura forward, but by this point, Yuuto wasn’t worried. He knew they’d all be sent away. Did you forget how much you hate touching anyone who’s not family, big brother?
Hisashi reached toward Shimura’s arm, then yanked away. “No, no, no. You look like him…but none of you are right! None of you are him!”
The distress in Hisashi’s voice actually made Yuuto feel guilty. Involuntarily, he stepped forward.
Obedient Yuuto shoved him aside. With an adorable pout, he asked, “Big brother, will you cuddle with me?” The saccharine voice made Yuuto want to vomit.
“Hmm…I always did wish he would say that…” Hisashi’s gaze became wistful. “I suppose I have to try, or all of this will be worth nothing.”
Obedient Yuuto sat down on the sofa. Tentatively, Hisashi put an arm over his shoulder. He didn’t look happy, exactly, but he didn’t stab the other for touching him. From big brother, that was a huge concession.
Hisashi closed his eyes and didn’t move. After a few minutes, he said, “That’s enough, we’d better let the next one try. Yuuto?”
“Yes?” Yuuto answered without thinking.
Everyone stared at him. Too late, Yuuto realized that reflexive response might have looked suspicious. “I mean, let me go next,” he said with no enthusiasm.
Hisashi ran his eyes over him from head to toe. “Remarkable. Without that hideous caterpillar crawling across your face and wearing real clothing, you look startlingly like him.”
“What?” Yuuto barely stopped himself in time before he protested that his hero costume looked great and he looked handsome in anything.
“Later, I’ll have to see what you look like in the other suits.” Hisashi stared like a predator at prey. “First, the hug test.”
Rather than be dragged, Yuuto marched over to the sofa and sat down. Ugh, not only did his brother look like he hadn’t changed his clothes in a month, he smelled like it, too. Yuuto’s nose wrinkled. Hopefully this would be over as fast as last time. As soon as Hisashi hugged him, Yuuto dipped a hand into his brother’s pocket to steal his key card.
Slowly and taking shallow breaths, Yuuto edged his hand away. Just as he’d almost reached his own pocket, Hisashi grabbed his wrist.
Yuuto sighed. “Would you believe my hand slipped?”
“I didn’t feel a thing. I didn’t notice it missing. But somehow, I just knew you would do that.” Hisashi sounded gleeful. “You really are Yuuto-Yuuto!”
With his goal failed, Yuuto had no reason to tolerate his brother touching him any longer. “I suppose that cost me all my points. What a shame. I’ll be leaving now.” He started to stand.
“Are you kidding? That earned you two Yuuto points.” Hisashi shot out a thread from his hands. The sticky material wrapped around him like a cocoon and dragged Yuuto back down to the sofa.
Yuuto tried to squirm, but he could barely move. “Get off me, you smelly bastard! If none of your minions will tell you, then I will—you need a shower and soap. Your precious hair is all greasy.” This was so mortifying! The other participants and the doctors were staring!
“I don’t know why, but something about the squirming makes you even more cuddly.” Hisashi stroked his hair.
Yuuto twisted his neck to bite at his brother’s hand.
Hisashi jerked away before his teeth could even graze skin. He yanked Yuuto into his lap and held his head against his shoulder so he couldn’t bite. “I swear, the resemblance keeps getting even more uncanny.” He pinched Yuuto’s cheeks. “These are just so squeezable.”
Losing all sanity, Yuuto thrashed like a madman. Hisashi stroked his hair, murmuring low reassurances. It was so much like the vault that Yuuto wanted to murder the creepy bastard even more. But the more he struggled, the harder Hisashi held on.
The doctor cleared his throat. “It’s been ten minutes.”
“It has?” Hisashi sounded disappointed. “I suppose I need to get to everyone…”
The instant the threads fell off him, Yuuto leapt over to the other end of the room. Finally, relief for his nose!
The next Yuuto candidate was pushed forward. Hisashi stared with revulsion. He made no move to touch the other. He looked at his hands, then seemed to come to a decision.
