Chapter 3: Road to Recovery
"I'm approaching now, standby with clearance," Hawks commanded over the line, as he flipped around to descend gently on the ground, still holding Shirou Emiya. The strange redhead had remained past out, the only sounds coming from the young man being pained grunts and labored breathing. Hawks knew they had to act fast.
Hawks landed as quickly as he could without hurting Emiya, then nodded to the guard as he walked through the proffered door. The black suited man nodded back as Hawks walked into the lobby and headed to go to the exam rooms, the Quirk Specialist he was looking for waiting by the doors.
Touko Aozaki. The former villainess known as Scarred Red. A terror that devastated Misaki Town decades ago. Though, one would be forgiven for not realizing the doctor was the same person. Scarred Red was well known for her short, burgundy hair and a fashionable green dress. Doctor Aozaki also had short hair, but it was dyed blue, and the doctor was dressed in a violet blouse, white slacks, and stylish glasses. She had a cigarette in her mouth, which she immediately put out once Hawks walked through the door, shrugging on a lab coat.
"Exam Room 4, down the hall," she ordered, following after Hawks as he carried the unconscious teen down. They entered the exam room, and Hawks immediately put Shirou down on the bed. Doctor Aozaki gave a lookover, then asked, "So, what exactly happened?"
"We don't know the full story, but Saber Shine and I found him fighting off two Instant Villains," she raised an eyebrow at the Pro-Hero, so he continued, "We took care of them, they're fine. Shirou Emiya here was burning up, to the point of passing out."
"Yeah, I can feel that," Doctor Aozaki deadpanned, since she was checking his vitals as Hawks was talking, "What is his Quirk? He shouldn't be burning up from just one fight, even if they were Instant Villains."
Hawks shrugged, "Didn't get a good look at it, but I'm guessing some form of Projections. I saw him making a bunch of swords, but the beach was scorched, so maybe he can..." he trailed off when Doctor Aozaki narrowed her eyes at something, "Something wrong?"
"...Yeah, I need to work on him ASAP. His Quirk Factor is running rampant. This is going to be delicate," she gave him a stern look, "I'll need you to wait outside. Don't let anyone in." With that, she turned back to her cabinets and started pulling out chemicals and medical instruments. Hawks took the message.
"Alright, I'll go ahead and head out," Hawks stepped out, closed the door, then pulled out his phone. On it, he saw a message from Saber Shine, confirming that he contacted All-Might and they were about to move in on the last gang member. Hawks shot a thumbs up back, then called his sidekick, Takahiro, "Talk to me Taka, how are our guests?"
"Secured and awaiting the police escort," Takahiro responded, "Man, whoever threw down here was notmessing around. This place is absolutely destroyed."
"Yeah, no kidding. Let me know when the police take them away, and standby in case All-Might and Saber Shine need back up." Hawks hung up, then sat down in the lobby, pinching the bridge of his nose. The case of the Emiyas was getting weirder and weirder.
Hawks stayed there, only moving to respond to Takahiro's message about the police picking up the gang members. Still no message from Saber Shine or All-Might...
Before Hawks could decide to send Takahiro to go find them, a thud arrived outside. Hawks peeled out the front door, signaling to the HPSC guard that Saber Shine and his passenger were with him. "Took your time, and no message giving me a heads up?"
"Hero Network's compromised in this case," Saber Shine grunted, as the two Pro-Heroes walked into the lobby, "Somehow they knew All-Might put out a distress call over their little scuffle." Once inside the lobby, Saber Shine pulled off his cape, Miyu hopped off his back, and Saber Shine gave her the cape for comfort. Saber Shine, fatherly instincts satisfied, turned back to Hawks, "I'm sure All-Might will call for it..."
"No worries, I'll put in a word for an audit as well," Hawks nodded, face serious. "Is the other kid alright?" Saber Shine nodded.
"Yeah, All-Might is taking care of him," Saber Shine pursed his lips together, "I think the two know each other, but I don't know how."
Hawks shrugged, "Maybe All-Might's eyeing the kid for a sidekick position. He hasn't had one since Sir Nighteye, and he's getting on in years."
"Maybe," Saber Shine hummed, then turned to glance back at Miyu, who was staring back at them, "How's her brother?"
"Doctor Aozaki is with him now. Said the operation was delicate, so no disturbing her until she's done," Hawks turned to face Miyu, "But no worries, you and your brother will be safe now, okay?"
Miyu stared back at him, "You're weird."
Saber Shine couldn't help his chuckle at Hawks' astonished face, "If I had a nickel for everytime that happened..." he reminisced. Hawks glared at his mentor, then sighed. Gawain was clearly thinking about the time Arturia said the same thing to Hawks years ago. That's embarrassing.
Sighing, Hawks stood up, then turned to the older hero, "Do you want to stay here, or go on patrol? I can watch the kids if you want to go clock some more hours in," Saber Shine just shook his head.
"Nah, between the interview today and this, my head isn't going to be in the game. Besides, Arturia is on her way with clothes for Miss Miyu." Hawks nodded, then started to head out. Saber Shine stopped him, "By the way, there was a fourth gang member. Teen girl, short hair covering an eyepatch, wearing a letterman jacket and school uniform. Miyu gave me the description, and the other kid confirmed the girl's existence."
Hawks nodded, "Got it, All-Might knows?" Saber Shine nodded, "Alright, then I'll coordinate a search with him. She's probably laying low, so we'll keep our search private, see if we can catch her later." Hawks nodded to Miyu, then to Saber Shine, "Keep me posted, alright?" With that, Hawks left and took off, still pondering the strange situation of the Emiyas.
Kuin Hachisuka landed wrong, coming out of the portal twisting her ankle. Cursing, she turned to glare at the sentient black mist who tended the bar at the hideout. She stood up to her full height, the full 162cm (5'4") height, then glared at Kurogiri, "You did that on purpose."
Kurogiri gave the impression of raising his eyebrow as he polished a glass, "It's not my fault you were clumsy coming through my portals." Kuin deadpanned at the response, then sighed, climbing into a seat at the bar.
"Whatever, get me a strawberry margarita," she ordered, putting a hand to her forehead, "And if you got any food, I'd take some."
"No margaritas, you're a minor," Kurogiri didn't even shift from his position, still polishing that glass, "And my cook is busy today. It is Sunday, you know how he is."
Kuin stared at him, "...I'm 30."
"Your host isn't," Kurogiri was relentless about protecting kids... which was insanely hypocritical in this business. Kuin had no idea what his malfunction was or why he was so adamant on protecting kids. Kurogiri finally finished that glass, put it away, then turned to Kuin, "I got lemonade and soda, including strawberry flavors."
Kuin just rested her head against the bartop, "Strawberry lemonade, you asshole," she gave the most melodramatic teen sigh, "What is this, pick-on-Kuin day?"
"If anything you deserve it," a newcomer's voice said, causing Kuin to groan and turn her glare to him. Arashi Tsukumihara. Dressed in a gray suit with a black button up shirt that wasn't fully down, with gray hair that reached down past his shoulders. His Quirk was some form of weather manipulation, Kuin didn't know the details. What she did was this guy was a bigger asshole than Kurogiri was today. Arashi continued to mock her, "You had to be bailed out of a small scuffle on the beach. That has to be embarrassing."
"I didn't bail out of that fight! We were well on track on wearing that freak down!" Kuin snarled, stopping only because Kurogiri gave her the strawberry lemonade. She took a sip, then pulled out her phone, "I bailed because of this!"
She played the message that All-Might had broadcasted, causing Kurogiri and Arashi to raise their eyebrows. Kurogiri was the first to speak, "Interesting. You mentioned that a fight had gone wrong in your message to me, but for it to be All-Might himself..."
