Chapter 10: The Rise Before the Fall
Izuku stares angrily at the bright red marks maring his arm, tears welling in his eyes. He pinches the area around them, frowning as blood sluggishly wells up in the center of each cut, still not clotting over yet.
Why… why are some of the other kids so mean?
Two of his classmates had cornered the now nine year old after school, and decided to, in their words, give him a preview of what would happen to him once he gets caught by the heroes for helping the villains.
By beating him in an alley.
Izuku's not even sure why they kept insisting on that stupid rumor. He never helped the villains, but despite his pleading and begging they never listened. They were just so stubborn-
But that doesn't matter now. After they had finally left, he had pulled himself off the ground, wincing at the pain radiating off of him. Everything felt sore, and he grit his teeth so as to not cry out as he slid his jacket on, covering the bruise while he began to walk home.
His mother doesn't question the jacket anymore; Izuku naturally runs colder than most thanks to his quirk sapping his heat after he uses it, so it's easy to make an excuse that his mom believes. It will be easy to cover the bruises until they fade.
But that doesn't cover the two long, angry cuts decorating his upper arm like demented war paint.
He sighs, face pinched as he looks over his small pile of first aid material he managed to grab.
He can't keep stealing from the first aid kit if he wants it to still have supplies when he really needs it. He's already run out of band aids that could be big enough to cover these scratches, which means he'll have to turn to the gauze. However, he's not the best at wrapping it without it becoming bulky, and he doesn't want to risk it bulging through his jacket.
Normally they don't leave such… permanent marks when they get physical. Too big of a risk, if he had to guess.
Izuku can't have it bleeding through onto his jacket, though, so he's just going to have to suck it up and use the gauze.
After five minutes of clumsily wrapping, another thing he can't help since he is having to do this with his nondominant hand, he secures it in place, only half certain that it won't unwrap while he sleeps. Then he slips on a long sleeve shirt, barely pausing to check to see if it covers everything properly before moving on.
Now, he's good to start meditating.
Instead of going into his usual crossed sitting position, he opts to instead lay on his back, to sore for anything else. The Iris's warmth surrounds him, taking the edge off the pain until it finally overwhelms everything for a moment. He opens his eyes to the monastery, quickly running inside. He's lucky his pain doesn't carry over to the Iris, or that would make running much more difficult.
"Zenyatta!" He calls out cheerfully, after dashing through the halls and making his way to their favorite training room. He throws open the door, revealing the omnic exactly where he thought he would be. "Sorry I was late, I got a little preoccupied." He admits rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and looking down for a moment.
"Greetings Mi… Midoriya?" Zenyatta's voice has taken a strange tone, but Izuku thinks nothing of it until Zenyatta gets up suddenly, at his side in an instant and his hands on Izuku's shoulder.
Izuku startles at the sudden contact, and the fact that Zenyatta is directly in his face, head tilted down as he looks over Izuku.
"My student, what happened?!" The alarm is clear in Zenyatta's voice, and the omnic gently wraps a hand around Izuku's own, lifting it slightly and angling it into the light.
Izuku cringes, confusion immediately growing inside him as his eyes widen, trained immediately on what is causing Zenyatta's panic.
He didn't put on the right shirt.
Oh no! No! Why now!!
Normally when it's this bad, Izuku puts on his favorite long sleeve shirt before he goes to sleep, that way if his mom walks in to wake him up in the morning she won't see anything. It also doubles as a way to hide it from Zenyatta, since he always appears wearing what he has on in the real world while in the Iris.
But in his haste to see Zenyatta, he realizes the shirt he put on was not what he had originally thought. Instead, the sleeves barely manage to go past his elbows, leaving a dark ring of bruises on full display.
"OH- I- um- I just-" He stammers, tears starting to slip silently down his face as he plasters on a fake smile.
"It's ok Midoriya." Zenyatta interrupts quietly, leading him over to a wooden chair and gently pushing him into it. "Can you tell me what happened?" He repeats.
Zenyatta tugs his sleeve up a little more, finally coming across the sloppy mess of bandages wrapped around his arm. He freezes.
"... ...Midoriya?"
Izuku's eyes are glued to the ground, unwilling to meet Zenyatta's gaze.
He feels locked in place. Shame courses though him, but he can't figure out why. Or is it fear? His emotions feel like a confusing blur right now, indistinguishable from each other.
"Midoriya, wha-"
Izuku's face twists.
"I- I'm sorry!!" He wails, tears falling in an unstoppable onslaught. He's shaking now, every gasp of air coming too quickly but it's still not enough, he's getting dizzy.
A pair of metal hands take his in their own, the coolness of each a stark contrast to his almost feverish warmth. Zenyatta's talking to him again, but he can't make out the words.
"Midoriya. Midori- ...Izuku, can you breathe?" He finally hears after what feels like forever. He nods, looking up wearily.
Zenyatta is seated in front of him, his grid a dim blue that flashes every few seconds. He's half hunched forward, as if he wants to get closer but is stopping himself. "Ok, just give yourself a few minutes. It's ok, just relax."
Izuku agrees with that idea, eyes shutting for a few minutes, shaking his head from side to side slightly to try and collect his thoughts.
They are both silent for a moment.
"...my student, would you like to tell me about all of this?" The concern is ill hidden in Zenyatta's tone, and Izuku sucks in a breath. "I won't make you, but I don't want you to go though whatever it is alone."
Izuku opens his mouth, but he can't make any words fall out of his mouth.
What does he want to say?
He's fine? He certainly doesn't feel fine. He feels tired in a way that probably isn't normal for an eight year old, and now that his secret is out in the open, he's frustrated.
Izuku just wants- he wants-
He wants to talk.
So he does.
