Beta'd by kylekatarn77
2. Idols, Old and New
If just one person believes in you
Deep enough, and strong enough
Believes in you
Hard enough
And long enough
Before you know it
Someone else would think
"If he can do it, I can do it"
-Just One Person, by Hal Hackaday
"Hey, Midoriya! Your usual?"
Izuki smiled and shook his head, looking around the cluttered and cramped comics store fondly. It was filled to the brim with all sorts of hero memorabilia, new and old, from the omnipresent All Might to far more obscure heroes like EraserHead. "Not today, Mr. Azara. I'm looking for something a bit different."
The pudgy proprietor of the Coruscant Comics store raised an eyebrow and leaned over the glass counter, which showed off rare and valuable trading cards, comics, and other hero related merchandise. "Really? We've just got in issue #487, with the deluxe cover. And I've got pre-orders for American Years All-Might figures too."
Shifting nervously, Izuku shook his head. "No thanks. Um, I was actually going to ask you about something else."
"Well, OK, but this isn't like you, Midoriya," Mr. Azara said, scratching at the stubble on his chin. "You're one of my best customers! I'd hate to lose you."
"Oh, don't worry about that Mr. Azara. Um, actually, I was wondering. Do you have any comics of, um, quirkless heroes? You know, like from the before times."
Mr. Azara nodded, smiling. "Yeah sure, I got plenty of Superman and Spiderman of course. They're popular collectors items. Broadening your collection? Maybe you want an old Shonen title, like Dragon Ball or One Piece?"
"Um, no, I mean, like, heroes with no quirks," Izuku mumbled, looking down at his shoes. "At all. Not...not just powers that aren't quirks."
The store owner scratched at his balding pate. "Totally quirkless, huh? Well, those haven't been popular in a long time." He frowned at Izuku, then sighed. "You finally accept it then, kid?"
"W-w-what do you mean?" Izuku stammered. "I, I don't-"
"Knock it off, Midoriya. I've suspected it for a while," Mr. Azara said quietly, leaning across the counter on one elbow. "You're quirkless."
Feeling a lump grow in his throat, Izuku could only hang his head and nod.
"Yeah, I thought so. Hey, don't sweat it. So am I."
Izuku looked up, startled. "You mean it?"
Mr. Azara grinned. "Course I do. When I was growing up, it wasn't quite so strange yet. Hell, there's lots of older folks like me walking around with no quirks. We're in the minority, sure, but yeah."
"Then...then how can you stand to be around all these heroes all the time?" Izuku whispered. He didn't really have to, the store's only other patrons were engaged in a noisy card game in the back corner, and were totally oblivious to what was going on at the counter.
"Guess it's cause I love heroes, just like you do, Midoriya. Tell you what. Come to the back with me."
Hesitantly, Izuku followed Mr. Azara to the cramped back room. "You know," the owner said as he walked to a locked cabinet and dug in his pocket for a key. "I wanted to be a hero when I grew up. Read all the comics and stuff. Didn't really give up on it until I got to High School. I tried for UA, but, well, I wasn't the best student, and I was quirkless. So, you know. Didn't go very far with that. Plus, even though I wanted it, I never tried all that hard."
"How come?" Izuku asked, cocking his head to one side. "Wasn't that your dream?"
"Eh, I guess I just kept on dreaming. I couldn't be a hero, so I read about them, collected them. And now, I sell them." Mr. Azara pulled out a bundle that was wrapped carefully in old newspapers. He took it out, slowly peeling away the papers until he reverently revealed the contents. On top was a comic book depicting a man with a dark blue cowl and cape, with a black insignia in the shape of a bat on it. He was fighting a villain dressed as a clown, who had a sinister grin on his twisted face.
"Detective Comics?" Izuku asked, gingerly picking up the plastic wrapped book. "I've never heard of it."
"Batman isn't very popular anymore," Mr. Azara said with a chuckle. "For obvious reasons. Well, him and the other guy. Here." He reached into the pile and pulled out another well preserved comic book.
"The Invincible Iron Man," Izuku read. On this cover was a hero dressed in a red and yellow suit of armor, with glowing blue discs on his palms. He seemed to be flying through the clouds, blasts of light coming out of his boots. "I don't think I've ever heard of him either."
"Yeah, well, Batman and Ironman just aren't really well known these days, like I said. They're both Superheroes, but they're completely quirkless. No powers at all."
Izuku looked up, shocked. "What, really?"
Mr. Azara smiled, nodding. "Yep. But Batman was such a popular and powerful hero in his heyday that they said he could even beat up Superman. While Ironman, well, he was sort of Spiderman's mentor, at least for a while in the comics."
"But how?" Izuku asked, looking back down at the books in his hands. "You said they don't have quirks?"
"Nope. Batman, he's the world's greatest detective. He has a plan for literally anything. He even carried around kryptonite in his belt pouch, in case Superman ever went evil. He was in peak physical condition. He trained every day, knew dozens of martial arts, and had a mind like a steel trap. He could go toe to toe with any Supervillain, and come out on top."
"What about Iron Man?" Izuku asked, unable to take his eyes off the confident looking hero in the armor.
"Well, he was also pretty smart. But he wasn't a detective, he was an inventor. He made all sorts of gadgets. Well, Batman did that too, but Tony Stark focused more on that suit of armor you see him in. That's the Model 51, also known as the Model Prime Armor. With that suit on, he was one tough hero. But even without it, he was still one of the smartest men alive. It was his inventiveness that made him a hero."
An inventor, like Mei? Izuku practically felt giddy holding the ancient books.
"Whoa." Reverently, Izuku set the comics down, then looked up at the store owner. "How much for all of these? I've o-only got about 3000 yen with me, but I've got more saved up and-"
"They're yours. Take 'em. No charge." Mr. Azara pushed the comics towards Izuku, smiling. "These books, well, they got me through some tough spots when I was a kid. And you're in pretty much the same boat I was in, Midoriya. You've been a good customer for a long time. So I think I can trust you with these."
Sniffing, Izuku felt tears welling up in his eyes, and he wiped at them with the back of his hand. "You really mean it?"
