Chapter Text
Izuku was in the warehouse, sorting through some junk with Ana as he thought about how he’d make the new doll. He was planning to meet Shinsou at some point and he’d rather have something to protect him than Ana. He knew they needed to be more flexible than the long armed monster but still as stealthy so it could hide away.
He also wanted it to be able to take a few hits. He was planning to have Hitoshi use it as a practice dummy to train on and having it be capable of surviving punches was important.
Eraserhead’s kicks were deadly. The one in the chest nearly shattered the driftwood whilst the one to the head almost snapped it off and the camera inside. He needed harder material than wood and it needed to be easy to get.
Izuku tried a few different materials to see how they react to his quirk and there were certainly some important things to realise. Firstly, anything organic, besides wood and fibres, didn’t accept his quirk well. While it did animate it, it was nowhere near as good as moving other materials.
He did want to try it on a living thing but, well, you know it's kind of hard to do that in his state. Speaking of, he had been getting weaker. He’s been having a hard time moving and needing Ana more and more to carry him. He didn’t mind it, it's not as if he’s going anywhere but it is messing with his mind.
He looked it up and apparently it’s a byproduct of not eating enough but honestly, Izuku’s fine. It’s not as if he needs to move much, all he needs is his hands and to move and everything is alright. Ana can handle everything else.
Despite that though he was still getting more and more terrified at what was happening to him.
Away from that and back to the important task at hand, he decided that he would have a mix of metal and plastic be whatever his combat doll was. He needed a weapon for it, probably sharp to scare anyone away, and needed to be able to mask itself like Ana.
It was certainly a lot but he was going to try. He has plenty of cash saved up and if this comes out right, maybe he could have it take over deliveries for Ana or maybe even participate in some fighting rings. He read about those online when he first started looking into different ways of getting cash but went with the delivery work as it was safer at the time.
After some research he decided on something close to a mechanical endoskeleton typically used for robots. It would be expensive but that’s only with the wires and stuff included and for Izuku, he needed none of that to get it moving.
It would still be expensive though so he looked for the best one as it needed to be strong enough to resist blows but also flexible enough to dodge and hide. He eventually discovered one that was skeletal and had a nice sheen to it that made it look nice.
Next he needed to plate it with something. He had a lot of scrap metal so he could weld it on with the help of Ana but that too was going to take from his coffers. So maybe that’ll be hard but what he did have was hammers and a tireless doll, so with a lot of persistence he hammered the metal into a shape that could be drilled on with a hand drill which is much cheaper. Maybe down the line he could weld it on for better durability but that was for later.
The ‘claws’ of Behemoth, the knives, were salvaged and broken apart to make them shorter and less clunky. He put them on the hands and even the feet for more grip when climbing and fighting. As for a proper weapon, Izuku was split between something blunt or sharp and in the end he found a simple pole would be good enough.
It wasn’t likely to be used much, the fists of this thing being good enough to crack concrete after an attempt but it’s always good to have a backup.
Finally for the head, he made sure the metal was shaped properly to make it a proper dome and had enough room inside to hold a camera and the speaker. He wasn’t sure what he was going to use that soundbox for but he wasn’t planning on giving it to Ana anytime soon so it would go with the new doll for now.
Once all was said and done, he painted the whole thing using Hitoshi’s gifted paints. He wanted to make the metal doll look more intimidating so whoever threatened Izuku might possibly run instead of fight. He used red on the metal teeth and eye holes so they’d appear almost visceral and used black to make tears that almost made the thing look like it was bleeding oil all over it.
All in all, the thing looked like a deformed tin toy, with sharp hands, rustic twisted flesh and a skull like head.
Unlike the Behemoth and Ana though, it took days to fill it with enough fluid for it to move comfortably. The weight was a lot but with the amount of duct tape he has keeping the fluid in, it should be able to do a lot better than the monster.
Speaking of fighting better, Izuku had gone over the Eraserhead fight multiple times in his head. How he moved, how he struck, how he pivoted his feet. It was honestly fascinating to get a direct perspective on a fight with a hero, despite how terrified he was. Of course this fighting doll wasn’t going to be able to move like him so Izuku looked into other heroes to draw inspiration from.
All Might was his first thought seeing as how they had the same body structure but he knew immediately that the doll wouldn’t be able to move as fast as him. It had heavy slow punches and would likely use a lot of grabbing and throwing. It wasn’t ferocious and needed to be ruthlessly efficient with its attacks.
