Chapter 13: The Payoff
This document beta'd by kylekatarn77
13. The Payoff
Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.
-Seneca
Izuku stood proudly atop the first place podium beside the Power Suit. He'd requested that Mei be allowed to stand beside him, but Recovery Girl had vetoed the idea before anyone else could come up with a good reason to reject it.
"That girl needs bed rest for the next few days! Be grateful I'm giving you young Bakugo until the ceremony is over! Then that boy is right back on bed rest!"
Thinking of Bakugo, Izuku glanced at his one time friend. Bakugo stood dejected and listless, his eyes on his feet, his body posture slumping and defeated. Izuku had expected an explosion of rage when Bakugo had laid eyes on him again. Instead, Bakugo had gone pale, looking down and not meeting Izuku's eyes, or saying anything. Now he stood like a statue, oblivious to the addulation of the crowd.
"And now, to hand out the medals, the one, the only, All Might!" Present Mic called.
Izuku watched as All Might did a swan dive into the stadium to the roar of the crowd. He smiled and waved, giving a short speech. Izuku's mind was elsewhere though. He looked over at Todoroki and Shinso. Shinso stood with his hands in his pockets, looking a little bored. Todoroki seemed more alert than Bakugo, but still looked disappointed in himself.
"Ah, young Shinso! You did well, coming this far! Truly, you showed the strength of your convictions," All Might said, placing the medal over Shinso's head. "You too, young man, can be a hero."
"Thanks," Shinso said, straightening slightly. A slow thin smile crept over his lips. Not for the praise, but because All Might was recognizing him as a potential peer.
All Might pulled the young man into an embrace. "But you need to learn not to just rely on your quirk. Before you can be a pro, you've a long way to go. See this medal not as the final goal, but as a challenge to do better!"
"I will, sir!" Shinso vowed, nodding fiercely. "I will be a hero!" All Might pumped Shinso's hand one last time, then walked over to Todoroki, who was staring at his shoes, nearly as dejected as Bakugo.
"Young Todoroki, you have not failed this day. Not yourself, and not your father," All Might said.
At the mention of his father, Todoroki looked up, his eyes flashing. "I am not my father."
"No, you are not," All Might agreed. He pulled Todoroki into a hug too, causing the boy to stiffen slightly, as if he were unused to such a display of affection. "But you are also your own man, all of you. Even your quirk. Learn to embrace all of who you are, and you will be well on the path to surpassing even me as a hero."
A wet gleam entered Todoroki's eyes, and he suddenly closed them. Awkwardly, he squeezed All Might back. "Yes, sir."
Next, All Might turned to Bakugo. "Young man, you already have much of what it means to be a hero. Determination, drive and-"
"What does it matter?" Bakugo mumbled. "I lost. I lost to a quirkless nobody. What does that make me?"
"Proud."
Bakugo suddenly looked up, confused. All Might knelt, poking Bakugo in the chest. "It makes you guilty of a sin I've had to struggle with for years: Pride. You think too highly of yourself, and not highly enough of others, Bakugo. You're just as strong and capable now as you were before you lost to Midoriya.
Let go of that pride, Bakugo. It's one thing to be proud of your accomplishments. It's another to be proud of what you were born with. One is a satisfaction in your own achievements. The other confuses luck with ability. Learn the difference." All Might hung the medal about Bakugo's neck. "I'll be speaking with you more, I think. You've come a long way since the day we met, but it seems you still have lessons to learn. Keep that medal as a reminder that sometimes, we're our own worst enemies."
"My own worst enemy, huh?" Bakugo glanced at Izuku, and the pure despair in that gaze made Izuku flinch. "Yeah. Right."
Then All Might mounted the highest podium. He paused before Izuku, hefting the medal. "Somehow, I feel like I'm the worst possible person to give this to you, young Midoriya."
"Sir?" Izuku asked, confused. His own emotions towards All Might were still mixed, but more and more Izuku had realized that he had been wrong to simply lash out in anger at a man trying to protect a young boy. Besides, if All Might had never told him no, would he even have met Mei?
"You remember. I know I do," All Might said gently. He suddenly turned to the crowd. "I want you all to know that even I, All Might, can be wrong. And today, that is proven before the world. You see, once, not that long ago, I met young Midoriya. He was just another fan, and I had a moment of weakness. He asked me, 'I am quirkless. Can I be a hero?' I told him no."
There was an intake of breath and a buzz of conversation. Izuku felt something catch in his chest, and his breathing grew rapid. "All Might?" Was it going to happen again?
"Today, Midoriya proved I was wrong. I was short sighted. I told him that without a quirk, he could not be a hero. That he should just give up on his dream. I wanted to spare him pain and disappointment. What I did was wrong. I acknowledge that now."
All Might suddenly pointed, straight at the cameras of the press. "Whoever is out there, watching. Wherever you are, whatever you are. You too can be a hero. It's not going to be easy. It's going to take endless hard work. It's going to take dedication. Some days, you might feel like giving up. But don't. Remember Izuku Midoriya. Remember the boy with no quirk, who proved that he could be a hero. One day, the world will look back, and remember Izuku Midoriya not as quirkless, but as one of the world's greatest heroes. Mark my words."
All MIght turned back, kneeling down and smiling at Izuku. "I asked you once before to forgive me. Can you find it in your heart to do it again? Forgive a tired old man for a mistake, even one that must have hurt deeply?"
Tears filled Izuku's eyes, leaking down his cheeks, but he nodded and whispered, "Yes."
All Might placed the medal around Izuku's neck, putting both hands on his shoulders.
"Young Man. You too can be a hero."
Izuku fell to his knees, weeping. "I just...I just wish Mei could have been here, with me. She's...she's the only one who believed in me. Even when I didn't believe in myself."
"Then don't lose her, Midoriya. If you must give up all else, even your dreams, don't lose young Hatsume. To have a true friend, one who will be at your side, even in your darkest hour, is a precious thing. Do that, and you'll have a prize greater than any I could give you."
"Yes, sir," Izuku whispered.
All Might suddenly stood, grabbing Izuku's hand and raising it to the sky. "Izuku Midoriya! The Winner of this Year's UA 1st Year Sports Festival! Let's all give him a great big cheer! Are you ready?"
"PLUS ULTRA!" the crowd shouted.
"Good job!" All Might said. The crowd erupted in jeers as All Might looked embarrassed.
Izuku couldn't help but laugh. It seemed like something Mei would have done.
