Episode V: Do it for Her
It had been roughly a week since Izuku rescued Eri from the man known as Kai Chisaki. They learned his name thanks to an ongoing investigation run by All Might's former sidekick, Sir Nighteye. While annoyed that Midoriya stumbled onto the case, he was grateful that now they had a valid excuse and a warrant for his arrest. Child abduction and abuse were good cause to arrest.
But by the time they raided the hideout, Kai Chisaki and his top lieutenants were long gone. Leaving only a skeleton crew to distract them.
They had found evidence that Kai Chisaki and his Eight Precepts of Death were partly responsible for the distribution of a new Quirk enhancing drug called Trigger. A drug designed to enhance the user's Quirk factor beyond what was previously thought to be the extent. In the wrong hands, the drug could turn low-level criminals into dangerous threats. But now with the Eight Precepts on the run, the distribution of the drug began to limit.
While disappointing that Chisaki wasn't captured, it did ease the fact that because Kai and his gang were on the run, they wouldn't be after Eri any time soon. Which put Izuku at ease, but he still kept his eye out.
As for Eri, it was a bit of a struggle for her to adjust to a life outside of Kai's cruelty. From what they understood, the conditions of her 'home' were bleak and depressing to say the less. The room she was kept in was small, dark and barely had any sort of child entertainment. It was almost as if she was just a product for them. To be used and harvested.
To what end they still didn't know, as Kai had destroyed the servers and computers with his quirk. Making it impossible to learn what his end goal was.
So, for the time being, Izuku and Inko did their best to ease Eri into normal life.
Although she refused to leave Izuku's side, so she had to stay in his room. At first, Izuku was willing to let her sleep in his bed, while he had a roll-out bed until a more permanent solution could be found. But in the morning, he would wake up with the small girl clutching his side, the sight alone made Izuku's heart squeeze. But aside from the curtness of it, it was obvious to both of them that the young girl was traumatized by what she went through, and suddenly being in a nonhostile environment would take some getting used to.
So, she would seek out Izuku as an Anchor, to help herself deal with the situation. Whatever Kai had done to her, had stripped her of nearly all of her emotions other than fear and guilt. Especially when they found that due to her circumstance, she never had a proper childhood or even learned how to smile.
Something that had enraged All Might and Izuku.
But they were all more than willing to help her overcome her fears and ease her into normality. Inko wanted to give her a good home and show her the affection she had been denied for so long. Part of it was she felt she had a second chance to do right where she had failed with her son long ago. Not that he blamed her. And Izuku's goal was to erase the darkness that had a hold on her heart.
'It's a good thing mum got the school to agree to take some time off to help Eri, otherwise, it'd be harder to help her adjust if I was at school all day…' he said to himself as he looked over from his desk to the small child resting in his bed.
'After what she's been through, she's going to need all the help we can give.' He thought before he sighed mentally, 'The only downside of this is that my training is on hold because I'm grounded.' He thought as he closed his eyes and remembered the long and angry chat he had with his mother and All Might.
'I know what I did was wrong and illegal, but if I hadn't done it, what would've happened to Eri? Would she have been saved eventually or never? And if I didn't act, who knows what could've happened?' he suddenly felt a tug on his shirt as Eri had reached out in her sleep and grabbed his shirt.
He smiled softly as he patted her head affectionally effectively calming her down.
'Still, it was totally worth it in the end.' He thought as pulled the blanket more over her body and leaned back in his chair, a small chuckle exiting his throat.
'I still can't believe that one night in town and suddenly I have a little sister. Albeit not in a conventional way. I'm a big brother now…' a pregnant paused filled the room before his eyes snapped open in realization.
'Oh crap…I'm a big brother….' He sat up as he mulled the words over in his head. "I'm…a big brother…how the heck do you be a big brother!?" he snapped over to his computer as he started frantically typing and searching the Web.
"Let's see, big brother, big brother. How to be a big brother. '3 ways to be the best Big brother', nope. 'How not to mess them up', that doesn't help at all. Audiobooks, YouTube videos, an article...damn it! None of this help!" He listed all the searches on his computer.
He paused when he heard a soft groan and Eri sat up, as she held the edges of his blanket. "Izuku?" she asked as he turned to her.
"Y-Yeah, Eri?" he asked as she looked down nervously.
"Can I…have a glass of water?" she asked as he blinked at the uneasiness of her request. Until he remembered about Kai and nodded.
"Sure thing," he said with a small smile as she hopped off the bed and grabbed his hand, then followed him into the kitchen. After giving her a glass of water, and an apple when her stomach growled, Izuku took her back to his room where he tucked her into the All Might blanket.
"There, feel better?" he asked as she nodded.
"Yes…Sorry I disturbed you," she said as he shook his head.
"There's nothing you need to apologize for. If you ever need something, don't hesitate to ask, okay. After all, I'm…" he took a moment to say the words as he patted her head. "...Your big brother," He told her as she seemed conflicted about asking for stuff before she nodded and drifted off into sleep.
"Good night, Eri…"
"Good night…Izuku…" she said as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
He looked at her sleeping form before he smiled and brushed a hand through her hair. "Huh, I guess being a big brother won't be so hard after all." He told himself as he promised himself, he would always take care of her.
"…But I better buy one of those books."
The Next Morning – Mustutafa Shopping District
"Remind me again…" Izuku asked as he, Eri wearing a green beanie to hide her horn, his mother, and All Might (in his true form) were walking around the Mustutafa Shopping District. "Why are we here?" he asked looking around at the many citizens and people walking around and shopping.
"Well, even though Eri looks cute in your old clothes, I think it's important that we get her more age-appropriate and suitable clothes. I know you're a fan of All Might, Izuku. But she can't be wearing the same T-Shirts for the rest of her life." Inko explained as she walked alongside her son. Eri held onto his hand for dear life, as she looked around in both awe and trepidation at the shopping district.
"Okay, I get that. But why is All-" he was cut off as All Might slapped a hand over his face.