‘Gang Orca’ Izuku realised.
The hero was a brawler and used a lot of punches and swings to fight and though he used his quirked sonic blasts, the combat doll could get a close second by screeching. Izuku spent time between filling up the doll, researching the pro hero and every fight he’s been in, tracing the attacks with Ana and using some dolls to practice some of his moves.
Once he was done, he raised the doll and it moved rigidly but it almost looked more human that way. Ana’s arms moved fast and still but the combat dolls arms were moving, like it breathed, the sounds of metal creaking sounding like growls.
“Now, let’s test you out.” the boy whispered.
- - -
In a distant alley, a man stood in front of a door. He was tall, almost six four and was broad. The typical bouncer in every sense of the word. He didn’t even seem phased at all when he watched the lumbering, over seven foot creature, move towards him accompanied by a smaller figure, more human sized. They donned huge black cloaks that covered every inch that seemed to have been once the bedsheet of a queen sized mattress.
They stopped in front of the man and the two held their ground, until the bouncer spoke. “What are you doing here?”
There was a silence for a moment, before the cladded giant spoke in a rough mechanical voice. “I am here to fight.”
“Is this your first time?” the bouncer asked. The giant nodded slowly and intently.
The man looked the cloaked thing up and down. “Do you know the rules here?” Another nod from the giant.
“Then let me tell you, so there’s no excuse if I have to kick you out. No violence that isn’t allowed by the Theatre. No asking questions if no one wants to answer them. No saying anything about this place, the people you see inside or the things that happen. Violate any of that and you’ll never see the inside of the Theatre again, got me?” he explained.
“Yes.” the giant answered.
“Great. Welcome to the Darkest Theatre.” and the door opened to a corridor which stretched downwards with no stairs, instead being a slope.
The giant bent down to fit through the door and walked in, head just barely avoiding the roof. The other figure stepped in after, with the door shutting behind once they were confidently inside. The hallway had wooden panelling for its walls and the floor was an unclean checkered marble that reminded Izuku of those fancy old theatres.
Soon enough, that is the sight he comes across, or at least a part of it as the theatre was dishevelled and crumbling but despite its state it certainly wasn’t abandoned. There were all kinds of people around the place. Some wearing hoods, others not really caring who sees them, confident that no one would risk angering the most neutral of neutral territories.
The Darkest Theatre is an underworld hotspot, where info brokers were reached from, arms sellers found buyers and thieves pawned off stolen goods. Underground heroes only knew of this place of course, and kept it that way due to how valuable it is as a source of information. It also had a fighting ring which is exactly where Izuku was heading towards.
He knew his options for fights were going to be limited. He couldn’t exactly have the doll remove the metal if armor wasn’t allowed but he made sure to check if there were some fights where it didn’t matter what you had. Indeed there was, and it was mainly meant for those with physical quirks or mutagenic ones, making it perfect for testing the doll.
Of course he didn’t send the combat doll alone. Ana was with it and though it was risky sending her here, he needed someone to collect the combat doll should they fail their test. It was hard controlling two dolls at once, like counting to ten whilst clicking your fingers off beat. It was a lesson in multitasking.
As the duo made their way deeper in, some eyes were following them, especially the giant. Whether to eye them up or simply acknowledge that they were here, Izuku didn’t have the people skills to tell. They found a desk where a plain looking man in a suit sat at, seemingly unperturbed by who was approaching him.
“You’re new.” he said. He was reading a newspaper and hadn’t even looked up yet.
The machine voice came through. “I am looking to make money.”
“Jobs?”
“Fighting.”
The man finally looked up from his reading and looked the giant and Ana up and down. “Quirked fights are in an hour. What’s your names?”
- - -
Both Ana and the giant sat down near a wall table and kept glancing around the room. Obviously neither needed to communicate so there wasn’t any conversation to be had, at least to the other patrons of the Theatre. There were many people coming in, Izuku even recognised some of the underground heroes from the police files. Especially one that almost made him jump out of his chair when he saw him.
“Eraserhead.” the boy muttered behind the screen.
It seemed he was after information if the conversation between him and the plain man was any inclination. Maybe it was for him or maybe it was for a different case he had, either way there wasn’t any fear of exposure unless he watched the fight.