Much later, Izuku was helping Mei back to the school. She absolutely refused to ride in a wheelchair, but she was willing to have Izuku lead her. She contentedly held Izuku's hand, trailing after him and humming to herself. It was a soothing sound by now to Izuku, and it helped calm his still frayed nerves. Somehow, they'd be OK. They were just about to exit the building when a bandaged wrapped man blocked their way.
"So. You're Izuku Midoriya," the man said, his voice muffled by his layers of wrappings. He looked somewhat like a disheveled long-haired mummy.
"Um, can I help you?" Izuku said, taking half a step back and protectively extending an arm to guard Mei.
"Who is it, Izuku?" Mei asked impatiently. "Remember, I can't see!"
"I suppose I'm hard to recognize right now," the man said. "I'm Shota Aizawa, the head of the Hero Course instruction."
"Oh!" Izuku said, dropping his arm. "It's OK Mei, this is one of the teachers. He's also known by the name Eraserhead."
Aizawa nodded approvingly. "I see you've done your research. Well, come with me. We have a lot to talk about. Vlad's waiting for us."
Aizawa led Izuku out of the stadium building, his stride firm and steady despite his injuries. Instead of taking the main way back, Izawa led them to a parking garage, where Sekijiro Kan, alias Vlad King, was waiting for them with a car. To Izuku's surprise, Shinso was waiting in the car as well, looking impatient.
"Get in," Aizawa ordered, taking a seat up front.
Izuku helped Mei inside, then squeezed in next to her.
"So, are you finally going to let Izuku into the Hero Course?" Mei demanded.
"Mei, Shinso is here as well," Izuku informed her.
"Oh hi. Did you like our babies?" Mei asked. "I heard Izuku beat you!"
"He would have," Shinso said before Izuku could correct Mei. "I forfeited, actually. Didn't feel like getting tossed around by that mecha of yours."
"Power Loader has a lot of explaining to do," Kan, also known as the hero Vlad King, grumbled as he pulled out. "If he thinks I'm going to pay up now-"
"Not in front of the students," Aizawa said quietly. Kan subsided, though he continued muttering under his breath.
"So, are you finally going to let Izuku into the Hero Course?" Mei asked again. Shinso cleared his throat, but Mei didn't take the hint, as usual.
"We'll answer that later," Aizawa replied.
"Why? He beat everyone! Even that jerk Bakugo! You should kick Bakugo out and let Izuku in. He has much better social skills," Mei explained.
Aizawa glanced back at Mei, his lone visible eye peering at her. "I thought you'd be quieter."
"Nope! My form of autism doesn't include much verbal language delays. If anything, I have a hard time knowing when to be quiet. Hey Izuku, should I be quiet now?"
"Um, it might be a good idea, Mei," Izuku said gently. "Just take it easy. You're still hurt."
"I'm not hurt that bad. Hey, could you take these bandages off? I'm sure I'll be fine."
"W-w-well, Recovery Girl said they should stay on for at least two more days. I um, I think maybe we should listen to her, Mei. Remember when you stayed up all night when you had a cold, then you had to rest for two days? It's like that."
"Fine," Mei sighed. "But you'd better take care of our babies while I'm sick. I expect lots of reports!"
"Why don't we take care of you first, Mei. Then we can take care of our babies together," Izuku said squeezing Mei's hand; she hadn't let go when they got in the car, and Izuku didn't see the need to separate himself from her. In fact, she was pressing herself up against him, and unlike he usually did, Izuku didn't back away or remind Mei about personal space.
"Why did you bring the girl?" Ken said with a sigh. "You're not seriously considering letting her into the Hero Course, are you?"
"We'll talk about it," Aizawa said as they pulled into the staff parking lot. "Come on. Let's go up to my office."
Izuku carefully undid Mei's seat belt, then helped her out of the car. She grabbed on to his elbow as they went up the steps, and didn't let go. She didn't seem frightened or concerned in the slightest, just that she wanted Izuku close to her. It surprised him how much she was willing to trust him. If he couldn't see, would he be able to trust Mei like this? Maybe. At least, he could trust her to look out for him. Not so much not to take him into the girls restroom because she forgot they were together.
At last they came to Aizawa's office, where Principal Nezu of all people was waiting, a full tea service out with steaming cups. Along with the Principal sat Mr. Maijima, this time in his formal suit and tie.
"Welcome, everyone! Congratulations, Midoriya, on your excellent performance! And you as well, Shinso and Hatsume," Nezu said.
"Actually I did pretty terrible," Mei said cheerily. "Did you see? Bakugo totally beat me up! But Izuku said he didn't hurt my babies so it's not all bad."
"Just take the compliment, Hatsume," Mr. Maijima said, shaking his head slightly. "Good job, you two. You just won me ¥50,000 each. Sorry, Shinso. I didn't bet on you."
"Considering I didn't even know about it, no offense taken," Shinso said blithely.
"I know you did something, Loader!" Kan growled. "They knew all about everyone's quirks! You've been trying to sneak a fast one past me for years, but I'm not going to-"
"Not in front of the students!" Aizawa growled again, causing the other two teachers to fall silent.
Principal Nezu chuckled, serving up tea for everyone. "It's all in good fun. Besides, I think they should be proud that you had so much faith in them, Maijima."
"Here, Mei, it's tea," Izuku said, handing her a cup.
"Can I have coffee or an energy drink instead?" Mei said, grimacing at the tea she couldn't see. "I don't like tea."
"Mei!" Izuku hissed. "Social skills!"
"Thank you for the tea," Mei said robotically. "It is very nice."
"It's not a problem. Kan, will you grab the young lady a coffee from the teachers lounge? I think she's earned it. How do you take yours?"
"Half sugar, half coffee," Mei said eagerly at the same time as Izuku said, "Two sugars."
Mei sighed and nodded. "Two sugars. I probably don't need to think about wonderful babies right now, even if Izuku is here."
Shinso eyed Izuku over the rim of his tea cup, one eyebrow raised in a questioning fashion.
"It's really just the inventions," Izuku sighed. "We're not even...well, I mean, we're not really even boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Really?" Mei asked, sounding hurt. "I thought we were friends, Izuku. Does that mean…"
"That's all very fascinating." Aizawa said, setting aside his untouched cup of tea. "And completely irrelevant. You're here because both of you have stated you want to be in the Hero Course. Is that still the case?"
"I don't want to be in the Hero Course," Mei began. "That's Izuku-"
Izuku squeezed her hand, and Mei lapsed into silence.
"Well, I suppose I should explain why you're here anyway, Hatsume," Aizawa sighed. "Yes, I'm going to give Midoriya, and Shinso too, a chance to join the hero course. But you're here because if Midoriya joins the Hero Course, I have the feeling that it's going to be in large part thanks to you. I want to know just how much."