Once he does, he can't stop. He spills all that the other kids at school have done, why they won't talk to him at best or leave him hurting and bruised on days like today. Why he doesn't tell the teachers, because they don't do anything. Why he just wants to be their friend again, but why can't they see that!?He's not a villain, why don't they believe him!
Izuku does leave some things out though. He can't bring himself to say how Kacchan said he- he can't be a hero. Something about that conversation makes him scared; what if he voices his concerns, and they tell him that Kacchan is right?
That he can't be a hero?
He doesn't think Zenyatta would say that, at least not to his face, but better safe than sorry.
Zenyatta is silent throughout Izuku's whole rant. He rubs small circles into the back of Izuku's hands, hopefully a show of support because Izuku doesn't know what he's going to do if Zenyatta doesn't believe him.
He has to.
After Izuku is finally done, breathless and red faced because he was starting to get angry there at the end, Zenyatta looks down.
"Midoriya, I'm so sorry my student."
Izuku holds his breath, waiting and watching with wide eyes for any rejection.
"I should have noticed something earlier. I'm sorry you had to go through this alone."
He felt like he could pass out from relief. Zenyatta believes him.
"It ok-"
"It is not ok." The omnic firmly cuts off, his shoulders falling for a moment. "I… wish there is more I could have done to help you Midoriya. Their behavior is unacceptable, understood?"
He nods hesitantly, which seems to satisfy Zenyatta for a moment.
"Have… you told your mom about this?"
Izuku blanches, then slowly shakes his head. Zenyatta drags a hand across his face for a moment, a move that is so unlike the omnic that it looks out of place.
"Midoriya, I need you to tell her."
Izuku almost jumps out of his seat, eyes widening and mouth open in protest, but Zenyatta raises a hand, effectively cutting him off.
"I can't do anything for you here Midoriya. The Iris may connect us, but we are still worlds apart. Please, for me, tell your mother." Zenyatta's glowing grid dims so much it almost looks as if the lights had turned off. "She can do what I cannot, and get you some real help."
The sadness is clear in Zenyatta's voice, and Izuku finds any protests he had fading away, unwilling to cause any more distress to his teacher
"I… Ok." Izuku wetly chokes out.
Zenyatta suddenly pulls him forward, pressing the boy against his chest as he wraps him in a hug. Izuku can't help himself; tears start flowing again, and he sniffles as he buries his head into the omnics chest, uncaring that the metal plating isn't the most comfortable.
He cries silently this time, clutching his teacher with an almost desperate strength. For the first time in years, Izuku finally feels free of something that's been weighing him down for far too long. He hadn't even realized how much hiding it hurt him until he suddenly wasn't hiding it anymore, finally being open with someone who actually believes him.
After a few minutes, Izuku reluctantly pulls away. At this point he's guaranteed to have gotten tears all over Zenyatta by now, and he's fairly certain he has a dent in his face from where he was leaning into the omnics metal plating.
Izuku laughs quietly. "You're lucky we are just in the Iris. If this was reality, I think I would be making you rust right now." He gestures embarrassedly at the visibly wet metal on Zenyatta's chest.
Zenyatta lets out the robotic equivalent of a snort, laying a hand on Izuku's head for a moment.
"My student, that's nowhere near the worst that's happened to me. Though, to be fair, I think it would be hard to beat being pushed into a vat of acid."
Izuku's head jerks up. He squints at Zenyatta for a moment.
"... ...really?"
Zenyatta nods sagely.
"A story for another time. You have something you were going to do, right?"
Izuku cringes.
"Yeah." He says softly. "I-I guess I should go now, huh."
Zenyatta stands, patting Izuku on the shoulder before taking a step back.
"Remember, she's your mother Midoriya. She wants what's best for you, she'll listen."
Izuku nods again glumly. It's not that he doesn't think she will believe him; it's just… he doesn't want to stress her. But if Zenyatta's right, then hiding it might make her reaction worse, so might as well tell her on his own terms.
The thought does little to quell Izuku's growing anxiety, however.
He leaves the Iris with little fanfare, just a quick wave and then Izuku is back in his room. Immediately he grabs the correct shirt, slipping it on and wincing at the twing it sends through his body. He burrows into his blankets, pulling them up around his head to try and stave off the worry.
He'll tell his mom… tomorrow.
__________
When Izuku stops Inko before she can leave in the morning, she doesn't thinks nothing about it. After all, her son always tries to get in a "Have a good day!" or some other cheery sentiment that always leaves her with a smile on her face.
But something about the look in his eyes, and the way he shuffles on his feet says that this conversation will not be one of their normal ones.
"C-Can I talk to you about something?" He asks nervously.
She nods with a smile, trying to stop her mouth from twisting into a worried frown. Hopefully it's just something minor-
Then Izuku starts talking, and Inko realizes something is so, so wrong.
How-
How could she have missed this?
How could she let her baby get so hurt?!
"Izuku I- '' Her voice cracks halfway through her sentence, and a sob breaks out of her throat. "I'm sorry!" She pulls her son into a tight hug, careful to avoid the cuts on his arm (she's going to rewrap that properly immediately afterwards, because she doesn't want to risk infection). Fear, sadness and anger tear a hole inside her.
There is so much she needs to fix, and she needs to start now. First things first, there is no way she's sending Izuku back to that hellhole; she'll take off as many days as needed, hell to work, until she can get him transferred to a new school, away from those monsters.
"You're not going to school today Izuku." She says with finality, cupping her son's face in her hands to get a better look at him. The relief in his expression breaks her heart a little more, something she didn't even think was possible.
Anger is starting to rise to the forefront of her mind. How dare they.
How dare they!?!
She's going to- going to-
Someones heads are going to roll.
Her child, her sweet Izuku being treated like a liar and a damn villain was not a problem she expected to arise from Izuku's quirk. She was hoping the worst of her troubles involving his school is maybe the kids being too nice to Izuku, or maybe treating him a little more fragile at worst.
