My Hero Academia - A Darker Story

The Clone Wars

It was another bleak cloudy day. Touga felt it wouldn't be right if it was sunny and cheerful, considering her best friend, Twice, had been executed. The whole world would roll on, and no one would even care. Twice had no other family. The only one to bear his grief was Touga.

Touga dragged her way across the courtyard. She wasn't too interested in getting a gift from Twice. It would just remind her of him, after all. Eventually, Touga slumped in the spot in the courtyard. At first, she couldn't see anything. But a glint caught her eye, buried in the dirt below.

In a moment of curiosity, Touga forgot about her circumstances and pulled out the object. It was another tube, containing blood.

Twice's blood?

Touga didn't understand. What good would that do? If she disguised as Twice, she would just draw unwanted attention. Touga had a flicker in her heart that maybe she could bring Twice back. It didn't make any sense. She knew she couldn't do it. But Touga didn't want to let that feeling die.

Suddenly Touga stood up and headed back out of the courtyard. A guard gave her a puzzled look as she left.

'You still have more time out here.'

Touga ignored her. She hurried back to her cell and closed the door behind her. She brought out the tube of blood. It was rippling as Touga shook with anxiety. Without wasting a moment longer, she took a sip.

Within seconds, Touga could feel her body changing. She grew taller, and the hair on her hands faded into blonde. She didn't need a mirror to know that it worked.

But it was meaningless. Twice hadn't returned.

Hey, Touga!

Touga immediately considered that the telekinetic quirk user was contacting her again. It was a voice in her mind that had appeared without any reason. But Touga was unsettled by the realisation that it sounded like her own voice.

Have I finally gone crazy?

Oh, you've been crazy for a long time!

Touga stood up sharply. Who is this?

It's you. I'm you.

In a bizzare moment, Touga felt another arm form from her right arm. And then from her left. It reached out, wanting to escape. Suddenly an entire person plopped out of her and fell on the cold floor. It looked exactly like Twice.

'Twice!?' Touga shrieked.

The person sighed. 'I just said, I am you. I borrowed Twice's ability.'

'But... I can't use other people's abilities!' Touga said.

Touga B looked curiously at the tube on the floor below. She picked it up gingerly. In a split second, she was holding two, each containing the same amount of blood.

'Yes, we can.'

Touga A took a step back in shock. She stared at Touga B in disbelief as it reverted back to Touga's form. Touga felt her own body returning to normal as she shrunk closer to the floor.

'Twice wanted me to be free,' Touga B announced as she brushed past Touga A.

Suddenly fear gripped Touga A. Is this copy trying to escape? Touga A grabbed her wrist and she paused.

'We both know you're the copy!' Touga A spat.

The tiniest movement by Touga B was enough to make Touga A back away and assume a fighting stance. Touga A could instantly read Touga B's body; it was her body, after all. The tenseness of her grip, the lowering of her stance, it all indicated violence.

'Only one of us can leave,' Touga B whispered. 'And it's not going to be me. I've been stuck in here for too long.'

Touga A suddenly realised her advantage. She could read Touga B's body, since she was facing her back. Touga A swung a fist towards her copy's back.

Suddenly, Touga B spun around, avoiding the punch. She used the momentum to slam a foot into Touga A's side. In a grunt, Touga A fell to the floor and Touga B rushed on top of her.

By the time it happened, Touga A instantly knew her mistake. They were one person so recently that they were sharing the same thoughts; in other words, Touga B could easily predict Touga A's intentions. Meanwhile, Touga A had been so invested in taking advantage of her opportunity that she had missed this fact.

Touga A raised her hands above her head, knowing what was coming. It didn't help. Touga B pounded her copy with a flurry of punches.

Touga B felt intense fear, but the more punches she felt, the more reassured she became. It was clear who the copy was. Twice's copy wouldn't have been able to withstand this much damage.

'Why isn't it working?' Touga B shrieked.

Touga A got the chance to sputter a laugh. 'I guess we know who the real copy is.'

Touga B rose to her feet hesitantly. After a pause, she quickly rose a vial of blood to her lips and drank the red liquid it contained. Within seconds, she transformed into a guard, with the uniform to match. Touga B gave Touga A a look of uncertainty, which Touga A met with a smug expression. Twice's copy wouldn't last long in this criminal-infested Japan. It was a thought they both shared.

As Touga B slipped through the door, Touga A laid her head back and frowned. Is this really what you wanted for me, Twice?