"It's basically entirely because of her, sir," Izuku said quietly, swirling the tea in his cup. "I was ready to give up on being a hero. Mei changed that. She believed I could be a hero when no one else did."
"He was very heroic," Mei added. "He saved me and my baby from a dumpster. But Izuku is too modest! He is a great hero and hard worker! And he makes lots of stuff for our babies too!"
Mr. Kan returned and handed Mei her coffee, which she enthusiastically began to guzzle. Mr. Aizawa took the opportunity to continue uninterrupted. "That's not exactly what I'm talking about. I mean the gear. What percent of that does she make, Midoriya?"
"Most of it. I basically just do the wiring and power systems. I'm a bit better at those. Um, mostly because, well, Mei's are prone to exploding the first few times."
"It's true," Maijima put in. "The boy's a damn fine electrical engineer. I'd say he's at least as good as a master electrician right now. He's a natural. Better than a lot of college grads too. Picked most of it up on his own from Hatsume or internet tutorials."
"But most of your gear, that suit, the grapple, the missiles, the jet pack and those boots, she made all of those, right?" Mr. Aizawa asked. When Izuku nodded, Mr. Aizawa sighed. "Well the thing is, Midoriya, that actually puts us in a tricky situation. Technically, you shouldn't have been able to use half that gear in the sports festival. Not just because you didn't make it, but because it was military grade equipment that could have easily been lethal."
"I'm going to have to have a very long staff meeting discussing what is and isn't allowed for Support Course students to have in the future!" Mr. Nezu said brightly. "But don't worry, Midoriya. We're not going to take your laurels. Frankly, even with all of those marvelous machines, it's a wonder you were able to overcome all of the Hero Course students. Some of their quirks should have utterly crushed you."
"But they didn't, because he cheated," Kan grumbled. Izuku noted that he wasn't looking at him, but rather at Maijima.
"We did not! Our babies are just super cute and amazing!" Mei said, setting down her empty coffee cup with a smack of her lips. "Did you see us? Izuku was so amazing! He's the best test pilot ever! Let me tell you, I've tried a few times, but I'm not as good as he is!"
Aizawa rubbed his temples with both hands. "I see. So, Hatsume, the question for you is this: Are you willing to work extra hard to continue to provide Midoriya with his gear?"
"You mean I won't have to go to my classes anymore?" Mei asked eagerly. "I can move into the workshop! I won't ever have to leave, I can just work round the clock with Izuku! He can move in too! He's actually a good cook, he'll make sure we get the right food and go to bed on time and I remember to shower and brush my hair! And we'll do nothing but make super cute babies all day long!"
"Hatsume. Midoriya wouldn't be with you all the time if Midoriya joined the Hero Course," Maijima said gently. "He'd have other things to do."
"I'd still help you!" Izuku put in quickly. "It would just be more like when we were in middle school! We wouldn't have all our classes together anymore, but I would help you whenever I could!"
"Oh." Mei deflated slightly. She considered this. "Could I join the Hero Course with Izuku?"
That made Izuku whip his head around. "Mei?! You want to be a hero? I thought you just wanted to work on your inventions!'
"Well, yes, but I also want to be with you. Going to school is much more fun and interesting when you're here, Izuku," Mei said as if that were the most natural thing in the world. "I'd rather still be in your classes and just work with you in my spare time too."
"That's...not exactly what we were talking about," Aizawa said slowly.
Maijima leaned over and whispered something to Nezu, who frowned. "I see. She doesn't talk to their peers at all. Not once?"
"Not unless they or Midoriya started the conversation," Maijima confirmed quietly. "He's her whole world, basically. And frankly, she's his too."
"I don't have time for childishness in my course," Aizawa said with a shrug. "I won't tolerate any fooling around. Nothing past first base as long as either of them are in my hero course."
"Why do heroes have to play baseball?" Mei demanded.
"It's...not quite like that," Maijima said hesitantly. "Mei, well, she doesn't think the way most people do. You've heard of Autism Spectrum Disorder?"
Aizawa grunted. "Why don't we just all assume I'm a competent teacher, that will make all this a lot easier. I had, in fact, noticed that Mei exhibited such tendencies, but I think that they're largely irrelevant. My course doesn't teach social skills."
"That's good, because those are really boring," Mei commented.
"-however, I may be willing to make an exception," Aizawa concluded. He looked at Mei steadily. "Will you or will you not be willing to work extra hard to continue to provide Midoriya with support gear, in addition to your own workload?"
"I said yes," Mei grumped. "Obviously I'm going to make super cute babies for Izuku forever. But what does that have to do with baseball?"
"It means that you'd best not try to make it to second base, as long as Izuku's in the Hero Course, and definitely no home runs," Mr. Aizawa answered. Izuku wondered if he could still get into the hero course if he crawled under his chair and died.
"So does that mean we're in?" Shinso demanded. "Will you let Midoriya and I into the Hero Course now?"
"Not by a long shot. Neither of you are even close to ready," Aizawa stated. He held up a hand. "Before you argue with me, know that I don't mean I don't think you can be heroes. We wouldn't be having this conversation otherwise. I mean, you're not quite ready to enter the Hero Course. And Hatusme, if you interrupt me, I'm going to make you wait outside without Midoriya."
Mei closed her mouth, looking frustrated at being preempted.
"The fact of the matter is, you two might have the potential, but you lack the basic training our hero course candidates have had. You haven't had the right kind of Quirk counseling, for one. Well, I suppose that's only a factor for Shinso, but Midoriya's going to need some help. How's your physical fitness?"
Mei raised her hand. Aizawa sighed and looked to Izuku, who nodded. "Yes, Hatsume?"
"Izuku runs 10 kilometers every day! He does 100 sit ups, 100 push ups, 100 squats too! And then he does different kinds of training every day like different weights and pull ups and balance training and martial arts katas and I make him do extra practice with the Power Suit!"
Aizawa blinked. Or winked, it was hard to tell with one eye visible. "Really? That's a fairly intensive daily routine for a kid. Maybe you're not as far behind as I thought. How fast can you do the run, Midoriya?"
"I average about 54 minutes, but when I'm pushing myself I can do it in 50. My best time is 45. With the Power Suit, I can do it in about 10."
"That thing is that fast?" Kan asked, clearly surprised.
Maijima grinned. "Oh, it is. And I bet you they can figure out how to make it stronger and faster. He couldn't do it if he weren't extremely physically fit. About the only time Izuku does something that isn't with Hatusme is when he does his daily training. I think he actually runs all the way to her house and changes there most days."