But this?
All because the teachers seemed to be too incompetent to watch a handful of children.
Well, that ends today.
Chapter 11: Tragedy
As soon as Inko makes sure that Izuku is tucked into bed after their emotionally draining conversation, she's on her phone in a heartbeat. One cut phone call with a now traumatized receptionist ensure she had a meeting with the schools principal later in the afternoon.
She made sure to document every one of Izuku's bruises and cuts, so if they dare try and accuse her of lying… she will not hesitate to bring this to court.
In fact, she still might, but only after she makes sure Izuku is out of this horrible situation.
Priorities, after all.
Izuku sleeps for a solid hour, (another testament to how exhausted her poor boy must be), and when he finally stumbles sleepily out of his room, she asks him to sit down at their table. He looks around nervously as he does so, watching her warily.
"Sweetie, I'm going to go to school later this afternoon for a meeting with your principal." She explains slowly, and she doesn't miss his look of panic that flashes over his face. "I still have a few hours until I have to leave though, so would you like to go with me to get something to eat?"
Inko needs to do something to start making up her mistake to Izuku, since she already filled out the transfer paperwork for a nearby school she's going to send Izuku to now,and she's really not in the mood to eat anything now.
"D-don't you have to go to work though?" Izuku asks, and she shakes her head.
"I've called out for today."
Izuku pales. "Oh! I didn't mean to waste your time, I'm sor-" he suddenly rushes, but Inko frowns.
"No young man, this is not wasting my time." She explains firmly, taking one of Izuku's hands in her own. "We're going to get everything fixed up for you, ok? And this isn't your fault." She reminds, eyeing how Izuku looks like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar for some reason. "You're not in trouble, and I'm not mad at you, ok?"
At herself?
Yes.
At his teachers and classmates?
Absolutely
But never at Izuku, who's the only blameless one in the whole mess.
"Come on sweetie, I know there's a new bakery nearby that we could try?"
Izuku perks up, a small smile on his face that Inko returns gladly.
__________
The bakery is almost empty when she arrives, Izuku in tow behind her, and they both slip inside with little fanfare, immediately honing in on the display of desserts spread out in front of them. Cool air blew across the room, courtesy of a fan tucked into the corner, and they were almost able to see their reflections underneath them by how well polished the floor was as they slowly made their way to each glass cabinet to look inside.
Normally, Inko would try and encourage a healthier food for their almost lunch snack, but seeing Izuku eyeing the case full of cupcakes with such longing makes her splurge, getting them both a pair to eat. He ends up with two chocolate ones, frosting swirled on top with multicolored sprinkles nestled inside the grooves in the frosting. She takes a strawberry and a banana, the latter only because she always thought banana was a muffin flavor, not cupcake.
They both are delicious, however.
And of course she gets Izuku one of the All Might cookies.
They both leave in better spirits, Inko with the added bonus of a clearer mind. Going in guns blazing might not be the best tactic if she wants to get an admission of guilt from his teacher; heaven knows how many children went through the same thing Izuku did, only for their teachers to lie their asses off to cover themselves.
No, she would need to be a little more crafty in order to get what she wants from them.
Maybe she could ask Mitsuki for some help?
She had assumed that her friend's son must be in a different class now, considering that Izuku barely ever talks about him, but surely Katsuki might have seen or heard something, right? ...But if that was the case, wouldn't Katsuki tell his mom about it by now?
When they arrive back home, Inko helps Izuku set down his things before turning to leave once more, this time taking a small bag filled with paperwork she may need if this doesn't go smoothly.
"Izuku sweetie, this may take a few hours, but don't worry. I promise I won't make you go back to that awful school." Inko says softly, pulling Izuku forwards to part his fluffy, soft hair and press a kiss against his forehead.
Instantly Izuku wraps his arms around her, squeezing her in a hug that almost seems desperate, her own arms dropping down to return it.
"I'll be back soon, ok? Love you Izuku." She whispers, holding her son for one more moment before finally pulling back.
"Love you too mom." Izuku chokes, tears gather in his eyes again despite the wide smile on his face.
Walking out of their apartment, she is sure to lock the door behind her, double checking it to satisfy her paranoia. Taking a deep breath, she squares her shoulders, sets a determined expression on her face and begins the trek to Izuku's school.
The traffic isn't as bad as she thought it would be, considering it is midday and this part of town is usually full of vehicles. The sidewalks are crowded, however, and Inko is forced to stop multiple times due to the sheer amount of people blocking the way.
She frowns in irritation, taking a step back to try and get a better view.
Maybe if she goes down a side street she can get past-
Suddenly, the ground shakes.
It's not much, just the slightest tremor that she's only able to catch because she was already standing still, but Inko pauses in alarm. An earthquake?
The crowd around her apparently didn't feel the shake, as they are still walking around her, parting like water around a stone, and she almost thinks she was imagining the sensation when suddenly, a low pitched rumbling fills the air. It sounds… unnatural.
Inko's head snaps up as she looks around, others around her finally starting to realize something is wrong.
...why does the noise sound like it's coming from above-
She risks a glance up, and immediately pales, taking a step back in shock.
A man floats in the air, face covered by dark mask as he eyes the crowd as if they were ants, pure disdain in his gaze. Ratty, torn clothes make up the majority of his outfit, aside from the complicated looking gauntlets he wore on each hand. They are a shimmering red, and encase his wrists, but leave his palms uncovered, as if to reinforce them from something.
She's as frozen as the crowd around her, up until he opens his mouth.
"Yeah… you all will be a good distraction." He then smiles, twisted and bloodthirsty and absolutely dripping of malice.
The blood drains from Inko's face, and she realizes she needs to move, now. She turns, grabbing the person nearest to her in an attempt to save them as well and bolts. Something horrible is about to happen-
"RUN!!" She screeches.
