36 Chapter 36: The True Plan of AFO

~Third POV~

Standing in the middle of a desert was AFO controlling Nine's from afar was face to face with Iron Man or the thief that made off with his quirk that he made his own.

While the two were staring each other down Jason's heart slowly began to increase his heart rate of the fear of the man behind the puppet while he is unaware of the change.

As AFO spoke venomously Jason returned his nerves to normal as he spoke to AFO in a cold tone, "Rat? Maybe so but at the very least I have done something that no one has done before. Stealing the quirk that steals others must be humiliating that someone did that to the guy who steals quirks."

Instead of actual anger, it was laughter instead as AFO laughed at that as the hate he had earlier just vanished. This sudden change of actions seems to have thrown Jason off guard as AFO merely laughs at that comment.

Jason never likes it when a villain laughs instead of getting angry that only means something was off or wrong whenever a villain does this.

AFO controlling Nine's began to speak in a positive tone as he spoke his explanation of his words to Iron Man, "Hahahaha…! Quite the opposite Iron Man. I'm glad someone like you exists. Because you and your actions you have just shown me another possibility that I have longed to get, and this setup was perfect."

Pausing at this Jason stops at that while he speaks confusedly about what he meant, "Setup? What the hell are you on about isn't your goal the quirk amplifier?"

AFO begins his questions ignoring his response as he motions towards him while probing for more information on the person in front of him with a plain expression, "For a thief like you to not be brainwashed by the HPSC propaganda in this era is quite impossibly rare. In every state or city, they always promote everyone to be heroes but that seems to not affect you. Everyone is aspired to be a hero, but you don't fit that role because of your mindset that raises another question?"

No longer having the plain expression shown on his face he began to frown as he continues to rant at him as he looks for answers of his own, "How can someone like you possibly exist? Knowing my ally location, my blood sample of AFO, knowing about the secret of OFA, not having the norm mindset, and then the appearance of the iron masked vigilante popping out of nowhere? I haven't been able to figure out how you did it or possibly have known about our work… unless…"

Waiting for the response Jason already felt a chill pass down his spine knowing what his conclusion was…

AFO puppet then expressed a mocking smile as he circles around Jason as he did the same waiting for one or the other to begin, "You already knew of this from some source that not I or even that heroic buffoon All Might or the other users of <One for All> could've seen or heard of correct. Tell me was I, dead right?"

Iron Man remained silent as he kept his heart rate calm but the presence of the main villain that was older than him was difficult to manage. But AFO merely smiled at the sudden increase of his heart rate told him more than enough as he spoke, "So I was right? Your heart rate is betraying your statue there boy. To think that a young unknown anomaly like you have appeared with no one to notice is truly startling how powerful you become in just a short time less than a year."

Soon Nine's mouth turns to a toothy grin somewhat startling Jason in the suit of armor of how much he underestimated his intelligence, "I could hypothesize how you could have known through the use of your quirk to tell the future but even then, it wouldn't have made much sense to me. After all, I have tabs all around the world for people with the gift of seeing to the future eliminated throughout the country. Such people are a real pain to deal with if they were to know a villain location wouldn't it?"

Jason on his part could agree with the truth of his words since he has read all the state's reports wanting people with abilities like Nighteye on their side. With such a highly sought-after gift to see and read into the future, it will be fruitful if such a gift were to use for someone's purpose whether good or bad.

That was when AFO controlling Nine's body finally pointed at Iron Man as he came to his kind of conclusion with what little he knows of the events that have happened in the MHA world as he spoke, "So there are many possibilities for you to have known what my history is if the one you saw into the future, two you saw the past, or number three to which is the most likely would be you already knew from the birth of all the knowledge. No, I truly believe the third option is the actual answer."

Hearing his explanation Jason was honestly quite scared of how much AFO was right on using his actual thoughts. Jason assumed that the one he was facing was just as cunning with his patience as well as his temper as shown in the source material, but no reality was far crueler and much more unprepared against as what he assumed.

AFO is someone who has waited and has planned for a very long time before Jason was born and as such has WAY more experience than some machine from the Danganronpa world would've prepared him for with all of the human talent.

Jason originally have thought that the AFO standing before was much like his anime/manga counterpart but in reality, he was a much bigger threat than what he believed on the knowledge he had. But sadly, the person before is not the one portrayed like those in anime or manga but an actual threat.

Right here stands AFO the great demon lord of this world that has lived far longer than anyone like him should in the body of another person starring Jason down as he finally spoke out his actual plan with a mocking smirk, "I have to say it was a gamble to have a rat-like you running around in my old friend security systems but if I have gotten rid of it then I would've never come across you. So, I took a gamble of you showing up here after this setup I have here using Nine and some other villains to force you to come here or not."

Listening to this made Jason's heart stop at that moment hearing AFO putting that much thought into his actual plan as Jason spoke dumbfounded, "What…? You couldn't have planned that far ahead! What you're saying should be impossible!"

To that comment, AFO merely retorts with a smile rivaling that to the joker as he responded in a proud tone, "True all of this was merely a gamble of chance Iron Man even I couldn't foresee this outcome. But that what's makes fighting people using future sight so unpredictable you can't tell what is going to happen. After all, I have personal experience to back up that claim."

That was when AFO began to explain where this setup idea came from as he spoke out as if reminiscing something fondly, "Yes all of this planning happened a few months back when I first felt that my mindscape was cut off…"

~Third POV Flashback~

Meanwhile, in a private room somewhere in a secret place AFO was clenching his fist tightly as he felt something completely wrong.

