12: Recombination
Kread's Pre-read: I've marked scene changes with
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to make it more clear. If you don't see a line break, then it's from the same character's perspective, but the scene is changing. Lots to do, only so many words, ya know?
Also, Italics are robots speaking, and italics without quotes are thoughts/memories. Sorry if anything is unclear, I'm trying to make sure that the formatting is clear.
Izuku never thought he'd be happy to go back to school.
He never really thought of how much time it eats up in the middle of the day, or how much social time a person gets just milling about in the hallways. There's nothing particularly special about going to school until you've spent two weeks in and out of hospital rooms, doctor's offices, meetings, courtrooms…
Yeah, Izuku is happy to be back in school. No one else seems to know what to do with him, but he's not all here in the first place so it doesn't bother him nearly as much as it used to.
The sound of the door slamming shut traps him beneath a pouring rainstorm for what feels like several minutes. Open jaws roar soundlessly in front of him as lightning dyes everything moist white. Blood pours from the fangs and through his fingers. All it takes to return him to reality is the tiniest bump. Someone nudging against his desk on the way to their own, a tap from Kābā, chalk on the chalkboard, anything mundane enough to remind him where he is. Casual chatter fills the room with a white noise that Izuku appreciates now more than ever.
Kābā's face doesn't even register in Izuku's mind (he's trying to figure out what's so off about Izuku today) because Izuku is too busy watching the teacher put the first messages of the day on the board. There are other things: bits of conversation that are louder than others, forced stillness in the wake of outbursts and chair scrapes, prickling along the back of his neck and a constant urge to keep track of every living thing moving through the room.
Everything jerks through various stages of full speed and pen-drop silent.
After the third time he DRAGS his awareness into the present (as opposed to the shattered remains of negative n-th degree seconds) Izuku looks back at Kābā. He's still wearing the same little smile and Kābā hasn't moved. It's been all of ten, maybe twenty seconds to everyone else.
Izuku has no idea how long he's been sitting at his desk anymore.
"Hey," Kābā makes a face. "You okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah," Izuku forces himself to smile as his eyes scrape along the windows and the chalkboard.
"Dude."
"I'm fine."
"Spill or else." Kābā makes a serious face, the one he thinks is threatening, and holds up his tin of colored pens. "Unicorns."
"You have got to stop threatening me with unicorns." Izuku rolls his eyes and digs his fingers through the fringe of curls hanging over his forehead.
"All those unicorns in your house have red eyes man. You should be more afraid." Kābā sings, fighting the urge to smirk and failing horribly.
"They have red eyes for a reason!"
"Yeah, they're bloodthirsty!"
"They're ALBINO, Kābā!"
"Albino, bloodthirsty, what's the difference?"
"Well first off, Nobutaka-kun," Izuku's face draws tight as the teacher speaks up from the other side of Kābā's desk, freezing his friend on the spot. "They're human beings and calling them bloodthirsty is rather rude. Now, as fascinatingas this conversation is, would you two mind if we started class?"
"No sir." Kābā mutters, shooting Izuku a panicked look as he turns around.
Yeah, Izuku is glad to be back in class. Things aren't any less odd, but he's gotten used to it. Now he just has to shake these episodes and he'll be fine. Apparently being hypersonic isn't as much of a blessing as he imagined it would be.
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It's been about a month since the whole "Izuku jumped in front of a bomb" thing and it's been replaced by a sense of… caution. His friends are doing their best to avoid suffocating him but there's a measure of "space" that exists between them too. Not the same as "avoiding you" space. More like a buffer. One he doesn't like, because he kind of likes having everyone tucked in close. Even if Tachibana needles him about his extracurriculars being too dangerous and Kābā uses 'threats' to get him to open up about his problems or Akiko tries to get him to join her 'modeling' agency, he's constantly aware of the distance lingering between them.
Why is this important? Because when Izuku goes to lunch on his first day back in school, he finds his friend group has expanded by a whole five people. He's not really sure what to do with that. Especially since he's spent the past few weeks in the company of his adopted child, a sarcastic robot, a manic inventor and All Might's apprentice.
After a few blinks and several chuckles from his friends, he notices that Erin and Sachi, the inquisitive upperclassmen from before that whole "Izuku jumped in front of a bomb" thing (a lot happened in chapter nine huh?), have joined his friends and offer him nothing more than shy (Sachi) or devilish (Erin) smiles when he stands on the edge of the crowd. Everyone else… yeah, Izuku doesn't know them. The blonde kid might be someone from his class, but maybe not.
"Hey, Midoriya-kun!" One of the two remaining students pops up when Sokuchi smiles at Izuku, immediately offering him a short bow. He's got glasses, the thick rimmed kind, and he's got… is that coral? Maybe coral growing out of his right shoulder instead of skin. "Man, I'm a big fan!"
"Um?"
"Seriously, between that Yakuza fight and then that clip of you in the storm, all those crazy fast stunts you pulled are intense, man. Great job putting the heroes in their place." This guy is smiling, but there's no warmth to it. He's riding something, either nervous excitement or mania, and Izuku doesn't know what he's supposed to do about this.
"But…"
"And then that trial! You know they barred the public from attending? That's so crazy, what was that even like? I heard a bunch of super high-profile heroes showed up! Did you meet Hawks? I'm his biggest fan, that guy is such a cool hero…"
"W-wait," Izuku has to grab the boy to get a word in, but the group are all looking at him now that he's got his word in. "What are you talking about?"
"You, Midoriya!" The boy laughs and Izuku catches the barest traces of confusion bleeding into his expression. "I mean, the green wind vigilante…!"
"I really don't mean to be rude or anything, especially after you said all those nice things but, I mean…" Izuku offers up the most painful smile he possibly can because he kind of wants to throw himself off the roof. Sadly, that wouldn't put an end to things, he'd just get fined for destroying public property. "It's just, I'm quirkless, so…"
"You're what." Ah, there it is. The wave crashes into confusion, and this kid may as well be all wet. Izuku hopes his smile is sympathetic.
"I'm quirkless."
"But that's…"
"I mean, I'm flattered that you think I could handle all of that, really, but I don't deserve the credit honestly."
"But the hair?"
"I… I think green hair isn't all that uncommon, honestly? There's like five people in the hero course at U.A. with green hair…"
"You have to be the green wind vigilante."
"I'm quirkless."
"That's. I did the math. We saw you crush that robot."
"It was just a friend of mine pulling a prank. The shell wasn't even that thick." Izuku shrugs. "I'm really sorry, I know everyone thinks I'm some kind of badass, but all my free time goes into studying and taking care of my adopted sister."