Springing to his feet, Hisashi clapped his hands. “The first round is over. Everyone except Obedient Yuuto and Yuuto-Yuuto can go home. The guards will give you money for your time at the exit.”
The shock in the crowd turned to cheering. Tall Yuuto and Long-Haired Yuuto hugged each other.
“I’m going home to my family!” A happy tear formed at the corner of Shimura’s eyes. His gaze locked on Yuuto. “But you…will you be okay?”
“Don’t worry about me,” Yuuto whispered. “I just have to lose to the obedient one, and that should be easy. Hurry, go back to your wife and child.” He pushed Shimura toward the door.
As the Yuuto candidates filed out, Yuuto stared at his brother. “What happened to all your threats?”
Hisashi shrugged. “That was merely to force everyone to compete. I could never harm someone who looks like my adorable little brother.”
The sincerity in his voice made Yuuto believe him. He crossed his arms. “You realize now I have no incentive to try to win?”
“Haven’t you been trying to lose all along?” Hisashi laughed. “Give it your best shot.” His eyes sparkled, chasing away the former sleepless shadows.
Guards entered the room carrying food. Obedient Yuuto whispered, “I won’t lose to you!”
“Please beat me,” Yuuto grumbled. It would be better for everyone concerned if Obedient Yuuto got the job. Then Hisashi would be happy with a disgustingly worshipful fake brother, Obedient Yuuto would be happy to serve his idol (the crazy bastard), Yuuto would be happy escape his dysfunctional family, and everyone would be happy except the Japanese government because Hisashi would still be trying to overthrow them.
Hisashi took a seat at the head of the table. Obedient Yuuto grabbed the seat at his right hand. Yuuto sat at the foot, as far away from his brother as possible.
“Although I initially considered keeping more than one, with two such wonderful candidates, I believe I can find my ideal brother in one of you.” Hisashi’s eyes lingered on Yuuto as he spoke. “For this reason, the last round will ruthlessly cut points until only one of you is left.”
Yuuto bared his teeth in return. He’d given up all pretense at this point. He wanted out, and they both knew it. Fortunately, Yuuto knew exactly what to do to piss his brother off.
As a guard placed down a roast chicken, Yuuto stuck his feet up on the table. “It smells fucking awful.”
“Ooo! My delicate ears.” Obedient Yuuto placed a hand on his forehead and pretended to swoon.
Hisashi stared at Yuuto with an odd look. Yuuto kicked a fork to the ground and stared back.
Cracking one eye open, Obedient Yuuto asked, “Didn’t you tell me that your little brother was a sweet, well-mannered child before the terrorists who kidnapped him taught him bad habits? Aren’t you going to deduct points?”
“Yes, I did say that.” Hisashi frowned. “I suppose a point must be subtracted. Or at least half a point. Make it half a point.”
Obedient Yuuto pumped his fist in victory and glared at his rival.
Yuuto had bigger concerns—this dinner was a minefield for his illness. Everything was packed in sodium, from the Honey Chipotle Ribs to the Chicken Parmigiana. It made his stomach twist to just think about eating any of that. Even the Caesar salad was topped with lobster, cheese, and cherry tomatoes. Tomatoes didn’t make Yuuto sick, but he hated them.
Sighing, Yuuto took a huge serving of salad. He was very hungry. A nagging cough itched at the back of his throat, the one he’d been holding back all day long. His body told him he wasn’t in any condition to risk high-sodium food.
“You don’t want any of the hot food?” Hisashi asked. “My little brother could never eat any of this stuff, but he always wanted to, so I prepared it for his replacements.”
The cough finally exploded. Yuuto grabbed a napkin to stop the blood spray.
“Are you ill, too?” Hisashi asked. “Just like Yuuto…” A pensive look crossed his face.
Yuuto pocketed the bloody napkin and said, “Not at all! Something just went down the wrong way. I love ribs and chicken.” He took a helping, hoping he could manage at least a small portion without collapsing.