Her sudden movement seems to break the crowd out of the terrified trace they have fallen into, and screams and shouts explode around her. A mix of names, wordless screams, and cries of "VILLAIN" and "SOMEONE GET A HERO" deafen all other noises so that she can't even make out the sound of her own shoes hitting the ground beneath her.
If she had been facing the villain, she would have seen the moment he drops from the sky. Hands outstretched beside him, he almost looks graceful before he slams into the ground, open palms slapping the ground.
And then, the world around her explodes.
_________
Inko thought dying would be a more profound experience.
The end of life, the last moments a human consciousness will spend on the earth always had a sense of macabre interest and mystery surrounding it, especially when she thought about her own inevitable death.
Maybe, if Inko got lucky, she wishes that she would die of old age, surrounded by her loved ones. Hopefully she could watch Izuku grow into the amazing person she knows he is going to be, and create a family of his own.
But as for the moment of death itself?
Would time slow down? Flash before her eyes like so many others have told her about before? A light at the end of the tunnel?
Maybe the biblical angels would appear to take her away, or perhaps her ancestors would come to welcome her into the afterlife. Or would she simply drift away, as if nodding off to sleep as darkness overtakes her sight?
So she always approached death with a vague idea of what would happen.
None of those things are occuring, however.
But that doesn't change the fact that she's dying.
As she lays there, broken and bloody among the rubble of a villain attack, Inko realizes that none of her wishes will come true. Her eyes stare blankly at the blue sky above her, her vision growing hazy around the edges.
All of this destruction around her, the police and hero's will later find out, was to occupy the hero's time so that the villain's friends could rob a bank. Armed with unstable and experimental enhancing technology, he destroys an entire block, razed to the ground, from the initial shockwave. In the end, however, his friends weren't even able to make it to the bank, getting caught before they could even enter the premises.
Her death is truly for nothing, as not even the villain got what he needed out of it.
A wet feeling trickles down her face, but she doesn't even have the strength to even attempt to wipe at it, unable to see if it's tears or blood as more thoughts float forward in her cloudy mind.
She'll never get to see Izuku grow old.
The rebar sticking out of her chest ensures that.
No visions appear, no heavenly song or ancient beings coming to comfort her in her final moments. The only noise that manages to reach her ears are her own wet, pained gasps and the distance sirens slowly approaching.
Her final thoughts fall on a now broken promise. Izuku is going to be sent back to that school, won't he?
She failed.
Her last gasp manages to choke out the name of her son, and then her eyes slip shut.
…
...
Inko Midoriya dies alone.
_________
Izuku is worried.
For one, his mom is taking way too long in her meeting with him principal. He was hoping that she would be back in maybe two to three hours, but the sun is already setting now, and he sees no sign of her.
And to make matters worse, the Iris is… restless. It swirls inside him, shifting and spinning in a way that is distracting as he sits and watches TV, waiting. It's not outright communicating with him, no words or foreign feelings appearing in his mind like it did the few times he was in actual danger, but he can't help but be put on edge.
It's almost as if the Iris is giving him a warning, and he wrings his hands in worry more than once.
He tries to distract himself. He looks through his hero notebooks, updating his entries when he catches any discrepancies or outdated information. When that's done, he alternates between sitting on the couch and completing his homework (which, he guesses he doesn't need to do if he's never going to go back, but it's distracting so might as well) and reading on the computer, going through his favorite hero forums for anything new.
At one point Izuku starts to get hungry enough that he can't ignore it any longer, so he goes through the refrigerator and microwaves the first leftover rice he finds, making sure to put his plate in the sink afterwards.
Then back to tv. There is news of a villain attack, but he turns it off when it starts showing the aftermath. Mom always said it wasn't good to watch that sort of stuff, and he wasn't going to risk her coming home to him going against her wishes.
So Izuku sits.
And waits.
At one point he must have fallen asleep, exhaustion getting the better of him, because he's startled awake by a rapid knocking. His mom must be home!
Green eyes blinking rapidly, he rushes to the door, but pauses just before opening it. Why would his mom need to knock? Did she lose her keys?
As if to answer his question, a voice calls out behind the door.
"Izuku, if- if you're in there, can you open the door for me?"
Auntie Mitsuki?
Izuku cracks the door, peeking out behind it so that just his head is visible.
Mitsuki is there, looking back at him with a small smile that does nothing to hide her puffy, red eyes and pained expression. Izuku's eyes widen. It looks so out of place on her usual cheery or angry face that it instantly sets him on edge.
Behind her are two somber looking police officers, both doing their best to avoid eye contact with the nine year old, one staring intently at the floor while the other studied the wall as if it were an ancient manuscript.
But there is no sign of his mom.
"A-Auntie?" He asks shakily, pulling the door fully open but still clutching the handle with a white knuckle grip. "Where's mom?"
Mitsuki burst into tears.
"Izuku, come here." She says through her sobs, holding her hands out in front of her and dropping to a knee. "I-I need to tell you something, but not here, ok? You're going back to my house for a while, just until-" she chokes suddenly, and one of the officers steps forward to pat her on the shoulder.
Izuku's own eyes start watering as well.
Something is wrong.
He leaves in a daze, grabbing only his pillow, blanket and extra set of clothes before being bundled into the back of a police car, Mitsuki settling in beside him.
He asks at one point if he's in trouble, since why else would he be in a police car, but she just shakes her head and says that they offered to take her to pick him up.
When he arrives at her house, he hesitates for a moment. What if Kacchan is angry at him for showing up unannounced? But when he steps inside, he sees no signs of Kacchan or Masaru, the home empty except for him and Mitsuki.
Still no sign of his mother.
"Izuku sweetie, can you sit down for a minute? We need to talk."