"Adopted sister?" The boy's final hopes shatter as Izuku pulls out his phone, immediately swiping through his photo album of Eri.
"Yeah, she was being abused so my mom and I took her in… Look, she just started smiling recently and I swear she's just the bubbliest kid you've ever met! She loves animals, so we always go to the park," Izuku cuts off as the other unknown variable grabs the first and offers up a smile.
"I think we should go."
Izuku waves halfheartedly as the two leave, then spins around and finds his friends looking very disappointed.
"What?"
"That was harsh man." Kābā sighs.
"I'm still shocked it works in the first place." Tachibana mutters darkly, stabbing her chopsticks into her bento with enough force that some food tumbles out. "It's so obvious. People are dumb."
Izuku sighs as he takes a seat on the far side of the group and waves halfheartedly back to Erin-san as she smirks his way.
"Quirkless, huh?"
"Y-yeah." Izuku fumbles for the doctor's note and hands it across the circle, leaving both girls and the newcomer (who hijacks the note after Erin gets ahold of it) visibly dumbfounded. "I didn't lie."
"But we were there!" Erin nearly shouts, catching the attention of several cliques around the rooftop. "You saved Sachi from that bomb!"
"That was you?!" Izuku's eyes bug out of his skull.
"We forgot." Sokuchi looks at Tachibana, who groans and throws her weight against the chain link fence behind them.
"I knew we were forgetting something!"
Izuku stares around the circle as Kābā and Daisuke and Akiko all cackle and Sachi-san blushes fiercely and Sokuchi watches them stone faced with Tachibana buried in her shoulder.
"W-wait, so S-s-sa…"
"Hanamura," Erin rolls her eyes.
"Hanamura-senpai was the one who…?!" Izuku blushes madly, and Hanamura-senpai does the same. Erin frowns in the face of his question, then nods.
"The bomber was an ex-boyfriend of mine. You saved everyone involved, so I thought you were just protecting your identity but this… what the hell, Midoriya?"
"I…" Izuku groans as he drags a hand over his face. "It's a long story."
"Oh!" Izuku blinks as Daisuke brightens. "I forgot to ask! Can you get Hatsume to put Monitor's OS on my phone?"
"Hey, wait a sec-!"
"Why?" Izuku isn't entirely sure why Daisuke seems so friendly with Monitor or the idea of a mad genius buried under U.A…. Okay he's entirely sure why he just doesn't want to deal with it. Doing what Daisuke is asking would involve dealing, and Izuku is all out of dealing today. His last two problems just fled his company, and he's not emotionally prepared for all this. "Why would you want Monitor on your phone? Is someone after you?"
"No, I'm just curious." Daisuke grins. "Plus, maybe he could help me out with kendo practice."
"Look, Monitor doesn't do that kind of thing." Izuku frowns at the idea. "He'd probably program a bunch of alarms into your phone just for getting him involved and then harass you about your form."
"Seriously?" Daisuke deflates a bit. Izuku is kind of glad. He doesn't want Monitor infecting his life more than necessary.
"Monitor?" Hanamura-senpai pipes up from Erin's side, reminding Izuku that he's been ignoring the redhead for far too long, judging from her expression.
"Uh…" Izuku is fumbling for the words when Kābā's mischievous side takes over.
"Izuku is best friends with this insane girl quarantined under U.A. who invented a sentient artificial intelligence that lives in Midoriya's phone." He takes a bite of apple and chews while the three newcomers digest that information and Izuku stares at him with the betrayal open on his face. "mrpWhant? It's true!"
"You can't just tell people that!" Izuku squawks.
"You pretend to be quirkless."
"It's not PRETENDING…!"
"You're basically god."
"Are we going back to the blasphemy? Seriously?"
"Would you prefer unicorns?"
"I…"
"What is WRONG with you people?!" Erin hisses, breaking into Izuku and Kābā's argument as the rest look on with amusement on their faces.
"You get used to it." Akira shrugs, not bothering to look up from her book.
"It's pretty quiet without Izuku around, honestly. He fights every little thing." Akiko looks devilish as she grins at Izuku, who can't even argue that point.
"Yeah, he's that stupid vigilante." Tachibana groans. "And yeah, he's got some kind of robot in his phone and there's a crazy girl beneath U.A. and he fought fish monsters! Guys I need help with my math homework, so can we just get this out of the way? Ruby and I have tickets to that new Yakuza movie tonight, and I can't fail another assignment or mom is going to KILL ME!"
"You could always borrow Izuku's workout routine and become immortal first." Daisuke withers under Tachibana's glare and Izuku flops back onto the roof to deflate in peace.
He takes it all back. Friends are ridiculous, he should have gotten plants.
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Izuku is a little bit worried about Melissa. Not that she can't handle herself, but between dealing with Mei all the time and Bakugō's upcoming surgery, he wonders if she couldn't use a little more… normal. So he drops by Hatsume's lab one day and asks if she'd like to join his friends for a study group and dinner. Melissa takes him up on the offer almost immediately, and he goes into a bit more detail so she knows what to expect.
Being used to crazy isn't mutually inclusive, after all, and Izuku's little circle have their own form of normal.
His friends don't crowd her, other than expecting an explanation (Tachibana mutters something about All Might's version of Eri and Izuku has to squash the need to cry) and an introduction. Melissa sits with them as they make small talk and go over homework, including math, English, and history, the worst subjects of Tachibana, Daisuke and Akiko respectively.
As usual Izuku helps his mother prepare dinner. Eri takes to Melissa quickly, given her quiet sunshine personality and the fact that everyone else has homework, so Izuku doesn't worry too much. He only checks every few minutes.
"We're ready, everyone!" Izuku cheers, snagging Eri from Melissa and directing her to the bathroom so she can wash up. Daisuke and Tachibana both cheer, Ruby smirks as she drags (singlehandedly, Izuku notices) Tachibana off the floor and onto her feet, and Akira shoots him a grateful look as she sets aside her textbook. He feels a bit bad about leaving Melissa and Akira on "tutor" duty but there's a lot of people to feed.
"Oh, Izuku! How has your training been going?" Melissa calls as she finds a seat around the table. Izuku blinks, then frowns and pats his chest.
"Fine, so far. I keep forgetting I'm wearing it honestly."
"Do we need to up the weight again?" Melissa frowns, reminding him of the talk they had when he first asked about this particular project. Izuku shrugs.
"I don't think so. It's helped a bit during my routine, but I don't think there's really much I can do about it these days."
"What kind of training is this?" Tachibana looks back and forth between them suspiciously for a moment before she starts piecing her meal together. "I thought you were taking it easy, Izuku."