"Yeah, right? He, for some reason, cared about those kids we fought with, even knowing that they had split up. Wait," Kuin realized that something had slipped her mind, "Hold on, I need to call Jester, tell him to get out of there." She punched in the number, and it picked up in a short manner, "Hey, fight's a bust. All-Might's on his way to you right now, you'll need to.."
"What do you mean, 'All-Might is on his way to you? Why the fuck would he care about this stupid park? You need to lay off your special honey, bitch!" Jester immediately hung up the phone, causing Kuin to glare at hers, then shove the device into her pocket.
"Welp, he can go screw himself. Have fun for a few days in jail." It wouldn't be a big deal. Jester was stupid at times, but he was still crafty. He'd play dumb long enough to fake a heart attack, then when the cops take him down to the morgue, they had people who could inform Kurogiri to pick him up. It would cost Jester a heart or two, but that would teach him. Hopefully.
Arashi sighed, used to the antics of their pale friend, "Alright, we'll ignore him for now. Queen Bee, let's hear about these guys you came across. I want to know why All-Might decided to go out of his way to save the day."
"Well, there were three of them. A redhead with tattered clothes and random patches of tanned skin and white spot of hair, a green kid about the same age, and a younger girl dressed in the shittiest black dress. I offered a job to Red, since he clearly had fighting experience. He declined, so I decided to give him some Trigger, just to see if we could egg him into a fight and get some practice. If we got caught, we could claim 'self-defense.'" she mocked, then took a drink of her lemonade.
"Instead, the bastard slices through my familiar with a projected sword. He tells the other two to take off running, so we got our fight anyway," she shook his head, "The kid had a Projection Quirk, threw out tons, and tons of swords. He's been trained for some pretty expert operations, I'm pretty sure, and with some form of magecraft as well."
Arashi leaned against the bar, narrowing his eyes, "Really? What makes you think that?" Kurogiri brought him his own drink, a whiskey. Kuin glared at it before continuing.
"He knew where my bees were coming. Either he has the best combat instincts I have ever seen, or he could pick up the mana traces. Besides, his Quirk was some form of Projection, but he made a pair of Mystic Codes at one point."
Arashi stopped before taking a sip, looking at Kuin. She elaborated, "At one point, he Projected a long red spear and a short yellow one. The red one was going right through Mummy's puppets like they weren't anything, even sharper than his regular swords. And when Spike tried to block the yellow one, it went right through his spikes, and he couldn't regenerate them anymore. Not until we managed to get the bastard to drop the spear and we destroyed it."
"That reminds me of the Gae Buidhe..." Kurogiri intoned, causing both Arashi and Kuin to question him. "It's the Yellow Rose of Mortality. Wielded by Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, First Spear of the Knights of the Fianna of Celtic Lore," the bartender answered, "Its curse was that one could not heal from the wounds it would inflict."
Kuin stared at Kurogiri incredulously, "...That would mean this guy Projected a Noble Phantasm! What kind of bullshit Quirk can do that?" Kurogiri and Arashi glanced at each other, which did not help Kuin's mood, "Oh, you gotta be kidding me!"
Kurogiri sighed, "Granted, it's likely it's just a Mystic Code in the form of the Irish legend. It's unlikely to be a genuine Noble Phantasm, unless he has some connection to the Fraga. Though their Quirk is more related to Fragarach than Diarmuid's weapons," Kurogiri lectured, "However, you need to keep an open mind. The Quirks given to Humanity have brought to pass an Age that was thought to be long past. Do not underestimate anyone's abilities until you have managed to ascertain your path to victory, nor allow yourself to be baited by an enemy's bluff of strength when it is made on illusions," Kuin scoffed in response to the lecture.
"Look, I'm just here as a part-timer. I'm not looking into getting into wild fights of that caliber."
Arashi glared, "Then maybe we should just take care of you now, if you're going to get cold feet." Kuin turned her glare to the weather manipulator.
"You can try. I might not want to jump into that kind of fight, but I sure as hell can take you down." The room suddenly got very humid as Arashi stood up to intimidate Kuin, whose response was to stand up on her own and stare him down. Arashi started to put the pressure on, static electricity causing the hairs on Kuin to stand on end. But she wouldn't budge. She'd use her bees and...
A hand rested on the back of her neck. Resting all but the pinky on it. Kuin froze, and Arashi did the same, as a similar hand was on his neck too. These hands belonged to a young man dressed in a long black shirt and matching sweatpants, a detached gray hand covering his mouth. The shaggy blue hair covered the itchy scratch marks on his neck. The humidity immediately vanished.
"Now, now, let's not fight. We got a big game ahead of us. If you need to let off some steam, settle it in Smash," Tomura Shigiraki, the supposed leader of this group, smirked, his eyes fierce with the need to kill. Arashi growled, and shoved Tomura away.
"Fine. How the hell did you sneak up on us?" Arashi asked while straightening his suit. Tomura chuckled as he sat down at a table near the bar, snapping his fingers while putting on gloves with missing index fingers.
"I was practicing my Stealth Build. You and I have that big mission coming up, so it helps to be prepared," a portal appeared above the table, and Kurogiri placed a Hard Live Wire drink at the table. "Thank you, Kurogiri," he cracked it open and took a swig, sighed, then looked to Kuin, "You said that you thought he was trained. Any idea who he'd be affiliated with? The Safety Commission, Cipher, the Yakuza, or maybe that damn fox?"
Kuin glared at Tomura's can of alcohol. She was going to find another bar and get plastered after this. She took another sip, then responded, "No idea. He never called in back up, and he seemed too skittish, looking to end the fight as fast as he could, even though he was clearly too tired to put up an actual threat," she rolled a thought around in her head for a second, "Actually, maybe he just went rogue? That'd explain the magecraft training he had, while he was clearly tired and wanting to leave so badly. Then the second we attacked, he focused on taking out us, the witnesses."
Arashi nodded, "That's possible. He could also be independent, just like how Jester was. Trained by a Spellcaster due to a unique Quirk that intrigued someone, but was made aware of how secretive he needed to be."
Tomura nodded thoughtfully at that, then took a swig, "Either way, we need to learn what we can about him. Whatever his background is, and what power he wields. If he really does have some Legendary items, I want to know how," he glanced at Arashi, "Can you get Slice on the job?"
Arashi nodded, "Consider it done. Kiruka should be able to find out something about this guy in a week or so," Kiruka Hasaki was Arashi's right hand woman and lover. With her long red hair and killer curves, even Kuin was jealous of her beauty, and she could body-jack whoever she wanted. But underneath all that hair was a killer mind, both metaphorically and literally. Kiruka would be extremely thorough to please Arashi.
Tomura smirked, then looked back to Kuin, "Setting that aside, Bee, you said there were three kids. What about the other two? The girl with the dress and the green boy?"
Kuin finished her lemonade, then continued, "I doubt the girl will be as interesting as the two boys. She clung to Red the whole time, so I'm guessing she's his sister. I got her name because Red screamed for her to run, it's Miyu. Slice could start there for the hunt of Red's name. It's the green boy that's more interesting."
She held up her phone in demonstration, "All-Might said that he was headed to Kashiiku, and for other heroes to head for us at Takoba. He knew about the situation, yet went to that park instead. I'm willing to bet the green boy went there and called for All-Might, and whoever he is, the Number 1 Hero was willing to drop everything and come save him. That will be useful information."
Arashi glanced at Tomura, who raised an eyebrow. Tomura took a sip while Arashi turned back to Kuin, "Yes it will. Did you get what his Quirk was?" Kuin shook her head.
"No, but I did get his name. Red screamed it too," Kuin smirked.
"The guy's name is Midoriya."
Izuku Midoriya sneezed, thankful that everyone was focused on the heroic form of All-Might. Apparently, the story had gotten out that All-Might had rushed over to Kashiiku Park, and since everything All-Might did was practically newsworthy, reporters had shown up just before the cops did. Thankfully, All-Might had heard them coming, so had assumed his hero form just as the reporters showed up and started asking questions.