"Not out loud kid!" All Might hissed. "Call me by true name, Toshinori Yagi," he told him as Izuku nodded.
"Smorph Alph Mihp (Sorry All Might)" he spoke through the hand before it was removed. "Okay, why is Mister Yagihere…that felt wrong to say." He muttered to himself as All Might shook his head and gestured for Inko to take Eri further along. Inko nodded as she took hold of Eri's hand to lead her away. Eri stared with concern before Izuku nodded to her and let her know it was okay. The two men then huddled closer to exchange a private conversation.
"Even though Chisaki's operations have been dismantled, that villain remains at large. At any moment he could try and retake Eri back by force. So far Eri has a new identity in the database, but we don't know how far-reaching his contacts could be. So, for the time being, I'll be accompanying you and your family." He whispered to him in a hushed tone as they walked behind Eri and Inko. Making sure no one was around to eavesdrop.
"But what about your hero duties?" He asked as All Might waved him off.
"Relax, there are plenty of Heroes at the moment, and I only really intervene when the situation is dire. Plus, I doubt they'd try anything brazen in daylight, with so many Heroes on patrols, so she should be safe. So long as we keep an eye out. And Sir Nighteye searching for him…" All Might told him as Izuku nodded.
Izuku nodded as he remembered the documents that showed Eri, as Eri Midoriya, the second child of the Midoriya residence. The only reason she didn't dye her hair a different colour, was it was not recommended or safe for children to dye their hair until puberty. Besides, they knew that Kai would come after her eventually. No matter what they did to hide her identity, fake name or not he was coming for her. So, they may as well draw him to them.
It was only a matter of time.
Luckily after the Raid on their compound, and the investigation into their funds and offshore accounts, the Eight Precepts of Death lacked the resources necessary to find her. They would find it especially hard to find her, seeing as the Yakuza had lost a lot of their influences since Quirks and Heroes showed up. So, there would be less chance of a mole in the Police force, and the only one that had access to her file was All Might's friend, Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, and All Might himself since he had Alpha level security and authority over the young girl's personal information.
He was the Number One Hero after all, who was going to say no to him? Plus, the Midoriya's were being moved to a new location closer to U.A. Academy, come the Exam in six months.
So, for now, Eri was safe and secure.
"I hope so…" Izuku said as he was still worried about Kai coming after his little sister.
"I understand your worry, Young Midoriya, but we can't focus solely on the future, merely on the now. And right now, that young girl needs proper clothing, food, and all the other necessities a young child needs for a healthy childhood." All Might told the young man.
"I guess you're right…By the way, how was it meeting your old Sidekick? I heard that you had a falling out with him some time ago. Was it bad?" Izuku asked as All Might thought back to a week ago.
One Week Ago – Sir Nighteye Hero Agency
All Might (Regular Form) stood across from the man he once considered his sidekick. a tall, lean-but-muscular man with rather sharp and elongated features. His shiny hair was always worn smoothed down and parted to his left, and was dark green, with three yellow streaks towards the front, two on his right, and one on his left. His eyebrows were also yellowish, matching the rims of the triangular glasses he wore and the strikingly bright-yellow irises of his stern-looking eyes.
His look gave off a sense of authority and power, as he rarely smiled and looks stern, and he appeared to be glaring.
"I have to admit All Might, I never thought our reunion would be…like this." Nighteye said as he read over the file of Eri 'Midoriya'. "Who would've thought it would take a little girl to force us to meet each other again?"
"Life has a strange sense of humour, I'll admit." All Might said as he stood across from him. "It has been too long since we've had a chat. I kind of wish it wasn't about work as well, but…"
"That's the life of a Hero. We can't change that." Nighteye said as he looked at his former partner, staring at the thin body. "You've…lost a lot of weight…" he said as All Might shrugged his shoulders.
"That's what happens when your stomach is basically crushed. On the plus side, I can fit into that swimsuit in time for summer." He joked as he got a small smirk from his ex-partner. "Hah, knew that would get you. You always did like jokes."
"That aside, let's get down to business," Nighteye said as he set the folder down a folder that had Kai Chisaki's picture. "I've been investigating this man and his group for years, searching for any solid evidence I could find," he informed All Might as the man sat down. "I had reason to believe he was part of the distribution of the new 'Trigger' drug that's been hitting the streets."
"I heard about that, wasn't it related to the Instant Villain incident?" All Might asked as he remembered the incident where an individual was either forced or took the Quirk enhancing Drug Trigger. The Incident was Orchestrated by a Quirk user that could use bee's that explode to spread chaos. The User nearly used Bees to destroy a section of the City, had it not been for All Might destroying the 'Mini Bomber's' with his Nebraska Smash.
"Yes, I heard that situation was ultimately resolved thanks to Pro-Heroes, and Vigilantes, correct?" he asked as All Might shrugged.
"Wouldn't know about that part. All I did was stop some insects from blowing up the city." He said as Nighteye shook his head.
"Humble to the end…" Nighteye said, with a small hidden smirk before It returned to his frown. "In any case, I had suspicions that Kai Chisaki, a former Yakuza enforcer, would be behind some of the Trigger distributions. It seemed the most logical choice. But I couldn't find anything solid on him for a while."
"But you were determined to wait?" All Might said as he nodded.
"I was…until I got a call this morning from your Detective friend, who informed me about a teenager that got into a fight with a man matching his descriptions. Who, without a license, fought the man and saved a small girl connected with the prime suspect?" He said as he held up the police report. "Thanks to that, I got permission from the Judges to conduct a raid on the base. Kidnapping and experimenting on a child were enough to issue a warrant for his arrest. We'll begin the raid shortly. But that's not why you're here, is it?" he asked as All Might nodded.
"I wish to take part in the raid as well. Seeing as I was involved in the incident with young Eri. I would like to make sure her abuser is put behind bars…" All Might explained as Nighteye adjusted his glasses.
"I understand your motivation and would welcome you to the task force. But I need to discuss something with you first…about Izuku Midoriya…" he looked to All Might as the number 1 Hero flinched slightly.