"I am," He pins Eri's hair back and lays out the chopsticks they picked out for her, before following Tachibana's lead using the little girl's plate. "But I wanted to try this and see how it worked out."
"Don't forget to take it off before we eat, Izuku." He groans as Inko frowns at him, pointing her chopsticks as she uses her mom voice. "No training during dinner. That's the rule!"
"Mom we already sat down…"
"Izuku."
"Alright, alright." Izuku darts towards his bedroom, ignoring the curious looks as he does so. "I'll be right back."
Safely in his bedroom, Izuku pulls off his shirt and starts unwrapping resistance bands from his chest and arms, then from his ankles. He's managed to keep his friends in the dark about this little trick for a little while but it's only a matter of time at this point. There's a bit of a tremor in the apartment when he sets down the vest, but he can't help that. When he puts his shirt back on and returns to the table, eyes lock onto him like hyenas circling a prey animal.
Maybe hiding it was a bad idea.
There's a bit of yelling when everyone finds out. Apparently going about your day with an extra five hundred kilograms strapped to your body is bad for you. Izuku doesn't bother pointing out that he's done worse and elects to continue dinner instead of getting worked up over it. Melissa gets along swimmingly with Akira and Sokuchi, thankfully, and once everyone has left for the evening Eri quietly tells Izuku that the blonde lady is very nice. She's still shy around strangers… It took Eri a full hour to even smile while Melissa was in the house, and she didn't talk above a whisper.
Izuku smiles and wraps the girl in a hug and thanks her for being brave, then chases her into the bedroom so she can start putting things away before bed.
(No one needs to know that he spends most of the night lying awake, trying to ignore every little sound that fills his room; they don't need to know that he only sleeps for a little while, and that his dreams are jumbled and uncertain)
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Kurobayashi-sensei seems happy. Izuku isn't sure why, considering he's just accepted the most dangerous teaching position ever, but Izuku is relieved. When he recommended his sensei for the supplemental instructor, he hadn't imagined it would work. Nezu claims something about having a non-hero teacher being inspired and keeping the Anomaly situation in-house or something like that.
The principal of Izuku's current school is less enthusiastic. Izuku got in on a scholarship, after all, and Kurobayashi-sensei is being poached just five months before the next year begins. Apologies don't really seem to cut it against losses like that. He tries to justify it knowing that, at the very least, this school will be a little less hectic once he's gone.
Izuku thinks he's going to miss this school though. His friends- including Hanamura-senpai, Erin-senpai, even their new friend Kenshi (real name: Niijima Yuto), are all great people from what Izuku has seen. And everyone else… Leaving is going to be hard. Dividing his time between everyone will be hard.
Well, no one he meets from the hero course will ever replace his friends. They're hero students, and he's just… Izuku. Lately that means a lot more than it used to, he's just not sure exactly what yet. He's got other people to worry about first.
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"Some villains are attacking a park near your home. Your babysitter from U.A. will be directly on that route, and possibly caught in the crossfire." Monitor says.
Izuku blinks and pauses, leaving one foot just above the last step. He's so far gone that he doesn't notice the people behind him crashing into his back (none of whom notice the fact that he doesn't budge under the weight of two, three, five people or that his foot never creeps closer to the floor) and he completely misses Kābā cleaning up his mistake with easy smiles and claps on strange backs.
Eventually Izuku sighs and turns to his friends, "I'll catch up with you later."
Daisuke, Akira and Kābā follow him, as expected, as he makes his way back up the stairs and heads for the rooftop.
"Yo, Izuku what's going on? Don't you have to get home?"
"I am going home, there's just…"
"You know you don't have time for this, right?"
"I…" Izuku can't really believe he's considering this, but he's already got his hand on the door to the roof, so he glances at the three hovering just behind him and offers up a meek smile. "I need a clear shot."
They're way too excited about this. Izuku doesn't trust himself in the first place, even with Monitor's help, but Izuku has talked this idea over with Kābā before. At the time it seemed ridiculous and a little bit like blasphemy. Now… Well.
"Turn… Face this direction, use just over fifty three percent power and watch your footing."
Izuku knows that this will work. He's seen All Might do it in videos, in person, he's experienced this, so it's not like he's attempting something crazy. Sadly, there's a large gap between "knowing" and "acting".
"You're hesitating. If you're afraid, I'm sure that your neighbors won't miss the park too much, Midoriya-kun." Monitor says. Izuku sighs and presses his finger against the earpiece to resettle it, still not sure whether he likes the fit or not.
Then he crouches, sets one foot in front of the other, and takes a deep breath. His body is already overclocking everything and "driving his cardiovascular system into hyperflux" (as Melissa would say).
Izuku prefers Shatter-speed (not that he's told anyone that because… come on, it's kind of self-serving isn't it?).
After spending over a month blurring the lines between shatter-speed and normal, Izuku is used to the silence. He's used to the feeling of his legs throbbing and swelling beneath his skin, the feeling of every single moment spent pushing his body past human limits.
Five beats in shatter-speed is roughly five microseconds. A fraction of the time it takes lightning to strike. Millions of seconds per seconds. Thousands of moments before the human mind can even perceive that he's not standing still.
This is how long it takes Izuku to breathe.
This is how long it takes him to realize he's put just a drop too much into his next motion.
Adjust. Breathe out…
Leap.
His friends haven't blinked before Izuku is gone. They can't comprehend the fact that he crouched, measured his jump and looked back to wave goodbye. Some part of them knows that he waved goodbye (Kābā smirks when he notices how enthralled the other two are), but they don't actually see this side of Izuku too often anymore.
It's something they talk about, something they laugh and tease him about, but none of them join him on his Routine anymore, or anxiously await his return from a villain fight.
Witnessing Izuku's power up close is a bit different than talking about it.
Izuku is flying. He has long enough in the air, considering he's leaping several miles, to wonder why his eyes aren't watering. It gets put into the "weird invulnerability bubble" theory and tossed into the back of his mind as he watches the city blur beneath his feet.
"For your first jump, you managed to follow my directions very well. Congratulations, Midoriya-kun." Monitor chirps. Izuku huffs, knowing that the machine can hear it, and sets his eyes on the park that is speeding into his view now. Everything draws to a halt as Izuku reenters shatter-speed and clicks his tongue at the villains who've decided to trash this park.
It's a nice park. What the hell are they thinking?