And it's there that Izuku learns there will never be another sign of Inko.
Chapter 12: Abandonment and Introductions
Izuku stays at the Bakugou's for a week while he waits for his father to come back from America. The absolute despair that he feels combined with the crushing feeling that seems to have taken permanent residence in his chest means he doesn't care who is coming for him.
The only one that he wants is dead.
The funeral is small, and they have it in the early morning, leaving the rest of the day for mourning. Izuku feels so hollow as he stares blankly at his mother's tombstone, tears running endlessly and silently down his face.
And then one week turns into two, and Kacchan inevitably comes back from where his father had taken him to give Izuku some space. Luckily, the blond says nothing, leaving Izuku to cry in peace and says none of his usual comments.
Maybe it's because of his own tear tracks that Kacchan unsuccessfully hides. Izuku isn't the only one who loved Inko.
After all, Kacchan did call her auntie.
One night, when Izuku's cries must have been too loud despite his attempts to muffle them, Kacchan suddenly opens the door of the guest room he was staying in. They both stare silently at each other for a moment, the dim light from the hall barely illuminating the two. Izuku was certain he was about to be yelled at, when suddenly the blond stalks forward, plops onto the bed beside Izuku, and unceremoniously dumped his blankets on top of Izuku. Before he can even muster the courage to ask why Kacchan decided to barge in, the explosive boy is already out, and the residual warmth from Kacchan lulls him to sleep as well.
The next day, Kacchan was gone, and Izuku wasn't really sure what to think.
When two weeks turn to three, and Izuku's father still shows no signs of turning up. He hears the whispers that Mitsuki and Marsaru exchange later in the nights, Mitsuki calling his dad's a number of creative insults while Masaru tries to calm her.
If Izuku had a say in it, he wouldn't go back to his dad. He doesn't really know the man outside of two pictures and the stories his mom told him, and he feels like he's going to a stranger when he would rather stay with the Bakugou's, even if Kacchan is starting to get snippy with him again.
But he doesn't have a say in it, and then one day Mitsuki is helping him pack the last of his things to go back to his apartment.
"Goodbye kiddo." She says sadly, and Izuku doesn't even need the Iris to feel the pure sadness she feels when she looks at him. He nods slowly, not sure what else to say as she guides him to a car, him climbing into the backseat while she gets into the front and starts to drive.
__________
When Izuku meets Hisashi for the first time (that he remembers that is), he's not sure what to make of him.
He's moderately tall, with black hair that is fluffy like Izuku's own, and a plain face. His muddy brown eyes border closer to a red tone, almost as if clay colored, and wrinkles are already set into the creases of his face.
In fact, his whole expression seems to be set in a semi scowl, and Izuku feels small when the man finally turns his gaze in Izuku after Mitsuki leaves.
They both study each other for a moment, green eyes staring up into brown.
Suddenly, Hisashi scrubs a hand over his face and lets out a frustrated sigh.
"Listen kid, this is a horrible situation as is, so let's work out a deal." He eyes Izuku once more, this time studying him like a bug under a microscope that makes Izuku want to shiver.
"I can't stay here with my job, but you're old enough, right? You don't need me around to baby you, so I'm going to be out of town for most of the time."
Izuku frowns at that, opening his mouth to protest, but is interrupted by Hisashi.
"I'll be leaving tonight." He holds out his hand, a small card in it, and Izuku takes it with narrowed eyes. "Call me if you must, but try not to bother me. I'm going to be pretty busy most of the time."
He gives Izuku a look that screams of irritation, as if warning him against doing something that the man may deem irritating.
It's then that Izuku decides that he doesn't like Hisashi that much.
__________
Izuku spends the entire next month alone.
He has to start school back, and everyone gives him even more space than normal. The teacher pulls him aside, offering their condolences and asking if there is anything that they could do for him.
For once, Izuku thinks they are being genuine, but he shakes his head.
There isn't anything that they could do anyways.
The school days go by in a blur, and then Izuku is faced with a new problem.
He doesn't know how to wash his clothes.
He had been cycling through his old pairs, but some were starting to noticeably smell. Also, someone dumped soy sauce on his extra uniform, so he was stuck using the same one every day.
So after school on friday Izuku sits down, gets on the computer, and starts researching how to use a laundry machine.
He's lucky that their-
...his apartment has a washer and dryer that came with it. All he has to do is figure out what to put in it, and for how long.
Eventually he does it! His clothes are washed and dried, but as hes pulling them out of the dryer the smell reminds him so much of his mom that he ends up cryinf all over his fresh shirts.
Then, he stands and methodically folds everything, placing it in its respective drawers, and pulls out a fresh notebook. He titles it "Home notes", because he's not sure what else to call it, and makes the first entry about how to do laundry.
When it's time to finally go to sleep, he turns on the tv and sets the volume on low. It was too quiet without it.
Hisashi said he would be coming by to check on him in a few weeks. Izuku should last until then;but then again, he's not good at judging how long food will take him.
But he's little and doesn't eat much anyway, but he should be fine, right?
He tries to remember things he used to see his mom doing around the house; little chores or tasks that made the area nice and neat. But it's hard, because every time Izuku starts thinking too much about her, he starts crying. So he instead tries to push it aside, instead devoting himself completely to the task at hand.
But he should have known ignoring it for so long would have consequences. A dam can only hold back so much water after all.
Midway through washing the dishes one night, something Izuku used to do with his mom almost every night, he is struck by a memory so sharp and vivid that he collapses on the table. He stares blankly down at the small cup cradled in his hands, still dirty with dishwater. A thought pops into his head unannounced.
Inko had gotten it for him on his last birthday.
...She will never be there for any of his birthdays ever again.
The dam breaks.
Tears stream down his face, and he sobs as he buries his face into his arms.
