The BalanceKeeper

The infirmary carried the sharp scent of antiseptic, mingled with damp rust. Shadows shifted under flickering bulbs as ten children lay on cots, their veins faintly pulsing from Varn's quirk amplifiers. Kael stood at the threshold, his eyes clouded with resolve.

His lean, pale face tightened beneath a dark coat. Two weeks ago, All for One's beast took his mentor, thrusting him into this leadership role. These kids, rescued from Varn's cages, rested in his care now, their fragile trust a silent burden.

Dr. Sato moved carefully between cots, adjusting an IV on the sparking boy. Small arcs of energy licked at the cot's edge, a sign of the power tearing through him. The temporal girl lay still nearby, her breath uneven, a faint flicker of time hovering around her fragile form.

Mira lingered by a rusted cabinet, her silence heavy with concern. Reina rested against a concrete wall, mist curling slowly at her wrists, frustration brewing over Kael's measured commands. The air felt thick with unspoken tension, a weight pressing on them all.

Sato paused, his voice low and steady as he turned from the monitor. "They're breaking down, Kael. Their bodies can't withstand these amplified quirks—they're burning out from within." He met Kael's gaze, his expression grave, a quiet plea in his eyes. "You need to take their quirks. It's the only way to save them."

Kael's jaw clenched, his fingers brushing the tracker in his pocket. The twisted-hand symbol stared back at him, a silent threat, and the task ahead echoed his deeper purpose he kept from the children. "How bad is it?" he asked, his voice slow, laced with a quiet ache that he couldn't fully hide.

Sato gestured toward the sparking boy, his tone deliberate and measured. "Pretty bad. Have you ever heard of the term Quirk Singularity? It's when your powers are outpacing your biology. Varn's amplifiers have pushed them too far, causing cell damage, fevers, and the threat of seizures." He nodded at the monitor, its erratic graph pulsing like a failing heart. "Your Balancekeeper can strip their quirks, giving their bodies a chance to heal and recover strength."

Kael drew a slow breath, the weight of Balancekeeper settling heavily on his shoulders. He studied the children—the boy's trembling hands, the girl's flickering outline, the other kids who were barely conscious—and a pang of sorrow struck him deep. This moment felt like a shadow of the path he walked alone, a future only he truly understood.

"Are you certain?" he asked, his voice softening, almost hesitant as he sought reassurance. Sato nodded, his face etched with regret, the lines deepening with each word. "They won't survive another day, Kael. It's their only hope, and time is slipping away."

Kael stepped to the boy's cot, **Courage** calming the storm in his chest with a steady pulse. "I'm going to take your quirks," he said, kneeling with gentle intent, his tone careful and warm. "The pain will fade, and you'll be safe—I promise you that with all I have. Please, forgive me."

The boy's lips trembled, his spark dimming as he looked up with fragile hope. "You saved us from Varn… thank you," he whispered, his voice barely audible. The temporal girl nodded weakly, her eyes meeting his with quiet gratitude. "No more hurt… thank you, Kael."

The others murmured their thanks, a soft chorus that pierced his heart like a blade. They saw a savior, blind to the broader intent he carried, a secret he kept from them. He placed a hand on the boy's arm, feeling the warmth of his skin.

**Balancekeeper** drew the sparking quirk into his core, a surge of energy joining his forty others with a faint hum. The boy sighed, his veins fading, his face relaxing into peace as the strain lifted. Kael moved to the temporal girl next, her flicker vanishing as he took her quirk, her eyes clearing with quiet relief.

One by one, he stripped their powers, each touch adding to the weight on his soul. The infirmary fell silent, the hum of quirks replaced by gentle breaths and the steady drip of water. He paused between each child, giving himself a moment to steady his resolve.

Mira stepped closer, her voice soft but firm, carrying a note of worry. "You saved them, Kael, but I can see it's taking its toll on you—don't shut me out. Don't shut us out. We all have your back remember that." Her protector's instinct warred with the burden he bore, a silent conflict that deepened the space between them.

'The more and more I take, the more of the original user's thoughts and feelings overwhelm me. If I don't find a solution to this soon, then I'm afraid..'

The stronger Kaels body became, the more Quirks he could handle at a time, and the less voices he heard. But during his trek to save Voidflare, and after his sacrifice, he didn't care about that anymore. All he wanted was power, and because of that insatiable hunger for it, he ended up taking on twenty plus new quirks that he had zero time to practice and train with before using them.

That's the reason Kael takes and stores them first before testing them out on his own time. As seen in his fight vs the Nomu, Kael kept using Quirks at random that had insufferable consequences to using them and the cost of doing so what almost his life.

There were also Quirks like Ryken that he could use now at its full potential, meaning he instantly gains mastery over it now, but because the Quirk was heavily required on just taking hits which was against Kaels fighting style, he still hasn't used it yet in battle.

Kael kept his gaze on the cots, his voice barely a murmur as he wrestled with his thoughts. "This is what I'll do… for everyone, to end this cycle of pain." The realization settled over him, cold and unyielding, their gratitude a mirror to the future path he envisioned. Sadness deepened, a shadow he would carry forward, a burden he would never voice.