Izuku stood to the side, having gathered his stuff, so he acted like he was part of the crowd, writing down his thoughts on the day. That way, no attention would be brought to him, which was a good idea in his mind. A random reporter, however, had other ideas, "All-Might, why did you feel it was necessary to respond to this emergency?"
"HAHAHA! An excellent question! It was due to Officer Tsukauchi here," the Number 1 Hero patted the officer in question, who had the most strained pleasant face imaginable, "He had received a call from Young Midoriya there, and his instincts informed him to contact me."
Everyone turned to face Midoriya, which caused the hero wannabe to question if such a public facing job was right for him, "Uh, hello?" The pack of journalists immediately started to ask questions over the top of each other. Thankfully, All-Might stepped back in.
"Now, now, everyone. Young Midoriya just happened to be the one who put in the call regarding the situation. He did well to get himself and the young woman away from the situation, then call the authorities," All-Might turned to see the regular officers arresting and putting Jester into one of the other cars, then turned to Tsukauchi, "Now, I believe Officer Tsukauchi and I have business with Young Midoriya. We need to get his full story recorded now."
Before long, Izuku was sitting in the backseat of Officer Tsukauchi's car, with All-Might taking the passenger seat, calling out farewells to the press. As Tsukauchi drove off, All-Might deflated back to his regular form. Taking a big sigh, All-Might turned around to look at Izuku, "So, how was the attention?"
"Terrifying! I thought you were going to leave me out to dry!" Izuku exclaimed, then took a deep breath, "The press is scary." Both All-Might and Tsukauchi chuckled.
"Yes, yes they are," Tsukauchi responded, "I don't like interacting with them either, but you're training to be a Pro, right? You'll need to learn how to interact with them. All-Might was simply giving you a small taste of that."
"Yeah, I get it," Izuku sighed, looking out the window, "Anyways, I know that we have to keep the story that I called you, Officer Tsukauchi, because it would be bad if people knew that I, a random teenager, had All-Might's number. But, Miyu heard me call All-Might. What are we going to do about that?"
"As far as everyone is concerned, that's the story for this instance. We'll get into contact with Miss Emiya soon and see if she still remembers due to the stress of the situation. If she does, we'll see if she can keep it a secret," All-Might stated, "Even if she does tell the truth a few years from now, you'll be coming into your own as my successor, so it won't matter as much if people know we are connected."
"Also," Tsukauchi piped up, "I'll get you my number. In emergencies like this, go ahead and call right All-Might immediately. But if you aren't in immediate danger, you should have a line to me to handle things a bit more officially," he glanced in the rear view mirror at Izuku, giving a small nod, "I know it'll be a few years, but I'll be glad to work with you. All-Might has had pretty good intuition as far as I've seen, so I'm rooting for you, kid."
"Oh, uh, thank you," Izuku murmured, looking down at his red shoes. Today was so weird. It started out as normal as it had been the last few months, only for it to get really bad, and now everyone was praising him while Shirou Emiya had been the one doing all the fighting...
I need to get stronger. I can't let heroes like All-Might and Emiya keep saving me when this stuff happens. Izuku was shaken out of his thoughts when he realized he had a massive problem, "Uh, All-Might? Can I borrow a phone again? I just realized that those reporters probably just posted their stories and my mom has a news alert for our area..."
"Oh, yes, that'd be a problem," All-Might pulled his work phone this time, then handed it to Izuku, "Here's the plan, tell her the same story we told the reporters, but that you mentioned training for U.A. I'll pipe up about giving you a tour, and have her pick you up there. Will that work?"
Izuku nodded. He hated lying even a little bit to his mother, but... how to even broach the topic of everything? He hoped one day that he could tell her, but for now, he'll try to keep her happy and safe. Izuku dialed the number. She picked up immediately, so Izuku said, "Hey, Mom, it's Izuku..."
"Izuku! I was so scared! I got the news report and your phone is going straight to voicemail and I got so worried! Where are you? Whose phone is this? Do I need to contact the police?" Inko Midoriya's panicked voice ran at about 88 miles per hour, causing Izuku to wince. Yeah, he should have called her sooner.
"Already here, ma'am. This is Detective Tsukaichi and All-Might," Tsukaichi cut in, a wry smile on his face, "Your son is fine. We just need to take a report and he's good to go. All-Might had the idea of taking your son to his Alma Mater, U.A. Academy. Does that work for you?"
"Oh! OH!? ALL-MIGHT'S THERE!" Inko's reaction was both expected and priceless. Realizing that her son was in the same car as the Pro-Hero that said son had a shrine at home would do that to a mother. "I mean, um, yes, U.A. works just fine. He's been training very, very hard to go there even though... Never mind. I'm finishing up here in Deika, then I can head over, though it'll be a few hours."
"Not to worry, Mrs. Midoriya! After the report, I will need to take off, but my assistant, Toshinori Yagi, will meet us there. He can watch over your son until you arrive." All-Might boomed in his hero form. He had managed a trick where he could still talk as the form everyone knew of while maintaining his shrunken form, without it costing precious minutes of his hero time.
"Oh, that will be fine. Though, Izuku, I still have a question. Where exactly is your phone?" Inko's words cut deep into Izuku, and he grimaced in response. He gritted his teeth, not excited about the lie he was about to tell.
"Well, in the commotion, I kinda, sorta, dropped it?" There, not a true lie, just one of omission. Izuku did drop his phone, just after Jester embedded a knife into it. Thankfully, his mom took the hesitation as a teenager not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his idol over dropping his phone.
"Oh, Izuku. You got to be more careful with your things," she chided lightly, "We'll see about the insurance, see if we can get it replaced sooner than later." Izuku's eyes widened over that statement, realizing that, while he had pulled out the knife, one could still tell it was stabbed.
"No need to worry, Mrs. Midoriya! U.A. has some fantastic Support Technicians on staff. I'm sure Mr. Maijima of the Support Course would love to have a crack at fixing it!" All-Might did what he did best and saved the day.
"Oh, only if it isn't too much trouble. Though I'm sure my son will never want to get rid of that phone after Power Loader fixes it." Inko laughed, leaving the three men in the car to give a silent breath of relief. "Alright, I'll leave you all to it then. I'll be there before 5pm, is that alright?"
"Perfectly alright, Mom, I'll see you then," Izuku bid his mother farewell, hung up the call, then handed it back, "That went better than I thought."
All-Might laughed, "Yes, that did go well. Your mother sounds like a strong woman. Then again, of course she must be, raising such a good young man as yourself." Izuku blushed as he waved off the compliment.
"I don't know about me... but yeah, my mom is really cool," Izuku sighed, then stared out the window. He stared at the buildings for a minute, thinking about the secret of One for All, but before he could bring it up, All-Might spoke up.
"Hey, Young Midoriya, since we're getting you checked out by Recovery Girl anyway, would you like her to see if you are ready for One for All?" Izuku's train of thought immediately derailed. Getting a Quirk, today!?
"Wait, really? You aren't pulling my leg?" Izuku blurted out, causing All-Might to laugh and shake his head. Izuku put his fingertips together and to his forehead, thinking about this. Was he really ready to get such an awesome power? The power he had been working hard for the better part of a year? The power that would finally allow him to start becoming a hero?
Relax, Jester, who cares? This place is still a dump, whoever's been working on it's barely done anything
Izuku stilled as the words of that spiky green gang member came to mind. That guy was right. He wasn't ready yet. Izuku sat up, then looked to All-Might, "I'm sorry, but I have to decline."
All-Might turned around in his seat, narrowing his eyes, "Are you sure? I promise I'm not pulling your leg. You have done well these few months."
