Chapter 3: the circle
The voices.
Right before his eyes, text scrolled like a spreading wildfire. If his memory served correctly, and given what his own eyes were seeing, there weren't exactly a large number of people here. Even so, the rate they were typing at was definitely enough to rival a server twice their size.
A server. That's what this was, wasn't it? Izuku and Woomy, while one in the same, did have a certain disconnect between the two. He wasn't sure if he was 'himself', or just a fragment shunted off into a story while the 'main' watched from above. Was he suffering from Twice syndrome? Was he an imposter? It was best to not dwell on that.
While having his internal crisis, and isn't that a surprise to know you can panic in your own dreams, he was well aware that the chat had kept moving. Several names he recognized, even if they were from 'before' and not something he was up to date with. And wasn't that just swell? He was being studied by a bunch of children with nothing better to do. It made his skin crawl. He could even recognize certain names he utterly detested getting a hoot out of his predicament. While he was ready to chalk this up to some stress induced hallucination, lashing out at the voices was halted by a familiar name.
Bypassing 'Penny' entirely, and he'd deny how smug ignoring him made him feel, he'd focus upon 'Cinnamon'. The one above all. The person behind him being here in the first place, if you really did some mental gymnastics to reach that conclusion. She seemed interested, at the very least; yet, where was the answer to this predicament? There was no ritual involved, no transfer of souls (as far as he was aware), just… Woomy.
Mentally shaking himself, he decided not to get into a spiraling case of overthinking. Was that a unique thing to him? Was the lingering spirit of Izuku finally haunting him? He's getting ahead of himself. At the very least, he came to a conclusion. The chat was about as 'real' as he was, they were watching, and at the very least privy to his thoughts. He was a book being written and read in real time. Were parts of himself being left on the cutting room floor without him knowing? Could he reach beyond the veil and-
Safer waters. The book. If the book was real, there was no reason chat could not also be real. 'Conditions May Apply' was most definitely not in book format, and selling the story of traumatized Izuku Midoriya in a timeline where none of those events had happened yet seemed impossible. He could then determine that while not a quirk, it was definitely some weird magical girl science that gave him a portable cheat sheet. Would it become unreliable in time due to his meddling? Most definitely. Was it still a nice frame of reference? Absolutely.
With a spiritual sigh that was weary beyond his years, he decided he actually needed sleep. If he just 'closed' everything out… he'd be able to get away from it all.
***
Blearily gazing at the wall, Izuku awoke to a horrifying crick in his neck and the knowledge that he was seeing and hearing things in his sleep. Thankfully, the not-quite-hallucinations remained within his head, and not in the waking world. There had been no home invaders, or stray villain attacks in the area while he slept. Did he sleep well? No. Was he at least safe? If you ignored the health and safety risks of the building, then yes.
Pulling his phone out, he didn't deem it necessary to acknowledge the time other than it being 5 in the morning. With the morning light at his disposal, he gave the interior of the building a slight glance, pulling out the book to reference his next actions. He recognized it as a bad habit to constantly refer to his 'book of the future', but he also couldn't be asked to waste energy mapping out a building that for all intents and purposes should be similar to canon. What was he to do next? His homework had been completed, so all he really needed to do was… start his day?
With a monumental sigh, he slowly stood up, stretching the various bones whose names were lost to the sands of time. Once he was positive that he was no longer at risk of spontaneously catching a cramp, he decided to make sure his bag was in order. With a glance at his loot bag, he figured he truly did need to start selling some of that merchandise. It wasn't nearly as extensive as what the true Izuku had, but that's to be expected when his mother stuck around for his entire life.
Bag on his back, shoes on his feet, and with the barest hint of the will to live, Izuku was up and out of the front door. Surveying the area, and with a quick glance back at the building (and man, were those cracks and missing chunks more concerning than he was originally led to believe) he was off.
***
The disconnect between his district and the one which held the library was night and day. The streets became more alive, even at this hour. Along with everything not looking like All For One just had a field day testing a new quirk.
He paused, blinking. Should he do something about that? In the future, maybe, when he wasn't a scrawny middle-schooler. No amount of plot armor would keep him safe from a man who'd been hidden away so extensively that not even Japan's Best could find him.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He took his time walking, considering he was fairly certain the library wasn't quite open just yet.
To his immense despair, he hadn't found a single place that looked to have a hose just laying about. Why risk showering at school when he could instead get a charge of public indecency from showering in someone's backyard? A crazy thought, but almost preferential to dealing with children that lacked a single brain cell split amongst the entire school.
With yet another sigh to meet his daily quota, he arrived at the doors of the library, staring up at the entrance. It wasn't as if he'd intentionally planned it, but it seemed as if they were still closed.
Izuku debated on sitting down, but he decided that the effort to sit and then stand back up was a monumental task. Hands firmly attached to his bag straps, he made it his mission to stare at this door for as long as it took to gain entry. Were the wires in his head crossed incorrectly? Maybe, but this was also just a way to uniquely be 'him', rather than just 'Izuku'.
Thankfully he was saved from further internal rambling when the doors finally open. Gazing up at the woman before him, he cursed Cinnamon in his mind. For all her artistic ability, she could not truly capture witnessing Shinso Kohaku in the flesh with his own eyes. Dark hair, bordering on purple, with a tired look about her only matched by her own son and Aizawa himself.
He decided not to have a mental spiral about the fact he'd have to orchestrate meeting Eraser at some point.
Dusting his shoes on the floor outside, he nodded his head at the woman. "Mornin'. Love the turtleneck."
The woman in question blinked, tilting her head. "Thank you?"
Izuku chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry, that was random. I just think they're cool." A pause. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. Sorry for intruding so early."
Moving to walk past her, he can only nod as she introduces herself by name and then heads back to her station. A drastically different meeting than originally, but he can work with that just fine. Finding himself an open computer seat (given it was early, that essentially meant all of them), he got to work charging up his phone and laptop. Did they even have games he was familiar with? Some emulators would go crazy right about now… But knowing him, that would cut into the training time he drastically needed to keep up. The price of remaining entertained was steep.
Deciding to kill time by making sure his sudden appearance in reality didn't drastically alter the prices of the merchandise on him, he also figured he may as well check over his homework again. His English, of course, was as perfect as it could get. He chose to not think about the fact he and everyone around him was speaking perfect Japanese, and instead focused on the fact he could still speak English! He's surprised he hadn't slipped up and spoken English yet, but just chalked it up to his vocals being more familiar with the local language.
Glancing at the time, he decided to mimic his 'other self' and pack up by the time 7:17 rolled around. Closing his tabs (in private browsing, naturally), he looked over at the only other occupant nearby. He hadn't scoped the place out, but he just knew he'd been there. Offering a smile, significantly less awkward than it would be in another life, yet awkward all the same, he nodded at the boy. "Izuku Midoriya. I'll be seeing you around, I think."
With that, another hellish day of school awaited him.
***
Thankfully, Bakugo had yet to try and ring him like a bell. He was still an absolute ass, but not nearly as bad as he'd get in the future. Izuku needed a plan to deal with that when it happened, but he had smaller fish to fry today.
School passed in a blur, but as lunch rolled around… He almost felt giddy about what was going to happen. Naturally, his expression didn't betray anything, but on the inside? He was ready! He didn't want his first fight to be against some nobody, but he wouldn't outright ignore the possibility.
Sliding into line, he collected his lunch with little issue. The only problem is what would come next. There wasn't an accurate measure of time between getting his food and the 'incident', but his paranoia persisted, glancing about definitely helped him in this regard. Almost like a sixth sense, he 'knew' when it was time. He hadn't practiced this in the slightest, but he could just hope it worked.
