All For Some

Chapter 32: Everyone Is Preparing

"Good, I can feel your anger. I am defenceless. Take your quirk. Strike me down with all your hatred."

Izuku tried to imagine intending to kill his father while drawing out as much of the Killing Intent quirk's power as he could, but it was difficult since he didn't really harbour any hatred for his father, let alone enough to want to kill him.

"Is that all the hatred you can feel? Do I have to bring Inko into this again?"

"Don't you dare!" Izuku shouted. His father shook for just an instant.

"Good, good. I could really feel that. I wonder how you would react to me mentioning someone else, or specifically two people, who are actually still alive, for now."

"Dad!" Izuku shouted and lit a Dragon Blade on one of his hands. His father took a step back, a first as far as Izuku remembered, and they ended up in a standstill staring at each other, as much as his father could stare without eyes that is. It lasted until his father burst out in laughter.

"Good, Izuku, good. Let the hate flow through you. It will make your quirk stronger. If you can impact me here, enemies on the battlefield will freeze in terror in front of you."

"I thought I was supposed to learn how to control the quirk to supress it."

"The control that allows you to draw out its full power is the same control you need to suppress it or control it so that people don't even realize you are using a quirk on them."

"That makes sense, but are you sure we should be spending this much time on it? I am still struggling with the jets, and I can't use them at the sport festival if I just fly out of bounds."

"Winning at the festival is a secondary goal. You have dedicated much time to the skills and quirks you can use in public as Izuku Midoriya, but you must be able to also act in the shadows as Shirokuro. Do not forget you are at UA to gather information."

"I know. I found out where the Nomu is being held didn't I?"

"But the Nomu is still being held there."

"I'm going to get it out on Monday when they try to move it."

"Good. Then if that's settled, let's focus back on the training so you will be ready for that mission. Now, think about killing me. Make me really feel that bloodlust. Would be a shame if I had to drag some random criminal from the streets to play with you again to bring it out."

Izuku gritted his teeth.

"Good, good, I can feel your anger," his father said, "unless you activated the quirk by accident, tsk tsk tsk."

Izuku drew a deep breath. It was going to be a long evening. At least the weekend was starting so it was his turn to be the slavedriver and go for a swim.

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Izuku's toes brushed against the water as he wavered from side to side, but he managed to stay somewhat upright without dipping fully into the water below him, gliding forward using his jets as Tenya ran to keep up with him along the beach.

"Okay, are you ready to turn?" Tenya called out.

"As ready as I'm going to be!"

"Remember to adjust for the change in balance when you turn to maintain your momentum!"

It was easier said than done. The rapid changes in momentum and balance took all of Izuku's concentration to even hope to adjust to. He was tempted to tap into the Calm Mind but it was dangerous with Tenya and Hitoshi present to notice odd behaviours and he didn't want to depend on the quirk. He turned his upper body, redirecting the jets. He could feel his centre of gravity shift. He bent back to counter it.