"Thank you, All-Might, but I don't think it's enough. You tasked me to clean that beach to serve the community, and it isn't done yet. It probably needs more work now that those gang members fought Emiya there," Izuku balled his fists on his legs.
"Young Midoriya, I only tasked you with cleaning the beach to train your body and your heart. I never expected you to clean the whole thing, just to get done what you could before the Entrance Exam," All-Might confessed, "You have done well in your training, so I think it'll be okay to give it to you now."
"I understand, but... I need that beach done," Izuku expressed, "You were the first person to tell me that I could be a hero. Saber Shine said I was a hero today, but all I did was take Miyu and run," Izuku cut off All-Might before he could object, "I know that's what I was supposed to do, but..." Izuku took a deep breath before he got too emotional.
"Everyone for my entire life has told me my efforts were for nothing. I want to do this. I want to be able to save Takoba Beach, so that people like Miyu and Shirou can have a day at the beach without worrying about gangs or trash dumps causing them problems. I don't need people to know it was me," Izuku stated, "I just need to know I can do it with my own strength, before I take on your power."
"Hehehehe, hahahaha, HAHAHAHAHA!" All-Might swelled back into his hero form instinctively, before the seat belt locked, choking him for a second. All-Might spat out the blood as Izuku and Tsukauchi freaked out, before All-Might waved them off, "I'm fine, I just got caught up in the mood. I'll admit, I don't fully get your reasons, but I like your attitude. In that case, I'll leave you with four simple words."
All-Might looked Izuku dead in the eyes, and Izuku realized that even though this was All-Might's skinny form, there was still a deep power hiding behind the shadow of his eyes. A power that proved that he was the Number 1 Hero. A power that Izuku will one day be gifted.
"Go beyond, Plus Ultra!"
Arturia Pendragon walked into the strange medical clinic, shaking her head at the HPSC agent outside, "What a weirdo... Oh!" She came to a stop as she saw her father, Gawain, on his phone, sitting a couple seats away from a younger teenage girl. Long, ravenette hair cascaded around emerald eyes that were staring at everything around her. She was wrapped up in the Saber Shine cape, which gave Arturia a clue about what was going on, "So, I'm guessing you need the clothes, then?"
The girl slowly nodded her head, just as Gawain put away his phone and stood up to stretch, "Yeah, she is. Miyu Emiya, this is Arturia, my daughter. Arturia, this is Miyu." Arturia quickly bowed in greeting, and Miyu did the same.
Arturia then approached, and pulled out the set of clothes, "Here you are. There's a single stall restroom right there," she pointed at the aforementioned room, "so you can get changed in private. Do you need anything else?" Miyu shook her head, then grabbed the clothes, and darted into the restroom. Arturia sighed, then turned to her father, "So... who is Miyu, exactly?"
Gawain sighed, then shook his head, "That's the question of the day. She was with her brother, Shirou Emiya, at the Takoba beach. They ended up talking to another kid they met, but then attacked by some gang members. She and the other kid escaped while her brother fought off the gang. By the time Hawks and I got there, the gang members had resorted to Trigger in order to take him down."
Arturia whistled, "Wow, good on him for holding out," she glanced around the room, "Seeing that we're at a medical clinic, I'm guessing Shirou still got hurt?"
Gawain sighed, "That's part of it. Emiya's suffering from Quirk Exhaustion," Arturia winced as Gawain continued, "Between that and the damage on his clothes, Hawks and I don't think this was his first fight today."
"Gotcha, hence this place," Arturia nodded along, "One of Hawks' contacts?"
"Yes, Doctor Aozaki here is a Quirk Specialist. She's treating him now, hopefully we can get news..." Gawain cut himself off as the restroom door opened, and Miyu stepped out, dressed in the clothes Arturia brought, "Hey kid, how do they feel?" Gawain asked gently.
"Fine," Miyu softly responded. Arturia's heart broke. The clothes didn't quite fit right, as she and Arturia weren't the same build, but Miyu was more concerned with other things, "Is my brother okay yet?"
"No word on that yet," Gawain replied, "We need to be patient. I'm sure that Doctor Aozaki is doing a good job..." As if the universe itself was giving Miyu a break, the blue haired doctor strolled into the lobby. She stopped, then looked over the group.
"Where's Hawks?"
"Gone back to do some more hero work, I'm handling this case for now," Gawain, or rather, Saber Shine responded, "What is his situation?"
Doctor Aozaki sighed, then went to pull out a cigarette. She stopped when Saber Shine gave her the Fatherly Stare of Disapproval. She sighed, then put them away, "He's stable now. His Quirk Factor was out of control, we're lucky his Quirk didn't start misfiring." Miyu gasped, but Doctor Aozaki leveled a deadpan stare at her, "Relax, I just said he's fine. He'll be asleep for a long while though, and he'll need to remain here for treatment."
"How long are we talking about for the healing process?" Saber Shine folded his arms, "Hawks and I need more information, and Miss Miyu doesn't want to talk until she sees her brother again." Miyu shook her head, backing up the words Saber Shine was saying.
Doctor Aozaki grimaced, "Probably a week or two. The damage is pretty intense, I'll need to talk to him first before he reports to you and Hawks so I can adjust the treatment."
Arturia saw Miyu bow her head, emotions warring across the younger woman's case. She stepped closer, and Miyu just threw herself into a hug. Arturia returned it, then looked at Doctor Aozaki, "Is it possible that she can see her brother now?"
The doctor cocked her head to the side, "As long as she doesn't interfere with the medical equipment, she can. Before that," Doctor Aozaki looked at Miyu, "Can I give you a quick checkup? Since you are his sister I can identify the similarities between both of your Quirk Factors, which will aid in his treatment."
Miyu's eyes went wide, looking at Saber Shine and Arturia in panic. Before they could say anything, Doctor Aozaki added, "If you want, they can join you. It's just a check on your vitals and a small blood draw so I can examine your Quirk Factor. That's all."
Miyu stared hard back at the dispassionate doctor. She then turned to Arturia, who shrugged, "I'm more than willing to join you, but you don't have to."
Miyu took a deep breath, "No, Shirou is hurt. If I can help, I will," Doctor Aozaki nodded, then the group headed to the third exam room, next to the one Shirou was in. Miyu hopped on the bed, Doctor Aozaki prepared her tools, and the Pendragons sat down on some extra chairs.
Overall, the exam was very typical. Doctor Aozaki checked Miyu's vitals, reflexes, and senses. Miyu looked uncomfortable, but between the two Pendragons subtly encouraging her and the tests being fairly basic, she got through them just fine.
Doctor Aozaki finished up, then grabbed a bin of candy from the cabinet, "All done. Since I'm supposed to be working on my bedside manner... here. Pick two."
Miyu peered into the container, then picked two at random. Doctor Aozaki offered the bin to the Pendragons, to which Gawain passed but Arturia grabbed a few for later. Doctor Aozaki turned back to Miyu, "Would you like to see your brother now?"
Miyu immediately got off the bed, then the whole group went over to Exam Room 4. Shirou Emiya was sleeping there, laying down on his back in the hospital bed. He was in a typical hospital gown, with an IV hooked up along with other equipment. Miyu bolted over, and eagerly but gently took his hand. Arturia grabbed a chair from the side of the room and pulled it over to the younger sister, so that she had a place to sit down.
The room was calm for a second, before Doctor Aozaki informed everyone to contact her if something happened. She then walked out, followed by Saber Shine. Arturia hesitated, then put her hand on Miyu's shoulder, which caused the younger girl to look up, "Don't worry. If your big brother is anything like my two brothers, he'll be alright," Arturia reassured her. Miyu nodded back, then turned to focus on her brother. Arturia looked back at the brother.
He's kinda...