Pivoting on one foot, his body moved not quite unlike a revolving door, spinning around as someone stumbled by him. Leaning back in quite an exaggerated way, he 'accidentally' bumped into whoever was standing behind him, a sigh escaping him. "Oh… I forgot to get water."
Eventually shaking his head, he 'debated' that it wouldn't be worth getting back into line, or hunting down some vending machine. Turning around, he blinked at the sight of a student sprawled out on the ground, the boy seemingly baffled on how he got there. He almost sneered on the inside, some tall-for-his-age good for nothing with an utterly unremarkable appearance. He wasn't even worth a description in both stories involving him! An irrelevant person whose sole purpose was to make Izuku's day worse, now lay sprawled on his face.
"Oh! Are you okay? What happened?" He allowed concern to coat his voice, even if it was as fake as a middle aged mom trying to pretend she was still as youthful as she was twenty years ago. 'Deku' being this worried about someone else may have been strange, but not out of character. After all, he never did mind his own business, did he?
The utterly unremarkable boy with no quirk that he could bother to identify (and imagine that, not even having a name or the worth to be apart of Bakugo's stooges) stood up, sputtering out some nonsense that sounded like 'mind your own business, Deku', as he scuttled back to his group of cronies, all of them chuckling at his spectacular failure. While that did nothing to boost Izuku's own social standing, it certainly did not lower it, and a little bruised ego would do that nobody some good.
Wandering off to find that famous bathroom stall to eat in, he kept his eyes peeled for any repeat performances. This is the story of how he's destined to become number one, so would he ever be inconvenienced by some petty toddler coming back for some nonsensical 'revenge'?
Lord, have mercy.
***
With school out for the day and nothing of note having happened, he immediately left school grounds. While he hadn't had his body crammed into a locker, he really was not intent for them to get the chance. Besides, he had ideas!
Unfortunately, due to his future knowledge, he'd already secured all of his belongings. Despite that, he still decided to kill time by wandering over to the beach. The place was an absolute dump, that would change eventually, but he'd still be able to at least enjoy the heavily tainted trashy sea air.
With zero desire to take all the loops and turns required to shake someone off his tail, he just decided to head straight to his destination. School definitely required more brain power than any job he remembered having, but that didn't mean he wasn't bone tired by the end of it. If he was this drained now, he could also imagine it'd be worse once training began… Unless that raised his stamina meter. Or maybe he'd still be lazy despite all of that.
As Izuku sat upon the wall overlooking the trashy sand, he kicked his feet back and forth, pulling out his homework and getting to work. What was his purpose here, exactly? Obviously it was to take the story of this world into a different direction, but what was his limit? Was it enough to be a less depressed version of himself, or would he really shake things up? It's not as if he would ever dream of something as insane as redeeming All For One, but surely there were smaller changes he could make. Things that could be done earlier before it was too late to go back.
With yet another weary sigh leaving him, he did his work in silence for several minutes, even as his thoughts raced a mile a minute. Was there a checklist? A goal? He was taking things one 'chapter' at a time, but perhaps he could look outwards into the wider canon? That dream he had… They could surely prove useful, right?
Almost in response to that thought process, he could've sworn he felt what roughly translated to tv static flow through his mind. Another nonsensical thing in this nonsensical world to worry about.
***
Making his way back to what would hopefully only be his temporary home, his gaze flicked through the streets. With the sun setting, various shops were closing while some came to life. With only his school bag on, he'd like to think his own memories and those of Izuku were enough for him to feel moderately safe on his walk. The children that would bother him were likely safe at home by now, and any adults likely had better targets to go after.
It's during this inner thought process that something clicks into place. The path of a vigilante was probably still one he'd take, because he definitely wasn't waiting until getting into U.A. to start proper training. For all their lack of social skills, Ivy and Eraser had kept the streets safe. This wasn't his 'home', but at the same time, he couldn't help but want to make it safer. After all, his planned family still walked these streets. Just because he'd get them out one day doesn't mean he couldn't leave the districts safer than he met them.
There were people to save, but in the near future, there were people to meet. He'd scratched his head and walked in circles on how to confront Iwai (and even gotten some horrible suggestions during his dream) when he realized something. For all of his ability to read up on the future, he was awful at recalling the past. He wasn't a total stranger to Iwai, she at least knew of him in some capacity. They weren't friends by any means, but Izuku (the real Izuku) had walked these roads before him. He knew people. It wouldn't be completely strange to approach them. Even if his planned dialogue tree was still batshit insane, he at least had an opening thread.
Spotting the woman in question leaning against some flashy looking establishment, he tightened his grip upon his bag straps, happy he could at least catch her while she seemed available. Steeling his nerves, he walked up to the establishment in question. Bright signs, the stench of desperation, and if he squinted, sounds that even in his old life he'd be ashamed to hear out in the streets like this. He wasn't going to judge someone for their chosen occupation, but he couldn't deny it made him uncomfortable in some manner.
Focusing instead upon the woman he came to see, he took in her fashion. He could respect the all black, but he most definitely had words to say about the pink heels. He simply could not appreciate the color clash! Maybe in a few years he could ask her opinion on chokers, given he thought hers seemed cool. What even were Japanese laws? He should maybe study those at some point… Or just ask whatever friends he makes in like three years for fashion tips. It certainly was nice not to have fate altering intrusive thoughts every so often.
Of course, yet again, his internal yapping session resulted in him missing out on an opportunity to speak first. He snaps back to reality to witness Iwai staring at him. Had he made an Izuku fumble and mumbled out loud? Maybe she'd take pity on him and his utterly lacking in friends self in that case. With a nervous gulp, he waited for the woman to address him.
Lollipop plucked free from her mouth, an almost mocking if not amused grin on her features, the woman whom his entire plan hinged upon stared Izuku down.
"What're you doing roaming around this late, kid? Your mom know you're out here?"
If only she knew the half of it.
Chapter 4: bare necessities
Iwai was an interesting character. In the original version of Conditions May Apply, Iwai was written as a side character, but she contributed so much more to the story than that of a side character.
There was a way with which the locals in the uptown respected her, and for good reason too. She was their voice, their advocate, someone who would die for the people she respects. And everyone respected her in return. Woomy himself was no exception, even he could acknowledge her significance.
There was a reason, after all, he was going to Iwai instead of, say, Eraserhead.
All of this to say, she would do anything for someone she trusted, but it wasn't easy to earn her trust. He had to figure out what there was he could say to her to convince her that he was worthy of that trust.
He had a rough idea of how he wanted this to go, but would she even accept? Maybe he should've waited until Ivy had been active for a while… But who the hell had the time to be living in a cramped warehouse for that long?
As he adjusted his bag straps, he steeled his nerves to stare the woman directly in the eyes. He had to make the perfect pitch.
Seconds turned into several minutes, as he continued to lock eyes with the woman. She was utterly unflinching, as he shifted his weight from side to side. Izuku had felt in control of his life, but at this moment… This wasn't something he could cheat through with the book. He walked into a DLC area with no preparation.
Sharply turning on his feet, he prepared to march away. "Sorry for wasting your time, I must've confused you for someone else!"
Upon his attempt to retreat, he felt a hand grip his shoulder. For a moment, he was worried that security had found out Izuku had wasted the time of their worker and came to get him. Fortunately for him, it was just Iwai. Still unfortunate, but better than some strength type quirk user. Frozen in place, he slowly rotated his head, staring at her once more.
"Someone doesn't stare at you for that long unless they want something, kid," she oh so helpfully supplied. "What's on your mind?"