He misses her so much. Why- why did she have to go? Why did she deserve to die like that!?
And why did he have to open his mouth!? It's his fault, if only he had just shut up and stopped being a damn wimp, but he didn't, and now his mom is deadbecause of it!
Izuku can barely breath now; hiccups interrupt his loud cries as he digs his nails into his arms and squeezing his bloodshot eyes shut, falling out of the chair and onto the floor as violent shakes wrack his form.
He doesn't even try to get up, wheezing and eyes shut so tightly he can see spots. His cheek presses against the hardwood flooring, a rapidly growing spot of wetness just serving as a reminder of how he has yet to stop crying.
Izuku curls up into a ball, prying his hands off his arms and threading them into his hair.
If he had just gone with her, he could have saved her. He could have healed her, and she would be fine and safe and alive-
But instead he let her die.
A hysterical scream bubbles out of his throat. One of the only people with a power that was able to save her, Inko's own son, was too weak, to slow, to useless-
In his panic, Izuku doesn't even realize the Iris's presence growing within him, churning and threatening to burst free as his own distress grows, until it finally explodes out, casting the room into a brilliant gold. Izuku scrambles back in surprise, pushing himself up with his hands from his crumpled position on the floor.
THAT IS ENOUGH!
A phantom voice pierces his head, somehow sounding concerned yet angry at the same time as the words echo in his skull.
Before Izuku can react, the light around him suddenly rushes back at him. He can't even attempt to dodge, just barely bracing himself for whatever happens when the Iris slams back into him.
And then everything goes dark.
__________
"-idoriya? Midoriya my student, please wake up."
Blearily Izuku cracks open his eyes, green eyes staring blankly at the sky above him. A familiar, but blurry face suddenly fills his vision, and his eyes slid slowly over to finally settle on Zenyatta.
The omnic is leaning over him, and Izuku blinks up at the strange angle until he realizes belatedly that he's laying flat on his back, his back uncomfortable on the hard stone but his head resting on something soft.
"Oh thank goodness." Zenyatta says, tilting his head back for a moment as if thanking an unseen deity.
Or maybe the Iris, considering Zenyatta's whole monk job.
"Can you get up?" The omnic asks gently, his concern clear by the way he hovered over him, hands outstretched as if to help Izuku but not wanting to overstep. Tears well in Izuku's eyes, and he shakes his head.
Zenyatta pauses, before reluctantly letting his hands drop back to his sides.
Izuku pointedly looks away, tears still streaming silently as he first propes himself up on his elbows, then pushes himself into a sitting position. His eyes remain firmly trained on anything tht wasn't Zenyatta, unable to bear the sight of his teacher's worry. He can't break down here again, because last time-
Last time-
Last time he was here was the day before his mother died.
That was over two months ago-
"Izuku..."
Izuku's head finally snaps up at his given name, eyes widening slightly. Zenyatta grabs his shoulders, his grip tight and almost desperate as he searches Izuku's face, somehow seeming so desperate even without any visual cues.
"What happened?" Something in the omnics' shaky tone made Izuku's breath hitch. "Where did you go, I was so worried!"
More tears fill Izuku's eyes, and he almost bits his lip to try and keep silent, mouth pressed into a thin line.
He didn't even consider what Zenyatta would think about his disappearance. He worried his teacher so much, because he was being selfish and the omnic was probably under the impression that Izuku died or something, but it's not Izuku that's dead, it's Inko, all because Izuku is too-
"Hey, my student, breathe. Just breathe, don't think right now." Zenyatta's voice cuts through his spirling thought, and Izuku forces himself to comply.
Right, he's not going to break down here. He's not. He's not.
"Midoriya… please talk to me."
He's not-
"I'm sorry if I upset you last time we talked. I promise you Midoriya if I made you uncomfortable or sad I'll do everything to prevent that from happening again."
He's n-
Wait… Zenyatta thinks it's his fault?!
"NO! No no, Zenyatta, it's not you!!" He exclaims, horror in his watery eyes as he shakes his head rapidly. "You didn't do anything! I just-" The words die in his throat.
How does he explain?
"I just... don't know." His voice cracks, and Izuku breaks.
__________
After a broken explanation filled with tears and a few pauses to catches Izuku's breath, Zenyatta ends up picking him up and carrying him, still sobbing, through the monetary and into one of the rooms with a bed, pulling a blanket up over him before running of to who knows where.
The gesture almost makes him burst back into tears again, so similar to something his mom would do on a particularly bad day that Izuku is struck with another wave of longing and pain that makes him whimper.
The Iris seems more active again now that Izuku has finished with his breakdown, small orbs appearing and floating up around him. He tries to push them away at first, but they simply dodge his hands and remain glued to his side, and he eventually gives up. Besides, while the Iris can't heal him, the small feeling of peace that the light gives works even on him as well, and Izuku can't deny the small comfort after feeling so awful.
He lays there for who knows how long, until he falls asleep and wakes up to the cold, hard floor of his kitchen underneath him.
A quick glance at the clock reveals it is 1:30 in the morning, and Izuku grimaces, already feeling the soreness from laying on the ground for so long. Izuku picks himself up and drags himself to his bed, collapsing on top and for the first time in a month, goes to sleep without a single tear being shed. He was too tired to even try and cry at this point.
At least it's a Friday night, so he doesn't have to worry about going to school the next morning.
When he wakes up in the morning, feeling considerably more refreshed than the last few days, the first emotion that goes through his mind once he is awake enough to process it is embarrassment.
He just cried on Zenyatta for at LEAST an hour! And then he just left! No warning!
How could he be so rude! ...well, to be fair, he didn't leave the Iris on purpose, because he did fall asleep, but what if he worried Zenyatta again? He needs to go clear things up right away.
But first, as Izuku's rumbling stomach informs him, he needs to eat something.