Nipping that thought in the bud, Arturia walked back out, where Saber Shine and Doctor Aozaki were discussing the situation, "There's no need to worry, the two siblings can stay here for now, until Mr. Emiya wakes up, that is," Doctor Aozaki stated, "The Safety Commission pays me a basic salary and covers all the bigger expenses, so everything should be fine."
"I see, that's good," Gawain responded, then turned to Arturia, "My time is almost up, so I'm going to rush and go get the car. Can you pack up your things and be ready to leave when I get back?"
"Actually, can I stay here a little longer?" Arturia requested, "Miyu could probably use some company to get her mind off of things." Gawain tilted his head to the side, considering it for a second, then glanced at Doctor Aozaki.
"She's fine to be here up till 9pm, that's when I close visiting hours. Miyu will be allowed to stay for her brother, but you have a home to go back to," Aozaki's response was quick and firm, and both the Pendragons nodded in acknowledgement.
"I'm more worried about you, Arturia. Tonight's a school night," he held up a hand as Arturia went to protest, "And I know that you are doing well in class. I just don't want you to trip up before the Entrance Exam."
"I'll be fine, Dad, you know that. Can't I stay until like... 8pm?" Arturia implored, "Miyu could really use the company, and I can still come back home and finish my studies before bed. Then for the rest of the week, I can do small visits to check in on Miyu."
"Please let her," Doctor Aozaki stated, having moved onto doing some paperwork but still listening to the conversation, "I don't get along with kids and could use someone distracting her while her brother recovers," Gawain deadpanned, then sighed. He turned back to Arturia.
"This isn't just so you have an excuse to stare at the handsome young man that's conveniently your age, right?" Gawain asked. Arturia denied it immediately. She definitely wasn't thinking that. She wasn't. Gawain chuckled, "Alright, you can do that. I'll go get the car and bring it back. We'll leave at 8pm, alright? Do you need anything?"
"Roger that," Arturia nodded, then stopped to consider something, "Could you pick up a meal for Miyu? She probably hasn't eaten since this whole thing started."
Gawain nodded, "Yeah, that's a good idea. That's funny, though, because you usually only bring up food if you're," he was cut off by Arturia's stomach growling, as she blushed and looked to the side. Gawain chuckled, then headed to the door, "Ah, yes, I can do both. Consider it a reward for the good work you are doing today," he grabbed the door handle, then turned to Arturia, "Though you'll miss out on my potato salad tonight. Oh well, anything else?" Arturia shook her head, "Okay then, I'm off," with that, Gawain took off like a speeding bullet.
Good, because your potato salad is gross... Arturia shook her head. Her dad meant well, he just did not have a talent for cooking, at all. He did well in lots of areas, but the kitchen was not one of them. Putting that aside, Arturia walked over to the lobby, grabbed her bag from where Miyu had put it down when she had gotten dressed, then headed over to Exam Room 4.
Miyu heard Arturia walk in, and she turned with a confused look on her face, "Aren't you going home?" the younger teen asked. Arturia shook her head, then pulled out her book and hairbrush.
"Nah, you need me more. I figured you could use some company to keep your mind off things," Arturia responded, then held up her brush, "Would you like me to brush your hair?"
Miyu stared at Arturia, owlishly blinking for a solid minute, "Sure," she finally responded, and Arturia smiled, then handed her the book, then started to prepare to take care of the younger girl's hair. Miyu stared at the book, confused, "The Once and Future King?"
"Yeah, that book is one of my favorites. My mom would fix my hair while I read this out loud to her," Arturia told Miyu, getting started on the brushing, "This copy was translated to Japanese, so I could practice learning with it,"
"Huh," Miyu responded, flipping through the pages, "Do you want me to read it to you?"
"If you want," Arturia continued her work on the hair, being careful to be as gentle as she could, "I don't know if you have read it or not, but it's a good story."
Miyu looked down at it, "I... haven't read much out loud in a while," she confessed, "Not since my mom taught me." Arturia stopped, then looked at her.
"Where is..." Arturia started, then stopped herself, "Ah, never mind. I'm sorry," Arturia went back to the hair, mentally kicking herself. Miyu wouldn't be so secretive about the situation if their parents were available. Either they were absent or...
"Is your name a reference to him?" Miyu asked suddenly, distracting Arturia. The blonde looked down at the page Miyu was pointing to, where there was an illustration of the King of Camelot. Arthur Pendragon, dressed in the typical depiction: the steel chainmail, the red cloak, the crown weighing heavy, the sword Excalibur at his side.
"Yeah, it is, actually. You know how a lot of people have taken to naming their kids after old legends since Quirks first came around?" Arturia asked. Miyu winced suddenly, then nodded. Arturia continued, choosing to leave the tic alone, "Well, Mom and Dad had names already inspired by the Arthurian mythology, so they decided early in their marriage to name their kids after them. My two older brothers, who are twins, are named after Lancelot and Kay, since that's what my Dad thought they looked like," Arturia laughed, "My parents then decided to go ahead and name their next kid after Arthur himself, but then they had me, so they changed my name to Arturia."
"Huh, cool," Miyu responded, then went back to the book. She flipped through it a bit longer, then towards Shirou, "I wonder what he's dreaming about."
Arturia stopped to consider something, then decided it wouldn't hurt to say, "Well, have you heard of cases where coma patients could hear what was said around them?" Miyu nodded, so Arturia continued, "Well, I'm sure Shirou can hear you now, so make sure you tell him how safe you are, okay?" Arturia finished with the hair, keeping it to the original style while managing the hair tangles and knots that had appeared.
Miyu ran her fingers through her hair, then moved closer to Shirou, "Hey Big Brother," she started, then stopped herself. She took a deep breath, then continued, "I'm okay now. Mister Midoriya got me to safety, then Saber Shine brought me to where you were, and Miss Pendragon, his daughter, has been keeping me company."
Miyu stopped again, then looked at Shirou, struggling for the words to say. Arturia saw the war of emotions playing across Miyu's face. Before Arturia could say anything, Miyu closed her eyes, "You wanted me to be safe. You wanted me to have that share of happiness. But I wanted you with me, and I didn't care if I had that happiness instead. I didn't realize that would mean you would get hurt here."
Miyu balled her fists in Shirou's blankets, "Why did they have to care about my stupid power? Why couldn't they have just left us alone?" she burst out, causing Arturia to step back and widen her eyes. Arturia really didn't like how this story was turning out. Before she could think of a way to ask, Miyu shook her head, flicking tears to the side, and continued, "Why do you have to fight so hard to protect me? I'm your sister, I can fight too!"
Arturia swallowed back a memory of her saying the same words to Lance and Kay, over five years ago. Now wasn't the time to worry about her own baggage. The blonde teenager put her hand on Miyu's shoulder. The younger girl looked up at Arturia, eyes puffy with the unshed tears. Drawing her into a hug, Miyu just wept on her shoulder. Arturia didn't say anything, she just decided to be the shoulder Miyu needed right now.
Eventually, the tears ran out, and Arturia immediately got a disposable cup of ice water from a nearby dispenser. Miyu took it and started sipping on it. "Sorry about that," the young girl said, "I shouldn't have-"
"No, it's okay. Don't let yourself bottle these emotions up," Arturia said, kneeling to make eye contact with her, "I know our experiences are different, but that hurt you're feeling? I know it too. When you let it bottle up..." Arturia stopped for a second, repressing a bad time in her life, "Those emotions will get out, like a pipe bomb, exploding by the pressure of everything."
Miyu just looked despondent, "I just feel so weak. I was told that my power could do so much, but it feels like all I ever did was cause problems for Shirou," Arturia smiled sadly.
"Yeah, I've been there too," she responded, then looked down to take a deep breath, "But my brothers and dad never let me down, and I found the path that I needed to go on to find my strength. You will too, I know."