Despite the fact it seemed as if she was greatly amused by his nerves, he could sort of detect an underlying… Compassion? He knew what Iwai was capable of, she was a great Ivy supporter in the original timeline, but he was still a stranger to her. He didn't have that history just yet.
"I… I thought you looked like someone who could help. It's not important right now, but maybe a different time?"
He figured a promise of 'later' would be enough, especially for a stranger that barely knew he existed. People usually fell for that, right? He doesn't have to tell her the truth, but maybe believing he would eventually open up could get her to let go. He was banking on her not giving it much thought. Feeling the hold on his shoulder loosen, he faced forward and let out a sigh of relief.
"... Alright, kid. I don't know what your trauma is, but I'm pretty good at lending an ear." Her hand fully removed itself, and he assumed she folded her arms. "But… If you ever need a favor when you're older, just let me know. I can recommend some gentle coworkers."
Izuku would never admit the undignified squawk he sputtered out while dashing away. The laughter he heard following him made the blush that nobody saw even worse.
***
Surprisingly, he'd made it through another night peacefully. If he squinted, he was sure he might have remembered flashes of that chat, but it wasn't anything substantial.
He should probably try and figure out how to manually contact them, but he wasn't in a rush to have his thoughts constantly occupied. He's certain new people had joined since last he checked, and he could not afford the headache.
Summoning his book, he browsed through it for a moment. If he was reading this correctly, there was nothing of note happening anytime soon. Would he now be forced to take his own unique path? It was almost scary, walking into completely unknown territory… but Izuku was not about to back down now. The less said about his Iwai encounter, the better.
***
The boys locker room.
Even if this was a necessity, and even if he was a marginally time displaced individual, he wasn't about to look in places he wasn't meant to be. In fact, his plan wasn't to look for anything. According to his book, the coast should specifically be clear today. What did that mean for Izuku?
Rather than wasting time to see if anyone would show up, he was free to hop into the nearest shower and actually take his time. While he'd likely run out of the essentials, like shampoo, eventually… He could take his time and enjoy what he had. Hopefully he could start making money and convince Iwai before then. A roof over his head, a loving family… Just imagine! That'd be a first.
Depressingly optimistic thoughts aside, he couldn't run up the school's water bill forever. Just because nobody was in here now didn't mean there wouldn't be people later, and quite frankly Izuku was not trying to get caught with his pants down. Reluctantly drying off, he was ready and significantly fresher to face the school day.
***
It was amazing what a fresh shower could do for your spirits. He was getting better at dodging the bullies. He wasn't outright fighting back, but tuning them out became pretty easy when he realized that he'd heard far worse once upon a time… And it also wasn't worth getting upset when he didn't have anyone to rant at. Holding onto these emotions with nobody to agree with him on how much people sucked simply would not do.
In the case of King Bully Murder, while he was still just as awful as ever, he seemed to be… thinking. A rare sight that was. While Izuku hadn't outright fought back against him, he definitely acted 'different' compared to how the standard Izuku was. Sure, he took the tongue lashings with his head down, but he'd let the mask slip every so often.
He wasn't terrified. He wasn't spouting nonsense about being a hero. He kept his head down and sometimes he might have even chuckled along. Maybe Izuku should get back into 'character', but he wasn't exactly positive he could put that mask back on. He intended for the rest of middle school to go significantly different than it did in canon, and while he wasn't making himself popular any time soon, he could at least try to be more than just 'quirkless'.
***
By the end of the school day, Izuku was in a rush. Not because he was afraid of the other kids, but he simply could not be asked to waste his day. Having to pick up his things after being tripped? Getting held up for the money he did not have? Quite honestly, he was certain he could probably nonsense his way into beating just about any student that wasn't Bakugo. The girls, bless their hearts, usually didn't get physical with him. As for the boys, while some may push and shove, they were still just kids that didn't know better (yet should).
Bakugo? Izuku hated to admit it, but he was a genuine threat. Ignoring the highly dangerous quirk for a moment, even at this age he had a decent amount of potential. He certainly wouldn't admit that out loud, given the guy already had an ego the size of a small country. In a straight up fight, especially before he got One For All, Izuku would undoubtedly lose. Which is why he'd have to cheat. Get stronger faster. Maybe use some nonsense fighting techniques he remembered from watching too much TV. He wasn't prolonging anything, he just needed enough advantage to escape.
But that was neither here nor there. He'd cross that bridge eventually. For now? He'd managed to wander his way over to the beach. Stinky little Dagobah, a home away from home. Considering all of his loot was already secured, he did a bit of wandering until he stumbled upon what he came for. The walkthrough was very thorough, after all. He absolutely could not miss out on his acquisition of a flashlight. Heavier than he was tall, but still a flashlight. With his fancy little bludgeoning tool in hand, he was on his way home.
***
Staring down the staircase that made up his sleeping corner, he was very much aware that a door lay at the bottom. Beyond that door? A whole lot of machinery. In another life, Izuku would catalog pictures to do research. In this life, Izuku is more or less aware that since he doesn't die from any sort of sickness in the future… He should be fine as long as he never goes down there. Sitting down to get his homework done, he could almost hear the wailing sobs of people being upset that Pneumonia Did Not Apply.
***
Routines were important. They developed good habits. In this world, where one day he'd have to literally fight for his life. He couldn't afford to be lazy on getting things done, maybe he could afford to have a hobby one day. He was certain some of his favorite internet personalities either did not exist, or were long gone by now, but did certain things remain? Could he still duel monsters, and/or put them in his pocket? He'd have to find out eventually.
While he would love to catch a shower everyday, he could see the problem Izuku had. Going to the library and then school would definitely cut into shower time. Showering, leaving school, going to the library… Similarly, that also sounded incredibly stupid. So, he stuck to the routine for the moment.
Tuesdays and Fridays were spent making sure he was squeaky clean in the mornings. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays were dedicated to the library. Izuku made good use of his library mornings. Rather than being an antisocial little creature, he tried to at least offer a friendly greeting to Hitoshi and his mom. They didn't know it yet, but they'd be really important to his future. Was it a bit weird to spiritually adopt people before they even knew who you were?
Probably. Did he care? Absolutely not. He wasn't about to let main character syndrome go to his head and create some altar for people to worship at his feet, but he could abuse his knowledge for a brighter future. He's trying to become a hero, after all. It was a bit selfish of him to try and fix his orphan problem with people who didn't know him, but he's sure he could write this off as 'for the greater good'.
He'd also taken to trying to auction off his merchandise. Rather than bunking them all together, he'd made individual offers for each of them. He had a strategy in mind, and it wouldn't work in the slightest if one person bought in bulk… Or even tried to pick and choose through his collection.
(He'd later find out his gamble was paying off, when the top bidders on some of his items seemed to be 'MyDadSucks' and 'MightyFuture'. Lame names if you ask him, but they helped him assume they were who he thought they were.)
The less he spoke about school, the better. After that humbling experience delivered to the last bully who tried to trip him up at lunch, most people learned to not bother him in such a public place. It's not to say none tried, but after he progressively got better at weaving out of the way and 'accidentally' tripped them… They realized it was better to give up while they were ahead. Especially when the phrase 'killing them with kindness' came to mind regarding the manner in which he treated them.
Nobody enjoyed being laughed at for failing to bully the local Deku, and it was even worse when he tried to help them up. He'd imagine the only thing keeping them from slapping his tray out of his hand directly is the fact that the lunch staff might genuinely make them eat off of the bathroom floor for wasting food.