Suddenly a different man approached their table and dragged a chair to sit up with them. He looked sleazy with short silver hair, stubble and a missing front tooth. He had a smile which made Izuku shift even though he wasn’t even there.
“Hello there! Couldn’t help noticing you’re new. Just arrived in the neighbourhood or?” he trailed off, waiting for them to respond.
“Arrived.” the giant answered, feeding false information.
“I see. Wait, where are my manners? I am Giran.” he said with a short bow from where he was sitting. “And you both are?”
“She is Zoe.” the giant pointed to Ana. “I’m Brutus.”
“Well, definitely foreign with those names.” Giran noted. “Mind telling me what brings you here?”
The whole conversation, Ana made sure not to lose sight of Eraserhead, the fun perk of having two sets of eyes.
The giant stated. “I am here to fight.”
“I see. Quirked or quirkless?”
“Quirked.”
“I guess that makes sense. Can’t see under that… cloak you’ve got but I can tell you’re not normal looking.” he mused.
The three sat there, quiet for a moment until the man smiled. “I have to say as well, that’s an interesting voice. Trying to hide something?”
“Neither of us can speak without a speaker.” Brutus clarified truthfully.
“Oh so you’re both mute. Well if-”
“Why are you still talking to us?” the giant said aggressively, the robotic voice sounding more threatening somehow.
Giran’s smile fell a little before creasing back up. “I like to check out any new arrivals and let them know if they need anything, support items, information, anything like that then to come through me.”
“Support items?” the cloaked doll uttered.
“Yes, one of the few blackmarket makers in Tokyo,” he explained. “And I’ve got them on speed dial so if you need anything, be sure to reach out.”
At that point the time was drawing near for the fight. “We have to get ready.”
“Oh sure, sure. I’ll leave you be. I’d love to see how you fight.” Giran said with that still sleazy smile.
The man stood up and left the two there. Meanwhile Erasaerhead had sat down at one of the Theatre’s bar room tables and was waiting. That put Izuku on edge. If, no, when Brutus gets injured and he notices the ‘blood’, he’ll know it’s him. He knows the two dolls are safe here by the rules of the establishment but he’d rather not reveal himself at all if he can help it.
They could be followed out of the building and back home where Izuku could do nothing to stop him. It was a fear he needed to take into account now that he’s hurt a hero, especially this one. He still didn’t know how his quirk would react to him and he didn’t want to find out on the field.
Soon it really was time to fight and both dolls stood up to head down to the ring to prepare better for it. It was a cage naturally, but despite how that might obscure things, the holes in it were quite open, giving plenty of room to peer in and see the action.
There were a few fighters set up there already, a lot of them looking to be quite experienced if their scars are anything to go by. Izuku was starting to feel pretty nervous. What if the doll collapses on the first strike? What if something leaks out of a crack? Actually he had an answer to that. Ana had a little doll repairing tool kit he put together for her to use if Brutus ever got injured.
Still, even with all that preparation he was still second guessing coming here. It hadn’t even been an hour and someone possibly quite influential was already checking him out and every second of that felt like he was exposing himself. Hopefully once he’s started to fight proper he might get some confidence in his work back.
When Brutus’ name was called out as the first fight, Izuku almost jumped right there in his chair. He was hoping to watch a few first before he went in but it seemed he was going in the deep end.
As the doll clambered up and entered the cage, on the other end was a thin, lithe but undeniably muscular man. His skin was grey and stony and he had a cocky grin on his face which worked in making Izuku feel afraid for his doll.
“Big fellas like you always tend to be full of air the second you get punched.” he mocked as the two waited for the bell to ring.
Brutus made no reply back, just waiting to act under Izuku’s orders which seemed to stir the other man a little. “Nothing to say? Guess I’ll beat some noise out of you.”
The bell rang and the man darted forward fast and swung a fist into the stomach of the giant before Izuku could react. The metal clanged and the man shrunk back, nursing his knuckles.
“What the hell? Are you wearing body armor under there?” says the man with a stone hardening quirk.
He dove in again to land more hits, this time to the face but now Izuku was ready. In a swipe the doll grabbed the man’s arm with one hand whilst the other immediately went for his throat, grasping them, his metal nails digging into flesh.
The man croaked and struggled in the grasp, punching at the giant’s face to no effect, even cutting his knuckles on some of the jagged skin. He even tried to kick the groin but of course that did nothing either. The doll was unfeeling and emotionless, holding the man up easily.