"Yeah. Keep on dreaming big, Midoriya. And when life kicks you in the teeth, read a few of these, and smile a little."
"Yes sir!" Izuku said enthusiastically. "I promise, I won't give up on my dream! I will become a hero! Just like Batman and Iron Man!"
Scooping the books into his backpack, Izuku ran out of the store, hurrying towards Mei's workshop, dreams already swirling in his head.
"Go get 'em, kid," Mr. Azara said, smiling as he watched Izuku leave. "Enjoy the dream while you can still keep it."
A short train ride later brought Izuku to the Hatsume home. He waved to Hari as he passed by her work area. She stood up from the car she was working on and smiled at him. "Mei hasn't scared you off yet?"
"Not a chance!" Izuku called back, hurrying to Mei's living space.
"Ah, you! You're just in time!" Mei called as he hurried in. "I've just about finished my modifications to the Power Armor MKII."
It had been a few days since their initial meeting, and Izuku had found time to come to help Mei after school for at least an hour every day. He's spent some of that time simply tidying up the room, sorting things into their proper places or in some cases creating one, and generally bringing order to the chaotic environment. A few times Mei had huffed that she couldn't find anything now that Izuku had moved things, but he did notice that she was now giving him things to put away, and when he wasn't there at least trying to put things back in an orderly fashion, she would often just stick it somewhere if she got distracted enough. Which was most of the time.
"That's great, Hatsumei!" Izuku said excitedly. "I brought us something to look at, you know, for ideas and stuff."
"Why would I need something to look at?" Mei said dismissively, clearly not noticing or caring about Izuku's enthusiasm. "I've got plenty of great ideas already! I just need the materials, funds, and time to make them!"
"Oh, well, it's just, I found these old books about quirkless heroes, and the equipment they used," Izuku said, digging out a couple of the comics from his bag. "Like Iron Man, he's got power armor like you're making, but it's got repulsors that he can use as weapons or to fly and-"
"Ehhh?" Mei grabbed the books out of Izuku's hands, flipping through them. "Hey, these aren't schematics at all! They're just comic books! Why'd you bring these to me? I can't use them for anything!"
Blushing, Izuku quickly took the books back before Mei simply dropped them. "Well, you see, I was thinking, if they could be Heroes even though they didn't have any quirks, maybe I could copy some of what they were doing and-"
"Did you not hear me, you?" Mei grabbed Izuku and started dragging him over. "You don't need anything else! You've got me! I'll build it, and you'll field test it, and together we'll get into UA and build anything our hearts desire!"
"O-o-ok, Hatsume," Izuku stammered. He found himself loaded into the Power Armor MK II before he even knew what was happening.
Unlike before, when it had just been servos and cables strapped to his limbs and torso, now the Power Armor was closer to an actual suit of armor, fully covering his torso and limbs. It still had exposed wiring running along the arms and legs, and it was welded together out of scrap metal made from old bits of cars, air conditioners, or whatever other kinds of scrap metal Mei and Izuku had been able to drag back to her place over the last few days.
Still, when Izuku had it on, it felt...right. The weight of the metal settled on him, and he stood up, the actuators whirring softly as he did so.
"Initializing!" Mei cackled. "Come on baby, show mommy what you've got!"
Izuku looked down at the battered set of weights they'd found. There were 100 kilograms on the first one, just a bit more than he could easily lift on his own. He bent down and easily picked it up though, the armor amplifying his movements.
"Wow, Hatsume, it's actually working!" he said excitedly.
"Of course it is! I made it! Now come on, do the next one!" Mei urged.
Izuku quickly bent down and lifted another 100 kilograms in his other hand, flexing his arms as though he were lifting little more than a few kilos. Eagerly he dropped the weights, only for them to crash onto the floor with a bang.
"S-s-sorry!" he stammered.
"Ha! Just keep going!" Mei commanded, and eagerly Izuku obeyed.
He easily lifted up to 300 kilograms, but at that point, he was starting to sweat and struggle. "It's...it's at it's limit!" Izuku gasped, straining to lift the 400 kilo bar.
"That or you are," Mei mused. "Still, that's a good start. Set it down now, I'm going to have to run some diagnostics." She came over and happily patted Izuku's arm. "Good work baby, you made mommy proud!"
Izuku blushed, though he knew she was talking to the machinery, not to him. He spent the next few hours helping Mei rewire the suit while she made adjustments to the servos and actuators.
"Hatsume, this doesn't look right," Izuku told her, examining some of the wiring. "I don't think these capacitors are high enough grade for the power you're trying to put through this circuit."
Slide out from under the armor and frowned at Izuku. "What are you talking about? I wired it myself! Those capacitors are fine!"
"Y-y-yeah, but, um, well, the stuff I read online said you needed to do multiple series for a set up like this. I think, um, well, you're putting too much draw on the power over this circuit as well. M-m-mabye if I rewire it, with a secondary power source, like a backup battery, it would work better. Here, like this." Izuku quickly sketched out his idea for the circuit, with more redundancy.
"Ok," Mei said, frowning at the sketch. "Well, you can try that. But I think we're going to need better hydraulics, too. The fluid in this just isn't up to specs," Mei said, tapping at one of the joints. "And we'll need better motors here, and here. We'll have to really search hard to find the right parts. Argh! I can't wait until I can actually work in a real lab! All we've got here is a bunch of junk!"
"Mei, what you said earlier...do you really think it would help if I did some physical training?" Izuku asked, looking down at his arms. They were skinny, like they'd always been. He'd gotten a bit of muscle when he'd hit puberty, but he'd never tried very hard to improve his physical fitness. Most of his hero obsession was limited to watching videos, collecting figures, and reading comics and manga.
"Couldn't hurt," Mei agreed. She poked Izuku in the belly hard, causing him to gasp and wince. "If you're really going to show off what my babies can do, you'd better be good enough for them, you hear me, what's your name."
"Midoriya," Izuku grunted. He'd had to remind Mei who he was frequently, but he didn't mind that much.
"Right. Well, Midoriya, do you think you're good enough for my babies?"