***
Saturdays and Sundays were Izuku Time(trademark pending). With less stuff to research (and allowing those two bidders to run up the value of his items), he had some free time on his hands. His favorite purple duo apparently skipped out on the library on weekends, and he wasn't exactly a part of any online spaces to enjoy being terminally online. So, what was one Izuku Midoriya to do with all this free time?
Exercise. He wasn't suicidal enough to start parkouring this early, but he could at least build his stamina up. Going for jogs throughout the neighborhood, scoping various places out, maybe making sure Iwai spotted this lost homeless child constantly roaming the streets. The day was still young, he'd yet to explore at night (though he knew he'd have to one day), and he was at least reminding the nice people who did not know he was quirkless that he existed! He was sort of one of them!
Maybe throw in a tutorial on actually throwing a punch, or how to properly swing this industrial sized flashlight around. He wasn't bringing it to school, but it would be useful for the streets… Was he just inventing Shoot Style early with all this jogging? It would be kind of funny to kick the shit out of someone at school. Ah, thoughts for later.
***
If you asked Hitoshi, Izuku was one weird dude. He was unfortunately burdened with the knowledge of his name because the kid insisted on introducing himself. His mother instilled some manner of manners (heh) into him, so he at the very least also offered his name back. Strangely enough, Izuku didn't seem afraid of him. Most kids who knew about him were terrified, if not hostile. He had waited a few meetings before even thinking of saying anything beyond a greeting, and even after he'd revealed his name… The fear still wasn't there.
That's not to say they were exactly friends. Hitoshi still had a healthy level of caution around strangers, even if they did show up for a majority of the week and even invited him to join in on his research. Even if it was mind boggling watching the numbers on an auction go up to amounts that could cover his lunch for months, easily. Even if Izuku had offered to take him on his weekend runs… That didn't make them friends, did it? It was surely an elaborate ruse to get him to drop his guard before egging his house, or something like that.
He knew he was being paranoid. He knew the boy that offered him and his mom a smile every other morning (as if to make up for the fact he was 'leeching' off of their WiFi) couldn't be evil. Maybe he'd genuinely believe that they were friends, if not something close enough to it. They'd never discussed it out loud, but that's what you'd call two people who hung out and shared a space frequently enough, right? Maybe he'd… Maybe he'd work up the courage to ask. Mom would probably be proud of him.
Though, considering today's video was currently some manner of kickboxing, he figured he'd leave such sappy talks for later. While it wasn't really his style, he couldn't deny it was fascinating to watch. If he happened to take up a habit of going on his own jogs every so often, well, his mom at least had the decency not to tell Izuku he was someone's inspiration.
Chapter 5: bustin' makes me feel good
Standing in the middle of his humble dilapidated section of a warehouse, Izuku held his flashlight. There was no doubt it would be a valuable weapon in the hands of his future self, but there was only so much an untrained, scrawny kid could accomplish.
Did that stop him from trying to do fancy tricks with it? Obviously not. What did stop him was the horrifying realization that the building and the flashlight had equal chances to break if they impacted each other. That was enough for him to decide to focus on less dangerous exercises.
***
Staring at Dagobah Beach, Izuku folded his arms. He could go dumpster diving for a knife. Really, he would just be keeping the canon intact if he did that. However, a very good counter argument would be the fact he didn't feel like doing that. He simply didn't have enough information to find a needle in a haystack like that!
A counter for that argument was the fact that gambling was practically in his blood. Izuku couldn't deny that leaving things up to chance was a pretty good way to keep himself entertained. Besides, what else was he to do? Steal a knife? A tempting idea, but the steps and luck required were too exhausting for him to even entertain the thought.
Stupid All Might. Couldn't he show up and be a father figure already? This beach junk can't move itself!
***
The anger he felt was immeasurable. Nobody would ever know the trials and tribulations he felt in that junkyard.
Well, except for the voices in his head that occasionally chose to vocalize their opinion. He was sure they were just thrilled to witness his temper tantrum as he stomped out some random pile of junk after another hour of failed knife hunting.
The slip and fall he experienced was best left unsaid; that had just resulted in another rage moment. On the bright side, he'd managed to go a week without further injury!
Self inflicted injury, at the very least. Though, the bullies were having a harder time catching up to him. Or were they just hardly trying? He wasn't sure if the 'lethal dose of kindness' approach is working, or maybe they're just assuming his quirk finally came in. He'd be wary of himself too if various bullies fell on their ass trying to ruin his lunch.
Back on topic, research time at the library had gone great. That first day he'd walked in reeking of anger and covered with minor cuts, he'd been given some medical treatment from Shinso's mom. Kohaku? He'll figure out how to address her eventually.
He could focus on that when he wasn't gushing over his disinfected bandage covered injuries. They made him seem distinguished. Also helped the 'kicked puppy' look.
Was it really okay for him to enjoy such simple childlike things? Probably. Or maybe that wasn't normal at all. He highly doubted that he or the purple haired former bully victim had a good definition of normal, but Izuku figured researching fighting styles together was normal enough for them.
***
He ruffled his hoodie, and adjusted his facemask. What good was knowledge if he didn't prepare himself? That kind of forward thinking is exactly why he held a secret weapon on him tonight. Creatures were going bump in the night, and he figured it his duty to track down the one that would be his future friend.
Creeping around the corner, he realized one fatal flaw in his plan. Mentally? He knew what to expect. That's how all plans worked. Theory work, leading to execution, and hoping you figured it all out.
Unfortunately, not all plans survive contact with the enemy. Despite expecting it, the loud BANG of something impacting the dumpster near him still invoked a flinch from him. Not a scream, never that.
Turning to face exactly who he expected, a golden eyed cat locked eyes with Izuku. Staring at the fluffy (and quite large) creature, he urged his heart to slow down. He had come prepared for this, after all! Reaching into his pocket, he slowly backed away to be out of immediate slashing range. A cat that big could definitely do some damage, especially with how rowdy that hissing made it seem.
Secret weapon secured, Izuku pulled out a foil wrapped object. Slowly unfolding it, the hissing progressively lessened as it was revealed. He'd brought a sandwich all the way from school expecting this moment! It would be nice to eat, really, but this was a crucial key to gaining friendship points.
What was less crucial to his endeavors was dissecting the sandwich. He left it completely whole, other than the singular slice of cheese he pulled free and launched at the cat's face. With a satisfying smack of an impact, he used the opportunity to drop the sandwich and skedaddle.
He'd always wanted to try that meme!
***
His nightly stroll hadn't given him much results. Block 8 had some unimportant rambling in a warehouse around there; likely two drunks with an enviable amount of light in their building. It wasn't any of his business, so he'd eventually went back home.
The next night? He'd been treated to another jumpscare from the local dumpster gremlin. Hands in his pockets, he stared at the slightly-less hissy cat. With only the barest hints of a smirk behind his mask, Izuku's head tilted.
Reaching a hand out, he dropped some treats on the ground. Not too close to him, but also not too close to her. How had the original Izuku even figured out her gender? It didn't really matter now. He'd never gotten the hype around having a pet, but even though he hadn't been saddened like the rest upon information he knew long before it happened… He still wouldn't deny the ache in his heart.
Turning his back on the cat, he offered a wave before heading on his nightly expedition.
"See you around, DJ."
***
Uptown. Decidedly different from 'Updog'. A place he was familiar with during the day, but sorely missing information on at night. He contemplated if running into Iwai would be any fun, but figured his goal to get adopted would take a hit if she knew what he was getting up to.
Though, could she really judge him? They were both just living the only way they knew how. Not that he'd analyze her like that to her face, he could just be making assumptions!
Weed in the air, homeless in the alleys, and bars just a stone toss away from women of the night ready to empty someone's pockets. There were also men of the night, apparently. He didn't realize the streets were that progressive. Good on them for following their dreams.