Miyu looked at her, "Mister Midoriya was training to become a hero, are you doing that too?" she asked, almost accusingly. The statement caught Arturia off-guard.
"I mean, yes, that's what I want to do. I'm training right now to take the entrance exams at U.A. I know it's cliche, with my Dad being Saber Shine and Lance training to be a Pro-Hero, but it's in our blood. It's what I want to do too."
Miyu nodded at that, then turned to Shirou, "He wanted to be a hero, but he gave that up to save me," Arturia wondered what she meant by that, but didn't interrupt Miyu, "Part of me wants to encourage him to try again here, but... what if I don't want him to get hurt like this again?"
Arturia sighed, "Yeah, when I was younger, I didn't want my dad to go fight the bad guys since I knew he could get hurt," she stopped herself before she could tell Miyu she knew the statistics on Pro-Hero injuries and fatalities. This wasn't the time to freak her out.
Miyu was still staring at her older brother when she asked, "Then how do you do it? How do you let your dad go?" Arturia sighed, then stood up to stretch out her legs.
"Well, for me, I know what my dad is capable of. He was the Number 2 hero in England, after all," Arturia smiled, as confidently as she could muster, "And I know that one day, I'll be fighting alongside him. Being a hero, bringing smiles and happiness to everyone, standing up for your ideals... I want to do it too."
Miyu looked back at Arturia, and the blonde continued, "Your brother saved you, right? And he had to do it by himself?" Miyu nodded to both, clearly wondering where this was going, "Well, the good news is that if he becomes a proper hero, he won't be alone. He'll have help, from other Pro Heroes, from the Support Techs making his gear, and from the medical professionals that'll patch him up like Doctor Aozaki. If he wants to, he can be a hero."
Miyu bit her lip, looking down, "I hope so. I just wish I knew how I could help." Arturia put her hand on the younger girl's shoulder.
"For now, just be the best little sister you can be. You have your whole life to figure out what to do." Miyu took that into consideration, then went back to her brother. Arturia stood by the side, watching over the two siblings.
These two... their story felt too similar to what Arturia knew in her own life. The beats weren't the same, but the panic, the fear, the desperation... Arturia knew those feelings too well. She lived a privileged life, she knew that. Her dad had a good job as a Pro Hero, and she was able to attend Somei High in preparation to switch to U.A. Academy. Yet, as she learned more and more about the Emiyas... Arturia felt like she was in a play she already knew the lines for, even though she had never seen the script.
Her musings were broken when her dad came back. Her eyes lit up when she saw what the meal was, "Miyu! Dad brought Dairy Queen!" she bolted for her dad, Miyu trailing behind. Gawain gave a light chuckle, then started passing out bags in the lobby.
"Here's yours, Arturia. Miyu, I didn't know what you wanted, would you like a chicken sandwich or a hamburger?" Miyu picked the chicken sandwich, Gawain passed it to her, then turned to Doctor Aozaki, who was still by the front desk, "I did get you some food, if you want it. If you don't, no worries, I'm sure these teenagers will finish everything off."
Arturia could tell Doctor Aozaki was about to say no, only to stop, then say, "I can take some fries." Gawain passed her the fries, then cut the last burger in half, just in case.
Everyone ate till they were full, then Gawain brought out his laptop to fill out his report. Arturia continued to watch over Miyu, who decided to go ahead and start reading The Once and Future King out loud to her brother. Doctor Aozaki continued to work.
Finally, 8pm rolled around. Arturia bid Miyu farewell, letting her keep the book so that Miyu could keep reading it to Shirou overnight. Then the two Pendragons headed out into the cold January night.
Arturia was the first one to speak after getting into the car, "Hey, Dad, can I come visit after school tomorrow? And for the rest of the time Shirou is in his coma," Gawain raised an eyebrow as he started the car and started to head home. Arturia continued, "I just think that Miyu shouldn't be left alone as much as possible, and I could help with that."
"You'll keep your grades up?" Gawain asked, and Arturia bopped her head down and back up again, "You'll keep up your training?" Again, Arturia's head nodded, "Then, alright, you can. Just no catching feelings for Sleeping Handsome there, alright?"
Arturia stuck her tongue out at Gawain, who did it back at one of the lights. They goofed around the rest of the way home. Arturia took the time to be grateful for her family. What was left of it anyways.
All-Might had to fight to contain his amusement over Young Midoriya's excitement. Once they had pulled into the actual school, Izuku had already started rambling about the various facilities and programs that U.A. offered to their students. He was even running through some of the more well-known teachers here that he knew, like Present Mic and Midnight. All-Might let out a small chuckle. His successor was such a fanboy.
Detective Tsukauchi managed to redirect Young Midoriya's focus to giving the report of the Emiya situation. Once that was done, Tsukauchi left to go do the paperwork, while Izuku returned his focus to U.A. The ramblings resumed all the way to Recovery Girl's office, where Young Midoriya started to fanboy over her as well, only for him to scream after she used her Quirk on him. He had given permission, but apparently he had forgotten that it involved Recovery Girl kissing his forehead.
After that, Recovery Girl went over his vital signs and gave him a small check up, while All-Might handed Young Midoriya's phone to one of the droids, who took it off for Power Loader to fix. Shortly thereafter, Izuku was finished, and Recovery Girl informed All-Might that while Young Midoriya could inherit One for All now, it didn't mean he should. She was worried about possible side effects, but All-Might waved them off. He had inherited One for All just fine from his mentor, what could go wrong with Izuku Midoriya?
Regardless, they left Recovery Girl's office, and toured through the teacher's lounge, the administration room, and conference room. All-Might was glad that Principal Nedzu was taking the day off elsewhere, and that he had managed to hide his cubicle in the administration room. He wanted to keep the surprise that All-Might was working here a little longer, so that Young Midoriya didn't think All-Might had pulled any strings for him. With Izuku's speech in the car, All-Might was motivated into making sure that Izuku had every opportunity he needed without having him feel like he was being gifted everything.
After the administration floor was done, they did the next few floors of classrooms. Each floor was dedicated to each year of schooling, split into the four major courses that U.A. offered: Heroics, Support, Medical, and Management. Heroics and Medical are exactly what the names implied, with Support being focused on the items that the Pro-Hero Industry needs and Management handling the marketing, financial, and legal side of things.
U.A. and other such Hero Academies served as a form of Vocational School, where the last year of High School would be done as the first year here and the latter two years serving as first years of college, with graduation granting an associate's degree in the field studied. Hero course graduates could then become Sidekicks at an agency while they got a bachelor's or master's degree at a variety of universities to further their career and skill sets, or start as an indie if they feel they have the chops to do so. Midnight was an example of the former, having worked under His Purple Highness until she got her art degree, while Hawks had gone straight from graduation to the top rankings on his own.
All of this, All-Might already knew. He had done plenty to help U.A. through his contributions as an Alumni, as the Number 1 Hero, and as a future staff member starting this new school year. Yet, he just smiled along and listened to Young Midoriya continue to ramble about everything. Izuku would need to learn how to control his rambling for hero work, but not today. Today was about reminding Izuku why he was working so hard.
Izuku had only really stopped his rambles when they had stopped by the Support Studio to pick up Izuku's phone. Power Loader was more than ready to fix up the device, as All-Might had stealthily informed him that the rush job was coming. Since Power Loader was just maintaining some machines and letting some students finish up their final projects, he was more than willing to do All-Might a favor. Power Loader was both surprised and pleased to learn that Izuku knew stuff about him too, and had signed both Izuku's notebook and the inside of the phone case for him. They also took a selfie, which Izuku sent to his mom showing he and his phone were fine.
The last destination was the cafeteria, which was kind of a sad area to end on. Since it was Sunday, the kitchen itself was closed, while Lunch Rush was apparently working with local charities and churches to feed the less fortunate. This tidbit was unknown to All-Might, and he was glad to have been paying attention to Young Midoriya. All-Might should ask Lunch Rush if there was anything he could do to help, since the two would be working together here.