"Um, yeah, actually, that's pretty much what I do," Izuku admitted. "I do the rest of my exercises throughout the day. It's called The Hero program. I found it online."
"I'll look into it, but I imagine it's plenty," Aizawa said. "You, Shinso?"
"Well, I thought I was doing fairly well. I have good scores in PE, but I don't do much beyond that," Shinso admitted.
"That changes now. You don't need to quite be doing what Midoriya is, but-"
"I'll do everything he does," Shinso vowed. "If he can do it, so can I."
Aizawa nodded. "Good. You need more than one trick. You can't be a pro if your quirk is all you have; to be a pro you need more than one trick. That quirk of yours is powerful, but you will find yourself in situations where it isn't enough. Just like I do. I'll train you in a few techniques I have. Your power is somewhat similar to mine. Believe it or not, I was rejected from the Hero Course as well, and started off in general studies for a year before they moved me over."
"Really?" Shinso asked, intrigued. "I never knew that, sir."
"It's not exactly common knowledge," Aizawa said with a shrug. "Plus, we do make it hard to get into the Hero Course. Both of you aren't ready just yet."
"What about me, sir?" Izuku asked. "What do I need to do?"
"You'll need to pass a few tests I have for you," Aizawa explained. "Plus, you'll need to prove to me you do know how to use that gear of yours in a variety of situations. For example, those missiles you had were expertly tailored to counter specific quirks; I looked over the manifest. Someone gave you access to information on all the students' quirks, didn't they?"
"Um, yes, we got it from Mr. Maijima. We were working on some support gear for some of the hero course students. We made a special set of capacitors for Kaminari to prevent him from overloading himself, and we're going to make some other stuff too."
"I'm making a storage tank for the acid girl!" Mei added. "She visited me in the infirmary! Did you know she's pink? She says she is, but I don't remember. Anyway, we're going to make her some super cute babies to help her store then spray her acid! Like those stupid, ugly things Bakugo has for his hero costume. We're not making any babies for him!"
"That's cheating," Kan grumbled. "They had insider information!"
"That's smart," Aizawa countered. "They did their research, like a smart pro does. They evaluated their opponents' quirks, and then figured out how to cancel them or reduce the advantage they had. Tell me, how did you plan on dealing with Todoroki?"
"Um, we put in a system that vented heat to the exterior surface," Izuku explained. "And the Power Suit is flame resistant. But, um, well, we maybe underestimated how strong he is."
"But our baby is totally cute and amazing and handled it all anyway," Mei added.
"Then you got lucky, and were smart enough to avoid a direct confrontation when you realized you were at a disadvantage," Aizawa said, ignoring Mei. That was starting to bother Izuku. She was a person too after all. "Like I said, smart. Being quirkless, you will need to heavily rely on gathering intelligence and adapting your gear to what the situation calls for. But, you also seem to have some general trump cards. For one thing, that suit seems to be fairly physically strong, plus that grapple and jet pack give you excellent mobility. It's a good start."
"Frankly, we have to apologize to both of you," Nezu put in. "Midoriya, Shinso, the fact is, our entrance exam isn't perfect. It does favor flashy, combat related quirks. Those like you or Mr. Aizawa are at a distinct disadvantage."
"Just like you will be in the field," Aizawa agreed. "So the test is valid. Life isn't fair. If you're going to cry about it, I don't want you in my course. Understand?"
"The plan is, we train you until next semester," Kan stated. "You pass muster at the end of the summer, we let you in."
"Won't you have to cut someone for us?" Shinso asked.
Kan shrugged. "Maybe. But you two are promising enough we're willing to work harder ourselves to give you kids a chance."
"And Mei?" Izuku asked.
"She can go to hero classes with you," Mr. Aizawa explained. "Maijima assures me that he has to physically bar her from sleeping in the workshop, so I don't think you'll fall behind in your support course duties."
"I keep telling him there's room for a bed there," Mei grumbled. "Izuku and I could even share."
Shinso and Izuku both turned red, but Aizawa pointed to the door. "You interrupted me. Hallway. Count to 100, then knock."
Mei sighed, but got up and fumbled around for the door, until Izuku led her outside. Then she began to count. Loudly. Izuku winced and shut the door. "Um, sorry. She, uh, well-"
"Has her own set of unique issues," Aizawa said. "But she's good. Very good. Without her, you being in the hero course wouldn't even be worth considering, Midoriya. But I'm willing to take a chance. Are you?"
"Yes!" Izuku agreed quickly. "I'll do whatever it takes."
"Good. Now, here's what I am going to expect of both of you," Aizawa said. He and Kan then outlined a multi-tiered training program, with duties split between them. Kan would train them on Search and Rescue, first aid, and hero law. Shinso would learn a special combat technique from Aizawa to make up for the holes in his quirks abilities. Izuku would have to train hard with the Power Suit, learning how to use it in a variety of complex situations. They'd essentially be doing an entire semester and a half of Hero Course work in addition to their regular studies.
Halfway through, Mei knocked on the door and called for Izuku, who quickly helped her back in. She actually sat quietly, humming to herself for a bit, then fell asleep on Izuku's shoulder, apparently exhausted.
"Well, that covers everything. Are you still willing to try?" Nezu asked. "It's more than we ask of our normal students."
"We're not normal," Izuku said, fondly looking at Mei. "I sort of like it that way."
"Well," Shinso said, a smile tugging at his lips. "I suppose I don't mind being considered abnormal for a change."
Aizawa nodded. "Good. You start before school on Monday."
Authors Note:
Once again, I am a humble Special Education teacher with no degrees outside of Elementary and Special Education. The information depicted here is fictional, and any relation to real persons is unintended. This is not a breach of confidentiality.
Incoming Psychiatric Evaluation
Name: Shinso, Hitoshi
Age: 15
Sex: M
School of Origin: Saitama One Middle
Quirk: E-3
Evaluator: Inui, R
Assessors Notes
Hitoshi is a typically developing adult male of 15 years of age. His scores on testing and interviews with parents and peers indicate that he is in the average range for cognitive, social, adaptive, and academics. Hitoshi is a 3rd generation quirk user. His quirk was double inherited. The maternal side of his family possesses emitter quirks that allow them to soothe or calm others by singing or speaking to them. On the paternal side is an emitter quirk that allows users to impair motor functions of those who answer verbally to questions.