As none of these things particularly interested him (or passed any sort of legal test), his journey to less frequented streets continued. Less bars, less people. That's just unfortunately the way it was. Did the abandoned streets cause more bars to generate attention, or did the bars suck up all the focus from other areas?
He really shouldn't stick his toes into philosophy. Maybe he'd focus on how he had a sale coming up soon. Both the highest bidders had seemed to come to some sort of agreement, splitting this and that of Izuku's auctioned items between each other. They'd meet up soon enough, and how interesting that would be. The canon was not only taken out back, but also reduced to dust.
Then a cry rang out. He knew this night would come, but boy did it bring nerves to life. Tingling across his skin, almost similar to Full Cowling, he could swear it was like lightning through his veins. He had to go check that out. If he ran away from being a hero… If that woman got hurt?
Was it even worth him coming to this world? Making all of these preparations? This could easily go wrong and scuff his second chance, but he couldn't afford to focus on 'what could happen'.
Glaring across the street, he clenched his fists.
"Fuck it… We ball," Izuku muttered with the most conviction he'd had in all his life.
***
Standing on the rooftop overlooking the alley, he took a few precious moments to catch his breath. He'd like to think the time the OG Izuku had spent getting closer was balanced out by him rushing to a vantage point. He had a vague plan in mind, he couldn't afford to spend anymore time stressing over it.
He could do this. He had a plan. He just had to move.
Throwing a prayer up to the big author in the sky, Izuku 'Woomy' Midoriya leapt. It wasn't a swan dive, so Bakugo would likely deduct points, but at least he finally took his advice (even though that hadn't happened yet).
A resounding CRACK echoed through the alley, the front of Izuku's leg slamming against the back of an apparently rhinoceros quirked individual. Said individual could give All Might a run for his money in height. Said individual was also sufficiently stunned enough for Izuku to land on his feet, wince, and take stock of the woman the man previously had pinned.
Shifting his hands to his pockets, he whipped out a lighter and flicked it with one, pulling out an assortment of firecrackers with the other. The woman in question was clearly a bit underdressed for this weather… And that just steeled his resolve further. Even as the rhino recovered from getting hit in the back of the neck with the force of a brick, Izuku was already moving.
"RUN!" He shouted with all the energy he could spare.
The woman delivered a swift kick to the rhino's family jewels (and isn't it funny how the more things change, the story stays the same), gathered her things, and ran for it. Izuku flung the lit fuses forwards, firecrackers popping off in the man's face directly.
While not too damaging (probably), they also served as an excellent flashbang. That got the rhino howling in pain, gun dropping from his grasp as he rubbed at his eyes. Izuku reached to his waist, gripping his famous industrial sized flashlight. Swinging it forwards at an angle, he promptly bashed in one of the man's knees. He's fairly certain it wasn't broken , but it was still a solid whack that tipped his balance off something fierce.
Once Izuku caught him tumbling, he did a little spin for momentum, swinging the flashlight at the man's face. Another crack rang through the alley, as that blow was enough to send the man falling. Not nearly satisfied enough to assume he wouldn't get a horn through his gut if he turned his back, the leg he hadn't used to drop kick him from the heavens was then used to swing a kick at the man's head. Now THAT he was fairly certain had been the blow to knock him out.
Riding the adrenaline high, he reached down to pick up the 'abandoned' gun, thankful he'd had the foresight to also pick up a pair of gloves. Staring at the downed rhino one last time, he turned his gaze to the alley… Where he then spotted the same woman he'd saved watching.
For a tense few moments, he was unsure how to act. Until she'd given him a hesitant, yet grateful nod.
"I… I called the police. I doubt they'll show, but thanks for being there," she said, and then likely hurried on home.
As for Izuku? His legs were killing him, but he had his own journey to make.
***
Sitting in his warehome sweet warehome, he laid on the ground unmoving and stared at the ceiling. He'd risked his life. He prided himself on making genius (albeit risky) plans, and it had paid off even in this life. He had managed to avoid getting shot, and even taken down someone who vastly outclassed him.
He knew in a straight fight he would have died in seconds, but now he sees what makes Batman so dangerous. With an amused chuckle, Izuku decided to at least unpack after having his floor crisis.
His found knife clattered to the ground, flashlight soon joining it, and the confiscated gun being very carefully placed a decent distance away from himself upon the ground. His 'disguise' soon followed.
It was only when he was down to his briefs that the changes became apparent. Cloth strapped to his chest as bootleg padding. Padding on his legs combined with literal bricks being strapped to them. They'd made his journey significantly more exhausting, and he could barely feel his legs, but the added weight to his impacts were well worth it.
The bricks were actually cracked in some places. He wasn't sure if his bones were fucked, or if he might've accidentally killed that guy. He'd find out one way or the other. He could also make future use of the surplus of firecrackers and his lighter eventually. Could he afford all that? Barely! Did he save money by swiping a little extra while paying for some? That couldn't be proven in a court of law.
What could be proven was the bone deep exhaustion rapidly coming to claim him. Slowly blinking, it took all he had to crawl into his makeshift bed pile. As a deep sleep came to claim Izuku, he was utterly unprepared for the consequences of his actions.
A detective, who wasn't paid nearly enough. An underground hero, who whispers would eventually reach. The voices in his head who were likely in an uproar after tonight. All pressing matters, all nothing he could do anything about until he got even stronger.
With one last sigh, he forgot about his problems for at least a few more hours.
Chapter 6: sew up my mouth if i can't keep it closed
[discord]
His body ached, but that's the price you pay for engaging in unhealthy doses of underage vigilantism. Would he do it again though? Absolutely.
He pushed himself off of the ground, his limbs popping as he righted himself. His eyes offhandedly glanced around his dreary warehouse… That he wasn't currently inside of?
Standing up and ignoring the wince of pain from moving suddenly, he took in the void around him. A normal person would be freaked out of their mind, but Izuku was uniquely qualified to handle such a situation.
Said situation became far clearer when a familiar screen popped up in front of him. An amused huff left the boy, as he realized an unskippable cutscene awaited him.
"Crazy night, huh? Alright, how did I do?" He asked the captive audience.
The sandstorm rages! (Ꮛ𝜐ᥱຮ)
Woomvy stomper Of heads and protector of maidens
The fog continues! (liv ✿)
YOOO
LETS GO IZOOMY
IZOOMY MY GOAT
GET EM WOOMY
The downpour continues! (stairs)
HELL YEAH 🗣‼️ GET IT 🗣🔥
The sunlight is strong! (woomy)
even I wasn't expecting us to survive that
And isn't that strange, seeing a message from yourself? Did they even count as the same person anymore? Probably not, given the vast disconnect between them by now. His life was pretty hectic right now, but he dared to think that he preferred it compared to his old one.
The sunlight is strong! (woomy)
I can hear you pitying me from all the way over here! You're lucky I can't mute you. Now listen up, we have some ideas.
Having a crowd of people celebrate his achievements? Unheard of. Someone who he was sort of related to in a clone way dropping lore on him? Not… That weird comparatively? Maybe he was thinking too hard.
In any case, this life remained his own. At the same time, he wouldn't say no to a few helpful suggestions. He hadn't even thought of some of these! His window of time was vague, albeit small, but he had enough inspiration to make this work.
He wouldn't mind having a sister, after all.
***
Getting to school the next day was an experience. Obviously, his body was still sore, and talking to the voices in his head wasn't exactly relaxing… But it was still entertaining, in its own way.
