Jaku Hospital lived its usual, measured life: the quiet rustle of gurneys, the hushed conversations of doctors, and the smell of antiseptics. None of the patients or staff suspected that beneath the foundations of this sanctuary of life, like a cancerous tumor, a colossal network of laboratories had grown. Kyudai Garaki's underground complex was a true heart of darkness, where the Nomu army was forged in sterile gloom.
The doctor himself, a small man with outsized ambitions, sat in his chair. His finger tapped an uneven rhythm, echoing the heavy drops falling from a leaky pipe somewhere in the shadows. Kyudai's gaze, hidden behind thick glasses, was fixed on the mosaic of monitors. He exhaled loudly through his bushy mustache, analyzing the data from the last few hours.
Everything was going according to his plans. Seemingly useless, Taiko eventually became a vessel for Nomura—a potential successor capable of standing on par with Tomura himself. Even their names rhymed, like a cruel twist of fate. But the true surprise was the "Original"—Taiko's quirk, which, in the silence of the incubators, mutated into something monstrously beautiful. It didn't simply imitate—it absorbed, becoming a mirror image of the gift of the AFO. The ability to replicate mutations like the "Tiger"... it was beyond mere cloning. Kyudai knew that the AFO's power couldn't be transmitted through test tubes, but Taiko was an exception. His former incarnation as the "Half-Hornet," the lord of the swarm, was merely a pitiful prelude.
«No matter how foolish you are, Taiko, and no matter which side you choose, I am grateful to you,» — Kyudai muttered, his voice carrying the dry rustle of old paper. —«You have become the fertilizer upon which my garden has blossomed. My legion now exceeds my wildest expectations.»
...
The doctor rose, determined to personally witness the triumph of his science. He left the monitor room, plunging into corridors that recalled the dawn of the Quirk era. This place had once belonged to a government corporation attempting to harness the chaos of evolution, but they had fled with their tails between their legs as the world began to crumble. Sensei had pointed out these ruins to him, and Kyudai had transformed them into his personal altar.
He walked slowly. The sterile floor chilled his soles, and the air grew thicker and stickier.
Sector D: Here, behind armored glass, the lower Nomu swarmed. Clumsy, crudely stitched together from the remains of bodies no one had come to claim. Their movements were jerky, their gazes blank. The Quirks here were primitive: brute force, chaotic regeneration. «Trash, fit only to clog the enemy's sewers,» — flashed through the doctor's mind. This included unsuccessful experiments. He didn't dispose of the samples that were still capable of movement, but kept them for now, but time demanded that he do something with them. Maybe give them to Sensei?
Sector C: The Nomu's bodies became symmetrical, almost human. A frightening awareness glimmered in their movements—they turned their heads toward the sound, watching their creator. Mistakes were controlled here. In total, he had about fifty Nomu, ranging from C to A rank. He didn't count the D-rank, although they were quite stronger than the average human.
Sector B: Perfect synchronization of several quirks. Kyudai lingered by the enclosure of a creature whose back was covered in bony spikes, and whose skin shimmered like the scales of a deep-sea monster.
Sector A: Silence. There were no cages here—only a controlled environment for masterpieces. The Nomu-Tiger was the pinnacle of this level. A perfect weapon that knew no bounds. There are only a ten B-ranks, and only three A-ranks, plus Nomu-Tiger, plus Kurogiri.
Unfortunately, maintaining so many Nomu is a serious budgetary burden. They consume nutrients, even of the shoddiest quality. They're not picky. However, even with total savings on everything, he simply can't produce more Nomu. He needs to do something with the lower-ranked D-Ranks; they're already starting to devour their own flesh, whatever they can reach, out of hunger. There's no doubt they'd eat each other if they weren't chained.
Nomu-Johnny, trotting after his creator, winced unpleasantly at the heartbreaking roar from Sector D.
—Stupid creature, they can't do anything to you, they're chained,— the scientist snapped at the little Nomu.
He descended even deeper, into an isolated block with no official designation. Sector S. Here, his footsteps echoed loudly. But instead of rows of empty incubators, a different technological aesthetic reigned. In the center of the room, surrounded by data terminals, stood motionless Mocha—a small, nondescript creature possessing one of the most valuable quirks in the Doctor's arsenal: "Double."
