The Emperor's Dragon

Step One

Izuku almost seven years old

All For One looked at his son. "You wish to be a Hero?" he asked, careful to keep scorn out of his voice. Tomura would do that enough for him.

Izuku nodded. He could tell his dad didn't approve but he held firm.

Unknown to Izuku, his father was quietly cursing. The premier villain in the world had known of his son's admiration of heroes. Tomura kept him very well appraised and even though it had lasted for several years, he had genuinely believed that his son would grow out of it. Izuku was almost seven and it appeared he hadn't. This called for more drastic measures. He would not have another family member betray him.

"Izuku, you do know it was heroes who attacked?" Hisashi asked carefully, as he thought about how best to handle this.

His son nodded again and he could see that he was tense.

All For One sighed. "My Little Dragon, your mother is the one who wouldn't support you," he said gently. "If you told her this, she would cry and say she was sorry and never let you do it. I am willing to support you but, I want you to know exactly what you are getting into. Being a Hero isn't all that it's portrayed to be." Though if his actions now made Izuku decide that destroying Hero society was best done from within, and that was his genuine motivation to become a hero, then All For One would alter his plans but he doubted it would come to that.

At that, Izuku looked slightly confused.

"Remember what you know about people," Hisashi said. "What you've seen."

"People are cruel," Izuku said. "And they fear what they don't know."

All For One nodded. "That even applies to Heroes," he added. "Heroes are just people."

"Because they don't know better," Izuku objected. "They don't know you."

They didn't and he wasn't eager to let them know him either.

"Be that as it may, they are still people," he said, before he allowed his features to shift into a more contemplative gaze. "There is one more truth that I've told you, but you were probably too young to realise it. Do you remember your first day of school?" He asked his son.

Izuku frowned, stretching his freckles as he tried to remember. "There was something about the quirkless kids."

"There was," Hisashi nodded. "But you were also called a sympathiser," he added.

Izuu's eyes widened as the memory no doubt returned. "Everything you see happening now is repeated in adults," he whispered.

"Exactly," All For One was pleased. If Izuku could recall that exactly, he wondered if he should have his son tested for an eidetic memory. It would be so much easier if Izuku possessed that, rather than having to find a quirk to simulate it. "Children are often more honest than adults as well. The cruelty adults try to hide, or justify, they simply do. So, if you want to become a hero, Izuku, I want you to learn about the people you will be protecting. Really learn about them. Know them at their worst, know them at their best, and know them as they really are, without anything hiding them."

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked.

Hisashi was pleased. His son wasn't arrogant enough just to rush in without consideration. "You will be enrolled in a different school next year, one that does not segregate the quirkless children, and you will be enrolled as quirkless," he added.

Drastic times called for drastic measures.

"What will that do?" Izuku gasped.

"It will show you how people truly are. And if you are to be a hero, then you must know that." He could tell, Izuku still didn't fully understand, but he would.