Hitoshi's quirk is known as Brainwashing. It allows him to seize control of anyone who answers verbally to Hitoshi. Hitoshi has good command of his quirk, and can choose to either activate his quirk or leave it dormant. Peers report that he has never used his quirk on others since he was a young child, save for two incidents. In the first, Hitoshi broke up a fight in 8th grade by forcing two combatants to stand still and wait for teachers once they had answered him. He faced disciplinary action for this, though others state he prevented serious injury. The second was to protect his elderly grandmother when a villain attempted to mug her while on an excursion with Hitoshi. Police largely overlooked this incident, citing that Hitoshi had simply held the criminal still until authorities had arrived, and that the perpetrator was possessed of a heteromorphic quirk he was using to threaten Hitoshi and his grandmother.
Hitoshi has expressed that he wishes to become a hero, and seeks to use his quirk to help people. However, he failed the entrance exam to the UA hero course. He was admitted to general studies on the merit of his academic achievement. Peers report being afraid to talk to Hitoshi, though they admit that he has never used his quirk on them. There is no evidence that Hitoshi has ever used his quirk for personal gain or to exploit another, outside of the aforementioned incidents.
Due to the nature of his quirk and how easily it could be abused, it is recommended to continue monitoring Hitoshi. It is also recommended that Hitoshi be monitored for hero potential. His quirk is powerful, and while unconventional, does have a large degree of merit in hero work.
Addendum: Shota Aizawa has vouched for Hitoshi following his performance at the UA 1st Year Sports festival. Pending approval, Hitoshi will be transferred to the Hero Course when he meets the expectations of Mr. Aizawa.
Chapter 14: Take Me Out to the Ballgame
This document beta'd by kylekatarn77
14. Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Love can be found in unexpected places. Sometimes we go out searching for what we think we want and we end up with what we're supposed to have.
-Kate McGahan
"Believe it or not Izuku, I think this is the longest Mei has gone without an extended visit to the hospital anyway," Hari said as Izuku helped Mei out of the car.
"It's true!" Mei agreed, clinging tightly to Izuku as he led her up the steps to the Hatsume shop and home. "I haven't even managed to set the house on fire since we got into UA!"
"Um, Mei, I don't know if that's really a good thing," Izuku said, wincing slightly. "You really should just take it easy and rest for a few days."
The door suddenly banged open, and Komaru and Nikawa rushed out, both aof them grinning madly. For a moment Izuku thought they were going to attack him for hurting their sister, but then they both started cheering.
"You won Midoriya, you won!" they cheered.
Izuku blushed, looking down. "Well, it was because of Mei's help that I got as far as I did."
"No way! You were super awesome!" Komaru said, jumping up and down.
Nikiwa nodded, and began shadowboxing. "You were like bam! And then pow! And then you totally crushed that Bakugo jerk!"
"He was very mean," Mei agreed. "But Izuku and our super cute babies triumphed so it's alright."
"Oh yeah," Nikiwa said, frowning at Mei. "So, are you like, blind now or something?"
"Shoo, both of you! She needs to lay down!" Hari scolded. "Sheesh. Leave her and Midoriya alone for ten seconds you little monsters."
The boys made way, but they started arguing about which of Izuku's fights had been the most impressive.
Once they were inside, Mrs. Hatsume came over, wrapping Mei in her arms. "Oh my goodness! Sweetie, we were so worried about you!"
"But proud," Mr. Hatusme said, coming over and grasping Izuku's hand. "You did good, son. Taught that brute a good lesson. He'll think twice about messing with my baby girl again!"
"It's OK mom, none of our babies were hurt too badly," Mei said. "Except for number 1, but we can rebuild the goggles better than ever!"
"Doc says her eyes will be fine in a day or two, but to leave the bandages on and keep her in bed for the next few days," Hari told her parents. She slapped Izuku on the back. "Don't worry, like I said before, this is far from the worst she's ever managed to hurt herself, Midoriya."
"I still feel bad," Izuku mumbled, looking down. "If it hadn't been for the anger Bakugo felt towards me, I don't know if he'd been so willing to hurt Mei."
Mr. Hatsume shook his head. "That boy seemed like he didn't care who he had to crush to win. Besides, Mei's told us he was cruel to you even before you enrolled at UA, and that you were never the one to pick fights."
Izuku looked up, surprised and looked after Mei, who was being led upstairs by Hari and her mother. "Really? I didn't think Mei would ever mention something like that…"
"Son, Mei talks about two things. You, and what you're building together. That is, in fact, about a 100% increase in her conversational subjects."
"Oh. I guess...I didn't think about it that way," Izuku admitted. He looked after Mei again, almost wishing he could follow after her, and could stay by her side while she healed. But that wasn't an option. "I felt...really bad. I couldn't do anything to save her! I tried to get Mei to forfeit, to not fight Bakugo, or to take the Power Suit herself, but she wouldn't listen! I'm sorry I failed…"
Izuku felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Mr. Hatsume smiling at him. "I know you care for her, son. I do too. And sometimes, the hard part about loving someone, especially someone like Mei, is that you have to recognize that you don't control them. That you have to let them make their own choices and mistakes. I'm glad you tried to help her avoid this, and wanted to jump in and save her. That's noble of you. But it's also a little selfish and foolish."
Mr. Hatsume sighed, looking up the stairs towards where Mei had gone. "There was a time when I tried to keep her from building stuff, because when she was 5 she tried to make some damn fool thing and the battery exploded, and she nearly got battery acid in her eyes and went blind. But then she made her own goggles and told me she would be fine. And try as I could, I couldn't see any way to prevent her from following her dreams that wouldn't have crushed her."
"Her mother's the same way sometimes. Not about crazy inventions like Mei, but about cars. You might not know it, but she was a street racer for quite a few years. That's how we met. I was her mechanic. Told her time and again she was going to hurt herself. Well she did, but she didn't give up racing until we had Hari and she settled down to work in the shop. And honestly, if I'd tried to control her, I don't think she would have ever grown to love me. I helped her, I supported her, I told her when things were dangerous, and then I had to let her make her own decisions."
"Yeah," Izuku sighed. "I guess you're right. She's supported me in my dream to be a hero, so it's only right I support her in her dreams. I just...well, you know she doesn't always realize all the consequences, because...because of-"
"It ain't because she's got a disability, son," Mr. Hatsume chuckled. "It's because she's too smart for her own damned good and has a stubborn streak a mile long. Besides, she-"
"DAD!" Hari's voice shouted. "You need to come up here! Right now!"
Izuku made to run up with Mr. Hatsume, but he put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Just keep the boys distracted for a minute, will you? They think you're some sort of hero now."