He eats the last of the cereal, without any milk because he used it all two weeks ago, and once he feels steady enough to stand he goes and sits on the couch, crossing his legs and getting ready to start meditating.
...Would Zenyatta even be there if he comes at a different time? Eh… probably.
The Iris sweeps him away even faster than normal, as if happy to have him back again, and literally seconds later he is standing in front of Zenyatta.
Well, at least he wouldn't have to go track the monk down this time.
"Zenyatta-" "Midoriya-" They both start, then pause, waiting for the other to continue. After a few moments of awkwardly staring at each other, Zenyatta decides to break silence with a slight cough.
"Midoriya, I'm so sorry." Zenyatta bows low, grid flaring blue for a moment. "I wish I could do more for you, my student, but please." He steps forward and places a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Don't ever be afraid to talk to me. I want to do my best to help you, ok?"
Izuku gulps, before slowly nodding.
He's not sure if he wants to do that though. After all, with what happened last time he opened his mouth…
But Zenyatta sounds so serious and forlorn that Izuku resolves himself to at least try.
Maybe.
__________
A new problem is that he has to go get all of his groceries by himself.
When Hisashi came by, he had left before Izuku even woke up, leaving a neat stack of cash with a sticky note on top that read, "For food, all bills paid. Be back in a few weeks."
At first, Izuku had been pretty disappointed, staring blankly at the note in the silent kitchen as he wondered what he was to do. But the more he thought about it, maybe this is a good opportunity for him! It could let him get out of the house for more than just school, since he hadn't had a reason to before.
And it's not like he hasn't done it before; it's just, he has to go grocery shopping for way more than anything Izuku's ever had to get before, and he's gotten more than one strange look for carting around a full shopping cart by himself. His shortness and baby fat still stubbornly clinging to his cheeks don't help his image, with many mistaking him for even younger than he is, but a quick lie of helping out around the house for his father always has any curious strangers turning the other way.
And besides, it's not a complete lie. He is helping out around the house, just for himself.
At least Zenyatta has been a massive help so far.
The omnic eagerly answers all of Izuku's questions when he does come across something that he can't figure out from the internet. He even recommends a few recipes for Izuku, which was funny because it's not like Zenyatta can even eat, so why would he have favorite foods?
When he asked, the omnic merely laughed and made him memorize a butter tea recipe (which turned out to be delicious.)
However, Izuku had to find a fine line on what was ok to ask.
Once, he asked if Zenyatta had any advice on how to budget (because while Hisashi did give him money, it was just that. More than once he had to rewrite his shopping list because he didn't have enough money.), the omnic had paused for a suspiciously long amount of time.
"Midoriya… doesn't your dad take care of that?"
Something in his tone made Izuku immediately panic, and he laughed it off, claiming it was for a school project. From then on he learns to keep some things to himself, no use worrying his teacher after all. If Zenyatta believes Hisashi is a little more active, well, it's for the better.
It's a weird routine, but Izuku slowly becomes accustomed to it. It's not the worst, even though he knows other kids don't have to do this, but it could be worse after all.
He's lucky Hisashi is bothering with taking care of him at all, even if he isn't as present as most parents. He could still be in America after all, leaving Izuku completely alone.
And then one day he goes to meditate, and Zenyatta drops a bombshell on him.
"I'd like to introduce you to one of my friends."
Izuku freezes mid stretch, mouth dropping open and eyes widening.
"I- Huh?"
Zenyatta nods, continuing his own training stretches as if he said something completely ordinary.
"I've only been able to teach in regards to your connection with the Iris." And Izuku wants to argue against that, since Zenyatta has been way more helpful than just for training him to use the Iris, hell, Zenyatta's has been the best teacher Izuku's ever had, but the monk continues on. "So I've asked another student of mine to help me out with my shortcomings."
And there's a lot to unpack there, like the fact that Zenyatta has more students and never TOLD HIM, but Izuku's more interested in what exactly he means by shortcomings.
"Wait what?" Izuku asks, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "How?"
"He's much more experienced than I am when it comes to creating a workout plan, despite his own… situation. I think you will like him!" Zenyatta finishes cheerily, as if it explained everything instead of the reality of making Izuku feel even more confused.
"...Why would I need a workout plan?" Izuku eventually questions, eyeing his teacher in confusion.
Zenyatta laughs, a low, synthetic sound. "Like I said, I've helped train you with your quirk, but you've told me multiple times before that a hero is more than just their power. After all, saving people is going to take physical effort, and not to insult you my student but in that department…" He reaches over and pokes Izuku's arm. "You leave much to be desired."
Izuku blushed in indignation. Hey, he couldn't help that he was scrawny, after all, he's always been on the smaller side!
But, he had to admit that it wasn't a bad idea in the slightest. He had noted to Zenyatta and in his notebooks before that certain hero's could benefit from improving their own physical strength, but for some reason he had never applied that to himself. In hindsight, Izuku realizes that had been pretty stupid of him, since his own quirk wasn't going to be any help in a combat situation. That would leave him with his own two hands, and as much as he hated to say it, but right now he definitely was going to be the weaker one in a fist fight.
As much as Izuku begged and pleaded afterwards, Zenyatta refused to give him any more information about the mysterious new student, leaving him to worry and overthink about who his new teacher was going to be.
Would they be like zenyatta? Another omnic? Or would they be stricter? Maybe more relaxed?? Were they even a monk?
Or, heaven forbid, what if they were like his teachers at school?!
...Something tells him that Zenyatta wouldn't have a student like that.
The next day, Izuku rushes home from school, so anxious yet excited to finally get it over with. He forgoes his homework, making a mental note to do it afterwards, and throws himself into his room, neatly folding up a blanket and sitting on top of it.