Biting into the chicken, Yuuto chewed as loudly as he could, opening his mouth wide.
Hisashi shuddered. His older brother’s delicate ears must be going crazy right now.
Obedient Yuuto asked, “Another point deduction? You said your little brother had perfect table manners.”
It was becoming increasingly obvious that his big brother had given the fake a somewhat idealized version of Yuuto. “This food is shit.” Yuuto spat out the chicken on the tablecloth. It had tasted great, but he was afraid of the consequences of swallowing it.
“That should be a point deduction,” Hisashi said, but he didn’t sound happy about it. He was still staring at Yuuto oddly.
Somehow, Yuuto had to put an end to this suspicion. He picked up a cherry tomato and swallowed it in two bites.
It tasted awful. Yuuto pursed his lips as he tried not to gag.
Obedient Yuuto carefully pushed his tomatoes off his plate. “I can’t stand these, big brother.”
“Aw, you remembered what he doesn’t like.” Hisashi patted the fake’s head. “A point to you, and one away from Yuuto-Yuuto.”
Thank goodness. Yuuto drank from his glass as quickly as he could to drown out the taste.
He’d finished the entire glass before he realized it was chocolate milk, another drink he couldn’t have thanks to his illness. He was already starting to feel lightheaded.
Fortunately, Hisashi was distracted. He ate neatly but rapidly, like someone who hadn’t had a meal in a while. Piercing a piece of lobster, he waved a fork. “I saved the best bit for my little brother.”
Obedient Yuuto chirped, “Feed me, please!” He opened his mouth.
“You’re so compliant. My baby brother wasn’t. I’m not sure why I said he was.” Hisashi’s gaze became distant.
“Who wouldn’t adore such a charismatic, loving, brilliant, and handsome older brother?” Obedient Yuuto asked.
“Exactly!” Hisashi said.
Yuuto snorted. “Maybe he remembered back when you were a nerdy brat who arranged for his school festival to have a fantasy theme so he could cosplay as a demon lord.”
Hisashi’s eyes fell on him. “Strange how you know that.”
“Lucky guess,” Yuuto said brightly, shoving food in his mouth to stop himself from saying anything else.
Sure enough, Hisashi wrinkled his nose at the loud chewing and turned his attention back to Obedient Yuuto, who took small bites and praised the food effusively.
Yuuto started to feel seriously sick. His head spun. His throat ached. His hands and feet felt swollen. His hand slipped, dropping a rib onto his lap.
Obedient Yuuto gasped and pointed. “Look what he did to his expensive clothing! That’s got to cost him at least two points.”
If the food was on his clothes, he wouldn’t have to eat it. With this in mind, Yuuto dumped his entire plate onto his lap and glared at his brother.
Hisashi only laughed. “The expression looks exactly like when I used to try to make him eat tomatoes…are you unwell? You look flushed.”
Yuuto felt hot. “I’m fine.”
“Hiding your sickness is just like my little brother.”
“I mean I’m terrible. I should probably go to the hospital.” Yuuto felt proud for thinking of this, since he’d hated hospitals ever since he was young.
Hisashi stood up. “I’ll take you.”
Yuuto flinched, his bluff called. “Wait, no hospitals!”
“It’s more of a private medical laboratory.”
“Will there be shots?”
“I need to check your blood work.”
“I refuse!” Yuuto tried to stand up, but his legs weren’t working properly.
Hisashi scooped him up, heedless of the tomato and rib sauce getting on his suit. “As expected of Yuuto-Yuuto.” There was a mixture of merriment and concern in his voice.
Yuuto struggled weakly. “Put me down!” His stomach rolled. He hovered on the verge of consciousness.
Hisashi brushed a lock off his forehead. “You’re sweaty.”
Yuuto tried to bite his hand.
Yanking away just in time, Hisashi said, “Somehow, I knew you were going to do that. You remind me so much of him. Almost as if you’re the real Yuuto…”
Yuuto’s heart froze.