Izuku turned as Mr. Hatsume ascended the stairs to find Komaru and Nikiwa practically vibrating with excitement.
"Are you a hero now?"
"Can we see the medal?"
"Did All Might really meet you twice?!"
"Do you think you could have beat Todoroki? He's Endevor's son!"
Izuku started to answer their questions, but only got through a couple before he felt Mr. Hatsume's hand on his shoulder again. This time, it was less reassuring, and more of a death grip.
"Son. We need to talk."
"Dad, dad, do you think-"
"You two go outside, and don't bother me or your mother or your sisters or Midoriya for a while. Get some money out of your mother's purse and get snacks at the corner store. Just disappear for a bit."
The two brothers cheered and ran off, leaving a now sweating Izuku alone with Mr. Hatsume.
"Son, I want you to know, I'm going to listen before I get real angry. I told Hari to stay up there before she tries to kill you," Mr. Hatsume said slowly, his eyes burning with a sinister light as he glared down at Izuku, his mustache quivering.
"I'm sorry!" Izuku wailed, bowing deeply. "I know it was my fault she got hurt! If she loses her eyes, I'll never forgive myself!"
"Not that!" Mr. Hatsume grabbed Izuku's shoulder and forced him upright. "I just told you, that wasn't your fault! No, I'm talking about this!" He held out his hand, opening it to reveal a condom.
Izuku groaned softly.
"Yeah. So, start talking," Mr. Hatsume said, his voice a half growl. "I do want you to know, I'm not going to kill you two for acting like teens. But they're going to need to be some ground rules, dammit and-"
"It was from Recovery Girl!" Izuku cried, waving his hands. "She, um, well, she thought we were dating, and well, um, she sort of assumed, because Mei keeps calling all our inventions babies, and talking about making babies with me, and um, well she thought-"
"Oh." For a moment, Mr. Hatsume looked vaguely disappointed, his anger vanishing. "So, you're not…?"
"No! I think of Mei too highly to, um, well, take advantage of her, or force myself on her or, you know do anything like that!" Izuku explained, feeling tears of frustration come to his eyes even as he turned beat red. "I know Mei doesn't...doesn't think of me that way."
Saying that hurt for some reason, even though Izuku knew it to be true.
"Really?" Mr. Hatsume said, raising an eyebrow. "Son, just what do you think she thinks of you as?"
"A friend," Izuku said immediately. Then he looked down. "And, well, a hero. She believes in me. Even when no one else did."
"Uh huh. Honey! Hari! We're coming up! Don't kill the boy, I think Mei has some explaining to do!"
Izuku was led upstairs, past the kitchen to Hari's bedroom. Mei's parents knew her well enough to know that if she stayed in her usual bedroom, she'd just try to take off her bandages and get back to inventing instead of resting.
"-and that's where babies come from!" Mei was saying. She was laying in bed, changed into a pair of pajamas, her eyes still covered in bandages. Her sister looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh, while her mother just looked tired. "But not the super cute kind. The ugly, human kind."
"You don't say," Hari giggled, a hand over her mouth. She looked up at Izuku, her eyes sparkling. "Sorry, Midoriya. Guess we jumped to conclusions when we found that in Mei's pocket."
"Is it the condom?" Mei asked. "I think you should give it to Izuku. He has to save it."
"For what, dear?" her mother asked with a heavy sigh. "You going to build some sort of device out of it?"
"For when we graduate. Then we can use it," Mei stated as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Recovery Girl said it was for girlfriends and boyfriends who were going to have-"
Mr. Hatsume let out a loud cough. He glanced at Mei, then looked at Izuku. "And why, exactly, does Izuku need to save that for graduation?"
"Because Mr. Aizawa told us we had to wait to play baseball until then," Mei said. "Izuku knows more about it than I do. I think you need a condom to play."
"Baseball?" Hari broke into gales of laughter, nearly doubling over. "You think you need a condom for baseball? You want to play baseball with Izuku?"
Mei nodded her head. "Yes, and then I want Izuku to-"
"Right. And you're wisely going to wait for highschool graduation then?" Mr. Hatsume demanded. "I'm not going to insist you wait until you're married, but I'd prefer you at least be responsible adults."
"M-m-mei?" Izuku stammered. "But that...but Recovery Girl...and Mr. Izawa...but-but, you want to be my girlfriend?!"
Mei looked towards Izuku, frowning slightly. "But we already went on a date. Doesn't that make us boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Hari continued to snicker, despite her mother elbowing her and giving her some rather scathing looks. Mrs. Hatsume cleared her own throat. "And when, exactly, did you go on a date, young lady?"
"When you gave us the 10,000 yen, which we definitely spent on having fun on a date, and not on hydraulic fluid and high quality electronics," Mei stated.
"We, um, got some movies and watched them at my place," Izuku said. He suddenly glanced around wildly. "But, um, my mom was there the whole time! We didn't, er, um, we haven't-"
"Izuku just found out what sex was," Mei said in a somewhat loud voice. "We learned a lot about biology today. And about what being boyfriend and girlfriend means! Apparently, it is not just eating together, having fun together, and making super cute babies."
"Right. Well, I think that's enough for today," Mr. Hatsume said somewhat faintly. He grabbed Izuku's arm and began to haul him away. "Good night, Mei."
"Did I miss dinner again? Can I have some before I go to sleep?" Mei asked as Izuku was pulled after Mr. Hatsume.
"Well, I guess now we both know a lot more than we wanted," Mr. Hatsume grumbled as he took Izuku downstairs. He fished in his pocket and pulled out a set of car keys. "Come on. I'll give you a ride home."
"Um, usually I run home, I didn't get my 10k in today because of the Sports Festival and-"
"I insist," Mr. Hastume stated. He opened the door. "Firmly."
Izuku slid into the car seat, glancing nervously at Mr. Hatsume. The older man didn't speak for a few minutes as he guided the car out onto the main road. He spoke up as he drove along the street. "Honestly, Izuku, you don't mind if I call you Izuku, do you? Good. Well, honestly Izuku, I wasn't even as mad as I should have been, thinking you and Mei were...well, let's just say I jumped to conclusions. But I wasn't that mad."
Izuku glanced at Mr. Hatsume. "Um, really?"
"Yes. Honestly, for a long time, I thought Mei was going to die alone. She was always more interested in things than people. She never had any friends. Not even when she was little. She was always taking things apart, putting them back together, seeing how they worked. She was never interested in people."