"The incident report regarding his involvement states that he just happened to be in the area and got the girl away from Chisaki and his men. That's when you arrived, took out the thugs and saved the girl..." his glasses reflected off the light as he stared at All Might. "But looking at the evidence…I know that his associates were detained beforeyou arrived, held down by an unknown Support item that you claimed was a student's invention from U.A. that you were testing…" he set the folder down as he glared.
"However, you and I both know you aren't one to use Support items, especially not ones that use artificial Webs…meaning this boy, Izuku Midoriya, constructed said device and acted without consent, effectively breaking the law." He said as All Might clenched his jaw.
"But not only that…I suspect he knows about your true identity and that of One for All, doesn't he?" he asked as his former partner remained silent. "I see…and you're going to choose him as your successor?"
"…I already have…" he admitted as Sir Nighteye remained silent and breathed out a sigh.
"All Might…of all the reckless things you could do, this is by far the most reckless thing you have ever done." He said with a calm but angered tone. "You gave One for All to a child, that as far as I can understand, is supposed to be Quirkless?" he asked as he showed Izuku's personal file, with his Quirk status marked as 'Quirkless'.
"There's a long story about that...and we may need to change that file soon. But I can assure you that young Midoriya will not do it again until he has his license-!" All Might said before Nighteye slammed his hand to the table.
"That's not the point! You gave One for All, the Quirk that has been passed down for 200 years, to a mere child that decides to disregard the law and get into a fight with a dangerous criminal!" he shouted as he stood up.
"Midoriya didn't mean to do that. Yes, he did get into a fight, but it was for a good cause! If it wasn't for him, you'd still be searching for evidence on Chisaki for months! Maybe even a year! But now that you have the evidence you need you can arrest him and put him behind bars!"
"That doesn't change the fact he abused the law! Took matters into his own hands and nearly got himself killed! He was completely reckless and stupid! What would've happened if he died with One for All!?" Nighteye shouted as he glared at his All Might glared back.
"I'm not sure, but he didn't. Young Midoriya is more capable than you realise. And while what he did was reckless and irresponsible, he has a good a heart and a strong will. I deem him worthy as my successor."
"You may…but I think he's a menace," Nighteye said before he sighed and hung his head.
"I won't deny what he did wasn't valiant, hell, it even advanced my investigation. But I just feel that he's not the one that should carry on your legacy. You are the Symbol of Peace All Might. You have protected Japan and kept criminals at bay for the longest time. You've inspired so many Heroes to follow in your footsteps, like me, and I've supported you for so long…even to this day." He hung his head.
"And I still remember the day we end our partnership when you fought him five years ago. I begged you to retire and find someone worthy to inherit your Quirk because I didn't want to witness the future, I saw…"
"But you know I couldn't do that." All Might remembered that day as well. A grim day that ended his master's killer but limited his time as a Hero. "The World needed me, in case another villain like him would take his place. And I will always answer her call."
"…I know…despite our parting, I know. Even so, I just want to make sure that this child won't destroy everything you created…I don't want my hero to fade away…" he admitted as silence hung over the room.
All Might sighed as he hung his head.
"…Sasaki…I know that you look up to me, heck young Midoriya is just as much a fan as you are. But both of you have to realise, I'm not going to be around forever. One day my time will come, and I will gladly face it. Whether it be fighting a powerful foe, or because of my health. But before then, I will train young Midoriya to face the challenges and master One for All. Because I believe he will become a great Hero one day, one that will eclipse even me. And I hope that you will help." He asked as Nighteye sighed and sat down.
"…Our first conversation in years and the first thing we do is argue about One for All again?" he asked as he took off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. "It's almost like nothing's changed, hasn't it?"
"Yeah…" All Might agreed as Nighteye sighed and put his glasses back on.
"Okay…if he makes it into U.A. and makes it to the internship, I may consider interning him. As for the raid, we would be more than happy to have you onboard, I'll have Centipieder send you the details…" he said as All Might nodded.
"Thank you, Sasaki…" he said as he turned to leave. "By the way…" he looked back with a smile. "It was good seeing you again, we should catch up more." He said as Nighteye stared before a small smile spread on his face.
"I'd like that," he said as All Might left, feeling that the bond he thought was broken, remained firm to this day.
Present Day
"Ha, honestly…I think it was long overdue, and probably for the best. I've pushed a lot of people away in my life. But maybe it's time I started re-connecting again." He told the young man as he nodded. But right now, let's focus on what young Eri needs. And don't worry about the cost, I'm covering it." He told Izuku as the young protege blinked.
"Are you sure All - I mean Mister Yagi?" he asked, still not used to call him by his civilian name. "Don't you need that for food and stuff?" He asked his mentor as the man chuckled.
"Relax kid, with the money I make from my job, as well as the endorsements and merchandise I can stand to lose a few spare Yen. Besides, I don't spend much on myself anyway. I never was much for the fancy lifestyle, and as for food, since I lost my stomach my small intestine had to pick up the slack which limits how much I can eat, so don't worry about that." He told the boy, his hand reaching for the scar on his ribs.
"Besides, I'm also responsible for that young girl too, seeing as she is now your sister." He told the young man who looked back to Eri as she walked nervously alongside Inko, her small hand holding tightly to his mothers. "If it means she grows up safe and sound, then it's worth it."
"Yeah…it is…" Izuku said as he smiled softly.
"Now, we should hurry along. Poor girl looks nervous enough as it is," he said as Izuku nodded.
After a while later, the four of them managed to get everything the newest member of the Midoriya family needed. Now instead of an All Might T-Shirt and shorts from Izuku's childhood wardrobe. The young girl was dressed in a white dress shirt with a frilled collar and a plain red pinafore with two large, golden buttons on either side of her chest. Under this, she wore grey tights and a large set of tan boots with a small dark red messenger bag with the strap sitting over her right shoulder and a little floral pattern decorating one of its sides. She also had the beanie replaced with a yellow sunhat with a small green flower on the band. Her hair also looked to be better cared for, appearing straighter and neater than it was during her time with the Shie Hassaikai.