Kyudai ran his hand over the cool surface of the console. He no longer needed weeks of waiting and capricious growth accelerators. Mocha was his shortcut to divinity.
—People are so fond of believing in limits...— Garaki chuckled.
At some point, the scientist felt a wave of weakness. Even the whim of longevity is finite. At 120 years old, he should have long ago sought a place in the cemetery. But anger and ambition burned within him.
—To place some rootless ragamuffin above me! ME!!! HIS CREATOR AND GOD!— Kyudai burst into a scream, slamming his feeble hand against the concrete. His hand immediately began to ache, and he rubbed it pitifully, hissing in pain. —I'll show them all. I can be a god too!
Calming down, he adjusted his glasses and looked at Mocha. His plan to change bodies had finally taken shape. He didn't need an heir for Sensei. He needed a successor for himself. Someone who would continue his science, his cold logic. And who could handle this better than himself in a new, perfect incarnation?
—My future body...
Kyudai had already prepared the genetic cocktail. He'd learned his lesson: mutation Quirks are far more stable. They don't require fine-tuning; they work crudely but reliably.
Specimen #1: Rumi Usagiyama (Mirko). Rabbit. Exceptional agility, powerful legs, aggression, and reflexes pushed to the limit. Her body is adapted to constant overload and pain.
Specimen #2: Ryuku. Dragon. Colossal physical strength, scales, regeneration, and endurance.
Specimen #3: ...Toya Todoroki. He had little, but enough, of his blood left after he was taken to one of the Kyudai orphanages, unfortunately setting it on fire and then vanished. Toya is known for his extremely powerful fire Quirk, which is quite capable of harming even its owner. In fact, it's the best possible option, considering how powerful the heroines are. He didn't want to reveal Nomu to the public prematurely; even this operation with the Nomu Tigers was only possible thanks to a carefully planned route and Nomu's excellent agility and stealth.
By combining the data from these two mutations into a single digital copy, Kyudai prepared a "template." Now he didn't have to wait 14 days for cells to divide in a nutrient medium.
—Mocha, my dear...— the doctor whispered, entering the final coordinates into the terminal. "Your Quirk will create this body in seconds. An autonomous clone, devoid of consciousness, but possessing all the power I've imbued into it." The perfect vessel.
Using Mocha to create a new body was a stroke of genius. It saved resources and time. As soon as Taiko and Nomura clashed, and one of them used "BodySwap," Kyudai would simply step into this new, perfect incarnation—a hybrid of Rabbit and Dragon with the mind of the greatest modern genius.
«Strong warrior genes and the mind of a genius. Excellent. I'm tired of remaining in the shadows. Forgive me, Sensei, but it's time for me to become something more.»
He had only one chance. The equipment and energy required for Mocha to produce a "stable" copy of this level of complexity were at their limit. But Garaki had no doubt.
—Johnny! We have some business to attend to. Follow me, you can help me teleport Nomu-Tiger. — The creature, hearing its owner's voice, began to scurry and kick its legs, barely keeping up with him.
He turned and headed for the exit, leaving Mocha in the darkness of Sector S. The idea needed to fully mature. And above, in the Jaku hospital, doctors continued to save lives, unaware that beneath their feet the birth of a creature was being prepared that could extinguish the sun of this world forever.
...
P.S.
Mocha is a small Nomu like Johnny, whose Quirks are very useful and supportive. Mocha, like Twice, can create copies of himself or other creatures. However, using this ability is much more difficult for Mocha.
Let me explain why the Doctor didn't use Mocha to create AFO clones. Firstly, there are so many of them, there was a high chance of not inheriting AFO's Quirk at all, which is odd and doesn't fit with the basic genetic theory of Quirk transfer. Secondly, Mocha is very difficult to clone, and Kyudai saved it for special occasions. For example, one plan was to use it to create a copy of AFO itself. He would create an exact copy of it, copying its Quirk, but only once. Then he would pass on the Quirk "All For One 2.0" to Tomura.
Kyudai hasn't done a dual-body combo with Mocha before, unless it was to help duplicate particularly important Quirks for Nomu, like regeneration, which is very rare.