One thing that Izuku finds mildly annoying is that he has to drop his speed so he can knock people out. Not that it's any trouble, it's just annoying. Kind of like stopping on the sidewalk and then having to step out of the way again to avoid someone who isn't paying attention. Maybe a bit like going through actions in games when the outcome is already determined, and the game still takes those moments to show a loading wheel.
He's not really angry. Just a bit peeved. So, he throws the villains into a pile and pushes back into shatter-speed to jump back towards his apartment building. Tremors run through his hands as he opens the door to his apartment. Luckily, his mom is in the kitchen.
Playing dumb is a bit much, but Izuku isn't above it. He tells his mom he's just about to change, takes her reminder of the tutor with an awkward laugh and shoves his back against the door of his room as quickly as he can. Eri is there, of course, and she throws herself at him before he can get caught up in the way his hands are shaking. Soon enough he's sitting on the bed watching her draw, talking about having guests and what Eri did for the day.
Izuku doesn't even realize he's dreaming until Eri pokes his foot with a pencil.
"There's someone strange here. Momma was calling for you," Eri says quietly, looking uncertain. Izuku offers her a lopsided grin and a hug.
"Just someone here to help me out with school, Eri. Won't be long, alright?" Izuku scrambles up off the bed and grimaces at his gakuran. He bumps into a few things as he hurries to change. Eri is laughing at him quietly by the time he's thrown on some casual clothes, so he throws open the door as he's pulling off his socks. Which turns out to be a mistake, because in his sleep addled state he falls against the wall. Throwing his socks into the 'dirty' bin and pulling the door shut with a quick jerk of his hand distracts him long enough that he trips on the rug. Laying on his back in the middle of the room, Izuku glances towards the kitchen with the last desperate hope that no one saw him and his mind short circuits.
Wow.
The first word that comes to mind plays on repeat for a moment. He's gotten used to hanging around girls, and he'd go as far as claiming that he'd gotten over most of his awkwardness when dealing with pretty girls. Granted, every girl he hangs around is pretty.
But… wow.
She's the prettiest girl he's ever seen. Her eyes and her hair, pulled up in a fluffy ponytail, are dark as obsidian. If he had to guess he'd say she was a princess or an heiress, someone way, way too important to be tutoring him.
This is U.A. She's going to be his classmate. He's wearing a shirt that says 'Halloween Costume'.
Fuck.
"Uh… hi…?" He stammers.
"Are you alright…?" The girl asks politely. Izuku's stomach churns as he catches the air of discomfort in her tone, and he can't really blame her. Who would want to tutor someone who went and fell over during their first meeting?
"Oh, um, yes. Yeah. I'm fine. Just, eh… Hey, you're Yaoyorozu-sama, right? From U.A., class 1-A?" Somehow, he dredges up the roster from his memory. He can't really feel his arms and legs right now, so he lies on the carpet and stares up at the ange- at Yaoyorozu from the floor.
"Y-yes… Aizawa-sensei asked me here to tutor someone?"
"…Oh." He mutters. This is something he was afraid of when he first realized Eraserhead would be picking his tutor. "Eraserhead-sama… Do you hate me?"
"Not particularly." Aizawa calls, not bothering to take his eyes from his tea. Izuku drags a hand down his face. There's no obvious malice in that tone but, Izuku knows his type. No matter what he has to do, Aizawa is going to make Izuku work off the spite he's built up.
"Um, I assume you're Midoriya-kun… and that you're the person I'm here to tutor?" Yaoyorozu asks tentatively.
"…Yeah, that's me." Izuku groans. He allows himself a moment (only the one, mind you, he's in the presence of high-class people…!) to lie there on the floor before he gets up and dredges up a smile. "S-so, what did you want to start with?"
"Perhaps a review of the material you've been covering in school would be best?" Yaoyorozu returns his expression to a T: the tense smile, barely contained nerves, and her height makes it… a little bit worse, if he's honest. She must be really irritated. He really, really wishes he'd made a better first impression.
"Right… Let me just go grab my notes."
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Kābā drops by after the tutor has left, slipping into the place he's reserved in the Midoriya's home as easily as breathing. Homework is piled on the kitchen table, Eri is piled in Kābā's lap tracing characters, Izuku's mother is tucked in her own chair with a cup of tea…
It's a normal night in the Midoriya house. Or at least it should be.
"I'm such an idiot."
"Relax Izuku, you're fine."
"Kābā, you don't understand. I FROZE." Izuku moans.
"Okāsan…?" Kābā grins as Inko takes a sip from her tea to hide her grin.
"Like a deer in the headlights." Izuku lets his head fall into the table as his mother snickers at his plight. "Ooohh, don't worry dear, you were adorable! I'm sure she was just a little surprised… though you could have picked a different shirt."
"Why do all of you hate my clothes?" Izuku already knows that. Being reminded makes it so much worse.
"I'm still shocked you snuck that in. Tachi-chan and Soku-chan haven't found it yet?"
"No, and you aren't going to tell them!"
"Fine, fine… But, look, I'm sure it's not that bad. At least you made an impression. Most of the time you don't even do that."
"Thank you. That's very helpful."
"Dude calm down, you're fine! Why are you even worked up about this?"
"I just…" Izuku blushes so hard his ears must be steaming. Kābā has been grinning wolfishly the entire time, but now it's particularly vicious.
"Hmmmm?"
"She's a lady! This is U.A., Kābā, she's crazy rich and I flopped around like a drunk fish!"
"Izuku's got a crush!"
Izuku's blush doesn't fade at all that night. His mother makes sure of it, even after Kābā heads home.
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Yaoyorozu Momo is the top of class 1-A at U.A. She's the top student of the leading hero school in the nation and one of the only students to have actually faced villains at her age. As if that weren't enough, she's the heir of the Yaoyorozu Conglomerate and she's stunning.
Izuku spends most of their second meeting blushing and staring at his notes, trying not to combust every time she leans over to check his work. Eventually, his embarrassment fades. He manages to lose himself in the work, in studying and being taught. U.A. isn't that far ahead of his prep school courses, but he's not exactly on their level either. It helps that Yaoyorozu is willing to answer every question he has (he has a lot).
Monitor has apparently taken to monitoring the villain incidents in the district near Izuku's home, which… Izuku actually appreciates. He's solving more incidents than ever now that he can cover the entire district in minutes. Unfortunately, this means that he has to deal with the police on a regular basis again. Some of them don't really like him that much after everything that went down in October.
He thinks of Kacchan, Kābā, Tachibana, Akira, of All Might, Hawks, Nezu, Aizawa… of Yaoyorozu. Izuku almost forgot what it's like to feel unworthy. Long nights awake slowly become long nights spent stewing in hot flashes and nervous energy.