“But I gave a lovely metapower to my little brother, and you don’t have one.” Hisashi poked his forehead. “There’s no possible way he could have gotten rid of his ability. I’m the only one who could do that!”
A relieved giggle slipped between Yuuto’s lips. The world blurred and he passed out.
Yuuto woke up to a pin prick in his arm. He cried, “Big brother, no shots!”
In an amused voice, Hisashi said, “You finally called me big brother.”
Yuuto froze with a mixture of surprise and mortification. This gave the doctor long enough to sample his blood, then depart.
“Lie still.” Hisashi placed a cold cloth on Yuuto’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever, but you feel hot. Silly child, you shouldn’t have eaten so much if it made you ill.”
“I’m perfectly fine.” Too late, Yuuto realized he was probably about to get points for pretending not to be sick again. He didn’t know what to do anymore. Everything he tried just seemed to make it worse.
“You can give up trying to lose points. I already sent the other Yuuto candidate away.” Hisashi held a cup to his lips.
Yuuto needed water too badly to turn it down. His gulp swallowed down his question.
Hisashi patted his cheek. “You’re not what I initially thought I wanted. I didn’t want another sick one, because I was afraid to lose my little brother again. If anything, you’re even more rebellious than him. I thought that this time I wanted someone gentle and well-behaved. But for some reason, even when I had the perfect brother candidate, he just didn’t feel right to me. To start with, he wasn’t as huggable as you.” Hisashi leaned down and hugged him.
Yuuto head-butted him. “Get your hands off me.”
Hisashi held on. “I miss my little brother so much. He died because I failed him, and deep down I know it. Please, just let me pretend you’re him a little longer.” Tears filled his voice.
Those words hit right at the center of his guilt for letting his brother believe he’d died. Yuuto stopped moving. “I’m sure he wouldn’t want you to think like that. He’d want you to move on with your life, except hopefully with less stealing metahuman abilities and absolutely no more conquering Japan.”
Hisashi chuckled and gave him a little squeeze. “So much like him. Another test passed.”
“Hey!” Yuuto cried, struggling. He suspected he’d been tricked.
Hisashi pinned his arms to his side and kissed his forehead. “You’re so cute. Little brother.”
Yuuto’s heart stopped. With those two words, he knew he was completely and irrevocably screwed. Hisashi had made up his mind, and once big brother decided to take something, he never, ever let it go.
As if reading his mind, Hisashi whispered, “I’m never losing you again.” He pressed a hand to Yuuto’s forehead.
Something pierced his temples. It burned, like when his big brother had first forced a power on him. Yuuto screamed.
Distantly, Hisashi whispered, “There, there. I’ve got you.” Hisashi held Yuuto as he passed out.
Yuuto woke up in the medical bed with something warm pressed up against him. That something gripped him tighter and made a snorting noise like a snore. Not that Hisashi would ever admit that he snored. Sure enough, a very familiar white, curly head poked out of the covers and a familiar possessive grip held onto his arm.
Careful not to wake the other, Yuuto shifted his brother’s arm off his body. Luckily, Hisashi didn’t move. He seemed to be sleeping like someone who hadn’t slept in a month.
Every part of Yuuto’s body felt weak. His head had the mother of all migraines. Another new ability had been forced on him, and like last time, it had left him feeling nauseous and sore all over.
But he wasn’t tied down, and he knew full well that he had a very limited window of time before that changed. The only reason the doctors hadn’t moved him somewhere else, or at least come in to restrain him, must be because no one dared disturb a sleeping All for One. As soon as Hisashi woke up, Yuuto expected to be carried downstairs to a bank vault. Then there would be no escape.
And Yuuto wanted out of this insane family life like a rabbit prepared to chew off his own leg to break free from a trap.
Yuuto threw a chair through the window. Then he scaled down three stories of flat brick wall to escape into the night.