Glancing over at the comics peeking out of his bag, Izuku nodded. Mr. Azara had said that Batman had trained to be in peak physical condition. He'd had gadgets, sure, but it was his training that made a big difference. "Right. I'll make sure to start some strength training then. Maybe if I run here instead of taking the train, and practice with the weights we have while you're working…"
"Just as long as you keep up with your other duties as well," Mei said, going back to tinkering with the power armor. "My mom and dad like how the workshop looks now and I find things better. Keep doing that!"
"Y-y-yes, of course!" Izuku agreed. He didn't even think to protest that keeping Mei's room and workspace clean should have been her job. Mostly, Izuku was grateful that someone, anyone, believed in him, even if she was exploiting him while she did so.
Once they were finished, Izuku tried some pushups while Mei did some diagnostics. He managed 12 before his arms gave out and he dropped down, gasping. But he forced himself up, then started doing crunches. He managed only about 35 of those before he was laying on the floor, groaning softly. He'd already had a long day at school, and worked hard on the Power Armor before this.
"I'll have to...have to come up with a systematic exercise plan," he gasped from the floor.
"Why, cause you're a wimp?"
Izuku looked up to see the second youngest Hatsumi, Nikiawa, looking down at him. Unlike his father and siblings, he lacked the distinctive Hatsume eyes, though he did have the same pink hair as his two sisters and mother. He'd gotten his quirk from his mother, which made their spit an adhesive similar to glue, though they couldn't produce any more saliva than a normal person.
"Nikiawa!" Mei snapped, looking up from her work and glaring at her brother. "How many times have I told you not to come into my workshop?"
"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, dinner's ready and mom sent me to get the two of you. But whatever, you can starve or something," Nikiawa declared, turning and leaving the room.
"Hatsumi, we really should eat, it's getting late," Izuku urged.
"You go on without me," Mei said, waving her hand. "I'm not hungry."
Sighing, Izuku forced himself up and walked over to Mei. "Please, I would feel really awkward sitting down to dinner with your family. It would be a huge favor to me if you came and ate. Besides, we can talk about what scraps you want me to look for tomorrow."
"Yeah, yeah, OK, OK," Mei agreed. She absently wiped her forehead with her arm, then hurried towards the door. "Come on already, let's-"
"We should wash our hands first," Izuku said, opening Mei's bathroom door. "We're still all dirty."
"Ugh, fine. You're worse than my mother is sometimes," Mei complained. But she did wash up, even cleaning her sweaty and grease stained face when Izuku reminded her.
They hurried down the hall and up a flight of stairs to the family dinning room that was situated above the shop. The rest of Mei's family was already seated, serving out bowls of rice, vegetables and tofu.
"Well, look who decided to join us!" Hari teased as Mei and Izuku entered the room. "Damn Midoriya, you must be a good influence on her! That's four times this week she's had dinner with us!"
"We're so glad you two are getting along so well," Noriko, Mei's mother said as she set a bowl in front of each of them. "Mei's had some hard times at school, and well, we were worried she didn't have any friends."
"They're all stupid anyway," Mei declared between mouthfuls of food. She didn't believe in wasting time at the table, or in good manners it seemed. "Who needs them when I have my babies? Plus, Midoriya actually understands how important my work is! Unlike some people around here!"
"All you do is make stupid crap anyway," Komaru complained glaring at Mei with his odd iridescent eyes. "When are you going to make something cool, like a jet pack or something?"
Mei glared at her brother over her bowl of food, pointing her chopsticks at him. "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to get the parts for that?! I'd need a better power source, something to generate jet propulsion, all sorts of things I can't make with the junk we get! Even with his help improving the wiring that's way beyond me right now!"
"Komaru, leave your sister alone," Mr. Hatsume ordered. "And put your goggles back on."
Hari grinned and winked at Izuku. "Besides, the latest stuff they've put together is actually interesting! Think you could ever let me borrow it, Mei?"
"Only if Midoriya is operating it! He's the only one I trust to use it. The rest of you keep breaking things!" Mei accused, which started an argument between her and her siblings, with her parents taking turns scolding them.
After the noisy dinner, Izuku quietly took his leave, hurrying towards the train station to take it home. Halfway there, he paused and considered. It was just about 10k to his home if he walked or ran it. If he wanted to focus on his physical training, what better way than to do a 10k run?
About three kilometers into the 10k, Izuku was fairly certain of two things. One, he had grossly underestimated just how far ten kilometers was, and two, he was really, really out of shape. He stumbled along the streets now, his breathing somewhat ragged and sweat dripping down his face. He was forced to find a vending machine and purchase a bottle of sports drink, which he quickly downed, then took a five minute breather before he continued on, refusing to give up.
"Mei's working hard so that I can become a hero," he gasped to himself. "And I have to work hard too!"
It took Izuku just under two hours to make his way back home, by which point he was utterly exhausted, and had thrown up twice. His clothes, already greasy and dirty from working with Mei, were now soaked with sweat. He dragged himself up the stairs to his apartment, opening the door and stumbling for his room.
"Izuku! You're so late! I was worried half to death! I sent you a dozen texts but you didn't answer any of them!" His mother wailed, running up and cupping his sweaty head in her hands. "What happened to you? You're all flushed and sweaty? Did this Hatsume girl do this to you? You've spent nearly every night this week at her place! This is going too far! You're going to fall behind on your studies, and you're worrying me half to death!"
"Mom, it's fine," Izuku panted. "I just...I was just going for a late night run."
"In overalls?!" his mother demanded.
Izuku flushed, looking down at his clothes. He was still wearing Hari's old overalls, though he'd switched to his own t-shirts. It still weirded him out a little that he was wearing what had been a woman's clothes, but he hadn't had time to get his own, and besides they did fit reasonably well.
"Um, yeah. Maybe next time I should bring my gym clothes," Izuku admitted.
"Next time? Next time?! Izuku, I haven't even met this girl!" His mother suddenly went beet red, looking away and tapping her finger tips together. "Are you...are you doing anything…?"