"Oh, you look so cute!" Inko said as Eri fidgeted with her strap.
"Y-You think so?" she asked with a small unsure voice, not used to wearing anything other than a filthy smock dress and bandages. Inko and Izuku nodded as she pulled the hat down on her head but felt a warm feeling in her chest. "Thank you…I'm sorry if it cost too much…" she said as Izuku smiled and patted the top of her head.
"It's okay, Eri. You don't have to worry about stuff like that. We just want you to be happy, okay?" he asked as she stared with small confusion, but with a strange feeling of warmth. Was this what kindness felt like?
"Now, let's see what we can do about…" Inko trailed off as they left the store and searched for anything else that Eri needed.
"Inko is that you!?" she suddenly heard as both Izuku and Inko turned to see a spikey ash-blond haired woman, alongside her was a spikey brown-haired man with glasses and someone that made Izuku momentarily flinch and fluctuate invisible for a brief second. Which luckily no one noticed.
Katsuki Bakugo
"M-Mitsuki!" Inko stuttered for a moment before the slim ash-blond woman hugged the shorter plump woman.
"Inko, it's been too long. I haven't seen you in over a month!" Mitsuki Bakugo, Katsuki's mother, said as she smiled at the woman. Katsuki scoffed as he turned his head away. "Oi! Brat! Say hello to your elders, you disrespectful twerp!" Mitsuki yelled as he growled.
"Just great, the last thing I wanted was to go out shopping with the hag. Now I run into Deku of all places, just great…" he growled under his breath before he turned to Inko. "Hello…Inko-Oba, it's good to see you." He bowed slightly, to which the shorter woman smiled nervously.
"Oh, hello Katsuki. It's good to see you too," she said, still somewhat nervous and unsure of the boy that was both Izuku's former childhood friend, his bully, and the son of her high school friend.
Katsuki just looked at Izuku before glaring and growling Deku under his breath. "Oh, don't mind him, he's still upset that he got captured by the Slime Villain a few months back. Oi, brat! Thank Izuku for saving your life already!"
"Shut up! Deku didn't do jack against that slime bastard! It was All Might that beat him up, Deku just got in my way!" he yelled only to be slapped upside the head as he ground his teeth in anger.
"Sorry Izuku, but I do want to thank you. Even though he won't say it, I'm grateful you did what you did." Mitsuki said as she bowed to him. "Thank you, for saving my son." She said as Izuku blushed as he hid behind his arms.
"O-Oh well, it wasn't much really. A-And Kacchan's kind of right, I did just get in the way." He said as she shook her head.
"Nonsense, as far as I'm concerned, you're a Hero." She said as Izuku felt a wave of joy in his chest. All Might behind him smiling at the knowledge that Izuku would become a great hero someday. Even if it was just being thanked by one mother. "So, Inko-Chan, what have you been up to? We haven't seen each other in a while. Anything new and exciting happen?" she asked.
"Oh, well…" Inko stuttered. She had been like this ever since she and Mitsuki met at high school years ago. "You could say a lot has happened." She gestured to her leg, as Eri hid behind her new 'mother'.
Katsuki blinked while Mitsuki had sparkles in her eyes…literally.
"Oh…my…gosh…." She slowly said as she reached for the girl. "She is sooo cute!" she said while hugging the startled girl and rubbing her cheek against hers. "Aren't you just the cutest thing in the world! Inko! Who is this angel child!?" she asked as Eri managed to escape her grip and ran behind Izuku.
"Oh, sorry Mitsuki, she gets startled easily when she meets new people." She apologised to her friend. "Her name is Eri, and as of late she's our adopted child." She told her as Mitsuki blinked.
"Adopted? Seriously, no offence but I thought you and Hisashi wouldn't be up for that kind of thing…Especially seeing as he doesn't even bother to call or visit you anymore!" Mitsuki said as she clenched her fist angrily, still annoyed that Izuku's father and Inko's husband took 'extended work' overseas and never bothered to check in on his wife.
"I-It's quite all right M-Mitsuki!" Inko managed to say to calm her friend. "Hisashi won't mind, and the circumstance involving Eri-Chan are…unique," she said as the small girl looked around from behind Izuku's leg. "It's a long story, but basically she's in our care because Izuku found her and she's formed a strong attachment to him." She explained as Mitsuki felt her heart clench at the sight of Eri clinging to Izuku.
"Oh…that is so precious! Knowing Izuku, that definitely sounds like something he would do…" she then snapped over and smacked her son upside the head. "Damn it! Why can't you be more like Izuku and adopt a kid off the streets!"
"Shut up you old hag!" Bakugo barked back.
"What did you call me you little runt!" she barked back as they growled at each other.
"N-Now, now you two, please don't fight. We're in public after all!" Masaru (Mitsuki's husband and Katsuki's father) said as he tried to calm down his son and wife.
"…Are they always like this?" All Might asked as he pointed at the family, to which Inko and Izuku just chuckled nervously.
"Yeah…" they said as they had somewhat grown used to the strange family that was the Bakugo's.
"Oh, by the way, who is this?' Mitsuki asked pointing to All Might, as she held her son by the ear and stopped him from ranting. "He's been standing around for a while, is he with you?" she asked as the three flinched slightly.
"O-Oh, my name is Yagi, Toshinori Yagi, I'm Midoriya's personal trainer." He explained as Katsuki stopped fidgeting and turned to the skinny man.
"Huh? What the hell are you talking about? What the heck does a worthless person like Deku need a trainer for? And you don't look like you could train anyone at all." Bakugo said before his mother slapped him upside the head.
"Oi! Don't be rude you little bugger!" she scolded as the boy ground his teeth. "I'm sorry about my son's disrespectful behaviour." She apologised as All Might chuckled, not his usual laugh.