Didn't change the fact his body ached. His legs he could understand, given the pressure they went through (and he still wasn't sure the extent of the damage, if any). His arms? Apparently bashing a rhino man with a flashlight counted as strenuous exercise.
Bag strapped to his back, one leg moving in front of the other, he was quite happy to just keep his head down for the day. Unfortunately, he knew today had significance. It might blow up in a big way, but at least he had the rest of the day to mentally prepare himself.
He just hoped it wouldn't blow up in his face.
***
Katsuki was many things: short tempered, prone to violence, and an overall believer that he was better than everyone around him. His peers knew it, the faculty encouraged him, and he regularly flaunted his status as number one.
So despite a dream to surpass his idol All Might one day, why was it that Deku took up so much of his thought process? He was irrelevant, a childhood friend who overstayed his welcome, and yet remained a thorn in his side.
A usable lackey back in the day, and now the school punching bag, even if that had changed recently. Deku had been more active. Changed, in some way. Any attempts to bully him by the extras usually went wrong at every turn, as if he knew their moves before they did.
Did he unlock a quirk and not tell anyone? Auntie Inko could pull things towards her, and there was that one sidekick of All Might's. Being able to see the future or predict things would be far more useful than over half of the school, so why wouldn't he advertise that?
Clearly that couldn't be it. If Katsuki squinted, he could almost say that Deku looked healthier than he had in years. Still scrawny and pathetic, but definitely faster… And growing a spine, at that. He laughed off some of Katsuki's own threats every so often!
Something was up with him, and that's why Katsuki was determined to get to the bottom of it. He couldn't allow that creepy Deku to get any ideas in that head of his. What if he thought he could surpass him? Catching him on his retreat from lunch was the only way to correct his path with nobody around.
At least, that had been the plan as he rounded the corner. The same corner that revealed Izuku leaning against the wall leading to the cafeteria, crunching on an apple. Taking note of the bandages on various parts of his body, he scoffed.
"What're you being all dramatic for, Deku? We both know your injuries aren't that bad." He mocked.
Injuries gained from dealing with the other kids at school, but significantly toned down over the past few weeks. Was he trying to ham up the sympathy? Hope that he'd be hurt less if he looked a mess? A stupid plan if he'd ever heard one!
And then Deku finally looked at him. A look in his eyes that reflected the times he'd protected other kids growing up. A determination that he didn't like seeing at all.
"My name's Izuku, but I guess you'd call me Midoriya." Making a face, Deku frowned. "Though, I'd prefer not. Really sucks that the only thing mom left me was a name."
Lifting an eyebrow, Katsuki stalked towards him, palms already sparking. "What are you going on about? Left you?" Grinning ear to ear, he moved within range of his favorite target. "What, you're saying Auntie Inko died? Or did she finally ditch your lame ass?"
Deku twitched, just a little. The boy narrowed his eyes, before shaking his head.
"She did, actually. Couldn't stand the single mother life. I've been kicking it on my own," he admitted freely.
"Hah? Who the hell would believe that? Besides, she's too kind to throw away a useless sack like you," the explosive teen taunted.
Deku shrugged, tossing the apple core between his hands. "You're right. Nobody would believe me. I'd just be the boy who cried wolf ," he stated, even while glancing down at the ground. "That's why I'm telling you. Because nobody else at this school really matters… And I want you to know that you had every advantage when I finally beat you."
With a snarl, Bakugo swung with his right palm facing out, explosions already crackling to life to swat Deku like the annoying insect he was.
Except, instead of cowering in fear, Deku looked up and smiled. The green haired boy ducked out of the way of the blow, putting all of his weight into a right handed uppercut, socking the explosive teen in the jaw and actually sending him stumbling back.
Katsuki rubbed his jaw, staring in shock. Deku had the nerve to punch him? To actually fight back? What gave a quirkless nobody like him the right?! With a snarl bordering on animalistic, he prepared to lunge at the other boy.
Right as the bell rang. Shaking his fist to clear the ache, Deku stared him down. "I'm not making a scene here… And I know you'd hate to lose in front of your fans," He stated. "Dagobah Beach. Meet me there after school. I'll make you accept me as an equal."
And with that, all Katsuki could do was see red, murder on his mind.
***
Izuku was losing his shit. Had he really done all that? He had a simple game plan! All he was supposed to do was drop kick him a bit, and get him off his ass! How did he end up throwing down the gauntlet?!
With a weary sigh, he made his way home after school, aware of the glare being sent his way. He wasn't fighting in his one good uniform. He'd get changed… then make an emergency trip to the library. Surely his best friend wouldn't mind a little educational kidnapping!
***
Iwai wasn't a one trick woman. Sure, her night job wasn't exactly glamorous, but she had other things to do! Such as go shopping, check up on her coworkers (and friends!), and maybe do a little bit of threatening so troublesome customers took a hint and left them alone. It was a full day's work!
So how did her day get so derailed? Well, one of her friends had described having her life saved by someone on the shorter side. Given the description, and what Iwai knew of a certain weird little kid… She was currently doing some investigative work of her own. Why was the green haired potential vigilante heading off to a trash filled beach, (followed by an almost malnourished looking troll doll?) she did not know. What she did know is that she'd find out.
***
"Okay, so, run this by me again." The boy stated.
Rolling his eyes, Izuku glanced at his one and only purple haired friend. "I told you. I'm gonna fight my childhood best friend turned bully and maybe beat some sense into him and give you some confidence in the process." The green haired lad gave quite the exposition dump.
"I… see. Am I supposed to get involved?" Hitoshi mumbled. Sure, he'd been exercising lately and picked up a thing or two from Izuku's studying… But he wasn't a fighter! It was all theoretical!
Izuku dismissively waved a hand. "Nah. You're just here to watch from a safe distance and maybe back me up if he brought his lackeys," Izuku stated, then shrugged. "Besides, I'm sure you could mop the floor with them if they tried. Theory training is better than no training."
With a long and drawn out sigh, the purple haired boy accepted his fate as being forced to tag along with these shenanigans. In the time he'd gotten to know Izuku, he just learned to accept he was a weird little guy.
***
Arriving at the beach, Izuku had sent Hitoshi off to find a good vantage point. The beach was a mess, and fighting around it would likely lead to a collapse, so it was fortunate many people didn't appear to be around. A crappy beach made for an excellent fighting spot.
It was also kind of poetic? Their friendship and this beach were once great, and now they both lay in ruins.
He should totally take up poetry or something.
Stepping a little ways onto the beach proper, he spotted Bakugo leaning on a wall. With a grin on his face, Izuku gave him a wave.
"Yo, Bakubro. Ready for our friendship restoring brawl?" The boy exclaimed, entirely aware of how aggravating his existence was.
Bakugo pushed off of the wall, staring Izuku down. Despite how calm he appeared, Izuku knew there was rage simmering under the surface. Those issues wouldn't be leaving any time soon.
"Quit yapping. I'm going to beat you down into the ground for that lucky shot," he snarled, knuckles cracking with an explosive burst.
Izuku glanced at the flashlight strapped to his side, before deciding to forgo it… For now. This Bakugo wasn't the student he'd become one day, and he wasn't even ready to get into U.A by a long shot. Izuku could win this, he knew he could, but it was just a matter of making sure that happened.
Bakugo ran at him, a shout ripping through the air as his right palm crackled. Did he assume Izuku got lucky last time, or did he pick up on his predictability without it being shouted out like his canon self had done?
Canon self? Had he always just so easily accepted his role as Izuku- Focus! As the boy got closer, Izuku braced his body… then kicked a heap of sand up towards his face. The cheap shot blinded Bakugo just long enough for Izuku to put his foot down, and promptly rush at him to grip the other boy by the shoulders, kneeing him in the gut. With two more knees, he used the last one to shove off and push him back.