The itch to push his limits returns with a vengeance.
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Izuku is in the kitchen when Aizawa and Yaoyorozu arrive for the fourth tutoring session. He gets up to answer the door and freezes as soon as his eyes find the tallest member of the escort. From the moment he and All Might lock eyes, something wells up in his chest and… Izuku can't help but admit he's torn. Part of him wants to reach out to the hero. The part of him that aches for his lost dream is much, much smaller than it was, but it's still not quite small enough for Izuku to reach out.
All Might is gone before anyone can say anything, muttering about patrols and bidding Izuku a good day, asking them to pass greetings to Izuku's mother.
Aizawa arches a single eyebrow as Izuku waves the pair inside, and Yaoyorozu looks at him curiously for the remainder of that day. Izuku doesn't even notice until his mother brings it up that night. He tells her, because… well, he tells her just about everything. Eri bounces in his lab, breathing softly as he runs his fingers through her hair, oblivious to the frown weighing on his cheeks.
"It's okay if you're not ready to forgive him yet, Izuku. People are complicated, especially when dreams and hopes get tangled up." His mother mutters, smiling as she takes one of his hands (Eri throws her hands in too, though she doesn't know what they're talking about), "Sometimes it's hard to understand a person. Even if we think we know, we might not know everything someone feels, or what they really meant. It's hard to reach out when you've been hurt. Just keep trying, and maybe one of these days you'll make it. Just… Don't push too hard, Izuku. You're both heroes. You've both done great things and made mistakes."
"What… What if I'm never ready, Mom…? He's the number one hero, Mom. He's given more than I ever could to keep people safe. What right do I have…?"
"He made a mistake, Izuku. Even if you both know that, knowing doesn't make your pain any less or make him any better. If you're not ever ready to face him, then you never have to. Maybe… Maybe these kinds of things are better if you don't worry about them. Let it heal, don't pick at it. He hurt you, even if it's not the same as a broken bone. I think you'll be ready before you know it. My boy is strong like that."
"…I love you, mom."
"I love you too, Izuku. I love you the most."
-0-
-000-
-0-
"You can make anything?"
"Well, as long as I have the lipid stores and it's not alive, technically…"
"Bu-but that would mean that you can control the materials that you make your constructs out of, you'd be calculating molecular structures on a macro-industrial level in seconds, are you pulling up those diagrams from memory or is there some sort of subconscious planning that goes into organizing that information? Aren't you able to mix smaller compounds into the devices you're already making? Gunpowder in bullets and canons, but you're not just making… Wait how'd you even have enough mass to make that canon during the exam, your body is perfect… WAGH!"
"Izuku?!
"Midoriya-kun, how did you…?!"
"Sorry, so-, sorry, I didn't, I wasn't thinking…!"
"It's been months since you broke a table, Izuku! We were doing so well!"
"Sorry mom…! Um, exc, excu- 'scuse me, Yaoyorozu-san…"
"Midoriya-san…?"
"Oh, don't worry about it Momo-san, we'll take care of this. He's usually much more mindful of his strength, honestly. I'm sure he'll be a bit embarrassed when he's done cleaning up. Do you want another cup of tea? I'll move your things into the living room, you two take the couch…"
-0-
-000-
-0-
Hatsume's workshop cleans up rather nicely. The maze of scraps is gone, replaced by hallways running between giant black containers. Each one has a door and a code written on the wall in gold and neon pink. Machines wander the hallways politely as any human, introducing themselves to anyone they find. Occasionally, the layout is changed by the gigantic metal limbs roaming the scaffolding that hangs overhead.
When Izuku finally reaches Hatsume's workstation, he frowns. The floor (that giant panel of pink light that he's been ignoring for almost a month) is lifted into the air. He didn't notice on his way because the containers and the rooms mounted above the scaffolding throw his compass off. After a moment to drink it in, he jumps and grabs the lip of the workstation, then hauls himself up.
"Mei-san? Melissa-san?"
"Over here!"
Izuku yelps as a wall of white, green and blue characters waves at him. His eyes widen as the mess of lights dissembles itself, leaving a revolving cylinder of projected text and components surrounding a downright giddy Melissa.
"That's…"
"Holograms! Interactive holograms!" Mei calls from her chair. She's hanging a few meters overhead running her hands over a monitor that has to be over two square meters. There are four keyboards in her interface now, Izuku notes. Her hands fly over the keys at ludicrous speeds. "We've been working on this system for a while, but it's finally up and running! The entire lab is going to have access to this tech!"
"You always manage to surprise me…" Izuku laughs quietly. He still doesn't like Mei's obsession with black metal arms or the innate, bottomless well of sass built into Monitor, but he's gotten closer to Mei than he thought he could.
"Oh, look at this! Initialize project M twenty-four dash zero two!" Melissa calls. Izuku's eyes bug out of his skull as a manila folder full of colorful pages appears in her hands. She bounces it a bit to show off the fact that the folder bends just like a real one might, then opens the folder and waves a hand over the images. The two of them are instantly wreathed in impossibly thin windows of light, and Izuku…
A green and black suit covers Izuku's street clothes, complete with a white cape and red gloves and boots.
"We've been going over the design lately, but this is what we were thinking for your hero outfit!" Melissa walks around him slowly, tapping windows and checking numbers that Izuku can't even guess at. He's too busy staring at… all of it.
"You guys made me a hero outfit?" He whispers. Melissa stops in front of him with a bounce and a genuine smile.
"Of course, Izuku-kun. You're going to transfer into U.A., right? Every hero needs a costume."
"It's just like you wanted!" Mei shouts, turning her bubble so that she can see them with a tilt of her head. "Green and nondescript! Well, except the cape."
"You need the cape." Melissa nods solemnly.
"Do I really…?" Izuku chuckles as they both confirm that he needs the cape. "Okay, this is… you guys really outdid yourselves. This is amazing."
"Bow before mankind's greatest inventors!" Mei cackles. Izuku flinches a bit at the sound, and Melissa giggles before the file collapses with a wave of her hand.
"You said you wanted to train, right? We've already asked Togata-senpai to come down, so he'll be here in around an hour. Monitor-san, can you prepare the room?" Melissa calls. Izuku turns, watching with a slight frown as the largest portion of the ceiling descends from the rest. "Oh, we did upgrade it some, Izuku-kun. You'll have access to the holograms inside the Gauntlet now."
"That's… Thanks, Melissa-san." Izuku rolls his neck as the Gauntlet finishes descending. "I think I'll take you up on that."
-0-
-0-
"Let's call it a day, my boy."