With the tour done and the hour drawing nigh, All-Might and Izuku walked back to the parking lot by the front gate, "I would show you the other grounds, but since that's where the exams take place, I don't want you to get accused of favoritism if anyone found out about today," All-Might told his protege.
Young Midoriya nodded, "Yeah, no worries. Seeing this much, actually setting foot on campus... It made this goal so much more real. I'm really glad that you have given me this opportunity, All-Might."
All-Might shook his head, "I may have chosen you, but you have worked hard for this. Since that day with the sludge villain, you have shown your determination beyond all else. You've worked hard, and your heart is pure. That's all I could ever ask, and yet you do so much more."
Izuku's face was blushing up a storm, not able to handle the compliments. All-Might continued, "I am proud to be your mentor. You are going to be an amazing hero. I can't wait to see how you continue to grow. You, Izuku Midoriya, are-" Before he could finish, Izuku's phone rang. The young man looked down at it, and realized who was calling him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, All-Might, it's my dad. Do you mind if I take this?" Izuku asked. All-Might blinked then nodded.
"Oh, of course. It's nearly 1am in California, he must have something important to talk about," All-Might watched as Izuku thanked him, then stepped a bit away to answer the call. The Number 1 hero sighed.
Hisashi Midoriya, also called Jack by his friends, worked in the offices of Star and Stripe's legal team in America. It paid very well but demanded a lot from Hisashi, so as Izuku put it, "We really don't talk about the serious stuff. We just talk about heroes all the time and leave it at that."
Apparently, a good chunk of Izuku's merchandise collection came from Hisashi, sent in care packages that came every three to four months. Izuku would respond with a generic letter that told none of the real story of his life, but had sincere questions and theories about the American Pro-Heroes that Hisashi would meet. Hisashi would then seek out answers, then respond in a follow up letter, ranging between the next week to the next care package. They also occasionally called, but the time zones made that very hard to follow through on.
The relationship between father and son was strange, to say the least. Almost as if there was more to it, but if there was, All-Might was in no position to learn what it was. Izuku hid his own problems away, and All-Might had a hard time asking Izuku anything that was immediately causing him problems here and now. Let alone asking Young Midoriya about a long distance relationship with a parent that probably should be in Izuku's life more.
Izuku didn't hold a grudge though. All-Might wouldn't have blamed him if he did, but Izuku seemed honest when he told All-Might that he didn't. Whatever this dynamic was, it worked for the two Midoriya men. In a strange way, All-Might could see why. Perhaps these two men, struggling with their own lives far apart from each other, simply used the topic of Pro-Heroes as an escape.
All-Might stopped his musings when Izuku got off the phone and came back, "Sorry, my mom had told my dad earlier about everything, so he was waiting to see how I was after the Power Loader fixed my phone."
All-Might nodded, "I see, how did the talk go?" Izuku shrugged.
"I told him I was fine, and that I got to come here with you for a bit and do a tour of U.A. Dad thought it was the coolest thing, and told me to pass along a greeting, and to try and get your signature," Izuku laughed while scratching the back of his head, "I told Dad that you already gave it and left, but that I was with you, Mister Yagi, and he said to tell you to tell All-Might hello from Cathleen Bates, and to answer her calls some time." All-Might snorted at that, and Izuku laughed.
Young Midoriya continued, "He then asked about Power Loader, since Mom told him who fixed my phone. We ended up comparing Power Loader and Cyborg from the Titans in terms of what they've made in Support Items," Izuku shrugged, "I thought that Power Loader had a bigger impact due to the amount of students he taught, but my dad thinks Cyborg did more because a lot of people use his patents and stuff." Izuku shook his head, "We care way too much about this stuff."
All-Might just smiled, "Nonsense, it's good to share a hobby with your father like that," before All-Might could figure out how to continue, Inko Midoriya's car pulled into the parking lot. Izuku pulled his backpack back on, All-Might straightened his tie, and Inko pulled up and rolled down the window.
"Hey, Izuku, come on in," Young Midoriya followed his mother's instructions, putting the backpack in the back seat, then hopping into the passenger seat. Inko turned her attention to All-Might, "I hope he wasn't a bother, Mister Yagi, right?"
All-Might nodded, "Yes, I'm Toshinori Yagi, I'm All-Might's secretary. Your son was not a bother at all. He did what Officer Tsukauchi and All-Might needed him to do, then by that point I had arrived, so I just showed up around the school," he nodded towards the teenager, who blushed and looked away, "Your son knows his stuff. He's studied well and if he keeps following that plan of his, I'm sure he'll succeed at the entrance exam."
"You think so?" Inko asked, then looked back at her son, "Don't get me wrong, I want Izuku to succeed, but considering everything, I don't know about..." Izuku's gaze shot down to his feet, and All-Might interjected.
"I wouldn't count him out of the running just yet, Mrs. Midoriya. Your son has a lot of heart, a lot of will, and has been hard at work training his body. He may just surprise everyone at the exam," All-Might spoke with the calm authority he could muster in this form without switching to his more noticeable one, "Even if he doesn't pass here, a good score on both the academic and the practical could help him enroll for the Support or Management courses, and he can work hard to transfer over."
Inko brushed some hair out of her face, "I guess... Well, thank you for your time. Please thank All-Might for protecting my son. We'll be going now." Izuku also thanked the disguised Number 1 hero, and they took off.
All-Might sighed, then checked his messages. Hawks wanted to coordinate a stealth search for the fourth gang member Miyu and Izuku had seen. He should probably get working on that. Even with his limited hours in his Heroic Form, duty never sleeps, and All-Might will always rise to meet the occasion.
Shirou Emiya was still asleep the next day. His body was laying still upon his hospital bed. His mind was racing faster than that of a speeding bullet. Images flashed around in his mind, generated both internally and externally, of what purpose none did know...
"I ask of you. Are you my Master?" She asks in a voice that lights up the darkness... I'm sure I'll remember this scene vividly even when I've gone to hell.
He tossed again, and the dream shifted once more
"The best thing for disturbances of the spirit is to learn. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love and lose your moneys to a monster, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then-to learn."
What was Shirou trying to learn? What lessons did his mind intend with these images?
"Emiya Shirou. Understand. You are a maker, not a fighter. Do not forget. What you must imagine is always that you yourself are the strongest. You do not need outside enemies. For you, the one you have to fight is none other than your own image."
The image fades, and a new one replaces it.
"If I were to be made a knight, [...] I should pray to God to let me encounter all the evil in the world in my own person, so that if I conquered there would be none left, and, if I were defeated, I would be the one to suffer for it."
"That would be extremely presumptuous of you" said Merlyn, "and you would be conquered, and you would suffer for it."
"I shouldn't mind."
"Wouldn't you? Wait 'till it happens and see."
This scene caused another to come immediately to replace it.
"That's right. It is only hypocrisy for you to fight for someone else and not yourself. You only wish for peace, and not victory. Such a thing does not exist anywhere in this world."
"Farewell. Drown in your ideals and die."
Shirou rejected that dream, and a new one took its place.
He was one of those people who would be neither a follower nor a leader, but only an aspiring heart, impatient in the failing body which imprisoned it.
Was this it? Was the ideal he wanted to follow truly lost to him?
"'Make his wish come true', huh? I certainly did become a superhero, just like in my ideal. But all I obtained in the end were regrets. All that was left was death... A superhero has to keep existing as long as conflict exists."
Were these images relevant to him, or to another? Some of them felt familiar, others felt as if they were being told to him. But by who?