"What?!" Somehow, Izuku went even more flush than he had been, waving his hands and stammering. "N-n-no, n-n-nothing, it's not like-w-w-we're just, um, building things! Yeah, it's uh, a new hobby! We're making gear, so that, um, I can use it, to er, be a hero!"
"Oh Izuku," his mother said, tears welling up in her eyes. She reached forward and pulled her son into an embrace. "I'm sorry. I know...I know I should have said something else, back then, when you asked me if you could be a hero. But...but you don't have a quirk. And the doctors, they say if it hasn't happened by now...it's never happening."
"I know, mom," Izuku whispered, hugging her back. "But I think I've found another way. Mei's an inventor. She's showing me how to build and create things. I'll be a different kind of hero. A new kind of hero. One who doesn't have a quirk, but instead uses technology and training to push himself beyond his limits. Look, see, Mr. Azara gave me these!"
Quickly, Izuku separated from his mom and pulled out some of the comics he'd been reading. "See, this is Batman, and Ironman. They're Heroes, from the before times, but they didn't have quirks at all! I'm going to be like them!"
"Oh, Izuku," his mother sighed. "More comics? Honey, those aren't real. They're not even like the ones with All Might in them. Those are at least based in reality. But those? They're just fairy tales people used to tell themselves."
"They can be," Izuku said firmly. "I'm going to be like Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne. I'm going to be a hero."
"I thought you wanted to be like All Might," his mother said gently. "And...and maybe there's a way you could do that. You could join the police, or be a firefighter, or a rescue worker, or-"
"No!" Izuku half yelled. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Tears welled up in his own eyes, and his hands holding the comics started to tremble. "I'm going to be a hero. I'll save people, with a smile on my face, but...but not like All Might. If a kid ever asks me if they can be a hero, even if they don't have a quirk, I'll smile at them and say, 'Yes. You too can be a hero.'"
Upon hearing this, Inko paled slightly. "Izuku? What are you saying. You've always loved All Might. What...what happened to you?"
For a moment, Izuku almost told his mother about his darkest hour. About meeting All Might, and being told he could never be a hero. But he didn't. That wound was too fresh, too painful. Instead, he smiled. "I still respect All Might. In many ways, he's what I want to become. But I can't be like All Might. You're right mom, I don't have a quirk. But I'm not going to let that stop me."
Izuku stalked off to his room, nearly slamming the door behind him, though he ended up just closing it very firmly. He looked around at his room, which was still full of All Might memorabilia. A sudden urge seized Izuku, and he walked over to one of the posters, ready to rip it down. He nearly did, but couldn't bear to do it. For all the antipathy he felt towards All Might now, he'd idolized the man growing up, and still looked up to him as a hero.
Sighing, Izuku carefully took the poster down. He found an empty box, and carefully placed it inside. Then he went about, taking down the rest of the posters. He collected all the various All Might figures, toys, and comics he had, stacking them in boxes as well. He had to go get a few from around the house, but after an hour or so he'd packed it all away. He felt utterly exhausted, but not having All Might looking down on him, judging him and his lack of a quirk made Izuku feel a bit better.
He reached into his backpack, and took out the copies of Iron Man and Batman. He started to read about their adventures, these two men with no quirks, who'd used their brains, gadgets, and apparently unlimited wealth to forge themselves into heroes. After only a few minutes of reading though, Izuku's eyelids grew heavy, and he drifted off to sleep. As he often did, he dreamed of being a hero, but this time, Mei was there, and it was with the Power Suit, not muscles like All Might, that Izuku Midoriya saved the day.
Chapter 3: Laying Mortar
This document beta'd by kylekatarn77
3: Laying Mortar
I am different, not less.
—Dr. Temple Grandin
The teacher frowned as he set the test on Izuku's desk, 78% circled in scarlet ink. "I'm disappointed, Midoriya. Your grades are usually a lot better. For someone who says he wants to get into UA, you're sure not showing it."
Izuku guiltily tucked the test away in his binder, his face burning as red as the ink. It wasn't actually a terrible grade to get, all things considered. The test had been a difficult math exam, covering the basics of trigonometry. Izuku glanced up at the teacher, but they'd already moved on to lecture the other students.
Suddenly, a wad of paper bounced off the back of Izuku's head. Cringing, he turned around to see Bakugo leering at him from a few desks back.
"Well nerd, have you just given up on life yet? You can't even get good grades. Guess you should just give up on getting into UA. Or better yet, try. Runts like you will make it easier for someone like me to get in with the competition so weak."
"I-I-I've just been really b-b-b-busy, Kacchan, I d-d-didn't study enough and-"
"Whatever. It doesn't matter. It just shows that someone like you can never hope to measure up. UA will laugh your application right out of the building." With that, Bakugo went back to goofing off with his friends. He'd been out for a few days after the Slime Villain attack, but after a bit of moping Bakugo was back to his usual self, claiming he'd fought a villain so tough even All Might had struggled to defeat him.
Izuku glanced at Bakugo's desk, where his own test had been haphazardly thrown into his folder. His score was 98%. Normally, Izuku was a match for Bakugou, at least academically.
"But if I fall behind here, I'll never catch up to Kacchan," Izuku muttered to himself.
The problem was, he really was very busy. In the month since he'd met Mei, he'd spent hours a day helping her find salvage or working on the Power Armor (now up to MK III). Plus, he'd started physical training, using a plan he'd found on the internet called "The Hero." It called for 100 sit ups, 100 push ups, 100 squats, and a 10k run every day, plus a rotating daily routine of other exercises like weights or specialized training for various muscle groups. It left him physically exhausted by the time he got back home, usually very late. And that had left little time for studying.
Until now Izuku had simply coasted on his already solid academic foundation. He'd never found most of his classes particularly hard, and for the most part, the amount of studying he'd done had been excessive. But both Kacchan and his teacher were right: If he wanted to get into UA, his grades needed to be the very best.
At the end of the school day, Izuku decided to run to Mei's home, which was about 5k from his school. This gave him time to think and consider his next steps.