Hisashi woke up alone. He groped around as if expecting another body. But there was no one else. Of course there was no one else. Yuuto was dead.
Closing his eyes, Hisashi tried not to cry. He’d already done that a thousand times, and it never made him feel better.
A knock sounded on the door. “Master? Did I hear you moving?”
Hisashi sat up. “Come in.” He looked around. “I’m in our medical facility? Was I injured?” He looked at the glass across the floor. “How did I sleep through that?”
“You collapsed after a very long time without sleep, master.” A doctor entered the room with a clipboard.
“I’ll say.” Hisashi rubbed his head. “I had this insane dream where I started a contest to find the perfect replacement for my brother, but I accidentally captured my real brother. In my dream, I was too drugged with stimulants to recognize him, but it seems rather obvious after a night’s sleep.”
“Yes, master, that’s what happened,” the doctor said.
Hisashi stared. “Huh?” He knew he probably looked ridiculous with his mouth hanging open, but he didn’t care.
The doctor held out his clipboard. “During our medical examination of Yuuto Candidate Number Twelve, also known as Foolish Yuuto or Yuuto-Yuuto, a nurse uncovered a scar as if from a near-fatal stabbing and the blood work suggested he shared your blood type. This was suspicious enough that we ran a DNA test. It was a match. That was your real brother.” The doctor wet his lips. “Good news, we hope? Maybe even good enough news that you won’t go on a murderous rampage because he escaped while you were sleeping?”
Hisashi stared. His first thought was pure, mindless rage. “He let me believe he was dead! He lied to my face!”
The doctor cowered away, hiding behind his clipboard.
Seconds before Hisashi ripped the room and the entire building to pieces, his joy set in. His beloved baby brother was alive. He hadn’t failed his only family. He still had a chance to protect his fragile, precious sibling.
This time, he was never, ever letting Yuuto escape.
“Get my architect on the line. I need an even better bank vault,” Hisashi growled, and his minion sprang to obey.
OVER A CENTURY LATER:
Yuuto stood in the grocery store aisle, looking for sugar. He needed to stock up his new apartment after running away from his older brother yet again. It had been a mistake for Yuuto to attend a Hero Convention, and definitely a mistake to purchase so much All Might merchandise, but he hadn’t been able to resist. Who would have known his brother could stomach purchasing an All Might booth just to lure him out of hiding?
A century ago, Hisashi had slipped Yuuto an immortality quirk during that fateful last night at the hospital. Their Tom-and-Jerry chase had continued ever since. Every time Hisashi captured and vaulted him, Yuuto always managed to escape.
Hisashi had recaptured Yuuto twice by purchasing comic books stores and setting the staff watching for him. Then after Yuuto had switched to online purchases, Hisashi had found his address by selling an ultra-rare comic online. A few times Yuuto’s vigilante activities had put him back in his big brother’s clutches, but he refused to give those up no matter what. All in all, Yuuto had spent more time free and on the run than in the bank vault, which he called a success.
Over the last couple years, Hisashi hadn’t been quite so persistent, seeming distracted. So Yuuto had gotten careless. He’d paid dearly for risking attending the Hero Convention, but luckily he’d narrowly slipped away before his brother caught him. Since then, he’d dyed his hair green in an attempt to lay low.
An employee called, “Excuse me, sir, but your son is looking for you.” She pointed at a kindergarten-aged boy with curly green hair.
“I don’t have a child,” Yuuto said.
“That’s not my mommy,” the adorable boy agreed. “That’s a man.”
“I’m sorry,” the employee said. “You just look so much alike.”
Yuuto had to agree. Except for the hair color, this boy was a perfect replica of his older brother at five years old, so naturally he shared quite a few facial features in common with Yuuto too.
“Izuku!” A green-haired woman ran over. “There you are. I’m sorry.” She bowed at the employee. “Thank you for looking after my son.” Then she bowed at Yuuto too. “Thank you.”
Yuuto said, “I didn’t do anything, Ms…?”