“What the hell are you made of?!” he shouted, his thrashing getting more severe.
The doll then let go of his arm, held the man up by the neck and threw him into the wall of the cage, earning a groan as the metal bent a little. The crowd cheered a little at that and Izuku was starting to feel a rush of adrenaline now that he could see that Brutus was more durable than expected.
The man began to pull himself up but was grabbed like a kitten by the back of his neck and lifted up on his feet only to be punched in the stomach by Brutus. The man’s eyes widened and Izuku was sure he heard countless cracking of bones and stone as his face paled and he keeled over, coughing red on the floor.
A small smile curled on Izuku’s lips whilst watching this, a small bit of glee at clearly winning and grabbed the man again, except this time hoisting him up and preparing to throw him. The audience cheered at that and gazed in wonder as Izuku launched the man onto the other side of the ring effortlessly.
The man was struggling to get up from the ground so Izuku helped him by hoisting him up again by the neck and holding him there, his feet dangling. The man’s eyes were desperate and full of fear, his nose bloody from the last throw and a large red bruise now forming where the giant punched him.
“P-please,” he choked.
As Izuku stared into his eyes through the screen a part of him had this crawling excitement at seeing someone else be afraid and scared. He always had that level of sadism with Behemoth in him but right now a part of that was egging him on to push it further, to break this man. The claw around his neck tightens ever so slightly and the man’s face blanches further, almost to the point of tears.
There was a moment where everyone watching held their breath just like the man lost his. His desperate face turned from white, to blue and then purple. Everyone was expecting something. A crack or a punch or maybe even another throw because for a moment the audience was convinced that the man was going to die.
But something in Izuku let the man go.
With just enough willpower to hold himself back from doing something actually evil, he drops the man to the ground but not before letting out a screech in his face to make sure he wouldn’t dare get back up. The crowd was silent at that but then thundered into cheers and shouts whilst the man sputtered and gasped on the floor, helpless and trembling.
The fight was declared over and the giant walked off, the other man helped by some people. Now that Izuku could focus less on one doll, Ana looked around and noticed that Eraserhead was indeed watching the fight. Whether or not he saw anything was something he couldn’t tell yet.
The two were paid for the fight and it was a sizable amount. Much more than a week at working deliveries. Ana looked over Brutus for any leaks and there didn’t look to be any, the metal held up really well and it seemed that there wasn’t much loss of fluids during the fight.
Honestly, it seemed Brutus could fight more and Izuku wanted to but that moment when the man’s face went purple was sticking in his mind longer than expected. He didn’t understand why but that image made him no longer want to fight. He didn’t want to see something like that, not until he calmed down a little.
The two were about to head back up to the main foyer when they were stopped by Giran.
“A great fight there! Not that I had any doubts.” he said like he knew for sure Brutus would win. “Let me guess. A pain nulling quirk? A durability one? Oh, maybe even a voice quirk?”
The dolls didn’t respond, merely staring at the man.
“Alright, alright. Keep your secrets. I’ll figure it out sooner or later.” he chuckled as he left, knowing where there was no conversation.
The two made their way to the exit. Sure they could fight more but Izuku didn’t want to stick around with Eraserhead here… which he lost track of.
“Hey.” a low voice said behind the two.
Both dolls swung around to see the man he was fearing standing before them. Face half covered by his scarf and two black eyes trained on both of them.
“What.” Brutus said in an almost demand due to the tone of the mechanical voice.
The man’s eyes narrowed at the giant. “That scream you did. It sounded familiar.”
‘Oh’ Izuku thought as he realised that the screech he used on the man was the same one he used on Eraserhead when he attacked Behemoth.
“So?” the giant responded crassly, trying to sound more intimidating.
“Do you know anyone by the name of Midoriya Izuku?” he questioned and every part of the boy shrunk a little when he heard his name said.
“Never heard of someone like that.” the giant responded fast, maybe faster than he should’ve.
The man kept his eyes trained on the giant and Izuku was almost sure he was going to attack out of instinct until the man just sighed and shrugged.
“Sorry. Must’ve misheard it. Thanks anyway.” he said with a sigh before he walked off.
The boy too sighed as the man really did leave, the two dolls not spending a moment more there before commanding them to leave. Once out they double checked every corner to make sure they weren’t followed all the way until they went home. The whole time, Izuku’s heart nearly beating out of his chest.