"It's quite all right, I get that a lot. I used to help train Pro-Heroes back in the day. But I suffered an accident years ago. So, now I instruct younger generations to become Heroes." He explained, having come up with a reasonable excuse if anyone ever saw him train Midoriya.
"Oh, well that's good. So, I'm guessing Inko hired you to train Izuku?" she asked as Inko nodded, knowing all about All Might's secret after adopting Eri. "Well, I wish you luck Izuku, it's going to be especially challenging going into the Exam without a Quirk."
Izuku nodded, not wanting to reveal he had a Quirk in front of Kacchan, less the boy got angry at him. Like he always did. He was about to agree with her, when suddenly his Spider-Sense went off, "HEADS UP!" someone yelled from above as a rapidly moving object shot towards Izuku's head. His hand instinctively moved and caught what looked like a heavy-duty wrench without even looking.
Izuku easily held the wrench with his hand as he blinked in confusion. "What the? Where did-!"
"I-I'm so sorry!" they heard as they looked up to see a maintenance worker on scaffolding. "I-I accidentally dropped my wrench! Are you okay!?" he asked as Izuku nodded.
"Y-Yeah, we're fine!" he called out as turned to the now stunned Bakugo's.
"…W-What just happened?" Mitsuki asked with shock as Izuku held the object in his hand, just as startled at her. He tried to let go, but the glare Bakugo gave him made him nervous and made his crawling ability cling the wrench to his hand.
"Um, actually Mitsuki…" Inko said as she twiddled her fingers, "I kind of forgot to tell you this, but…Izuku has a Quirk now…apparently…." she said as silence reigned over the Bakugo family. The adults look confused, while Katsuki looks more confused and enraged.
"Huh?" they asked before a blood vessel appeared on Katsuki's forehead.
"OI, DEKU!" Katsuki suddenly raged as Izuku's Spider-Sense went off, as Katsuki marched towards Izuku, about to grab the boy's shirt, had he not moved out of the way. "What the heck was that crap! Since when did you get a Quirk!?" he demanded, small sparks igniting in his hand as Eri hid behind Izuku, who instinctively, stood in front of her. "Answer me you-!"
"That's enough!" All Might said as he managed to stop the young teen.
"I feel as if this is a conversation best discussed elsewhere. How about we head to the food court, it wouldn't be wise to argue in the middle of the streets. Plus…" he placed a hand on Bakugo's shoulder with a small grip. "I hope you weren't about to use your Quirk young man, that would seriously jeopardize any chance of getting into a Hero Academy, right?" Bakugo wanted to snap at the man, but for some reason, he felt like he couldn't do it. There was this familiar aura about him he just couldn't place.
Something he…respected?
"Tch!" he clicked as he shoved the man's hand off his shoulder and then stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Fine! But you've got some explaining to do, Deku!" he growled as he marched to the food court. His parents looked rather stunned.
"Wow, I've never been able to get him to stop like that." Mitsuki said as she turned to Toshinori, "You must be great with kids?" she asked as the skeletal man chuckled.
"No, no, I'm just…charismatic?" he said as he coughed into his hand. "All right, let's head to the food court." He said as they all went to the food court as Izuku sighed in relief.
He looked down to Eri who still hid behind his leg. "Hey, it's okay. Kacchan seems like a mean guy, but…he wouldn't harm you, promise." He told her as she reluctantly nodded.
"I-Izuku-Nii?" she asked as Izuku turned to her, resisting the urge to heart clench when she called him Izuku-Nii. "W-why did he call you Deku?" she asked as a pained look came across his face.
"It's…not something I like to talk about, and not something you need to worry about Eri. Come on, the others are waiting for us." He said as he held out his hand to her, as she looked at his face before nodding and grabbing a hold of it, leading them to the food court.
Food Court
The Midoriya Family, Plus All Might, sat on the table opposite of the Bakugo family as there was this nervous tension in the air. Mostly due to the heated glare that Katsuki was sending Izuku, as the boy withered slightly under his gaze.
'Are you going to say anything, or just keep glaring at me!?' Izuku thought to himself with sweat rolling down his head. Eri sat next to him as she ate the apple slices that came with her McDonald's Meal. Mitsuki broke the tension as she slapped the back of her son's head.
"Enough with the glare!" she said before turning to Izuku.
"Sorry, Izuku. Kacchan here-" she smirked when he gave her the stink eye for calling him by Izuku's cursed nickname. "Was just uh…curious to know how it is you got a Quirk. From what we understand, Quirks only manifest when children are 4 years old. How is it that you have a Quirk now, after all these years? Not that we're against it mind you!" She said quickly as not to offend him, as Izuku chuckled nervously while Bakugo glared at him.
"W-Well, it turns out I'm a rare 'late bloomer', the doctor misdiagnosed me because my Quirk needed to wait until my body was physically suited for it." He explained, having made this plan up with All Might and Recovery Girl should anyone inquire about his past Quirklessness.
"Oh, well that's good. What is your Quirk anyway?" Masaru asked as Izuku pondered.
"Well, I kind of have the abilities of a variety of Spiders. I can stick to any surface, have heightened senses, lift objects 170 times my body weight, I can jump 40 times my body length and I can turn invisible. Although it's not really invisibility, more like I'm altering the light around my body to make it less visible to the naked eye, which also affects my clothes. I do wonder if it has something to do with bioelectricity but - mumble, mumble, mumble, mumble…" he quickly went off into his usual muttering as the Bakugo parents stared at the boy.
"There he goes again," Mitsuki said as Masaru chuckled nervously as well.
Bakugo couldn't handle it anymore, especially when the words pelt his head, and he slammed his hand on the table. "Enough you damn nerd! Shut up already!" he yelled as he broke Izuku's train of thought.
"Tch, so your ability makes you like a bug, big whoop. Does that mean you shi-!" he paused when he looked to Eri's childlike curiosity and held back the swear. "Does that mean you…spin webs like a Spider?" he asked as Izuku shook his head.
"…He didn't swear…" Mitsuki whispered to her husband. "Maybe we should have another kid to get him to stop?"
