Around the World

Chapter 23 Around the World

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POV All Might

Minutes before the start of the assault on the Hydra base of operations.

"Evil forces hide deep in that forest." I whisper watching the dense and silent forest in the distance. Many professional heroes are participating in this operation including my old partner, David Shield.

"Everything is very calm just like the calm before the storm." David says walking in my direction with his hands behind his back as the rest of the heroes prepare for the assault.

"You don't have to worry my friend, why? Because I am here." I say giving a thumbs up in David's direction showing my optimism.

"You're still as stubborn as ever, huh?" David laughs lightly shaking his head before moving closer to me as a severe look spreads across his face. "The plan has changed." He says seriously looking me straight in the eye. "The Hydra forces know we are here and are waiting for us." He whispers, glancing slightly at the heroes getting ready in the distance.

"What do you mean?" I ask confused as a sinking feeling settles in my stomach. The only people who know the details of the operation are the members of the assault group and a few select people from the Hero Commission.

"Hydra forces have infiltrated among the heroes." David whispers which cause my body to tense and my gaze instantly goes to the group of heroes in the distance who are preparing for the operation.

There is a traitor... Among us!

If David says so, it must be true, after all, he is very smart and possibly prepared countermeasures. So this means... "You must not trust anyone, Toshinori." He whispers shaking my hand and handing me a small GPS device away from prying eyes. "Just trust me."

Hydra can be a lot more dangerous than I imagined. However, as long as we have the likes of David Shield watching our backs the future ahead of us will be bright.

So minutes before starting the operation I separated from the main group without notifying anyone. According to the information that David provided me, one of his drones detected a kind of underground entrance to the Hydra facilities, and shortly after I approached using the GPS which took me to the front of a small armored door deep in a cave.

This is the opportunity we need.

I will take Hydra by surprise and bring these villains to justice!

At that, a heavy blow from me destroys the blast door before I speed into the Hydra facility down a long, endless, dimly lit corridor, stretching out my senses for any threat. Before long I stop and carefully observe my surroundings while a shiver runs down my spine.

I find myself in the middle of a long, dimly lit corridor that seems to have no end with some rusty doors on the sides and no one around. This is wrong…very wrong.

At that moment, my GPS begins to fail as well as any electronic device on my person as I make my way slowly down the strange corridor, and soon after I come across a huge illuminated sign with a strange message.

* Light needs darkness to exist and darkness needs light. All so that the world is not a terrible fantasy or a wonderful horror story. *

Right after reading the strange message, the lights in the distance go out as a light piano melody reaches my ears causing me to panic and quickly enter one of the rusty doors around.

However, upon entering my eyes widened in amazement to see another long, endless, and dimly lit corridor on the other side while a few inches from me is an old telephone attached to the wall.

This place looks nothing like the base of a criminal organization. This place looks like it's straight out of a very disturbing horror story!

This reminds me of the story that young Isamu-kun showed me from the internet about an endless corridor. I still remember his cheeky smile when he saw my hands shake as he told me the story.

Despite being the number 1 Hero, despite being the symbol of peace and facing numerous challenges, paranormal things terrify me even more than my former teacher Gran Torino.

My thoughts are interrupted when the old telephone on the wall next to me begins to ring ominously.

"What kind of twisted place am I in?" I stutter as my legs shake involuntarily and carefully reach my hand to the old phone. Whatever it is, they know I'm here.

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I hope... I hope the assault group does better. Then I answered the mysterious call and the voice from the other end reached my ears.

"Hello? Hellooo…"

Shortly after, heavy footsteps began to approach me, starting this horrible nightmare.

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POV Third Person

Present time.

The tension in the streets of many cities in Japan is evident, the live broadcast coming from the EmperorTube platform has spread like wildfire throughout Japan and around the world.

Child Emperor's battle against Captain Celebrity caught the attention of millions of people around the world as well as many media outlets who began broadcasting the situation live, massively raising the audience.

In a gloomy bar, a television set at full volume is broadcasting the news.

"…If you've just tuned in, the S-Rank villain known as Child Emperor is broadcasting live on the infamous EmperorTube platform. Apparently, a group of heroes raided the base of operations of the criminal organization Hydra…" The news is interrupted while another channel is tuned.

"…The football game has just been called off while the big screens in the stadium play EmperorTube's live broadcast…" Another channel tunes in.

"…Hundreds of people have gathered around…" The TV turns off.

"Hydra this, Hydra that...everyone talks about Hydra and the Child Emperor." Tomura growls squeezing his remote tightly, causing the remote to disintegrate before Tomura starts scratching his neck in irritation and walking over to his laptop.

"Why? Why didn't the brat contact us this time? Surely All Might is among those heroes." He whispers through clenched teeth and stares intently at the computer screen.

"Kurogiri! Transport me to the location of Child Emperor!" Tomura exclaims as Kurogiri stands behind the bar counter polishing a glass.