As for you, Man, you will be a naked tool all your life, though a user of tools. You will look like an embryo till they bury you, but all the others will be embryos before your might. Eternally undeveloped, you will always remain potential in Our image, able to see some of Our sorrows and to feel some of Our joys. We are partly sorry for you, Man, but partly hopeful. Run along then, and do your best...
Was Shirou Emiya forever destined to be a tool? Was there no way for him to both be the Ally of Justice he yearned to be and the brother Miyu deserved?
"I do not even need to think about it... One would normally die. One cannot survive after attaching a spirit body to the human body. But the boy and I are an exception. Rin should treat him appropriately once she wakes up... So this is it. Farewell, Tohsaka..."
Shirou Emiya shot forward in his bed, panting and raising a hand to his forehead. The images that had been plaguing him were fading away, but he could feel that they had an impact on his soul. The main question he had was... Who was Tohsaka?
Shirou's musings were broken when Miyu slammed into him. He let out a slight gasp, but then looked back down at her and gave her a hug back. Shirou was careful to move his arm so as to not pull out the IV that he was hooked up to. Since he was in treatment, and Miyu was here safe, it seemed likely that they were finally okay.
Shirou looked up, and he locked eyes with a shocked teenage woman who seemed to be about his age. She had blonde hair done up in the form of a crown, with a stray ahoge sticking straight out, and dressed in a long sleeved blue sailor fuku school uniform that also had a red ribbon tied in front. Her emerald eyes pierced right through him, that gaze etching itself into Shirou's mind. "How are you awake?"
Shirou coughed, "I'm sorry?" he coughed again, his throat feeling very dry. The young woman realized this, and obtained a styrofoam cup of water. Shirou took it and took some small sips, "Thank you. What do you mean, how am I awake?"
Miyu was the one who answered, finally pulling herself away, "Doctor Aozaki said that because of the damage from your Quirk Factor, you would be asleep for a week. Miss Arturia was visiting me to keep me company while you recovered, but you woke up early."
Shirou blinked at the explanation. Doctor... Aozaki? Surely she can't mean... and I don't have a Quirk Factor, we're not native to this world... He set that information to the side, then asked, "So, how long have I been asleep?"
"Only over a day. It's early evening on Monday," the blonde responded, "Oh, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Arturia Pendragon. My dad is Saber Shine, one of the heroes you met yesterday, if you remember."
Shirou nodded, "I do. I remember being worried about you," he turned to Miyu, who smiled to show she was okay, "and Midoriya, but I passed out before I could come to make sure you were both okay," Shirou smiled, then let the expression pass, "Miyu, where is Midoriya?"
Miyu started her story, "All-Might came and saved us," Shirou hid the flash of information about the Number 1 hero that the Grail gave him, "Then Saber Shine showed up to take me to where you were brought to. Arturia brought me these clothes, then she kept me company last night and today while we were waiting for you to recover and wake up," as she finished, she leaned into him, "I'm glad you woke up sooner."
Shirou nodded, "I am too," he then turned to Arturia Pendragon, "I'm sure you learned my name already, but I'm Shirou Emiya, Miyu's older brother. Thank you for watching out for my sister." Arturia responded with a smile that would melt most hearts.
"It was no problem at all. She's a very smart girl, I enjoyed my time spent with her," she brushed her skirt, then grabbed her bag from the seat she had been sitting at, "Well, I was told that if something happened, to go talk to Doctor Aozaki and let my dad and Hawks know. I'll see you guys after Doctor Aozaki lets me back in." With that, she strolled out of the room.
Shirou turned to his sister, "You haven't said anything, right?" Miyu shook her head.
"Nope, figured that it was smart to keep shut until we could get our story straight," Miyu said. She then sighed, "I was so worried about you."
Shirou patted her back, "I'm sorry for worrying you, Miyu," before he could continue, a beautiful middle aged woman walked in. Dressed in a violet blouse, white slacks, and lab coat on top, the woman lit a cigarette, then turned to Shirou and Miyu.
"Let's save the sappy stuff for later. We only got 30 minutes to coordinate a backstory for you people," she spoke in a harsh tone, her piercing gaze heightened by the glasses she wore, "I'm Doctor Aozaki."
Shirou stared at her. Yeah, she was the splitting image of the puppeteer mage he and Kiritsugu had met once in Shinjuku. What were the odds... "Shirou Emiya, though I'm sure you knew that. What do you mean by backstory? I thought you were a doctor?"
"Cut the bullshit. Between your shoes not fitting right, your sister recognizing Fuyuki, and the fact I found a Spirit Originembedded in you, I can put the pieces together. You fought in a Holy Grail War in another world, and used the Grail to access the Second Magic to bring the two of you to this worldline, right?"
Shirou immediately went on guard, and began Tracing a Bakuya immediately. Before he could, Doctor Aozaki flicked her cigarette in a strange pattern, and a Bounded Field went up, sapping Shirou and Miyu of energy. Doctor Aozaki stared at him, "Relax, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm bound by a Geas to do everything in my power beyond certain things to take care of my patients, and I intend to give you the same treatment. That being said, we are going to need to cooperate with each other, so we don't get the Neo-Mage's Association angry at us."
Shirou relaxed, and Doctor Aozaki dispelled the Bounded Field. Miyu glared at the doctor, who ignored her. Shirou had another concern, "What do you mean my shoes don't fit?"
Doctor Aozaki went to take a drag on her cigarette, but Shirou hit her with the Big Brother Stare of Disapproval, causing her to groan and put it out. She glared back at him, "Your shoes were sized for someone without a Quirk. A Quirk Liner is missing a bone in their pinky toe due to the streamlined body."
She took a seat, and then continued her lecture, "Before you say that you don't have a Quirk, ask yourself this: do you think that coming here with pathogens from your old world and getting exposed to the pathogens of this world would be a good idea?"
"Oh." Shirou and Miyu realized. That would have been very bad.
"Exactly. Thankfully, Zelretch already had a system in place for anyone that plays with his Magic Tricks," Doctor Aozaki stated, "It's called Translation. Basically, when you use the Second Magic to transfer to another worldline, and it isn't by Rayshifting, your body is reconstructed to fit the criteria of the Human Order that fits the destination. This process tends to have side effects when you come to this worldline, typically in the form of giving the new travelers a Quirk."
Shirou slowly nodded, "So, we're not the first... travelers you've met?" Doctor Aozaki shook her head.
"No, I've met and dealt with a fair amount of you people over the years," Doctor Aozaki shrugged, "The Quirks are never a massive boon, typically just taking whatever your Magic Circuits specialize in and converting that into a more physical ability," she narrowed her eyes, "Now, I want to know why you thought it was a good idea to embed your Servant's Spirit Origin into your body."
Shirou blinked, "Servant?" He waited for the flash of information he had been receiving for this world, but like with the Neo-Mage's Association Aozaki had mentioned, there was nothing. The Grail must only be granting knowledge that was relevant to the general populace, not hidden secrets like whatever this form of the Mage's Association was.
Doctor Aozaki narrowed her eyes, "You don't need to play dumb. I know about the Holy Grail War. Who was your Servant? Why did you embed their Spirit Origin into yourself? I'm surprised it worked as well as it did."
Shirou pursed his lips, "We... didn't have Servants. We fought with Class Cards and Installed them. I managed to get a Card with a version of myself in it, and used my newly prefetched knowledge to win."
Doctor Aozaki's eyes went wide, "You... INSTALLED a Heroic Spirit? What in the..." she immediately face palmed, "That's actually insane. Okay, we are going to get on the same page right now. You tell me everything, and I will find some alibi for you. We wasted five minutes on this, so make it fast, capiche?"
Shirou and Miyu looked at each other, then back at Aozaki, "Capiche." They then relayed everything that had happened, hoping that the doctor could find a way to spin this story into a plausible backstory. The countdown was ticking, and the Pro-Heroes would be here at any minute. They had to have their story ready by then.
Their safety required it.