"Shut up you old Hag! And you!" he pointed to Deku. "Answer the question!?"
"N-No, nothing like that Kacchan! I only got the physical aspects of a Spider. I didn't get the biological specs; otherwise, I'd have eight eyes and six legs. And that wouldn't be a pretty sight…" they all paused to imagine a four-armed, eight eyed Midoriya with horrific spider-like features.
They all shivered at that.
"Tch, whatever. Your Quirk is still weaker than mine!" Bakugo claimed as he sipped his drink. "And I'll prove it at the exams, so don't even bother trying!" he said as he crossed his arms.
"Now that's not very nice, Young Bakugo." All Might said as Bakugo glared at the man. "Young Midoriya has every right to participate in the exam like any other student. It's not up to you whether or not he should compete or not. And I do not believe it's very heroic to deny others the chance." All Might told the young man, who grumbled, for some reason finding it hard to snap at the skeletal man.
'Seriously, who is this guy! Why does he seem so familiar!?'he screeched in his head.
"Besides…" All Might said as Bakugo blinked.
"How will you know if your Quirk is better than young Midoriya's if he doesn't participate. The only way to prove it would be to let him try to compete in the Exam. And, if he succeeds, you'll have more opportunities to prove yourself. Wouldn't you rather have someone that will challenge you? If you don't, then your skill will stagnate, and I get the feeling that's something you don't want." All Might explained as Bakugo actually took the moment to pause.
Until he clicked his teeth. "Tch! No way! There's no way that damn nerds Quirk is better than mine! If what he says is true, it makes him more like a Bug than a Hero!" he claimed as All Might laced his fingers.
"Really? Tell me young Bakugo, what exactly is your Quirk?" he asked as Bakugo held up his palm as small sparks and explosions popped on his hand.
"My Quirk-"
"Kacchan's Quirk is called 'Explosion', it allows him to excrete nitro-glycerine like sweat from his palms and ignite it at will to create explosions of various sizes." Izuku cut in, having long known about his Quirk, and responded automatically in nerd mode.
"Don't explain my Quirk you damn nerd!" Bakugo exploded as Izuku flinched and flickered between invisible and visible due to his nerves.
"Ah, I see…that is a powerful Quirk. One that I believe could make you a very popular Hero." All Might said as Bakugo grinned.
"You bet! With my Quirk, I'm going to be the Number 1 Hero and surpass even All Might himself! Just you watch Skelator!" he proclaimed as All Might internally chuckled, finding it ironic that the young man was basically seating in front of his idol, whom he claimed to surpass.
"Well, I've been helping young Midoriya for the past four months, and right now…I think he may be able to beat you." He claimed as a huge blood vessel popped on Bakugo's head.
"WHAT!?" he yelled with rage.
"Oh boy, he's mad…" Mitsuki said as she calmly sipped her soda, while her husband and Inko panicked slightly.
'All Might, what the heck are you doing!?' Izuku mentally screeched to the man who seemed to read him like a book, as he smirked.
'Trust me young Midoriya,' he mentally said as he returned to the boy. "But, if you want to prove me wrong, we can find out when the Exams are over and when Young Midoriya makes it into U.A. That is where you plan to go right?" he asked as Bakugo flared his nostrils in anger before snapping them to Izuku.
"Deku!" Izuku flinched at the glare. "If you fu- if you fail to get into U.A. I'm going to beat you up myself! I'll prove once and for all my quirk is better than yours! But I doubt you'll even make it past the exam!" he claimed as he stormed off to cool his head.
'If he wasn't born as a boy, I'd almost think he was Tsunadere…' All Might thought as he watched the young man walk away.
"Wow, you are good," Mitsuki said as she watched her son stroll off. "Normally it takes a whole yelling match to get through to his skull. You have a talent," she said as All Might chuckled.
"Well, what I said was true, in a way. Young Midoriya has the right to participate, and young Bakugo won't truly know if his Quirk is better if Midoriya isn't given the chance. Your son seems like a…determined young man. And I think it would do him good to have some rivalry to push him on." He explained as Mitsuki nodded.
"I suppose you're right. My son has always had a large head, no matter how many times I tried to get it into him that he's not the centre of the universe. Maybe U.A. will give him some perspective. But now I got a question for you," she asked as he nodded.
"If you're Midoriya's personal trainer, why are you hanging around the family after hours. That doesn't seem like something a trainer should do, are you interested in his mother or something?" she asked as blood rocketed out of his mouth while Inko choked on her tea. Izuku on the other hand looked like he fried a circuit in his brain.
"M-M-Mitsuki!"
"W-What! No! I swear that is not my intention! Y-Young Midoriya invited me to tag along b-because-because!" he started to panic, then looked to Eri. "Ah! It's because young Midoriya wanted some advice on being an older brother to young Eri here! Seeing as he didn't have anyone around to teach him, I thought I would give him some pointers!" he reasoned with a bald-faced lie.
"Really, you have siblings?" she asked
'All Might has siblings!?' Midoriya thought, only to remember he didn't due to a biography that listed no such family members. Not that there was much in it other than School and his Hero career.
"W-Well no, but! I had experience helping young teens in my youth, volunteering here and there, so I thought it would help young Midoriya if I gave him some pointers!" he reasoned as Mitsuki looked suspicious but nodded.
"Fair, I mean it's not like his own father is around to teach him that sort of stuff." She said as all three of them, minus Eri who was no paying attention due to the colouring book she had, sighed in relief. "Still, knowing Izuku, I'm sure he's going to be a great older brother." She said as Inko smiled at the praise.
"Although, there is something I've noticed since we've met…" she said as she pointed to the girl. "Does she…ever smile?" she asked as the three looked to each other with grim looks.
"Izuku, why don't you take Eri to the store over there?" Inko asked. "Get her to pick out something she wants," she said and handed her card over to him as he nodded and took the girl by the hand and led her away from the adults.