"I am very sorry, young Tomura, I do not have the coordinates of the location of Child Emperor." Kurogiri says monotonously as he continues to clean the glass.

At that moment, All For One's voice is heard through a small speaker. "It seems that Child Emperor is more ambitious than I thought. Do not rush. Tomura. He has left the majority of us out of this equation." He says through the communicator surprising Tomura.

"Sensei!" Tomura exclaims with wide eyes before realizing something. "You said… most of us. What does that mean?" Tomura asks confused.

"I have lost all contact with Dr. Daruma Ujiko." All For One hums.

"What should we do, sensei?" Tomura asks scratching his neck in frustration.

"Watch and learn, Tomura, every move of Child Emperor, every word that comes out of his mouth… everything is carefully calculated. Right now, support for Child Emperor is growing exponentially, and if my theory turns out to be correct…" All For One chuckles lightly. "Things are going to get very interesting."

Tomura simply nods his head contemplating All For One's words. "The world is watching Child Emperor." Tomura whispers before his eyes widen as he realizes the magnitude of the situation.

"I'm watching you." Tomura says as a crooked smile spreads across his face. "I am watching you, Child Emperor!" He exclaims leaning closer to his laptop screen and watching Child Emperor fiercely fight Hawks as the number of viewers increases with each passing second.

Just as Child Emperor expected, the eyes of the world are on him… And he is enjoying it.

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Meanwhile in the amphitheater of the Tower of Chaos.

POV Hawks

Ever since I was a little boy I was trained by the Commission of Heroes to carry out all their orders without questioning the morality of my actions.

All for the greater good.

How do I differ from a villain? I only pretend to be a hero.

And now I am faced with one of the most difficult decisions of my life. What should I do? What must I do?!

"Hah! You are distracted!" Child Emperor happily exclaims with his outstretched hands pointing in my direction as his devilish Yo-Yos covered in electricity surround me.

I'm supposed to...

The Yo-Yos then wrap around my hands, legs, and even my wings, completely immobilizing me as a powerful electrical current runs through my entire body.

I'm supposed to... I'm supposed to... I'm supposed to...

"Maybe you need a little motivation!" Child Emperor exclaims raising both hands in the air as his gloves continue to generate high concentrations of electricity causing the electricity to spread through the thin metallic ropes around me immobilizing me.

This causes the thin electrified cords to start suspending me in the air, lifting me higher and higher. "The Heroes Public Safety Commission has commissioned you to assassinate me. Right?" Child Emperor stutters causing a strong pressure in my chest, the feeling of guilt that I feel at this moment is more painful than the electricity that runs through my body.

I'm supposed to kill Child Emperor!

"I'm sorry..." It's all I can whisper in my situation as I clench my teeth feeling self-loathing.

"Too late!" Child Emperor exclaims holding the metal ropes tightly before starting to spin in his position causing the metal ropes to tighten and me to start spinning in the air uncontrollably being held by the electrified metal ropes.

"I call this move…" Child Emperor exclaims as I find myself being swung through the air at incredible speed performing 360-degree spins as if I were some kind of human Yo-Yo.

"Around the world!" He exclaims happily pulling the ropes towards him causing me to start falling full speed to the ground and crashing right in front of Child Emperor creating a small crater upon impact.

This is my punishment...

"You're holding back and it bothers me." Child Emperor growls slowly walking around me as I lie on the ground in great pain.

"Liberty is earned, fight your demons, face me... Decide who you are." He says snapping his fingers which causes me to be released from the ropes that immobilized me as I slowly start to get up and spit some blood on the ground.

"Liberty? What is liberty really?" I whisper shaking my head in confusion. A good hero always follows orders… they instilled those words deep in my mind growing up.

Who am I really? What do I want to be? He is trying to get into my head! I hate this! I hate all this!

"Unleash your wrath!!" Child Emperor exclaims furiously, setting aside his Yo-Yos and clenching his fists as he begins to back away a bit.

"Stop… stop please." I whisper holding my head with both hands as I try to suppress these thoughts.

"Give yourself to the darkness!" Child Emperor exclaims causing an electrical current to swirl around his gloves before pointing both hands at me as his eyes glow like a predator.

"Power!!!" Child Emperor exclaims shooting a powerful electric shock in the form of bolts of electricity toward me. "Unlimited Power!" He laughs out loud as the bolts of electricity cover me completely.

At this, numerous suppressed memories run through my head, the horrible things I was forced to do in the name of the Hero Commission. Then something snapped inside me and as if on cue I did just as he said.

I didn't think… I didn't hold back… And for the first time in my life, I unleashed all my fury.

"Child Emperor!" I exclaim with my bloodshot eyes spreading my wings and lunging straight toward his direction ignoring the painful bolts of electricity hitting me.

I won't hesitate anymore.

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Unbeknownst to him, Hawks' actions are causing the ire of many people...

Around the world!

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In the next chapters...

Chapter 24 Hero and Villain

Chapter 25 Dark Hero