He focused on his breathing, noting at one point that his nerves were making it longer to relax, but when the familiar feeling of the Iris washes over him he lets his excitement come back to the forefront of his mind.
He hits the ground running, rushing through the monastery and sticking his head in rooms just long enough to ensure that Zenyatta wasn't there, for once cursing the omnic's strange tendency to change their meet up room every day.
"Midoriya? Are you here now?"
Izuku grins, turning on his heel and heading to one of the bigger meditation rooms, following the call's direction. He grabs the door and throws it open, taking in the rooms occupants.
Zenyatta is standing there, but to his right is a man, and Izuku immediately takes in every detail that he can see.
He's not quite as tall as Zenyatta, but still towers over Izuku. At first glance he thought that the newcomer was an omnic as well, with what's visible of his legs and right arm being clearly mechanical, silver with green, glowing highlights and complicated looking parts that he doesn't have the slightest clue what it's for. However, that is quickly proven wrong when Izuku spots a flesh and blood left arm.
Instantly he is reminded of the support prosthetics made for some of heroes, Ectoplasm on the front of his mind, but he tears himself away from that train of thought before he does something stupid like blurt out a, probably rude, question.
He is wearing loose fitting grey pants and, like Zenyatta, has no shirt on, but that doesn't matter because the majority of his torso is covered in metal armor. In fact, most of the metal parts Izuku's sees have an armor aspect to them as well, sparking more questions which he keeps safely in the recesses of his mind. Strapped to the man's back, however, are two literal swords, but Izuku's not about to ask about those yet.
His lower face is covered in a metal mask, only showing everything from his eyes up with raised, pink scar lines poking over the top of it. Deep brown eyes stare back at him, and the man's black hair was short but fluffy, poking up haphazardly in places not unlike Izuku's own.
However, the most shocking thing about the man was the green, translucent dragon curled around his shoulders like a living scarf. It's long body looped several times, with shimmery scales and a flowy mane that looked majestic despite the creature's small size.
"Midoriya, this is Genji." Zenyatta gestures to the man, who tilts his head to the side even as his eyes remain trained on Izuku. "It's his first time in the Iris, be sure to answer any questions he may have."
Genji's eyes narrow slightly.
"And Genji, this is Midoriya Izuku, he-"
"Is it true you're Zenyatta's first student?" Genji cuts across before Zenyatta could finish the introduction, and Izuku blinks.
"Uh, I- Maybe?" He turns to his teacher, now curious as well. "W-Was I your first student?"
Zenyatta nods. "I've taught many in my years, but Midoriya was the first I took on as a long turn pupil." Izuku's eyes widen, feeling bashful by the new information.
Genji snorts suddenly, crossing his arms. " 'In my years-' Master, you're only 25." There is a hint of humor in his tone despite his serious look on his face. Genji's accent is almost non-existent, compared to Zenyatta's almost dictionary perfect pronunciation that seems off at times.
"Wait 25?! You act so much older Zenyatta!" Izuku exclaims, looking at his teacher in a new light. If he's 25 now… he was only 22 when he first met him 3 years ago!
"Thank you. Now that that is over with, I'd like to discuss the reason I brought Genji here." The man in question stepped forward, looking up and down at Izuku in a way that made him feel self conscious.
"...you were, right, he is scrawny." Genji muses, and Izuku's head snaps over to Zenyatta, an indignant expression on his face.
"Hey!" He squeaks.
"Well wannabe hero, you don't look… hopeless." Genji says eventually, walking around Izuku for good measure. "But you're going to need to start out small. Do you work out at all?"
Izuku pauses. "No… I mean, I have gym class twice a week?"
He can't see it, but Izuku's fairly sure that Genji is scowling behind his mask.
"That doesn't count."
The man proceeds to spend the next hour teaching Izuku stretches, saying he needs to get used to these before he can teach him any actual workout exercises. It was more intensive than Izuku had expected, with the man giving detailed explanations on why he needs to do each stretch and the benefits of them as well, with Zenyatta throwing in a comment every now and then. Genji also has to end up reteaching Izuku how to do a push up when he asks for a demonstration.
"...they never said anything about... this?" He had asked from his position crouched beside where Izuku lay on the ground, confusion clear in his tone as he stared at the obviously incorrect pushup form. The boy shook his head.
"My teachers at school never really cared. He said I wouldn't ever need it for my future." Izuku admitted sheepishly.
Genji was quiet for a moment, glancing over at where Zenyatta was sitting.
"...I see." He eventually says, tone dark for some reason. The dragon around Genji's shoulder suddenly twists to get a better look at Izuku, and he unwillingly shivers when their intelligent eyes lock with his own.
As soon as Genji was satisfied with Izuku's work, he ordered the boy to repeat all of it when he left the Iris. Izuku agreed, knowing it was the only way to actually gain the muscles he was aiming for. In fact, maybe he could splurge and get a new notebook dedicated to a workout routine? Or use the still empty pages of one of the one's he hasn't finished.
"And I'll know if you're skipping workouts, I can tell." Genji had warned right before Izuku was about to leave.
Izuku shook his head frantically, waving his arms in denial.
"No! I won't I promise!" He said earnestly. He knew how lucky he was, having what was essentially a personal trainer to help him become a hero. Only the kids with an extremely good and heroic inclined quirk or the rich kids ever get that sort of treatment, since hero training only officially starts when highschool does. And Izuku qualifies for neither of those, so he truly is lucky to have Genji. Besides, the man seems nice, and Izuku genuinely liked how he treated him, despite his somewhat curt attitude at times.
With that in mind, he will do everything in his power to not screw it up.
When he finally leaves the Iris, waving goodbye to Zenyatta and thanking Genji for his time, Izuku feels an echo of satisfaction coming from within the Iris, almost as if showing its approval for the new arrangement.
It's a sentiment that Izuku agrees with.