"Hatsume?" he called when he arrived at her shop. He'd stopped once to grab an old toaster he'd seen sticking out of a dumpster, and the run had taken him longer than usual. Despite that, she wasn't home yet, so Izuku sat down and pulled out his textbooks to do some studying.
After about 20 minutes, Mei barged in, her bag bulging with various objects she'd scavenged. She took differing routes home everyday to find new and interesting things to bring back to strip for parts, and seemed to have a rather impressive haul today, including a large piece of sheet metal.
"Ah, Midoriya! You are Midoriya, right? Well great, you're here already. Did you manage to figure out the power drain issues on the-"
"Hatsume, not right now. Come on, we need to study," Izuku said, patting the bench next to him. "You can help me with math."
"What?" Mei walked over, frowning at the page. "Oh, those are easy. The answer to that one is-"
"Don't just tell me the answer!" Izuku said, half panicked. "I need to learn how to do this!"
That made Mei glance askance at Izuku. "What do you mean, learn how to do this? It's math. The answer's not gonna change."
Izuku blinked. He realized he'd never seen Mei study, not even once, and by now he'd spent a very long time in her 'lab,' including two whole Sundays. "Um, don't you ever study?"
"No," Mei said with a huff. "I already get good grades in all the important areas. Math, and Chemistry, and Physics. The rest of it isn't important to an inventor like me."
"Well, doesn't UA look at all your grades?" Izuku prompted.
"Do they?" Mei said, frowning. She lifted her goggles, showing her crosshair shaped pupils, and looked at Izuku, then at the page. "You mean, like Japanese, History, and English and stuff? I hate English. It doesn't make any sense!"
"Um, yeah. I'm pretty sure all those matter on the entrance exams, Mei," Izuku said gently. "Um, how are your grades in those?"
"I'm passing, so it doesn't matter, right?" Mei asked. For the first time since Izuku had met her, she actually sounded unsure of herself.
"Well, UA looks at all your grades. And well, if they're not good enough, they might reject you." Izuku flushed and looked down. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. I've been so busy, working with you on the Power Suit, training my body, and, well, my grades are starting to slip. If I want to get into UA, I need to spend more time studying. Otherwise, even if we build the most amazing armor ever, they won't even let me take the entrance exam."
"You're serious?" Mei demanded, scrambling over and putting her hands on Izuku's shoulders and pressing her face close to his. "You mean, if I don't have great grades in EVERYTHING, they won't let me in and I won't get unlimited funding to build all my babies?!"
"Um, y-yeah, that's how entrance exams usually work, Hatsume," Izuku stammered, leaning away from Mei slightly. He was getting used to her frequent violations of his personal space, but it still felt strange. "They screen out anyone who doesn't excel. Lots of people want to get into UA, so they can afford to be picky."
Mei let go of Izuku, sitting back on the bench with a poleaxed expression. "Then you mean I actually have to learn English and stuff?"
"Um, yeah…"
Mei suddenly jumped up, scrambling over to her bag. She dug out a battered textbook, its cover stained with grease and torn and tattered from being thrown in with scrap of all kinds. She raced over and dumped it on the table. "Ok, well, you're my partner. Teach me English!"
Izuku winced. "Well, it's not that easy. And, um, well, I could use some help in math. Because if I don't get my grades up, well, I won't get into UA either."
"That is completely unacceptable!" Mei declared. "You are, in fact, the best partner I have ever had. I tried to get Nikawa to help me but he's always glueing stuff in random places because he thinks it's funny or something. Hari and mom and dad are too busy, and Komaru is no help at all. I cannot afford to lose you! My production efficiency had gone up by 50% since you arrived! The power issues are improving, I have more materials to work with, and my parents have stopped bugging me about making friends! It is of vital importance that you keep helping me, especially when I get to UA!"
"Well...maybe you could help me in Science and Math, and I can help you in Japanese and English?" Izuku suggested.
"That is acceptable. We shall spend 30 minutes a day studying."
"Um, Mei, I-I-I think it might take more than that. We should really spend 30 minutes on each subject."
"Hmph. This seems like a tremendous waste of time." Mei bowed her head, thinking. Finally, she looked up. "Alright! If it means I get to obtain unlimited funding and keep you as my lab partner, I suppose it would mean an overall increase to our production capabilities. Very well! We shall study. Now, the way they teach you to do these problems is stupid. I know a much better way. Let me show you."
As it turned out, Mei's method of solving the problems involved a lot of rapid mental math and skipping of steps that left Izuku confused. But once he got her to slow down and explain what she was thinking, it took a few tries but they did get there, her methods did turn out to be fairly effective. Conversely, Izuku was shocked at just how bad Mei was outside of Math and Science subjects. Apparently, she had a low C average in English and Japanese Studies, and a high C in history. It ended up taking a considerably longer time than he'd thought it would to fully tutor her in those areas, but by teaching Mei material he was already fairly solid in, Itzuku found he gained a better understanding of those subjects himself.
It was actually sort of fun, and kinda nice, to have a study partner. It had been a long time since other kids had wanted anything to do with Izuku. While 80% of the population might have quirks, the number that didn't have a quirk was concentrated mostly in the older generations. In Izuku's generation, that number was more like 95%, and Izuku was one of the few kids at his school who were quirkless. It made him something of a pariah, especially since Bakugo, who was popular and powerful, seemed to have made it his life's mission to make Izuku miserable.
As they worked, Izuku managed to learn a bit more about Mei's school life as well. It turned out they were both social outcasts, though for obviously different reasons. As Izuku had guessed, Mei didn't have much in the way of a friend group.
"The other kids never understand! I bring one of my babies into class for show and tell, and it suddenly turns into run and hide! They just don't understand how amazing my babies are! So what if there was one little explosion or two? Barely anyone was hurt!" Mei complained as they worked on the Power Suit.
"E-e-explosion?" Izuku gasped, looking around.
"Don't worry, those hardly happen at home any more. Mom said if I set the building on fire again she'd take away all my babies! Can you even imagine?"
Unlike Izuku, Mei was perhaps too talented for her peers. She was clearly a natural born genius, as her aptitude for math and science quickly showed Izuku during their study sessions. She also easily picked up the subjects she'd struggled in, apparently only having put in enough effort to pass previously and "get my parents to quit bothering me."