He was walking around his room with wine in his hand as he grits his teeth in clear frustration as he spoke to himself, "Impossible!! How can he be able to stop my will from entering our mindscape! MY MINDSCAPE!!!"

*Crack*

Fueled by anger at the disbelief that what has happened made him crush his wine glass cup as it fell to the ground.

Once the vial that has the <All for One> quirk that has been absorbed into Neito AFO felt that there was a mental connection in the mindscape as Neito was momentarily connected to him but…

AFO could only grit his teeth as he felt that the quirk with the mindscape was quickly disturbed as if the power was transferred.

As he felt that the connection was lost AFO tried to connect to the mindscape once more with his will lingering around but for some reason, he could no longer feel the other user of <All for One> anymore.

While Jason and AFO didn't know was that the merger of the mindscape of the quirks of <All for One> and <One for All> allowing only Jason to access this scape as the other previous wielders are no longer able to enter inside Jason mindscape with the combination of two quirks.

AFO didn't like unknowns and he certainly didn't like how someone managed to obtain his quirk then somehow changed it to ensure that it won't connect to him.

But he does know one thing for sure and that is to make sure to take revenge plans.

As he calms down from his anger, he cleans himself up again as he began to speak calmly at the scene, "Looks like I'm going to need the doctor to complete the Nine's project sooner than expected. I don't care if it is rushed, I just need to make sure that I can connect with others to test some things out…"

With that, he began to make his call asking the doctor but that was when he learned from his friend about the backdoor, "AFO! I have found that someone places a backdoor code on our security system! I need you to get rid of it!"

Listening to this AFO was about to disagree till an idea came to his head as he smiles thinking of his plan, "Ye…. Actually, doctor leave the back door that the thief left open. I'll use that to lure a trap for that rat stealing my goods. This I promise thief…"

…

…

Later few months have passed since AFO started making plans to get the thief but that was when he was interrupted by the news going global, "We have breaking reports of the world is that the vigilant known as Iron Man is attacking the world!"

AFO seeing this was mildly confused as he thought he was just a vigilante like the rest but that was not the case right here.

But what saw next on the screen shocked him to his core. He saw the video footage of Iron Man fighting against the Humanize Terrorist Cult using the quirk <One for All> as he has recognized that quirk for the longest time fighting all of their users.

Glancing at the scene AFO for the first time in a long while was honestly surprised seeing the screen in front of him that he smiles maliciously at the results of the fight finally finding the thief as he spoke with excitement, "<One for All>… that rat has found the way to obtain what I have longed for… It looks like I might need a change of plans to get this one. After the attack of the Yakuza, he would surely have the <Foresight> quirk so how about using that quirk against him instead."

With that AFO began to make some calls to prepare for the setup to meet the person in question as he wanted to know how the rat obtained <One for All>…

~Flashback End~

…

…

~Third POV~

After listening to everything that AFO has said to Jason he was just stunned at how far AFO thought this much ahead just to set up a meeting with him. All of that just shook Jason of how far AFO was willing to go just for him.

Widely grinning at the scene in front of Jason being completely shocked seeing that everything he did just to meet him he spoke filled with confidence as he summarized everything, "But the day that my power didn't connect to you happen I had an idea if this thief managed to seal even I from my mindscape and made it their own I had to meet this person but that was when your feats were shown throughout social media. Especially the feats using the power of <One for All> I recognize that power even weakens I saw it being used along with my quirk <All for One>."

Listening even more to his words Jason couldn't help but feel devastated of how lost to a battle of brains with AFO was and how unmatched he was against people like him, "When I first saw it as well as realized that each victim has all the telltale signs of my quirk being used. I realized that this person in front of the screen is the rat. So, I organized a setup with a false trap while you were listening in from the cameras that my plan was the quirk amplifier. However, in actuality, it was all for the chance just to get you by yourself when you felt confident about taking on the people I had on hand. And you with that <Foresight> quirk only made it all the easier for you to be here."

Jason on his part was just stunned as to how far AFO went towards just to get him by himself and he feel for it hook line and sinker. Jason has thought with everything he had he thought he was well prepared against people like AFO in the future…

Now looking back on it to the present he was just fooling himself on how far AFO was willing to go for just for him and now he's here by himself standing at the man who orchestrated everything just for him to be here.

AFO soon gave Iron Man a chance as he spoke confidently at him with an open hand, "Now then Iron Man I leave you two choices. One you willingly hand over the <One for All> quirk to me or rather be tortured to give up your quirks and powers? Which will it be?"

Iron Man returns his gaze as he was done being scared as he responded to AFO while he was controlling Nine's body, "Yeah… no. how about you have a taste of this."

*PEW*

Shooting out a repulsor blaster at Nine body he merely raised his hand on the blast leaving Jason surprised what happened next left Jason in a completely unfavorable situation…

*Vroom*

Next, he saw that the repulsor blast was absorbed into his body as AFO mocks Iron Man of his preparation in advance, "<Energy Absorption> this quirk allows me to absorb any kind of energy known to man. Kinetic, electrical, thermal, nuclear, and so much more. This quirk alone is more than enough for the likes of you boy."

Listening to this Jason could only scowl inside his mask as he thought to himself with the clear worry of what that quirk can shut him down, 'Great now I have to deal with his ultimate bullshit defense. I was wondering where that one looked like I now know, guess AFO took all the good ones in the past to here should've figured that much. Now I just have to find out how to defeat him.'