Reina let out a slow breath, her mist flaring briefly as she shifted her weight. "You're carrying so much weight on your shoulders, Kael. Let us stand beside you, or you'll end up breaking under the weight before we're even ready to fight All for One." Her voice softened, carrying a rare warmth that broke through her frustration. "They're alive because of you—hold onto that strength, it's what keeps us going."

Kael nodded, the sadness lingering as his confidence steadied under her words. His resolve remained grounded and resolute, a quiet strength born from their trust. Kael turned to Sato, who offered him a tablet with a steady hand, the device cool against his palm. "We'll hold position for now," he said, his tone measured but firm, a leader's decision shaped by the day's events. Reina nodded, stepping back from the wall, her Blood Haze dissipating as the immediate need to scout faded.

Kael set the tablet aside, his mind shifting to the safety his recent hack ensured. He had altered the tracker to broadcast his location in the middle of the ocean, a clever misdirection that bought them time against All for One's reach. The infirmary's silence held, the children's steady breathing a testament to his earlier efforts.

Mira remained by the cots, her hand still on the temporal girl's shoulder, offering quiet comfort. Sato joined her, checking the monitors with a satisfied nod, his work on the base's systems nearing completion. The air felt thick with anticipation, a turning point lingering just out of sight.

Kael rose, his black eyes scanning the room, faded white roots catching the dim light. "Gather the others," he said to Mira and Reina, his voice carrying a quiet authority. His lean, scarred face set with resolve, he prepared to address his 40 followers scattered throughout Zone Blackridge.

Word spread quickly through the underground base, the rustling of movement echoing in the tunnels. Followers emerged from shadowed corners, their faces a mix of exhaustion and hope, gathering around the infirmary's threshold. Kael stepped forward, his dark coat brushing the floor.

He raised a hand, silencing the murmurs, his tone steady and deliberate. "We've taken a step forward today—saved these children, stripped their quirks to give them life again." His voice deepened, carrying the weight of their shared struggle. "But the fight isn't over, not even close, but All for One's shadow still looms."

Kael paused, letting his words settle, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "I've hacked the tracker All for One planned for me to find. Luckily, it shows me at the bottom of the ocean, a shield to keep us hidden." A ripple of relief passed through the followers, their shoulders relaxing slightly. "This buys us time, but we must use it wisely. Now that All for One knows about our intervention in his plans and that we've infiltrated his city, there's no doubt in my mind that he's just going to sit back and watch."

He stepped closer, his presence grounding them. "We will lay low, strengthen our resolve, and wait until the time is right to strike which is going to be soon." His voice grew firm, a promise forged in steel. "When that moment comes, we'll rise as one, take the fight to Varn, and end this oppression once and for all!"

A murmur of agreement rose, the followers' spirits lifting under his leadership. As Kael spoke, a low hum began to build, the sound of machinery stirring to life. TVs flickered on along the walls, monitors glowed with static, and lights brightened the tunnels.

Dr. Sato stepped forward, a rare smile breaking his weary face. "The power's online—my work on the generators paid off at last." The base thrummed with energy, a stark contrast to its former gloom. "We've got lights, communication, and data now—tools to plan our next move."

Kael nodded, his confidence bolstered by the sudden surge. "This is our foundation, a sign we're not just surviving—we're building something stronger." His sadness lingered, a shadow over his resolve, but the machinery's hum fueled his hope. "Rest tonight, train tomorrow, and trust in each other."

The followers dispersed, their steps lighter with the base alive around them. Mira approached Kael, her voice soft but firm. "They needed this, Kael—you gave them purpose." Her protector's instinct shone through, a quiet support in the moment.

Kael met her gaze, his voice low. "It's a start, but the cost weighs on me—these kids, the quirks I took." The realization of his path settled, a duality of salvation and sacrifice. "We'll honor it by being ready when the time comes."

Reina lingered nearby, her mist curling faintly. "You're always trying to protect us, Kael, but don't forget we're here to protect you too." Her frustration eased into solidarity. "This power changes things—let's use it."

Kael acknowledged her with a nod, his mind turning to the future. He used Quickcode, accessing the tablet to check the hacked tracker's feed, confirming the ocean signal held. Scenttrace picked up the faint ozone of the newly powered systems, a fresh scent in the stale air.

The base's revival offered a strategic edge, a chance to analyze The Broker's data. He opened a crate with Lockwhisper, revealing supplies and a coded note amid the rust. Quickcode unraveled it with care, the words emerging slowly.

"Varn's harvest moves tomorrow—hospital ward," it revealed, The Broker's taunt hanging like a challenge. The message was a call to action, a thread to pull in their fight against Varn's cruelty.

His breath caught, the kids' peaceful faces flashing in his mind. He had saved ten tonight, their gratitude a lifeline amid his sorrow, a quiet strength to draw upon. Others remained trapped in Varn's pipeline, their suffering a constant pull, but the base's power gave him pause.

The hospital loomed ahead, a battle he couldn't rush into without preparation. His confidence remained anchored by his followers' trust, though sadness lingered, a shadow over his resolve. This path of stripping quirks was both salvation and sacrifice, a burden he carried for them all.

Shadows whispered in the tunnels, rain hissed above, and the hum of machinery filled the air. Embers stirred in the dark, a quiet promise of the fight to come, now backed by the base's newfound life.

…