"Its…not something we like to make public, but…due to Eri's former life, it seems that the people she was with didn't give her a proper home, and due to it she hasn't experienced much joy," Inko explained as the two Bakugo adults were stunned and saddened to hear that.
"I see…that poor child…" she said as she looked over to the small girl timidly looking around while holding Izuku's hand.
"We're trying our best to ease her into a more comfortable lifestyle, but…" Inko looked over to her adopted daughter with empathy in her eyes. "I'm not sure what else we can do?" she asked as the rest of the adults pondered…
"…You know…" Masaru said as he pondered. "I heard that sometimes the best way to help children in her situation is to attend social events that help them to open up more. There's a festival tomorrow at Okazaki with a firework display at the end. Maybe if you took her there, she may start to forget her past?" he suggested as they pondered that idea.
"Hmmm…it's a thought, but will it be enough?" All Might asked as Mitsuki nodded.
"It may not be a lot, but it would be a start to help her. You can get her more help, but I think right now she needs to know what it's like being a child. Then just show her love and affection, something I know you can do Inko-Chan. After all, Izuku turned out okay." She said as Inko doubted herself for a moment before nodding.
"Okay…" she said, as the adults agreed on the idea.
"Okay, we'll see you there!" Mitsuki said as she and her husband got up.
"W-Wait! You're coming too?" Inko asked as Mitsuki nodded.
"Of course, I know how nervous you can get Inko-Chan and I want to be there for you every step of the way!" she grinned before it turned into a softer smile. "Besides, I know my son hasn't been the best of yours and I'm truly sorry for it." She said knowing full well of her son's misdemeanour to Izuku, no matter how many times she tried to stop it.
"I know it won't fix everything, but…I want to make up for my son's idiocy was well…" she asked as Inko looked at her friend before nodding.
"Now then…" she said before grabbing Inko's hand, startling the woman. "Let's go find Eri-Chan a cute Yukata to wear!" she said before dragging a panicking looking Inko further down the mall. Leaving All Might and Masaru Bakugo behind.
"…You have an…interesting wife…" All Might commented as he nodded.
"Yeah…but that's why I love her."
One Day Later - Okazaki, Firework Festival
Lanterns and stalls were opened to the public as curious red eyes gazed upon the bright lights of the small festival held at the local shrine. Eri stood at the forefront of the group, wearing a cute white Yukata with small red Sakura flowers decorating the cloth. Behind her was her adopted brother Izuku, wearing his own dark green kimono. His mother in a similar Kimono. All Might wore an overly baggy Kimono, and the Bakguo's in dark oranges.
Except for Katsuki who was wearing his shirt and shorts. "Tch! Why the hell am I even here!? I didn't want to come out to this stupid shi-!" he argued before he was smacked on the head.
"Because it's Eri-Chan's first time at a Festival, and I want to be there for every step!" Mitsuki replied back before smacking him upside the head again. "So, stop being a whiny little brat!"
"Who are you calling a brat, you hag!"
"Now, now, please don't fight…" Masaru begged his wife and son while the Midoriya's, and All Might, starred at them.
'Can they go five minutes without fighting?'
Eri looked around at all the stores, feeling nervous about being in such a large space. Until she felt a small comforting squeeze on her hand. "Hey, it's okay Eri. I'll be right next to you the whole night, okay?" he reassured her as she nodded. "Now, what would you like to do first?" he asked, as she looked around before she pointed at the goldfish stall.
"Oh, you want a Goldfish?" he asked as she nodded timidly. Izuku nodded as he rolled up his sleeves. "Can I try please?" he asked as the stan vendor held out his hand.
"100 Yen," he told Izuku as he handed him a paper net and bow. "Rules are simple, scoop a fish into the bowl and you keep it. Your turn is up when the paper net breaks, got it?" he asked as Izuku nodded and prepared to fish. "Hold up kid," he said as Izuku stopped.
"What's your Quirk? Can't let you try and cheat me using your Quirk," he said as Izuku nodded.
"A-Ah, okay, my Quirk is Spider-like abilities. Heightened sense and wall-crawling." He listed the basic as the man nodded.
"Okay, just checking. But I'll know thanks to my Quirk, Sense: Allows me to detect any Quirk Activation." He said as Izuku nodded and tried to win a fish for Eri. However, Izuku was never good at carnival games and had very little practice due to never being invited to go to the festivals. So, the chances of him winning one were slim.
'But…' Izuku thought as his eyes became focused. 'As a big brother, I have to win one! For Eri!' he mentally yelled and scooped at the water…
And lost. Izuku hung his head in defeat as the paper net broke and he lost. "Again please!" he asked and paid the man, only to lose again. And again, and again. Costing him 300 yen. "…I've failed as a big brother…." Izuku moped hunched down on all fours. Katsuki watched from behind him as grew more and more annoyed.
"Argh! You really are pathetic if you can't win a child's game!" he yelled as he grabbed the paper net and paid the man.
"Okay kid, what's your Quir-!" small explosions went off in Bakugo's hand as he glared and scared the vendor. "R-Right…have a go," he said as in an instant Bakugo managed to capture two goldfish before the net broke, then shoved the plastic bag of goldfish into Eri's hands.
"Here!" he growled as Eri was startled, and a little hesitant when they were shoved in her hands, looking up at him with confusion before he scoffed. "Just take them, damn nerd can't do anything right. Just make sure you don't drop 'em!" he said as she then stared at the fish in awe.
"Huh? You're really good at this, aren't you Kacchan?" Izuku said with amazement to which Bakugo replied.
"Of course, you damn nerd! I'm going to be Number 1 no matter what!" he yelled back as he started walking away with his hands in his pockets.
"U-Um…" he looked back as Eri bowed to him. "T-Thank you, Kacchan…" she said as Bakugo's eyebrow twitch at being called his stupid nickname and was about to snap at her…But he couldn't as he stared into her big red innocent eyes and he merely scoffed and turned away.
"Yeah whatever…" he said and walked away.
"…That was unexpected." Mitsuki and Masaru said as they watched their normally aggravated son act calm.