“I’m Inko Midoriya.”
“My name is Yoichi Himura.” Yuuto gave his most recent fake name.
Inko peered at him. “I must admit, I can understand the confusion. You look so much like my husband.”
Yuuto’s eye twitched. “May I ask your husband’s name?”
“Hisashi Midoriya. Are you two related?”
“I’m afraid not. I’m an only child.” Yuuto smiled. “But it feels like fate, meeting you like this. I’m new to this area and looking to make friends. Can you recommend any social clubs?”
Inko said, “I’m part of the local cooking club. Everyone is welcome. We even often bring our children along to play with each other while we meet.”
“How wonderful! I’ve wanted to learn to cook for some time.” In fact, Yuuto had wanted to learn to cook since five seconds ago when he realized it would be a chance to get to know his sister-in-law and nephew. “When and where does your club meet?”
Befriending Inko had been risky, but Yuuto considered it the best decision he’d made in decades. Inko was a treasure far too good for his brother, and Izuku was the most adorable baby boy in the universe.
Even though Yuuto regularly visited the Midoriya household, Hisashi stayed away on business so often it had been easy to avoid him. Furthermore, Hisashi avoided meeting any of his wife’s friends ever since a regrettable incident involving Mitsuki Bakugo. Yuuto counted himself lucky that his older brother was too self-centered to ask his wife any detailed questions about her social life.
Over the last decade, Yuuto had become a close friend to Inko and like a godfather to Izuku. He’d chased off Izuku’s bullies, shared his favorite comic books, and trained Izuku in martial arts to further his goal of becoming a hero.
So far, Yuuto didn’t think his older brother had noticed Izuku inheriting One for All. That was going to be hilarious! Yuuto had gotten to meet his Eighth successor and cheer Izuku on at the Sports Festival. The last years had been some of the best in his long life.
Yet all good things came to a crashing end when someone threw a gas bomb into his apartment late at night.
Yuuto’s last two thoughts were certainty that his brother had found him yet again and regret that he might not get to see Izuku graduate from U.A.
Yuuto woke up handcuffed to a bed.
Hisashi strode into the room dressed in a suit. Yuuto opened his mouth to offer a sarcastic greeting to his older brother. Then he noticed eleven teenagers with green hair tied to beds around the room, and he snapped his mouth closed.
With his hands on his hips, Hisashi declared, “I have selected twelve candidates as replacements for my son, Izuku.”
“Izuku died?” Yuuto shrieked.
“Of course not.” Hisashi’s gaze fell on him. “He’s merely misplaced. My dear son isn’t speaking to me or returning my calls for some inexplicable reason. Until his inevitable recapture, I’ve gotten myself a few temporary replacements.”
So Izuku had found out about the All for One revelation? And it appeared his brother was as much of a loon as ever. Yuuto groaned. At least he hadn’t given himself away yet. He might still be able to fail out of these games and go home.
Hisashi peered at him. “You’re too old, and your hair is straight, but it’s not easy to find the right shade of green eyes with white pupils. I suppose you can stay. I’m going to call you ‘Old Izuku.’ Looks: six out of ten. No, make it a seven for the eyes.”
Yuuto suspected the hardest part of this game would be not ripping his brother’s throat out with his teeth.
Based on his experience last time, that would only win him points.
OMAKE TIME!
Omake: The Alternate Ending
Yuuto: Before I escape out the window, I’m going to bite my brother just once.
Hisashi: Ow! (Wakes up.) I’d know those piercing fangs anywhere! You’re the real Yuuto!
Yuuto: Totally worth it.
#
Omake: Incorrect Quotes, the Brother Bear Edition
Hisashi: (Standing before the Yuuto candidates) Recently, I lost my beloved brother, Yuuto…
Yuuto: Quit telling everyone I’m dead!
Hisashi: (Wiping away a tear) Sometimes I can still hear his voice.