Mirio huffs as he straightens up and breathes deep. Sir is in the corner watching them carefully, holding a pair of seals at the ready. Both Mirio and All Might have learned to keep an eye on those seals over the last few weeks. Not even the speed boost from One for All can counter Sir's accuracy.
"That works, I'm supposed to meet Midoriya-kun down in the lab." Mirio's knuckles rap against All Might's fist as he jogs towards the door. "Thanks for the training today, All Might!"
A faint yelp from All Might is drowned out by the sound of the door slamming shut. Mirio knows better than to stick around for the argument following that little declaration, especially since Sir has been in a mood lately. Even in the face of Sir's attitude, though, Mirio wants to be friends with Midoriya. It's nice having friends who are in on the secret.
Well, he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy Hatsume's insanity just a little bit.
There's always something going on in the lab.
He slips into the elevator and uses the hem of his shirt to wipe his brow. It takes nearly five minutes to reach the bottom, but the sight is always awe-inspiring. The newest addition to the lab is the raised platform on the left side of the lab. Mirio can't tell exactly, but it's somewhere between two or three stories tall now. Once he makes it over to the corner nearest the elevator, an elevator brings him the rest of the way up to the holo-floor.
"Yo!"
"Oh, Mirio-san! Perfect timing!" Melissa grins and waves at him from her chair. Both of the girls are hovering above the holo-floor, aimed in the direction of a lowered container made from glass and black metal. Nothing in the lab is made from such simple materials, but Mirio has long since given up trying to understand what Hatsume is really after. Her machines and her inventions have broken every dimension of "possible" he had left after meeting Midoriya.
"Is that…?"
"Yep! The new and improved Gauntlet!" Hatsume cackles. Mirio blinks as her fingers fly across the keyboard too quickly to comprehend, then turns back to the "container".
The Gauntlet is roughly one and a half times the size of a standard Japanese football field. A single entrance exists at one end, reinforced twice as many times as the rest of the box. Clear plastic-glass like walls are reinforced with Hatsume's black metal on the corners and the sides. It's much nicer than the original Gauntlet, which was nearly destroyed in a training bout two weeks ago. Mirio can see Midoriya already in the box, pushing himself up and down while balancing his weight on a couple fingers.
"He's already inside so please go ahead! I'll pull a platform over for you." Melissa says. Mirio thanks her and steps onto the platform that lowers from the ceiling, and slowly he's brought over to the Gauntlet's airlock.
It's human, Mirio thinks, to believe that he's reached some sort of pinnacle. He's being trained by the greatest hero in Japan, if not the entire world, and his mentor can see the future. Training has always been hell, but he's spent the past two years learning that there is always a deeper, more horrific way to improve.
First it was Nighteye's training to get Mirio's quirk under control.
Next it was training just to receive One for All.
After receiving the power, both Nighteye and All Might collaborated to turn Mirio's days into a hellish regime of non-stop training that pushed his body beyond the natural limit of "healthy". Mirio isn't one to complain. Both of his mentors are kind people and they mean well. He carries the fate of the world in his hands. They have every right to be… micromanaging.
But some part of him had imagined that holding One for All, training with All Might… some tiny part of him wanted to boast that this was the peak of the food chain. No one would be stronger than Mirio, even if he wanted to be humble.
He was wrong. So, SO wrong.
The first time he saw Midoriya in action, he realized that trying to imagine a "pinnacle" was pointless. Someone out there would always come around to push the limits. If not someone close at hand, someone from the next generation.
Midoriya is quirkless. This only proves Mirio's point, but it also breaks a lot of what Mirio held to be right and true in the world. Something in the way Midoriya carries himself says that the boy knows he has that effect on people. He doesn't seem used to it, simply resigned.
One look at his training regimen made Mirio want to puke. It sent chills and aches and hot flashes through him just thinking of it. He hadn't believed anyone could do it.
Midoriya finished it in less than an hour and asked for seconds.
Even now, after weeks of training together, Mirio can't help but stop and stare at his kouhai. Midoriya is cut to extremes that shouldn't be possible. The eye drags across bulging muscle like fingers dragging across sandstone, catching on every jagged peak of muscle that stands out from his stomach. Stray beads of sweat roll down the boy's legs, chest and face to drip onto the floor beneath him, running over closed…
Mirio blinks and stops in his tracks.
Midoriya is balanced on three fingers (pointer, thumb and middle) from each hand doing handstand push-ups with his eyes closed. His form wavers occasionally, but the tremors are slight. Every inch of the boy's skin is drawn tight to contain the bulging muscles underneath.
All Might is a giant made entirely of muscle when he uses One for All. Mirio thought that he, and Sir of course, were incredibly fit people. He can't help but feel a bit chubby looking at Midoriya Izuku when he's shirtless.
"Hey, senpai." Midoriya doesn't blink. The words are soft and sudden enough that Mirio jumps as Midoriya finishes his current lift. He manages to force a smile as Midoriya raises a hand and lowers his body so that his curls scrape the floor, then pushes.
Mirio swallows as the boy lands on his feet and looks at the ceiling.
"Time!"
"Forty-two minutes and thirty-seven seconds. You beat your personal record in just about everything." Monitor's voice fills the chamber as rings of light surround Midoriya. The boy frowns a bit, then yanks his shirt off the arm that extends to meet him. It's one of the things that Mirio can't help but notice about Midoriya's character: His first instincts are dedicated to hiding his abilities and saving others.
There's something dark in his eyes today.
Mirio shudders behind his ever-present grin.
"I know All Might and Sir give me some crazy routines but yours still beats me up every time. Even when I add the weight-lifting you tacked on…" The pair share a high five as Midoriya frowns and scrubs the back of his head.
"You game for a spar, senpai?"
"Sure!" He grins, then jogs to the other side of the room and starts stretching. One for All rolls through him casually, leaving golden lightning arcing across his body parts as the two of them prepare.
Mirio's quirks are like muscles. Using them can be as easy as breathing, but it takes focus and mental effort. Sometimes he still gets them mixed up with other muscles, because using them isn't like 'flexing'. "Permeation" feels like vertigo, but he has to 'flex' it in the right areas to make it work. "One for All" feels like hot rain under his skin. It took time to learn how to pull it out and run it through his entire body, longer still to get the threshold down. His first quirk doesn't have the same 'in-between's that One for All does.
Thinking in terms of "first and second quirk" is still alien. It feels wrong on all sorts of levels. Mirio wonders if Midoriya feels this way about his power.