That, and Mei's obvious lack of social skills. She was domineering and blunt, and completely unaware of social conventions. There had been more than one time when she'd simply started undressing or barged in on Izuku when he was changing in the bathroom, apparently oblivious to the fact that she had an admittedly attractive body to a boy of Izuku's age. Thankfully, Izuku had learned to lock the door, and had gotten quite adroit at looking away when Mei decided she needed to change into a different set of clothes when she came home from school or to head out dumpster diving.
"Hey, Mei, I-I-I was wondering, um, my mom, ah, she'd like to meet you," Izuku said one afternoon as they were testing out some of the modifications to their creation.
"Oh, does she want to see some of my babies? I could bring that grappling hook I built for you!" Mei said excitedly.
"Grappling hook? When did you do that?" Izuku asked, confused.
"Oh, you know, I saw it in one of those books you're always carrying around and thought maybe it would improve the mobility on the Power Armor MK III. I just modified baby number 17, it was originally a spring loaded umbrella launcher I built back when I was a kid. It didn't work out very well for keeping the rain off, but it was great at hitting pigeons. It's gas loaded but I want to see if you could figure out a way to give it more power."
"Um, OK. Yeah, um, that might be cool, and I have been experimenting with gas powered stuff on the suit. But, ah, mom just kinda wants to meet you. I d-d-don't have many friends, you see, and she um, she just wants to get to know you," Izuku explained.
"What? Do you even have a workshop at your place?" Mei demanded.
"Um, no, but we do have some old stuff laying around the apartment we could maybe bring back here, like, um, an old vacuum cleaner and my dad's old electric scooter that's just sat around for a while," Izuku offered. "I think I could get a motor with a decent power draw off the scooter."
"Well why didn't you say there was salvage!" Mei said happily. "We can go over and pick it up right away!"
Izuku quickly shook his head. "No! Um, my mom, ah, she's kinda...sensitive. She worries a lot, and um, well, I want to give her a good impression of you."
"Well what's wrong with me now?" Mei demanded, furrowing her brow in irritation.
Izuku blushed, looking away. Mei was once again in her stained overalls, with a ragged grey shirt that she frequently used to wipe her greasy hands on. Her face was smeared with oil, grime, and sweat, and her hair was unwashed and uncombed. It turned out her older sister practically had to force Mei to wash and clean her hair properly, but as that day was a Saturday with no school the next day Mei absolutely refused to bother.
"Er, maybe you should think of it...like an interview. You know, impressing a potential investor. Maybe if my mom thought what we were doing was useful, she'd be willing to, er support us."
"You mean, like a showcase for investors?" Mei demanded. When Izuku nodded, Mei immediately ran over to where her sleeping mat and clothes lay, one of the few areas of the room Izuku flatly refused to organize for her. "Why didn't you say so?! I think I've got some clean clothes somewhere. Yes, we'll definitely need to bring Number 17. Oh! And Number 35, that's my handheld heat ray! Good for drying hair, but I meant it to be used for melting metal. Couldn't get enough of a power source."
"Um, O-o-oK!" Izuku gasped, turning his back and sidling towards the door. "I'll, um, text my mom and tell her you're coming over for dinner. I'll, er, need to go get ready too."
"What?! But we've just finished modifying our baby together! You were going to take it for a test drive!" Mei protested, her voice coming closer.
Izuku risked a glance, then quickly turned around at a glimpse of bair skin. Mei appeared to be in the process of removing her overalls. "Ijusthavealottodowelldoittomorrowokseeyoulaterby!"
He was halfway home before he felt his phone vibrating. He took it out to see a text from Mei on it.
"You did not give me the address of our meeting location. Please respond."
Izuku quickly returned Mei's text, and a moment later her reply came. "Confirmed. Will be there at 6:00pm sharp. Please have devices ready for PowerPoint Presentation. Sound required."
Letting out a soft groan, Izuku quickly fired off a text to his mother warning her that Mei was coming as he continued to jog home. Hopefully, this wouldn't be a complete disaster.
"It's just so nice to know you've got a friend coming over, Izuku!" his mother babbled for perhaps the 50th time. "You've told me so much about Hatsume, but I just can't help but wonder what sort of girl she is!"
"She's um, very passionate," Izuku said, looking up from his computer that he'd connected to the TV. "She's really helping me work towards my goal of, er, getting into UA."
"Does she want to be a hero too? Is she, you know, like you?" his mom said, dropping her voice so low it was hard to hear her over the sizzling sounds from food she was frying.
"Um, no, not really. Hatsume wants to get into the Support Program at UA. She...she has a-a-a quirk, but, er, she doesn't really use it that much. It just gives her the ability to zoom in on stuff, with her eyes. She has great vision."
"Oh, well, that's...that's good! Maybe...maybe you could be in the support class with her! It would be so nice to go to school with a friend, don't you think?"
"I go to school with Kachaan mom," Izuku said, smiling slightly.
"Izuku."
He turned to see his mom standing over him, wringing her hands slightly. "Izuku...Bakugou...he isn't your friend."
Izuku felt his smile freeze in place, and cold sweat trickle down his back. "What do you mean? Of course Kaachan is-"
"Izuku, that boy's a bully. He's been cruel to you for...years. Since you were in kindergarten. It's just gotten worse. I know...I know you like to think of him as a friend but…" His mother took a deep breath. "I've tried so hard, and so long, to protect you, to encourage you, but...but you're almost in High School. I can't do that to you anymore. You have to...you have to realize what the real world is like. And Izuku...I'm so very, very afraid for you. If you try to get into the UA Hero Program, I think you'll be hurt, or even worse. And...and how would the other kids treat you? You're...well, you're a great kid, Izuku."