Swinging an explosion out at the open air, it was obvious the boy was still suffering from sand inflicted blindness. Izuku had thankfully stepped back by then, confidence rising, but not enough for him to let himself be sloppy.
Crouching down, he scooped up some more sand in hand, before tackling Bakugo around his midsection while he was rubbing at his eyes. Lifting said hand to the heavens, Izuku straddled his chest and promptly slapped more sand into his eyes. He promptly gave him a one-two punch combination to both sides of his face.
Absently, he wondered if he was hitting too hard. For that matter, what even was the win condition? Deciding to cross that bridge when he got there, he delivered another punch to the center of mass known as Bakugo's face… Just in time for an explosion to hit his chest and launch him off.
With a cough, he crashed to the sand and fanned the smoke from his hoodie. A hole hadn't been blown through it, fortunately, but that still hurt! Standing up, he dusted himself off and actually gave the other boy the chance to stand.
This wasn't life or death. There was no gun. He just ran the very real risk of his gamble paying off or resulting in an explosive villain dedicated to killing him.
Who was he kidding? As much of an ass as Bakugo was, being a villain just wasn't his style. A vigilante, maybe, but not a villain. Though, his opinion might just change as he witnessed the explosive teen glare at him through bloodshot and tear soaked eyes, bruises already blooming across his face.
Had Izuku done that? They were both weak little kids, so it kind of made sense, but was he really packing that much of a punch?
"Enough of your stupid tricks, Izuku! Fight me like a man!" The boy snarled, running blindly ahead once again with explosions bursting forth from his palms. The blasts were bigger now, be it from his sweating or sheer rage, but he was still blindly flailing.
Izuku had to make this quick. He waited for the telltale easily countered opening move, and then stepped back as the swing turned into an upwards swipe, explosion bursting some sand into the air.
Using the smoke and sand as cover, Izuku quickly dashed around the other boy, flattening his hand into a knife position. "I hope you come back as someone good someday," he stated, right as he swung his hand out to chop him in the neck.
Blinking, Izuku was genuinely shocked when the other boy dropped like a sack of bricks. Had he actually done that? He'd won! He had somehow managed to drop his ultimate rival!
He would have probably done even better with his flashlight, or the knife, or even more kicks, but he did it! Slightly less impressive than drop kicking a rhino but he'd take his achievements when he could.
Grinning up at where Hitoshi was, Izuku's smile very swiftly fell once he spotted Iwai standing next to the purple haired boy busy sweating bullets.
***
Stuck in the backseat of Iwai's car with an incredibly unconscious Bakugo, he internally wept for Hitoshi who had been put in the shotgun seat for 'safety reasons'.
Idly twiddling his thumbs, he stared at the woman watching him from the rear view.
"So. Uh, if you take that turn, his place should be-"
"Yeah, you told me already. What you didn't tell me is why the district's sunshine was beating down on some blonde punk," the woman stated, directing her gaze back to the road.
"… So, basically… Katsuki Bakugo. Childhood best friend formerly, current bully, hopefully future rival? I thought punching him in the face would have good results," the boy confessed.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, the woman sighed loudly. "And your friend here?"
"H-Hitoshi Shinso, ma'am. We met at the library where my mom works, and he's been helping me with this and that." He stammered out.
Izuku shrugged, watching as they arrived outside the Bakugo residence. "He used to have a bullying problem, and I wanted to show him a solution. Kind of like prison rules," he admitted his incredibly logical plan.
"That's… Okay, kid. I don't know what your parents are teaching you, but that's no way to act," she stated, already taking her seatbelt off to help them move the boy to the front of his house at least. She really didn't feel like helping explain to the brat's parents what happened to him.
"Well, they aren't… Because I'm homeless?" The green haired boy shrugged in the background.
Admittedly, he should've expected the noises of surprise that came from his partners in crime.
Chapter 7: fuck you, pay me
To call this current moment awkward would be an understatement. The three of them had silently agreed that leaving Bakugo at his front door was a great idea (even if Izuku thought sneaking him in through his window would've been a far better plan). They'd left the boy unconscious, and they could only assume his parents would find him eventually, or he'd wake up and make his own excuses.
Hitoshi had been given the offer to be taken straight home, and while he had agreed, he had made it abundantly clear that Izuku should get talking on the way there. Seeing as he was planning to talk anyway —and he wasn't planning on getting the other boy's mom involved (yet)— he figured he'd get it out of the way.
"So… A few weeks ago— months, probably— my mom left. Like, left before I even knew she was gone," the boy stated, shrugging. "Rent wasn't paid, I found a fancy little paper saying to pack up, and then I was on the streets."
He chose not to mention the whole out of body experience. Or the supernatural knowledge of how certain events should play out. That information just so happened to be largely irrelevant, and it wasn't as if he could tell just anyone a crazy story like that! Maybe a few years down the line.
"I found a warehouse that didn't stink of gang activity, went looting around a beach, and the rest is history," he concluded with absolutely no further explanations needed.
Of course, Hitoshi seemed to think otherwise, if his expression was anything to go by. "…So why are you always at the library?" The boy asked.
"Because the chairs are comfy, the computers are free, and I get to hang out with my favorite lavender family." Izuku made sure to twist in his seat, making extensive amounts of eye contact during his explanation. "That's not sarcasm, by the way. You and your mom are cool."
***
And if that wasn't a kick to the ribs. They were Izuku's favorites? He'd specified based on hair color, but how many other families could he possibly know? Hitoshi had been convinced that this weird green boy would become another tormentor of his, or maybe learn to fear him, but to know he genuinely liked them?
Well, it could still just be a case of them letting him lurk in the library so often, but that didn't mean he had to talk to them. It only made sense that Izuku got closer to them by choice, right? It almost made him feel bad, not knowing the other kid was homeless, but how could he have?
Slumping back in his seat, Hitoshi marinated in the fact that he had a friend. A friend with no apparent ulterior motive. A friend that knew- knew almost everything about him.
With a weary sigh, and considering he was almost home, he decided to let it rip. "My quirk. It lets me control people who respond to my voice. That's why I'm not in public school anymore."
Izuku and Iwai (and isn't that funny, matching initials) paused their conversation, glancing back at him. The greenette apparently broke the silence first. "That's cool. You'd probably be great at hostage negotiation." The boy nodded, as if depositing sagely wisdom. "If you wanted to be a hero, anyway. I mean, as far as I know, I'm quirkless, and I'm still hoping to get into the school of my dreams."
And if that wasn't a bombshell enough, Iwai shrugged with her eyes focusing back on the road. "Heroes are overrated! Don't listen to the kid, come work with me when you're older. You'd make a killer bouncer."
Hitoshi just blinked, slumping even further into his seat, unaware of the shared smile the two occupants of the front seat shared. His quirk didn't matter to them, and they even thought he had a future. Was it really so easy to find people that liked him for who he was?
***
Izuku offered a wave as Hitoshi got out of the car, blissfully unaware of the fact his friend would probably be crying tears of joy sooner or later. What he deemed fit to tell his mom was between the two of them, as Izuku had bigger fish to fry.
Sitting absolutely still, he and Iwai remained in a mutually agreed silence for the next few moments. He knew explaining things to an actual adult might be a bit more difficult, but he was sure he could manage. He'd won two fights since he last spoke to her, and even made a friend! His confidence was rising with no sign of stopping.
Where to even begin? Well, with some manner of the truth. "You probably figured out why I wanted to speak to you, huh?" He asked, looking in her direction. If she hadn't figured it out, he'd clearly just snitched on himself then.