#
Omake: Memories Hazed with Nostalgia
Hisashi: (Speaking to his minions before the game) My darling baby brother was a sweet-tempered, obedient child. So full of hope and kindness. A gentle soul, who needed to be protected from the world.
Poor doctor who ended up on insanity-duty: We’ll add those criteria to our search, master.
Hisashi: (Watching through his cameras as Yuuto starts fires, rips up his clothing, and curses like a sailor) That one. That’s the brother I want.
Doctor: Master, he got a 0/10 in manners, a 1/10 in meekness, and a 3/10 on cuteness.
Hisashi: Cuteness is definitely a 10/10.
(Yuuto blows up the room and triggers the sprinkler system.)
Hisashi: Raise the cuteness score to 11/10.
Doctor: …
(Yuuto beats his head against a metal wall with feral glee.)
Hisashi: He just has that ineffable Yuuto quality.
Doctor: Of course, master. Whatever you would like, master. Who am I to judge?
Hisashi: You’re just some nameless minion.
Doctor: Correction, master, I am a nameless doctor.
Hisashi: Apologies, nameless doctor. I will remember your status from your white coat.
Doctor: I’ll call the fire squad. Your new little brother appears to be on fire.
Hisashi: He’s fine! It’s everyone else you should be worried about.
#
Omake: The Permanent Brotherly Gloat
Yuuto: Ha-ha, remember the time you couldn’t recognize me just because I grew a moustache? Who’s the foolish brother now?
Hisashi: Grrrrrrrr.
Yuuto: You may always win at Monopoly but you lost at this.
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Omake: The Inconvenient Truth
Yuuto: Why would anyone possibly take part in this contest willingly?
Obedient Yuuto: Because I’m in lust with All for One.
Yuuto: Uh, pretending to be his brother won’t help you with that.
Obedient Yuuto: It won’t? Everyone kind of assumed he had a creepy incestuous fixation ever since the bank vault.
Hisashi: People assumed WHAT?
Obedient Yuuto: Honestly, I’m only playing along with his incest fantasy because he’s ridiculously hot. I tried throwing myself at him with many different sexy bodies, but he never paid any attention to me. Then I saw how extremely touchy-feely he got with his younger brother. As soon as I shapeshift to look like his brother? He starts hugging me. What else was I supposed to think?
Hisashi: Have you never heard of platonic affection? Or hating every other human so much that you end up touch-starved?
Yuuto: Uh, I get that he seems super-yandere, but it’s not that kind of yandere.
Hisashi: It was a perfectly normal level of protectiveness for an older brother! You have a dirty mind! I should kill you for even thinking such a thing!
Obedient Yuuto: You’d have to kill your entire organization, because that’s what everyone has been thinking ever since the bank vault.
Hisashi: (Blue screen of death.)
Obedient Yuuto: If I’m not going to get sex out of this, it’s no longer worth the effort. I didn’t change my face and memorize hundreds of comic books for a hug. I’m out of here.
Yuuto: And after that my brother didn’t non-consensually cuddle me for a whole year. It was pure bliss. Forever afterward, whenever he tried to recapture me, I would scream “Help, this pervert is trying to molest me!” and then escape while he froze up. How else do you think I stayed free for over a century?
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Omake: After the Time Skip
Yuuto: (Seeing baby Izuku) I’ve been replaced! Honestly, it’s a relief. Will you stop chasing me around trying to vault me now?
Hisashi: Of course not, you’re irreplaceable.
Yuuto: Then what about that contest you held with a dozen Yuuto candidates?
Hisashi: (Without an ounce of irony) I have no idea what you are talking about.
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Omake: The Izuku Games
Hisashi: Old Izuku, you’ve failed every single Izuku test, but there’s just something amazingly huggable about you. So I multiplied your score by a factor of cuteness and passed you to the next round anyway.
Yuuto: If I glare at you with all the hatred in my soul, maybe I can set you on fire with my mind.
Hisashi: I’ve got it! You’re not an Izuku, you’re a Yuuto!