His mom knelt down and hugged Izuku, who felt her tears trickle onto his shoulders. "God, this is hard for me...I...I'm sorry. But...but well, you're a lot of things. You're smart, and talented, and brave, and cheerful, and kind, and...and all the things a mother wants her boy to grow up to be. But...you're also quirkless. And...and if you tried to fight a villain with no quirk, what would happen to you? Something bad, I just know it. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Mom...it's OK," Izuku said, patting his mom's back. Inside though, he felt numb and cold. Did no one believe in him? "Mei and I, we're both going to chase our dreams into UA. We'll make amazing gear, better than any quirk. And I'll be the World's Greatest Hero someday. You'll see."
Tears continued to well up in his mother's eyes. "Oh, Izuku, I-"
There was a knock at the door. "Oh! That's Hatsume!" Izuku said, seeing the clock read 6:00. Well, at least she was punctual. He separated himself from his mom and hurried over to open the door.
As soon as he opened it, Mei strode in uninvited, a wide grin on her face. "Hello! I am Mei Hatsume, and I am here to show you the incredible things that myself, and my partner Midoriya have created together!"
"Oh, um, pleasure to meet you, Hatsume" Inko said hesitantly, taking Mei's offered hand.
To Izuku's immense relief, Mei had actually taken the time to dress presentably for dinner. She was wearing slacks and a clean polo shirt with the logo of her family's shop on it, and was carrying a backpack that was bulging with several objects. For once, she was without her distinctive goggles, apparently having left those behind. She hand even washed her hair.
"Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me, Ms. Midoriya," Mei said, bowing slightly. Her politeness was somewhat ruined by the manic grin plastered all over her face.
"Oh! Well, um, I just wanted to get to know Izuku's friend. He's kind of shy you know and he's always had a hard time getting to know people so when he told me he had met a young lady and the two of you were working on a project together I-"
"Yes! Baby number 47! Oh, it's so wonderful! When we're done, it's going to be the greatest of my creations! Izuku will be able to lift over 1000 kilos, run over 35 miles an hour, and jump up to 10 feet, plus more with the attached grappling hook!"
Inko only blinked very rapidly, clearly baffled by this.
"Well, I brought over a presention to show you, with footage from our last field test along with a few graphs I made and-"
"Why don't we eat dinner first!" Izuku interrupted. "We made miso soup with tofu!"
"Oh." Mei paused, glancing at Izuku with a slightly confused expression. "Is it traditional to eat first before the presentation?"
"At this house, yes!" Izuku said, frantically taking Mei's hand and leading her over to the table. He sat her down and hurriedly served up the food as his mother made her way over and sat down.
"So, Hatsume, Izuku tells me you're um, an inventor."
"Yes! I have created 51 adorable babies so far! But the most impressive one is number 47, which Izuku and I have been working on together for over a month now! It started as a simple exo-skeleton I called the Power Suit to help me when I scavenged for heavy parts, but Izuku has totally improved the electrical systems! He's helped me turn it into a fully fledged set of gear that has a multitude of functions, including-"
"Here's the food! Let's eat!" Izuku interrupted, hurriedly putting filled bowls down for everyone.
"Yes!" Mei began slurping her soup, then stopped and paused. She glanced at Inko then said in a rather robotic voice, "Thank you very much for the food." She clapped once, then went back to scarfing down her meal.
Inko blinked and looked to Izuku, who was fixedly staring into his bowl and eating himself, his face beat red. Mei ate like this with her family all the time, only pausing to argue with her siblings or tell of her latest creation. Small talk was not her speciality.
"So, um, Hatsumei, what school do you go to?" Inko asked, trying again to get the conversation going. "What classes do you like?"
"I go to East Nabo Middle," Mei said around a mouthful of noodles, her eyes still on her food, her tone once more oddly robotic. "I enjoy math. I enjoy science. I enjoy going to Mr. Onizuka's room for social groups. I do not like English."
That got Inko to blink. "Um, social groups? That sounds, ah, nice."
"It's boring and stupid but I have to go because I'm ASD or something," Mei said, rolling her eyes. "I don't have it bad but apparently it makes me antisocial or whatever. I don't care, as long as they leave me alone and let me make my babies. It's not like I can't talk or anything. But!"
Sudden energy entered back into Mei's voice, and she looked up, her odd crosshair irises sparkling. "Mr. Onizuka lets me build things for social groups! I've built two leg supports that help Nishima and Garo walk, and I built six augmentative communication devices that they've sent to other schools to give kids who are like, super high needs or something! They give me all these materials and since I'm like, the most social one in the social groups I get to spend all my time building stuff if I promise to talk to the other kids while I do it and then I can show my babies off and I'm working on designing an exo-suit for some of the kids with cerebral palsy and I've got an award for it which I don't care about but Mr. Onizuka say's that if keep this up I can get a recommendation to get into the support program for UA and if you're there you can build whatever you want even if it's super dangerous or something and no one yells at you if you don't do your English homework because it's stupid and we live in Japan and you can just keep building things all day for all kinds of heroes which is super awesome and Midoriya wants to go there too and I bet if I make him some amazing babies that let him pass the UA entrance exam everyone will let me build things forever and I can have as many babies as I want!"
A chunk of tofo slid out from between Inko's chop sticks as she stared open mouthed at Mei, who was once more grinning madly. "That, um, that sounds, um, really interesting, Hatsume. So, er, you think you and Izuku can get into UA together?"
"Absolutely! It will be required! He's the best lab partner ever! He's very helpful and organized and he helps me find all kinds of scrap for my babies and he's really good at wiring and power supplies and he's actually getting really good at making things himself and you have to let him keep helping me build stuff!" Mei suddenly jumped up, ran over to her backpack, and dug out a small USB device. She hurried over to Izuku's computer and plugged it in. "I made a presentation!"
Izuku hurried after Mei, turning on the TV. "Um, she's really smart, mom," Izuku said. "We, um, we study together and my grades have never been better! I didn't get a single C after she and I started studying together!"
Inko frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Izuku, when on earth did you ever get a C?"
"Who cares, let's show you our baby!" Mei cheered, opening up her presentation.
"DUN DAN DUH DAAAAA!" Mei's cheery voice screamed from the speakers. Inko let out a squeal of surprise, and Izuku hastily lowered the volume before the neighbors started complaining.