Izuku stayed silent as they drove. They came to a red traffic light, and Mr. Hatsume sighed as they stopped. "And then you came along. Nearly as socially awkward as Mei. A weird kid with a weirder dream. Well, the dream wasn't weird I suppose, just seemed impossible for a quirkless kid. No offense, but I honestly thought you were just as autistic as Mei at first. You kept stuttering, you'd never meet my eyes, and all you did was work with Mei day in and day out."
"I, um, I don't think I'm autistic," Izuku said, licking his lips. "T-t-they tested me, when they found out I was quirkless, but-"
"Don't care, really. Sorry. What I mean to say was, Mei had found someone who got her. Understood her. Put up with her. Because while I love my daughter, she is a complete pain. And I could tell, she made you uncomfortable sometimes. But you pushed through it. You kept coming back. You started to get good with electronics. Don't think I haven't noticed. You helped me and Hari diagnose those problems with the starter on that Toyota a few months back, remember?"
Izuku nodded. "It's...it's because Mei believed in me. I just...I needed someone who believed in me. And...and I think Mei needed a friend."
"You're damn right she did. And, well, you two got close. Really close. You spend all your time together. And, I have noticed that you find Mei attractive. I might be biased, seeing as she's my daughter and all, but I think she's a cute young woman. Do you agree?"
All Izuku could do was nod and hope his face didn't burst into flames. This had been quite the day. From the highest highs to the lowest lows.
"And, well, Mei likes you too. And, you're both healthy young people. Your mother and me and Noriko, well, we figured we had to keep a close eye on the two of you. But that...well, you were good for one another. And if it happened, it happened. But we trusted you. I take it our trust was not misplaced?"
"No sir," Izuku said firmly, looking up and meeting Mr. Hatsume's gaze briefly, before the older man had to turn back to the road. "I...I do like Mei. I maybe...maybe I even love her. But...but I don't know how to talk to girls. Er, well, I know how to talk to Mei, but not as a girl. I mean, I can talk to her but-"
"But you're both incredibly awkward. Mei couldn't express her feelings unless they were to a robot, and you have so little self confidence you'd never believe Mei could actually find you attractive or love you back," Mr. Hatsume observed.
Izuku licked his lips. "Do you think...she…"
"Mei thinks you are literally the most wonderful person in the world. As far as she's concerned, you can do no wrong," Mr. Hatsume said with a sigh. "And she has no shame. How many times have you seen her naked?"
Izuku blushed and looked down, unable to speak again.
"Uh huh. Well, I know the answer is not zero. And, well, if a cute girl that I liked walked in on me naked, I might get some ideas. And, well, Mei frankly doesn't get that physical intimacy can have… other aspects, or what the consequences are. And...and I'm a coward."
"What?" Izuku's head snapped up, and he looked at Mr. Hatsume in confusion.
Hands tight on the wheel, Mr. Hatsume's face grew red, and his eyes a little misty. "I just...I never knew how to talk to her about that sort of thing. And neither did her mother. And, until you showed up, Mei had zero interest in the subject. Hell, even after you showed up, she didn't understand what her own feelings meant. And you didn't seem to either. So...so I never had that talk with her. Or you. I don't mean to pry, but is your father around, son?"
"He...he lives in America," Izuku said, looking out the window. "I see him...sometimes. He sends me stuff on my birthday. And...and that's it. He, um, well...I think maybe...I think maybe he's embarrassed. Because I'm quirkless."
"Son, I want you to know something. Look at me."
Izuku turned to look at Mr. Hatsume.
"I ain't calling you son just because you're a young man. I'm calling you that, because I think one day, you probably will be my son. And I'd be proud to have you. You're a good man, Izuku. You're not finished yet, still need a little work under the hood as it were. But you're a good man. You got courage. You got honor. And you care a whole lot about my little girl. And, well, if she were going to...hell, play baseball or whatever you're calling it these days, I want it to be with you. Not some punk who's just taking advantage of my girl. You care about Mei. You love her, right?"
"Yes," Izuku whispered. He looked down, ashamed. "But I never told her that."
Mr. Hatsume sighed. "I hate to say this, but you might never hear it from her. At least not spontaneously. If you want her to say it, you'll need to tell her you like to hear it. Though then it's likely she'll start telling everyone she meets she loves you. But anyway, I don't think that matters to Mei. You heard her. She thinks you're dating. But she never asked you, or told you, or anything. She just figured she liked you, and you liked her back, and that was that. How her mind works."
"Yeah," Izuku chuckled, shaking his head. "We're both a bit weird."
"Understatement of the damn century," Mr. Hatsume said with a snort. He pointed ahead. "That your place?"
"Um, yes. You can just-"
"I'm going to need to talk to your mom, son. She needs to know this too. And you're so damned much like Mei that you'd probably never mention it just to not be a bother or something."
"M-maybe," Izuku admitted. Mr. Hatsume parked and followed Izuku up to the apartment. The door of course, slammed open before Izuku could even put his hand on it.
"Izuku!" his mother wailed, bursting from the doorway and wrapping him in an embrace. "I was so worried about you! After Mei got hurt, I could hardly stand it!" Then she stepped back, putting a hand to Izuku's cheek and smiling through the stream of tears running down her face. "I have to apologize, Izuku. All this time, I thought...I thought I was protecting you, by telling you not to try to become a hero. But...but I was wrong. You can be a hero! You're stronger, and smarter, and more capable than I ever realized and I-"
Inko trailed off, looking up and blinking, realizing that Mr. Hatsume was there.
"Hello, Mrs. Midoriya. I'm, ah, Shu Hatsume. We've talked on the phone a few times."
"Oh!" Inko said, bowing quickly. "Um, welcome to our home! Please, please come in! I know it's thanks to your daughter that Izuku won the sports festival! And I'm so sorry about Mei! If there's anything you need, I'll be happy to help! It was so awful when she got hurt, is that why you're here? I've told Izuku he needs to be more careful with Bakugo, that boy has always been trouble, since they were in kindergarten!"
"No, actually, that's not why I'm here, Mrs. Midoriya," Mr. Hatsume said, stepping inside. "It's actually about both of them. Our children."
"Oh! Well, I- wait, Izuku, what did you do?" Inko said, sounding half panicked. "You didn't get in trouble, did you? Was it Bakugo? Or Mei? Oh God, is she going to be alright? Let me get my coat, we can go to the-"
"Mom, it's fine. Mei's going to be OK. I um, I have something to tell you. And um, well, Mr. Hatsume wanted to talk to you too."