"Shut up!" he yelled, to which Mitsuki just laughed.
The rest of the night went well as they played multiple games, buying masks for Eri and Izuku to wear. Izuku went with the All Might one as the real All Might snickered at the fanboy level of his successor. And Eri discovered her love of candied apples as her mouth drooled with delight and slowly, they began to notice her trepidation melt away. But the whole time Eri still had yet to smile. The corners of her mouth would twitch, but nothing. It was like her facial muscles had forgotten what it was like to smile.
"Well, she's starting to come out of her shell…" Izuku noticed as Eri played with one of the toys won at the stalls. "But she still hasn't smiled yet." He discussed with the adults as they nodded.
"If she wants to smile, she'll smile when she's ready. You can't force it on her, you damn nerd." Bakugo grumbled as sat away from the rest. While not as invested with the child, even he couldn't fully ignore her lack of joy.
"…Yeah, I guess you're right Kacchan…" Izuku sighed with slumped shoulders before All Might placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Now don't give up yet young Midoriya, the night is still young. Who knows, maybe she'll smile once she sees the fireworks. I have never met a kid that wasn't amazed by fireworks yet." He assured Izuku as he nodded.
He looked down to Eri as she held her hand, while not as hesitant as before, he could still see the fear that Chisaki had imparted on her. But at least she was looking around with more childlike curiosity and awe.
"Okay, the fireworks are about to start, why don't we-!" his spider-sense mildly went off as he turned to see someone struggling to carry some boxes. The person didn't notice the spill on the floor and suddenly tripped. But faster than the person could blink, Izuku managed to catch the person and the boxes in mid-air all in a matter of seconds.
"That was close, hey are you okay?" Izuku asked as he turned his head to the person…
Only to suddenly go rigid and blush red as he stared into the face of a girl his age. She had brown hair, eyes, a round but cute face and two permanent looking blush marks on her cheeks. She blinked as she looked at the boxes in his other hand.
"Oh wow, sorry about that," she said as she released herself from his grip. "I wasn't watching where I was going and slipped on that spill there, thanks for catching me. Those were some pretty cool reflexes." She said with a cute laugh as Izuku found himself unable to speak and continued to stare with a rigid expression. Behind him, the others were staring at the interaction with some amusement.
"Thanks for catching me, I'm Ochako Uraraka by the way." She introduced, as Izuku just continued to stare finding it hard to talk. But to her, it seemed like he was curious about her worker's get-up and the boxes she was carrying.
"Oh, you're probably wondering why I was carrying those boxes? Well, I'm helping out a friend of my parents to make some extra cash, money's a bit tight lately, but this way I can help out and enjoy the festival on my break." She said as she took the boxes from his still hands.
"Well, I should be heading back to work, thanks again and it was nice meeting you!" she said as she walked away leaving Izuku to process his encounter.
"H-Holy crap! I just talked to a girl!"
"You didn't say shit! You nerd!" Bakugo yelled while Inko, All Might, and the others chuckled at the blushing boy, while Eri looked confused.
"Come on, we can poke fun at Midoriya later. The fireworks are about to start, and we need to find a good vantage point." All Might suggested as they nodded. They soon found themselves on a grassy hill overlooking the festival as they laid out a blanket and sat down.
"Izuku-Nii, what are fireworks?" Eri asked, never having seen them before in her life.
"Uh well, they're kind of like…uh…" he pondered how to explain them to a young child like Eri? "Hmmm…Tell you what, how about we just watch. I think that's the best way to show what they are…" he said as he pointed to the waters where the fireworks would set off. At first, nothing happened as everything was quiet…
Then suddenly a loud whistle shot up into the sky as everyone looked to the sky as the first firework went off in the sky. Its bright colours flashed and sparkled in the night sky, amazing all who saw it before slowly fading into dust. Only swiftly after followed by several more fireworks as they lit up the dark sky. Eri's eyes widened with awe as the loud sounds reverberated and the bright colours danced across the endless stars.
Izuku smiled at this as he took the girl and lifted her onto his shoulder. She was slightly startled before her attention was brought back to the fireworks as they exploded and brightened up the darkness. The corners of her mouth slowly started to spread upwards as she was lost in the dazzling sight.
Before a proud and happy smile spread across her face, the first one she had in a long time.
Izuku watched as the small girl raised her arms in excitement as she and all the other children in the area cheered at the show. Izuku couldn't help but smile at this as he felt the darkness that had its hold on her loosen.
"Izuku-Nii! Izuku-Nii! Do you see that! They're going boom! And Wah! And Woosh!" she yelled out with excitement, unable to contain her joy. Izuku nodded as he smiled at her, small tears in his eyes.
Inko herself felt tears in her eyes, nearly drenching All Might with them, as she watched the small child laugh and smile for the first time since she arrived at her home. Mitsuki herself was comically weeping and taking as many pictures as she could of the innocent child, while Masaru tried to calm her down.
Bakugo leaned his back against the tree as he tried to ignore everything…but even he took notice of the child's excitement and felt a small tug at his heartstrings. Before shutting them off and turning away.
Izuku took this moment to stare at the small child that had effectively become his little sister and smiled seeing her happy. But of course, his mind drifted to Chisaki and the fact he was still out there, no doubt plotting to take her back by any means necessary. He clenched his fist as he shook his head.
'No…I'm never going to allow that to happen. No matter what, I will protect Eri with my life. I'll become the greatest Hero ever, and make sure that no child ever suffers as she had.' He silently vowed to himself. All Might himself vaguely thinking back to a time before when he and his master once watched a similar event before looking down to Izuku and noticing his expression.
'I know that look, young Midoriya, a look I know all too well. But fear not, I will help you protect her and help you master your abilities and One for All…' he lightly coughed into his hand as blood stained the palm. 'Before my time is up.'
Both Master and Apprentice looked to each other as they nodded, both silently vowing to uphold the weight and responsibility of One for All. But for tonight, they just sat there and enjoyed the smile of one child that had seen too much darkness and relished in the light.