The presentation was, mercifully, short and to the point. It showed a few short videos of Izuku testing out the Power Armor MK II, along with pictures of their current progress. It then outlined a five step plan for Mei and Izuku to get into UA.
"Step 1: We create an amazing baby together that-"
"She means the power armor!" Izuku interrupted, flushing bright red. "Not...not the other kind of baby!"
"Well what else would I mean?" Mei asked, clearly not understanding the implications. "Anyway, yes, we create the Power Armor MK III, along with several of the planned upgrades we've discussed."
"Step 2! Izuku uses it to earn the highest score ever on the UA entrance exam! Step 3, they let us into UA, where I join the support program and continue to create ultra cute babies with Izuku! Step 4, We show them off and everyone realizes that I'm the greatest inventor ever and that Izuku is an incredible hero, and then Step 5, we get all the funding we need and make babies together for the rest of our lives!'
"Inventions!" Izuku said, waving his hand frantically. "She means inventions! We create inventions together!"
Inko knelt on the floor in front of the TV, looking a bit overwhelmed. "Well, that's...that's quite the impressive goal you two have there, I suppose."
"So, will you support us in our efforts?" Mei demanded, leaning forward toward Inko, causing the older woman to lean back in discomfort.
"I...well...I guess...if you're going to be in the Support Course at UA...that does sound safe enough and...and it's a good dream for Izuku to have, so...so yes. I will support you two. As long as Izuku keeps his grades up! If I hear one more thing about Cs, young man, you won't leave this house until your grades go back up again!"
"Yes ma'am!" Izuku said, grinning widely. "And thank you!"
"Great!" Mei said, standing and looking around. "Now Izuku said something about a vacuum and scooter we could have for parts?"
Inko blinked, looking at Izuku, who only grinned and shrugged. She looked back at Mei, and managed to smile. "I...I think maybe I do."
Authors Note:
Disclaimer: I am not a clinical psychologist. Data presented here is a fabrication, and any resemblance to real persons is unintentional, and is not in breach of confidentiality.
Assessment Results Summary
Name: Hatsume, Mei
Date of Birth: April 16
Age: 15
Gender: F
Quirk: H-5
School: Nabu East Middle
Teacher: Onizuka, G
Test Results / Percentile Rank
Cognitive 139* / 99
Academic 109 / 73
Adaptive 69 / 2
Social 68 / 1
Speech 86 / 18
*Score considered to be of questionable validity.
Assessors notes:
Cognitive
Mei's cognitive ability is a rough estimate, as the test does not score high enough to get an accurate result. Mei consistently scores at the top end of all subtests. The only subtests Mei has ever shown any difficulties in are language related subtests, and even in those her scores are well above the average range. The assessor feels the cognitive results are, if anything, low, as Mei has been observed to rapidly lose interest in subjects she does not find stimulating (ex: language). Her current score is the maximum possible on the cognitive evaluation.
Academic
Mei scored at the top end in the math and science subtests, achieving a scaled score of 139 in both areas, the maximum possible. However, her scores in history, reading and especially writing were relatively low, the lowest result of 74 being achieved in the Written Expression Subtest. It should be noted that Mei is achieving passing grades in all her classes, and should not be separated from same age typical peers for the purpose of core academic instruction.
Adaptive
Adaptive results attained from teacher and parent interviews. Mei is capable of functionally caring for herself. She can make meals and carry out complex hygiene routines independently. However, without frequent prompting, Mei fails to take care of herself. At school, Mei will often not eat unless prompted repeatedly by teachers. She often forgets to properly attend to hygiene needs unless reminded, even when provided with proper hygiene products and education. Mei also displays stereotyped behavior, frequently humming or bouncing on her toes. When she was younger, Mei had a compulsive need to count objects and calculate the area and volume of things around her, though with support these behaviors have mostly been brought to extinction. Mei's challenges in adaptive skills require specialized instruction.
Social
While Mei has demonstrated the ability to have appropriate social conversations with peers and adults, she frequently fails to do so. Mei rarely initiates social interaction with peers, and when she does so her conversations are stereotyped and limited to a few topics that Mei finds interesting. When peers initiate social interaction, Mei will often not respond appropriately, or simply ignore them. Mei lacks concepts of personal space, appropriate volume, and when and where certain routines are appropriate. There have been multiple incidents where she went into the boys bathroom due to lines in the girls bathroom. Mei's difficulties in social behavior have impeded her ability to form friendships within her peer group. Mei requires specialized instruction in the area of social behaviors.
Note: Recently, Mei has begun to talk about a friend she has made outside of school. Efforts should be made at home to maintain this peer relationship.
Speech
Mei has improved greatly since her initial evaluation. While Mei was verbal from an early age, the majority of her speech was stilted and robotic. She has learned more social language, and will use her scripted responses appropriately. After many years of speech instruction, Mei has been dismissed from Speech/Language services, and has been placed on a consultation basis.
Quirk
Mei's quirk is a heteromorphic type quirk inherited from her father's family line; she is a 5th generation quirk user. Mei's quirk is registered as Zoom, and grants her superior vision equal to about 100x the human norm. At this time, Mei's quirk is not believed to have any impact on her cognitive, academic, social, behavioral, or adaptive development.
Diagnosis
Mei was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of 5 by her family pediatrician. The diagnosis was upheld by the school clinical psychologist. Mei has been qualified for specialized educational services since the age of 5 under the category of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Final Recommendation:
Mei should continue to receive specialized services under the qualification area of Autism Spectrum Disorder for social and adaptational needs. Recommendation is 300 min/wk for non-core academic instruction.
…
What? That's actually what I do for a living. Anyway, I've decided that for the purposes of this story, I'm going to go ahead and write Mei as though she had a mild case of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I'd argue that this isn't even much of a stretch from her behavior in cannon, but I will be amplifying it at least slightly so you can consider that an AU element. For those interested, Mei in this story would score at about a 65 on the Gillingham Autism Rating Scale (GARS 2nd ed.) which indicates that she has a case of high functioning ASD.
(Yes I know there's a 3rd Edition now but I can't just use those copies for funsies like I can the old ones).