"Oh, well, I suppose it's a good thing we finally meet, you two being so close and all," Inko burbled. She hurried into the kitchen, putting on some water. "Tea? Or maybe something else to drink? I'm afraid we don't have much, Izuku only drinks protein shakes it seems like and-"
"Tea would be fine, ma'am," Mr. Hatsume said, playing with his ballcap in his hands.
Izuku noticed that Mr. Hatsume was a bit dirty, his fingernails coated with their usual grease, and his overalls and t-shirt stained as well. He supposed that Mei wasn't the only one who didn't always think about her appearance in her family.
Inko hurried over with cups of tea, quickly sitting down across from Mr. Hatsume. "Well, Izuku, what did you have to tell me? And why is Mr. Hatsume here?"
"I, um, well, you see…" Izuku swallowed and finally just blurted it out. "MeiandIaresortofdating."
Inko blinked, holding her teacup close to her face. "Well, I was wondering when you'd finally tell me." She glanced at Mr. Hatsume, biting her lip. "You um, you didn't catch them…?"
"They've behaved themselves admirably," Mr. Hatsume said with a heavy sigh. "It's just...well, I haven't been doing the best job of supervising them when they're over, and well, I mean, I didn't want you to think my daughter was...using your son."
"Mei? She's a sweet girl! If anything, I'm afraid Izuku's been dragging her off on his quest to become a hero," Inko said, sipping her tea.
"Honestly I always thought Mei just kidnapped Izuku and dragged him into her hair-brained schemes," Mr. Hatsume admitted, rubbing the top of his head. He kept putting on and taking off his hat, and had yet to touch his tea. "But, well, I um, I found Mei with...well this."
Mr. Hatsume produced the condom, and Inko's eyes widened. "Oh! Well, I mean, at least they're being safe?"
"Mom!" Izuku gasped, going beat red. "We haven't...we didn't-"
His mother eyed Izuku. "I'm not sure I believe that, young man. I've seen the way you look at Mei and how she looks at you. It's fine. Just be careful. Don't...don't end up like your father and I."
"What?" Izuku said, blinking rapidly. His mother and father?
Inko sighed. "A discussion for another time. At least I think the two of you actually love each other. But you're really too young to be doing anything foolish."
"I don't think they've tried anything yet," Mr. Hatsume said, looking deeply embarrassed. "And, well, honestly Izuku's a fine young man. I don't mind him dating my daughter. I just...well, I agree. They're too young. And, well, how much do you know about Mei?"
"More than I probably should," Inko admitted. "She's not shy at all about discussing much of anything. She, ah, once asked me if I had any extra...feminine products."
Izuku looked down, feeling even more embarrassed. Mei had, in fact, been somewhat vocal at times about how irritating certain aspects of the female anatomy were, and had Izuku fetch her supplies for it more than once. In fact, Izuku had stashed a few sanitary items in their corner of the UA workshop because Mei kept forgetting them.
"That's, um, well thank you. She, ah, needs help with that. Her mother and sister take care of that for the most part, but I...well anyway, what I really meant was, do you know about her condition?"
"Which one?" Inko said, with a faint smile. "I take it she's not in a family way?"
"No!" Izuku blurted, feeling mortified. "He means...he means about, you know. Autism."
"Oh that." Inko waved her hand dismissively. "They tested Izuku for that, when he was young. I don't think he really remembers. He was a bit awkward and socially withdrawn. Well, I suppose he still is. And there's his speech impediment. Mei's just a bit odd. Honestly, I'm sort of glad Izuku met such a brash young lady. He needs to be more forceful. I...I've always struggled with that, myself."
Izuk felt various aspects of his world rocking. He'd never known this about himself, or his mother for that matter. This was turning out to be a lot.
"Well Mei...Mei's definitely um, on the spectrum, as they say. She's...she's got a lot of issues. Izuku's been a real help with that, honestly. He...he cares about her, even though she ah, well, she tends to drive people away. She only is ever interested in her inventions, her babies as she calls them, and she's rude and has no sense of personal space."
"I think she's nice," Izuku muttered. The two adults looked at him, and he flushed and looked down. "Well, I mean, she is, well, she is Mei. But...but I like all of her. Even the...even the harder parts. Like her always touching me or um, well, the fact that she didn't seem to realize she was a girl and I was a boy for a long time. But...but I care for her anyway. Because she believed in me. And I believe in her. I think she really can change the world with her inventions. And I want to help her do it."
"That's good to hear, son," Mr. Hatsume said quietly. He finally took a long gulp of his tea, looking faintly relieved. "You've got a fine son, Mrs. Midoriya. I'm glad Mei found someone like him."
"He is special," Inko agreed, smiling at Izuku. "And I'm glad he found Mei. It's been a long time since Izuku had a real friend."
"But I mean, you two are, you know, OK with us dating?" Izuku managed. "I mean...we haven't really done, you know. Dating stuff."
"Son, if you think for one moment any part of your relationship with Mei is going to be normal, you're dumber than I thought," Mr. Hatsume chuckled. "What, exactly, did you expect to happen?"
"I don't know," Izuku admitted. "But...but I thought, you know. It would feel different. I don't...I don't feel any different about Mei, really. I just...I really want to be with her, to help her."
"Good enough for me," Mr. Hatsume rumbled. He awkwardly stood. "I've got to get back to the shop. Thanks for the tea. We'll talk some other time, Mrs. Midoriya."
Inko showed Mr. Hatsume to the door, then came back and sat down with Izuku, a wide grin on her face. "First you win the UA Sports festival, then you get a girlfriend! My little boy is growing up!"
"Um, thanks mom. But, um, there's something else," Izuku said quietly.
Inko eyed him sideways. "Are you and Mei sleeping together? I won't be mad, but if you are-"
"No! Definitely not! I just, well, this is just about me, really. They...they're offering me extra training. To get into the UA Hero course. I'm not accepted yet, but...but I could really do it. Become a hero."
Inko sat quietly for a long time, making Izuku sweat and feel nervous. At last, she spoke, almost timidly. "You're not...you're not mad at me, Izuku?"
"No! Why would I be mad?" Izuku asked, feeling rather baffled.
"Because...because I didn't support you. I didn't believe in you. I'm your mother, and I...well, I should believe in my son's dreams."
Izuku felt his heart skip a beat, but he made himself smile. "It's OK, mom. Mei was there for me. And...and you're here now."
Inko reached out, more tears trickling down her face. "Oh Izuku, you really did find the right girl. Yes. I'm glad to hear you'll be in the UA Hero program. And if I can do anything to help, I will. I believe in you, son. I always did, just not...just not in the best way for you."
"Thanks, mom. That means a lot to me."