"What, you wanted a place to stay? What made you think I was the one to ask?" She questioned, also glancing over at him, yet mostly focusing on the road.
"You're reliable. Loyal too, I think. You came looking for me for some reason, and you sort of helped us drop off a body. Guess I just guessed right."
The woman stared at him for significantly longer after that, then sighed. "I don't live in a mansion. Obviously, an orphanage isn't on your mind since you're hiding away in a warehouse. That doesn't sit right with me… So I can help you out, at the very least."
The joy Izuku felt at his plan going well couldn't be stated enough. He actually had a place to stay! At least, he would. He had a few more things to take care of first. "Pick me up from school in a few days? Give us both enough time to mentally prepare for having a roommate."
The woman chuckled, softly shaking her head. "And I guess we'll both have some secrets? I doubt you want to hear about my job, and I won't ask what you were doing up on a rooftop in the middle of the night."
The boy froze, owlishly blinking, before slowly nodding. "As… As long as we're both safe. We have a deal."
He had no intention of keeping safe in the slightest. The best he could promise was minimizing injuries. A hero(in training) wasn't exactly a job that made it to retirement age.
***
That eventful day aside, Izuku had another interesting day ahead of him. Bright and early on a Saturday morning he had only one thing on his mind: money.
He'd put it off for a while, but it was finally time to sell off his humble collection. If he played his cards right, he'd even make a friend or two! How far ahead could these ripples affect reality? Maybe that wind quirk guy would replace one of the other students.
Or something more positive, like Nighteye and All Might getting along. If he could save a life, that would be great. That was probably more heroic, and definitely the more 'normal' thing to focus on in this situation.
Walking through the streets, he pulled his suitcase behind him. Iwai had been nice enough to offer him a lift, but he figured he could handle this on his own. That's not to say he was unprepared or anything like that, considering he had his handy dandy bludgeoning instrument attached to his side.
Would that help against a combination of fire and ice? Probably not. That did make him wonder if he could somehow confuse future vision with a complex series of fake plans. Maybe he truly was getting into the spirit of being Izuku!
If he remembered correctly, which he hoped he did considering he'd made the plan, he was supposed to meet his buyers at some decently reviewed cafe in Musutafu. That was great for him, given the fact he couldn't exactly afford to travel across all of Japan… but it did make him wonder how Nighteye was getting around. Todoroki, at the very least, wasn't that far out.
Deciding it wasn't worth stressing over theories when he could just ask if need be, he covertly glanced up and down the street. Even if he'd gotten more comfortable living here, this district was still quite lawless. It wasn't likely he'd be bothered too much in broad daylight, but a healthy sense of paranoia never hurt anyone.
***
Yawning, Izuku exited the train, stretching his stiff joints. Nothing could have prepared him for how comfy the ride turned out to be. Less bumpy than a car ride, and significantly less stressful than flying in an airplane. Maybe he'd ride trains more for fun! Or, you know, wait until he got a hero license so he could ride atop them. Surely that presented no dangers whatsoever.
Hand placed over his eyes, ignoring the sunlight trying to blind him, as he scanned the surrounding area. To think, his future would lead him here eventually. UA was nearby, and while he had no reason to go there, it was still comforting to know. Maybe, if he was insane enough, he'd tell Nedzu his entire life story.
Snorting over how stupid that sounded, he kept his head up while walking. He was a ways away from home, but it didn't hurt to be vigilant. It also didn't hurt to make sure he wasn't too recognizable. Wearing a different hoodie from his 'vigilante' getup, another dark pair of pants, and a medical mask. He didn't think it was worth the effort to do anything with his hair, and just hoped they'd confuse him with one of the other, nonexistent, green haired people wandering about.
Between his utterly insane internal rambling and the people watching, Izuku eventually managed to find the cafe he'd picked out. It wasn't anything well known, and he likely wouldn't visit after this adventure, but maybe he'd be pleasantly surprised. It could be a part of his backstory! The Leblanc to his Joker. Suitably upset at the realization that he could not in fact play some of his favorite games in this world (as far as he knew), he stepped into the building, a small bell ringing above the doorway.
Glancing about the place, his eyes eventually came to rest upon a most peculiar sight. If he was correct, these two had never interacted in canon… and yet, here they were. Todoroki Shoto and Nighteye sitting across from each other. He was positive the man had a real name, but that was something that escaped him in the moment.
He found it curious that neither seemed to have any sort of disguise on, but what reason would they have to? A pro hero in some fanboy gear, and the son of the number two hero wearing some expensive clothing. That just made him feel even more broke by comparison, but that was neither here nor there.
Dropping down into the seat next to Todoroki, he glanced between the two. "So... You two seem to match the descriptions I got. Didn't think I'd be dealing with such famous people." The boy chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
What he was met with were two stone faced stares, causing him to sweat just slightly. "Tough crowd." Lifting the suitcase, he placed it upon the table, humming. "Name's Izuku Midoriya. The times are changing, and I hate to see this stuff go, but I love to see what it can get me, you know?"
They both continued to stare him down, before their gaze shifted towards the opened suitcase. He was way too close to assuming skinwalkers had infiltrated his sale to rip him to pieces when one of them finally spoke.
"Shoto Todoroki." Came the absolutely monotone response, completely focused on the various All Might merchandise stored away.
The second figure, as if silently signaled by his conversation partner, nodded. "You may refer to me as Sir Nighteye." The man glanced up at Izuku, then back at the suitcase. "If I may?" Gesturing at the items within, Izuku nodded.
As Nighteye reached towards the suitcase, Izuku also reached forward, grabbing a random figurine to hand to him. While the pass was unnecessary, it did lead to Nighteye glancing up at him. Izuku simply raised an eyebrow, letting go of the figurine. "Uh… you're welcome?" He chose not to comment on the fact that the man's eyes seemed to change color for a moment.
The unfortunate downfall of following a cheat sheet is coming across something that was never meant to be on the test. He's sure if he was missing something that perhaps chat would let him know. It's not as if a little glimpse into his future could hurt, right?
***
Half an hour or so later, Izuku's suitcase was now empty and his pockets were quite full. A substantial donation from both Nighteye and Todoroki for his humble collection! He didn't have any idea what Todoroki would need them for, but he was positive he could guess Nighteye's reasoning.
With the day still quite young, he figured he could probably see the sights before heading home for the day. He'd have to be extra careful not to get mugged with this much cash on him, that's for sure. Perhaps he could reactivate his phone while he was here! Did Iwai have some family plan going on? Maybe he'd ask her.
As he was preparing to leave, considering what to do next, a business card suddenly entered his field of vision. Blinking, he followed the attached arm all the way to Nighteye, who seemed to be offering another to Todoroki.
The man cleared his throat, glancing between them both. "I imagine you both have busy schedules, but I'd appreciate it if fellow All Might fans such as yourselves would keep in touch." With his piece said, the man left ahead of them.
Now Izuku was no detective, but he was mildly curious on if that had anything to do with a potential future he saw. Was he saying they could ask for help? Was he keeping an eye on him? His vigilante acts definitely came long before he'd gotten anywhere near UA. He'd just pretend this was a blessing and not some trap for now.
Shifting his gaze to the side, he chuckled yet again. "Well then… how about we also exchange numbers, Todoroki?" It only made sense to further his agenda by forming bonds as early as possible, right?
With the other boy staring him down for a few moments, they actually managed to exchange numbers before the boy left. Waiting for the bell to jingle and signify his departure, Izuku let out a weary sigh. Looking over at the menu, he patted his pockets. "... I may as well eat something since I'm here." He could worry about unpacking this whole day later.