Across the Gauntlet, Midoriya stretches casually. The shadow Mirio saw in his eyes is gone now, replaced by apathy. Never in the past month has Midoriya gone all out against him. It's frustrating but necessary, apparently. Midoriya went toe to toe with All Might at ninety percent of One for All a few months back.
Who knows what he's like now?
One for All burns as Mirio pushes his body to the limit. His muscles bulge under the excess power flooding them, and lightning dances over his frame to show off his power. Midoriya bounces on his toes as Mirio pushes off and leaps forward.
The world goes dark as Mirio hits the floor and sinks.
There's no sound here. No light, not even the playful shapes that dance in the caverns of his eye. No breath, no pulse.
This is true, complete isolation.
The only thing that waits for Mirio here is a desperate need to breathe.
It terrifies him.
He flies from the ground with a fist cocked back, grinning as he swings for Midoriya's stomach and finds empty air. A flash of green darts backward, then off the wall to Mirio's right. Jumping off his leading foot drags the rest of Mirio's body from the floor and catapults him towards the wall. Midoriya touches down somewhere near the middle of the room just before Mirio swings, unleashing a blast of air pressure that would knock anyone else off their feet.
The boy's clothes flap in the wind, but he barely shifts his core at all.
Mirio's feet touch the wall. His muscles burn as he leaps, covering half the Gauntlet in a bound and reaching out to grab Midoriya by the shoulder. His fingers close on empty air.
He didn't really expect much else.
For a half hour, Midoriya leads Mirio in a merry chase around the Gauntlet. Normally Mirio would be having the time of his life, but something in his gut tells him that today isn't like other days. Any other day, Midoriya would be putting on a show. He's always made a point of keeping himself on Mirio's level and fighting fairly.
None of that sportsmanship is left, apparently. Midoriya skips away from Mirio's latest grab with his hands in his pockets. Sure, his eyes are locked on Mirio, simmering with that elusive something that Mirio can't place, but he never makes any move to attack. He makes it seem as though touching the ground at all is boring.
To him, it probably is.
He slides around Mirio's punches casually, never taking breaking eye contact. Mirio's body groans as One for All boils over to forty percent. Every punch kicks up dust and every leap launches them into the air.
When Mirio's fist finally lands, he tumbles forward and rolls end over end. Midoriya is standing on the other side of the arena, despite the fact that Mirio is absolutely certain he was about to close in on the boy.
"I think that's probably good for today, senpai." Midoriya scratches the back of his head as Monitor's rings surround him. Mirio just holds up a thumb and laughs. He drags himself up and sits against the wall of the Gauntlet, watching Midoriya eye the numbers on the rings and frown a bit more.
Inadequate. Mirio blinks as the word comes to him. Midoriya feels useless. He's just like I was without Sir.
The thought is ridiculous. Midoriya is the strongest person on the planet, arguably, and he's got a ton of friends. But the evidence is right there, and Mirio can't help but frown as he sees Midoriya's fists clenching at his sides.
We've all got moments when we feel like we aren't good enough! What's important is that we use those moments as fuel to get better Tamaki-kun!
Mirio grins as he thinks of his friend. Amajiki isn't like Midoriya. The boy is almost like a crazy mix of all the Big Three, if that was possible. He's a great person! Even if great people sometimes feel down or feel like they didn't do well enough, there's nothing a person can't overcome if they truly put their all into it.
But… What could possibly have Midoriya feeling anxious?
"Monitor, reinforce the Gauntlet as much as possible."
"Oh, are you going to give us a show?" The arms whir outside the Gauntlet and the far end of the box is nearly black by the time Monitor has finished supporting the structure as much as the workshop can. Mirio scrambles to his feet with a bit less grace than usual and yanks on One for All. He's already at the airlock by the time the arms have come down to support the box.
"Focus everything you've got on this. Maybe angle the Gauntlet a bit too." Midoriya mutters, opening and closing his fist a few times as he slides his feet into position. "I'm pretty sure Nezu will want the data."
A current of ice runs from Mirio's stomach and coils around his spine until it runs shards of ice across his mind. This isn't terror, really. Mirio has been afraid, he knows what terror and menace are. Never once has he been afraid of Midoriya.
This is something primal. An instinct demanding flight. His heartbeat thunders in his ears as the Gauntlet shifts and Midoriya's body tightens like a spring. Mirio curls in on himself and prays as he drowns in panic.
Deep beneath U.A., a dragon yawns.
-0-
-0-
"Nezu-san, please disregard that explosion near ground Alpha. I'll send you the file shortly."
"Please do. What was Hatsume testing this time?"
"That was Midoriya-kun, actually. Also, I've wired ten thousand yen to your account as per our bet."
"Ah," Nezu chuckles as he pulls up feed of the explosion, revealing a large portion of the campus shredded and a gaping hole in the grounds. "I suppose he's been a bit stressed lately, hasn't he?"
"He refuses to acknowledge that fact. Are all teenagers so confusing?"
"My dear Monitor, humans are like that."
-0-
-0-
It's been a week since Yaoyorozu came, and Izuku is sitting at his desk late on a Thursday night when Eri crawls up into his lap. She's cradling one of the few toys she's been unable to resist, a stuffed green rabbit. After a few minutes Izuku puts down his pencil and hugs her.
"What's up, Eri?"
"…Is that tall lady coming back?"
"Hmm? Yeah, once exams are over." Izuku grins as he spins them in the chair and wiggles Eri back and forth. "Were you peeking again?"
"Mmm!" She squeals and laughs when he tickles her, and eventually he gets a face full of stuffed rabbit while she throws herself onto the bed. He sighs and throws the rabbit at the little mole hill, then leans his cheek against his hand and smirks at the little ruby eye peering out from underneath.
"Yaoyorozu-san is really nice. Would you like to meet her next time?"
The hill shakes once after a moment and Izuku beams in response
-0-
-000-
-0-
Early January comes faster than Izuku thought it would. A few days after New Year's, he finds his entire family unit taking the elevator up to meet with Principal Nezu, joined by Melissa-san. His mother and Melissa are busy catching up while Izuku prays that this is just more paperwork.
He really, really hopes it's just more paperwork.
Nezu greets them, along with Kurobayashi-sensei, All Might, Eraserhead and Vlad-King. Seeing the entire line up in the room is impressive and intimidating. Vlad-King seems a bit miffed, All Might is skinny, and Kurobayashi-sensei is… well. He's in good company, despite being the nicest one in the room.
Eri is in Izuku's arms the moment the elevator opens, though her eyes widen when she sees Kurobayashi-sensei.
"Same…!" The teachers share a confused look when Kurobayashi-sensei chuckles and waves back. Izuku grins and lets the women takes their seats before finding one beside his teacher. As soon as he's in his chair, Eri is turned around so that she can wave at Kurobayashi-sensei some more.
"Thank you all for coming!" Nezu calls, drawing their attention towards his chair. "I've come upon a bit of a stumbling point, and I'd like to make some things official, if I may. If you'll agree to the terms, that is."
Fuck. Izuku almost thought he had a chance.
"I'm not sure the rest of us are on the same page, Principal-sama." Inko mutters, looking polite and confused as her eyes wander the room. "I thought we had filled out all the paperwork for Izuku's transfer…?"
"You did! Fabulously, I say, but that isn't why you're here, Midoriya-san. I asked you here because I've got a proposition." Nezu leaps to the floor and wanders towards them, stopping to run an eye across Kurobayashi-sensei and the rest. "I'd like to add Melissa Shield to the S-Course roster, and have her room with the students, first of all. We've approved you support transfer, but the fact is that you've been working with Hatsume-san for so long that your work is already above and beyond most professionals, let alone student level designs."
"I… Of course, I accept." Melissa says, frantically glancing between the principal and the coughing fit that's suddenly grabbed All Might by the throat.
Izuku isn't surprised by this, really. This he saw coming. But…
"While we're discussing the S-Course," Nezu turns to the others and grins, settling his eyes on Izuku like a hawk begging for a reaction. "I've been informed that I'm very much understaffed! While splitting the teaching between Togata-kun, Aizawa-kun, and All Might, I've neglected to appoint a homeroom teacher or a counselor for the S-Course. Normally these students would be subject to the same authority as everyone else but that just won't do when it comes to Anomalies, in my opinion."
"B-but Kurobayashi-sensei…!" Izuku falls silent as the rat's grin widens.
"Exactly! A homeroom teacher, one familiar with the anomalies and the odd types of training they might require, as well as someone who students can look up to. A powerful, well spoken individual, Kurobayashi-san. But I still need someone to mind the S-Course dorms! Not necessarily a counselor, so to speak, but someone familiar with the anomalies and all their quirks."
Did he just…? Izuku's eyebrow twitches violently.
"Midoriya-san, you happen to be everything I'm looking for. And I'm prepared to offer a very considerate paycheck, as well as living arrangements on campus and an advance in the event that you and your son leave this academy." Nezu's eyes glint as he looks up at Inko.
The room remains dead silent as Inko blinks owlishly. Eri turns her head from person to person, keeping a strong grip on Izuku's shirt as they all stare at the principal.
"You want me to take care of Izuku and everyone else? You want me to be a teacher?"
"Not a teacher, exactly. You and Kurobayashi-san would share the duties of homeroom teacher and live in the dorm with the S-Course, but you would only be required to keep an eye on the students and call us if there were any issues." Nezu takes his chair again and folds his paws together, staring at everyone in the room equally, somehow. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're the only one who's been emotionally involved with an Anomaly for long enough to understand the type of dangers this evolution brings to a person's life. No one in my staff is prepared for a spontaneous evolution beyond a person's quirk, especially not when that person is already under immense pressure. Sure, we have counselors, heroes, teachers, but there is a gap between quirk and heroics counseling and what Midoriya-kun has gone through."
Sadly, Izuku couldn't argue with the logic. No one could.
"This is sudden, I understand. But it also takes into account Eri-chan's situation," Nezu wasn't being malicious, but Izuku couldn't help but feel as if the principal just put him in Check. "And the inclusion of your son and Bakugō-kun in the new program. You won't have any teaching duties unless you decide to receive a teaching degree, which I would sponsor, of course, and you wouldn't be required to do anything other than live in and maintain the students while they lived in the dorm. You'll be protected and given a direct line to me and all other teachers. Given that your son is under your supervision I can't say that I'm entirely comfortable with the arrangement, but it does seem the best fit unless we want to involve more people."
"Well… After hearing all that, how could I refuse?" Inko grins, looking very tired suddenly, and Izuku's brain suddenly catches a piece of information buried in the rubble of Nezu's treachery.
"W-wait… Bakugō…?"
"Of course!"
"The dorms won't last a month…" Izuku let his head drop into his hands.
"While we're talking about keeping the anomaly situation in house, I've also sent scholarship offers to your friends, Midoriya-kun. Monitor provided me with their information."
-0-
-000-
-0-
After sending Eri and his mother home, Izuku collapses in a corner of the elevator and wallows. Melissa pats his shoulder occasionally, but he's mostly numb to it.
He loves his mother, and his friends.
He really didn't want to drag them into his mess again.
The chime signaling their arrival at Mei's lab rings and Izuku drags himself from the elevator's floor, following Melissa into the labyrinth.
"Why am I here…?"
"Well, I thought we should probably get this out of the way before school starts…"
"Get what out of the way?"
"That project Mei and I have been working on is finished." Melissa flashed a smile over her shoulder. "You were so curious before, remember?"
"That thing under the tarp from last chapter?"
"From when?"
"Last month."
"Yep, that one. Did you say…?"
"Don't worry about it. So, what's this special project?"
"I think you should see it for yourself." Melissa skips a couple steps ahead, stealing the elevator and leaving Izuku to jump up onto Mei's lab platform. The pink is softer than normal, so soft that Izuku can barely track the light coming off the panels. Everything in the room is like that, though. None of the light has any real source, it simply fills the room. He stopped questioning that a long time ago.
Izuku frowns as Melissa grins and runs across the platform. Near Monitor's wall is a new desk, and to Izuku's surprise someone is sitting at the chair while Mei works frantically on the other side of the desk. The holograms move in so many different directions that Izuku can't help feeling dizzy after a second.
"Who's the new…" Izuku trails off as the chair turns around and a pair of crisp blue lights peer at him from a mask shaped vaguely like a human face. Machines twitch beneath the cracks in the face, revealing the truth as the being stands and walks over to meet Melissa.
"Mama! Mother didn't tell me you were coming." A girlish voice squeals.
"No, please…" Izuku shakes his head and takes a step back as Melissa crouches and hugs the half-formed android, ignoring the golden hairs caught in the joints of the robotic hands.
"Hmmm? Melissa, you're back! Who's that?"
Izuku spins as Mei's chair descends from the ceiling and the holograms shift, revealing a second Hatsume made from silver and black metal sitting in the chair. Melissa's voice calls out from over his shoulder as he freezes under the machine's golden eyes.
"Izuku, meet Mei-I. She's an artificial Mei developed from Mei's neural nets. Mei-I, this is Midoriya Izuku-kun."
"He's our brother!"
"BROTHER!"
"What the F…!"